National Research Service Awards
Several different fellowship award mechanisms are available to individuals at various stages of their education and scientific career who desire further research training and career development in hearing, balance, smell, taste, voice, speech, and language. In addition, opportunities are available to institutions that wish to offer research traineeships to predoctoral and/or postdoctoral individuals.
Information on these programs, including application forms and detailed instructions, are available from the NIDCD Research Training Officer, Dr. Daniel Sklare; telephone: (301) 496-1804. The NIH Office of Extramural Research has also developed an NIH Research Training page.
A description of the following NIDCD research training grants include:
For specific NIDCD guidelines applicable to the fellowship programs above, see the following notices:
NIDCD Dual-Degree Individual Predoctoral Fellowships for Training Physician-Scientists [F30]
Complete Program Announcement
The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) invites applications for individual predoctoral National Research Service Award fellowships (F30) to train physician-scientists on a dual MD/PhD track to conduct biomedical and behavioral research on human communication. There is a critical need for physician-scientists who can apply both their medical and research training to investigate problems of disease in humans. This initiative is designed to increase the number of physician-scientists trained to conduct basic and clinical research in the normal and disordered processes of hearing, balance, smell, taste, voice, speech, and language.
The applications are reviewed by the Scientific Review Branch of the NIDCD using a fast-track process that is completed in 4-5 months from submission to award of meritorious applications. Owing to this expedited process, applications must strictly conform to NIH and NIDCD guidelines and late materials cannot be accepted.
Eligibility and Requirements. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the U.S. The applicant must have a baccalaureate degree and show evidence of both high academic performance in the sciences and significant interest in research within the scientific mission areas of the NIDCD. The applicant must be enrolled in an MD program at an accredited medical school, accepted in a science PhD program, and supervised by a mentor in that scientific discipline at the time the application is submitted. The typical applicant will apply during the first two years of medical school; however, applications may be submitted at any stage of medical school.
Scope of Support. Awards made under this program announcement will use the Individual Predoctoral NRSA for MD/PhD Fellowship (F30) mechanism to provide combined medical school and predoctoral PhD support for a maximum of six years. In addition to stipend support, predoctoral Kirschstein NRSAs provide partial support of tuition and fees, health insurance, training-related expenses, and travel. Supplementation is allowed from nonfederal sources.
Top
Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards for Individual Predoctoral Fellows [F31]
The objective of the Kirschstein-NRSA Individual Predoctoral Fellowship (F31) is to provide support for promising doctoral candidates who will be performing dissertation research and training in scientific health-related fields relevant to the missions of the participating NIH Institutes during the tenure of the award. The Kirschstein-NRSA for Individual Predoctoral Fellows will provide up to five years of support for research training which leads to the Ph.D. or equivalent research degree, the combined M.D./Ph.D. degree, or another formally combined professional degree and research doctoral degree in the biomedical, behavioral, or clinical sciences.
Eligibility and Requirements. Any individual with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research training is invited to work with his/her sponsor and institution to develop an application for support. Individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, individuals with disabilities, and individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds may also be eligible to apply for the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards for Individual Predoctoral Fellowships (F31) to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research (PA-06-481).
Scope of Support. Ruth L. Kirschstein-NRSA F31 awards provide stipends to predoctoral fellows as a subsistence allowance to help defray living expenses during the research training experience. The awards are not provided as a condition of employment with either the Federal government or the sponsoring institution.
Top
Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards for Individual Predoctoral Fellowships [F31] to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research
This program provides up to five years of support for research training leading to the Ph.D. or equivalent research degree. The program's intent is to increase the number of scientists from diverse population groups who are prepared to pursue careers in biomedical, behavioral, social, clinical, or health services research.
Initial peer review of applications is conducted within the NIH Center for Scientific Review. Consultation with NIDCD staff contacts (see the Contacts link above) is strongly encouraged prior to preparing an application.
Eligibility and Requirements. An awardee must be a citizen or non-citizen national of the U.S., or must have been lawfully admitted to the U.S. for Permanent Residence. Individuals on temporary or student visas are not eligible. An applicant must be currently enrolled in a Ph.D. or equivalent research degree program or agree to enroll in such a graduate program in the academic year for which funds are being sought. Applicants must be pursuing dissertation research in hearing, balance, smell, taste, voice, speech, or language.
Scope of Support. The NRSA mechanism provides a stipend, tuition and fees, and an institutional allowance.
Top
This award for individual postdoctoral fellows offers basic and clinical scientists the opportunity to receive full-time postdoctoral research training in the biomedical and behavioral sciences within the NIDCD mission.
NIDCD conducts the initial peer review of applications for this fellowship program within its Scientific Review Branch, based on an expedited schedule of four to five months from submission to award. For additional important information about application review, see the information under Contacts, above.
Eligibility and Requirements. An applicant must have received a Ph.D., M.D., or equivalent doctoral degree and have arranged for work with a particular sponsor affiliated with an appropriate institution providing adequate facilities and resources for the proposed training plan. Applicants must have U.S. citizenship, legal permanent residency, or noncitizen national status in the U.S.
Scope of Support. This NRSA mechanism provides a stipend, tuition and fees, and an institutional allowance.
Top
These senior level research training fellowships allow experienced scientists to make major changes in the direction of their research careers or broaden their scientific background by acquiring new research capabilities.
NIDCD conducts the initial peer review of applications for this fellowship program within its Scientific Review Branch, based on an expedited schedule of four to five months from submission to award. For additional important information about application review, see the information under Contacts, above.
Eligibility and Requirements. To qualify, individuals must have a Ph.D., M.D., or similar doctoral level degree and at least seven subsequent years of relevant research or professional experience. The candidate must have U.S. citizenship, legal permanent residency, or noncitizen national status.
Scope of Support. This NRSA mechanism provides a stipend to help meet the fellow’s living expenses, an allowance for tuition and fees, and an institutional allowance which includes funds for allowable health insurance for a period of up to 2 years.
Top
Institutional National Research Service Awards (Training Grants) [T32]
Institutional National Research Service grants (training grants) are awarded to nonprofit, private or public institutions in the United States to provide support for a research training program for predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees or solely to postdoctoral trainees in the basic and/or clinical communication sciences. The NRSA program provides support for up to five years and for up to three years for predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees, respectively. Trainees are required to pursue their research training on a full-time basis.
Eligibility and Requirements. Trainees must be citizens or noncitizen nationals of the United States or have been lawfully admitted for permanent residency at the time of appointment. Persons on temporary or student visas are ineligible. Support for predoctoral trainees may be requested, as well as postdoctoral trainee positions.
The applicant institution must have the facilities and resources required for the proposed program. Institutional training grants may not support study leading to health professional degrees, nor may they support clinical residency training.
Scope of Support. Institutional training grants may be made for five years and are renewable. Trainee appointments are made to eligible individuals selected by the training program. Stipend supplementation is allowed from nonfederal funds. The maximum training period under the NRSA program is up to three years for postdoctoral trainees and up to five years for predoctoral trainees.
Top
Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Short-Term Institutional Research Training Grants [T35]
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) will award Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Short-Term Institutional Research Training Grants (T35) to eligible institutions to develop or enhance research training opportunities for individuals interested in careers in biomedical and behavioral research. Many of the NIH Institutes and Centers use this grant mechanism exclusively to support intensive, short-term research training experiences for students in health professional schools during the summer. In addition, the Short-Term Institutional Research Training Grant may be used to support other types of predoctoral and postdoctoral training in focused, often emerging, scientific areas relevant to the mission of the funding NIH institute or center.
The T35 program provides short-term support for training experiences under the supervision of experienced researchers and exposes students to individuals with active research careers as well as providing them with knowledge about further research training and biomedical or behavioral research career opportunities.
Eligibility and Requirements. Any individual with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research training is invited to work with their institution to develop an application for support. Individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups as well as individuals with disabilities are always encouraged to apply for NIH programs. The Program Director should be a basic, behavioral, and/or clinical researcher with skills, knowledge, a successful past training record, and available resources to conduct the proposed short-term research training program. Such an individual is invited to work with his/her institution to develop an application for support.
Full eligibility criteria are detailed in the Program Announcement.
Scope of Support. Awards for T35 institutional training grants may be for project periods up to five years in duration. Trainees selected for short-term training are required to pursue research training for 2-3 months on a full-time basis, devoting at least 40 hours per week to the program. More information may be found in Section III, 3 of the Program Announcement.
Top
|