NIH Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA)

Funding Opportunity Number: PAR-23-137

The NIH Research Education Program (R25) supports research educational activities that complement other formal training programs in the mission areas of the NIH Institutes and Centers.

The overarching goal of this R25 program is to support educational activities that encourage individuals from diverse backgrounds, including those from groups underrepresented in the biomedical and behavioral sciences, to pursue further studies or careers in research.

The NIH Research Education Program (R25) supports research education activities that complement other formal training programs in the mission areas of the NIH. The overarching goal of the NIGMS Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) R25 program is to support educational activities that encourage pre-college students (pre-kindergarten to grade 12) from diverse backgrounds, including those from groups underrepresented in the biomedical and behavioral sciences, to pursue further studies in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

SEPA supports two types of projects: (1) classroom-based projects for pre-kindergarten to grade 12 (pre-college) students and teachers and (2) informal science education (ISE) projects conducted in outside-the-classroom venues such as science centers, museums and libraries. Projects that support quantitative and computational skills development are strongly encouraged.

A SEPA project may focus on one or more of the following activities centered on any discipline of health research within NIH’s mission:

  • Courses for Skills Development: Courses in a specific discipline or research area that extend the STEM content normally taught in schools.
  • Research Experiences: Hands-on exposure to research for pre-college students and teachers.
  • Mentoring Activities: Provide participants with a perspective on the biomedical research training pathways and tools for overcoming challenges, navigating career transition points, and successfully transitioning into careers in the biomedical research workforce.
  • Curriculum or Methods Development: STEM education resources to improve biomedical, behavioral or clinical science education, or develop novel instructional approaches or computer-based educational tools.
  • Outreach: Dissemination of STEM education resources or biomedical, behavioral and clinical research findings to students, teachers and the general public.

Examples of SEPA projects can be found at https://nigms.nih.gov/capacity-building/division-for-research-capacity-building/science-education-partnership-awards-(sepa).

For additional information, please see the opportunity webpage.