T32 Training Program for Institutions That Promote Diversity (T32 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | RFA HL 22 001

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA HL 22 001

The T32 Training Program for Institutions That Promote Diversity (RFA HL 22 001) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) that supports institutional research training programs under the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) mechanism. Its central goal is to broaden and strengthen the pipeline of researchers from nationally underrepresented backgrounds who are pursuing careers in cardiovascular, pulmonary, hematologic, and sleep disorders research. The program is designed to improve participation across the career development continuum by funding structured training environments that prepare trainees for long-term research careers and, ultimately, for independent positions in biomedical research.

A defining feature of this opportunity is its focus on institutions whose mission and setting make them especially well-positioned to promote diversity and address health disparities. The FOA targets institutions that serve health disparity populations that have historically been underrepresented in scientific research, including those explicitly recognized by federal legislation as having this type of mission. The rationale is that these institutions often have strong ties to communities experiencing disproportionate burdens of heart, lung, blood, and sleep-related conditions, and they can effectively connect research training with real-world needs. Because they frequently provide direct health services to these populations, they are also well situated to support research that advances translation and implementation of discoveries into practice, with the intent of improving health outcomes.

The training scope includes support for multiple trainee groups, specifically predoctoral trainees, health professional students, and postdoctoral individuals. Rather than funding a single project, the T32 mechanism supports an organized institutional training program, typically built around a curriculum, mentored research experiences, and professional development activities that help trainees gain research skills, scientific independence, and career readiness in NHLBI-relevant fields. While the FOA emphasizes diversity and disparity-focused institutional contexts, the scientific areas remain anchored in NHLBI domains: cardiovascular disease, pulmonary disease, hematology (blood disorders), and sleep disorders, including the broad range of basic, translational, clinical, and population research relevant to these areas.

Clinical trial rules are an important constraint in this FOA. Appointed trainees are not allowed to lead an independent clinical trial under this award, meaning they cannot serve as the primary driver or responsible party for a trial as an independent investigator. However, trainees are allowed to gain meaningful clinical trial experience when the trial is led by a mentor or co-mentor. In practical terms, this makes the program suitable for training pathways that include exposure to clinical research and trials methodology, as long as responsibility for trial leadership remains with an established investigator supervising the trainee.

Eligibility spans a wide range of applicant organization types, reflecting the FOA’s goal of building training capacity in settings that promote diversity. Eligible applicants include public and private institutions of higher education, state and local governments, federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations, independent school districts, special district governments, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status), and for-profit organizations (excluding small businesses in some cases, though small businesses are listed among eligible categories). The FOA also calls out mission-focused institution types and community-connected entities as eligible, 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 Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), as well as faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, and U.S. territories or possessions. At the same time, it clearly excludes non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and foreign institutions from applying, and it also bars non-domestic components of U.S. organizations, reinforcing that the supported training infrastructure must be based in the United States.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary grant opportunity (Funding Instrument Type: Grant) within NIH’s health-related funding categories, associated with CFDA numbers 93.233, 93.837, 93.838, 93.839, and 93.840. The original closing date listed is February 28, 2024, and the opportunity was created May 11, 2021. While the listing does not provide an award ceiling or the expected number of awards in the provided details, the overall intent is clear: to fund institutional training programs that can demonstrate strong mentorship, a supportive research environment, and a credible plan to recruit, train, and advance trainees from underrepresented backgrounds in NHLBI priority research areas, all while leveraging the unique community and clinical connections of diversity-promoting institutions.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "T32 Training Program for Institutions That Promote Diversity (T32 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.233, 93.837, 93.838, 93.839, 93.840.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2021-05-11.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-02-28. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• 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.

Apply for RFA HL 22 001

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