NIH Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) (R25) | PAR 17 339

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 17 339

The NIH Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) (R25) is a National Institutes of Health research education grant designed to strengthen the future biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research workforce by supporting high-quality science education initiatives. Administered through the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), this opportunity fits under the NIH Research Education Program (R25), which is specifically meant to fund educational activities that complement and enhance research training rather than support traditional research projects. The central idea is to build stronger pathways into biomedical science by improving learning experiences, teaching capacity, and sustained engagement with STEM topics that align with NIH mission areas.

This SEPA funding opportunity emphasizes innovative, creative education programs targeting pre-kindergarten through grade 12 (P-12) learners, as well as pre-service and in-service teachers. A major priority is reaching students and communities that have been historically underserved in STEM, with the goal of expanding participation and helping more learners see biomedical science as accessible and relevant. Projects are expected to be practical and impactful, often focusing on hands-on and skills-oriented learning that strengthens both student competency and teacher confidence. In other words, SEPA is about improving how biomedical science is taught and experienced early on, and about building the support structures that help students persist in STEM.

The types of activities encouraged under this announcement include courses for skills development, research experiences, mentoring activities, curriculum or methods development, and outreach. These categories give applicants flexibility to propose programs such as classroom or after-school modules that build lab and data skills, authentic research exposures for students, structured mentoring networks connecting learners with STEM professionals, teacher professional development that improves instructional methods, or community-facing outreach that brings biomedical science into informal learning settings. The notice also points applicants to existing SEPA projects and examples, indicating that proposals should be grounded in effective practices while still bringing something new or improved in design, delivery, reach, or evaluation.

A notable expectation in the announcement is early communication with NIH program staff: applicants are strongly encouraged to consult with the SEPA Scientific/Research Contact to discuss whether a proposed P-12 STEM or informal science education (ISE) concept fits SEPA objectives and NIGMS priorities. That guidance matters because SEPA projects must clearly align with NIH education and workforce goals, and the program typically looks for well-justified approaches, defined audiences, measurable outcomes, and credible plans for implementation and assessment.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based organizations. Eligible applicants listed include state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; tribal organizations (including those other than federally recognized tribal governments); public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education in those specific categories); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other eligible entities. The opportunity also explicitly highlights a range of mission-relevant institutions and community organizations as eligible or encouraged participants, such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), as well as faith-based or community-based organizations and regional organizations. U.S. territories or possessions are included as eligible locations.

At the same time, the announcement makes clear boundaries around foreign involvement. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and foreign institutions are not eligible to apply, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible. In addition, foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are not allowed. Practically, this means the applicant organization and funded activities need to be fully domestic, with no formal foreign component supported by grant funds.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is a discretionary grant with a health-focused funding activity category and is associated with CFDA number 93.859. The funding opportunity number is PAR-17-339, created on September 18, 2017, with an original closing date listed as July 9, 2019. The source data lists an award ceiling of $250,000. While the expected number of awards is not specified in the provided text, applicants typically should not assume a guaranteed volume of awards and should instead focus on aligning tightly with SEPA priorities, demonstrating strong partnerships (often between schools and scientific institutions), and presenting a clear plan for evaluation and dissemination of outcomes.

Overall, SEPA (R25) is best understood as a workforce-development and equity-oriented science education grant: it funds programs that bring biomedical science learning to P-12 students and teachers, particularly in underserved communities, through structured educational experiences such as skills courses, mentoring, research exposure, curriculum innovation, and outreach. The program is geared toward projects that are thoughtfully designed, grounded in educational evidence, and capable of showing measurable improvements in engagement, understanding, skills, and longer-term interest in biomedical research pathways.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NIH Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) (R25)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.859.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-09-18.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2019-07-09. (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 $250,000.00 in funding.
• 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.

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