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Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC) (T34)

National Institutes of Health

The goal of the Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC) program is to promote broad participation in the biomedical research workforce by strengthening research training environments and expanding the pool of well-trained students who:

Complete their baccalaureate degree, and
Transition into and complete biomedical, research-focused higher degree programs (such as Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D.).

Specifically, this funding announcement provides support to eligible, domestic organizations to develop and implement effective, evidence-informed approaches to biomedical undergraduate training and mentoring to support the development of a biomedical research workforce that will benefit from the full range of perspectives, experiences and backgrounds needed to advance discovery. NIGMS expects organizations to engage in outreach and recruitment activities to encourage individuals from underrepresented groups to participate in the program. The proposed research training programs will incorporate didactic, research, and career development elements to prepare trainees for careers that will have a significant impact on the health-related research needs of the nation.

This program is limited to applications from baccalaureate degree-granting research-intensive organizations (that is, those with NIH Research Project Grant (RPG) funding averaging greater than or equal to $7.5 million in total costs (direct and F&A/indirect) per year over the last three fiscal years (FY)).

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) does not allow appointed Trainees to lead an independent clinical trial, but does allow them to obtain research experience in a clinical trial led by a mentor or co-mentor.

NIGMS will accept only one application per eligible organization. Interested applicants from within Duke should contact fundopps@duke.edu as early as possible. A nominee has been selected for the May 2025 due date.

Deadlines:

Application Due Date(s): May 29, 2024; May 28, 2025; May 27, 2026

PAR-24-138 Expiration Date May 28, 2026

If the internal deadline has passed and you're interested in applying for this opportunity, please email fundopps@duke.edu .

Specialties

Curriculum Development

Medical - Basic Science

Medical - Translational

Medical

Medical - Clinical Science

Eligibility Requirements

To promote broad participation among research organizations with cross-disciplinary training programs, NIGMS recognizes separate organizational eligibility tracks:

Research-intensive, that is, those with an average of NIH research project grant (RPG) funding greater than or equal to $7.5 million total costs per year over the past 3 fiscal years, and
Research-active, that is, those with an average of RPG funding less than $7.5 million total costs per year over the past 3 fiscal years (RPG data are available through NIH RePORTER ).

For example, applications submitted in FY2024 will use data from FY 2021, FY 2022 and FY 2023.

Organizational eligibility for this NOFO is limited to research-intensive , baccalaureate-degree granting organizations as defined above. Research-active organizations are not eligible to apply for or receive MARC grants but may be eligible to apply for U-RISE grants (see Part 1, Companion Funding Opportunity).

The application must be submitted by the eligible organization with a unique entity identifier (UEI) and a unique NIH eRA Institutional Profile File (IPF) number. For organizations with multiple campuses (e.g., main, satellite, etc.), eligibility can be considered for an individual campus only if a UEI and a unique NIH eRA IPF number are established for the individual campus . For organizations that use one UEI or NIH IPF number for multiple campuses, eligibility is determined for the campuses together.

Organizations funded through this NOFO are eligible for other NIGMS Training programs provided the other eligibility criteria are met. To avoid any potential for overlap, applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the program officers of each program before applying.

The sponsoring organization must assure eligibility and support for the proposed program. Appropriate information about eligibility and organizational commitment to the program should be detailed according to the Letters of Support attachment instructions in Section IV.

As described in the instructions for the Training Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s) (PD(s)/PI(s)) in Section IV.2 below, NIGMS encourages multiple PDs/PIs, particularly when each brings a unique perspective and skill set that will enhance training. Note the following:

To provide research training leadership for the program, at least one of the Training PDs/PIs should have a record of using rigorous and transparent methods in experimental design, data collection, analysis, and reporting in a biomedical research field applicable to the program.
Additional PDs/PIs may be included to strengthen the expertise of the PD/PI team. Examples include individuals such as program directors who regularly interact with students, or individuals with expertise in education, relevant social sciences, program evaluation, mentoring, efforts to promote broad participation in the biomedical sciences, or university administration.