National Institute of
Division for Research Capacity Building (DRCB)
DRCB supports research, infrastructure improvements, and research workforce development in states and institutions across the U.S. that do not receive high levels of NIH funding. The research supported by the division spans all areas of biomedical research, from basic science to translational research to clinical studies. The division administers the Congressionally-mandated Institutional Development Award (IDeA) program, the Support for Research Excellence (SuRE) program, the Science Education Partnership Awards (SEPA) program, and health research programs for federally-recognized tribes including the Native American Research Centers for Health (NARCH) program.
Institutional Development Award (IDeA)
IDeA is a congressionally mandated program that builds research capacity in states with low levels of NIH funding. It supports competitive basic, clinical, and translational research, research workforce development, and infrastructure improvements. The program aims to strengthen institutions' ability to support biomedical research, enhance the competitiveness of investigators in securing research funding, and catalyze clinical and translational research that addresses the needs of IDeA state populations.
Health Research Programs for Federally-recognized Tribes or Tribal Entities
Health Research Programs for Federally-recognized Tribes or Tribal Entities aims to support federally-recognized American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) Tribes, Tribal colleges or universities, Tribal health programs, or Tribal organizations (collectively, eligible federally-recognized Tribes and Tribal Entities) for health research, research career enhancement, and research infrastructure enhancement activities.
Support for Research Excellence (SuRE)
The SuRE program supports research capacity building at eligible higher education institutions through funding investigator-initiated research in the biomedical, clinical, behavioral, and social sciences that falls in the mission areas of the NIH.
Science Education Partnership Awards (SEPA)
SEPA supports educational activities, including interactive digital media resources, which complement or enhance workforce training to meet the nation’s biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research needs.
For DRCB staff contact information and their biographical sketches, please see the Contacts by Research Area page.