National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) Bridges to the Baccalaureate Research Training Program (T34) | PAR 22 125

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 22 125

The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) Bridges to the Baccalaureate Research Training Program (T34) is a discretionary NIH grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number PAR-22-125; CFDA 93.859) designed to help institutions build structured training programs that support a diverse group of community college or other associate-level students as they transfer into four-year institutions and finish a bachelors degree in biomedical research-related fields. The central purpose is to create an organized pathway that strengthens students preparation for research careers by combining academic support with authentic research exposure, strong mentoring, and clear career development guidance. The program is built around the idea that students transitioning from associate degree programs often face academic, cultural, and logistical barriers, and that intentional, well-mentored research training and transfer support can improve persistence, completion, and long-term participation in the biomedical research workforce.

A key feature of this FOA is that it requires genuine institutional partnerships, not single-campus programs. Applicants must form a partnership between at least two post-secondary institutions that offer STEM degrees, where at least one partner is an institution whose highest STEM degree is an associate degree, and at least one other partner offers baccalaureate degrees in biomedically relevant STEM fields. In practice, this is meant to formalize a transfer pipeline: students begin in an associate-degree environment, receive targeted preparation and early research training, and then transition into a four-year program with continued support that helps them complete the bachelors degree and remain on a research-oriented trajectory. NIGMS expects these partnerships to be active and coordinated, with shared planning, aligned curricula where appropriate, and well-defined mentoring and training roles across institutions.

NIGMS emphasizes that funded programs should be evidence-informed and responsive to a rapidly changing research enterprise. That means proposals are expected to go beyond basic internships and instead offer an integrated training model that includes didactic elements (such as foundational biomedical content, research ethics, data literacy, quantitative skills, and scientific communication), hands-on research experiences (lab-based, computational, or other relevant biomedical research settings), sustained mentoring (including mentor training and oversight structures), and career development activities (such as exposure to biomedical careers, graduate school preparation, networking, and professional skill-building). The intended outcome is that trainees complete the program better prepared to either pursue a research-oriented biomedical higher degree (for example, a PhD or other advanced research training) or enter the biomedical research workforce in roles that benefit from strong research skills and experience.

The FOA includes specific boundaries around clinical trials participation. Trainees appointed to the program are not permitted to lead an independent clinical trial, but they are allowed to gain experience on a clinical trial that is led by an assigned mentor or co-mentor. This keeps the training focused on mentored research development while still allowing exposure to clinical research environments when appropriate.

Eligibility is limited to domestic (U.S.-based) applicant organizations. Foreign institutions are not eligible to apply, and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible. The eligible applicant types listed include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, federally recognized Native American tribal governments, Native American tribal organizations that are not federally recognized tribal governments, and nonprofit organizations (both those with and without 501(c)(3) status) that are not institutions of higher education, among others. The FOA also explicitly notes participation from a wide range of institution types and community-serving organizations, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions, reinforcing the program emphasis on broadening participation and building effective transfer-and-training pipelines for students from varied backgrounds.

Administratively, this opportunity is offered by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) through NIGMS, uses the grant funding instrument, and falls under the health funding activity category. The original closing date listed for the opportunity is September 25, 2024. The public summary provided does not specify an award ceiling or expected number of awards, so applicants typically need to consult the full FOA text and NIH guidance for budget structure, allowable costs, and program scale expectations.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) Bridges to the Baccalaureate Research Training Program (T34)" 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 2022-04-05.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-09-25. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), 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, Others.

Apply for PAR 22 125

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