Training Opportunities for Special Populations

Supplement Programs to Enhance Diversity and Re-entry into the Research Workforce

NIH-wide supplement programs to enhance diversity and promote re-entry into the research workforce (respectively). Provides additional financial support to program director(s) (PD) or principal investigator(s) (PI) with an active NIH grant in order to onboard individuals/trainees from a target population to perform work within the scope of the ongoing grant. Applications must outline the potential for the award to contribute significantly to the career development of the candidate. Read more about the NIA Diversity and Re-Entry Supplement Guidelines.

NIH HEAL Initiative awardees are encouraged to apply to these research supplements to promote diversity in health-related research (PA-23-189).

NIH SEED office provides additional resources and application guidance on the diversity supplement for SBIR and STTR awards.

NIA-specific Programs to Diversify the Research Workforce

Programs include:

• Aging Research Dissertation Awards to Promote Diversity (R36)
• NIA Predoctoral, Postdoctoral, and Career Transition Awards to Promote Diversity in Translational Research for AD/ADRD (Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
• Butler Williams Scholars Program
• ERA – Expanding Research in AD/ADRD (R25 – Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
• Training Grant Add-On Slots
• NIA MSTEM: Advancing Diversity in Aging Research through Undergraduate Education (R25 - Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

Aging Research Dissertation Awards (R36)

The R36 dissertation research award announcement is intended to stimulate the participation of individuals from the following groups:

1. Individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups.
2. Individuals with disabilities.
3. Individuals from socially, culturally, economically, or educationally disadvantaged backgrounds, which have inhibited their ability to pursue a career in health-related research

This award provides a dissertation award to a PhD candidate conducting research on aging and aging-related health conditions. The NIH recognizes that the last few years of the PhD represents are critical juncture in doctoral training--a period during which institutional support often declines or terminates altogether.

NIA Predoctoral, Postdoctoral, and Career Transition Awards to Promote Diversity in Translational Research for AD/ADRD (Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

The purpose of these companion Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFOs) is to promote diversity in the translational research workforce for Alzheimer's disease and Alzheimer's disease-related dementias (AD/ADRD). With an emphasis on the development of skills in data science and drug discovery, and their application to various aspects of AD/ADRD research (from populations studies to research that can lead to new treatments and diagnostics, including all aspects of behavioral and social research). For more information, visit the NIA webpages for the F31, F32, and K99/R00 awards.

Butler Williams Scholars Program

The Butler-Williams Scholars Program provides a week-long program with unique opportunities for junior faculty and researchers new to the field of aging to gain insight about aging research. The program offers diverse perspectives and includes presentations, seminars, and small group discussions. As an offering of the NIA Office of Special Populations, researchers with an interest in health disparities research related to aging are encouraged to apply. Applicants from diverse backgrounds, including individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, individuals with disabilities and women are always encouraged to apply for NIH support.

Training Grant Add-On Slots

NIA is committed to diversifying the aging research workforce, and particularly the aging research trainee population. NIA-supported training grants (T32s) are expected to support qualified trainees from backgrounds likely to diversify the research enterprise with their awarded training slots. If after having filled all awarded slots on the training grant an eligible and qualified trainee is identified, directors of NIA-supported T32s are permitted to request a temporary additional pre- or postdoctoral training slot. Read more about the NIA policy on training grant add-on slots.

ERA – Expanding Research in Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias

NIA is committed to attracting, training, and developing a skilled and diverse interdisciplinary Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia research workforce. To this end, NIA recently issued two new institutional research education funding opportunities designed to expand research opportunities in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Alzheimer’s disease-related dementias (ADRD). Read more about the ERA programs.

NIA MSTEM: Advancing Diversity in Aging Research through Undergraduate Education (R25 - Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

The NIH Research Education Program (R25) is awarded to an institute to provide educational activities that complement other formal training programs in the mission areas of the NIH Institutes and Centers to a target population.

NIA encourages college students to pursue biomedical research careers through its Advancing Diversity in Aging Research (ADAR) Through Undergraduate Education programs. Students are eligible to apply for NIA ADAR-funded programs if they are from economically, socially, culturally, or educationally disadvantaged backgrounds. Applicants include students from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups and those who have vision, hearing, or other disabilities.

Current NIA ADAR-supported institutions are located across the country, and each one offers a uniquely designed program.

Multi-IC programs of which NIA participates

NIA funds or co-funds with other NIH institutes or centers (ICs) projects relevant to aging research under the following mechanisms:

• NIH Blueprint Diversity Specialized Predoctoral to Postdoctoral Advancement in Neuroscience (D-SPAN) Award (F99/K00 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
• BRAIN Initiative Advanced Postdoctoral Career Transition Award to Promote Diversity (K99/R00)
• Maximizing Opportunities for Scientific and Academic Independent Careers (MOSAIC) (K99/R00 and UE5)
• NINDS Alzheimer’s Disease and Alzheimer’s Disease-Related Dementias (AD/ADRD) Advanced Postdoctoral Career Transition Award to Promote Diversity
• Support of Continuous Research Excellence (SCORE)
• Support for Research Excellence (SuRE) Program (R16)
• NIH Blueprint Program for Enhancing Neuroscience Diversity through Undergraduate Research Education Experiences (NIH BP ENDURE R25)
• NIH Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) (R25)
• Native American Research Centers for Health (NARCH) (S06)

NIH Blueprint Diversity Specialized Predoctoral to Postdoctoral Advancement in Neuroscience (D-SPAN) Award (F99/K00 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

The purpose of the NIH Blueprint Diversity Specialized Predoctoral to Postdoctoral Advancement in Neuroscience (D-SPAN) Award is to support a defined pathway across career stages for outstanding graduate students from diverse backgrounds, including those from groups underrepresented in biomedical and behavioral sciences. This two-phase award will facilitate completion of the doctoral dissertation and transition of talented graduate students to strong neuroscience research postdoctoral positions and will provide career development opportunities relevant to their long-term career goal of becoming independent neuroscience researchers. More information on D-SPAN can be found online.

BRAIN Initiative Advanced Postdoctoral Career Transition Award to Promote Diversity (K99/R00)

The purpose of the NIH BRAIN Initiative Advanced Postdoctoral Career Transition Award to Promote Diversity (K99/R00) program is to enhance workforce diversity in the neuroscience workforce and maintain a strong cohort of new and talented, NIH-supported, independent investigators from diverse backgrounds in BRAIN Initiative research areas. This program is designed to facilitate a timely transition of outstanding postdoctoral researchers with research and/or clinical doctorate degree from mentored, postdoctoral research positions to independent, tenure-track or equivalent faculty positions.

Maximizing Opportunities for Scientific and Academic Independent Careers (MOSAIC) (K99/R00 and UE5)

The objective of the MOSAIC Postdoctoral Career Transition Award to Promote Diversity (K99/R00) is to enhance workforce diversity by facilitating a timely transition of promising postdoctoral researchers from diverse backgrounds (e.g., see Notice of NIH’s Interest in Diversity) from their mentored, postdoctoral research positions to independent, tenure-track or equivalent research-intensive faculty positions. The program has two components: an institutionally-focused research education cooperative agreement (UE5) and an individual postdoctoral career transition award (K99/R00) to enhance diversity.

NINDS Alzheimer’s Disease and Alzheimer’s Disease-Related Dementias (AD/ADRD) Advanced Postdoctoral Career Transition Award to Promote Diversity

This program is designed to facilitate a timely transition of postdoctoral researchers from diverse backgrounds conducting AD/ADRD research into independent, tenure-track or equivalent faculty positions. The program will provide independent NIH research support during this transition in order to help awardees establish independent research programs in the AD/ADRD field.

Support of Continuous Research Excellence (SCORE)

SCORE is a developmental program that seeks to increase the research competitiveness of faculty at institutions that have an explicit historical mission focused on training and graduating students from underrepresented groups (generally referred to as minority serving institutes, MSIs).

Support for Research Excellence (SuRE) Program (R16)

The SuRE program supports research capacity building at institutions that enroll significant numbers of students from backgrounds nationally underrepresented in biomedical research, award baccalaureate and/or graduate degrees in biomedical sciences, and receive limited NIH Research Project Grant funding. It seeks to develop and sustain research excellence of faculty investigators and provide students with research opportunities while catalyzing institutional research culture and enriching the research environment.

NIH Blueprint Program for Enhancing Neuroscience Diversity through Undergraduate Research Education Experiences (NIH BP ENDURE R25)

The NIH Research Education Program (R25) supports research education activities in the mission areas of the NIH. The overarching goal of this NIH Blueprint ENDURE R25 program is to encourage and support undergraduate students from diverse background, including those from groups underrepresented in the biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research workforce, to enter Ph.D. degree programs in the neuroscience and pursue further studies or careers in research. To accomplish the stated overarching goal, this NOFO will support creative educational activities with a primary focus on Courses for Skills Development, Research Experiences, and Mentoring Activities.

NIH Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) (R25)

The NIH Research Education Program (R25) supports research education activities in the mission areas of the NIH. The goal of the Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) program is to invest in educational activities that enhance the training and diversity of a workforce to meet the nation’s biomedical, behavioral and clinical research needs. To this end, this notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) encourages the development of innovative educational activities for pre-kindergarten to grade 12 (P-12), teachers and students from underserved communities with a focus on Courses for Skills Development, Research Experiences, Mentoring Activities, Curriculum or Methods Development or Informal science Education (ISE) exhibits, and Outreach activities.

Native American Research Centers for Health (NARCH) (S06)

The National Institute of General Medical Sciences in conjunction with multiple NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices (ICOs) have partnered with Indian Health Service (IHS) to support the Native American Research Centers for Health (NARCH). The NARCH program supports opportunities for conducting research and career enrichment to meet health needs prioritized by American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) tribes or tribally based organizations. It aims to:

• Work toward reducing health disparities in AI/AN populations by allowing the AI/AN communities to control and prioritize the health research and career enhancement opportunities.
• Support health research projects selected and prioritized by the AI/AN communities.
• Encourage research capacity and infrastructure building within AI/AN communities to provide the framework for sustainability of research within the tribal communities.
• Enhance health research partnerships while promoting a cadre of scientists and health research professionals interested in AI/AN health research from within and outside the AI/AN communities.