Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 19 215
The Team-Based Design in Biomedical Engineering Education (R25 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) opportunity (PAR-19-215) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Research Education Program award administered through the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB). It is designed to strengthen the biomedical engineering (BME) pipeline by funding education-focused activities that modernize and improve how undergraduate students learn biomedical engineering design. The central aim is workforce development: helping produce graduates who can better meet national needs in biomedical research and in the development of healthcare technologies, particularly medical devices and related innovations.
The program specifically emphasizes educational activities that fall under "Courses for Skills Development," with a strong preference for team-based design experiences. Applicants are encouraged to either create new team-based biomedical engineering design courses/programs or substantially enhance existing ones. While the setting is often an undergraduate biomedical engineering department, the announcement also welcomes proposals from other degree-granting programs that include a biomedical engineering track or minor, so long as the training focus remains on undergraduate education and design skill-building.
In terms of what the NIH is looking for, the opportunity supports programs that reflect proven strengths in BME education while also pushing institutions to innovate. Traditional best practices remain valued components of a competitive proposal, including multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary teamwork, exposure to the medical device regulatory pathway, and education on commercialization topics that affect translation from prototype to product. Clinical immersion is also highlighted as an encouraged element, reflecting NIH interest in grounding design projects in real clinical needs and constraints. At the same time, this announcement explicitly challenges applicants to go beyond the standard playbook by proposing novel, creative, or potentially ground-breaking approaches that could shape the next generation of biomedical engineering design education, rather than simply replicating established models.
Eligibility is broad across U.S.-based organizations and includes many government and education entities as well as nonprofit and for-profit organizations (with the exception that the program is not open to non-U.S. applicants). Eligible applicants listed include state, county, and local 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 and certain tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; and nonprofit organizations both with and without 501(c)(3) status. The opportunity also explicitly calls out interest in participation from institutions and organizations that serve groups historically underrepresented in science and engineering, including 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 and U.S. territories or possessions.
There are also clear restrictions related to foreign involvement. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and foreign institutions are not eligible to apply, non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, and foreign components as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement are not allowed. In addition, the funding opportunity is labeled "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," meaning the supported activities must not include clinical trials as defined by NIH, and proposals should be structured as education and training innovations rather than human-subject clinical intervention studies.
Administratively, this is a discretionary grant under the health funding category (CFDA 93.286). The opportunity record indicates it was created on March 8, 2019, with an original closing date listed as May 28, 2021. The excerpted listing does not specify an award ceiling or expected number of awards, so those details would typically need to be confirmed in the full FOA text and any associated NIH notices. Overall, the opportunity is best understood as NIH support for undergraduate, team-centered biomedical engineering design education that blends practical skill development with real-world constraints like regulation, translation, and clinical needs, while actively encouraging new educational models that could raise the standard for BME design training nationally.Apply for PAR 19 215
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Team-Based Design in Biomedical Engineering Education (R25 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): 93.286.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2019-03-08.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-05-28. (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.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Team-Based Design in Biomedical Engineering Education opportunity (PAR-19-215)?
PAR-19-215 is an NIH Research Education Program award (R25) administered by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB). It supports education-focused activities that modernize and improve how undergraduate students learn biomedical engineering (BME) design, with a strong emphasis on team-based design experiences.
What is the primary goal of this program?
The central aim is workforce development. The program is intended to strengthen the biomedical engineering pipeline by helping produce graduates who can better meet national needs in biomedical research and the development of healthcare technologies, particularly medical devices and related innovations.
What types of activities does the program support?
The opportunity specifically emphasizes educational activities described as "Courses for Skills Development." It encourages applicants to create new team-based biomedical engineering design courses/programs or substantially enhance existing ones, focusing on undergraduate design skill-building.
Is the program focused on undergraduate or graduate education?
Based on the provided information, the training focus is on undergraduate education and design skill development. While proposals may come from various degree-granting programs, the emphasis remains on undergraduate BME design training.
Do applicants need to create a brand-new course, or can they improve an existing program?
Either approach is encouraged. Applicants may propose new team-based BME design courses/programs or propose substantial enhancements to existing courses/programs, as long as the core focus is undergraduate design skills development.
What does NIH mean by "team-based design experiences" in this context?
The announcement expresses a strong preference for learning experiences built around teams, often multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary, reflecting how biomedical engineering design is commonly performed in real-world settings.
What educational elements are viewed as strong components of a competitive program?
Traditional best practices noted as valued components include multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary teamwork, exposure to the medical device regulatory pathway, and education on commercialization topics that affect translation from prototype to product.
Is clinical immersion allowed or encouraged?
Clinical immersion is highlighted as an encouraged element. The intent is to ground design projects in real clinical needs and constraints. (This should still be structured as an educational experience and must remain consistent with the "Clinical Trial Not Allowed" designation.)
Does the program require innovative approaches, or is using existing best practices sufficient?
The program values proven strengths and best practices in BME education, but it also explicitly challenges applicants to go beyond standard models. Proposals are encouraged to include novel, creative, or potentially ground-breaking approaches that could shape next-generation BME design education, rather than simply replicating established models.
What kinds of institutions can apply?
Eligibility is broad across U.S.-based organizations. The provided list includes state, county, and local 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 and certain tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; and nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status. For-profit organizations are also included among eligible U.S.-based applicants.
Can an institution that is not a traditional biomedical engineering department apply?
Yes. The announcement welcomes proposals from other degree-granting programs that include a biomedical engineering track or minor, as long as the focus remains on undergraduate education and BME design skill-building.
Are non-U.S. applicants eligible to apply?
No. The opportunity is not open to non-U.S. applicants. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and foreign institutions are not eligible to apply.
Can a U.S. organization include a non-U.S. (foreign) component in the proposed program?
No. The information provided states that non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible and foreign components (as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement) are not allowed.
Are clinical trials allowed under this funding opportunity?
No. The opportunity is labeled "Clinical Trial Not Allowed." Supported activities must not include clinical trials as defined by NIH, and proposals should be structured as education and training innovations rather than human-subject clinical intervention studies.
Which NIH Institute administers this award?
The program is administered through the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) within NIH.
What is the award mechanism and program type?
It is an NIH Research Education Program award under the R25 mechanism.
What is the funding category and CFDA number listed for this opportunity?
The opportunity is described as a discretionary grant under the health funding category, with CFDA 93.286.
Does the announcement prioritize participation from certain institution types?
Yes. The opportunity explicitly calls out interest in participation from institutions and organizations that serve groups historically underrepresented in science and engineering. Examples listed include HBCUs, Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and AANAPISIs, as well as faith-based or community-based organizations and U.S. territories or possessions.
What is the official opportunity identifier and title?
The identifier is PAR-19-215, and the title is Team-Based Design in Biomedical Engineering Education (R25 Clinical Trial Not Allowed).
When was the opportunity record created, and what closing date is listed?
The opportunity record indicates it was created on March 8, 2019, with an original closing date listed as May 28, 2021.
Does the provided listing include an award ceiling or expected number of awards?
No. The excerpted listing does not specify an award ceiling or expected number of awards. Those details would typically be confirmed in the full Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) text and any associated NIH notices.
In practical terms, what kind of program is NIH trying to support through this FOA?
Based on the information provided, NIH is supporting undergraduate, team-centered biomedical engineering design education that builds practical skills and incorporates real-world constraints such as regulation, translation/commercialization, and clinical needs, while encouraging new educational models that could raise the national standard for BME design training.
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