Funder: National Institutes of Health
Due Dates: July 8, 2025 (New, Renewal, Resubmission, Revision) | July 8, 2026 (New, Renewal, Resubmission, Revision)
Funding Amounts: Up to $225,000 in annual direct costs for up to 2 years (R34 mechanism; not renewable)
Summary: Supports eligible Tribal entities in planning and preparing competitive applications for the Native American Research Centers for Health (NARCH) program.
Key Information: Only Tribal entities not currently supported by a NARCH S06 or Planning Grant are eligible; limited to one application per due date.
Description
This opportunity provides planning grants to support federally recognized American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) Tribes, Tribal colleges and universities, Tribal health programs, or Tribal organizations in preparing competitive applications for the NARCH (Native American Research Centers for Health) program. The NARCH Planning Grant (R34) is designed for Tribal entities that do not currently hold a NARCH award, enabling them to conduct the necessary preparatory work—such as needs assessments, partnership development, and strategic planning—to develop a strong future NARCH application. The program aims to expand Tribal participation in health research, capacity building, and infrastructure enhancement.
Due Dates
- Next application deadline: July 8, 2025 (for new, renewal, resubmission, and revision applications)
- Subsequent deadline: July 8, 2026
- All applications are due by 5:00 PM local time of the applicant organization.
Funding Amount
- Maximum direct costs: $225,000 per year
- Project period: Up to 2 years
- Renewal: Not renewable
- Budget notes: If partnering with non-Tribal organizations, no more than 25% of direct costs may be allocated to those partners.
Eligibility
- Eligible applicants:
- Federally recognized American Indian/Alaska Native Tribes
- Tribal colleges and universities
- Tribal health programs
- Tribal organizations (as defined under 25 U.S.C. 1603)
- Consortia of two or more eligible Tribal entities
- Restrictions:
- Applicants must not currently have a NARCH S06 award or an active NARCH Planning Grant (including those in no-cost extension).
- Only one application per eligible entity per due date.
- Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities are not eligible to apply; foreign components are allowed only if a participating Tribe has ancestral catchment areas crossing the U.S. border.
- PD/PI requirements: Must have a primary appointment with the applicant organization or an eligible partner Tribal entity.
Application Process
- Submission: Applications must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov, NIH ASSIST, or an institutional system-to-system solution.
- Required registrations: SAM, eRA Commons, Grants.gov (can take 6+ weeks; start early).
- Application components:
- Letter of Vision and Commitment from a senior Tribal official
- Research Strategy outlining planning activities, needs assessment, and future NARCH application goals
- Letters of Support (e.g., Tribal Resolutions)
- Modular budget (required)
- Review criteria: Significance, investigator(s), innovation, approach, environment, and commitment to building research capacity.
- Additional requirements: All PDs/PIs must have eRA Commons IDs; applications missing required attachments will not be reviewed.
Additional Information
- Clinical trials: Not allowed under this funding opportunity.
- Expected outcome: Recipients are expected to submit a NARCH S06 application within one year of the end of the planning grant.
- Cost sharing: Not required.
- Data management: No Data Management and Sharing Plan required for the planning grant, but future NARCH applications may require one.
- Appendices: Only limited materials allowed (e.g., blank surveys).
External Links
Contact Information