Summer Research Education Experience Program (R25 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 19 197

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 19 197

The Summer Research Education Experience Program (R25 Clinical Trial Not Allowed), Funding Opportunity Number PAR 19-197, is an NIH discretionary grant program designed to strengthen research education in areas that align directly with the NIH mission. The central purpose of this opportunity is educational: it supports structured activities that help participants better understand biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research, along with the real-world implications of that research. Rather than funding standard research projects, the program emphasizes research education and hands-on learning that builds research literacy, skills, and familiarity with the research enterprise.

A defining feature of this program is its focus on summer experiences. The FOA is intended to support creative, well-organized research education activities that take place during the summer academic break, with the primary emphasis on research experiences for high school students, undergraduate students, or science teachers. In practice, this often means immersive summer programs that place participants into research environments, combine mentorship with skills development, and expose trainees to modern research methods and career pathways. The expectation is that the activities are purposeful and educationally grounded, not simply general enrichment. The program is also explicitly not meant to be a broad, generic STEM summer camp; proposals need to be clearly rooted in biomedical, behavioral, or clinical research themes that map to the specific NIH Institute or Center (IC) to which the application is submitted.

Fit with the mission of the participating NIH Institute or Center is a major requirement. Applicants are expected to design a program that is responsive to the scientific and public health priorities of the IC they choose, rather than proposing a one-size-fits-all STEM experience. The FOA references IC-specific guidance and points of contact, signaling that applicants should pay close attention to what each participating IC will and will not support, and tailor the educational content, research exposures, and mentoring environment accordingly.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of organizations that can host and administer research education programs. Eligible applicants listed include state, county, and local governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled colleges and universities; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; tribal organizations that are not federally recognized; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; and a range of nonprofit organizations (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3), as long as they are not institutions of higher education). For-profit organizations (other than small businesses) and small businesses are also listed among eligible applicants, along with an "Others" category that can encompass additional organizational types. The FOA also calls out additional eligible applicant groups such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, U.S. territories or possessions, and Indian/Native American tribal governments that are not federally recognized. This broad eligibility reflects NIH interest in supporting diverse institutions and community-connected organizations that can expand access to meaningful research experiences.

At the same time, the FOA places strict limits on foreign involvement. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and foreign institutions are not eligible to apply. In addition, non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, and foreign components (as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement) are not allowed. In other words, the program must be proposed and carried out within allowable domestic structures, without foreign components.

The award mechanism is an NIH R25 Research Education grant, and clinical trials are not allowed under this particular opportunity. That restriction is important for program planning because it means applicants cannot propose a program that includes conducting or supporting clinical trial activities as part of the funded work. The activity category is listed under education, environment, and health, and the CFDA numbers associated with the opportunity include 93.113, 93.273, 93.279, 93.286, and 93.853, reflecting that multiple NIH components may participate depending on mission alignment.

From the funding details provided, the award ceiling is listed as $100,000, indicating an upper limit on the amount that can be requested or awarded under the terms shown in the source data. The original closing date in the provided record is May 7, 2021, and the opportunity record shows a creation date of February 25, 2019. The number of expected awards is not specified in the provided text, suggesting it may vary by year, institute participation, and application volume.

Overall, this opportunity is best understood as NIH support for institutions and organizations that can run high-quality, mission-aligned summer research education experiences for pre-college students, undergraduates, and/or science teachers. Competitive programs under this FOA would typically demonstrate strong mentorship, thoughtful educational design, meaningful exposure to biomedical or behavioral research, and a clear match to the priorities of the NIH institute or center being targeted, while staying within the constraints that exclude clinical trials and any foreign components.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, environment, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Summer Research Education Experience Program (R25 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.113, 93.273, 93.279, 93.286, 93.853.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2019-02-25.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-05-07. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $100,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.

Apply for PAR 19 197

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