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Supplemental Guidelines for the Ruth L. Kirschstein
Institutional National Research Service Award (T32)

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
National Institutes of Health

Revised May 2007

This document contains instructions for preparing applications for the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Institutional National Research Service Awards (T32). These instructions must be used for all T32 applications submitted to the NHLBI effective with the January 25, 2007 receipt date, and are to be used in conjunction with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) T32 Program Announcement (PA-06-468), the PHS 398, referenced under General Information, VI. Other Documents Required for Preparing Applications, and the NHLBI Notice of Change in Submission Dates, NOT-HL-07-109. Looking ahead: As part of the Department of Health and Human Services' Implementation of e-Government, during FY 2006 and FY 2007 the NIH will gradually transition each research grant mechanism to electronic submission through Grants.gov and the use of the SF 424 Research and Related (R&R) forms. Therefore, once the transition is made for a specific grant mechanism, investigators and institutions will be required to submit applications electronically using Grants.gov. For more information and an initial timeline, see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-05-067.html. NIH will announce each grant mechanism change in the NIH Guide to Grants and Contracts (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/index.html). Specific funding opportunity announcements will also clearly indicate if Grants.gov submission and the use of the SF 424 (R&R) is required. Investigators should consult the NIH Forms and Applications Web site (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms.htm) for the most current information when preparing a grant application. The T32 mechanism has not yet converted to electronic submissions.

Also included in this document are:

Frequently Asked Questions for T32 applications;
Guidance on Recruitment of Minority Trainees; and
Sample Mentorship Evaluation Form

All potential applicants, whether applying for new or renewal awards, are encouraged to consult with NHLBI program staff listed under General Information, VII. Staff Contacts early in the preparation process.

Contents:

General Information
I.	Introduction
II.	Special Requirements and Provisions
III.	Application Procedures
IV.	Review Procedures and Criteria
V.	Award Criteria
VI.	Other Documents Required for Preparing Applications
VII.	Staff Contacts

Preparation Instructions
A.	Background
B.	Program Plan
	1.	Program Administration
	2.	Program Faculty
	3.	Proposed Training
	4.	Training Program Evaluation
	5.	Trainee Candidates
C.	Suggested Tabular Formats for Required Data – ( View and print all the tables)
	1.	Table 1. Membership of Participating Departments/Programs
	2.	Table 2. Institutional Training Grant Support Available to Participating Faculty Members, Departments or Programs
	3.	Table 3. Participating Faculty Members
	4.	Table 4. Current and Pending Research Grant and Contract Support of the Training Faculty
	5.	Table 5a. Pre- and Postdoctoral Training Record of Participating Faculty for the Previous Ten Years (Alphabetically by Faculty Member/Chronologically by Training Period)
		Table 5b. Publications of Research Completed by Trainees (or Potential Trainees) (List Pre/Postdoctoral and Past/Current Trainees Separately and Alphabetically in Each Group)
	6.	Table 6. Applicant Pool for Selection of Trainees for the Previous Five Years
	7.	Table 7. Predoctoral Applicant Pool
	8.	Table 8. Postdoctoral Applicant Pool
	9.	Table 9. Underrepresented Minority Recruitment Achievements
	10.	Table 10. Assignment of Awarded Trainee Positions
	11.	Table 11. Training Supported by this Current Grant for the Previous Ten Years
D.	Recruitment of Individuals from Underrepresented Racial/Ethnic Groups
E.	Responsible Conduct of Research

Additional documents:

Frequently Asked Questions

Recruitment of Minority Individuals into NRSA Training Grants

Sample: Mentorship Evaluation Form [PDF file, 67 K, 4 pages]

General Information

I. Introduction

The NHLBI reviewed its research training and career development programs in November 1999 to ensure that they will produce the research workforce needed for the future of heart, lung, blood, and sleep disorders research. A workshop and other deliberations have identified specific areas needing increased emphasis in NHLBI's Institutional National Research Service Award (NRSA) Research Training Grants (T32s), which are the cornerstone of NHLBI training activities. The workshop report can be found at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/funding/training/train-rev.htm.

Areas of training to receive increased emphasis by NHLBI include:

providing multidisciplinary training and exposure of trainees to collaborative research;

developing new investigators with the necessary competencies and breadth of expertise needed for the future of biomedical research;

ensuring that trainees receive adequate mentorship, and that mentorship is taught and evaluated;

recruiting and retaining such investigators in the scientific workforce and ensuring adequate representation of the nation’s diversity in that workforce; and

providing a continued flow of qualified physician-scientists able to translate findings freely between the basic and clinical spheres.

To ensure that T32 applications address these areas of emphasis, the NHLBI has set forth the following specific requirements and review criteria.

II. Special Requirements and Provisions

A.	Special NHLBI Programmatic Emphases:

	1.		Multidisciplinary training

		a.	At all stages of education and training, Program Directors should foster broad, multidisciplinary approaches to research, including encouragement of interaction and collaboration among trainees in related disciplines. This could include travel by trainees to other laboratories outside the applicant institution to receive training in specialized disciplines, methodologies, or technologies.

		b.	Program Directors should encourage new trainees to widen the scope of their interests and capabilities, to avoid too narrow a focus too early in their careers and to develop the flexibility needed for pursuing rapidly evolving scientific advances.

		c.	NHLBI encourages development of novel programs of research training, to emphasize multidisciplinary team approaches, networking, and collaboration, emphasizing the competencies needed for the future of biomedical research.

		d.	NHLBI encourages development of “virtual” research training centers, to link (electronically or through other means) multiple institutions with unique or specific expertise to address a common problem. Program Directors are encouraged to broaden training experiences beyond a single institution (in academia and industry) using both long and short-term training experiences. Such experiences might include exchanges of faculty and students. Plans should be described for how interactions among participants will take place.

	2.		Necessary competencies

		a.	Applicants are encouraged to identify scientific disciplines and evolving areas of scientific need which are currently under-represented and to design and implement training programs in such disciplines. Documentation of available opportunities in such fields and of the lack of qualified scientists to realize these opportunities should be included to justify emphasis on these evolving areas.

		b.	Programs in disciplines related to clinical research should also include training in bioethics, clinical trials and behavioral science. When possible and appropriate, training programs should include training in state-of-the-art technologies, integrative approaches, and such mathematically-based areas as bioinformatics, computational biology, and statistics.

		c.	Training at the pre- and postdoctoral levels should include “survival skills” such as grant and manuscript writing, public speaking, obtaining funding, mentorship (that is, providing skills that will enable current trainees to train subsequent “generations” of scientists), and establishing research collaborations in a multidisciplinary setting.

	3.		Mentorship

		a.	NHLBI encourages “group mentorship,” where multiple senior partners in team-based research lend their individual expertise to the trainee, as appropriate to the trainee's level of development and under the overall guidance of the Program Director.

		b.	Program Directors should provide a detailed mentoring plan for the “typical” trainee and should describe the process by which specific plans will be developed for future trainees, including a description of approaches to be used in mentoring and methods for evaluating and reporting effectiveness of the mentoring program in annual progress reports. Formal evaluation by trainees is encouraged (see Sample: Mentorship Evaluation Form). Formal evaluation of trainees by their mentors or advisory committees is also encouraged.

		c.	Applicant institutions should demonstrate their support of mentoring, in terms of institutional administrative support, protected time for mentoring, and departmental support for student activities. They should detail the steps taken to ensure that trainees are aware of what they may expect from their mentors and institutions and what in turn is expected of them.

		d.	Consideration should be given to including as mentors or co-mentors junior faculty who have established active, independent research programs early in their careers. The mentoring abilities of dynamic young investigators may need to be documented in ways other than a long track record of producing seasoned independent investigators, but the value of such individuals as role models should not be underestimated.

		e.	Where possible and practical, the training experience should be broadened by encouraging the active participation of scientists and laboratories in industry settings. This could include industry scientists acting as mentors on training grants or providing short-term experiences in industry settings for trainees. Cost sharing in such partnerships on the part of industry is encouraged.

	4.		Workforce diversity

		a.	NHLBI encourages vigorous efforts to recruit and retain underrepresented minority trainees in its NRSA programs. Once all training positions are filled, including an adequate representation of minority trainees, institutional NRSA training grants funded by NHLBI may request an administrative increase to support training of an additional underrepresented minority trainee or a person with a disability. Procedures for requesting these increases are available at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/funding/policies/t32slotpros.htm. NHLBI encourages the recruitment of eligible individuals from the full spectrum of minority groups, but with special emphasis on those underrepresented in biomedical research, including African Americans/Blacks, Hispanics, American Indians, Alaska Natives, and non-Asian Pacific Islanders.

		b.	The NRSA program has a program for limited part-time training for trainees beginning families and facing other unique pressures, which is described in the NIH T32 Program Announcement PA-06-468 (see General Information, VI. Other Documents Required for Preparing Applications).

	5.		Clinical research

		a.	NHLBI encourages development of physician-investigators with necessary skills to translate research findings from the laboratory and clinical research program into clinical practice.

		b.	Programs of clinical relevance should be established for PhD scientist-trainees, with an emphasis on postdoctoral training and course work in human biology and behavioral science, to facilitate their subsequent engagement in human subjects research or clinical trials.

		c.	Applicants are encouraged to develop innovative approaches to training physicians and non-physicians in clinical research skills in the context of NHLBI clinical networks and multicenter studies. Such training can be facilitated by building on existing study infrastructure and ongoing activities. Programs that foster translational research skills bridging basic and clinical research are encouraged.

B. NHLBI Provisions of Award

	1.	Support may be requested for predoctoral training, postdoctoral training, or a combination of both as defined under the NRSA guidelines. In addition, applicants may request support for short-term (that is, 2-3 months’ duration) research training positions for students enrolled in a program leading to a clinical doctorate or a masters or doctorate in a physical or quantitative science such as physics, chemistry, mathematics, or engineering.

	2.	NHLBI will not award costs through the tuition and fees category for items such as malpractice insurance, computer fees, or radioactive waste disposal.

	3.	Up to $1,400 per trainee per year may be requested for trainee travel (for pre- and post-doctoral trainees only).

	4.	Stipend increases are reviewed annually and will be incorporated into future year commitments. Actual funding levels for each budget period will be determined annually following NHLBI staff evaluation of the non-competing renewal application.

C. Special NHLBI Programmatic Requirements: Recruitment of Minority Individuals

NHLBI is strongly committed to ensuring diversity in its research training programs. Each application must include plans for the active recruitment of minority individuals. Detailed instructions on preparing the minority recruitment portion of the application can be found on page 67 in the PHS-398, referenced under General Information, VI. Other Documents Required for Preparing Applications. While it is appropriate to describe minority recruitment activities supported by the applicant institution (i.e., Office of Minority Affairs, etc.), this type of activity is generally not specific to an individual training grant. Applicants should also describe their personal involvement in recruitment efforts for the specific application (visits to minority institutions, personal follow-up of potential applicants and interviewees, etc.) Emphasis should be on recruitment of minorities underrepresented in the behavioral and biomedical sciences, including African Americans/Blacks, Hispanics, American Indians, Alaska Natives, and non-Asian Pacific Islanders.

III. Application Procedures

A. Application Receipt and Award Dates:

Receipt dates for competing applications:

January 25 - The NHLBI will accept all types of competing T32 applications (new, renewal/competing continuation, resubmission/amended) on this date.
May 25 - This date has been eliminated; after 5/25/07 no T32 applications of any type will be accepted.
September 25 - Only resubmission/amended T32 applications will be accepted on this date.

Award Date:

New competing awards for T32 grants will be issued as early as February. Competing Renewals will usually follow the dates of the last non-competing award end date.

According to NIH policy, applications for NRSA Institutional Grants who are requesting $500,000 or more in direct costs for any year must obtain, prior to submission, NHLBI agreement to accept their applications for consideration. This policy applies to new competing, renewal/competing continuation, and resubmission/amended applications. Requests must be received by the NHLBI no later than 6 weeks prior to the January 25 receipt date. Without this advance acceptance, applications will be returned by the Center for Scientific Review. Assistance for requesting NHLBI acceptance and further details about this policy can be obtained at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/funding/policies/500kweb.htm.

B. Where to Send the Application:

The signed original and five complete photocopies of the application (with full Appendix materials) should be submitted to the Center for Scientific Review (CSR), NIH, at the following address:

Center for Scientific Review
National Institutes of Health
6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 1040, MSC 7710
Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7710 (U.S. Postal Service Express or regular mail)
Bethesda, Maryland 20817 (for express/courier service; non-USPS service)

Personal deliveries of applications are no longer permitted (see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-03-040.html.)

To expedite the review process conducted by NHLBI, one additional signed complete photocopy of the application should be sent to:

Chief, Review Branch
Division of Extramural Research Activities
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Two Rockledge Center, Suite 7214
6701 Rockledge Drive, MSC 7924
Bethesda, MD 20892-7924
Bethesda, MD 20817 (express/courier service)

Prior to submission, applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the appropriate program director to discuss preparation and review of the application (see General Information, VII. Staff Contacts).

IV. Review Procedures and Criteria

A. Review Procedures:

Upon receipt, applications will be reviewed by the Center for Scientific Review (CSR) and the NHLBI for completeness and conformance to all eligibility requirements and special provisions and requirements. Incomplete or ineligible applications will be returned to the applicant without further consideration.

Applications judged to be complete and eligible will be evaluated for merit by a peer review group convened by the NHLBI Division of Extramural Research Activities. NHLBI has several specific review criteria related to its areas of emphasis, as described below, which will be used in addition to the peer review criteria stated in the NIH T32 Program Announcement (PA-06-468), referenced under General Information, VI. Other Documents Required for Preparing Applications. Applications will receive a second-level review by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Advisory Council to ensure that they meet the broad programmatic needs and priorities of the NHLBI.

B. Review Criteria:

1.	Mentoring Plans: The quality of mentoring plans will be evaluated and reflected in the priority score based on:

	a.	Adequacy and appropriateness of specific mentoring plan (for individual trainees) or representative plan (and proposals for tailoring it to needs of multiple trainees), to include:

		i.	Identification of primary mentor and secondary mentors or advisors and specific areas in which they will provide guidance;

		ii.	Description of specific time commitment of primary mentor to trainee/candidate and how it may change as needed during the training period;

		iii.	Adequacy and appropriateness of steps taken to ensure that trainees are aware of what they may expect from their mentors and institutions and what in turn is expected of them.

		iv.	Timeline for training and career development with specific milestones for acquiring necessary scientific knowledge and for developing research and communication skills, logical reasoning, independent thinking, ability to collaborate, collegial relationships with professional community, responsible scientific behavior, and career planning (including planned publications and future grant support);

		v.	Provisions for facilitating transition of trainee to a more independent status;

		vi.	Relationship of mentoring plan to candidate’s stated career goals and career development plan (for a single candidate) or to representative training plan (for multiple trainees).

	b.	Experience and expertise of the mentor(s) in providing training and career development.

	c.	Experience and expertise of the mentor(s) in a scientific discipline aligned with the career plans of the trainee.

2.	Training Environment: The training environment will be evaluated in regard to the adequacy and appropriateness of plans to pursue the Special NHLBI Programmatic Emphases described above, including:


	a.	Adequacy and appropriateness of plans for training in scientific competencies needed for the future of heart, lung, blood, and sleep disorders research, including:

		i.	Didactic courses, hands-on research participation, and other training experiences in areas of scientific need which currently are or are anticipated to be under-represented. Such programs should be justified by documentation of scientific opportunities in the proposed area and demonstration of expected lack of qualified personnel to pursue them in the near future.

		ii.	"Survival skills," such as seminars or courses on grant and manuscript writing, public speaking, obtaining funding, mentorship skills and establishing research collaborations in a multidisciplinary setting.

		iii.	Training in state-of-the-art technologies, integrative approaches, and such mathematically-based areas as bioinformatics and statistics where relevant, and demonstration of close integration of such training in the overall training program.

	b.	Evidence of multidisciplinary approaches to research training, designed to produce trainees able to bridge disciplines and move rapidly into new disciplines as they emerge, including:

		i.	Involvement and integration of mentors from multiple related disciplines in providing a coordinated training program to individual trainees.

		ii.	Exposure of trainees to multidisciplinary research environments and their inclusion in such environments when feasible and appropriate.

		iii.	Evidence of collaboration and interaction among training programs and trainees in related disciplines, to include exchanges of faculty and trainees, linking of multiple institutions, or other approaches, with clear plans for how productive interactions among participants will be established and monitored.

	c.	Adequacy and appropriateness of plans for training in clinical research, to include:

		i.	Plans for effective use of NHLBI center programs, clinical networks and multicenter studies to provide opportunities for training clinical investigators and PhD scientists in collaborative clinical research.

		ii.	Didactic courses, hands-on research participation, and other training experiences in disciplines fundamental to clinical research such as bioethics, clinical trials and behavioral science.

		iii.	Programs of clinical relevance for PhD scientist-trainees, with an emphasis on postdoctoral training and course work in human biology and behavioral science.

	d.	The level of institutional commitment, including:

		i.	Institutional administrative support;

		ii.	Protected time for mentoring;

		iii.	Trainees’ stipend supplementation from institutional sources;

		iv.	Departmental support for student activities.

3.	Minority Recruitment Plan: The plan must be specific for the program under review and will be evaluated and reflected in the priority score, including:


	a.	Adequacy of the plan for recruiting minority individuals into the proposed training program.

	b.	For competing continuation applications, track record of the plan in recruiting minorities.

	c.	For revised or competing continuation applications, modifications of the plan since the last review to overcome deficiencies.

4.	Career Experience of Past Trainees: The past training records of both the program and the designated preceptors are evaluated in regard to success of former trainees in seeking further career development and in establishing productive scientific careers. Evidence of a productive scientific career is not limited to successful competition for research grants but can also include a receipt of special honors or awards, 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.

V. Award Criteria

Shortly after review of the competing application by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Advisory Council, the NHLBI will notify the applicant of his/her funding status. Awards are made based on the availability of funds each fiscal year, the degree of merit as determined by peer reviewers and the program priorities of the NHLBI.

VI. Other Documents Required for Preparing Applications

In addition to this document, there are four other documents necessary for the preparation of the NHLBI T32 application:

1.	Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Institutional Research Training Grants (T32)” Program Announcement PA-06-468, issued in the NIH GUIDE FOR GRANTS AND CONTRACTS, June 16, 2006, available at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-06-468.html.

2.	PHS 398 application kit with particular attention paid to Section IV, Instructions for Preparing Institutional National Research Service Award Applications, available at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html.

3.	Specific NHLBI funding guidelines for NRSA programs are described in “NHLBI Funding and Operating Guidelines: NRSA and Career Awards” (includes information on Limits on Full-Time Training Positions, Receipt Dates, and Stipend Levels) available at: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/funding/policies/nrsa.htm.

4.	"Notice of New NIH Policy for Funding of Tuition, Fees, and Health Insurance on Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards" available at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-06-093.html.

Additional Helpful Resources

Excellent guides to professional mentorship are available and prospective Program Directors are encouraged to use them in developing their training programs.

The NIH Intramural Program’s Guide to Training and Mentoring is available at: http://www1.od.nih.gov/oir/sourcebook/ethic-conduct/mentor-guide.htm.

The National Academy of Sciences has an extensive mentorship guide available at: http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/mentor/.

VII. Staff Contacts

Programmatic or scientific issues: For more information and/or advice about the objectives and scope of this award, eligibility requirements, structure and organization of grant applications and peer review trends, please contact the scientific staff in the relevant Division as listed below. For applicants in the area of sleep disorders research, contact the Division most relevant to the training program being proposed.

For training in the program areas of the Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, contact:

Dr. Michael Commarato
Division of Cardiovascular Diseases
6701 Rockledge Drive
Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7940
Tel: 301-435-0535
Fax: 301-480-7971
Email: commaram@nhlbi.nih.gov

For training in the program areas of Division of Lung Diseases, contact:

Ms. Ann Rothgeb
Division of Lung Diseases
6701 Rockledge Drive
Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7952
Tel: 301-435-0202
Fax: 301-480-3557
Email: rothgeba@nhlbi.nih.gov

For training in the program areas of the Division of Blood Disease and Resources, contact:

Dr. Henry Chang
Division of Blood Diseases and Resources
6701 Rockledge Drive
Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7950
Tel: 301-435-0067
Fax: 301-480-0867
Email: changh@nhlbi.nih.gov

For training in the program areas of the Division of Prevention and Population Sciences, contact:

Dr. Charlotte Pratt
Division of Prevention and Population Sciences
6701 Rockledge Drive
Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7936
Tel: 301-435-0382
Fax: 301-480-5158
Email: prattc@nhlbi.nih.gov

Fiscal Issues:

For more information about the appropriate procedures for dealing with issues that involve budget and period of support of the award or that involve any other issues requiring approval by the NHLBI or post award actions, please contact the Grants Administration official listed below:

Ms. Beckie Chamberlin
Division of Extramural Research Activities
6701 Rockledge Drive
Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7926
Tel: 301-435-0183
Fax: 301-451-5462
Email: chamberr@nhlbi.nih.gov

Preparation Instructions

Follow the instructions in the PHS 398, Section IV, Instructions for Preparing Institutional National Research Service Award Applications. In addition, instructions and formats specific to NHLBI T32 applications are summarized below. Suggested tabular formats for presenting the required data are located in Section C of these instructions. The tables may also be useful as a framework for the narrative sections.

A. Background

Describe the scope and nature of the training program and the importance of these research areas to the needs of biomedical research and the breadth and depth of research training (i.e., skills that will be developed and opportunities for scientific cross-fertilization and interdepartmental contacts). Give the rationale for the proposed research training program as well as relevant background and history. This may include a brief description of both current and past training programs and their relation, if any, to the proposed program. Describe the amount of participation expected in formal course work, seminars, etc., within the framework of the program. In addition, give essential features that distinguish this as a program, rather than merely an aggregate of individual fellowship awards.

B. Program Plan

	1.	Program Administration

		Describe the Program Director’s relevant scientific background, research, experience in research training and qualifications for providing leadership for the program. Indicate the program director's percent of effort in the proposed program. Describe the administrative structure of the program, its relationship to the research training program, the distribution of responsibilities within it, and the mechanisms to be utilized by the Program Director to obtain continuing advice on the operation of the program. If advisory committees (both internal and external) are to be used for the program, a description of the composition of the committees, their function and responsibilities, and the frequency of meetings of the committees may be provided.

	2.	Program Faculty

		Present evidence that the faculty members listed have diversified research competence and training experiences, provide opportunities for research training which complement the aims of the training program, are competent and able to provide research training, and as a group manifest stability and cooperation. The roles of more junior faculty, if they are identified as trainers, should be justified. Independent research support (Table 4), involvement in other training support (whether as program director or faculty member, Table 2), and experience in training (Table 5a) should be delineated clearly for each member of the core training faculty.

	3.	Proposed Training

		Indicate how the individual disciplinary and/or departmental components in the program are integrated and coordinated for the program and for an individual trainee's experience. For training programs emphasizing research training for physicians (primarily those programs in clinical departments), describe the interactions with basic science departments and scientists. In addition, include plans for ensuring that the training of these physicians will provide a substantive foundation for a competitive research career. This may include an indication of the duration of the research training. Describe fully any trainee access to and responsibility for patients, including percent of effort.

		Describe predoctoral, postdoctoral, and short-term training components separately. For predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees indicate the training offered, the duration of training (i.e., the usual period of time to complete the training offered) and fields in which trainees will be qualified upon completion of training. For postdoctoral trainees, provide a breakdown of anticipated trainees by degree (M.D., Ph.D., etc.). Describe course work and research opportunities available and the extent to which trainees will participate directly in research. For short-term training components, include a description of the duration of training and months in which it will occur, special activities to be made available to all trainees (i.e., seminar activity), and plans for assigning trainees.

		Provide representative examples of individual trainee programs. Include curricula, degree requirements, didactic courses, laboratory experiences, qualifying examinations, and other training activities, such as seminars, journal clubs, etc. Describe how the preceptor and research projects are chosen by the trainee, how each trainee's program will be guided and how the trainee's performance will be monitored and evaluated.

		Justification should be provided for the length of the training and for differential treatment due to the degree (M.D., Ph.D., or equivalent) which a trainee holds. Moreover, all facets of the training program, including short-term and predoctoral training (if proposed) and the process by which trainees are assigned to preceptors, should be described clearly. It is required that trainees, other than short-term trainees, in the program be appointed for at least two years.

		The number of trainee positions proposed should be dependent on the applicant pool for the training program and the number of faculty participating in the program. The existence of a large applicant pool (relative to the number of positions requested) from which to choose trainees should help to ensure that high quality applicants will be appointed to the program.

		Applications should have a detailed mentoring plan and the process by which such plans will be developed for future trainees. Items to be discussed in a mentoring plan may include: 1) a description of approaches to be used in mentoring; 2) experience and expertise of mentors and proposed time commitment; 3) training in the skills of mentorship; 4) training in oral and written communication and personal interactions; 5) career planning; 6) legal and ethical aspects of conducting research; and 7) methods for evaluating and reporting effectiveness of mentoring program in annual progress reports. Applicant institutions should demonstrate their support of mentoring, in terms of institutional administrative support, protected time for mentoring, departmental support for student activities, and conscientious interaction and effort by student/fellow.

		NHLBI has developed specific criteria for evaluation of mentoring plans as described above in General Information, IV. Review Procedures and Criteria.

	4.	Training Program Evaluation

		Program Evaluation is required in the application with a description of plans to measure the impact of the program on the individual student and how the trainee's progress will be measured. This may include a description of plans to monitor the future career course of individual trainees, plans to evaluate the effectiveness of the overall program and the impact of the training program on the institution.

	5.	Trainee Candidates

		Provide criteria and procedures that will be used for recruitment and selection (address this for M.D. and Ph.D. trainees). Describe recruitment plans, including the sources and availability of trainees and steps to be taken to recruit individuals from minority groups that are now underrepresented nationally in the biomedical and behavioral sciences. For short-term trainees, provide a brief description of the characteristics of the students from which trainees will be recruited, including the total number of students, the estimated number of individuals who might be interested in the program, and the rationale supporting the estimate. The availability of qualified candidates should be described (Tables 6, 7, 8).

C. Suggested Tabular Formats for Required Data for Applications for the Ruth L. Kirschstein Institutional National Research Service Award (T32)

Tabular formats for presenting the data required for peer review of a NHLBI NRSA T32 application are provided below. These formats were developed in direct response to reviewers' requests for consistent data presentations. While not required, these specific formats will facilitate peer review and may also be useful as a framework for the narrative sections. It is strongly encouraged that the tables be included in the main application (will not be counted toward the page limitation) rather than in the Appendix.

Applicants may provide additional tables if they wish.

PDF file View and print all the tables

D. Recruitment of Individuals from Underrepresented Racial/Ethnic Groups

Describe plans for recruiting minority individuals into the training program. Elements of the plan should include stepwise methods to contact and recruit underrepresented minority individuals, methods to select and evaluate minority trainees and a review of the past record of trainee recruitment and selection as it pertains to minority individuals. The plan must be specific for the program proposed and should not solely rely on the minority recruitment efforts of the institution. Indicate special circumstances or regional or geographical considerations that may influence the minority recruitment plan. Applications without adequate minority recruitment plans will not be awarded until an adequate recruitment plan is received and approved.

E. Responsible Conduct of Research

Specifically address the issue of how training in the responsible, ethical conduct of research will be achieved. Describe plans for providing formal or informal activities to provide training on the responsible conduct of science and scientific integrity. Description of these activities should be as explicit as possible (e.g., format for presentation, topics to be covered, schedule, etc.). Suggested topics for courses, seminars, and discussion groups include conflict of interest, responsible authorship, policies for handling misconduct, data management, data sharing, policies regarding the use of animals and/or human subjects, and institutional vs. individual responsibilities for scientific integrity. Courses, seminars, and discussion groups taken to fulfill the Responsible Conduct of Research requirement need not cover all of these topics, but should include a majority of them. Issues such as format and length of training or number of contact hours, as well as the qualifications of instructors, should be presented. Whether all trainees, both predoctoral and postdoctoral, are required to participate should be indicated. NHLBI recognizes that the Institute and the research training community are at an early stage in the development of methods for training research ethics and integrity. Not all methods will work in all training situations and there is no single paradigm or model. Each institution is encouraged to develop its own ways of promoting the responsible conduct of science in conjunction with its training programs. No application will be awarded until a description of the institution's plan to provide instruction on research ethics in research training is furnished.