Modules for Enhancing Biomedical Research Workforce Training (R25 - Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 24 040

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 24 040

The NIH grant opportunity "Modules for Enhancing Biomedical Research Workforce Training" (PAR-24-040) is a Research Education Program (R25) funding announcement focused on strengthening the biomedical research workforce through high-quality educational resources rather than through conducting research projects or running clinical trials. Its central purpose is to support research education activities that complement and improve how students, trainees, and early-career professionals are prepared to meet the United States' biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research needs. In practice, the emphasis is on creating training content that can be used broadly, meaning the program is looking for exportable, modular training materials that can be adopted, adapted, and implemented beyond a single institution.

A key feature of this opportunity is that it funds the development of training modules, not independent clinical trials. The "Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed" designation signals that the supported work should be educational in nature and not involve leading a clinical trial as the primary activity under the award. The intent is to build scalable training tools that strengthen research preparation and workforce readiness, such as structured educational modules, curricula, or other learning units that can be shared and reused across programs. Topics considered responsive are not fixed in the announcement itself; instead, NIGMS plans to identify priority or responsive module topics through Notices of Special Interest (NOSIs) released annually. That means prospective applicants need to watch for those yearly NOSIs from NIGMS to ensure their proposed module area aligns with the currently highlighted needs.

The opportunity is issued by the National Institutes of Health under the health funding activity category (CFDA 93.859) and uses the grant funding instrument. A wide range of applicant organizations are eligible, including public and private institutions of higher education, state and local governments, special district governments, independent school districts, federally recognized Native American tribal governments, and tribal organizations that are not federally recognized. Eligibility also extends to nonprofits both with and without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education in those categories), public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, for-profit organizations other than small businesses, small businesses, and other organizations. The announcement also explicitly highlights additional eligible applicant types such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, AANAPISIs, Hispanic-serving Institutions, HBCUs, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, and U.S. territories or possessions.

At the same time, the program draws clear boundaries around foreign involvement. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and foreign institutions are not eligible to apply. Non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible, and foreign components as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement are not allowed. In other words, while the training modules are meant to be exportable and broadly usable, the funded work itself must be carried out without foreign components under NIH definitions.

Financially, the opportunity lists an award ceiling of $250,000. The public listing does not specify the expected number of awards in the provided source data. The original closing date shown is January 27, 2026, and the funding announcement record was created on November 22, 2023. Overall, this FOA is best understood as a curriculum and training-module development mechanism aimed at improving how the biomedical research workforce is trained, with topic priorities guided year-to-year by NIGMS NOSIs and with eligibility broad across U.S.-based organizations but explicitly excluding foreign applicants and foreign components.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Modules for Enhancing Biomedical Research Workforce Training (R25 - Independent 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): 93.859.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-11-22.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-01-27. (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 $250,000.00 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.

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