Atom | Limited Competition: NCATS Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) Program Research Education Grants Programs (R25

Due Dates: March 13, 2025 | May 28, 2025 | January 28, 2026 | May 28, 2026 | January 28, 2027 | May 28, 2027

Funding Amounts: Up to $100,000 direct costs per year, for a maximum project period of 5 years.

Summary: Supports research education activities to enhance workforce training in clinical and translational science at CTSA hub institutions; clinical trials are not allowed.

Key Information: Limited to primary CTSA UM1 hub institutions; only one R25 application per institution; must be submitted with or after a UM1 application.

Description

This opportunity supports research education programs designed to complement and enhance the training of a workforce in biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research, specifically within the context of the NIH Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) Program. The focus is on providing hands-on research experiences in clinical and translational science, aiming to build skills and interest among undergraduates, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, medical residents, and junior faculty. The program is intended to foster innovative educational activities that are distinct from existing NIH training mechanisms and to advance the mission of the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS).

The R25 program is a limited competition, available only to primary CTSA UM1 hub institutions. The goal is to support creative, cohort-based research education experiences that are not disease-specific but instead focus on the translational science process and its common principles.

Due Dates

March 13, 2025
May 28, 2025
January 28, 2026
May 28, 2026
January 28, 2027
May 28, 2027

Letters of intent are due 30 days before the application due date. All applications are due by 5:00 PM local time of the applicant organization.

Funding Amount

Maximum budget: $100,000 direct costs per year.
Maximum project period: 5 years.
Indirect costs are reimbursed at 8% of modified total direct costs (excluding tuition, equipment, and certain consortium costs).
The number of awards is contingent on NIH appropriations and the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications.

Eligibility

Eligible Applicants: Only primary UM1 CTSA hub organizations (public and state-controlled institutions of higher education) are eligible. Partner or collaborating institutions are not eligible to apply directly.
Limited Submission: Only one R25 application per institution is allowed.
Companion Requirement: The R25 application must be submitted concurrently with, or after, a UM1 CTSA application (or while the UM1 is under review or has been awarded).
Foreign Organizations: Non-U.S. entities and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible. However, foreign components as defined by NIH policy are allowed.
Participants: May include undergraduates, graduate/clinical students, postdoctoral fellows, medical residents, and junior faculty. Programs should primarily serve U.S. citizens and permanent residents unless strongly justified.

Application Process

Applications must be submitted electronically via NIH ASSIST, Grants.gov Workspace, or an institutional system-to-system solution.
Applicants must follow the NIH How to Apply - Application Guide and all program-specific instructions in the funding announcement.
Required attachments include a Coordination and Integration Plan (3 pages) and a letter of institutional commitment.
Only one application per institution is allowed; duplicate or highly overlapping applications will not be accepted.
All required registrations (SAM, eRA Commons, Grants.gov) must be completed prior to submission.

Additional Information

Program Focus: Research experiences should be 10–15 weeks full-time (or equivalent part-time within 12 months), providing hands-on exposure to clinical and translational science.
Allowable Costs: Personnel, participant travel, research-related expenses, and housing allowance (up to $1,000 per participant). Stipends and daily meals are not allowed.
Unallowable Costs: Stipends, daily meals, gifts, social functions, incentive payments, and professional dues (except for conference registration).
Evaluation: Programs must include a plan for evaluating educational outcomes and participant progress.
Reporting: Annual progress reports (RPPR) are required, including participant tracking and outcomes.

External Links

Contact Information

Topic	Contact Name/Office	Email/Phone
Scientific/Research	Irina Krasnova, Ph.D. (NCATS)	CTSATrainingNOFOsQuestions@mail.nih.gov / 301-480-7624
Peer Review	Victor Henriquez, Ph.D. (NCATS)	CTSATrainingNOFOsQuestions@mail.nih.gov / 301-435-0813
Grants Management	Ruthann McAndrew (NCATS)	CTSATrainingNOFOsQuestions@mail.nih.gov / 301-435-2686
General Grants Info	NIH Grants Information	GrantsInfo@nih.gov / 301-480-7075
Application Support	eRA Service Desk	https://www.era.nih.gov/need-help / 301-402-7469 or 866-504-9552
Grants.gov Support	Grants.gov Customer Support	support@grants.gov / 800-518-4726

Limited Competition: NCATS Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) Program Research Education Grants Programs (R25 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed)