Native American Research Centers for Health (NARCH) Planning Grants (R34 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 25 441

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 25 441

The Native American Research Centers for Health (NARCH) Planning Grants program is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) discretionary grant opportunity designed to help eligible American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) Tribal entities do the upfront planning and groundwork needed to develop strong, competitive full NARCH applications later on. It uses the R34 planning grant mechanism and is labeled "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," meaning the grant is intended for planning and preparatory activities rather than conducting clinical trials. The overall goal is to strengthen the readiness of Tribal communities and Tribal-serving organizations to build well-designed, community-informed research center proposals that can support health research capacity and address health priorities relevant to AI/AN communities.

The opportunity is specifically aimed at federally recognized AI/AN Tribes, Tribal colleges and universities, Tribal health programs, and other Tribal organizations, collectively referred to as eligible AI/AN Tribal entities. In the eligibility language, NIH makes clear that non-U.S. (foreign) organizations cannot apply directly, and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible to apply. At the same time, foreign components are allowed as NIH defines them in its Grants Policy Statement, which generally means a U.S.-based applicant may include certain project elements or collaborations that involve a foreign component, as long as the applicant organization itself remains eligible and the arrangement fits NIH policy.

As a planning grant, the NARCH R34 is meant to support concrete preparatory work that positions an applicant to submit a future NARCH proposal that is more competitive and better aligned with community priorities. In practice, this typically includes activities such as partnership development among Tribal entities and research collaborators, community engagement and governance planning, needs and assets assessments, refinement of research aims, development of administrative and research cores or center structures, creation of data management and evaluation approaches, and establishing culturally grounded processes for oversight, ethical review, and data stewardship. The emphasis is on putting the right relationships, infrastructure concepts, and project plans in place before moving into a larger, more implementation-focused center application.

The funding opportunity is listed under NIH with Funding Opportunity Number PAR-25-441 and CFDA 93.859, and it remains open until the original closing date of 2028-07-07. The posting indicates it was created on 2025-08-26. While the summary information provided does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards, it does clarify the purpose and applicant eligibility boundaries. Overall, this opportunity is best understood as a structured on-ramp for eligible AI/AN Tribal entities that want to build a future NARCH center proposal on a solid foundation of planning, community direction, and well-developed project design, without supporting clinical trial activities during this planning phase.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Native American Research Centers for Health (NARCH) Planning Grants (R34 - 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): 93.859.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2025-08-26.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2028-07-07.
• Eligible applicants include: Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments).

Apply for PAR 25 441

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