Strength in Numbers: NIH Debuts Campaign to
Empower Individuals to Pursue Careers in Research
NIH's Loan Repayment Program campaign, "Strength in Numbers," aims
to expand the breadth of opportunities for health professionals seeking
careers in biomedical and behavioral research.
The NIH’s Loan Repayment Program (LRP) Strength in Numbers campaign
debuted today. Offering a renewed commitment to qualified postdoctoral
scientists who are seeking careers in biomedical and behavioral
research, the program funds up to $35,000 annually in loan repayment.
From September 1 to December 1, 2007, the NIH will accept applications
for loan repayments of up to $35,000 annually of the qualified
educational debt of health professionals pursuing careers in one
of the five LRPs offered by the NIH: Clinical Research, Clinical
Research for Individuals from Disadvantaged Backgrounds, Contraception
and Infertility Research, Health Disparities Research, and Pediatric
Research. The programs also provide coverage for federal and state
tax liabilities.
"It is the energy and enthusiasm of promising postdoctoral
scientists that pushes forward the frontiers of medical research
and discovery. We hope that our continued investment in new scientists
today, through the Sixth Annual Loan Repayment Program application
cycle, will provide the support these researchers need to meet
the nation’s health challenges of tomorrow," said NIH Director
Elias A. Zerhouni, M.D.
More than 5,200 research scientists have benefited from the $380
million investment in student loan and tax relief. The "Strength
in Numbers" campaign seeks to alert every eligible applicant,
in a variety of disciplines, to take advantage of this opportunity. "The
LRP Clinical Research Program provided me the financial freedom
to pursue my desired career as an academic clinical researcher.
I have been able to begin a line of research that will improve
the understanding and treatment for substance use disorders in
special populations," stated Michelle Lofwall, MD, a physician-scientist
LRP awardee at the Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and
Science Chicago Medical School.
To qualify, applicants must possess a doctoral-level degree, devote
50 percent or more of their time to research funded by a nonprofit
organization or government entity (federal, state, or local), and
have educational loan debt equal to or exceeding 20 percent of
their institutional base salary. Applicants must also be U.S. citizens
or permanent residents to be eligible. All applications must be
completed by 8 p.m. EST, December 1, 2007.
Visit www.lrp.nih.gov for
more details and to apply.
The Office of the Director, the central office at NIH, is responsible
for setting policy for NIH, which includes 27 Institutes and Centers.
This involves planning, managing, and coordinating the programs
and activities of all NIH components. The Office of the Director
also includes program offices which are responsible for stimulating
specific areas of research throughout NIH. Additional information
is available at http://www.nih.gov/icd/od/.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) The Nation's
Medical Research Agency is comprised of 27 Institutes
and Centers and is a component of the U. S. Department of Health
and Human Services. It is the primary Federal agency for conducting
and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research,
and investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common
and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs,
visit www.nih.gov. |