NIH GATEWAY TO RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE WORKFORCE (GROW) PROGRAM

THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) or REQUEST FOR QUOTATIONS (RFQ). THIS IS A PRE-SOLICITATION ANNOUNCEMENT ONLY. A REQUEST FOR QUOTATIONS (RFQ) NO. 75N98026Q00122, ENTITLED: " The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Gateway to Research Opportunities for the Workforce (GROW) Program" WILL BE ISSUED VIA CONTRACT OPPORTUNITIES ON WWW.SAM.GOV ON OR ABOUT June 17, 2026. The anticipated close date of the solicitation is on or about June 26, 2026.

The purpose of the procurement is for a two-year training program designed to prepare students to become competitive applicants for research training programs at research-intensive institutions, such as the NIH Intramural research training programs, and similar programs at other R1 institutions. The NIH GROW Program is a research capacity-building initiative designed to enhance the research capacity at contracted institutions, increase student access to research opportunities, and support for STEM education in service of national competitiveness.

The NIH GROW Program has two distinct tracks based on career level, which interested offerors may only quote one track: 1) for high school students and 2) for undergraduate students.

1. NIH GROW Program: High School Track: The purpose of the high school track is to prepare and train high school students from American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities to be competitive applicants for future summer research training programs, with the broader goal of increasing the number of AI/AN professionals in the biomedical workforce who can contribute to the health and well-being of AI/AN communities. NIH seeks colleges, universities, and medical schools uniquely situated near AI/AN communities that are suited to administer the NIH GROW Program and provide a scholarly scientific and research curriculum to a cohort of high school students from AI/AN communities.
   • The NIH GROW program expects offerors to design a program for rising junior and senior high school students who intend to pursue a career in STEM-M (science, technology, engineering, math, and medicine).
   • For the high school track, eligible institutions must be situated near AI/AN communities and have an established relationship with members of the AI/AN community.
   • Offerors are required to develop a program that includes a seven- to eight-week summer program, along with at least one enrichment activity in both the fall and spring. Both the summer program and enrichment activities should promote strong mentor/mentee relationships within the institution as well as provide opportunities for students to network with scientists in the local community. A comprehensive curriculum should introduce students to both clinical and basic research, key areas of biology such as neuroscience and mental health, professional development and career opportunities in biomedical research and STEM-M fields, as well as a Traditional Knowledge component that must be presented by a Native American community member or researcher.
2. NIH GROW Program: Undergraduate Track: The purpose of the undergraduate track is to prepare college students from resource limited institutions (RLIs) to become competitive applicants for summer research programs at research-intensive institutions. NIH seeks RLIs that are suited to administer the NIH GROW Program and provide a scholarly scientific and research curriculum to a cohort of undergraduate students.
   • The NIH GROW program expects offerors to design a program for rising freshman and sophomore undergraduate students (preferred career stage) who have little or no prior research experience and intend to pursue a career in STEM-M. However, rising junior and senior undergraduates may also participate as long as an appropriate curriculum is offered for this audience.
   • For the undergraduate track, eligible institutions must (1) award undergraduate degrees (B.S. and B.A.) in biomedical sciences, (2) have received less than $6 million per year in NIH R01 support (total funding) in each of the preceding three fiscal years, and (3) enroll at least 25% of undergraduate students supported by Pell grants based on the most recent two years of data available from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) database maintained by the National Center for Education Statistics. R01 support data will be confirmed using the NIH RePORTER. Factors that cannot be used to make eligibility decisions for program participants include race, ethnicity, or sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, or transgender status).
   • Offerors are required to develop a program that includes a seven- to eight-week summer program, along with at least one enrichment activity in both the fall and spring. The summer program and enrichment activities should promote strong mentor/mentee relationships within the institution as well as provide opportunities for students to network with scientists in the local community. A comprehensive curriculum should introduce students to both clinical and basic research, key areas of biology such as neuroscience, mental health, and community health across various diseases, as well as professional development and career opportunities in biomedical research and STEM-M fields.

The estimated period of performance shall include one 12-month base period and one 12-month option period. It is anticipated that this requirement is not expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold.

The NIH Office of Acquisition on behalf of NINDS anticipates awarding one, multiple or no fixed-price purchase orders from the solicitation with a base period and one option period.  There is no obligation for the NINDS to exercise any Option Period; NINDS may end the performance after the Base Period expires. It is also anticipated that the award(s) will be made in June/July of 2026.

Offerors are required to be registered with a Unique Entity ID (UEI) and active in the System for Award Management (SAM) for all awards when submitting an offer or quotation and shall continue to be registered until time of award, during performance, and through final payment of any contract, basic agreement, basic ordering agreement, or blanket purchasing agreement resulting from a solicitation.

Processing time should be taken into consideration when registering. Offerors who are not registered in SAM should consider applying for registration immediately upon receipt of this pre-solicitation notice. See FAR 52.204-7 System for Award Management (DEVIATION DATE) and https://www.sam.gov for information on registration.

This is NOT a Request for Proposals (RFP) or Request for Quotations (RFQ). A Request for Quotations (RFQ) will be available electronically and may be accessed through the Contract Opportunities on www.sam.gov 15 or more calendar days after the issuance of this pre-solicitation notice. THE SOLICITATION WILL BE AVAILABLE ELECTRONICALLY ONLY. OFFERORS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ROUTINELY CHECKING THE WEBSITE FOR ANY POSSIBLE SOLICITATION AND/OR AMENDMENTS THAT MAY BE ISSUED. NO INDIVIDUAL NOTIFICATION OF ANY AMENDMENTS WILL BE PROVIDED. All responsible sources may submit an offer, which shall be considered by the agency.