NIA Research and Entrepreneurial Development Immersion (REDI): Entrepreneurship Enhancement Award

The NIA Research and Entrepreneurial Development Immersion (REDI): Entrepreneurship Enhancement Award is a forecasted federal funding opportunity from the National Institute on Aging (NIA), which operates under the National Institutes of Health within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The opportunity is identified by Opportunity Number PAR-26-066 and is expected to be released as a Notice of Funding Opportunity utilizing the R25 activity code. The REDI program is intended to continue NIA's efforts to strengthen entrepreneurial and translational training opportunities for researchers and scientists working in areas relevant to aging and Alzheimer's disease research. The program emphasizes career development outside traditional academic research environments and seeks to equip trainees with practical commercialization and innovation skills applicable across multiple biomedical and translational career pathways. The primary purpose of the REDI Entrepreneurship Enhancement Award is to support the development of entrepreneurial education and immersion programs that broaden the professional skillsets of graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and early-career master's, Ph.D., and Dr.P.H. scientists. NIA specifically notes that the funded programs should help prepare trainees for a broad range of career options, including translational science, biomedical entrepreneurship, and innovation-focused professions. Proposed educational programs are expected to address areas such as scientific communication, intellectual property processes, regulatory and reimbursement pathways, market analysis, value proposition development, biomedical financing, and commercialization challenges. The overall objective is to increase the number of scientists prepared to navigate translational research ecosystems and nontraditional scientific careers. The opportunity falls under the Health category of federal assistance and is associated with Assistance Listing 93.866, Aging Research. Although award ceiling amounts, floor amounts, total program funding, and expected number of awards have not yet been published, the announcement confirms that the opportunity will be administered as a grant mechanism. No cost sharing or matching requirement is currently identified in the forecast notice. Because the opportunity remains forecasted, detailed budget guidance, allowable costs, funding limitations, indirect cost rules, and project period specifics have not yet been formally released. Applicants should anticipate that additional financial and administrative requirements will be included once the official Notice of Funding Opportunity is published. Eligibility for this program is broad and inclusive. Eligible applicants include state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, independent school districts, public and private institutions of higher education, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments, Native American tribal organizations, public housing authorities, nonprofit organizations with and without 501(c)(3) status, small businesses, for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and additional eligible entities such as U.S. territory or possession organizations, faith-based organizations, community-based organizations, regional organizations, and eligible federal agencies. The funding opportunity does not indicate any geographic restriction within the United States, suggesting a nationwide scope for eligible applicants. The notice also references additional eligibility for tribal governments and other organizations not specifically captured in the standard Grants.gov categories. The application timeline currently reflects a forecasted status rather than an open competition. The forecasted notice date is January 29, 2026, while the estimated posting date for the official Notice of Funding Opportunity is July 24, 2026. The estimated application due date is September 25, 2026. Estimated award and project start dates are both listed as July 26, 2027. Applications are not currently being solicited, and the announcement explicitly states that advance notice is being provided to allow potential applicants sufficient time to develop meaningful collaborations and responsive project concepts before the official funding announcement is released. No letter of intent, concept paper, or pre-application requirement is currently specified in the forecast announcement. The notice does not currently provide detailed submission instructions, required application forms, review criteria, or application component requirements beyond the expectation that applicants propose innovation-focused entrepreneurial education programs aligned with NIA's mission. Additional details regarding application structure, review standards, required narratives, trainee components, evaluation criteria, institutional commitments, and reporting expectations are expected to appear in the final NOFO release. The listing identifies the primary contact as the NIA Scientific Contact and provides an official program inbox for inquiries at NIA-NOFO-Scientific@nih.gov. No direct phone number or downloadable PDF announcement link is currently provided in the source material. Because this is a forecasted opportunity and not yet an active solicitation, applicants should monitor Grants.gov and NIH announcements for updates, publication of the complete NOFO, and any future applicant guidance or informational webinars.

Align proposed programs with translational science and entrepreneurship priorities described by NIA. Emphasize commercialization skills scientific communication regulatory knowledge intellectual property understanding and career diversification outcomes for trainees.