Research Enhancement Award Program (REAP) for Health Professional Schools and Graduate Schools (R15 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 25 298

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 25 298

The Research Enhancement Award Program (REAP) for Health Professional Schools and Graduate Schools (R15, Clinical Trial Not Allowed) is an NIH grant opportunity designed to help smaller or less NIH-funded academic institutions build and strengthen their research presence. Its central goal is to stimulate meritorious basic and clinical research at schools that educate a meaningful share of future scientists and health professionals, but that historically have not been major recipients of NIH funding. In practice, this program is meant to open NIH research participation to faculty and campuses that may have strong ideas and promising trainees, yet have fewer established resources, less research infrastructure, or less visibility in NIH-funded research compared with large research-intensive universities.

REAP supports small-scale research projects led by faculty at eligible domestic institutions. A key emphasis is the educational and institutional impact: projects should provide real research exposure for undergraduate and/or graduate students in health professional schools or graduate schools, and they should contribute to strengthening the local research environment. That can include building a track record of publications and preliminary data, creating durable mentoring and training experiences, improving access to research methods and equipment, and generally making it easier for the institution to sustain and grow research activity after the award ends. While the science still needs to be solid and well-justified, the program is also explicitly about capacity-building and broadening participation in the national biomedical and behavioral research enterprise.

Eligibility is tied closely to an institution's NIH funding history and degree programs. To qualify, an applicant institution must award NIH-relevant baccalaureate or advanced degrees in health professions and must have received less than $6 million per year in total NIH support in at least 4 of the last 7 fiscal years. The notice also clarifies how NIH interprets institutional identity for this program: a "college" is treated as a stand-alone entity and not simply a component of a larger university system for purposes of this eligibility framework. In addition to standard categories of higher education institutions (public/state-controlled and private), the opportunity highlights that a range of mission-driven and capacity-building institution types may apply when they meet the eligibility requirements, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs).

The award is offered by the National Institutes of Health as a discretionary grant under funding opportunity number PAR-25-298. The program uses the R15 mechanism and explicitly does not allow clinical trials under this specific announcement. The listed award ceiling is $375,000. The opportunity is associated with multiple NIH CFDA/assistance listing numbers (reflecting participation across several NIH Institutes and Centers). The current listed closing date is January 7, 2028, which indicates an extended application window typical of NIH program announcements, though applicants should still pay close attention to the specific NIH receipt dates and instructions referenced in the full funding notice.

Foreign eligibility is limited. Non-U.S. (non-domestic) organizations are not eligible to apply, and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible as applicant entities. However, foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed. That generally means a U.S. applicant institution can include certain well-justified foreign elements in the project (for example, unique expertise, resources, or populations), as long as the overall application complies with NIH policy and the core award remains with an eligible domestic institution.

Overall, this REAP R15 opportunity is best viewed as a bridge-building research grant: it funds focused, manageable projects that are scientifically worthwhile while also intentionally expanding research opportunities for faculty and students at health professional schools and graduate schools that have not historically received large amounts of NIH support. It is aimed at helping those institutions generate momentum, improve research training and mentorship experiences, and strengthen the long-term capacity to compete and contribute in NIH-relevant biomedical and behavioral research.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, environment, health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Research Enhancement Award Program (REAP) for Health Professional Schools and Graduate Schools (R15 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, 93.121, 93.172, 93.173, 93.213, 93.233, 93.242, 93.273, 93.279, 93.286, 93.351, 93.361, 93.393, 93.394, 93.395, 93.396, 93.399, 93.837, 93.838, 93.839, 93.840, 93.846, 93.853, 93.855, 93.865, 93.866, 93.867.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-12-06.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2028-01-07.
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $375,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Others.

Apply for PAR 25 298

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