Training Opportunities for Special Populations
NIA participates in NIH-wide programs to increase diversity in the research workforce, supplements these programs with NIA-specific initiatives, and co-funds similarly aligned initiatives offered by other select institutes or centers. The goal of these programs is to improve the diversity of the research workforce by increasing the numbers of trained researchers from underrepresented groups who become leaders in their research field. These programs touch on all stages of the research training ecosystem, from grade school to research faculty. NIH, including NIA, expects these efforts to improve the recruitment of the most talented researchers in all groups, to improve the quality of the broader educational and training environment, to lead to more inclusive research priority-setting, to improve researchers’ capacity to recruit research participants from all sectors of the community, and to improve the capacity of research to address and eliminate health disparities.
On this page:
- NIH-wide programs to diversify the research workforce
- NIA-specific programs for research workforce diversity
- Multi-IC programs of which NIA participates
NIH-wide programs to diversify the research workforce
NIH’s ability to help ensure that the nation remains a global leader in scientific discovery and innovation is dependent upon a pool of highly talented scientists from diverse backgrounds who will help to further NIH's mission. With this notice (NOT-OD-20-031), NIH encourages institutions to diversify their student and faculty populations to enhance the participation of individuals from groups that are underrepresented in the biomedical, clinical, behavioral and social sciences.
Programs include:
- Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA for Individual Predoctoral Fellowships (F31) to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research
- Supplement Programs to Enhance Diversity and Re-entry into the Research Workforce
Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA for Individual Predoctoral Fellowships (F31) to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research
Salary and tuition support for excellent predoctoral trainees conducting basic or translational biomedical research. Applicants should be from groups that are underrepresented in the biomedical, behavioral, or clinical research workforce including individuals with disabilities.
|
Name |
Target Audience |
NOFO |
|---|---|---|
|
F31-Diversity |
PhD students who have chosen a research lab |
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.
|
Name |
Brief Description |
NOFO |
|---|---|---|
|
Diversity Supplement |
Provides PIs with a NIH research grant an administrative supplement to support individual trainees, across various training stages, from underrepresented populations. |
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Re-Entry and Re-integration Supplement |
Awards PIs on many different types of research grants an administrative supplement to support an individual returning to the research workforce after a career interruption (e.g., raising children or previously unsafe lab env.). |
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Diversity Supplement – SBIR/STTR |
Provides PIs on small business grants an administrative supplement to onboard individuals, at various training stages, from underrepresented populations. |
NIH HEAL Initiative awardees are encouraged to apply to these research supplements to promote diversity in health-related research (PA-21-071).
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 Increase 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
- 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:
- Individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups.
- Individuals with disabilities.
- 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.
|
Name |
Target Audience |
NOFO |
|---|---|---|
|
R36 – Dissertation Award |
PhD candidates who are in the last few years of their doctoral training |
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.
|
Name |
Target Audience |
NOFO |
|---|---|---|
|
F31-Diversity (AD/ADRD) |
PhD students who have chosen a research lab |
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F32-Diversity (AD/ADRD) |
Postdoctoral researchers |
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K99/R00 – NIA (AD/ADRD) |
Postdocs with up to 4 years of postdoctoral research experience transitioning to a role as an independent scientist |
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.
|
Name |
Target Audience |
Timeline |
|---|---|---|
|
Butler-Williams Scholars Program |
Early stage/junior faculty and researchers new to the field of aging |
Held annually |
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.
|
Name |
Brief Description |
NOFO |
|---|---|---|
|
T32 |
An institutional award to support research, training, and career development programs for predoctoral or postdoctoral researchers |
|
|
AD/ADRD T32 |
An institutional award to build a collaborative and creative scientific workforce to bridge the existing expertise gaps in AD drug discovery and preclinical therapy development. |
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.
|
Name |
Target Audience |
NOFO |
|---|---|---|
|
R25 - MSTEM |
An institutional award to support the development of formal training programs that encourage undergraduates from diverse backgrounds to pursue further studies or careers in research |
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.
|
Name |
Target Audience |
NOFO |
|---|---|---|
|
F99/K00 – D-SPAN |
Allows graduate students to complete their doctoral dissertation and transition to a postdoctoral position in neuroscience. |
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.
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Name |
Target Audience |
NOFO |
|---|---|---|
|
K99/R00 – BRAIN Initiative (Clinical Trial req.) |
Postdocs with up to 5 years of postdoctoral research experience transitioning to a role as an independent scientist |
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K99/R00 – BRAIN Initiative (Clinical Trial not allowed) |
Postdocs with up to 5 years of postdoctoral research experience transitioning to a role as an independent scientist |
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.
|
Name |
Target Audience |
NOFO |
|---|---|---|
|
K99/R00 – MOSAIC |
Postdocs with up to 4 years of postdoctoral research experience transitioning to a role as an independent scientist |
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.
|
Name |
Target Audience |
NOFO |
|---|---|---|
|
K99/R00 – NINDS AD/ADRD (Clinical Trial not allowed) |
Postdocs with up to 4 years of postdoctoral research experience transitioning to a role as an independent scientist in the field of ADRD. |
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).
|
Name |
Target Audience |
NOFO |
|---|---|---|
|
SC1 - Research Advancement Award |
For investigators with a track record of research activity who are seeking to enhance their research productivity in order to transition to non-SCORE support in a limited period of time. |
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SC2 - Pilot Project Award |
For investigators who are at the beginning stages of a research career, applying for their first non-fellowship research award, and who are interested in testing a new idea, or generating preliminary data. |
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SC3 - Research Continuance Award |
For investigators who have been engaged in scholarly research and published, and who seek to continue to conduct competitive research of limited scope to increase their publications and eventually transition to non-SCORE support. |
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.
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Name |
Target Audience |
NOFO |
|---|---|---|
|
R16 – SuRE |
Investigator-initiated research projects to expand research capacity at institutions that enroll significant numbers of students from backgrounds nationally underrepresented in biomedical research |
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R16 – SuRE-First |
Similar to above; specifically for faculty investigators who have not had prior independent external research grants |
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U24 – SuRE |
Funding to support a national resource center that provides infrastructure development to SuRE-eligible institutions and application services to faculty investigators. |
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.
|
Name |
Target Audience |
NOFO |
|---|---|---|
|
R25 – BP ENDURE |
An institutional award to support the development of formal training programs that encourage undergraduates from diverse backgrounds to pursue further studies or careers in neuroscience research |
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.
|
Name |
Target Audience |
NOFO |
|---|---|---|
|
R25 – SEPA |
An institutional award to support the development of programs providing innovative educational activities for pre-k to grade 12, teachers and students from underserved communities |
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.
|
Name |
Target Audience |
NOFO |
|---|---|---|
|
S06 – NARCH |
An award for eligible AI/AN tribes/organization to develop a project to conduct research and strengthen the biomedical research capacity focused on the health needs of AI/AN populations. Applications can be in partnership with a research-intensive institution. |
