Weekly Research Updates & Guidance
Please check this page regularly for guidance and research updates.
Last updated: 8/01/25
NIH General Announcements and Notices of Special Interest
Notice to Applicants of Adjustments to Achieve Consistency in Peer Review Contacts and Processes
(NOT-OD-25-135)
Office of the Director, NIH
As previously announced, effective with the August/October Council round, all NIH peer review of contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements is centralized within the Center for Scientific Review. The locus of peer review identified in Section V.2 of NOFOs is changed to the Center for Scientific Review. To ensure effective and consistent peer review practices, certain review processes detailed in NOFO Section V may be adjusted. Review criteria, including the use of the Simplified Review Framework, do not change.
NIH Intramural Research Program Access Planning Policy
(NOT-OD-25-136)
National Institutes of Health
The purpose of this Notice is to reissue the NIH Intramural Research Program Access Planning Policy, initially issued under NOT-OD-25-062, to facilitate alignment with the Administration’s priorities. In addition, the guidance that was released with the original Policy is being issued as its own separate Guide Notice. The updated Policy and guidance include minor revisions to the text and removes references to Executive Orders that have been rescinded since the original publication.
NIH Intramural Research Program Access Planning Policy Implementation Guidance
(NOT-OD-25-137)
National Institutes of Health
The purpose of this notice is to reissue Implementation Guidance for the NIH Intramural Research Program (IRP) Access Planning Policy, which was initially issued with the Policy under NOT-OD-25-062, to facilitate alignment with the Administration’s priorities. This revised guidance includes minor revisions to the text and removes references to Executive Orders that have been rescinded since the original publication. In addition, this guidance was originally released as part of the original Policy and has now been issued as its own separate Guide Notice.
Reminder: Unauthorized Use of Credentials is Prohibited
(NOT-OD-25-139)
National Institutes of Health
This notice serves as a reminder of longstanding security requirements for users of NIH’s Electronic Research Administration (eRA) systems. As part of NIH’s security posture, system access and credential use logs are regularly audited to assess compliance and risk.
NIH has recently identified instances of credential sharing within eRA accounts with signing official (SO) permissions. Because SO roles contain the institutional authority to legally bind a recipient in grants administration matters, it is never acceptable for any individual other than the named user to access these accounts.
(NOT-HD-25-028)
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
The purpose of this Notice is to inform potential applicants that the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) is participating in PAR-25-442, "Expanding the Target Landscape by Drugging the Undruggable (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)“, effective with publication of this Notice.
NSF – National Science Foundation General Announcements
Intro to the NSF I-Corps Teams program
Thursday, August 7, 2025, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
The U.S. National Science Foundation invites you to join an NSF Innovation Corps (I-Corps™) Teams webinar to learn more about the program. NSF I-Corps is an immersive, entrepreneurial training program that facilitates the transformation of invention to impact.
Register for the Intro to the NSF I-Corps Teams program webinar.
Department of Defense (DOD)
FY25 pre-application deadline for the Department of Defense (DOD) Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Research Program (DMDRP) managed by the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP).
The pre-application submission deadline is July 25, 2025, 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) for the Idea Development Award and the Clinical/Translational Research Award!
Reminders:
- All FY25 DMDRP cost caps are now TOTAL COST caps (direct + indirect costs).
- All FY25 DMDRP awards recommended for funding with be fully funded, up front with FY25 funds and have periods of performance that begin no later than 30 September 2026. The availability of future fiscal year appropriations will not impact funding levels of FY25 awards.
To view the program announcements and submit a pre-application visit:
https://ebrap.org/eBRAP/public/ProgramFY.htm?programFYId=667101
The Breast Cancer Research Program (BCRP) released program announcements for the following funding opportunities:
- Breakthrough Award Levels 1 and 2 (Funding Opportunity Number: HT942525BCRPBTA122)
- Clinical Research Extension Award (Funding Opportunity Number: HT942525BCRPCREA2)
Note:
- Cost caps for the FY25 BCRP funding opportunities are TOTAL COSTS (direct plus indirect costs)
- An investigator can only be named as a Principal Investigator (PI), Initiating PI, or Partnering PI on a single application for funding opportunity HT942525BCRPBTA122
- Investigators named as PI, Initiating PI, or Partnering PI on an application submitted under funding opportunity HT942525BCRPBTA12 are not eligible to submit a preapplication or full application for the same research project under funding opportunity HT942525BCRPBTA122
- Investigators named as PI, Initiating PI, or Partnering PI on an application submitted under funding opportunity HT942525BCRPCREA are not eligible to submit a preapplication or full application for the same research project under funding opportunity HT942525BCRPCREA2
To view the program announcements and submit a pre-application visit:
https://ebrap.org/eBRAP/public/ProgramFY.htm?programFYId=663101
The DHA R&E STPMD Psychological Health Portfolio released Addendum VIII to the US Army Medical Research and Development Command (USAMRDC) Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for Extramural Medical Research for the following funding opportunity:
- Military Family Health Research Award (see pages 110-113 of the FY23-27 USAMRDC BAA for details)
To view the USAMRDC BAA and Military Family Health Research Award information, visit: https://ebrap.org/eBRAP/public/ViewFile.htm?fileId=14553287&fileType=pdf
A pre-application is required for all submissions to the USAMRDC BAA. For consideration under the Military Family Health Research Award, pre-applications must be submitted through the electronic Biomedical Research Application Portal (eBRAP) at https://eBRAP.org prior to the 1 September 2025 pre-application deadline.
BrightFocus Foundation
September 15, 2025 – Prague, Czech Republican
BrightFocus Foundation’s Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) Fast Track workshop helps speed progress toward a cure for AMD by investing in promising young scientists in the field of vision research. Graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and other early-stage scientists focused on macular degeneration research, or those who want to enter the field can take advantage of this unique opportunity to accelerate their path towards becoming an expert in this exciting field by:
- immersing themselves in the background knowledge and latest discoveries in macular degeneration research and
- connecting with preeminent macular degeneration scientists and fellow early-stage researchers in the U.S. and around the world.
Contact researchgrants@brightfocus.org with questions.
October 8, 2025 – Atlanta, Georgia
BrightFocus Foundation’s Glaucoma Fast Track workshop helps speed progress toward a cure for glaucoma by investing in promising young scientists in the field of vision research. Graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, or other early-stage scientists focused on glaucoma research, or those who want to enter the field, took advantage of this unique opportunity to accelerate their path towards becoming an expert in this exciting field by:
- immersing themselves in the background knowledge and latest discoveries in glaucoma research,
- connecting with preeminent glaucoma experts and fellow early-stage researchers based in the U.S. and around the world, and
- engaging in scientific debates.
November 12th-14th, 2025 – San Diego, California
Learn from experts in the field of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias at the Alzheimer’s Fast Track workshop. Designed for graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and other early-career scientists focused on Alzheimer’s disease research, this immersive learning experience will accelerate your knowledge, expertise, and visibility in this exciting field.
American Heart Association
Proposal deadline: Wednesday, September 3, 2025
Enhances the training of promising students in pre-doctoral or clinical health professional degree training programs and who intend careers as scientists, physician-scientists or other clinician-scientists, or related careers aimed at improving global health and wellbeing.
Proposal deadline: Thursday, September 4, 2025
Enhances the training of postdoctoral applicants who are not yet independent. The applicant must be embedded in an appropriate investigative group with the mentorship, support, and relevant scientific guidance of a research mentor.
Institutional Award for Undergraduate Student Training
Proposal deadline: Wednesday, September 10, 2025
This award is made to qualified institutions that can offer a meaningful research experience that supports the AHA mission that encourages undergraduate college students from all disciplines to consider research careers.
AHA Institutional Research Enhancement Award (AIREA)
Proposal deadline: Thursday, September 11, 2025
Stimulates research at educational institutions that provide baccalaureate or advanced degrees related to scientific research training. Eligible institutions may not have been major recipients of NIH support. Awards provide funding for small-scale research projects related to cardiovascular diseases and brain health, enhancing the research environment at eligible institutions, and exposing students to research opportunities.
Proposal deadline: Thursday, December 2, 2025
Supports highly promising healthcare and academic professionals in the early years of first professional appointment to assure the applicant’s future success as a research scientist in the field of cardiovascular and/or cerebrovascular disease research.
PCORI – Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute
Date:
- Oct. 21 - 22, 2025, All Day (ET)
Location:
JW Marriott, 1331 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20004, United States
Join us in Washington, D.C., Oct. 21-22 for the 2025 PCORI Annual Meeting, the premier event in patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness research.
This two-day program brings together patients, caregivers and the broader healthcare community to learn about the latest findings from PCORI-funded research and research-related projects, network and share in rich discussions to advance patient-centered research.
We look forward to sharing these two incredible days with you, as we explore ways to advance toward a more patient-centered approach to health care.
Cycle 3 2025 -- Phased Large Awards for Comparative Effectiveness Research Applicant Town Hall
Date:
- Aug. 20, 2025, 11:30 am - 1 pm (ET)
Location: Online
Join PCORI for an information-rich webinar on the Cycle 3 2025 Phased Large Awards for Comparative Effectiveness Research PCORI Funding Announcement, which seeks to fund high-quality patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness research (CER) projects.
Register here.
Cycle 3 2025 -- Advancing the Science of Engagement in Research Applicant Town Hall
Date:
- Aug. 22, 2025, noon - 1 pm (ET)
Location: Online
Join PCORI for an information-rich webinar on the Cycle 3 2025 Advancing the Science of Engagement in Research PCORI Funding Announcement, which seeks to fund studies that build an evidence base on engagement in research, including:
- Measures to capture structure/context, process and outcomes of engagement in research.
- Techniques that lead to effective engagement in research.
- How effective engagement techniques should be modified and resourced for different contexts, settings and communities to ensure equity in engagement and research.
Register here.
