Support for Research Excellence – First Independent Research Award

Support for Research Excellence – First Independent Research Award (R16 — Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

Due Date: 09/29/2025

Launch or grow an independent biomedical research program at a resource-limited U.S. institution. The NIH SuRE-First (R16) supports full-time faculty with no prior independent external research awards, strengthens campus research capacity, and provides meaningful student research experiences across NIH mission areas.

Eligibility Criteria

  • Applicant organization: U.S. higher-education institution awarding BA/BS and/or graduate biomedical degrees, ≤6 million USD/year in NIH RPG total costs for each of the past two fiscal years, and ≥25% Pell-supported undergraduates (per IPEDS).

  • PD/PI: full-time independent faculty; no prior independent, peer-reviewed external research grant as PD/PI; multiple PD/PIs not allowed; minimum 6 person-months/year effort.

  • Students must participate in the research; mentor (U.S.-based, funded expert) required.

  • Foreign organizations/components not allowed.

  • Required registrations: UEI/SAM, eRA Commons, Grants.gov.

  • Mandatory attachments: institutional strategic plan & PD/PI support letters, PD/PI Research Enhancement Plan, prior/current/pending support.

Funding Details

  • Mechanism: R16 (SuRE-First); clinical trial not allowed.

  • Budget: up to 125,000 USD direct costs per year (excludes consortium F&A).

  • Project period: up to 4 years.

  • Application types: New, Resubmission, Revision.

Deadline

  • First due date: September 29, 2025 (5:00 PM local).

Where to Go for Further Information