Research on Interventions that Promote the Careers of Individuals in the Biomedical Research Enterprise (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 21 269

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 21 269

This National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant opportunity, titled "Research on Interventions that Promote the Careers of Individuals in the Biomedical Research Enterprise (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" (Funding Opportunity Number PAR-21-269), supports research projects that rigorously test interventions aimed at improving career-related outcomes for people who are on biomedical research career paths. The central goal is to generate solid evidence about what kinds of training, mentoring, and networking approaches actually increase an individual's interest in biomedical research careers, strengthen motivation, improve persistence through key transition points, and build preparedness for long-term participation in the biomedical research workforce. The expectation is not just to run a program, but to study it in a way that produces findings other institutions and stakeholders can use to design or refine interventions across different academic environments and career stages, with a strong emphasis on strengthening diversity within the biomedical research enterprise.

The FOA uses the R01 mechanism, meaning applicants should propose a well-developed, research-driven project with clear questions, a strong study design, and meaningful outcome measures. The interventions of interest can include structured mentoring models, cohort-based networking supports, training curricula, career development systems, or multi-component programs, as long as the application frames them as research interventions to be tested rather than general institutional initiatives. Because this announcement is explicitly "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," the proposed work cannot meet the NIH definition of a clinical trial; in practical terms, the project should focus on career and workforce development interventions rather than testing biomedical or behavioral health treatments on patient outcomes under a clinical-trial framework. Applicants need to be prepared to justify their study as workforce or education research and to describe methods appropriate for evaluating training and career development interventions (for example, comparative designs, longitudinal follow-up, validated measures of persistence and preparedness, and analyses that clarify which components work best and for whom).

A major theme throughout the opportunity is producing actionable knowledge that can improve the biomedical research career pipeline at multiple levels, such as undergraduate, postbaccalaureate, graduate, postdoctoral, and early-career faculty or researcher stages. NIH is looking for results that can inform real-world implementation in a variety of settings, which may include universities, research institutes, and community or regional organizations involved in career development. While the announcement highlights diversity as a priority outcome, the framing is broader than recruitment alone; it is about testing interventions that measurably influence sustained participation and advancement in biomedical research careers, especially through points where attrition tends to occur.

Eligibility is broad across U.S.-based organizations. Eligible applicants include state, county, city or township, and 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; Native American tribal organizations other than federally recognized governments; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other entities as allowed under NIH rules. The announcement also explicitly calls out additional eligible applicant types that NIH is encouraging, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), faith-based or community-based organizations, Hispanic-serving institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Indian/Native American Tribal Governments that are not federally recognized, regional organizations, and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs). At the same time, it clearly excludes foreign participation in key ways: non-U.S. (non-domestic) entities are not eligible to apply, non-U.S. 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 work needs to be fully domestic in terms of applicant eligibility and supported components.

Administratively, this is a discretionary grant under the NIH umbrella, aligned with the Health funding activity category and listed under CFDA 93.859. The source information notes an award ceiling of $250,000 (as provided in the listing), and the original closing date shown is 2023-10-13, with the FOA created on 2021-06-28. Taken together, the opportunity is essentially inviting well-designed, non-clinical-trial research that can identify and validate effective mentoring, training, and networking interventions, producing evidence that helps institutions strengthen career development systems and improve diversity and persistence across the biomedical research workforce.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Research on Interventions that Promote the Careers of Individuals in the Biomedical Research Enterprise (R01 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): 93.859.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2021-06-28.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-10-13. (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.

Apply for PAR 21 269

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