Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 25 415

The Support for Research Excellence First Independent Research (SuRE-First) Award (R16 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant opportunity designed to strengthen research capacity at eligible, resource-limited higher education institutions by funding investigator-initiated biomedical research projects. In practical terms, it is meant to help institutions that may have fewer research resources build a stronger, more sustainable research environment by supporting new investigators and the student training opportunities that come with running a real research program. The funded work can fall across a wide range of NIH mission-relevant areas, including basic, social, clinical (non-trial), behavioral, and translational science, as long as it aligns with NIH priorities and is not a clinical trial.

A central focus of SuRE-First is supporting full-time faculty who are at the stage of launching their independent research careers. This mechanism is specifically for investigators who have not previously held independent, peer-reviewed, external research grant support. In other words, it is intended to function as an entry point for faculty who are ready to lead a project but have not yet had the kind of prior external funding that typically establishes a track record as an independent principal investigator. By backing these first-time independent projects, NIH aims to broaden participation in funded research and help new investigators generate the preliminary results, publications, and experience that can position them for future, larger-scale NIH funding.

Another major goal is student research training and workforce development within the institution. The program emphasizes providing students with high-quality undergraduate and/or graduate research experiences, which typically means hands-on participation in meaningful research activities, exposure to scientific thinking and research methods, and opportunities to contribute to outputs like posters, presentations, or publications. This student-centered element is part of the larger capacity-building mission: by supporting faculty-led research that actively involves trainees, the award helps strengthen the pipeline of future researchers and improves the overall research culture on campus.

Eligibility is limited to U.S.-based higher education institutions, including public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education. Foreign organizations are not eligible to apply, and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible. In addition, foreign components (as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement) are not allowed under this opportunity, which means the project must be structured so that the work is not carried out as a foreign component and does not rely on foreign performance sites in a way that NIH would categorize as such.

Administratively, this opportunity is listed as a discretionary grant under Funding Opportunity Number PAR-25-415, administered by the National Institutes of Health. The opportunity remains open until at least September 7, 2028 (Original Closing Date). The listed award ceiling is $125,000, indicating the maximum award amount anticipated under the program structure (applicants would still need to follow the detailed budget and project period rules in the full announcement). Multiple CFDA numbers are associated with this opportunity, reflecting that it may be supported across different NIH institutes and centers or mission areas within NIH’s broader funding catalog.

Overall, SuRE-First is best understood as an NIH capacity-building and investigator-development award: it funds a faculty member’s first independently led research project at an institution with limited research resources, requires alignment with NIH mission areas, prohibits clinical trials, and intentionally ties the research to meaningful student training experiences and long-term improvements in the institution’s scientific research environment.

  • The National Institutes of Health in the education, environment, food and nutrition, health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Support for Research Excellence First Independent Research (SuRE-First) Award (R16 - 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, 93.242, 93.273, 93.279, 93.286, 93.307, 93.361, 93.398, 93.846, 93.847, 93.853, 93.855, 93.859, 93.865, 93.866, 93.867, 93.879.
  • This funding opportunity was created on 2025-06-13.
  • Applicants must submit their applications by 2028-09-07.
  • Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $125,000.00 in funding.
  • Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.
Apply for PAR 25 415

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Category: Education, Environment, Food and Nutrition, Health, Income Security and Social Services
Funding Amount: Case Dependent

 

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