Geroscience Course (R25 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 23 315

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 23 315

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is offering a discretionary grant opportunity titled "Geroscience Course (R25 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" under funding opportunity number PAR-23-315 (CFDA 93.866). It uses the NIH R25 education grant mechanism and is aimed at strengthening education and workforce development in geroscience, the interdisciplinary field that connects the biology of aging with the prevention, progression, and treatment of age-related diseases. A key restriction is that independent clinical trials are not allowed under this program, meaning applicants should propose educational, training, and dissemination activities rather than running their own clinical trial as the primary project.

The central purpose of the program is to support educational activities that complement and enhance training for the clinical and research workforce while also increasing public awareness of geroscience. NIH is specifically looking for creative, well-integrated educational efforts that bring together basic, applied, translational, and clinical perspectives. The scope is broad, and projects can focus on building or improving geroscience curricula and teaching methods, delivering courses that develop practical skills, creating research experiences and networking opportunities, and assembling resources that make the field more accessible and navigable. Examples of supported concepts include curriculum or methods development, skills-based courses, structured research experiences paired with mentoring and networking, and the development of repositories that compile important reviews, opinion pieces, and information about clinical trials currently in progress (as an informational resource, not as a clinical trial run by the awardee). The program also encourages outreach and the creation of lay-friendly public documents that explain geroscience concepts in clear, accessible language.

Eligibility is intentionally expansive to attract a wide range of organizations that can contribute to geroscience education. Eligible applicants include various levels of government (state, county, city or 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, tribal organizations that are not federally recognized, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding higher education institutions in those categories), for-profit organizations other than small businesses, small businesses, and other organizations. The announcement also highlights additional eligible applicant types 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 eligible federal agencies and faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions.

On foreign involvement, the opportunity draws a clear line: non-U.S. (foreign) organizations are not eligible to apply as the applicant organization, and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible. However, foreign components are allowed as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, which generally means a U.S.-based applicant may include certain well-justified international collaborations or activities as part of the project, provided they meet NIH policy requirements and are appropriate to the educational goals.

The opportunity was created on December 19, 2023, and lists an original closing date of February 27, 2024. The award ceiling is $250,000. The listing notes "ExpectedAwards:" without a number provided in the source data, so the projected number of awards is not specified in the provided information. Overall, this program is best understood as NIH support for building the educational infrastructure of geroscience: training materials, courses, experiential learning and networking, curated knowledge resources, and public-facing outreach that collectively help grow a workforce and a broader understanding of how aging biology relates to health and disease.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Geroscience Course (R25 Independent 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): 93.866.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-12-19.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-02-27. (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 $250,000.00 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 23 315

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