Starting Friday, September 1, 2006, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will begin accepting applications to its five Loan Repayment Programs (LRPs). Deadline for applications is December 1, 2006.

The five LRPs offered by the NIH include the Clinical Research LRP, Clinical Research LRP for Individuals from Disadvantaged Backgrounds, Contraception and Infertility Research LRP, Health Disparities Research LRP, and Pediatric Research LRP.

Through these programs, the NIH offers to repay up to $35,000 annually of the qualified educational debt of health professionals pursuing careers in biomedical and behavioral research. The programs also provide coverage for Federal and state tax liabilities.

To qualify, applicants must possess a doctoral-level degree, devote 50 percent or more of their time to research funded by a non-profit 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, permanent residents, or U.S. nationals to be eligible.

“The NIH Loan Repayment Programs offer an easy and effective way for research scientists to focus more on medical research and less on repaying student loans,” says Dr. Norka Ruiz Bravo, Deputy Director for Extramural Research at the NIH. “Since 2002, approximately 4,800 qualified health professionals have benefited from nearly $300 million disbursed in loan repayment support. Through these programs, the NIH has opened doors for many young scientists to launch careers in research without the burden of student loan debt.”

All applications must be completed by 8 p.m. EST, December 1, 2006. Visit www.lrp.nih.gov to apply.

In brief: The application cycle for the NIH Loan Repayment Programs opens September 1, 2006, and closes December 1, 2006. The NIH awards up to $35,000 annually in student loan repayments to health professionals engaged in qualifying research. Details and the online application are available at www.lrp.nih.gov.

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 — includes 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 it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.