Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 21 185
The grant opportunity "Mentoring Networks to Enhance Diversity in NIDCD's Extramural Research Workforce (R25 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" (Funding Opportunity Number PAR-21-185) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Research Education Program (R25) award administered within the mission space of the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD). It is designed to strengthen and diversify the pipeline of people pursuing research careers connected to NIDCD-related science, with a clear emphasis on supporting individuals from diverse backgrounds, including groups that are underrepresented in the biomedical and behavioral sciences. Rather than funding a traditional research project, the R25 mechanism supports structured educational and career-development activities that help participants gain skills, guidance, and connections that make it more likely they will continue into research training and research careers.
The central programmatic focus of this specific FOA is mentoring. Applicants are expected to propose creative, well-organized mentoring networks and related mentoring-centered education activities. The intent is to build supportive systems that link trainees and early-career individuals with experienced mentors, peer communities, and professional development resources. While the announcement text is brief, the framing makes it clear that the funded effort should be more than ad hoc advising; it should function as a networked program that intentionally promotes persistence, advancement, and success in research for participants who might otherwise face structural barriers to entering and staying in the research workforce.
This is a discretionary grant in the health funding activity category (CFDA 93.173). Clinical trials are not allowed under this FOA, meaning the supported activities must be educational/mentoring in nature rather than interventional clinical research. The opportunity lists an award ceiling of $250,000, signaling that budgets are expected to fit within that upper bound (typically per year, depending on NIH-specific budget instructions in the full FOA). The listed original closing date is 2024-09-30, indicating the end of the application window as provided in the source information.
Eligibility is broad and includes many U.S.-based organization types that could reasonably operate mentoring networks at scale. Examples include public and private institutions of higher education, public/state-controlled universities, independent school districts, nonprofits (both with and without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), small businesses, and multiple levels of government such as state, county, city/township, and special district governments. Native American tribal governments (federally recognized), tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments), and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities are also eligible. In addition, the FOA explicitly highlights other eligible applicants such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), as well as faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions. This emphasis signals that NIH is encouraging applications from institutions and organizations with strong connections to the populations the program aims to support.
At the same time, there are important limits on foreign participation. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign institutions) are not eligible to apply, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply. However, "foreign components" as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement are allowed, which typically means a U.S. applicant organization may include certain well-justified project elements carried out outside the U.S. under NIH rules, even though the applicant institution itself must be domestic.
In practical terms, a competitive application under this FOA would be expected to describe a coherent mentoring-network model: who the participants are, how they will be recruited and supported, what mentoring structures will be used (for example, mentor training, mentoring teams, near-peer mentoring, networking events, career development workshops, and structured progress monitoring), and how the program will measure success in ways tied to the overarching goal of diversifying and strengthening the NIDCD-related research workforce. The program is fundamentally about building durable, scalable mentoring and education infrastructure that increases entry, retention, and advancement of diverse trainees and early-career researchers into NIDCD-relevant research pathways, without proposing or conducting clinical trials.Apply for PAR 21 185
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Mentoring Networks to Enhance Diversity in NIDCD's Extramural Research Workforce (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): 93.173.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2021-04-01.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-09-30. (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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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the funding opportunity called?
The opportunity is titled "Mentoring Networks to Enhance Diversity in NIDCD's Extramural Research Workforce (R25 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" and it is associated with Funding Opportunity Number (FOA) PAR-21-185.
Which agency and institute are offering this grant?
This is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Research Education Program (R25) award administered within the mission space of the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD).
What is the purpose of this R25 opportunity?
The purpose is to strengthen and diversify the pipeline of people pursuing research careers connected to NIDCD-related science. The program emphasizes support for individuals from diverse backgrounds, including groups underrepresented in the biomedical and behavioral sciences, by funding structured education and career-development activities centered on mentoring.
Is this grant meant to fund a traditional research project?
No. The R25 mechanism is intended to support structured educational, mentoring, and career-development activities rather than a traditional hypothesis-driven research project.
What is the central programmatic focus of this FOA?
Mentoring is the central focus. Applicants are expected to propose creative, well-organized mentoring networks and mentoring-centered educational activities that function as an intentional support system (not ad hoc advising).
What does "mentoring network" mean in the context of this FOA?
Based on the FOA description, a mentoring network is an organized, program-like system that links trainees and early-career individuals with experienced mentors, peer communities, and professional development resources to promote persistence, advancement, and success in research careers relevant to NIDCD.
Who is this program intended to support?
The program is designed to support trainees and early-career individuals pursuing research pathways connected to NIDCD-related science, with an explicit emphasis on individuals from diverse backgrounds, including groups underrepresented in the biomedical and behavioral sciences.
What types of activities are expected to be supported?
The FOA indicates support for structured mentoring-centered education and career development activities. Examples referenced or implied include mentor training, mentoring teams, near-peer mentoring, networking events, career development workshops, and structured progress monitoring.
Are clinical trials allowed under this FOA?
No. Clinical trials are not allowed. Supported activities must be educational and mentoring in nature rather than interventional clinical research.
What is the funding activity category and program type?
The opportunity is a discretionary grant in the health funding activity category and uses the NIH Research Education Program (R25) mechanism.
What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?
The CFDA number listed is 93.173.
What is the maximum award amount (ceiling)?
The opportunity lists an award ceiling of $250,000. Budgets are expected to fit within this upper bound, typically per year depending on NIH-specific budget instructions in the full FOA.
What is the application deadline or closing date?
The listed original closing date is 2024-09-30, which indicates the end of the application window as provided in the source information.
What types of organizations are eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes many U.S.-based organization types, such as public and private institutions of higher education, public/state-controlled institutions of higher education, independent school districts, nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), small businesses, and multiple levels of government (state, county, city/township, and special district governments).
Are tribal entities eligible to apply?
Yes. Eligible applicants include Native American tribal governments (federally recognized) and tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments).
Are U.S. territories or possessions eligible to apply?
Yes. The FOA includes U.S. territories or possessions among the eligible applicants.
Are specific institution types explicitly encouraged to apply?
Yes. The FOA highlights eligibility for and interest in applications from organizations such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs). It also notes faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, and regional organizations.
Can a foreign (non-U.S.) institution apply as the applicant organization?
No. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign institutions) are not eligible to apply under this FOA.
Can a U.S. organization apply if parts of the proposed program would be run outside the United States?
Non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply. However, "foreign components" (as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement) are allowed, meaning a domestic U.S. applicant may include certain well-justified elements carried out outside the U.S. under NIH rules.
What is the overall outcome this program is trying to achieve?
The program aims to build durable, scalable mentoring and education infrastructure that increases entry, retention, and advancement of diverse trainees and early-career researchers into NIDCD-relevant research pathways.
What should a competitive application generally describe?
Based on the provided description, a competitive application would be expected to present a coherent mentoring-network model, including: who participants are, how they will be recruited and supported, what mentoring structures will be used, how participants will connect to mentors and peer communities, and how success will be measured in ways aligned with strengthening and diversifying the NIDCD-related research workforce.
Does the FOA expect mentoring to be informal or formally structured?
The FOA framing emphasizes that the effort should be more than ad hoc advising. It should operate as a well-organized, intentional mentoring network with supporting education and career-development elements.
Is the program limited to a single institution, or can it be networked across groups?
The FOA emphasizes "mentoring networks" and "networked" support systems. While the specific structure is not prescribed in the provided text, the intent clearly supports a model that links participants to mentors, peers, and resources in an organized network.
What kinds of success measures are implied by this FOA?
The description implies success measures tied to the overarching goals of diversifying and strengthening the NIDCD-related research workforce, including indicators of participant persistence, advancement, and continued engagement in research training and research careers.
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