NIH NATIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE AWARD INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH TRAINING GRANTS

Release Date:  June 1, 2000

PA NUMBER:  PA-00-103 (see replacement PA-02-109)

National Institutes of Health

This program announcement supercedes the notice that appeared in the NIH Guide, 
Vol. 26, No. 16, May 16,1997.

Application Receipt Dates:  January 10, May 10, September 10 annually

PURPOSE

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) will award National Research Service 
Award (NRSA) Institutional Training Grants (T32) to eligible institutions to 
develop or enhance research training opportunities for individuals, selected by 
the institution, who are training for careers in specified areas of biomedical, 
behavioral, and clinical research.  The purpose of the NRSA program is to help 
ensure that a diverse and highly trained workforce is available to assume 
leadership roles related to the Nation's biomedical and behavioral research 
agenda.  Accordingly, the NRSA program supports predoctoral, postdoctoral, and 
short-term research training experiences.

The NIH institutes and centers may have special policies and requirements for 
their Institutional Research Training Grants (T32).  Therefore, in the early 
stages of application preparation, applicants should contact the prospective NIH 
awarding component listed at the end of this announcement to discuss their 
specific policies.  

Predoctoral Training.  Predoctoral research training must lead to the Ph.D. 
degree or a comparable research doctoral degree.  Students enrolled in health-
professional programs who wish to postpone their professional studies in order 
to engage in full-time research training may also be appointed to an 
Institutional Research Training Grant.  Predoctoral research training must 
emphasize fundamental training in areas of biomedical and behavioral sciences.

Postdoctoral Training.  Postdoctoral research training is for individuals who 
have received a Ph.D., D.V.M, D.D.S., M.D., or a comparable doctoral degree from 
an accredited domestic or foreign institution. Research training at the 
postdoctoral level must emphasize specialized training to meet national research 
priorities in the biomedical, behavioral, or clinical sciences.

Research training grants are a desirable mechanism for the postdoctoral training 
of physicians and other health professionals who may have extensive clinical 
training but limited research experience.  For such individuals, the training 
may be a part of a research degree program.  In all cases, postdoctoral trainees 
should agree to engage in at least 2 years of research, research training, or 
comparable activities beginning at the time of appointment since the duration of 
training has been shown to be strongly correlated with post-training research 
activity.

Short-Term Research Training for Health-Professional Students. Applications for 
Institutional Research Training Grants may include a request for short-term 
predoctoral positions reserved specifically to train medical or other health-
professional students on a full-time basis during the summer or other "off-
quarter" periods.  Short-term appointments are intended to provide health-
professional students with opportunities to participate in biomedical and/or 
behavioral research in an effort to attract these individuals into research 
careers.

Short-term research training positions should last at least 2 months but must 
not exceed 3 months.  Individual health-professional students selected for 
appointment should be encouraged to obtain multiple periods of short-term 
research training during the years leading to their clinical degree.  Such 
appointments may be consecutive or may be reserved for summers or other "off-
quarter" periods. Since not all NIH institutes and centers support short-term 
research training positions, applicants are strongly urged to contact the 
appropriate NIH institute representative, listed at the end of this 
announcement, before requesting short-term research training positions.

Short-term appointments on regular NRSA Institutional Research Training Grants 
(T32), as described in this announcement, should not be confused with NRSA 
Short-Term Institutional Research Training Grants (T35) which are exclusively 
reserved for short-term research training appointments.  Information about 
Short-Term Institutional Research Training Grants can be found at 
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not98-027.html.

HEALTHY PEOPLE 2010

The Public Health Service (PHS) is committed to achieving the health promotion 
and disease prevention objectives of "Healthy People 2010," a PHS-led national 
activity for setting priority areas.  This Program Announcement (PA), NRSA 
Institutional Research Training Grant, is related to one or more of the priority 
areas.  Potential applicants may obtain a copy of "Healthy People 2010" at 
http://www.health.gov/healthypeople/. 
 
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Applicant Eligibility Requirements  

Only domestic, non-profit, private or public institutions may apply for grants 
to support research training programs.  The applicant institution must have a 
strong research program in the area(s) proposed for research training and must 
have the requisite staff and facilities to carry out the proposed program.  The 
research training program director at the institution will be responsible for 
the selection and appointment of trainees to the NRSA research training grant 
and for the overall direction, management, and administration of the program.
 
Trainees appointed to the training program must have the opportunity to carry 
out supervised biomedical or behavioral research with the primary objective of 
developing or extending their research skills and knowledge in preparation for a 
research career. 
 
Trainee Eligibility Requirements

Positions on NRSA institutional grants may not be used for study leading to the 
M.D., D.D.S., or other clinical, health-professional degrees except when those 
studies are a part of a formal combined research degree program, such as the 
M.D./Ph.D.  Similarly, trainees may not accept NRSA support for studies that are 
part of residency training leading to clinical certification in a medical or 
dental specialty or subspecialty.  It is permissible and encouraged, however, 
for clinicians to engage in NRSA supported full-time, postdoctoral research 
training even when that experience is creditable toward certification by a 
clinical specialty or subspecialty board.
 
Students enrolled in health-professional doctoral degree programs may receive 
support for a period of short-term, full-time research training as described 
above. Additionally, health-professional students or individuals in postgraduate 
clinical training may interrupt their studies for a year or more to engage in an 
extended period of full-time research training before completing their 
professional degree or other types of clinical training.

Trainees are required to pursue their research training on a full-time basis, 
devoting at least 40 hours per week to the program. Within the 40 hours per week 
training period, research trainees who are also training as clinicians must 
devote their time to the proposed research training and must confine clinical 
duties to those that are an integral part of the research training experience.

Citizenship.  To be appointed to a training position supported by an NRSA 
research training grant, an individual must be a citizen or noncitizen national 
of the United States or must have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence 
(i.e., in possession of a currently valid Alien Registration Receipt Card I-551, 
or some other legal verification of such status).  Noncitizen nationals are 
generally persons born in outlying possessions of the United States (e.g., 
American Samoa and Swains Island).  Individuals on temporary or student visas 
are not eligible. 
 
Predoctoral Trainees.  Predoctoral trainees must have received a baccalaureate 
degree by the beginning date of their NRSA appointment, and must be training at 
the postbaccalaureate level and enrolled in a program leading to a Ph.D. in 
science or in an equivalent research doctoral degree program.  Health-
professional students who wish to interrupt their studies for a year or more to 
engage in full-time research training before completing their professional 
degrees are
also eligible.  
 
Postdoctoral Trainees.  Postdoctoral trainees must have received, as of the 
beginning date of the NRSA appointment, a Ph.D., M.D., D.D.S., or comparable 
doctoral degree from an accredited  domestic or foreign institution.  Eligible 
doctoral degrees include, but are not limited to, the following: D.M.D., D.C., 
D.O., D.V.M., O.D., D.P.M., Sc.D., Eng.D., Dr. P.H., D.N.Sc., D. Pharm., N.D., 
D.S.W., and Psy.D. Documentation by an authorized official of the degree-
granting institution certifying all degree requirements have been met prior to 
the beginning date of training is  acceptable.
 
Short-Term Health-Professional Trainees.  To be eligible for short-term 
predoctoral research training positions, health-professional students must be 
enrolled and in good standing and must have completed at least one quarter in a 
program leading to a clinical doctorate prior to participating in the program.  
Individuals matriculated in a formal research degree program, or those holding a 
research doctorate or masters degree or a combined health-professional/research 
doctorate are not eligible for short-term training positions.  Within schools of 
pharmacy, only individuals who are candidates for the Pharm.D. degree are 
eligible for short-term positions.

MECHANISM OF SUPPORT 

Institutional NRSA research training grants may be made for periods up to 5 
years and are renewable.  Awards within an approved competitive segment are 
normally made in 12-month increments with support for additional years based on 
satisfactory progress and the continued availability of funds.

Trainee appointments are normally made in 12-month increments.  No trainee may 
be appointed for less than 9 months during the initial period of appointment, 
except with the prior approval of the NIH awarding unit or when health-
professional students are appointed to approved, short- term research training 
positions.

No individual trainee may receive more than 5 years of aggregate NRSA support at 
the predoctoral level or 3 years of support at the postdoctoral level, including 
any combination of support from institutional training grants and individual 
fellowship awards.  Any extension of the total duration of trainee support at 
either the predoctoral or postdoctoral level requires approval by the director 
of the NIH Institute or Center that supports the award.  Requests for extension 
must be made in writing by the trainee, endorsed by the director of the training 
program and the appropriate institutional official, and addressed to the 
director of the awarding component. The request must include a compelling 
justification for an extension of the statutory limits on the period of support.  

Special Program Considerations

The primary objective of the NRSA program is to prepare qualified individuals 
for careers that significantly impact the Nation's research agenda.  Within the 
framework of the program's longstanding commitment to excellence and projected 
need for investigators in particular areas of research, attention must be given 
to recruiting individuals from racial or ethnic groups underrepresented in the 
biomedical and behavioral sciences.  The following groups have been identified 
as underrepresented in biomedical and behavioral research nationally: African 
Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, Alaskan Natives, and Pacific 
Islanders. Use of the term "minority" in this announcement will refer to these 
groups.

Other considerations relate to the duration of training and the transition of 
trainees to individual support mechanisms.  Studies have shown that the length 
of the appointment to a training grant for postdoctoral trainees with health-
professional degrees strongly correlates with subsequent application for and 
receipt of independent NIH research support.  Training grant program directors, 
therefore, should limit appointments to individuals who are committed to a 
career in research and plan to remain on the training grant or in some other 
type of research experience for a minimum of 2 years.  It has also been shown 
that individuals who have been supported by an individual postdoctoral 
fellowship are more likely to subsequently apply for and receive NIH research 
support than are individuals who have received support only from a research 
training grant.  Therefore, program directors should encourage postdoctoral 
trainees who have proceeded beyond the didactic part of their training to apply 
for individual postdoctoral fellowships or mentored career development awards (K 
awards).  During the review of training grants applications, peer reviewers will 
examine the training record to determine the average duration of training 
appointments for health-professional postdoctoral trainees and whether there is 
a record of transition to individual support mechanisms.

Past studies have shown that health professional trainees, who train in combined 
programs with post-doctoral researchers with an intensive research background, 
are more likely to apply for and receive research grant support.  Programs 
located in clinical departments that focus on research training for individuals 
with an M.D. or other health-professional degrees should consider developing 
ties to basic science departments or modifying their program to include 
individuals with research doctoral degrees when such changes are consistent with 
the goals of the program.  Applications should describe the basic science 
department's contribution to the research training experience and also indicate 
if both health professional trainees and trainees with research doctorates are 
included in the training program.

ALLOWABLE COSTS 

Stipends.  National Research Service Awards provide funds, in the form of 
stipends, to graduate students and postdoctoral trainees.  A stipend is provided 
as a subsistence allowance to help trainees defray living expenses during the 
research training experience.  It is not provided as a condition of employment 
with either the Federal Government or the awardee institution.  Stipends must be 
paid to all trainees at the levels approved by the Secretary of the Department 
of Health and Human Services.  Stipend levels are adjusted from time-to-time and 
current stipend levels are available on the NIH website at: 
https://grants.nih.gov/training/nrsa.htm.
 
Predoctoral Trainees.  The annual predoctoral stipend for awards made with 
fiscal year 2000 funds is $15,060. Stipend levels for fiscal years 2001 and 
beyond may change.  Consult the NIH website above for the future announcements 
of stipend levels. For appointments of less than a year, the stipend will be 
based on a monthly pro-ration that is $1,255 per month in fiscal year 2000.
 
Postdoctoral Trainees.  The current annual stipend for postdoctoral trainees is 
determined by the number of FULL years of relevant postdoctoral experience at 
the time of appointment.  Relevant experience may include research experience 
(including industrial), teaching, internship, residency, clinical duties, or 
other time spent in full-time studies in a health-related field following the 
date of the qualifying doctoral degree. Stipend levels for fiscal years 2001 and 
beyond may change.  Consult the NIH website above for the future announcements 
of stipend levels. Postdoctoral stipends for awards made with fiscal year 2000 
funds are as follows:
 
Years of Relevant Experience                    Annual Amount  

Less than  1                                    $26,916
Greater than or equal to 1 but less than 2      $28,416
Greater than or equal to 2 but less than 3      $33,516
Greater than or equal to 3 but less than 4      $35,232
Greater than or equal to 4 but less than 5      $36,936
Greater than or equal to 5 but less than 6      $38,628
Greater than or equal to 6 but less than 7      $40,332
Greater than or equal to 7                      $42,300

Tuition, Fees, and Health Insurance.  The NIH will offset the combined cost of 
tuition, fees, and health insurance (either self-only or family as appropriate) 
at the following rate: 100 percent of all costs up to  $3,000 and 60 percent of 
costs above $3,000.  Costs associated with tuition, fees, and health insurance 
are allowable only if they are required for all individuals in a similar 
research training status at the institution regardless of the source of support.  
A full description of the tuition policy is contained within the NRSA Policy 
Guidelines on the NIH website at:  
https://grants.nih.gov/training/nrsaguidelines/nrsa_toc.htm 

Other Trainee Costs. Trainee travel, including attendance at scientific meetings 
that the institution determines to be necessary to the individual's research 
training, is an allowable trainee expense.  In addition, support for travel to a 
research training experience away from the institution may be permitted. 
Research training experiences away from the parent institution must be justified 
considering the type of opportunities for training available, the manner in 
which these opportunities differ from and compliment those offered at the parent 
institution, and the relationship of the proposed experience to the trainee's 
career stage and goals.  This type of research training requires prior approval 
from the NIH.  Letters requesting such training may be submitted to the NIH 
awarding component at any time during the award period.  Under exceptional 
circumstances, which can include providing accommodations for a trainee with 
disabilities, it is possible to request institutional costs above the standard 
rate.  Requests for additional trainee costs must be explained in detail and 
carefully justified in the application.  Consultation with NIH program staff in 
advance of such requests is strongly advised.

The institution may receive up to $167 per month to offset the cost of tuition, 
fees, health insurance, travel, supplies, and other expenses for each short-
term, health-professional research training position.

Training Related Expenses: Institutional costs of $2,000 a year per predoctoral 
trainee and $2,500 a year per postdoctoral trainee may be requested to defray 
the costs of other research training related expenses, such as staff salaries, 
consultant costs, equipment, research supplies, and staff travel.

Facilities and Administrative Costs.  A facilities and administrative allowance 
(indirect cost allowance) based on 8 percent of total allowable direct costs 
(this excludes amounts for tuition, fees, health insurance, and equipment) may 
be requested.  Applications from state and local government agencies may request 
full indirect cost reimbursement. See NRSA Policy Guidelines on the NIH Website 
at: https://grants.nih.gov/training/nrsaguidelines/nrsa_toc.htm . 

STIPEND SUPPLEMENTATION, COMPENSATION, AND OTHER INCOME 

No departure from the established stipend schedule may be negotiated by the 
institution with the trainee.  For postdoctoral trainees, the stipend for each 
additional full year of research training support is the next level in the 
stipend structure and does not change in the middle of an appointment.  The 
grantee institution is allowed to provide funds to an individual in addition to 
the stipends paid by the NIH.  Such additional amounts may be either in the form 
of augmented stipends (supplementation) or in the form of compensation, such as 
salary or tuition remission for services such as teaching or serving as a 
laboratory assistant, provided the following conditions described below are met.  
Under no circumstances may the conditions of stipend supplementation or the 
services provided for compensation interfere with, detract from, or prolong the 
trainee's approved NRSA training program.

Stipend Supplementation.  Supplementation or additional support to offset the 
cost of living may be provided by the grantee institution. Supplementation does 
not require any additional effort from the trainee.  Federal funds may not be 
used for supplementation unless specifically authorized under the terms of both 
the program from which such supplemental funds are to be received and the 
program whose funds are to be supplemented.  Under no circumstances may DHHS 
funds be used for supplementation.

Compensation.  An institution may provide additional funds to a trainee in the 
form of compensation (as salary and/or tuition remission) for services such as 
teaching or serving as a research assistant.  A trainee may receive compensation 
for services as a research assistant or in some other position on a Federal 
research grant, including a DHHS research grant.  However, compensated services 
should occur on a limited, part-time basis apart from the normal research 
training activities, which require a minimum of 40 hours per week. In addition, 
compensation may not be paid from a research grant supporting research that 
constitutes the research training experience. 

Educational Loans or G.I. Bill.  An individual may make use of Federal 
educational loan funds and assistance under the Veterans Readjustment Benefits 
Act (G.I. Bill).  Such funds are not considered supplementation or compensation. 
Concurrent Awards.  An NRSA may not be held concurrently with another federally 
sponsored fellowship or similar Federal award that provides a stipend or 
otherwise duplicates provisions of the NRSA.

Tax Liability. Internal Revenue Code Section 117 applies to the tax treatment of 
all scholarships and fellowships.  Under that section, non-degree candidates are 
required to report as gross income any monies paid on their behalf for stipends, 
or any course tuition and fees required for attendance.  Degree candidates may 
exclude from gross income (for tax purposes) any amount used for tuition and 
related expenses such as fees, books, supplies, and equipment required for 
courses of instruction at a qualified educational organization. The taxability 
of stipends, however, in no way alters the relationship between NRSA trainees 
and institutions.  NRSA stipends are not considered salaries.  In addition, 
trainees supported under the NRSA are not considered to be in an employee-
employer relationship with the NIH or the awardee institution. It is therefore, 
inappropriate and unallowable for institutions to charge costs associated with 
employment (such as FICA, workman's compensation, or unemployment insurance) to 
the training grant.  It must be emphasized that the interpretation and 
implementation of the tax laws are the domain of the Internal Revenue Service 
(IRS) and the courts.  The NIH takes no position on the status of a particular 
taxpayer, and it does not have the authority to dispense tax advice.  
Individuals should consult their local IRS office about the applicability of the 
law to their situation and for information on their tax obligations.

PAYBACK PROVISIONS

As specified in the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993, NRSA recipients incur a 
service payback obligation only during their first 12 months of postdoctoral 
support.  Additionally, the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993 specifies that the 
second and subsequent years of postdoctoral NRSA training will serve to pay back 
a postdoctoral service payback obligation.  Accordingly, the following 
guidelines apply:

o Predoctoral trainees are not required to sign the payback agreement and do not 
incur a service payback obligation.

o Postdoctoral trainees in the first 12 months of postdoctoral NRSA support must 
sign the payback agreement form (PHS form 6031) before initiating an 
appointment.  Postdoctoral trainees in their first 12 months of support will 
incur a period of service payback obligation equal to the period of support.

o Postdoctoral trainees in the 13th and subsequent months of NRSA postdoctoral 
support are not required to sign the payback agreement form and will not incur a 
service payback obligation for this period of support.

o The 13th and subsequent months of postdoctoral NRSA support are considered 
acceptable payback service for prior postdoctoral support. For example, 
postdoctoral trainees who continue under that award for 2 years have fulfilled 
the obligation incurred during the first 12 months of support by the end of the 
second year.  Service payback obligations can also be paid back by conducting 
health-related research or teaching averaging more than 20 hours per week of a 
full work year after terminating NRSA support.

o Recipients with service obligations must begin to provide acceptable payback 
service on a continuous basis within two years of termination of NRSA support.  
The period for undertaking payback service may be delayed for such reasons as 
temporary disability, completion of residency requirements, or completion of the 
requirements for a graduate degree.  Requests for an extension must be made in 
writing to the NIH specifying the need for additional time and the length of the 
required extension.

o Recipients of NRSA support are responsible for informing the NIH of changes in 
status or address.

o For individuals who fail to fulfill their obligation through service, the 
United States is entitled to recover the total amount of NRSA funds paid to the 
individual for the obligated period plus interest at a rate determined by the 
Secretary of the Treasury. Financial payback must be completed within 3 years 
beginning on the date the United States becomes entitled to recover such amount.

o Under certain conditions, the Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human 
Services (or those delegated this authority) may extend the period for starting 
service or repayment, permit breaks in service, or in rare cases in which 
service or financial repayment would constitute an extreme hardship, may waive 
or suspend the payback obligation of an individual.

o Officials at the awardee institution have the responsibility of explaining the 
terms of the payback requirements to all prospective training candidates before 
appointment to the training grant. Additionally, all trainees recruited into the 
training program must be provided with information related to the career options 
that might be available when they complete the program.  The relationship of the 
positions available and the training provided must also be discussed along with 
the applicability of these positions to any outstanding service payback 
obligation.

Trainee Reporting Requirements

The institution must submit a completed Statement of Appointment (PHS Form 2271) 
for each trainee appointed or reappointed to the training grant at the beginning 
of the appointment period.  Additionally, a completed Payback Agreement (PHS 
Form 6031) must be submitted for each trainee in their first twelve months of 
postdoctoral support. Within 30 days of the end of the total support period for 
each trainee, the institution must submit a Termination Notice (PHS Form 416-7).  
Failure to submit the required forms in a timely, complete, and accurate manner 
may result in an expenditure disallowance or a delay in any continuation funding 
for the award.

LEAVE

In general, trainees may receive stipends during the normal periods of vacation 
and holidays observed by individuals in comparable training positions at the 
grantee institution. For the purpose of these awards, however, the period 
between the spring and fall semesters is considered to be an active time of 
research and research training and is not considered to be a vacation or 
holiday.  Trainees may receive stipends for up to 15 calendar days of sick leave 
per year.  Sick leave may be used for the medical conditions related to 
pregnancy and childbirth.  Trainees may also receive stipends for up to 30 
calendar days of parental leave per year for the adoption or the birth of a 
child when those in comparable training positions at the grantee institution 
have access to paid leave for this purpose and the use of parental leave is 
approved by the program director.

A period of terminal leave is not permitted and payment may not be made from 
grant funds for leave not taken. Individuals requiring periods of time away from 
their research training experience longer than specified here must seek approval 
from the NIH awarding component for an unpaid leave of absence.  At the 
beginning of a leave of absence, the trainee must submit a Termination Notice 
(PHS Form 416-7) and upon return from the leave of absence, the trainee must be 
formally reappointed to the grant by submitting an updated Statement of 
Appointment (PHS Form 2271).  Trainees within the first twelve months of 
postdoctoral support must also submit a Payback Agreement (PHS Form 6031) upon 
return from a leave of absence.

PROTECTION OF HUMAN SUBJECTS

Inclusion of Women and Minorities in Research Involving Human Subjects.  It is 
the policy of the NIH that women and members of minority groups and their 
subpopulations must be included in all NIH supported biomedical and behavioral 
research involving human subjects, unless a clear and compelling rationale and 
justification are provided that inclusion is inappropriate with respect to the 
health of the subjects or the purpose of the research.  This policy results from 
the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993 (Section 492B of Public Law 103-43).  All 
investigators proposing research involving human subjects should read the "NIH 
Guidelines For Inclusion of Women and Minorities as Subjects in Clinical 
Research," which have been published in the Federal Register of March 28, 1994 
(FR 59 14508-14513), and in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts Vol. 23, No. 
11, March 18, 1994, and is available on the web at the following URL address:  
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not94-100.html . 

Inclusion of Children as Participants in Research Involving Human Subjects.  It 
is the policy of NIH that children (i.e., individuals under the age of 21) must 
be included in all human subjects research, conducted or supported by the NIH, 
unless there are scientific and ethical reasons not to include them.  This 
policy applies to all initial (Type 1) applications submitted for receipt dates 
after October 1, 1998. 

All investigators proposing research involving human subjects should read the 
"NIH Policy and Guidelines on the Inclusion of Children as Participants in 
Research Involving Human Subjects " that was published in the NIH Guide for 
Grants and Contracts, March 6, 1998 and is available at the following URL 
address: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not98-024.html.

Investigators may also obtain copies of these policies from the program staff 
listed under INQUIRIES.  Program staff may also provide additional relevant 
information concerning the policy.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

Applicants must use the grant application form PHS 398 (rev. 4/98).  It contains 
special instructions for Institutional National Research Service Awards (T32). 

Applications Requesting Short-term Training for Health Professional Students.  
Applicants who wish to include a request for short-term research training 
positions should identify short-term positions separately within the "stipends" 
and "training related expenses" categories on the budget page.  Under 
"stipends," short-term positions should be listed in the "other" category.  
Tuition, fees, health insurance, and trainee travel, and other expenses are to 
be included in "training related expenses."  The description of the short-term 
research training program should be included in the application for the regular 
research training program, but should be separated from the description of the 
regular program within each section of the application.  In addition to the 
information requested in the "program plan" section, the applicant should 
address the relationship of the proposed short-term program to the regular 
research training program and provide assurance that the short-term program will 
not detract from the regular program. Applicants must observe the 25-page limit 
on the narrative section.

APPLICATION MATERIALS

To obtain application kits with instructions and forms, please contact your 
institutional office of sponsored research.  Application kits may also be 
downloaded from the NIH website at 
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms.htm#training or it may be requested from the:

Division of Extramural Outreach and Information Resources
National Institutes of Health
6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 6207, MSC 7910
Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7910
Telephone: (301) 710-0267
FAX: (301) 480-0525

For faster service, send E-mail requests to grantsinfo@nih.gov.  Please allow 2-
4 weeks for U.S. mail requests.

APPLICATION RECEIPT DATES AND REVIEW SCHEDULE

Application     Initial            Council            Earliest 
Receipt         Review             Review             Possible
Date            Date               Date               Start Date

Jan 10          Jun/Jul            Sep/Oct            Dec 1
May 10          Oct/Nov            Jan/Feb            Apr 1
Sep 10          Feb/Mar            May/Jun            Jul 1

Many institutes and centers review applications once or three times per year.  A 
listing of these institutes and the appropriate receipt date(s) is provided 
below.

Application
Institute/Center                   Receipt Date(s)

NIA                                May 10
NIAAA                              May 10
NIAID                              Sep 10
NIAMS                              May 10
NICHD                              May 10
NIDCD                              May 10
NIDDK                              Jan 10, May 10, Sep 10
NIDCR                              Sep 10 
NIDA                               May 10
NIEHS                              May 10
NIGMS (postdoc. training grants)   Jan 10 
NIGMS (predoc. training grants)    Jan 10, May 10, Sep 10 
NEI                                May 10
NHLBI                              May 10
NHGRI                              May 10
NIMH (except AIDS with 3 dates)    May 10
NINDS                              May 10
NINR                               May 10
NCI                                Jan 10, May 10, Sep 10
NCCAM                              Jan 10, May 10, Sep 10
NCRR                               Jan 10, May 10, Sep 10

Applicants are encouraged to contact appropriate institute/center staff before 
preparing and submitting an application.  (See the end of this announcement for 
a list of NIH contacts).

SUBMISSION

Submit a signed, typewritten original of the application (including the 
Checklist, Personal Data form, and all other required materials and five (5) 
exact, clear, single-sided photocopies of the signed application, in one package 
to:

CENTER FOR SCIENTIFIC REVIEW
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
6701 ROCKLEDGE DRIVE, ROOM 1040
BETHESDA, MARYLAND 20892
BETHESDA, MARYLAND 20817 (express mail)

REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS

Complete applications will be assigned to the appropriate participating 
Institute and a suitable Scientific Review Group. Review groups are composed 
primarily of non-government scientists selected for their competence in research 
and research training in a particular scientific area. Applicants will be 
notified about their application's Institute and Review assignment. 

Applications receive two sequential levels of review.  The first level is an 
assessment of the merit of the proposed research training by the primary review 
group. Following the review, the Scientific Review Administrator, who 
coordinates the review of applications, prepares a written summary of the review 
of each application and forwards it to the appropriate staff contact within the 
Institute.  The second level of review is at the Institute's Council Meeting.

Review Criteria

Although individual NIH Institutes and Centers may have specialized review 
criteria, most applications are evaluated using on the following criteria: 

o Past research training record of both the program and the designated 
preceptors as determined by the success of former trainees in seeking further 
career development and in establishing productive scientific careers.  Evidence 
of further career development can include receipt of fellowships, career awards, 
further training appointments, and similar accomplishments.  Evidence of a 
productive scientific career can include a record of successful competition for 
research grants, receipt of special honors, a record of publications, receipt of 
patents, promotion to scientific positions, and any other measure of success 
consistent with the nature and duration of the training received.

o Objectives, design, and direction of the research training program;

o Caliber of preceptors as researchers, including successful competition for 
research support;

o Institutional training environment, including the level of institutional 
commitment, quality of the facilities, availability of appropriate courses, and 
availability of research support;

o Recruitment and selection plans for trainees and the availability of high 
quality candidates;

o Record of the research training program in retaining health-professional 
postdoctoral trainees for at least 2 years in research training or other 
research activities;

o When appropriate, the concomitant research training of health-professional 
postdoctorates (i.e., individuals with the M.D., D.O., D.D.S., etc.) with basic 
science postdoctorates (i.e., individuals with a Ph.D., etc.) or linkages with 
basic science departments.

Short-Term Research Training Positions: In addition to the above criteria, 
applications that request short-term research training positions will also be 
assessed using the following criteria: 

o Quality of the proposed short-term research training program including the 
commitment and availability of the participating faculty, program design, 
availability of research support, and training environment;

o Access to candidates for short-term research training and the ability to 
recruit high quality, short-term trainees from the applicant institution or some 
other health-professional school;

o Characteristics of the research training program that might be expected to 
persuade short-term trainees to consider academic/research careers, particularly 
in clinical areas;

o Success in attracting students back for multiple appointments (competing 
continuation applications);

o Effect of the short-term training program on the quality of the regular 
research training program or any existing, stand-alone short- term research 
training program; including the appropriateness of the number of short-term 
positions, and the plan to integrate the short-term training program into the 
regular research training programs;

o Plan to follow former short-term trainees and to assess the effect of such 
research training on their subsequent careers.

ADDITIONAL REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS

Minority Recruitment Plan: The NIH remains committed to increasing the 
participation of individuals from underrepresented minority groups in biomedical 
and behavioral research.  As first announced in 1989, all competing applications 
for institutional NRSA research training grants must include a specific plan to 
recruit and retain underrepresented minorities in the training program.  In 
addition, all competing continuation applications must include a report on the 
recruitment and retention of underrepresented minorities during the previous 
award period.  If an application is received without a plan or without a report 
on the previous award period, the application will be considered incomplete and 
will be returned to the applicant without review.  Additional information on 
this requirement was published in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, Volume 
22, Number 25, July 16, 1993 (see 
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/1993/93.07.16/notice-recruitment-o004.html ).  

As indicated above, competing continuation applications must include a detailed 
account of experiences in recruiting individuals from underrepresented groups 
during the previous award period. Information must be included on successful and 
unsuccessful recruitment strategies.  The report should provide information on 
the racial/ethnic distribution of:

o Students or postdoctorates who applied for admission or positions within the 
department(s) relative to the training grant,

o Students or postdoctorates who were offered admission to or a position within 
the department(s),

o Students actually enrolled in the academic program relevant to the training 
grant,

o Students or postdoctorates who were appointed to the research training grant.

For those trainees who were appointed to the grant, the report should include 
information about the duration of research training and whether those trainees 
have finished their training in good standing. After the overall educational and 
technical merit of an application has been assessed, peer reviewers will examine 
and evaluate the minority recruitment plan.  For competing continuation 
applications, the reviewers will also examine and evaluate the record of the 
program in recruiting and retaining underrepresented minority trainees during 
the previous award period.  The panel will consider whether the experience in 
recruitment during the previous award period has been incorporated into the 
formulation of the recruitment plan for the next award period.

The plan will be discussed after the overall determination of merit.  The review 
panel's evaluation will not be a factor in the determination of the priority 
score but will be included in an administrative note in the summary statement.  
If the minority recruitment plan or if the record of recruitment and retention 
of minorities is judged to be unacceptable, funding will be withheld until a 
revised plan that addresses the deficiencies is received.  Staff within the NIH 
awarding component, with guidance from the appropriate national advisory 
committee or council, will determine whether amended plans and reports submitted 
after the initial review are acceptable.

Training in the Responsible Conduct of Research: Every predoctoral and 
postdoctoral NRSA trainee supported by an institutional research training grant 
must receive instruction in the responsible conduct of research.  (For more 
information on this provision, see the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, 
Volume 21, Number 43, November 27, 1992, see 
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/1992/92.11.27/xnotic.htm ) Applications must 
include a description of a program to provide formal or informal instruction in 
scientific integrity or the responsible conduct of research.  Applications 
without plans for instruction in the responsible conduct of research will be 
considered incomplete and may be returned to the applicant without review. 

o Although the NIH does not establish specific curricula or formal requirements, 
all programs are encouraged to consider instruction in the following areas: 
conflict of interest, responsible authorship, policies for handling misconduct, 
policies regarding the use of human and animal subjects, and data management.  
Within the context of training in scientific integrity it is also beneficial to 
discuss the mutual responsibilities of the institution and the graduate students 
or postdoctorates appointed to the program.

o Plans must address the subject matter of the instruction, the format of the 
instruction, the degree of faculty participation, trainee attendance, and the 
frequency of instruction.

o The rationale for the proposed plan of instruction must be provided.

o Program reports on the type of instruction provided, topics covered, and other 
relevant information, such as attendance by trainees and faculty participation, 
must be included in future competing continuation and noncompeting applications. 
The NIH encourages institutions to provide instruction in the responsible 
conduct of research to all graduate students, postdoctorates, and research staff 
regardless of their source of support.

NIH initial review groups will assess the applicant's plans on the basis of the 
appropriateness of topics, format, amount and nature of faculty participation, 
and the frequency and duration of instruction.

The plan will be discussed after the overall determination of merit, so that the 
review panel's evaluation of the plan will not be a factor in the determination 
of the priority score.  Plans will be judged as acceptable or unacceptable.  The 
acceptability of the plan will be described in an administrative note on the 
summary statement. Regardless of the priority score, applications with 
unacceptable plans will not be funded until the applicant provides a revised, 
acceptable plan.  Staff within the NIH awarding component will judge the 
acceptability of the revised plan. Following initial review, the appropriate NIH 
institute or center council, board, or other advisory group also reviews 
applications.  These advisory groups will consider, in addition to the 
assessment of the scientific and educational merit of the research training 
grant application, the initial review group's comments on the recruitment of 
individuals from underrepresented minority groups into the research training 
program and the plan for instruction in the responsible conduct of research.

Notification. Shortly after the review meeting, each applicant will be sent 
notification of the Review Group's recommendation and the name and phone number 
of the Institute program official responsible for the application.  When the 
program official representing the Institute receives the written summary of the 
review, prepared by the SRA after the review meeting, a copy will be forwarded 
to the applicant.

Following Council Review, the program official will notify each applicant of the 
final disposition of his/her application.

AWARD CRITERIA

Applications are selected for funding primarily on the basis of scientific and 
educational merit, but other factors are considered, such as: availability of 
funds, research program priorities, the balance among types of research training 
supported by the awarding component, the acceptability of the plan for minority 
recruitment, and the acceptability of the proposal for instruction in the 
responsible conduct of research.  The awarding NIH institute will notify the 
applicant of the final action shortly after advisory council review.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

For additional information, see the current document titled, Guidelines for 
National Research Service Awards, Individual Awards - Institutional Grants which 
is available on the NIH website at: https://grants.nih.gov/training/nrsa.htm 

INQUIRIES AND NIH STAFF CONTACTS

Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the individuals designated below, 
in advance of preparing an application, for additional information concerning 
the areas of research, receipt dates, and other types of pre-application 
instructions.

National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Dr. Robin Barr
Telephone: 301-496-9322
Email: rb42h@nih.gov

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Harold I. Perl, Ph.D.
Division of Clinical and Prevention Research 
Telephone: 301-443-0788 
E-mail: hperl@willco.niaaa.nih.gov 

Ernestine Vanderveen, Ph.D. 
Division of Basic Research 
Telephone: 301-443-2531 
E-mail: tvanderv@willco.niaaa.nih.gov

Vivian B. Faden, Ph.D.
Division of Biometry and Epidemiology 
Telephone: 301-594-6232 
E-mail: vfaden@willco.niaaa.nih.gov

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Dr. Milton Hernandez
Telephone: 301-496-7291
Email: mh35c@nih.gov

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
Dr. Richard Lymn
Telephone: 301-594-5128
Email: rl28b@nih.gov

National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Note:  The NCI has special policies and requirements for their T32 grants.  
Refer to the following URL for this information: 
http://deainfo.nci.nih.gov/awards/supt32guideline.htm 
Drs. Lester Gorelic and Andrew Vargosko 
Telephone: 301-496-8580
Email: lg2h@nih.gov and av8b@nih.gov 

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
Dr. Steven Klein 
Telephone: 301-496-5541
Email: sk5d@nih.gov
 
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders  (NIDCD)
Dr. Daniel Sklare
Telephone: 301-496-1804
Email: ds104i@nih.gov

National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)
Dr. James Lipton
Telephone: 301-594-2618
Email: jl46d@nih.gov

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolic Diseases
Dr. Ronald Margolis
Telephone: 301- 594-8819
Email: rm76@nih.gov

Division of Digestive Diseases and Nutrition
Dr. Judith Podskalny
Telephone: 301-594-8876
Email: jp53s@nih.gov

Division of Kidney, Urologic, and Hematologic Diseases
Dr. Charles Rogers
Telephone: 301-594-7726
Email: cr36d@nih.gov

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Office of Science Policy and Communications
Lucinda L. Miner, Ph.D.
Telephone:  (301) 443-6071
Email: CM171W@NIH.GOV

Office of Science Policy and Communications
Angela M. Martinelli, RN, DNSc
Telephone:  (301) 443-6071
Email: amartine@mail.nih.gov

Division of Neuroscience and Behavioral Research
Dr. Charles Sharp
Telephone: 301-443-1887
Email: cs107m@nih.gov

Division of Epidemiology, Services and Prevention Research
Dr. Kathy Etz
Telephone: 301-443-1514887
Email: ke25p@nih.gov

Division of Treatment Research and Development
Dr. Jamie Biswas
Telephone: 301-443-5280
Email: jb168r@nih.gov

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
Dr. Carol Shreffler
Telephone:  919 - 541- 1445    
Email:  shreffl1@niehs.nih.gov
 
National Eye Institute (NEI)
Dr. Maria Giovanni
Telephone: 301-496-0484
Email: mg37u@nih.gov

National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Dr. John Norvell 
Telephone: 301-594-0533
Email: norvellj@nigms.nih.gov 

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Dr. Michael Commarato
Telephone: 301-435-0530
Email: mc63a@nih.gov

National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)
Dr. Bettie Graham
Telephone: 301-496-7531
Email: bg30t@nih.gov

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Della Hann, Ph.D.
Division of Mental Disorders, Behavioral Research and AIDS
Telephone:  (301) 443-9700
Email:  dhann@mail.nih.gov

Walter L. Goldschmidts, Ph.D.
Division of Neuroscience and Basic Behavioral Science
Telephone: (301) 443-3563
Email:  wgoldsch@mail.nih.gov

Enid Light, Ph.D.
Division of Services and Intervention Research
Telephone: (301) 443-1185
Email: elight@mail.nih.gov

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Dr. Henry Khachaturian
Telephone: 301-496-4188
Email: hk11b@nih.gov

National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) 
Dr. Nell Armstrong
Telephone:  (301) 594-5973
Email:  nell_armstrong@nih.gov

National Center for Research Resources (NCRR)
Dr. Franziska B. Grieder
Telephone:  301-435-0744
Email:  griederf@ncrr.nih.gov

National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM)
Dr. Neal West
Telephone: 301-402-5867
Email:  westn@od.nih.gov 

AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS

NRSA Institutional Research Training Grants are made under the authority of 
Section 487 of the Public Health Service Act as amended (42 USC 288).  Title 42 
of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 66, is applicable to this program.  
This program is also described under the following numbers in the Catalog of 
Federal Domestic Assistance: 93.121, 93.172, 93.173, 93.272, 93.278, 93.282, 
93.306, 93.361, 93.398, 93.821, 93.837-93.839, 93.846-93.849, 93.853-93.856, 
93.859, 93.862-93.868, 93.871, 93.880, 93.894, and 93.929.


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