NIH R15 Grants — AREA / REAP Award
Strengthen research at undergraduate-focused institutions
Funding
Up to $300,000 direct costs over the project
Duration
Up to 3 years
Eligibility
Faculty at eligible non-research-intensive institutions
Activity code
R15
What is the NIH R15 grant?
The R15 — Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) for undergraduate-focused institutions, and the Research Enhancement Award Program (REAP) for institutions that provide health-professional training — supports meritorious research at institutions that have not been major NIH research recipients. Only certain institutions are eligible.
Recent R15 awards (last 24 months)
Live data from NIH RePORTER249
Awards
$119,078,176
Total funding (sample)
$478,226
Average award
Sample reflects up to the most recent 500 NIH RePORTER awards with this activity code in the past 24 months. Total project count is the full RePORTER count.
Most recently awarded R15 grants
FATEME ESMAILIE · UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS, TX · NIH
$535,758
FY 2026
Project: 1R15DC023030-01A1
Zhihong Wang · ROWAN UNIVERSITY, NJ · NIH
$581,250
FY 2026
Project: 1R15GM163260-01
Nicolas Brunet · CALIFORNIA STATE UNIV SAN BERNARDINO, CA · NIH
$549,602
FY 2026
Project: 1R15DK144851-01A1
Danielle Dube · BOWDOIN COLLEGE, ME · NIH
$482,549
FY 2026
Project: 9R15AI197224-04
Brian Corbett · RUTGERS THE STATE UNIV OF NJ CAMDEN, NJ · NIH
$558,051
FY 2026
Project: 1R15MH143199-01
Rachel Diner · UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS, TN · NIH
$506,270
FY 2026
Project: 1R15ES038670-01
Priscila Falagan Lotsch · AUBURN UNIVERSITY AT AUBURN, AL · NIH
$571,566
FY 2026
Project: 1R15ES038685-01
Erzsebet Regan · COLLEGE OF WOOSTER, OH · NIH
$482,620
FY 2026
Project: 1R15AG083621-01A1
Top NIH institutes funding R15
By total funding in the last 24 months
- 1.NIH249 · $119,078,176
Top funded institutions
Most R15 awards in the last 24 months
- 1.BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY8 awards
- 2.BAYLOR UNIVERSITY6 awards
- 3.UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS BOSTON6 awards
- 4.OAKLAND UNIVERSITY5 awards
- 5.UNIVERSITY OF TOLEDO5 awards
- 6.ROWAN UNIVERSITY5 awards
Who applies for R15
When to choose R15
When NOT to choose R15
Search tips for R15
- R15 awards are concentrated at PUIs and small institutions — useful for finding research-active small colleges.
Search NIH grants by activity code
Find R15-funded PIs
R15 funding trends
R15 frequently asked questions
How do I check if my institution is R15-eligible?
NIH publishes the eligibility list at the Office of Extramural Research website, updated annually based on institutional NIH funding. Check the list before drafting.