NIH PAR-23-178 Neuroscience Development for Advancing the Careers of a Diverse Research Workforce (R25 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

The NIH Research Education Program (R25) supports research educational activities that complement other formal training programs in the mission areas of the NIH Institutes and Centers.

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.

This NIH Neuroscience Development for Advancing the Careers of a Diverse Research Workforce (R25) is a flexible and specialized program designed to foster the development of neuroscience researchers from diverse backgrounds, including individuals from underrepresented groups, across the specified career stages. This Neuroscience Diversity R25 initiative will focus on factors that have been shown to affect retention of underrepresented postbaccalaureate, graduate students, postdoctoral trainees, and junior faculty in neuroscience research, such as mentoring, scientific networks, professional development, and attention to the structural and institutional environment regarding inclusion (http://acd.od.nih.gov/dbr.html; Structure and Belonging: Pathways to Success for Underrepresented Minority and Women Ph.D. Students in STEM Fields; The Science of Effective Mentorship in STEMM). Undergraduate students are not considered eligible for career stage support for this funding opportunity announcement, please view current NIH programs for undergraduate students.

The participating ICs are committed to the development of a diverse biomedical research workforce. This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) seeks to promote diversity in training and research programs and to encourage the participation of individuals from underrepresented groups identified by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in Diversity and STEM: Women, Minorities and Persons with Disabilities. Evidence from several reports demonstrates that an intervention designed to facilitate successful transitions along this pathway would benefit the research community (Expanding Underrepresented Minority Participation: America's Science and Technology Talent at the Crossroads, National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and Institute of Medicine 2011; and Advancing the Nation’s Health Needs: NIH Research Training Programs). Specifically, for neuroscience early career researchers, there is a decrease in the proportion of trainees from underrepresented backgrounds from the predoctoral (12%) to tenure-stream neuroscience faculty level (5%); 2011 Survey Report of Neuroscience Departments and Programs. Active interventions are necessary to prevent the loss of talent at each level of educational advancement (PCAST, 2012).

The NIH expects applicant institutions to propose programs that will lead to an improvement in the professional development, mentoring and technical expertise of individuals from diverse backgrounds, including those from groups that are nationally underrepresented in neuroscience research. The activities may focus on individuals at a particular eligible research career stage or at a range of eligible career stages. Programs that target transitions and/or more than one career stage for neuroscience career advancement and progression are encouraged. This initiative will support the development of collaborative research education partnerships that will increase participants awareness and interest in the neurosciences, develop participants scientific knowledge and research skills that will allow them to progress and transition to more advanced neuroscience-related research education and training activities. Proposed program interventions to enhance workforce diversity in response to this NOFO should also focus on asset models and leadership opportunities, rather than solely deficit models and remediation (recommendations from 2022 NINDS Transforming Mentorship Workshop, 2019 NINDS Pathways for Institutional Change Regarding Diversity and Inclusion, 2017 NINDS Activating a Neural Network;?and NAMHC Workgroup on Research Training Report).

To accomplish the stated over-arching goal, this NOFO will support creative educational activities with a primary focus on three types of activities (all three must be included):

• Mentoring Activities: Within the context of a mentoring network, activities may include, but are not limited to, dedicated efforts at providing not only technical expertise, but advice, insight, and professional career skills that advance the broad career goals of graduate students, postdoctorates and/or early-career faculty from diverse backgrounds; facilitating scholarly writing and grantsmanship; promoting successful transitions from one career stage to another; providing leadership development; helping to identify potential collaborators; and helping to establish interdisciplinary collaborations in order to foster a career trajectory towards independent neuroscience research. Additionally, the NIH realizes that quality mentorship is critical to the recruitment and retention of scientists from diverse backgrounds, including individuals from underrepresented groups . Therefore, this NOFO welcomes programs aimed at improving the caliber of mentorship and focusing on strategies and recommendations that utilize the science of effective mentoring. For example, workshops to educate mentors on establishing and sustaining effective research mentoring relationships (e.g. summer course or a workshop accompanying a neuroscience-related scientific meeting in which case-based scenarios may be used to educate mentors on various relevant ethical, professional and cultural issues facing students today, for example, effective communication and mentoring compacts, or addressing cultural awareness, among others). Also, the program intends to support innovative mentoring network programs within neuroscience-focused scientific and/or professional societies and organizations. Mentors from all demographic backgrounds should be encouraged to participate in the proposed program.
• Research Experiences: Provide hands-on authentic research experiences that reflect intellectual contribution to the project and for postbaccalaureate and graduate students to provide research experiences and related training not available through formal NIH training mechanisms; for postdoctorates and junior faculty to extend their skills, experiences, and knowledge base. The research experience should enhance competitiveness and innovative research exposure for the R25 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. The nature of research experiences should be tailored to the needs and career levels of participants. It is expected that mentoring will be provided in conjunction with planned research experiences and participants will design individualized development plans (IDPs) that are compatible with their needs and experience. Additionally, programs that provide educational/research experiences that enhance the participation and productivity of investigators from diverse backgrounds, including from underrepresented groups, in carrying out research on mission-relevant health disparities will be considered.
• Courses for Skills Development: For example, advanced courses in a neuroscience research area relevant to participating IC missions, or specialized research techniques to enhance the research skills of postbaccalaureate, graduate students, postdoctorates, and junior faculty from diverse backgrounds. Additionally, career development seminars and workshops such as grant writing, manuscript preparation, enhancing laboratory management for early stage faculty, building a successful career and other core competencies--like experimental rigor and quantitative skills, as recommended in Developing a 21st Century Neuroscience Workforce--are highly encouraged. Activities should fill a gap in existing resources and provide a course that is significant and impactful for the neuroscience research community.

For more information see the FOA: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-23-178.html