The NIH Academy is a postbaccalaureate program that provides opportunities for recent college graduates to spend a year engaged in biomedical investigation at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland. The mission of the Academy is to enhance research dedicated to the elimination of domestic health disparities through the development of a diverse cadre of biomedical researchers. Health disparities are differences in the incidence, prevalence, mortality, and burden of disease and other adverse health conditions that exist among specific population groups in the United States.

While in this program participants work side-by-side with some of the leading scientists in the world in an environment devoted exclusively to biomedical research. In addition, there are two educational components to the program: seminars and workshops on topics related to health disparities and general knowledge and skills-development workshops. In order to encourage peer mentoring and facilitate interactions among members, the NIH Academy is a residential program. Two trainees share two-bedroom, one-bath apartments located within walking-distance of the Bethesda campus. NIH Academy fellows are expected to initiate the application process for graduate and/or medical school during their term at the NIH. The duration of the program is normally one year, but the fellowship can be extended for a second and final year provided the performance of the trainee is satisfactory and continued support by the laboratory is available.

To be eligible for consideration, candidates must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents and have graduated from an accredited U.S. college or university. You must also be a recent college graduate (meaning that the Academy start date, at the end of August, is less than a year after your graduation from college with your first Bachelor's degree).

The stipend for the NIH Academy fellows is $28,783, which is slightly higher than the average first year Postbaccalaureate IRTA Fellowship stipend. This higher stipend is provided to help subsidize the rent, because this is a residential program.

If you are applying to the NIH Academy, we recommend that you also apply to the Postbaccalaureate IRTA program. Both programs offer a challenging laboratory experience. The NIH Academy is only able to accept a maximum of sixteen trainees a year. These are trainees who have demonstrated a well-defined interest in health disparities (please use your cover letter to explain your interest in health disparities). However, the Postbaccalaureate IRTA program selects a much larger number of trainees who have a broad scope of research interests.

Prospective candidates must apply online.

The electronic application requires three (3) letters of reference. You will be asked to key in the e-mail addresses of your three referees. An automatic e-mail will be sent to each of your referees requesting that they submit a letter of reference on-line.

The NIH Academy application deadline occurs January 31^st, annually. After the deadline, the NIH Academy Selection Committee reviews all applications. Finalists are interviewed and the committee selects the new members of the NIH Academy. The applications of the selected fellows are given to the NIH Academy Preceptors, the principal investigators who take a trainee in their lab for the year. NIH Academy fellows have the opportunity to interview prospective preceptors in order to identify the best match with their research interests before preceptor/trainee pairs are finalized.

Successful candidates will be required to submit the following documentation to the appropriate Institute after they have been accepted:

1. Official college transcript(s)
2. Proof of U.S. citizenship or permanent resident status. U.S. citizens may submit a copy of their birth certificate or passport. Permanent residents will need to provide a copy of their alien registration card.

NIH Academy fellows must be covered by adequate health insurance in order to receive training in NIH facilities. An approved plan of health insurance is available through the Foundation for Advanced Education in the Sciences (FAES). Funds for individual or family low-option health insurance, issued in the fellow's name, are provided by the sponsoring Institute from intramural funds, in addition to the regular stipend. Fellows may arrange with FAES for the difference between low-option coverage and other more expensive FAES coverage to be withheld from their stipend. The NIH will only pay or reimburse for a policy issued in the name of the fellow. However, the requirement to have adequate health insurance coverage may be satisfied by a policy held in a spouse's name with the fellow identified as a "family member."

The NIH monthly health benefits allowance is immediately available only to fellows who activate by the first calendar day of the month. When fellowship activation dates are later, fellows will be required to pay the premium for the partial month themselves. The NIH allowance will begin effective on the first day of the next month.

Since Academy fellows are not employees of the NIH, they do not earn annual or sick leave. They are, however, excused on Federal holidays. In addition, preceptors may, at their discretion, excuse fellows from their training assignment for reasonable cause such as ill health, personal emergencies, etc. Preceptors may also grant excused absence for a reasonable period (not to exceed 13 days annually except under unusual circumstances) to allow for vacation and personal relaxation. Preceptors should make their views on excused absences known to each fellow before activation of the fellowship.

1. Travel to and from Tour of Duty:
   The Institutes have agreed to support travel for NIH Academy fellows to and from their tour of duty. This means that accepted trainees in this program are supported for travel to the NIH Bethesda, Maryland campus at the start of the program and for return travel at the end of the year.
   
   
2. Travel to Scientific Meetings:
   Scientific Directors have agreed to support travel to and from one national scientific meeting per year for NIH Academy fellows when feasible.

1. Civil Service Retirement:
   Since NIH Academy fellows are not Federal employees, they are not eligible to participate in the Federal Employee Retirement System.
   
   
2. Social Security and Medicare:
   Since NIH Academy fellowships are considered awards for training and not wages for services, neither Social Security nor Medicare is deducted from stipends. Although definitive determinations regarding Social Security obligations and coverage must be made by the Internal Revenue Service and the courts, it is the opinion of the NIH legal advisor that NIH Academy fellows would not be considered self-employed for purposes of Social Security Act coverage, and therefore need not make Social Security or Medicare payments on their own behalf.

NIH Academy fellowships are subject to Federal, state, and local income taxes. NIH Academy fellows may be required to file quarterly estimated Federal and state income tax returns since no taxes are withheld from their stipends. The Department of Financial Management (DFM) annually prepares and sends appropriate income information on IRS forms to the IRS and to NIH Academy fellows. Generally, under the Tax Reform Act of 1986 which amended section 117 of the Internal Revenue Code, only scholarship and fellowship amounts used for (1) tuition and fees at an educational institution and (2) books, supplies, and equipment required for courses of instruction are excludable from the recipient's gross income. Other amounts for other expenses such as room and board, and any amounts representing payment for teaching, research or other services are taxable.

Since interpretation and implementation of the tax laws are the responsibility of the IRS and the courts, NIH Academy fellows should consult their local IRS office if they have questions about the applicability of the current tax code to their own situations, the taxability of the scholarships and fellowships, and the proper steps to be taken regarding their tax obligation. The IRS publishes a booklet explaining these matters, "Tax Information for U.S. Scholars" (Publication 520), which can be obtained from any IRS office.

* Recent college graduates are defined as those who have graduated from an accredited U.S. college or university within one year from their date of graduation to the date the fellowship begins.

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Page last revised on October 1, 2008 (sva)