PATHWAY PROGRAM GRANTS

This grant program includes three types of funding opportunities.

Funding Opportunities:

• Four SEED Grants (up to $20K)
• Four Resource grants (up to $5K)

Seed Grants 

One-time awards up to $20,000 for programs wanting to develop the foundation for an innovative intervention strategy (or strategies). Community programs, established education entities and any collaborations are encouraged to apply. Applicants will be asked to submit their proposal describing/explaining:

• The planned intervention based on literature or preliminary data or an explanation of its innovation.
• The significance/potential impact of the intervention.
• The plan for subsequent implementation of the intervention.
• The plan for assessment strategies of the intervention. 

Material and Resources Grants

One-time awards up to $5,000 for existing or new program. Applicants will be asked to describe the need for the requested resource, and how it will sustain and advance the program as well as a limited assessment strategy. Applicants will be asked to submit their proposal describing/explaining:

• How the grant will improve the existing programs with needed educational resources, including but not limited to software, supplies, travel expenses for learner participants etc.
• The development of a new program.

Submission of a broad range of interventions including learner support such as tutoring, mentoring and psychosocial support or learner resources such as a centralized database of available programs are encouraged. 

Key performance indicators include the rate of recruitment, matriculation, retention and graduation of learners. 

Key criteria for evaluation and funding include:

• The significance of the project’s impact.
• The innovation and feasibility of the approach. 
• Rigorous analyses.
• The expertise of the investigators.
• Collaboration and partnership among and within participating institutions and/or organizations.
• Active engagement with and participation by learners.
• The supportiveness of the environment.
• Being well-grounded in literature or practice.

Letters of Intent are due April 28, 2025.

Submit your Letter of Intent to the Innovations to Advance Pathway and Bridge Programs to Medicine Grant Program Online Portal. Letters should include:

• Applicant Information
  • Name of investigator(s), affiliation, institution or non-profit organization, contact info, institutional contact.
• Proposal
  • Title.
  • Identify the type of grant that is applied for.
  • Brief description of proposal up to 500 words.

When you are ready to submit your Letter of Intent, please visit the Innovations to Advance Pathway and Bridge Programs to Medicine Grant Program Online Portal.

1. Login or create an account on NBME’s Submittable page.
2. Read the Guidelines and complete the form.
3. Follow the instructions for submitting your application and attach any required documents.
4. You may save your online application at any time and return to complete it later by scrolling to the bottom of the submission form and selecting “Save Draft.” 
   • When you are ready to return to complete the form, log into your account, click on your name at the top right of the internet browser, select “My Submissions” and select the desired draft.

After reviewing your letter of intent and conducting due diligence, NBME will invite applicants who meet eligibility requirements to submit a full proposal in early May. Full application proposals are due by July 21, 2025.  Decisions will be announced no later than November 2025.

For questions about Letters of Intent, please email:  NBMEpathwaygrants@nbme.org. 

Application Guidelines for Full Proposals

Full proposals should include and be formatted in the following way:

• Cover page (≤1 page)
  • Title of Grant/proposal.
  • Name of Principal Investigator(s), affiliation, institution, contact information, institutional contact.
• Abstract/Summary Page (≤2 page)
  • Summary of need and rationale, hypothesis of objective(s), explanation of how specific aims verify hypothesis or achieve objective.
  • Summary statement highlighting the significance, the feasibility of the approach, the innovation, the expertise of the investigators and the conduciveness of the environment.
• Purpose (≤5 pages)
• Significance and Rationale
  • Program grants: explain how the existing program has been contributing to increased DEI including defining the program’s DEI goal and how this was measured using key performance indicators. Identify the need for further intervention(s) and their potential impact.
  • Seed grants: identify the need for intervention(s) and their potential impact.
  • Material and Resource Grants: identify the need for materials and resources.
  • Introduction to the intervention.
  • Summary of what is known about the intervention including preliminary data from own prior research/observation/existing program/ existing educational tool. 
  • Describe how increased representation is measured.
• Project Goals
  • Clearly state the hypothesis or objective(s).
  • Explain the rationale of how the hypothesis or objective(s) address the need identified in the prior section on need analysis.
  • Describe the specific goals including existing data/infrastructure that support the specific aims.
  • Elaborate on how specific aims verify hypothesis or achieve objective.
  • Explain how goals align with key performance indicators.
• Approach (≤5 pages)
• Intervention: Study Design/Program Design/Educational Material
  • Describe the study design/program design/material.
  • Explain why these are best suited to address the overall purpose of this proposal.
  • Describe methods of how preliminary data were obtained or existing programs developed or material was designed.
  • Include methods of statistical and/or qualitative analyses to determine the effect of the intervention on representation using key performance indicators.
• Anticipated Outcome, Evaluations and Pitfalls
  • Describe how success of project is assessed focusing on the key performance indicators.
  • Discuss alternatives.
• Multiple Principal Investigator/Institutions/Programs (if applicable)
  • Describe the benefit of the collaborative approach.
  • Clearly delineate responsibilities of each member of the study team. 
  • Describe communication and coordination.
  • Provide authorship plan for dissemination of results.
• Budget
  • The budget must provide sufficient details to fully explain and justify the resources needed to accomplish all specific aims.
    • Supplies
    • Salaries
    • Commercial IRB
    • Indirect costs: 10%
• Appendices
  • Bibliography
  • CV of key personnel
  • Letter of Support from senior administrator or school administrative champion
  • IRB