Research Enhancement Award Program (REAP) for Health Professional Schools and Graduate Schools (R15 Clinical Trial Required) (PAR-27-078) provides small-scale research grants to eligible health professional schools and graduate schools that have not been major recipients of NIH support. The programme aims to strengthen the research environment at applicant institutions while offering biomedical research experiences primarily for health professional, undergraduate, and graduate students.
Administered by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) with participation from multiple Institutes and Centers—including the National Institute on Aging, National Cancer Institute, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, and others—the Research Enhancement Award Program (REAP) supports investigator-initiated mechanistic and minimal risk clinical trials that address the missions and research interests of the participating NIH institutes. Minimal risk clinical trials are defined as those that do not require FDA oversight, do not intend to formally establish efficacy, and present low risks of physical or psychological harm.
The programme has three core objectives: (1) to provide support for meritorious research; (2) to strengthen the research environment at eligible institutions; and (3) to give health professional, undergraduate, and graduate students an opportunity to gain significant biomedical research experience through active involvement in the research.
Eligible institutions must award baccalaureate or advanced science degrees and have received no more than $6 million 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 total NIH funding received by all schools and colleges within the institution as a whole.
Eligible health professional schools and colleges are 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, DPT, MS-SLP, CScD, SLPD, AuD, MSPO, MSAT, and MPH. Eligible schools may include schools or colleges of nursing, medicine, dentistry, osteopathy, pharmacy, veterinary medicine, public health, optometry, allied health, and chiropractic.
Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply. Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed.
Applicant types include public and state controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education.
Applicants must follow the instructions in the Research (R) Instructions in the How to Apply – Application Guide, except where instructed otherwise in the funding opportunity or in a Notice from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts. Conformance to all requirements is strictly enforced.
Applications may be submitted through one of the following options:
Pre-application consultation with relevant NIH staff is strongly encouraged for new and resubmission applications. Applicants are encouraged to contact the Scientific/Research Contact(s) listed in the full announcement for program guidance.
Applications are accepted by 5:00 PM local time of the applicant organization on the following due dates:
| Cycle | Due Date | Scientific Merit Review | Earliest Start Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cycle 1 | July 10, 2026 | November 2026 | April 2027 |
| Cycle 2 | October 25, 2026 | March 2027 | July 2027 |
| Cycle 3 | February 25, 2027 | July 2027 | December 2027 |
| Cycle 4 | June 25, 2027 | November 2027 | April 2028 |
| Cycle 5 | October 25, 2027 | March 2028 | July 2028 |
Standard due dates apply for renewal, resubmission, and revision applications as indicated in the full announcement. AIDS applications are not applicable for this opportunity.
National Institutes of Health
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Email: NIA-NOFO-GrantsContacts@nih.gov
Phone: 301-402-2541
Applicants may also refer to the full announcement for Scientific/Research Contacts specific to each participating NIH Institute or Center.
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Submission Deadline
Oct 25, 2027
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