Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA, R15) is a longstanding NIH grant mechanism for faculty at universities with high teaching loads. Eligibility issues: For the traditional AREA, only faculty in the Nursing School within HHS are eligible to apply. The re-issuance of the parent AREA (traditional, non-Stimulus) will be announced soon. For the one-time Stimulus offering of AREA, all faculty including COSE can apply.

Also, applicants may not be the PI/PD of any active NIH research grant including another AREA at the time of the award. This means an investigator with any kind of active research support (including SCORE, S06, SC1, SC2 or SC3) will not be able to apply for an AREA grant until he/she completes the project.