National Institutes of Health · General
NIH Academic Research Enhancement Award for Undergraduate-Focused Institutions (R15 AREA / REAP)
Funds small-scale research projects at institutions that have not received substantial NIH research funding. Two subprograms: Research Enhancement Award Program (REAP) for institutions awarding only baccalaureate or master's degrees and the AREA mechanism for health-professional schools.
Program facts
- Typical award
- $100K – $300K
- Non-federal match
- Varies by NOFO
- Audience
- Local governments and eligible subrecipients
- Application window
- Standard NIH receipt dates February / June / October.
- Typical prep time
- 8–14 weeks
- Statutory authority
- Public Health Service Act §301 (42 U.S.C. §241)
Catalog entry last verified 2026-05-27 · Verify on the agency page →
Eligibility at a glance
- Institutions of higher education are eligible applicants.
- Federal R&D expenditures no more than $6,000,000/year (HERD).
Institution must have received ≤$6M/year in NIH support averaged over the prior seven fiscal years (per NIH eligibility rule). Amounts and timing approximate; verify directly with administering agency.
How Strategic Pursuit scores this program
When you run a city dossier, Strategic Pursuit cross-checks the city's demographics, federal award history, disaster history, and CEJST burden categories against this program's eligibility and strategic-fit signals. You see an explicit eligibility / strategic / competitive grade — backed by source citations — instead of a generic "match" badge.
Planning purposes only. Award ranges, match percentages, and application windows on this page summarize the latest publicly available agency guidance and are approximate. Always verify the binding NOFO on the administering agency's page before applying.