Note: The application receipt date for this RFA was March 10, 2004.
References below are provided for informational purposes only.

The purpose of this RFA is to encourage and enable the development of an interdisciplinary workforce by ensuring that undergraduate, pre-doctoral, and postdoctoral students receive the didactic and research experiences necessary to lead and/or engage in integrative and team approaches to solve complex biomedical and health problems. To accomplish this aim, the National Institutes of Health invites applications for implementing novel training programs focused on new interdisciplinary science. These programs will support a variety of new and innovative didactic and research activities designed to provide students with the necessary knowledge and research experience to apply interdisciplinary solutions to complex biomedical and health problems. Applicants are encouraged to build these new training programs around existing institutional research programs, whether formal (e.g., research programs supported by program project, center, or cooperative agreement mechanisms) or informal (e.g., loose networks of collaborating R01 grantees).

Links are provided to the following information on this website:

Comparison of T32 and T90 Mechanisms
Features Unique to the T90 Program
Review Process and Criteria
Answers to FAQs
Contact information

As a result of over a year of receiving input from recognized leaders in academia, industry, government, and the public, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Roadmap was announced in a Press Release on September 30, 2003 (http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/sep2003/od-30.htm). One of the three themes of the NIH Roadmap is “Research Teams of the Future”. It is becoming more obvious that, as research problems become more complex, it is often times necessary to amalgamate a research team with many disciplines (multidisciplinary) in order to effectively tackle the research problem. However, the traditional divisions within biomedical research in some instances may impede the pace of scientific discovery. The purpose of the Interdisciplinary Research initiative is to develop innovative approaches of combining skills and disciplines in order to accelerate discovery of fundamental knowledge and advance our existing knowledge.

The Interdisciplinary Research Implementation Group was charged with the task of developing specific RFAs to fill the needs of the research community. One RFA, called “Training for a New Interdisciplinary Research Workforce” (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-RM-04-015.html) encourages existing disciplines to merge and provide training opportunities for future generations of interdisciplinary scientists. Undergraduate, predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees may receive didactic and research experiences necessary provide them with the skills and knowledge to lead or participate in integrative and team approaches. Applicants are encouraged to build new Interdisciplinary Training programs around existing institutional research or training programs, such as Centers, Program Programs or collaborative R01 projects.

The T90 grant mechanism will be utilized for this RFA. This was patterned according to the existing T32 mechanism for Institutional Training Grants. Therefore, the applications should be prepared with particular attention to the PHS398 instructions in Section V. Institutional National Research Service Award. A comparison of the T32 and T90 grant mechanisms is provided in the next table.

• PHS 398 Application Instructions and Forms - The PHS-398 application form (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html ) is to be completed by an organization seeking T90 support. Refer to section V. Institutional National Research Service Award for training grant instructions and use the forms linked to these instructions.
• In addition, you may use the NIDDK Supplemental Instructions for Preparing an Application to assist you, especially with regard to the Table Recommendations and Samples http://www.niddk.nih.gov/fund/training/T32supplementalinstruc.htm
• Refer to RFA-RM-04-015 for specific instructions pertinent to the T90 application. Separate budget pages are required for trainees eligible under NRSA requirements and trainees not eligible under NRSA requirements (college students, students who are not USA citizens.

• Receipt and Review Schedule -
• Letter of Intent Receipt Date:   February 10, 2004
• Application Receipt Date:        March 10, 2004
• Interdisciplinary Research Working Group (IRWG; http://nihroadmap.nih.gov/interdisciplinary/members.asp) determines whether an application is responsive to the RFA or not late March, 2004
• Peer Review Date:                   June/July 2004
• IRWG develops funding plan for the most meritorious applications
• Earliest Anticipated Start Date: September 30, 2004


• Inclusion Guidelines - Guidelines on the Inclusion of Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in NIH-Sponsored and/or-Supported Intramural and Extramural Meetings and Conferences. "Appropriate representation" is that based on the availability of scientists from these groups known to be working in a particular field of biomedical or behavioral research. If appropriate representation is not apparent, NIH will not make an award until the applicant has submitted acceptable documentation regarding compliance.

1. Program direction
2. Participating faculty members
3. Training program
4. Student pool
5. Research and training environment
6. Minority recruitment and retention plan