Summer Research Education Experience Program (R25 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Funding Agency:
- National Institutes of Health
Research Experiences: For high school students, undergraduate students, and/or high school science teachers during the summer academic break. Proposed programs should provide authentic "open-ended", hands-on exposure to research in a laboratory or a field setting as part of a comprehensive program based in sound educational practices designed to stimulate the interest and advance the knowledge base of participants. In addition to hands-on research experiences, programs are expected to include complementary activities that support the participants' scientific development, such as scientific writing and presentation skills and training in rigor and reproducibility. Programs should consider the needs of the intended participants and the likelihood of improving their knowledge and/or skills when designing the research program. Programs should have clear goals and objectives appropriate for the educational level of the audience to be reached (high school and/or undergraduate students or high school science teachers), including the content to be conveyed, and the intended outcome(s). Outcomes for high school and college students may include: to reinforce their intent to graduate with a science degree, prepare them for graduate or medical school admissions, and/or prepare them for careers in research. Support for high school science teachers will be limited to those programs with a clear plan for how teachers will utilize their summer experience in their teaching during the school year, such as enhancing the STEM curriculum or increasing number of STEM courses taught.
R25 programs that propose at least 8 weeks, but fewer than 15 weeks, of full-time research experiences during the summer may request continued part-time support for the participants to work on their research projects during the school year, up to the equivalent of a total of 15 weeks of full-time participation, as long as the entire research experience is completed within a 12-month period.
Applications that demonstrate the potential to impact students and teachers from diverse backgrounds are particularly encouraged. All programs are expected to promote inclusive research environments (i.e., institutional and departmental environments in which participants from all backgrounds are respected and supported by the biomedical community.
The proposed program needs to align with the mission of the IC to which the application is submitted and not have a general STEM focus. ICs will not support projects, regardless of the results of merit review, if they do not fulfill current programmatic priorities. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that potential applicants consult scientific/research staff at the intended IC listed in Section VII before preparing an application. For the specific ICs, the following represents mission focus areas:
- NEI supports basic, translational, and clinical research on vision and diseases of the visual system. In order to enhance the workforce and a sustained pipeline of future vision researchers, NEI will support applications for undergraduate summer research experiences to prepare future scientists with contemporary, multidisciplinary expertise that is able to leverage recent advances in vision research as detailed in the NEI Strategic Plan. In addition to encouraging individuals from diverse backgrounds to pursue further studies in biomedical research, NEI also seeks to recruit individuals without prior opportunities to participate in research in the visual sciences
- NIDA will support applications focusing on identifying the biological environmental, behavioral, and social causes and consequences of drug use and addiction across the lifespan, including research in basic science. Applications should seek to develop new and improved strategies to prevent drug use and its consequences; new and improved treatments to help people with substance use disorders achieve and maintain a meaningful and sustained recovery, as well as increase the public health impact of NIDA research and programs.
- NIDCR supports basic, translational, and clinical research to advance fundamental knowledge about dental, oral, and craniofacial health and disease, and to translate the knowledge into prevention, early detection, and treatment strategies that improve overall health for all individuals and all communities across the lifespan. NIDCR encourages data intensive projects focused on developing, disseminating, and using data and data science resources, methods, and tools for dental, oral, and craniofacial (DOC) research. NIDCR expects these projects to maximally integrate and reuse research, health, and clinical data for knowledge discovery and translation.
- NIEHS will support applications focusing on summer research experiences in the environmental health sciences. Applications to NIEHS should provide research experiences that address or seek to understand how exposures to toxic environmental insults impact health, alter biologic processes, are linked to disease initiation, progression or morbidity, or activities that lead to the development of prevention and intervention strategies to reduce environmentally induced diseases.
- NINDS will support applications focusing on summer research experiences that address or seek fundamental knowledge about the brain and nervous system and contributes knowledge to reduce the burden of neurological disease. NINDS also encourages activities focused on understanding and addressing disparities in neurologic health, healthcare, and health outcomes in disparate populations, including racial and ethnic minority groups, people with lower socioeconomic status, underserved rural communities, sexual and gender minority groups, and people with disabilities (to learn more about health disparities and health equity, visit the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities website). NINDS supports basic, translational, and clinical research. See the NINDS mission statement (https://www.ninds.nih.gov/About-NINDS/Who-We-Are/Mission) and the NINDS Strategic Plan (https://www.ninds.nih.gov/About-NINDS/Strategic-Plans-Evaluations/Strategic-Plans/NINDS-Strategic-Plan-and-Priorities/Neuroscience-Research).
Research education programs may complement ongoing research training and education occurring at the applicant institution, but the proposed educational experiences must be distinct from those training and education programs currently receiving Federal support. R25 programs may augment institutional research training programs (e.g., T32, T90) but cannot be used to replace or circumvent Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) programs.
Although the size of award may vary with the scope of the Summer Research Program proposed, budgets cannot exceed $125,000 direct costs per year.
March 18, 2025
Marguerite Matthews, Ph.D.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Telephone: 301-496-3272
Email: marguerite.matthews@nih.gov
Lindsey Nicole Friend
NIDA - NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE
Phone: none
E-mail: lindsey.friend@nih.gov
Edwin C Clayton
NEI - NATIONAL EYE INSTITUTE
Phone: none - 301-480-9350
E-mail: ed.clayton@nih.gov
Michael C. Humble, Ph.D.
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
Telephone: 984-287-3272
Email: humble@niehs.nih.gov
Anissa F Brown, PhD
NIDCR - NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DENTAL & CRANIOFACIAL RESEARCH
Phone: 301-594-5006
E-mail: anissa.brown@nih.gov