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- Basic Eligibility Criteria
- Supplemental Eligibility Requirements
- Clinical Research
LRP for Individuals from Disadvantaged Backgrounds
- Contraception and Infertility
Research LRP
- Disqualifying Conditions
Basic Eligibility Criteria
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You must fulfill the following criteria to be eligible for consideration under an Extramural Loan Repayment Program:
- US Citizenship or Permanent Residency
Be a U.S. citizen, a non-national citizen of the U.S., or have been
lawfully admitted for permanent residence. The NIH must confirm citizenship status in order to process applications to the LRP, and requires that
applicants provide documented evidence of their citizenship status when applying. When you apply, you will be required to complete a form to
verify your citizenship status and you will be required to send, via facsimile to 866-849-4046, a copy of the document(s) (i.e., U.S. passport,
Certificate of Naturalization, INS form I-151 or I-551, etc.) that you are using to establish your citizenship status. The verification of
citizenship form, and the source document(s), must be received and approved by the NIH before any funds can be awarded under the LRP.
- Doctoral Level Educational Degree
Applicants must have an M.D., Ph.D., Pharm.D., D.O., D.D.S., D.M.D., D.P.M., D.C., N.D., or equivalent doctoral degree from an accredited
institution (a D.V.M. is also a qualifying degree for the Pediatric Research LRP, Health Disparities LRP and Contraception and Infertility Research LRP).
- Non-Profit or Government Research Funding and 50% Commitment to Research
Applicants must be supported by a domestic nonprofit institution, or U.S. Government entity (Federal, state, or local) and commit 50 percent or more of their total level of effort for a two-year consecutive period. Participants must conduct qualifying research for an average of at least 20 hours per week during each quarterly service period. That is, during each contract quarter, participants must conduct the required research for a minimum of 240 hours (based on a 12-week quarter) or 260 hours (based on a 13-week quarter). An institution is considered to be nonprofit if exempt from taxation under 26 USC 501.
- Educational Debt Equal To or Greater Than 20% of Base Salary
Have total qualifying educational loan debt that equals or exceeds
20 percent of the applicant's institutional base salary, as applicable,
on the expected program eligibility date. Institutional base salary is the annual amount that the organization
pays for the applicant's appointment, whether the time is spent in research, teaching, patient care, or other activities. Institutional base salary
excludes any income that the applicant may earn outside the duties of the organization (Click
here for more detailed information on salary and compensation). Institutional base salary may not include or be comprised of any income
(salary or wages) earned as a Federal employee.
- Institutional Assurance of Support
The applicant's institution must provide assurance to the NIH that (a) the institution is a domestic non-profit entity, (b) the applicant will be provided research support for two years, and (c) the applicant will engage in qualified research for 50 percent or more of their total level of effort for an average of at least 20 hours per week during each quarterly service period. That is, during each contract quarter, the applicant must conduct the required research for a minimum of 240 hours (based on a 12-week quarter) or 260 hours (based on a 13-week quarter). The institution also certifies the applicant's institutional base salary. The applicant and the institution must assure research support for 2 years from when the LRP contract is awarded.
- Research Must Comply With Federal regulations
Applicants must agree to conduct research for which funding is not prohibited
by Federal law, regulation or DHHS/NIH policy. Recipients of LRP awards must conduct their research in accordance with applicable Federal,
state and local law (e.g., applicable human subject protection regulations).
- One LRP Application Accepted Per Application Cycle
No individual may submit more than one LRP application to the NIH in
any fiscal year. Individuals who have applied previously for the NIH Loan Repayment Program but did not receive an award are eligible to
submit a new application if they meet the above eligibility criteria.
- New versus Renewal
You should apply for a New LRP contract if:
- You are applying to the NIH LRP for the first time
- You have applied before but were not awarded the NIH LRP
- You are applying under a different LRP than the one you may have received in the past. Examples:
- You received benefits under the Extramural Clinical Research LRP but you plan to apply under the Extramural Pediatric Research LRP, or
- You worked for NIH and received benefits under the Intramural Program. You are no longer working at NIH but continue to pursue qualifying research outside of NIH, you would apply as an Extramural New applicant.
- It has been more than 5 years since your prior contract ended
- You had a prior new LRP contract that was terminated during its first year
You should apply for a Renewal LRP contract if:
- You received a prior LRP award within the last 5 years and you are applying under the same LRP program. For example: you received an award under the Extramural Clinical Research LRP and are again applying under the Extramural Clinical Research LRP
- Your LRP contract was terminated after the first year, however, significant progress was made in your research (please contact the Help Line for more information)
- Deferral of National Research Service Award (NRSA) Service Obligation
A recipient of postdoctoral National Research Service Award support
from an individual postdoctoral fellowship (F32) or an institutional research training grant (T32) will not be eligible for loan repayment
during the second year of NRSA support without a formal deferral of the NRSA service repayment. Normally, the second year of postdoctoral
NRSA support involves repayment of the service obligation incurred during the first year of NRSA support (see
http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-02-109.html). Because concurrent repayment of service obligations is prohibited, it will only
be permissible to participate in the LRP by first satisfying the NRSA service obligation by completing the second year of NRSA support or
by requesting a deferral of the NRSA service repayment. LRP recipients with NRSA obligations will be notified regarding their options and appropriate
procedures for seeking a deferral of their obligation.
(Note: First year NRSA recipients are eligible to apply for and receive NIH loan repayment. Second year recipients can apply to
participant in the NIH loan repayment programs but can only receive loan repayment during the second year if an extension of time is obtained
to satisfy the NRSA service obligation. LRP payments are NOT retroactive. Loan repayment will commence after a loan repayment contract has been executed.)
For more information on terms and conditions for specific types of grants, grantees, and activities, see Subpart B, Part II of the NIH Grants Policy Statement
(http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps_2001/part_iib_5.htm#_Toc504812118).
- Full-time Employees of the US Government Are Ineligible
Full-time employees of Federal government agencies are ineligible to
apply for LRP benefits. Part-time Federal employees who engage in qualifying research supported by a domestic nonprofit institution, as part of their non-Federal
duties, for an outside entity for at least 20 hours per week are eligible to apply for loan repayment if they meet all other eligibility requirements.
- Service Obligations, Federal Liens/Judgments
Applicant's with existing service obligations to Federal, State,
or other entities will not be considered for Loan Repayment support unless and until the existing service obligation is discharged or deferred
for the length of LRP participation (NRSA Recipients should refer to item 9 in this section). Further, applicant's with a Federal judgment lien against their property arising from a Federal debt are barred from
receiving Federal funds until the judgment is paid in full or satisfied.
- Non-Discrimination
Applicants will not be excluded from consideration under the NIH loan repayment programs on the basis of age, race, culture, religion, gender,
sexual orientation, disability, or other non-merit factors.
Supplemental Eligibility Requirements - Clinical Research LRP for Individuals from Disadvantaged Backgrounds
Applicants for the Clinical Research LRP for Individuals from Disadvantaged Backgrounds must satisfy all of the Basic Eligibility Requirements identified above with the following difference:
Applicants to the Clinical Research LRP for Individuals from Disadvantaged Backgrounds must demonstrate that they are from a disadvantaged background.
An individual from a disadvantaged background is one who comes from a family with an annual income below a level based on low-income thresholds according to family size published by the U.S. Bureau of the Census,
adjusted annually for changes in the Consumer Price Index, and adjusted by the Secretary for use in all health professions programs. The Secretary periodically publishes these income levels in the Federal
Register.
Applicants under the Clinical Research LRP for Individuals from Disadvantaged Backgrounds must demonstrate their disadvantaged status under the above definition by submitting (1) a written statement from the individual's
former health professions school(s) that he/she qualified for Federal disadvantaged assistance during attendance; OR (2) documentation that he/she has received any of the following student loans: Health Professions
Student Loans (HPSL) and Loans for Disadvantaged Student Program; OR (3) individuals who received scholarships from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under the Scholarship for Individuals with
Exceptional Financial Need.
Supplemental Eligibility Requirements - Contraception and Infertility Research LRP
Applicants for the Contraception and Infertility Research LRP must satisfy all of the Basic Eligibility Requirements identified above with the following difference:
Applicants must be a qualified health and/or allied health professional including, but not limited to, physicians, Ph.D. level scientists, nurses and physician assistants, as well as graduate students and postgraduate
research fellows training in the health professions.
Click here for more information on the Eligibility Requirements for the Contraception and Infertility Research Loan Repayment Program.
Disqualifying Conditions
The following individuals are ineligible for participation in any Extramural Loan Repayment Program:
- Not US Citizen or Permanent Resident
Persons who are not United States citizens, nationals, or permanent residents;
- Federal Judgment Lien
Any individual who has a Federal judgment lien against his/her property arising from a Federal debt is precluded from receiving Federal funds until the judgment is paid in full or satisfied;
- Unpaid Service Obligation That Cannot Be Deferred
Any individual who owes an obligation of health professional service to the Federal Government, a State, or other entity, unless deferrals are granted for the length of their Extramural Loan Repayment Program
service obligation. The following are examples of programs with service obligations that disqualify an applicant from consideration, unless a deferral for the length of participation in the Loan Repayment Program
is obtained;
Physicians Shortage Area Scholarship Program,
National Research Service Award Program,
Public Health Service Scholarship Program,
National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program,
Armed Forces (Army, Navy, or Air Force) Professions Scholarship Program,
Indian Health Service Scholarship Program; - Federal Government employees who are employed more than half-time by a Federal agency;
- Research Precluded by Federal Law, Regulation or Policy
Individuals conducting research for which funding is precluded by Federal law, regulations or DHHS/NIH policy;
- Ineligible Loans
Individuals with ineligible loans, which includes loans that have been consolidated with a loan of another individual (including spouses or children), loans not obtained from a U.S. Government entity (Federal, state
or local) or chartered U.S. academic or commercial lending institution
that is subject to examination and supervision in its capacity as a lending institution by an agency of the United States or of the State in which the lender has its principal place of business, or loans that are not educational, such as home equity loans; and
- Current Recipients of NIH IRTA or CRTA Awards
Current recipients of NIH Intramural Research Training Awards (IRTA) or Cancer Research Training Awards (CRTA).
- You are not eligible to apply for either a new or renewal LRP contract if:
- You breached your prior LRP contract
- You received notice that your prior LRP contract had been overpaid, and that you must remit funds to NIH to resolve the overpayment, but still owe these funds
You had terminated a prior LRP contract that would have ended after the begin date of the contracts in the current application cycle
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