Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA RM 13 016
Apply for RFA RM 13 016
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NIH Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity (BUILD) Initiative (U54)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.310 Trans NIH Research Support.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jan 10, 2014 and posted on Dec 19, 2013.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 2, 2014. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $30,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $3,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Private institutions of higher education Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- Other Eligible Applicants include the following Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs) Hispanic serving Institutions Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) Non domestic (non U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are not eligible to apply. Non domestic (non U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply. Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed.
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Opportunity Summary:
The NIH Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity (BUILD) Initiative (U54) is a competitive federal grant opportunity designed to help colleges and universities strengthen and modernize how they train undergraduate students for research careers, with a specific focus on improving diversity in the biomedical, behavioral, clinical, and social sciences research workforce. BUILD is part of a broader set of NIH Common Fund efforts aimed at expanding participation in research fields by addressing points in the pipeline where students are most likely to leave research pathways. A key idea behind BUILD is that undergraduate years are a major "leakage point" for the future research workforce, so the program focuses on transforming the undergraduate research experience through stronger mentorship, more intentional training structures, and institutional changes that make research opportunities more accessible and effective.
This opportunity uses the cooperative agreement mechanism (U54), which generally means NIH expects to have substantial involvement in the funded project beyond simply providing funds. In practical terms, awardees should be prepared for an active partnership model with NIH, often involving shared expectations around program implementation, evaluation, and coordination with other initiatives under the same diversity-focused umbrella. The program supports the design and rollout of innovative mentored research training programs for undergraduates, encouraging institutions to test and implement new strategies that improve student engagement, persistence, and preparation for advanced research training. Alongside student-focused activities, BUILD also invests in strengthening the environment around students, including faculty development and broader institutional capacity building so that high-quality undergraduate research training can be sustained and scaled.
Funding for this announcement (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-RM-13-016) was substantial for its cycle, with an estimated total program funding level of $30,000,000 and an anticipated 10 awards. Individual awards were capped with an award ceiling of $3,000,000. The opportunity did not require cost sharing or matching, lowering a common barrier for institutions that may have limited discretionary resources. The funding activity category is Health, and the associated CFDA number is 93.310 (Trans-NIH Research Support), reflecting NIH-wide interest in the goals of the program rather than a single institute or center focus.
Eligibility was centered on U.S.-based higher education institutions, including private institutions and public/state-controlled institutions, with explicit inclusion of several categories of institutions that have strong track records serving students historically underrepresented in research. These include Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs). Foreign institutions and non-U.S. organizational components were not eligible to apply, although foreign components, as defined by NIH policy, were allowed, which can matter for projects that may involve certain international collaborations or research experiences structured under NIH definitions.
Key dates for this posted opportunity indicate it was originally posted on December 19, 2013, with a posted timeline that included an original closing date of March 18, 2014, later extended to a current closing date of April 2, 2014, and an archive date of May 2, 2014. The official announcement and full requirements were made available through the NIH Grants Guide via the provided link. For technical access issues, NIH directed applicants to contact the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster, reflecting the standard NIH support channel for announcement access and link troubleshooting.
Overall, the BUILD Initiative is best understood as an institution-level effort to redesign and strengthen undergraduate research training ecosystems. Rather than funding isolated student internships alone, BUILD emphasizes a comprehensive approach: improving mentorship quality, expanding meaningful research participation for undergraduates, developing faculty capability to mentor effectively, and building institutional structures that support student success and progression into research careers. The intended long-term payoff is a more diverse, better-prepared pipeline of future researchers by making undergraduate research training more intentional, supportive, and scalable across participating institutions.
NIH BUILD Initiative (U54) Grant FAQs
What is the NIH Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity (BUILD) Initiative (U54)?
The NIH Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity (BUILD) Initiative is a competitive federal grant opportunity that helps colleges and universities strengthen and modernize undergraduate research training. Its central aim is to improve diversity in the biomedical, behavioral, clinical, and social sciences research workforce by transforming how undergraduates are trained and supported for research careers.
What is the main goal of the BUILD Initiative?
BUILD is designed to expand participation in research fields by addressing points in the education and training pipeline where students are most likely to leave research pathways. The program focuses on the undergraduate years as a major "leakage point" and supports institution-level changes that make research training more accessible, effective, and sustainable.
What research areas does BUILD emphasize?
BUILD focuses on improving diversity and training pathways in the biomedical, behavioral, clinical, and social sciences research workforce.
What makes BUILD different from funding a single undergraduate internship program?
BUILD is an institution-level effort that emphasizes comprehensive transformation rather than isolated experiences. It supports redesigning undergraduate research training ecosystems by improving mentorship, expanding meaningful research participation, strengthening faculty development, and building institutional capacity so high-quality training can be sustained and scaled.
What does the U54 cooperative agreement mechanism mean for applicants and awardees?
This opportunity uses the U54 cooperative agreement mechanism, which typically involves substantial NIH involvement beyond providing funds. Awardees should expect an active partnership model with NIH, including shared expectations around program implementation, evaluation, and coordination with related diversity-focused initiatives.
What types of activities does BUILD funding support?
BUILD supports the design and rollout of innovative mentored research training programs for undergraduates. It also supports strengthening the environment around students, including faculty development and broader institutional capacity-building activities intended to make undergraduate research training higher quality, more effective, and more sustainable.
Does BUILD focus only on students?
No. While student training and mentored research experiences are central, BUILD also invests in faculty development and institutional improvements so that students have stronger mentorship, better training structures, and more accessible research opportunities.
Why does the program emphasize the undergraduate years?
The program is built around the idea that undergraduate education is a major point where students are most likely to leave research pathways. BUILD aims to reduce that "leakage" by making undergraduate research experiences more intentional, supportive, and effective.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this BUILD announcement?
The Funding Opportunity Number is RFA-RM-13-016.
How much total funding was available for this cycle of the BUILD opportunity?
The estimated total program funding level for this cycle was $30,000,000.
How many awards were anticipated?
The announcement anticipated approximately 10 awards.
What was the maximum award size (award ceiling)?
Individual awards were capped at an award ceiling of $3,000,000.
Was cost sharing or matching required?
No. The opportunity did not require cost sharing or matching.
What is the funding activity category?
The funding activity category listed for this opportunity is Health.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA number is 93.310 (Trans-NIH Research Support).
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was centered on U.S.-based higher education institutions, including private institutions and public/state-controlled institutions. The opportunity also explicitly included several categories of institutions with strong track records serving students historically underrepresented in research.
Which institution types were explicitly included as eligible?
The announcement explicitly included Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs).
Are foreign institutions eligible to apply?
No. Foreign institutions and non-U.S. organizational components were not eligible to apply under this opportunity.
Are foreign components allowed in a BUILD project?
Yes. While foreign institutions could not apply as the applicant organization, foreign components (as defined by NIH policy) were allowed, which may be relevant for certain international collaborations or research experiences structured under NIH definitions.
When was this opportunity posted?
The opportunity was originally posted on December 19, 2013.
What were the closing dates for applications?
The posted timeline listed an original closing date of March 18, 2014, which was later extended to a current closing date of April 2, 2014.
When was the opportunity archived?
The archive date was May 2, 2014.
Where could applicants find the official announcement and full requirements?
The official announcement and full requirements were made available through the NIH Grants Guide via the link provided in the posting.
Who should be contacted for technical access issues with the announcement link?
For technical access issues, NIH directed applicants to contact the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster.
What is the long-term intended outcome of the BUILD Initiative?
The intended long-term payoff is a more diverse and better-prepared pipeline of future researchers. BUILD aims to accomplish this by making undergraduate research training more intentional, supportive, and scalable across participating institutions.
Is BUILD a single-institute NIH program?
The CFDA listing (93.310, Trans-NIH Research Support) reflects NIH-wide interest in the program goals rather than a single institute or center focus.
What kind of institutional change does BUILD aim to support?
BUILD emphasizes redesigning and strengthening undergraduate research training ecosystems, including stronger mentorship, more intentional training structures, expanded research access for undergraduates, faculty development, and institutional capacity building to sustain and scale improvements.
Browse more opportunities from the same agency: National Institutes of Health
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Next opportunity: NIH National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN) (U54)
Previous opportunity: NIH Coordination and Evaluation Center for Enhancing the Diversity of the NIH Funded Workforce Program (U54)
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