Limited Competition: Tribal Undergraduate and Graduate Research Training and Leadership Experiences (TURTLE) Program

The Limited Competition: Tribal Undergraduate and Graduate Research Training and Leadership Experiences (TURTLE) Program is a forecasted federal funding opportunity from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the National Institutes of Health. The opportunity number is PAR-28-050, and the Assistance Listing is 93.859, Biomedical Research and Research Training. The opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding in the Health category and is expected to use cooperative agreement and grant funding instruments. The forecast was issued on September 14, 2026, for fiscal year 2028. Because this is a forecast, the final funding announcement and its complete application requirements have not yet been posted. The TURTLE Program is intended to support eligible Tribal Entities in developing a pool of students prepared to conduct Tribal health research, complete degrees in biomedical fields, and transition into careers in the biomedical research workforce. The National Institute of General Medical Sciences plans to provide support through a phased award structure. The program will support eligible Tribal Entities in developing and implementing effective training and mentoring activities for research-oriented individuals earning baccalaureate or doctoral degrees in biomedical research fields at institutions across the United States and its territories. Eligibility is limited to specified Tribal Entities. Eligible applicants include a federally recognized American Indian or Alaska Native Tribe as defined under 25 U.S.C. 1603(14); a Tribal college or university; a Tribal health program; or a Tribal organization as defined under 25 U.S.C. 1603(24), (25), and (26), respectively. A consortium consisting of two or more of these Tribal Entities may also apply. Grants.gov identifies Native American tribal governments that are federally recognized as an eligible applicant type and otherwise directs applicants to the additional eligibility information for clarification. No cost sharing or matching requirement is identified for this opportunity. The source does not provide an award ceiling, award floor, estimated total program funding, or expected number of awards. It also does not provide detailed allowable and prohibited cost provisions, indirect cost limitations, subaward limitations, or a specific period of performance. These details should therefore be verified when the full funding opportunity is posted. The forecast indicates that the funding opportunity is expected to be posted on October 20, 2027, with an estimated application due date of January 25, 2028. The estimated award date is December 1, 2028, and the estimated project start date is also December 1, 2028. This is a limited competition, meaning applications will be invited from organizations meeting the stated Tribal Entity eligibility requirements. The forecast does not identify a letter of intent, concept paper, pre-proposal, notice of intent, or other pre-application gating requirement. It also does not provide a complete list of application forms, narratives, attachments, budgets, or other submission components. Applicants should therefore rely on the subsequently posted funding announcement for the final submission mechanics and required application materials. No recurring or rolling application cycle is stated in the forecast. Applications will be evaluated in accordance with NIH standard peer-review processes. The source specifically states that applications will be peer-reviewed and that only meritorious applications will be considered. No additional review criteria or scoring factors are provided in the forecast. Organizations considering an application should therefore ensure that the proposed training and mentoring activities closely support the stated goals of preparing students to conduct Tribal health research, complete biomedical degrees, and transition into the biomedical research workforce while awaiting the complete review criteria in the final announcement. The designated program contact is the NIGMS TURTLE Program, which requests contact by email at NIGMSTurtle@nigms.nih.gov. No individual contact person or telephone number is provided. As of the analysis date of September 15, 2026, the opportunity remains in the forecast and early engagement stage because its estimated posting date of October 20, 2027, and estimated application deadline of January 25, 2028, are both in the future. The forecast does not state that the TURTLE Program will recur annually, biennially, or on another regular schedule, so no future recurring cycle is inferred.

Align the proposed training and mentoring activities with the stated goals of developing Tribal health research skills, supporting completion of biomedical degrees, and facilitating transition into the biomedical research workforce. Applications will undergo NIH standard peer review, and only meritorious applications will be considered.