Funder: National Institutes of Health
Due Dates: February 25, 2027 (Applications) | June 25, 2027 (Applications) | October 25, 2027 (Applications) | January 7, 2028 (Closing date)
Funding Amounts: Up to $375,000 in direct costs, excluding consortium F&A, for up to 3 years
Summary: Supports small-scale biomedical clinical trials that engage undergraduates and strengthen research at institutions receiving limited NIH funding.
Key Information: Clinical trials are required; health professional schools and colleges are ineligible.
Description
NIH’s Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA), PAR-25-148, supports faculty-led biomedical research at undergraduate-focused institutions that have not been major recipients of NIH support. The program aims to fund meritorious research, strengthen institutional research environments, and give undergraduate students significant experience through active research participation.
This opportunity supports investigator-initiated mechanistic and/or minimal-risk clinical trials aligned with participating NIH institutes’ missions. Trials must not require FDA oversight, must pose low potential for physical or psychological harm, and must not seek to formally establish efficacy. Studies should generate evidence to inform subsequent research rather than directly change health policy or standards of care. AREA is a research grant, not a training or fellowship program; formal training plans and non-research professional-development activities should not be included.
