Community-Partnered Nursing Research Centers (P20 Clinical Trial Optional) | PAR 25 439

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 25 439

The Community-Partnered Nursing Research Centers (P20 Clinical Trial Optional) opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number PAR 25-439) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant designed to help create or strengthen nursing-focused research centers that are built around genuine partnerships with communities. The central aim is to expand nursing-led, community-partnered research programs that tackle persistent and ongoing health challenges, with an emphasis on developing durable capacity rather than only funding a single standalone study. The program encourages Schools or Colleges of Nursing to serve as the hub for these efforts, so that nursing expertise and community priorities are tightly connected in how research questions are chosen, how studies are designed, and how findings are put into practice.

A key theme of this initiative is infrastructure building. Applications are expected to lay out a clear center strategy for improving research capacity by establishing or expanding centralized resources within a School or College of Nursing. In practice, that can include shared cores, methods support, data and analytics capacity, participant engagement infrastructure, training and mentoring systems, administrative support for community partnerships, and other center-level resources that make community-engaged research easier to do, more rigorous, and more sustainable over time. The idea is that a funded center should leave an institution better positioned to conduct high-quality, community-partnered nursing research well beyond the award period.

Another major expectation is the development and strengthening of nurse-led interdisciplinary teams. This means the center should not operate as a set of isolated projects, but as a coordinated program that brings nurses together with other relevant disciplines (for example, public health, behavioral science, medicine, social work, informatics, or community organizations) while keeping nursing leadership central. The grant is also intended to help build expertise specifically in community-partnered research, including the practical skills needed to share power with community stakeholders, co-develop research agendas, navigate ethical and operational challenges in real-world settings, and maintain trust and accountability across the life of a project.

Pilot research is an important component of the center model. Applicants are expected to propose pilot studies that build community-partnered research experience and produce early evidence that can support future, larger grant applications. These pilots should align with the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) mission and apply NINR research lenses, meaning the work should reflect NINR priorities and perspectives for understanding and addressing health challenges. While the opportunity is labeled “Clinical Trial Optional,” it allows but does not require clinical trials, giving centers flexibility to propose the most appropriate study designs for their community priorities and scientific aims.

Community engagement is not treated as an accessory; it is positioned as a core requirement across all center activities. Strong applications should describe how community partners will be meaningfully involved throughout the entire process, such as setting priorities, shaping methods, assisting with recruitment and retention approaches, interpreting results, and planning dissemination that is useful and accessible to the community. The overall intent is to ensure the center’s research agenda and operations are grounded in real community needs and that benefits flow back to participating communities, not just to academic outputs.

Eligibility is broad across U.S.-based organizations and includes state, county, city or township 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, tribal organizations (including those other than federally recognized tribal governments), public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status, for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and small businesses. The announcement also specifically highlights additional eligible applicants such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), faith-based or community-based organizations, Hispanic-serving institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, Indian/Native American tribal governments (other than federally recognized), and U.S. territories or possessions. At the same time, it clearly excludes non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities, non-domestic components of U.S. organizations, and foreign components as defined by NIH policy.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary grant in the Education and Health activity category (CFDA 93.361). The listed award ceiling is $500,000. The opportunity’s original closing date is May 7, 2028, indicating a multi-year window during which applications may be accepted according to NIH submission cycles and the specific instructions in the full funding announcement. Overall, the program is best understood as an NIH-supported pathway for nursing schools and their partners to build lasting, community-centered research capacity, generate pilot data, and position nursing-led teams to compete for larger-scale funding focused on persistent health challenges.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Community-Partnered Nursing Research Centers (P20 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.361.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2025-09-17.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2028-05-07.
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $500,000.00 in funding.
• 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.

Apply for PAR 25 439

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: