NIH Enhancing Science, Technology, EnginEering, and Math Educational Diversity (ESTEEMED) Research Education Experiences (R25)

Please see the full solicitation for complete information about the funding opportunity. Below is a summary assembled by the Research & Innovation Office (RIO).

Program Summary 

The NIH Research Education Program (R25) supports research education activities in the mission areas of the NIH.  The overarching goal of this R25 program is to support educational activities that encourage individuals from diverse backgrounds, including those from groups underrepresented in the biomedical and behavioral sciences, to pursue further studies or careers in research.

To accomplish the stated over-arching goal, this FOA will support creative educational activities with a primary focus on: Courses for Skills Development and Research Experiences for undergraduate freshmen and sophomores from diverse backgrounds, including those from groups underrepresented in bioengineering or STEM fields relevant to bioengineering, such as engineering or the physical/computational sciences, which play key roles in biomedical technologies and innovation. The ESTEEMED program is intended to expose students to bioengineering research early in their college careers and interest them in potentially pursuing advanced studies in bioengineering or a related field. It will prepare students to join, in their junior and senior years, an honors program, supported by federal or institutional funds, that promotes STEM and entrance into a Ph.D. program. The ultimate goal is for the participants to pursue a Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. degree and a subsequent research career integrating engineering and the physical sciences with medicine and biology in academia or industry.

The program supported by this FOA must contain at least three elements:

1. Summer Bridge Program

The Summer Bridge Program is a bootcamp, that occurs before the start of the freshman year, to prepare participants for their first year of college, introducing them to the ESTEEMED program and providing a review of basic topics and skills necessary for success. It must take place during the summer before the freshman year, last at least five weeks, emphasize basic sciences, computation, and science communication, and provide survival skills to help participants transition from high school to college.

In the summer between their freshman and sophomore years, rising sophomores are encouraged to mentor incoming freshman participants in the Summer Bridge Program.

2. Academic Year Activities

In addition to continuing to emphasize basic sciences, computation, and science communication during the freshman and sophomore academic years, the Academic Year Activities should help participants maximize their academic performance and prepare them for summer research experiences and eventual entry into an honors program. Academic year activities should include, but are not limited to, courses, journal clubs, individual development plans for each participant, seminars/workshops, professional development programs, internal and external speakers to introduce the students to different career paths, and participation in national scientific meetings. Activities such as workshops on scientific presentation and writing that promote scientific communication skills are highly encouraged. There should be an increasing sophistication in these activities as participants proceed from the freshman to the sophomore year.

3. Summer Research Experience

At the end of their sophomore year, each participant is expected to take part in a hands-on summer research experience that involves a defined research project and includes a final oral presentation and written report of their work. This could take place in an on-campus laboratory or be an off-campus research experience for high achieving undergraduate students, such as the National Science Foundation (NSF)-sponsored Research Experience for Undergraduates Summer Programs (REU), the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI)-sponsored Janelia Undergraduate Scholars Program, or a research-focused industry internship. The Summer Research Experience is expected to last at least eight weeks or the majority of the summer.

Participants are encouraged to engage in an on- or off-campus summer research experience also after the freshman year. However, program funds will only be provided for the Summer Research Experience after the sophomore year.

Deadlines

CU Internal Deadline: 11:59pm MST April 11, 2022

Sponsor Letter of Intent Deadline: 5:00pm MST May 24, 2022

Sponsor Application Deadline: 5:00pm MST June 24, 2022

Internal Application Requirements (all in PDF format)

  • Research Education Program Plan Summary (2 pages maximum): Please describe the proposed research education program (including plans for the summer bridge program, academic year activities, and summer research experience), program participants, institutional environment and commitment, recruitment plan to enhance diversity, and evaluation plan.
  • Project Team Description (2 pages maximum): Please identify the program director/PI, describing their history of mentoring, especially of students/trainees from underrepresented backgrounds and their experience in developing and leading similar programs, and identify program faculty/mentors. 
  • PI CV / Biosketch
  • Budget Overview (1 page maximum): A basic budget outlining project costs is sufficient; detailed OCG budgets are not required.

To access the online application, visit: https://cuboulderovcr.secure-platform.com/a/solicitations/6722/home

Eligibility

The applicant institution must be an accredited public or non-profit private school that grants baccalaureate degrees in engineering or the physical/computational sciences. The institution must either have a bioengineering or biomedical engineering department (or concentration/track) or must have a critical mass of faculty with background in above areas and experience in the application of engineering and the physical/computational sciences in medicine and/or biology. At the time of application, the applicant institution must have an honors program promoting graduate studies and open to students in their junior and senior years.

Limited Submission Guidelines

Only one application per institution is allowed.

Award Information

Award Amount: Application budgets are not limited but need to reflect the actual needs of the proposed project. Applicants requesting $500,000 or more in direct costs in any year (excluding consortium F&A) must contact a Scientific/ Research Contact at least 6 weeks before submitting the application and follow the Policy on the Acceptance for Review of Unsolicited Applications that Request $500,000 or More in Direct Costs as described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

Award Duration: Up to 4 years.