NIMH Research Education Mentoring Program for HIV Researchers (R25 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 24 233

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 24 233

The NIMH Research Education Mentoring Program for HIV Researchers (R25 Clinical Trial Not Allowed), funding opportunity number PAR-24-233, is a discretionary NIH grant opportunity designed to strengthen the HIV/AIDS mental health research workforce through targeted research education. Run through the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), this R25 program focuses on educational efforts that add to or enhance the training pipeline needed to meet U.S. biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research needs, while also aligning with priorities laid out in the Office of AIDS Research (OAR) Annual Strategic Plan and the NIMH Division of AIDS Research (DAR) research priorities. In practical terms, the program is meant to help develop researchers who can build independent careers studying the mental health dimensions of HIV/AIDS, including the behavioral and psychosocial factors that shape HIV outcomes.

The core of this opportunity is the requirement to provide both (1) structured research experiences and (2) strong mentoring activities, with the clear expectation that research experiences are the primary emphasis. Applicants are expected to propose creative, well-organized programs that either leverage existing networks of collaborating investigators (for example, multi-institutional or multi-site mentoring and research collaborations) or build institute-based research education programs that immerse participants in HIV-related mental health research. The overall intent is professional development that moves participants along a credible pathway toward independent research careers in this space, rather than short, stand-alone training events that do not connect to a longer-term career trajectory.

A key limitation is embedded in the title: clinical trials are not allowed under this notice of funding opportunity. That means the program should be built around research education and research exposure activities that do not propose or conduct clinical trial work as part of the application. The emphasis is on education, mentored research experiences, and career development-oriented skill building, not running intervention trials.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based organizations and governmental entities. Eligible applicants include state, county, city/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 tribal governments); public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education when applying under those nonprofit categories); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and small businesses. The announcement also highlights additional eligible applicant types that NIH particularly notes for this program context, such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), as well as faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions.

On the foreign eligibility side, the notice draws an important line: non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations) are not eligible to apply as applicant organizations. However, non-domestic components of U.S. organizations may participate, and foreign components (as NIH defines them in the NIH Grants Policy Statement) are allowed. In other words, the applicant organization itself must be U.S.-based and eligible, but the program can include certain international components if structured under NIH policy and attached to the eligible U.S. applicant.

The opportunity is listed under the NIH (AgencyName: National Institutes of Health) and falls within the health funding activity category, CFDA number 93.242. The posted award ceiling is $200,000. The original closing date provided is 2026-09-07. Overall, the grant is geared toward building a stronger, more prepared pipeline of HIV mental health researchers by pairing substantive research experiences with intentional, career-shaping mentoring, all organized in a way that supports participants progress toward independent research careers in the HIV/AIDS mental health field.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NIMH Research Education Mentoring Program for HIV Researchers (R25 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): 93.242.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-06-27.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-09-07. (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 $200,000.00 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 24 233

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