Undergraduate Research Training Initiative for Student Enhancement (U-RISE) (T34) | PAR 24 137

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 24 137

The Undergraduate Research Training Initiative for Student Enhancement (U-RISE) (T34) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant opportunity (FOA number PAR-24-137; CFDA 93.859) designed to strengthen undergraduate research training in the biomedical sciences. The central aim is to build a diverse pipeline of students who not only complete a bachelors degree, but also successfully transition into, and ultimately finish, research-intensive graduate programs such as a Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. In practical terms, the program funds institutions to create structured undergraduate training environments that make sustained research engagement, strong mentoring, and clear career preparation more accessible and effective for students who are headed toward biomedical research careers.

The funding is provided as a discretionary grant under the T34 activity mechanism, and it supports the development and implementation of evidence-based training and mentoring approaches. NIH, through the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), expects programs to reflect how quickly biomedical research is changing. That means applicants are expected to propose training plans that are current, intentional, and grounded in approaches shown to improve trainee development and persistence. Proposed programs should integrate multiple components, typically including didactic elements (such as coursework, workshops, or structured skill-building), substantive research experiences, organized mentoring, and career development activities that help trainees prepare for the expectations of research-focused higher degree programs. The overall emphasis is on a coherent training pathway that helps students grow into competitive and well-prepared applicants for biomedical Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. programs, and then succeed once they get there.

Eligibility is focused on domestic institutions and is limited in a specific way: this FOA is for training programs at research-active institutions that are not heavily NIH-funded, defined here as institutions with a 3-year average of NIH Research Project Grant (RPG) funding under 7.5 million dollars in total costs. Alongside this institutional funding threshold, the opportunity explicitly welcomes applications from a broad set of organization types and mission-driven institutions, including (among others) 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). The eligible applicant list also includes various levels of government (state, county, city/township, special districts), independent school districts, public and private institutions of higher education, federally recognized Native American tribal governments, certain tribal organizations, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, nonprofit organizations (with or without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), and small businesses, as well as other entities described in the FOA.

Foreign eligibility is restricted. While some categories in the source list mention non-U.S. entities, the FOA text makes clear that non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply. In other words, applicants should plan for the applicant organization and supported program components to be based in the United States and fit the FOA's domestic eligibility requirements.

Administratively, the sponsoring agency is NIH, the opportunity category is discretionary, and the activity category is health. The original closing date listed is 2026-05-27, and the opportunity was created on 2024-03-28. Details such as an award ceiling and expected number of awards are not specified in the provided source data. Overall, this FOA is aimed at institutions that want to build or strengthen a structured undergraduate biomedical research training program with strong mentoring and career development, with the explicit outcome of increasing the number and diversity of students who progress into and complete research-focused biomedical graduate degrees.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Undergraduate Research Training Initiative for Student Enhancement (U-RISE) (T34)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.859.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-03-28.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-05-27. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• 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 24 137

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