NIH Neuroscience Development for Advancing the Careers of a Diverse Research Workforce (R25 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 20 240

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 20 240

The NIH Neuroscience Development for Advancing the Careers of a Diverse Research Workforce program (PAR-20-240) is an NIH Research Education Program (R25) grant funded through the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). Its central purpose is workforce development: it supports structured, non-degree research education activities that are meant to broaden participation in neuroscience and help trainees and early-career researchers move successfully from one career stage to the next. The opportunity is explicitly aimed at strengthening diversity in the biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research workforce, with an emphasis on neuroscience fields that align with NINDS priorities. Clinical trials are not allowed under this funding announcement, so supported activities must be educational and research-training oriented rather than interventional clinical trial work.

The program has two linked goals. First, it seeks to increase the pool of current and future PhD-level research scientists from diverse backgrounds that are underrepresented in biomedical neuroscience research. Second, it is designed to actively support career advancement by helping participants transition to the next step of their neuroscience careers, for example from undergraduate to graduate training, from graduate school to postdoctoral research, or from postdoc to independent research positions. The announcement encourages projects that address key transition points and it specifically signals enthusiasm for programs that cover more than one career stage, creating a more continuous pipeline rather than a single isolated training experience.

Funded projects are expected to propose creative, well-structured educational activities with a primary focus on NINDS-relevant research experiences. In practice, this typically means hands-on exposure to neuroscience research environments and questions that fit within NINDS mission areas, paired with strong mentoring structures. The FOA also highlights mentoring activities that build competencies, leadership-focused education, and skills-development coursework as core elements. Skills development may include topics that are often decisive for long-term success but not always emphasized in standard curricula, such as rigorous experimental design, quantitative and computational skills, responsible conduct of research, scientific communication, grant and fellowship writing, career planning, networking, and leadership or management training. The overall theme is that the program should do more than provide exposure; it should measurably prepare participants to progress and compete at the next career level.

A notable feature of this opportunity is that NINDS states it will weigh both scientific merit and programmatic considerations equally. That means a technically strong application may still be declined if it does not match current NINDS program priorities. Because of that, prospective applicants are strongly advised to contact NINDS scientific or research staff before investing significant time in an application, to confirm fit with NINDS goals and avoid developing a proposal that the institute is unlikely to support.

The funding mechanism is a discretionary grant under the health category, with CFDA numbers 93.242 and 93.853. The listed award ceiling is $250,000, indicating an upper limit on the amount that can be requested under this FOA (applicants would still need to follow the detailed NIH budget rules and any FOA-specific constraints). The original closing date shown in the source data is September 26, 2022, and the funding opportunity was created on June 25, 2020, which helps place it in time for anyone checking whether the announcement is still active, has been reissued, or has updated due dates.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based organizations and government entities. Eligible applicants include state, county, city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments and certain other tribal organizations; public housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The FOA also calls out additional applicant categories that align with the diversity and capacity-building goals of the program, 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, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, and U.S. territories or possessions.

At the same time, there are clear restrictions related to foreign involvement. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations and foreign institutions) are not eligible to apply. In addition, non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, and foreign components, as NIH defines them in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are not allowed. In other words, the program is intended to be carried out entirely through U.S.-based applicant organizations without foreign components.

Overall, this NINDS R25 opportunity is best understood as a targeted, mission-aligned education and mentorship grant meant to strengthen and diversify the neuroscience research workforce by providing high-quality research exposure, structured mentoring, leadership and professional development, and intentional support for career transitions. Programs that build a pipeline across multiple stages and directly address the practical barriers that underrepresented scientists face in advancing through neuroscience careers are especially responsive to the announcement.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NIH Neuroscience Development for Advancing the Careers of a Diverse 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): 93.242, 93.853.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2020-06-25.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-09-26. (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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