NIH Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) (R25 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

The National Institutes of Health Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) program under funding opportunity PAR-27-077 is a federal grant initiative administered through the NIH Research Education Program (R25). The program is supported by multiple NIH Institutes and Centers, including the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institute on Aging, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, and the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. The overarching purpose of SEPA is to increase understanding of biomedical research among pre-college students and teachers and to encourage awareness of and interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics careers. The opportunity supports educational activities that align with NIH mission areas and seeks to strengthen the biomedical research workforce pipeline through both classroom-based and informal science education activities. SEPA supports projects serving pre-kindergarten through grade 12 students and teachers in both formal classroom settings and informal science education settings outside traditional schools. Projects may focus on one or more educational activity types, including courses for skills development, research experiences, mentoring activities, curriculum or methods development, and outreach activities. Applications focused on quantitative and computational skill development are strongly encouraged, as are applications from resource-limited institutions. Programs may address any biomedical research area within the NIH mission, but applicants must demonstrate alignment with the participating NIH institute or center priorities. The program also encourages dissemination of educational resources and development of innovative instructional tools and STEM education materials. Funding is provided through the R25 education projects mechanism. Direct costs are limited to 250000 dollars annually, excluding consortium facilities and administrative costs, with a maximum project period of five years. The number of awards depends on NIH appropriations and the number of meritorious applications received. Indirect costs are reimbursed at eight percent of modified total direct costs rather than an institution's negotiated indirect cost rate. Allowable expenses include personnel salaries and fringe benefits for individuals designing and implementing the program, participant support costs, consultant costs, equipment, supplies, travel, and other justified program-related expenses. Applicants may also request funds for key personnel to attend the annual SEPA conference. Participant compensation is permitted when justified and specifically related to the proposed education program. Projects proposing laboratory internships must include plans for laboratory safety training and responsible conduct of research instruction. Eligible applicants include a wide range of domestic organizations such as public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, small businesses, for-profit organizations, local governments, state governments, tribal governments, independent school districts, charter schools, public and private schools, faith-based organizations, community-based organizations, public housing authorities, regional organizations, and focused research organizations. Foreign organizations and foreign components are not eligible to apply, and foreign subawards or subcontracts are prohibited under this funding opportunity. Applicant organizations may submit more than one application if each is scientifically distinct. An individual may serve as principal investigator on only one active SEPA award at a time, and renewal applications are not accepted under this announcement. Cost sharing is not required. Participants in funded SEPA programs are intended to be pre-college students and teachers, with preference for U.S. citizens and permanent residents unless otherwise justified. The application process requires submission through Grants.gov using NIH ASSIST, an institutional system-to-system solution, or Grants.gov Workspace. Applicants must maintain active registrations in SAM.gov, Grants.gov, and eRA Commons prior to submission. Program directors and principal investigators must also maintain ORCID registration linked to their eRA Commons accounts. The earliest submission date is August 25, 2026, with recurring application deadlines occurring three times per year on September 25, January 25, and May 25 through May 2029. Applications are due by 5:00 PM local time of the applicant organization. The funding opportunity expires on May 26, 2029. Scientific merit reviews occur approximately six months after submission, followed by advisory council review and earliest project start dates several months later. Applications must include a detailed Research Education Program Plan addressing the proposed educational activities, rationale, objectives, participant recruitment, faculty involvement, institutional environment, evaluation methods, dissemination strategies, and plans for instruction in the responsible conduct of research. Applicants must also include institutional commitment letters and dissemination plans that describe how developed resources will be shared nationally. SEPA-funded projects are required to launch a free public-facing website within six months of award. Review criteria include significance, investigator qualifications, innovation, approach, and environment. Reviewers assess whether the program effectively increases understanding of biomedical research and STEM careers among pre-college audiences and whether dissemination and evaluation plans are sufficient to support national impact. Applications that fail to comply with NIH application requirements or responsible conduct of research instructions may be withdrawn from review.

Demonstrate strong alignment with NIH mission areas and pre-college STEM education goals;Include measurable objectives and evidence-based educational methods;Provide a strong dissemination strategy including a public SEPA website within six months of award;Clearly distinguish the proposed project from existing federally funded training programs;Develop a detailed evaluation framework tied to participant outcomes