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TWD Programs GuideResearch training, explained

Program profile

RISE, U-RISE and G-RISE

RISE served institutions that did research but didn't have the NIH funding of large universities. It was rebuilt as two training grants around 2020, and both were cut in 2025.

By the TWD Programs Guide editors · Updated · 2 min read

Ended; RISE replaced by U-RISE and G-RISE, which were reported terminated in 2025 Checked November 7, 2026

Mechanism
RISE (R25); then U-RISE (T34) and G-RISE (T32)
Who it serves
Undergraduates and PhD students at research-active institutions
Today
Neither U-RISE nor G-RISE is on NIGMS's 2026 list. See BURT for undergraduates and the predoctoral T32 for PhD students.

Short answer

RISE (Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement) was an NIGMS R25 program at research-active institutions. Around 2019–2020 NIGMS replaced it with U-RISE, a T34 for undergraduates, and G-RISE, a T32 for PhD students, both limited to institutions with under $7.5 million a year in NIH research project grants. U-RISE and G-RISE awards were reported terminated in spring 2025.

What was RISE?

RISE, the Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement, was an NIGMS R25 research education program that helped research-active institutions prepare undergraduate and graduate students for biomedical PhDs. As an R25 it funded a program rather than NRSA traineeships, which gave institutions flexibility in how they structured student support.

How did RISE become U-RISE and G-RISE?

Between 2019 and 2020 NIGMS replaced RISE with two training grants:

U-RISE G-RISE
Mechanism T34 T32
Students Undergraduates in STEM bachelor's programs PhD students in biomedical disciplines
Institutions Research-active: under $7.5M a year in NIH RPGs Research-active: under $7.5M a year in NIH RPGs
Companion program above the line MARC IMSD
Citizenship NRSA rules NRSA rules
Last announcements PAR-21-146 PAR-21-026, reissued as PAR-24-032

The change brought RISE students under the same NRSA rules as other trainees, with stipends, tuition support and training-related expenses, and paired each program with a counterpart for research-intensive institutions.

What happened in 2025?

In early April 2025, U-RISE directors at several institutions received termination letters saying the awards no longer effectuated agency priorities, and G-RISE directors were told by email that their awards were cancelled. Neither program appears on NIGMS's 2026 list of current programs.

Where does that leave research-active institutions?

Undergraduate programs at institutions under $50 million a year in NIH research project grants, which includes every former U-RISE institution, can look at BURT. At the graduate level, the 2027 predoctoral T32 includes an "Expanding Basic Research Training and Development" area for institutions that don't hold another NIGMS predoctoral T32.

Questions people ask

What was the difference between U-RISE and MARC?

Mostly the type of institution. U-RISE was for research-active institutions with less than $7.5 million a year in NIH research project grants; MARC was for research-intensive institutions above that line. A campus could hold one or the other, not both.

What was the difference between G-RISE and IMSD?

The same split at the graduate level. G-RISE served research-active institutions under the $7.5 million line, and IMSD served research-intensive institutions above it. An institution could hold only one of the two.

Sources

  1. PAR-21-026: G-RISE (T32), expired; reissued as PAR-24-032
  2. PAR-19-218: U-RISE (T34), expired
  3. PAR-21-146: U-RISE (T34), expired
  4. The Transmitter: NIH nixes funds for several pre- and postdoctoral training programs (April 8, 2025)

This profile is an independent summary, not an official NIH or NIGMS description. Eligibility and deadlines are set by the current funding opportunity; read it before you apply.