Limited Competition The Medical Education Partnership Initiative Linked Awards (MEPI) (R25) | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the MEPI Linked Awards (R25) funding opportunity?

The Medical Education Partnership Initiative (MEPI) Linked Awards (R25) opportunity (RFA-TW-11-004) was a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant program created to expand research capacity and research education in Sub-Saharan Africa through institutions already connected to the MEPI network. It was designed to strengthen medical education systems and build longer-term clinical and research capability in priority health areas, including HIV/AIDS and other pressing health challenges beyond HIV/AIDS.

What was the main goal of this program?

The main goal was to accelerate research education and institutional strengthening within an existing African academic medicine network. In practical terms, it aimed to help eligible institutions create or scale research training, mentorship, and educational structures to increase the number of well-prepared investigators, improve research environments, and support sustainable institutional growth in research and health professions education.

Which NIH mechanism was used for these awards?

The program used the NIH R25 activity mechanism. R25 mechanisms are typically used for research education programs rather than standard research projects, meaning the emphasis was on training and education-focused activities (such as curriculum and program development, mentorship systems, and capacity-building approaches) that enable high-quality research.

Is this a research project grant or a research education grant?

Based on the R25 mechanism described, it was structured as a research education and capacity-building opportunity rather than a standard research project grant. The focus was on education, training, mentorship, and building supportive institutional structures for research.

What types of activities did the FOA emphasize?

The FOA emphasized research training, mentorship, curriculum and program development, research education structures, and related capacity-building efforts. The intent was to strengthen the research training pipeline and improve the overall quality and sustainability of institutional research environments.

What health areas or topics could be addressed under this opportunity?

The program prioritized strengthening capacity in priority health areas relevant to Sub-Saharan Africa, including HIV/AIDS and other pressing health challenges beyond HIV/AIDS. The announcement also reflected interest across multiple biomedical and behavioral health areas through participation by multiple NIH Institutes and Centers.

Which NIH Institutes and Centers supported the announcement?

The opportunity was supported by multiple participating NIH Institutes and Centers, indicating cross-cutting NIH interest in the types of research education and capacity-building efforts that aligned with the MEPI mission and the FOA requirements. The specific list of participating Institutes and Centers is not provided in the summary information here.

Was this a limited competition?

Yes. It was explicitly described as a limited competition, meaning eligibility was intentionally narrow and restricted to a defined set of institutions.

Who was eligible to apply?

Only African higher education institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa that were already participating in the MEPI network were eligible to apply. This included both direct MEPI award recipients and African consortium member institutions listed within the MEPI network.

Could a non-MEPI institution apply if it was located in Sub-Saharan Africa?

No. Participation in the MEPI network was the defining eligibility requirement. Being located in Sub-Saharan Africa alone was not sufficient if the institution was not already a MEPI network participant.

Were non-U.S. (foreign) entities eligible?

Non-U.S. (foreign) entities were eligible only if they met the MEPI-network requirement. Eligibility was tied to being an African higher education institution in Sub-Saharan Africa that was already participating in the MEPI network.

Could U.S. organizations be involved?

The FOA allowed involvement of non-domestic components of U.S. organizations and foreign components as described in NIH policy, but only in ways consistent with the central eligibility rule that the eligible applying institutions (and eligible foreign components) must be African higher education institutions currently in the MEPI network.

Were partnerships or leadership expectations mentioned?

Yes. The information indicates partnership expectations around leadership, including that relevant non-domestic components must be partnered with a program director/principal investigator associated with the MEPI network.

How much total funding did NIH estimate for the program?

NIH estimated total program funding at about $2.75 million.

What was the maximum award amount per award?

The award ceiling was $250,000 per award.

Was cost sharing or matching required?

No. The opportunity stated there was no cost-sharing or matching requirement.

Why does the lack of cost sharing matter for applicants?

Because no mandatory cost sharing or matching was required, eligible institutions did not need to secure additional required funds to participate. This can be especially important for institutions operating in resource-constrained settings.

When was the FOA posted?

The opportunity was posted on December 12, 2011.

What was the application due date?

The application due date was February 10, 2012. The summary indicates this was the original (and current) due date for that specific FOA.

Is this funding opportunity still active?

No. The announcement was later archived on March 12, 2012, and the dates indicate this specific FOA is no longer active.

What were the intended outcomes of the MEPI Linked Awards (R25)?

Intended outcomes included more robust research training pipelines, improved mentorship and research culture, stronger clinical and research skills among faculty and trainees, and medical education systems better able to address national and regional health priorities (including HIV/AIDS and other high-burden conditions relevant to Sub-Saharan Africa).

Did the FOA connect to specific CFDA program areas?

Yes. It was connected with multiple CFDA program areas, including international research and research training (93.989) and other fields such as mental health, drug abuse and addiction, neurosciences/neurological disorders, and communication disorders. This suggested alignment with a range of health priorities, as long as proposals fit the MEPI mission and FOA requirements.

Where could applicants find the official FOA text?

NIH directed applicants to the official FOA text at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-TW-11-004.html

Who was listed as a contact for access or technical linking issues?

The NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster contact information was provided for access and technical linking issues, according to the summary.

What does it mean that this was a discretionary, grant-based opportunity?

It means the funding was provided through an NIH grant mechanism (R25) rather than as a formula-based entitlement. The program was competitive within its limited-competition structure and focused on research education and capacity-building activities.

How did the FOA relate to the broader MEPI network?

The FOA was designed specifically to work through institutions already connected to MEPI. The linked-award structure was intended to deepen and extend research education capacity within that existing network, rather than opening competition broadly to institutions outside MEPI.