Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) for Undergraduate-Focused Institutions (R15 Clinical Trial Required)

Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) for Undergraduate-Focused Institutions (R15 Clinical Trial Required) is sponsored by National Institute on Aging - NIH. This program supports small scale research grants for clinical trials, with an emphasis on providing biomedical research experiences for undergraduate students, and enhancing the research environment at applicant institutions.

PAR-25-148: Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) for Undergraduate-Focused Institutions (R15 Clinical Trial Required) This funding opportunity was updated to align with agency priorities. Carefully reread the full funding opportunity and make any needed adjustments to your application prior to submission. Department of Health and Human Services Part 1.

Overview Information Participating Organization(s) National Institutes of Health ( NIH ) Components of Participating Organizations Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development ( NICHD ) National Eye Institute ( NEI ) National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute ( NHLBI ) National Human Genome Research Institute ( NHGRI ) National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism ( NIAAA ) National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders ( NIDCD ) National Institute on Drug Abuse ( NIDA ) National Institute of Mental Health ( NIMH ) National Institute of Nursing Research ( NINR ) National Cancer Institute ( NCI ) Funding Opportunity Title Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) for Undergraduate-Focused Institutions (R15 Clinical Trial Required) R15 Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) Notices of Special Interest associated with this funding opportunity April 06, 2026 - Implementation of Changes for Basic Experimental Studies with Humans.

See Notice NOT-OD-26-067 . April 06, 2026 - Implementation of Changes for Basic Experimental Studies with Humans. See Notice NOT-OD-26-067 .

January 28, 2026 - NIH Removing AIDS Application Due Dates from NOFOs. See Notice NOT-OD-26-029 . March 31, 2025 - This funding opportunity was updated to align with agency priorities.

Carefully reread the full funding opportunity and make any needed adjustments to your application prior to submission. December 11, 2024 - Notice of Change to PAR-25-148 Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) for Undergraduate-Focused Institutions (R15 Clinical Trial Required). See Notice NOT-HD-24-045 .

April 4, 2024 - Overview of Grant Application and Review Changes for Due Dates on or after January 25, 2025. See Notice NOT-OD-24-084 . August 31, 2022 - Implementation Changes for Genomic Data Sharing Plans Included with Applications Due on or after January 25, 2023.

See Notice NOT-OD-22-198 . August 5, 2022 - Implementation Details for the NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy. See Notice NOT-OD-22-189 .

Funding Opportunity Number (FON) Companion Funding Opportunity PAR-25-134 , R15 , Research Enhancement See Section III. 3. Additional Information on Eligibility.

Assistance Listing Number(s) 93. 865, 93. 173, 93.

273, 93. 172, 93. 361, 93.

867, 93. 838, 93. 233, 93.

837, 93. 839, 93. 840, 93.

279, 93. 866, 93. 394, 93.

395, 93. 396, 93. 399, 93.

393, 93. 242 Funding Opportunity Purpose The purpose of this Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) for Undergraduate-Focused Institutions is to support small scale research grants at institutions that do not receive substantial funding from the NIH, with an emphasis on providing biomedical research experiences primarily for undergraduate students and enhancing the research environment at applicant institutions.

Eligible institutions must award baccalaureate science degrees and have received no more than $6 million dollars per year of NIH support (in both direct and F&A/indirect costs) in 4 of the last 7 fiscal years. For institutions composed of multiple schools and colleges, the $6 million funding limit is based on the amount of NIH funding received by all the non-health professional schools and colleges within the institution as a whole.

Consult Part 2. Section III. 1 Eligible Organizations for more information.

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) supports investigator-initiated mechanistic and/or minimal risk clinical trials such as those that do not require FDA oversight, do not intend to formally establish efficacy, and have low risks to potentially cause physical or psychological harm, and which address the mission and research interests of the participating NIH institutes.

AREA (Academic Research Enhancement Awards) Open Date (Earliest Submission Date) The following table includes NIH standard due dates marked with an asterisk. Renewal / Resubmission / Revision (as allowed) AIDS - New/Renewal/Resubmission/Revision, as allowed All applications are due by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization.

Applicants are encouraged to apply early to allow adequate time to make any corrections to errors found in the application during the submission process by the due date.

Required Application Instructions It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the Research (R) Instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide , except where instructed to do otherwise (in this NOFO or in a Notice from NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts ). Conformance to all requirements (both in the Application Guide and the NOFO) is required and strictly enforced.

Applicants must read and follow all application instructions in the Application Guide as well as any program-specific instructions noted in Section IV. When the program-specific instructions deviate from those in the Application Guide, follow the program-specific instructions. Applications that do not comply with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.

There are several options available to submit your application through Grants. gov to NIH and Department of Health and Human Services partners. You must use one of these submission options to access the application forms for this opportunity.

Use the NIH ASSIST system to prepare, submit and track your application online. Use an institutional system-to-system (S2S) solution to prepare and submit your application to Grants. gov and eRA Commons to track your application.

Check with your institutional officials regarding availability. Workspace to prepare and submit your application and eRA Commons to track your application. Part 1.

Overview Information Part 2. Full Text of Announcement Section I. Notice of Funding Opportunity Description Section II.

Award Information Section III. Eligibility Information Section IV. Application and Submission Information Section V.

Application Review Information Section VI. Award Administration Information Section VII. Agency Contacts Section VIII.

Other Information Part 2. Full Text of Announcement Section I. Notice of Funding Opportunity Description The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is continuing to make a special effort to stimulate research at educational institutions that graduate baccalaureate students who go on to become the Nation's research scientists, but that have not been major recipients of NIH support.

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) aims to support biomedical research projects proposed by faculty members at undergraduate-focused institutions that do not receive substantial funding from the NIH.

The three objectives of this NOFO are to: Provide support for meritorious research at undergraduate-focused institutions or institutional components Strengthen the research environment at these institutions/components Give undergraduate students an opportunity to gain significant biomedical research experience through active involvement in the research For the purpose of this announcement, an undergraduate-focused institution/component is one in which the undergraduate enrollment is greater than the graduate enrollment.

The AREA program will enable eligible organizations to receive support for small-scale research projects led by faculty members.

It is anticipated that investigators supported under the AREA program will benefit from the opportunity to conduct independent research; that the grantee institution will benefit from a research environment strengthened through AREA grants; and that students at recipient institutions will benefit from exposure to and participation in scientific research in the biomedical sciences to encourage them to consider careers in biomedical research.

This AREA NOFO emphasizes the engagement and inclusion of undergraduates in research. The research project must involve undergraduate students, and the research team must be composed primarily of undergraduate students.

Student involvement in research may include participation in the design of experiments and controls, collection and analysis of data, execution and troubleshooting of experiments, presenting at meetings, drafting journal articles, participation in lab meetings to discuss results and future experiments, etc. The AREA program is a research grant program, not a training or fellowship program, and, as such, applications should not include training plans such as didactic training or non-research activities relating to professional development.

This NOFO does not provide support for research at Health Professional Schools as defined in Part 2, Section III. 1 Eligible Organizations regardless of student composition. An AREA application submitted to this NOFO may include other investigators, such as technicians, collaborators, consultants, or other individuals such as high school students, post baccalaureate participants, graduate students, or postdoctoral fellows.

However, involvement of such individuals does not fulfill the goal of engaging undergraduate students at eligible institutions in research. In all cases, majority of students conducting research through the award must be undergraduates. Pre-consultation with IC staff Participating NIH Institutes and Centers are indicated in Part 1.

Overview Components of Participating Organizations. For additional scientific program information and for pre-application guidance, applicants are encouraged to contact the Scientific/Research Contact(s) in Part 2. Section VII with research interests relevant to the applicant's proposed topic.

Consultation with relevant NIH staff prior to the application due date is strongly encouraged for new and resubmission applications. Institute/Center-Specific Interests NICHD supports biological, behavioral, and clinical research related to conception and pregnancy, normal and abnormal development in childhood, reproductive health, population dynamics across the lifespan, and rehabilitation medicine ( https://www. nichd.

nih. gov/about/org/der ). Research projects considered for funding by NICHD must fall within the scientific missions of the twelve Scientific Branches of the NICHD Division of Extramural Research (DER) or the National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research (NCMRR).

Information about those scientific missions and program staff contacts may be found on the web pages for the DER scientific Branches at: http://www. nichd. nih.

gov/about/org/der/branches/Pages/index. aspx and the NCMRR at: http://www. nichd.

nih. gov/about/org/ncmrr/Pages/overview. aspx .

Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to read these webpages for any updates in response to recent scientific advances or emerging public health topics. NICHD encourages applications that address its extramural program priorities and will consider how well research projects align with one or more of those priorities when making award decisions. A detailed list of NICHD high priority research areas may be found at https://www.

nichd. nih. gov/grants-funding/opportunities-mechanisms/areas-research/Pages/priorities.

aspx. NCI considers meritorious R15 applications requesting support for cancer research-focused projects across the full spectrum of its mission, including projects focused on studies of cancer biology, etiology, prevention, detection, diagnosis, treatment, control, survivorship, and population sciences.

The NCI R15 Program Contact person (listed in the NOFO) can be contacted for more information and guidance about NCI’s mission, priorities, and interests as related to the R15 Program, this R15 funding opportunity announcement, and R15 applications.

NHGRI supports the development of resources, approaches, and technologies that will accelerate genomic research on the structure of genomes, the biology of genomes, and the biology of disease; that will use genomics to advance the science of medicine; and that will incorporate genomics to improve the effectiveness of healthcare.

NHGRI also supports genomic research in several cross-cutting areas, including the ethical, legal and societal implications of genomics and genetics research, bioinformatics, technology development, and research training and career development. In general, NHGRI supports studies that provide generalizable methods and knowledge.

Applications for studies relevant only to a particular disease or organ system should be directed to the appropriate Institute or Center. NHGRI strongly encourages potential applicants to reach out to the listed scientific contact in the early stages of developing an application.

NHLBI supports basic and clinical research pertaining to the structure, function, and diseases of the cardiovascular system, lungs, blood and blood vessels, and sleep disorders. The NHLBI also supports research in stem cell biology and transplantation, transfusion medicine, and blood resources.

The NHLBI carries out its mission through a number of research programs that provide support for projects ranging from studies at the molecular level to whole body studies in man and animals.

Examples of research areas supported by the NHLBI include atherosclerosis, hypertension, cerebrovascular disease (directed at the dependent variable of blood, heart, or blood vessel), coronary heart disease, peripheral vascular diseases, arrhythmias, heart failure, and shock, congenital and rheumatic heart diseases, cardiomyopathies and infections of the heart, circulatory assistance, lung cell and molecular biology, chronic obstructive lung diseases, pediatric pulmonary diseases, cystic fibrosis, sleep-disordered breathing, asthma, fibrotic and immunologic lung diseases, acute respiratory failure, pulmonary vascular diseases, HIV-associated lung disorders and bone marrow suppression, bleeding and clotting disorders, disorders of the red blood cell such as sickle cell disease and Cooley's anemia, bone marrow failure syndromes, and blood resources.

NIDCD supports applications that propose research projects in the normal and disordered processes of hearing, balance, taste, smell, voice, speech, and language. Applicants are strongly encourage d to learn more about NIDCD research areas at https://www. nidcd.

nih. gov/research/extramural. NIA will accept applications for research projects in areas within the Institute's mission that includes genetic, biological, behavior, social and economic research on aging.

In addition, NIA encourages applications on Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and AD Related Dementias (ADRD). The NIA website provides additional information about the Institute mission and areas of research interest. For additional scientific program information and for pre-application guidance, a potential applicant is encouraged to contact the NIA Program Director whose portfolio covers the scientific topic of interest.

NINDS seeks fundamental knowledge about the brain and nervous system and to use that knowledge to reduce the burden of neurological disease. NINDS supports basic, translational, and clinical research within specifically defined areas of neuroscience. Research projects considered for funding by NINDS must fall within the scientific research mission of the Institute.

A key component of research projects submitted to NINDS in response to this NOFO is to provide an outstanding research experience for undergraduate students, which will enable them to gain a solid understanding of rigorous scientific methodology, experimental design, statistical methodology, and quantitative literacy, within the particular field of study.

NINDS also expects the application to contain evidence that the PD/PI fosters an environment where all voices and perspectives are equally encouraged, as well as a strong commitment to providing effective, supportive mentorship.

It is critical that applicants with research interests relevant to the NINDS mission contact the person listed under Agency Contacts (Section VII) to confirm that the proposed research fits the NINDS’ scientific research mission. NINR supports research aligned with our mission and strategic priorities, conducted by scientists from any discipline.

NINR discovers solutions to health challenges through the lenses of health for all, social determinants of health, population and community health, prevention and health promotion, and systems and models of care.

Drawing on the strengths of nursing’s holistic, contextualized perspective, core values, and broad reach, NINR funds multilevel and cross-sectoral research that examines the factors that impact health across the many settings in which nurses practice, including homes, schools, workplaces, clinics, justice settings, and the community.

In addition, applicants are encouraged to consult the Frequently Asked Questions website and the NIH Research Enhancement Award R15 website for more information about this program. See Section VIII. Other Information for award authorities and regulations.

All applications submitted to this Clinical Trial Required AREA NOFO must propose a clinical trial. This NOFO supports investigator-initiated clinical trials proposing mechanistic and/or studies involving low or no more than minimal risk, with the goal of producing clinical findings that have significant public health impact.

The NIH defines a clinical trial as a research study in which one or more human subjects are prospectively assigned to one or more interventions or experimental conditions (which may include placebo or other control) to evaluate the effects of those interventions/manipulations on health-related biomedical or behavioral outcomes ( NIHGPS 1. 2 Definition of Terms ).

Clinical trials considered responsive to this NOFO must meet the following criteria: Does not require FDA oversight such as those requiring Investigational New Drug (IND) or Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) applications. For example, clinical trials involving utilization of a licensed product/device for an approved dose, population, and indication may not require an IND or IDE.

Potential of the intervention to cause physical or psychological harm is low. For example, risks that are no greater than those encountered in routine medical care or procedures. Intends to gather scientific data/evidence to inform subsequent studies but is not aimed or sufficiently powered to directly change health policy or standard of care and is not an NIH defined Phase III Clinical Trial ( https://grants.

nih. gov/policy/clinical-trials/glossary-ct. htm#NIHDefinedPhaseIIIClinicalTrial ).

A mechanistic clinical trial meets the definition of a clinical trial and is designed to explore or understand a biological or behavioral process, the pathophysiology of a disease, or the mechanism of action of an intervention (i.e., a mechanistic trial is not a test of efficacy or effectiveness of an intervention).

Research that is designed to understand a biological or behavioral process or the pathophysiology of a disease (but not the more applied goal of the mechanism of action of an intervention or therapeutic), is supported through this NOFO. Proposed studies should be hypothesis-driven and produce research data/evidence that are necessary to inform core scientific design, implementation and issues essential to advance scientific knowledge.

Applicants are encouraged to consult the NIH guidance on clinical trials prior to submission: Does Your Human Subjects Research Study Meet the NIH Definition of a Clinical Trial? | grants. nih.

gov Investigators who are solely proposing non-clinical trial human subjects research (e.g., observational, epidemiological, secondary data analyses, device development), should apply to the Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) for Undergraduate-Focused Institutions - clinical trial not allowed NOFO ( PAR-24-152 ). Section II.

Award Information Grant: A financial assistance mechanism providing money, property, or both to an eligible entity to carry out an approved project or activity. Application Types Allowed The OER Glossary and the How to Apply Application Guide provide details on these application types. Only those application types listed here are allowed for this NOFO.

Required: Only accepting applications that propose clinical trial(s). Need help determining whether you are doing a clinical trial? Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards The number of awards is contingent upon NIH appropriations and the number of meritorious applications submitted.

Applicants may request up to $375,000 in direct costs, excluding consortium F&A for the entire project period of up to 3 years. The scope of the proposed project should determine the project period. The maximum project period is 3 years.

NIH grants policies as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement will apply to the applications submitted and awards made from this NOFO. Section III. Eligibility Information Higher Education Institutions Public/State Controlled Institutions of Higher Education Private Institutions of Higher Education In addition, all organizations must meet the following criteria at the time of application submission: 1.

The applicant institution must be an accredited public or non-profit private school that grants baccalaureate degrees in biomedical sciences.

This NOFO does not provide support for research from Health Professional Schools and Colleges and accredited institutions that provide education and training leading to a health professional degree, including but not limited to: BSN, MSN, DNP, MD, DDS, DO, PharmD, DVM, OD, DPT, DC, ND, DPM, MOT, OTD, MS-SLP, CScD, SLPD, AuD, MSPO, MSAT, and MPH.

Health Professional Colleges may include but are not limited to schools of medicine, dentistry, osteopathy, pharmacy, nursing, veterinary medicine, public health, optometry, allied health, chiropractic, naturopathy and podiatry. The application must be submitted by the eligible undergraduate-focused organization with a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and a unique NIH eRA Institutional Profile File (IPF) number. 2.

At the time of application submission, all the non-health professional components of the institution combined must not have received support from the NIH totaling more than $6 million per year (in both direct and F&A/indirect costs) in 4 of the last 7 years. A year is defined as a federal fiscal year: from October 1 through September 30.

For institutions composed of multiple schools and colleges, the $6 million funding limit is based on the amount of NIH funding received by all the non-health professional schools and colleges within the institution as a whole. Note that all activity codes are included in this calculation except the following: C06, S10, and all activity codes starting with a G.

Help determining the Organization Funding Level can be found at https://grants. nih. gov/grants/funding/Determing-Organization-Funding-Levels-R15-Eligibility.

pdf An academic component is any school/college that is not a Health Professional School or College. A qualifying academic component (i.e., school/college) within an institution (e.g., School of Arts and Sciences) has greater undergraduate student enrollment than graduate student enrollment. All types of Health Professional Schools and Colleges are not eligible to apply and are not considered in this calculation.

3. For institutions with multiple campuses, eligibility can be considered for each individual campus (e.g., main, satellite, etc.) only if separate UEIs and NIH IPF numbers are established for each campus. For institutions that use one UEI or NIH IPF number for all campuses, eligibility is determined for all campuses (e.g., main, satellite, etc.) combined.

Additional Eligibility Guidance A signed letter is required from the Provost or similar official with institution-wide responsibility verifying the eligibility of the applicant institution at the time of application submission according to the eligibility criteria indicated above. Check the application instructions for "Other Attachments" on the SF424(R&R) Other Project Information form in Section IV.

2 Instructions for Application Submission. Final eligibility will be validated by NIH prior to award. To assist in determining eligibility, organizations are encouraged to use the NIH RePORT website under NIH Awards by Location and Organization and to consult the NIH Research Enhancement Award R15 website .

An AREA grant is permitted to have a subcontract to a non-AREA-eligible institution. However, applicants should keep the goals of the AREA program in mind when preparing the application, including strengthening the research environment of eligible institutions and engaging undergraduate students from eligible institutions in research. The majority of the research must be directed by the PD(s)/PI(s) at the grantee institution.

Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) are not eligible to apply. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply. NIH will no longer issue awards (i.e., new, renewal, or non-competing continuation) to domestic or foreign entities that involve foreign subawards/subcontracts.

All NIH-funded research involving foreign subawards/subcontracts must be submitted in response to a NOFO that is specifically designated for funded international collaborations. See NIH Grants Policy Statement 16. 8 Collaborative International Research Awards.

Applications involving foreign subawards/subcontracts submitted in response to this NOFO will be deemed noncompliant and will not be considered for funding.

This policy applies to all monetary international collaborations resulting in foreign subawards/subcontracts, however, it does not preclude unfunded international collaborations or foreign components, funding for foreign consultants, or procurement of unique equipment or supplies from foreign vendors. Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement , are allowed.

NIH will no longer issue awards (i.e., new, renewal, or non-competing continuation) to domestic or foreign entities that involve foreign subawards/subcontracts. All NIH-funded research involving foreign subawards/subcontracts must be submitted in response to a NOFO that is specifically designated for funded international collaborations. See NIH Grants Policy Statement 16.

8 Collaborative International Research Awards. Applications involving foreign subawards/subcontracts submitted in response to this NOFO will be deemed noncompliant and will not be considered for funding.

This policy applies to all monetary international collaborations resulting in foreign subawards/subcontracts, however, it does not preclude unfunded international collaborations or foreign components, funding for foreign consultants, or procurement of unique equipment or supplies from foreign vendors.

Applicant organizations must complete and maintain the following registrations as described in the How to Apply- Application Guide to be eligible to apply for or receive an award. All registrations must be completed prior to the application being submitted. Registration can take 6 weeks or more, so applicants should begin the registration process as soon as possible.

Failure to complete registrations in advance of a due date is not a valid reason for a late submission, please reference the NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 2. 3. 9.

2 Late Applicationsfor additional information. System for Award Management (SAM) – Applicants must complete and maintain an active registration, which requires renewal at least annually . The renewal process may require as much time as the initial registration.

SAM registration includes the assignment of a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code for domestic organizations which have not already been assigned a CAGE Code. NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) Code – Foreign organizations must obtain an NCAGE code (in lieu of a CAGE code) in order to register in SAM. Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) - A UEI is issued as part of the SAM.

gov registration process. The same UEI must be used for all registrations, as well as on the grant application. eRA Commons - Once the unique organization identifier is established, organizations can register with eRA Commons in tandem with completing their Grants.

gov registrations; all registrations must be in place by time of submission. eRA Commons requires organizations to identify at least one Signing Official (SO) and at least one Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) account in order to submit an application. Grants.

gov – Applicants must have an active SAM registration in order to complete the Grants. gov registration. Program Directors/Principal Investigators (PD(s)/PI(s)) All PD(s)/PI(s) must have an eRA Commons account.

PD(s)/PI(s) should work with their organizational officials to either create a new account or to affiliate their existing account with the applicant organization in eRA Commons. If the PD/PI is also the organizational Signing Official, they must have two distinct eRA Commons accounts, one for each role. Obtaining an eRA Commons account can take up to 2 weeks.

All PD(s)/PI(s) must be registered with ORCID. The personal profile associated with the PD(s)/PI(s) eRA Commons account must be linked to a valid ORCID ID. For more information on linking an ORCID ID to an eRA Commons personal profile see the ORCID topic in our eRA Commons online help.

Eligible Individuals (Program Director/Principal Investigator) Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s) (PD(s)/PI(s)) is invited to work with their organization to develop an application for support.

For institutions/organizations proposing multiple PDs/PIs, visit the Multiple Program Director/Principal Investigator Policy and submission details in the Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) Component of the How to Apply-Application Guide.

To be eligible for an AREA grant, the PD(s)/PI(s) must meet the following additional criteria: Each PD/PI must have a primary appointment at a non-health professional school or college within the applicant institution, as defined in " Eligible Institutions ," above. If proposing multiple PD/PI, each PD/PI must be at an AREA-eligible institution.

Each PD/PI may not be the PD/PI of an active NIH research grant, including another R15 grant, at the time of award of an AREA grant, although they may be one of the Key Personnel for an active NIH grant held by another PD/PI. Each PD/PI may not be awarded more than one R15 grant at a time, although they may hold successive New or Renewal grants.

This NOFO does not require cost sharing as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 1. 2 Definition of Terms . 3.

Additional Information on Eligibility Applicant organizations may submit more than one application, provided that each application is scientifically distinct. The NIH will not accept duplicate or highly overlapping applications under review at the same time, per NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 2. 3.

7. 4 Resubmission of an Unfunded Application. This means that the NIH will not accept: A new (A0) application that is submitted before issuance of the summary statement from the review of an overlapping new (A0) or resubmission (A1) application.

A resubmission (A1) application that is submitted before issuance of the summary statement from the review of the previous new (A0) application. An application that has substantial overlap with another application pending appeal of initial peer review (see NIH Grants Policy Statement 2. 3.

9. 4 Similar, Essentially Identical, or Identical Applications ). Section IV.

Application and Submission Information 1. Requesting an Application Package The application forms package specific to this opportunity must be accessed through ASSIST, Grants. gov Workspace or an institutional system-to-system solution.

Links to apply using ASSIST or Grants. gov Workspace are available in Part 1 of this NOFO. See your administrative office for instructions if you plan to use an institutional system-to-system solution.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the Research (R) Instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide except where instructed in this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to do otherwise. Conformance to the requirements in the Application Guide is required and strictly enforced.

Applications that are out of compliance with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review. All page limitations described in the How to Apply- Application Guide and the Table of Page Limits must be followed. Instructions for Application Submission The following section supplements the instructions found in the How to Apply- Application Guide and should be used for preparing an application to this NOFO.

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed. SF424(R&R) Project/Performance Site Locations All instructions in the How to Apply- Application Guide must be followed. SF424(R&R) Other Project Information All instructions in the How to Apply- Application Guide must be followed.

Facilities & Other Resources: This attachment should include the following information: A profile of the students of the applicant institution and any information or estimate of the number who have obtained a baccalaureate degree and gone on to obtain an academic or professional doctoral degree in the health-related sciences or to pursue careers in biomedical sciences during the last five years.

Please note that the race, ethnicity, or sex of students of the applicant institution will not be considered in the application review process or when making funding decisions. Description of plans to inform undergraduate students of potential opportunities to participate in the research project.

Description of the special characteristics of the applicant institution that make it appropriate for an AREA grant to be awarded through this NOFO, where the goals of this NOFO are to: Provide support for meritorious research at undergraduate-focused institutions or institutional components Strengthen the research environment at these institutions/components Give undergraduate students an opportunity to gain significant biomedical research experience through active involvement in the research Description of the likely impact of an AREA grant on the research environment of the applicant institution.

Description of the resources of the applicant institution available for the proposed research (e.g., equipment, supplies, laboratory space, release time, matching funds, etc.). Although the majority of the research must be directed by the PD(s)/PI(s) and conducted at the applicant institution, limited use of special facilities or equipment at another institution is permitted.

For any proposed research sites other than the applicant institution, provide a brief description of the resources, the access PD(s)/PI(s) and students will have to these resources and justification for their need. Other Attachments: