RUTH L. KIRSCHSTEIN NATIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE AWARDS FOR INDIVIDUAL
POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWS (F32)

RELEASE DATE:  February 6, 2003

PA NUMBER:  PA-03-067  (This PA has been reissued as PA-06-373)
                       (Expiration date extended, see NOT-OD-06-045)
                      
EXPIRATION DATE:  April 5, 2006, unless reissued.

National Institutes of Health (NIH)
 (https://grants.nih.gov/training/extramural.htm) 

CATALOG OF FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE NUMBERS:  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, 93.862-93.867, 93.880, 
93.894, and 93.929

This program announcement supersedes PA-00-104, which appeared in the 
NIH Guide on June 1, 2000.
 
THIS PA CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION

o Purpose 
o Mechanism of Support 
o Eligibility Requirements
o Eligible Sponsoring Institutions
o Allowable Costs
o Supplementation of Stipends and Compensation
o Tax Liability
o Service Payback Requirements
o Leave Policies
o Part-Time Training
o Other Special Requirements
o Where to send Inquiries
o Submitting an Application
o Peer Review Process
o Review Criteria
o Award Criteria
o Required Federal Citations

PURPOSE 

The Congress of the United States enacted the National Research Service 
Act (NRSA) Program in 1974 to help ensure that a diverse pool of highly 
trained scientists will be available in adequate numbers and in 
appropriate research areas to carry out the Nation's biomedical and 
behavioral research agenda. In 2002, the National Research Service 
Award Program was renamed the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research 
Service Award Program as a tribute to Dr. Kirschstein's years of 
exceptional service to the Nation.  Additional details related to this 
legislative change are available at 
https://grants.nih.gov/training/news.htm. Under this congressional 
authority, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) awards individual 
postdoctoral fellowships (F32) to promising applicants with the 
potential to become productive, independent investigators in fields 
related to the mission of the NIH constituent institutes and centers.  

MECHANISM OF SUPPORT 

This program announcement for the individual Postdoctoral Fellowship 
Award (F32) is issued under the auspices of the Kirschstein-NRSA Act.  
The proposed postdoctoral training must be within the broad scope of 
biomedical, behavioral, or clinical research and must offer an 
opportunity to enhance the fellow's understanding of the health-related 
sciences and extend his/her potential for a productive research career.  

Fellowship awardees are required to pursue their research training on a 
full-time basis, devoting at least 40 hours per week to the training 
program. Research clinicians must devote full-time to their proposed 
research training and must restrict clinical duties within their full-
time research training experience to activities that are directly 
related to the research training experience. A Kirschstein-NRSA 
fellowship (F32) may not be used to support studies leading to the 
M.D., D.O., D.D.S., D.V.M., or other similar health-professional 
degrees. Neither may these awards be used to support the clinical years 
of residency training. 

The Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), is 
required by law, to consider the Nation's overall needs for biomedical 
personnel and to give special consideration to physicians and other 
health professionals who agree to undertake a minimum of 2 years of 
biomedical, behavioral or clinical research. NIH recognizes the 
critical importance of training clinicians to become researchers and 
encourages them to apply.  For those who have a health professional 
degree, the proposed training may be used to satisfy a portion of the 
degree requirements for a master's degree, a doctoral degree or any 
other advanced research degree program.   Women, minorities, and 
individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS 

Citizenship. By the time of award, candidates for the postdoctoral 
fellowship award must be citizens or non-citizen  nationals of the 
United States, or must have been lawfully admitted to the  United 
States for Permanent Residence (i.e., possess a currently valid Alien  
Registration Receipt Card I-551, or other legal verification of such 
status).  Non-citizen nationals are generally persons born in outlying 
possessions of the United States (i.e., American Samoa and Swains 
Island). Individuals on temporary or student visas are not eligible.   
Individuals may apply for the F32 in advance of admission to the United 
States as a Permanent Resident recognizing that no award will be made 
until legal verification of Permanent Resident status is provided.  

Degree Requirements. Before a Kirschstein-NRSA postdoctoral fellowship 
award can be  activated, the individual must have received a Ph.D., 
M.D., D.O., D.C., D.D.S.,  D.V.M., O.D., D.P.M., Sc.D., Eng.D., Dr. 
P.H., D.N.S., N.D., Pharm.D., D.S.W.,  Psy.D., or equivalent doctoral 
degree from an accredited domestic or foreign  institution. 
Certification by an authorized official of the degree-granting 
institution that all degree requirements have been met is also 
acceptable. 

Duration of Support.  Individuals may receive up to 3 years of 
aggregate Kirschstein-NRSA support at the postdoctoral level, including 
any combination of support from institutional training grants (T32) and 
individual fellowship awards (F32). Applicants must consider any prior 
Kirschstein-NRSA postdoctoral research training in determining the 
duration of fellowship support requested.  Training beyond the 3-year 
aggregate limit may be possible under certain exceptional 
circumstances, but a waiver from the NIH awarding component is 
required. Individuals seeking additional Kirschstein-NRSA support 
beyond the third year are strongly advised to consult with relevant NIH 
staff before preparing a justification.  Any waiver will require a 
detailed justification of the need for additional research training.   

Sponsor. Before submitting a fellowship application, the applicant must 
identify a sponsoring institution and an individual who will serve as a 
sponsor (also called mentor or supervisor) and will supervise the 
training and research experience. 

The applicant's sponsor should be an active investigator in the area of 
the proposed research who will directly supervise the candidate's 
research. The sponsor must document the availability of research 
support and facilities for high-quality research training. In most 
cases, the F32 supports research training experiences in new settings 
in order to maximize the acquisition of new skills and knowledge.  
However, in unusual circumstances, applicants may propose postdoctoral 
training experiences at their doctorate institution or at the 
institution where they have been training for more than a year.  In 
such cases, the applicant must carefully document the opportunities for 
new research training experiences specifically designed to broaden 
their scientific background. 

Foreign Sponsorship. Applicants requesting fellowship support for 
foreign research training must show in the application that the foreign 
institution and sponsor offer unique opportunities and clear scientific 
advantages over positions currently available in the United States. 

ELIGIBLE SPONSORING INSTITUTIONS

The sponsoring institution may be any of the following:

o For-profit or non-profit organizations 
o Public or private institutions, such as universities, colleges, 
hospitals, and laboratories 
o Units of State and local governments
o Eligible agencies and labs of the Federal government including NIH 
intramural labs  
o Domestic or foreign

ALLOWABLE COSTS

Stipends.  Kirschstein-NRSA awards provide stipends to postdoctoral 
fellows as a subsistence allowance to help defray living expenses 
during the research training experience. The awards are not provided as 
a condition of employment with either the Federal government or the 
sponsoring institution.   The stipend level for the first year of 
Kirschstein-NRSA support is determined by the number of full years of 
relevant postdoctoral experience at the time the award is issued (not 
at the time of activation, see below).  Fellows with less than one full 
year of postdoctoral experience at the time of award will receive 
initial support at the zero level.  Relevant experience may include 
research (including research in industry), teaching, internship, 
residency, clinical duties, or other time spent in full-time studies in 
a health-related field beyond that of the qualifying doctoral degree. 
The stipend schedule is updated nearly every year and applicants are 
advised to check for the posting of the current stipend schedule on the 
NIH website at https://grants.nih.gov/training/nrsa.htm.  The awarding 
NIH institute or center will adjust awards on the anniversary date of 
the fellowship award to ensure consistency with the stipend schedule in 
effect at that time.  

The stipend for each subsequent year of Kirschstein-NRSA support is the 
next level of experience using the stipend schedule in effect at that 
time.  Stipends will be adjusted on the anniversary date of the award 
and will not be changed mid-year to accommodate an increase in the 
level of experience. No departure from the published Kirschstein-NRSA 
stipend schedule may be negotiated between the institution and the 
fellow. 

For fellows sponsored by domestic non-federal institutions, the stipend 
will be paid through the sponsoring institution. For fellows sponsored 
by Federal or foreign institutions, the monthly stipend payment will be 
deposited in the fellow's U.S. bank account or paid directly to the 
fellow by U. S. Department of Treasury check. 

Tuition and Fees.  The NIH will offset the combined cost of tuition and 
fees 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 and 
fees are allowable only if they are required for specific courses in 
support of the research training experience supported by the 
fellowship.  A full description of the tuition policy is contained 
within the NRSA section of the Grants Policy Statement at 
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/policy.htm.   

Institutional Allowance.  At the time of publication, fellows receive 
an institutional allowance of $5,500 per 12-month period to nonfederal, 
nonprofit, or foreign sponsoring institutions to help defray such 
awardee expenses as research supplies, equipment, health  insurance 
(either self-only or family as appropriate), and travel to scientific  
meetings.  Support for health insurance is allowable only if it is 
applied consistently for all individuals in a similar research training 
status regardless of the source of support. This allowance is intended 
to cover training related expenses for the individual awardee. The 
allowance is not available until the fellow officially activates the 
award.  If an individual fellow is enrolled or engaged in training for 
less than 6 months of the award year, only one-half of that year's 
allowance may be charged to the grant.  The Notice of Research 
Fellowship Award will be revised and the balance must be refunded to 
NIH. 

NIH will provide an institutional allowance of up to $4,400 for fellows 
sponsored by Federal laboratories or for-profit institutions for 
expenses associated with travel to scientific meetings, health 
insurance, and books. For fellows at for-profit institutions, the 
$4,400 will be paid to the institution for disbursement to the fellow. 
Funds for fellows at Federal laboratories will be disbursed from the 
NIH awarding institute.

The Institutional Allowance is adjusted from time-to-time.  Prospective 
applicants are advised to check for the current Institutional Allowance 
in the most recent documentation related to Kirschstein-NRSA stipends 
at https://grants.nih.gov/training/nrsa.htm. 

Other Training Costs.  Additional funds may be requested by the 
institution when the training of a fellow involves extraordinary costs 
for travel to field sites remote from the sponsoring institution; or, 
accommodations for fellows who are disabled, as defined by the 
Americans With Disabilities Act. The funds requested for costs of this 
nature must be reasonable in relationship to the total dollars awarded 
under the fellowship and must be directly related to the approved 
research training experience. Such additional funds shall be provided 
only in exceptional circumstances that are fully justified and 
explained by the sponsoring institution. 

Awards for training at a foreign site may include a single economy or 
coach round-trip travel fare. No allowance is provided for dependents. 
U.S. flag air carriers must be used to the maximum extent possible when 
commercial air transportation is available for travel between the 
United States and a foreign country or between foreign countries.  
Funds are not provided to cover the cost of travel between the fellow's 
place of residence and a domestic training institution. However, in 
cases of extreme need or hardship, a one-way travel allowance may be 
authorized by the sponsoring institution. Such travel must be paid from 
the institutional allowance. 

Facilities and Administrative Costs.  F&A (indirect) costs are not 
allowed on individual fellowship awards.

SUPPLEMENTATION OF STIPENDS, COMPENSATION, AND OTHER INCOME 

The sponsoring institution is allowed to provide funds to the fellow in 
addition to the stipends paid by the NIH.  Such additional amounts 
either may be 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 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 fellow's approved Kirschstein-NRSA training program.

Stipend Supplementation: Supplementation or additional support to 
offset the cost of living may be provided by the sponsoring 
institution. Supplementation does not require additional effort from 
the fellow.  DHHS funds may not be used for supplementation under any 
circumstances. Additionally, no funds from other Federal agencies may 
be used for supplementation unless specifically authorized by the NIH 
and the other Federal Agency.    

Compensation:  The sponsoring institution may provide additional funds 
to a fellow in the form of compensation (as salary and/or tuition 
remission) for services such as teaching or serving as a research 
assistant.  A fellow 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 the fellow's 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. Postdoctoral fellows may also be 
eligible to participate in the NIH Extramural Loan Repayment Program.  
Information on this program is available at http://www.lrp.nih.gov/. 

Concurrent Awards:  A Kirschstein-NRSA fellowship may not be held 
concurrently with another federally sponsored fellowship or similar 
Federal award that provides a stipend or otherwise duplicates 
provisions of this award.

TAX LIABILITY

Section 117 of the Internal Revenue Code 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 
Kirschstein-NRSA trainees or fellows and their institutions.  
Kirschstein-NRSA stipends are not considered salaries.  In addition, 
trainees supported under the Kirschstein-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 fellowship 
award.  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.

SERVICE PAYBACK

As required by the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993, postdoctoral fellows 
incur a service obligation of 1 month for each month of support during 
the first 12 months of the Kirschstein-NRSA postdoctoral support. The 
13th and subsequent months of Kirschstein-NRSA support are acceptable 
postdoctoral payback service. Thus, individuals who continue under the 
award for 2 years will have paid off their first year obligation by the 
end of the second year. 

Applicants accepting an award for the first 12 months of Kirschstein-
NRSA postdoctoral  support must sign a payback agreement (PHS Form 
6031) in which they agree to  engage in health-related research 
training, research, and/or teaching for 12  months. 

Those who do not pay back their obligation through continued 
Kirschstein-NRSA supported training may satisfy their obligation by 
serving in a position in which health- related research, research 
training, or teaching are the primary activities.   Such individuals 
must engage in research, research training, or teaching at a rate of 20 
or more hours per week averaged over a full work-year. Payback service 
may be conducted in an academic, governmental, commercial, or 
nonacademic environment, in the United States or in a foreign country. 
Examples of acceptable payback service include research 
associateships/assistantships, postdoctoral research fellowships, and 
college or high school science teaching positions. Examples of 
unacceptable payback service include clinical practice and 
administrative responsibilities not directly related to scientific 
research. 

Payback service positions are arranged by the individual, not by the 
NIH. The NIH will review and approve the activity at the end of the 
year in which it occurs. Service to satisfy any outstanding obligation 
must be initiated within 2 years after termination of Kirschstein-NRSA 
support, and must be performed on a continuous basis. For individuals 
who fail to fulfill their service obligation, the United States is 
entitled to recover the total amount of Kirschstein-NRSA funds paid to 
the individual for the obligated period plus interest at a rate 
determined by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Treasury. 
Financial payback must be completed within 3 years, beginning on the 
date the United States becomes entitled to recover such amount. 

Under certain conditions, the Secretary, DHHS, may extend the period 
for starting service, permit breaks in service, extend the period of 
repayment, or otherwise waive the payback obligation when compliance 
would constitute a substantial hardship against equity and good 
conscience. Policies regarding the Kirschstein-NRSA payback obligation 
are explained in the Kirschstein-NRSA Section of the NIH Grants Policy 
Statement available at https://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/policy.htm.  
Specific questions may appear in a list of Frequently Asked Questions 
that appears on the Web at 
https://grants.nih.gov/training/faq_fellowships.htm.  Other questions on 
payback should be directed to the appropriate NIH institute contact. 

LEAVE POLICIES

In general, fellows may receive stipends during the normal periods of 
vacation and holidays observed by individuals in comparable training 
positions at the sponsoring 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.  Fellows 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.  Fellows 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 fellowship funds for leave not taken. Fellows 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.  

PART-TIME TRAINING

Under unusual and pressing personal circumstances, a fellow may submit 
a written request to the awarding component to permit less than full-
time training.  Such requests will be considered on a case-by-case 
basis.  They must be approved by the awarding NIH Institute or Center 
in advance for each budget period.  The nature of the circumstances 
requiring the part-time training might include medical conditions, 
disability, or pressing personal or family situations such as child or 
elder care.  Permission for part-time training will not be approved to 
accommodate other sources of funding, job opportunities, clinical 
practice, clinical training, or for other responsibilities associated 
with the fellow's position at the institution.  In each case, the 
fellow must submit a written request countersigned by the sponsor and 
an appropriate institutional business official that includes 
documentation supporting the need for part-time training.  The written 
request also must include an estimate of the expected duration of the 
period of part-time training, an assurance that the fellow intends to 
return to full-time training when that becomes possible, and an 
assurance that the trainee intends to complete the proposed research 
training program. In no case will it be permissible for the fellow to 
be engaged in Kirschstein-NRSA supported research training for less 
than 50 percent effort.  Individuals who must reduce their commitment 
to less than 50 percent effort must take a leave-of-absence from 
Kirschstein-NRSA fellowship support.  The fellowship notice of award 
will be reissued and the stipend will be pro-rated during the period of 
any approved part-time training. Part-time training may affect the rate 
of accrual or repayment of the service obligation for postdoctoral 
fellows.  

OTHER SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

Fellowships must be administered in accordance with the current NRSA 
section of the Grants Policy Statement at 
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/policy.htm), and any terms and 
conditions specified on the award notice. 

Certification and Reporting Procedures. No application will be accepted 
without the applicant signing the certification block on the face page 
of the application.  Individuals admitted to the United States as 
Permanent Residents must submit notarized evidence of legal admission 
prior to the award.  A Payback Agreement Form (PHS 6031) must accompany 
the Activation Notice for any award that occurs during the individual's 
initial 12 months of Kirschstein-NRSA postdoctoral support. When 
support ends, the fellow must submit a Termination Notice (PHS 416-7) 
to the NIH.  If the fellow has a payback obligation, he or she must 
notify the NIH of any change in address and submit Annual Payback 
Activities Certification Forms (PHS 6031-1) until the payback service 
obligation is satisfied.  Forms will be provided to awardees by the NIH 
awarding component.  Forms may also be found on the NIH Website at 
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms.htm. 

Inventions and Publications. Fellowships made primarily for educational 
purposes are exempted from the PHS invention requirements.  F32 awards 
will not contain any provision giving PHS rights to inventions made by 
the awardee. 

Data Sharing.  It is the policy of the DHHS that the results and 
accomplishments of all funded activities should be made available to 
the public.  This policy also applies to individuals supported by 
individual Kirschstein-NRSA postdoctoral fellowships.  The sponsoring 
institution should place no restrictions on the publication of results 
in a timely manner. 

Copyrights. Except as otherwise provided in the terms and conditions of 
the award, the recipient is free to arrange for copyright without 
approval when publications, data, or other copyrightable works are 
developed in the course of work under a PHS grant-supported project or 
activity. Any such copyrighted or copyrightable works shall be subject 
to a royalty-free, nonexclusive, and irrevocable license to the 
Government to reproduce, publish, or otherwise use them, and to 
authorize others to do so for Federal Government purposes. 

WHERE TO SEND INQUIRIES

As indicated above, 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)
Robin Barr, Ph.D.
Telephone: 301-496-9322
Email: rb42h@nih.gov

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Tina Vanderveen, Ph.D.
Office of Collaborative Research
Telephone: 301-443-2531
E-mail: tv9f@nih.gov 

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Milton Hernandez, Ph.D.
Telephone: 301-496-3775
Email: mh35c@nih.gov

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

National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB)
Richard Swaja, Ph.D.
Telephone: 301-451-6771
E-mail: swajar@nibib.nih.gov 

National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Lester Gorelic, Ph.D. and Cynthia Pond, Ph.D.
Telephone: 301-496-8580
Email: lg2h@nih.gov and cp32z@nih.gov

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
Steven Klein, Ph.D.
Telephone: 301-496-5541
Email: sk56d@nih.gov
 
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders 
(NIDCD)
Daniel Sklare, Ph.D.
Telephone: 301-496-1804
Email: ds104i@nih.gov

National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)
James Lipton, Ph.D.
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
James Hyde, Ph.D.
Telephone: 301- 594-7692
Email: jh486z@nih.gov 

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

Division of Kidney, Urologic, and Hematologic Diseases
Terry Rogers Bishop, Ph.D.
Telephone: 301-594-7717
Email: tb232j@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

Center on AIDS and Other Medical Consequences of Drug Abuse
Helen Cesari, M.Sc.
Telephone: 301-402-1918
Email: hc30x@nih.gov

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

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

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

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
Carol Shreffler, Ph.D.
Telephone: 919 - 541- 1445    
Email: shreffl1@niehs.nih.gov
 
National Eye Institute (NEI)
Chyren Hunter, Ph.D.
Telephone: 301-496-2020
Email: CLH@nei.nih.gov 
http://www.nei.nih.gov/funding/t32.htm

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

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Sandra Colombini Hatch, M.D.
Telephone: 301-435-0220
Email: hatchs@nhlbi.nih.gov

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

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Mark Chavez, Ph.D.
Division of Mental Disorders, Behavioral Research, and AIDS
Telephone: 301-443-8942
Email: mchavez1@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)
NINDS Training and Career Development Officer
Telephone: 301-496-4188
Email: NINDSTrainingOffice@ninds.nih.gov

National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) 
Nell Armstrong, Ph.D., R.N.
Telephone: (301) 594-5973
Email: armstrongn@nih.gov

National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM)
Nancy J. Pearson, Ph.D.
Telephone: 301-594-0519
Email: pearsonn@mail.nih.gov

National Center for Research Resources (NCRR)
Franziska Grieder, D.V.M., Ph.D.
Telephone: 301-435-0744
Email: griederf@ncrr.nih.gov

NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS)
Mary Frances Picciano, Ph.D.
Telephone: 301-435-2920
Email: piccianom@od.nih.gov 

If you are not sure whom to contact about this program, please call:

Walter T. Schaffer, Ph.D.
Research Training Officer
National Institutes of Health
6705 Rockledge Drive, Room 3537
Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7963
Phone: 301-435-2687
FAX: 301-480-0146
Email: ws11q@nih.gov

SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION  

Individuals must submit the application using the Ruth L. Kirschstein 
National Research Service Award Individual Fellowship Form (PHS 416-1, 
rev. 06/02) available at https://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms.htm. 
APPLICATIONS MUST INCLUDE AT LEAST THREE SEALED LETTERS OF REFERENCE.  
APPLICATIONS WITHOUT AT LEAST THREE LETTERS OF REFERENCE MAY BE 
RETURNED OR DELAYED IN REVIEW.  If the applicant has been lawfully 
admitted to the United States for permanent residence, the appropriate 
item should be checked on the Face Page of the application. Applicants 
who have applied for and have not yet been granted admission as a 
permanent resident  should check the Permanent Resident block on the 
Face Page of the PHS 416-1 application, and also write in the word 
"pending." A notarized statement documenting legal admission for 
permanent residence must be submitted prior to the issuance of an 
award. 

If the fellowship application is submitted in response to a Program 
Announcement (PA) or Request for Application (RFA) from a particular 
NIH institute, the applicant should identify the number of the PA or 
RFA in Item 3. 

Instructions in the Responsible Conduct of Research.

Applications must include the candidate's plans for obtaining 
instruction in the responsible conduct of research, including the 
rationale, subject matter, appropriateness, format, frequency and 
duration of instruction.  The amount and nature of faculty 
participation must be described.  No award will be made if an 
application lacks this component.

Application Materials.  

Applications must be prepared using the PHS 416-1 application form and 
instructions for Individual National Research Service Award Fellowships 
(rev. 06/02).  The PHS 416-1 is available at 
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms.htm in an interactive format.  For 
further assistance contact GrantsInfo, Telephone (301) 710-0267, Email: 
GrantsInfo@nih.gov.

APPLICATION PROCESSING: Applications must be mailed on or before the 
receipt dates for individual NRSA Fellowships described at 
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm.  The 
Center for Scientific Review (CSR) will not accept any application in 
response to this PA that is essentially the same as one currently 
pending initial review unless the applicant withdraws the pending 
application.  The CSR will not accept any application that is 
essentially the same as one already reviewed.  This does not preclude 
the submission of a substantial revision of an application already 
reviewed, but such application must include an Introduction addressing 
the previous critique.  

Although there is no immediate acknowledgement of the receipt of an 
application, applicants are generally notified of the review and 
funding assignment within 8 weeks.  Normally the complete review 
process takes between 5 and 8 months.  

INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE REVIEWED

Submit a signed, typewritten original of the application (including the 
Checklist, Personal Data form, AT LEAST THREE SEALED REFERENCE LETTERS, 
and all other required materials) and two (2) 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, MSC 7710
Bethesda, MD  20892-7710
Bethesda, MD  20817 (for express/courier service)

All applications submitted to the Center for Scientific Review must 
come via United States Postal Service or a recognized delivery/courier 
service.  Individuals may not personally deliver packages to the 
building on Rockledge Drive.  For further information please see 
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-02-012.html. 

PEER REVIEW PROCESS

Complete applications will be assigned to the appropriate participating 
Institute and a suitable Scientific Review Group (SRG) in the Center 
for Scientific Review (CSR) or in the assigned NIH Institute or Center.  
Applicants will be notified by mail of their application's Institute 
and SRG assignment.  

Applications receive two sequential levels of review. The first level 
is an assessment of the merit of the research training by an SRG, 
composed primarily of non-government scientists selected for their 
competence in research and research training in a scientific area 
related to the application.  After the SRG meeting, the Scientific 
Review Administrator (SRA), a designated Federal official, who 
coordinates the review of applications for the SRG, prepares a written 
summary of the review of each application and forwards it to the 
appropriate NIH Institute.  Staff within the assigned funding Institute 
or Center provides a second level of review. 

REVIEW CRITERIA

The review criteria focus on four main components: 

o Candidate: An assessment of the candidate's previous academic and 
research performance and the potential to become an important 
contributor to biomedical, behavioral, or clinical science. 

o Sponsor and Training Environment: An assessment of the quality of the 
training environment and the qualifications of the sponsor as a mentor 
for the proposed research training experience. 

o Research Proposal: The merit of the scientific proposal and its 
relationship to the candidate's career plans. 

o Training Potential: An assessment of the value of the proposed 
fellowship experience as it relates to the candidate's needs in 
preparation for a career as an independent researcher. 

ADDITIONAL REVIEW CRITERIA: In addition to the above criteria, the 
following items may be considered in the determination of scientific 
merit and the priority score:

PROTECTION OF HUMAN SUBJECTS FROM RESEARCH RISK: The involvement of 
human subjects and protections from research risk relating to their 
participation in the proposed research will be assessed. (See criteria 
included in the section on Federal Citations, below).
 
INCLUSION OF WOMEN, MINORITIES AND CHILDREN IN RESEARCH: The adequacy 
of plans to include subjects from both genders, all racial and ethnic 
groups (and subgroups), and children as appropriate for the scientific 
goals of the research will be assessed.  Plans for the recruitment and 
retention of subjects will also be evaluated. (See Inclusion Criteria 
in the sections on Federal Citations, below).

CARE AND USE OF VERTEBRATE ANIMALS IN RESEARCH: If vertebrate animals 
are to be used in the project, the five items described on page 21 of 
the PHS 416-1 fellowship application instructions (rev. 6/2002) will be 
assessed (see https://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms.htm).  

Notification.  Shortly after the SRG meeting, applicants will be 
notified by mail of the SRG 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 the second-level review, the program official will notify 
applicants within the funding range of the final disposition of the 
application. Any questions on SRG recommendations and funding 
possibilities should be directed to the appropriate Institute program 
official, not the Scientific Review Administrator of the SRG.  

AWARD CRITERIA 

NIH staff use the following criteria in making awards:   (1) 
eligibility of the applicant; (2) the SRG recommendation of the overall 
merit of the application; (3) the relevance of the application to the 
Institute's research training priorities and program balance; and (4) 
the availability of funds.

Activation. No funds may be disbursed until the fellow has started 
training under the award and an Activation Notice (PHS 416-5) and (when 
appropriate) a Payback Agreement (PHS 6031) has been submitted to the 
NIH.  An awardee has up to 6 months from the issue date on the award 
notice to activate the award. Under unusual circumstances, an NIH 
institute may grant an extension of the activation period upon receipt 
of a specific request from the fellow. 

REQUIRED FEDERAL CITATIONS 

HUMAN SUBJECTS PROTECTION:  Federal regulations (45CFR46) require that 
applications and proposals involving human subjects must be evaluated 
with reference to the risks to the subjects, the adequacy of protection 
against these risks, the potential benefits of the research to the 
subjects and others, and the importance of the knowledge gained or to 
be gained.

MONITORING PLAN AND DATA SAFETY AND MONITORING BOARD: Research 
components involving Phase I and II clinical trials must include 
provisions for assessment of patient eligibility and status, rigorous 
data management, quality assurance, and auditing procedures.  In 
addition, it is NIH policy that all clinical trials require data and 
safety monitoring, with the method and degree of monitoring being 
commensurate with the risks (NIH Policy for Data Safety and Monitoring, 
NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, June 12, 1998: 
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not98-084.html).  

INCLUSION OF WOMEN AND MINORITIES IN CLINICAL RESEARCH: It is the 
policy of the NIH that women and members of minority groups and their 
sub-populations must be included in all NIH-supported clinical research 
projects unless a clear and compelling justification is provided 
indicating 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 clinical research should read the "NIH 
Guidelines for Inclusion of Women and Minorities as Subjects in 
Clinical Research - Amended, October, 2001," published in the NIH Guide 
for Grants and Contracts on October 9, 2001 
(https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-02-001.html); a 
complete copy of the updated Guidelines are available at 
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/women_min/guidelines_amended_10_
2001.htm.  The amended policy incorporates: the use of an NIH
definition of clinical research; updated racial and ethnic categories
in compliance with the new OMB standards; clarification of language 
governing NIH-defined Phase III clinical trials consistent with the new 
PHS Form 398; and updated roles and responsibilities of NIH staff and 
the extramural community.  The policy continues to require for all NIH-
defined Phase III clinical trials that: a) all applications or 
proposals and/or protocols must provide a description of plans to 
conduct analyses, as appropriate, to address differences by sex/gender 
and/or racial/ethnic groups, including subgroups if applicable; and b) 
investigators must report annual accrual and progress in conducting 
analyses, as appropriate, by sex/gender and/or racial/ethnic group 
differences.

INCLUSION OF CHILDREN AS PARTICIPANTS IN RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMAN 
SUBJECTS: The NIH maintains a policy 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 is available at 
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/children/children.htm. 

REQUIRED EDUCATION ON THE PROTECTION OF HUMAN SUBJECT PARTICIPANTS:  
NIH policy requires education on the protection of human subject 
participants for all investigators submitting NIH proposals for 
research involving human subjects.  You will find this policy 
announcement in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts Announcement, 
dated June 5, 2000, at
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-00-039.html.

HUMAN EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS (hESC): Criteria for federal funding of 
research on hESCs can be found at 
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/stem_cells.htm and at 
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-02-005.html.  
Only research using hESC lines that are registered in the NIH Human 
Embryonic Stem Cell Registry will be eligible for Federal funding (see 
http://escr.nih.gov).   It is the responsibility of the applicant to 
provide the official NIH identifier(s)for the hESC line(s)to be used in 
the proposed research.  Applications that do not provide this 
information will be returned without review. 

PUBLIC ACCESS TO RESEARCH DATA THROUGH THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT: 
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-110 has been 
revised to provide public access to research data through the Freedom 
of Information Act (FOIA) under some circumstances.  Data that are (1) 
first produced in a project that is supported in whole or in part with 
Federal funds and (2) cited publicly and officially by a Federal agency 
in support of an action that has the force and effect of law (i.e., a 
regulation) may be accessed through FOIA.  It is important for 
applicants to understand the basic scope of this amendment.  NIH has 
provided guidance at 
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/a110/a110_guidance_dec1999.htm.

Applicants may wish to place data collected under this PA in a public 
archive, which can provide protections for the data and manage the 
distribution for an indefinite period of time.  If so, the application 
should include a description of the archiving plan in the study design 
and include information about this in the budget justification section 
of the application. In addition, applicants should think about how to 
structure informed consent statements and other human subjects 
procedures given the potential for wider use of data collected under 
this award.

URLs IN NIH GRANT APPLICATIONS OR APPENDICES: All applications and 
proposals for NIH funding must be self-contained within specified page 
limitations. Unless otherwise specified in an NIH solicitation, 
Internet addresses (URLs) should not be used to provide information 
necessary to the review because reviewers are under no obligation to 
view the Internet sites.   Furthermore, we caution reviewers that their 
anonymity may be compromised when they directly access an Internet 
site.

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 PA 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.

AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS 

Kirschstein-NRSA awards are made under the authority of Section 487 of 
the Public Health Service Act as amended (42 USC 288), and Title 42 of 
the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 66. All awards are subject to the 
terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations 
described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.  The NIH Grants Policy 
Statement can be found at 
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/policy.htm. This program is not 
subject to the intergovernmental review requirements of Executive Order 
12372 or Health Systems Agency review. 

The PHS strongly encourages all grant recipients to provide a smoke-
free workplace and discourage the use of all tobacco products.  In 
addition, Public Law 103-227, the Pro-Children Act of 1994, prohibits 
smoking in certain facilities (or in some cases, any portion of a 
facility) in which regular or routine education, library, day care, 
health care, or early childhood development services are provided to 
children.  This is consistent with the PHS mission to protect and 
advance the physical and mental health of the American people.


Weekly TOC for this Announcement
NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices


Office of Extramural Research (OER) - Home Page Office of Extramural
Research (OER)
  National Institutes of Health (NIH) - Home Page National Institutes of Health (NIH)
9000 Rockville Pike
Bethesda, Maryland 20892
  Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) - Home Page Department of Health
and Human Services (HHS)
  USA.gov - Government Made Easy


Note: For help accessing PDF, RTF, MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Audio or Video files, see Help Downloading Files.