Short Courses on Innovative Methodologies and Approaches in the Behavioral and Social Sciences (R25 Clinical Trials Not Allowed)
Can you apply?
This grant is for organizations seeking to develop and deliver short, intensive educational courses on innovative methodologies in behavioral and social sciences. It supports training programs that teach new or cutting-edge approaches to research, analysis, and implementation in fields such as psychology, sociology, public health, and related disciplines. Eligible applicants typically include institutions with research capacity (universities, research centers, nonprofits with educational missions), and the grant explicitly excludes clinical trials. Programs must be short-term (typically 1-5 days) and focus on skill-building for researchers and practitioners. The grant is national in scope, with no geographic restrictions.
This grant is for organizations seeking to develop and deliver short, intensive educational courses on innovative methodologies in behavioral and social sciences. It supports training programs that teach new or cutting-edge approaches to research, analysis, and implementation in fields such as psychology, sociology, public health, and related disciplines. Eligible applicants typically include institutions with research capacity (universities, research centers, nonprofits with educational missions), and the grant explicitly excludes clinical trials. Programs must be short-term (typically 1-5 days) and focus on skill-building for researchers and practitioners. The grant is national in scope, with no geographic restrictions.
Program description
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 complement and/or enhance the training of a workforce to meet the nations biomedical, behavioral and clinical research needs. To accomplish the stated over-arching goal, this FOA will support creative educational activities with a primary focus on:
Courses for Skills Development
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
- 501(c)(3) Public Charity
- City / Municipal Government
- Colleges (all higher ed)
- County Government
- Nonprofits
- Private University
- Public Authority
- Public K-12 School
- Public University
- Small Business (SBA-defined)
- Special District
- State Government
- Tribal Nation
- Tribal Organization
Details
This grant is for organizations seeking to develop and deliver short, intensive educational courses on innovative methodologies in behavioral and social sciences. It supports training programs that teach new or cutting-edge approaches to research, analysis, and implementation in fields such as psychology, sociology, public health, and related disciplines. Eligible applicants typically include institutions with research capacity (universities, research centers, nonprofits with educational missions), and the grant explicitly excludes clinical trials. Programs must be short-term (typically 1-5 days) and focus on skill-building for researchers and practitioners. The grant is national in scope, with no geographic restrictions.
How to apply
Application links
Required documents
- SF-424 (R&R) application form
- Project narrative and specific aims (describing the course content, innovative approach, and learning objectives)
- Budget and budget narrative
- Curriculum vitae or biosketch for all instructors and key personnel (typically 2-3 pages each)
- Letters of support from collaborating institutions or organizations
- Evaluation plan detailing assessment methods and success metrics
- Timeline and organizational plan for course delivery
- Recruitment and retention strategy, including diversity and inclusion efforts
- Letters of intent from potential participants or evidence of demand for the course
Program contact
- 👤 National Institutes of Health
- 📧 grantsinfo@nih.gov
- 📞 301-402-2541
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 93.242 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
-
$75,056,208
-
$74,756,329
-
$72,845,834
-
$64,705,159
-
$63,991,707
-
$54,214,022
-
$38,895,082
-
$38,475,557
-
$34,635,977
-
$34,475,710
Top States by Funding
- CA 15 awards $408.1M
- MA 9 awards $230.3M
- NY 6 awards $184.2M
- WA 4 awards $174.9M
- CT 3 awards $138.9M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 93.242). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $1,722,300,004 | |
| 2025 | $1,726,864,191 | |
| 2026 est. | $99,221,272 |
FAQ
Who is eligible to apply for this R25 grant?
Institutions with research and educational capacity, including universities, research centers, hospitals, and nonprofit organizations with educational missions. Foreign institutions and clinical trial-focused programs are not eligible.
What types of courses does this grant fund?
Short, intensive courses (typically 1-5 days) that teach innovative or advanced methodologies in behavioral and social sciences. Examples include new statistical techniques, qualitative research approaches, implementation science methods, and emerging analytic tools.
Can this grant support clinical trials?
No. This specific R25 mechanism explicitly excludes clinical trials and clinical research training. It focuses on methodological and pedagogical innovation in non-clinical research.
What is the typical timeline and funding level?
Grants typically support one to three years of course delivery. Awards generally range from $50,000 to $300,000 annually, depending on scope, though actual amounts vary by program and review outcomes.
How competitive is this funding?
R25 grants are moderately competitive. Success depends on a clear unmet training need, innovative course design, experienced instructors, and evidence of impact on the field. Strong evaluation plans and diversity/inclusion efforts strengthen applications.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Clearly identify a genuine gap or unmet need in researcher training for your specific methodology. Show why your course is timely and addresses a real problem in the field.
- Design the course with strong learning objectives and measurable outcomes. Specify exactly what competencies participants will gain and how you'll assess them.
- Assemble a diverse, credible faculty team with recognized expertise in both the methodology and in teaching or training. Include early-career researchers and practitioners alongside senior experts.
- Plan for broad recruitment and inclusive participation. Document strategies to recruit underrepresented groups in research and explain how your course content addresses diverse perspectives and communities.
- Develop a sustainability or dissemination plan that extends impact beyond the grant period (e.g., online modules, train-the-trainer approaches, open-access materials, partnerships with other institutions).
⚠️ Common mistakes
Many applications fail because they propose clinically oriented content or clinical trial training, which directly violates the mechanism's restrictions. Others lack a convincing case that their methodology is truly innovative or addresses a documented training gap—NIH wants to fund courses filling clear workforce needs, not generic skill-building. Weak evaluation plans that don't measure actual learning outcomes or long-term impact on participants' research practice significantly hurt competitiveness.
Similar grants
- OPEN 27-0343-10 FFY27 Local Agency General Non-Enforcement — Illinois Department of Transportation
- ROLLING Annual Agency Threshold Application Applicants for Funding Start Here — Texas City of Austin - Austin Public Health
- CLOSED Virginia’s Black Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) Grant – FY26 — Virginia The Virginia Department of Historic Resources
- ROLLING RTAP Grant Program (Rolling) — Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation
- ROLLING Rail Industrial Access Grant (RIA) — Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation