Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA DK 17 015
The funding opportunity titled "NIDDK Partnerships with Professional Societies to Enhance Scientific Workforce Diversity and Promote Scientific Leadership (R25)" (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-DK-17-015) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) research education grant offered through the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It uses the NIH Research Education Program mechanism (R25), which is specifically meant to support structured educational activities that strengthen the research workforce in NIH mission areas. In this case, NIDDK is using the R25 mechanism to focus on improving diversity within the biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research workforce, with an added emphasis on helping participants move toward scientific leadership roles within their fields and within the professional societies themselves.
At the center of this program is the expectation that professional societies will act as the primary drivers of change. The opportunity encourages societies aligned with NIDDK mission areas to design and implement organized educational programs that actively recruit and support people from underrepresented backgrounds. The intent is not simply to offer general training, but to create a deliberate pipeline that brings talented students, fellows, and junior faculty into research trajectories connected to NIDDK-relevant topics, such as diabetes, endocrinology and metabolic diseases, digestive diseases, nutrition, obesity, kidney diseases, and related clinical and translational research areas that fall under the NIDDK umbrella. The emphasis on professional societies reflects a recognition that these organizations often control key access points to networking, mentorship, conference platforms, committee service, and recognition that can influence who advances and who becomes visible as emerging leaders.
A notable feature of the announcement is the requirement that the proposed program be framed as an "educational experiment." This signals that NIDDK is looking for more than a one-off set of workshops or a generic mentoring program. Applicants are expected to propose an intervention that is intentionally designed, implemented, and assessed, with the idea that the society can learn what works, refine the approach, and produce outcomes that can inform future workforce development efforts. In practical terms, that implies a program with clear educational goals, a defined participant population, structured activities (such as mentoring networks, career development programming, research exposure, skills-building, grant writing support, leadership training, or guided engagement in society governance), and measurable outcomes that demonstrate whether the approach improved recruitment, retention, progression, and leadership participation for individuals from underrepresented groups.
Another core expectation is that the society include a diversity management plan. This goes beyond supporting individual participants and points toward organizational change inside the society. The program is intended to expand the pool of individuals from underrepresented backgrounds not only within the society's programs but also within its leadership pathways. In other words, NIDDK is encouraging societies to build systems that make it more likely that trainees and early-career researchers from underrepresented groups are brought into committees, speaker lineups, editorial activities, awards processes, and other leadership-relevant opportunities. The goal is to strengthen the overall biomedical research workforce and to increase representation where professional visibility and decision-making authority are developed.
From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary grant opportunity with an activity category listed under food and nutrition and health (CFDA 93.847). The opportunity was created on September 7, 2017, with an original closing date of December 5, 2017. The listed award ceiling is $135,000, and NIDDK anticipated making about three awards. While the dollar amount suggests a relatively modest budget compared to large research grants, it aligns with the R25 purpose of funding educational programming, coordination, and evaluation rather than supporting major research projects. This level of funding typically supports program staff time, participant support costs where allowable, curriculum and meeting development, evaluation activities, and the logistics needed to run multi-part educational experiences that span conferences or year-round society programming.
Eligibility is broad and includes many organization types, including various levels of government, public and private institutions of higher education, federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status, for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), small businesses, and other applicants as described in the full eligibility text. Despite the broad eligibility categories, the narrative focus of the program clearly targets professional societies connected to NIDDK mission areas, since the key premise is that societies are uniquely positioned to influence career entry points, professional development, and leadership opportunities across a discipline.
In summary, this NIDDK R25 opportunity is designed to fund professional societies to create and test structured, evaluable educational programs that strengthen diversity in the biomedical, behavioral, clinical, and social sciences workforce tied to NIDDK priorities. It aims to expand recruitment and advancement of students, fellows, and junior faculty from underrepresented backgrounds while also pushing societies to implement internal diversity management strategies that broaden participation in society programs and increase representation in leadership pipelines. The overall outcome NIDDK is seeking is a stronger, more diverse research community and a clearer pathway from early career development to scientific leadership for underrepresented investigators in NIDDK-relevant fields.Apply for RFA DK 17 015
- The Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health in the food and nutrition, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NIDDK Partnerships with Professional Societies to Enhance Scientific Workforce Diversity and Promote Scientific Leadership (R25)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.847.
- This funding opportunity was created on Sep 07, 2017.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Dec 05, 2017. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $135,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 3 candidate(s).
- 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 (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the official title and funding opportunity number for this grant?
The funding opportunity is titled "NIDDK Partnerships with Professional Societies to Enhance Scientific Workforce Diversity and Promote Scientific Leadership (R25)" and the Funding Opportunity Number is RFA-DK-17-015.
Which federal agency is offering this funding opportunity?
This is an NIH grant offered through the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), which is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
What grant mechanism is being used?
The opportunity uses the NIH Research Education Program mechanism (R25), which supports structured educational activities intended to strengthen the research workforce in NIH mission areas.
What is the main purpose of this R25 opportunity?
The main purpose is to improve diversity within the biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research workforce in areas aligned with NIDDK, with an added emphasis on helping participants progress toward scientific leadership roles within their fields and within professional societies.
Who is expected to lead and drive the program?
Professional societies are expected to be the primary drivers of change. The program is designed around the idea that societies can influence recruitment, mentoring, networking, visibility, and leadership pathways in a discipline.
What types of scientific areas does the program focus on?
The program is tied to NIDDK mission areas, including diabetes, endocrinology and metabolic diseases, digestive diseases, nutrition, obesity, kidney diseases, and related clinical and translational research areas under the NIDDK umbrella.
Who are the intended participants in the educational pipeline?
The opportunity describes a pipeline focused on talented students, fellows, and junior faculty, particularly individuals from underrepresented backgrounds, and supporting their movement into NIDDK-relevant research trajectories and leadership development.
What does it mean that the program should be framed as an "educational experiment"?
It means NIDDK expects more than a one-time event or generic training. Applicants are expected to propose a deliberately designed intervention that is implemented and assessed so the society can learn what works, refine the approach, and generate outcomes that can inform future workforce development efforts.
What kinds of activities are suggested or implied for the educational program?
The announcement suggests structured activities such as mentoring networks, career development programming, research exposure, skills-building, grant writing support, leadership training, and guided engagement in society governance, along with an evaluation plan and measurable outcomes.
What outcomes is NIDDK looking for programs to measure?
Programs are expected to include measurable outcomes showing whether the approach improved recruitment, retention, progression, and leadership participation for individuals from underrepresented groups.
Is organizational change within the professional society part of the expectation?
Yes. A core expectation is that the society includes a diversity management plan that goes beyond supporting individual participants and aims at organizational change that expands leadership pathways and participation in society programs.
What is a "diversity management plan" in the context of this opportunity?
Based on the description, it is a plan that helps a society build systems that broaden participation by individuals from underrepresented backgrounds and increases representation in leadership pipelines, including opportunities such as committees, speaker lineups, editorial activities, and awards processes.
What is the award ceiling for this opportunity?
The listed award ceiling is $135,000.
How many awards did NIDDK anticipate making?
NIDDK anticipated making about three awards.
When was this opportunity created and what was the original closing date?
The opportunity was created on September 7, 2017, and the original closing date was December 5, 2017.
What type of grant is this from an administrative standpoint?
It is described as a discretionary grant opportunity under the activity category listed as food and nutrition and health (CFDA 93.847).
What kinds of costs or program elements does the funding level generally support?
The description indicates the funding aligns with the R25 purpose of supporting educational programming, coordination, and evaluation rather than major research projects. It typically supports items like program staff time, allowable participant support costs, curriculum and meeting development, evaluation activities, and logistics needed to run multi-part educational experiences connected to society programming.
Does this opportunity fund major research projects?
The description emphasizes that the R25 mechanism is meant to support research education activities rather than funding major research projects, with funding intended for educational programming, coordination, and evaluation.
What organizations are eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes various levels of government, public and private institutions of higher education, federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status, for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), small businesses, and other applicants as described in the full eligibility text.
Even with broad eligibility, who does the program narrative appear to target?
Despite broad eligibility categories, the narrative focus clearly targets professional societies connected to NIDDK mission areas, since the core premise is that societies are uniquely positioned to influence professional development and leadership access points across a discipline.
Why are professional societies emphasized in this program?
The opportunity highlights that professional societies often control key access points to networking, mentorship, conference platforms, committee service, and recognition, which can influence who advances and who becomes visible as emerging leaders.
What is the overarching goal NIDDK is seeking through this opportunity?
The stated goal is a stronger, more diverse research community in NIDDK-relevant fields, with clearer pathways from early career development to scientific leadership for investigators from underrepresented backgrounds.
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