The Postbaccalaureate Intramural Research Training Award (IRTA) program and the National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Research Training Award (CRTA) provide opportunities for recent college graduates to spend a year engaged in biomedical research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Trainees work side-by-side with some of the leading scientists in the world in an environment devoted exclusively to biomedical research. Fellowships are available in the more than 1250 intramural laboratories of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which are located on the main NIH campus in Bethesda, MD as well as in Baltimore and Frederick, MD; Research Triangle Park, NC; Phoenix, AZ; Hamilton, MT; and Detroit, MI.

To be eligible to apply for this program, candidates must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents, must have graduated from an accredited U.S. college or university with a bachelor’s degree, and must begin training within two years of receipt of the undergraduate degree. In addition, during their tenure in the program Postbaccalaureate IRTAs are expected to initiate the application process for graduate or medical school. (The program is also open to individuals who have been accepted into graduate or medical degree programs and who have written permission from the school to defer matriculation for up to one year.) The duration of the program is normally one year; it can be extended for one additional year depending on satisfactory trainee performance and continued availability of funds.

Stipend and benefits

The stipends for Postbaccalaureate IRTA trainees are adjusted yearly. For current IRTA stipend information, click here. (CRTA stipends are comparable.) Supplements are provided for prior experience. Benefits include health insurance for the trainee and his/her family. In cooperation with a committee consisting of Postbaccalaureate and Technical IRTA Fellows, the Office of Intramural Training and Education sponsors a wide variety of career development and social activities.

Application Procedures

Prospective applicants should apply electronically via the Internet. The electronic application requires submission of a curriculum vitae, a list of the applicant’s publications, a cover letter describing the applicant’s research interests and career goals, and the names and contact information for three references. To apply click here. Individuals who do not have access to the Internet are encouraged to visit a local library.

Selection

Applications are reviewed and selections are made by scientists in the Institutes and Centers of the NIH on an on-going basis. Candidates will be informed of their selection by the hiring Institute. Successful candidates will be required to submit the following documentation to their Institute or Center prior to beginning their training:

• Official college or university transcripts
• 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

Leave

Postbaccalaureate IRTAs are allowed to observe Federal holidays. In addition, preceptors may, at their discretion, excuse Postbaccalaureate IRTA fellows from their training assignment for reasonable cause such as ill-health, personal emergencies, maternity care, etc. Preceptors may also grant excused absence for a reasonable period (up to 3 weeks annually except under unusual circumstances) to allow for vacation and personal relaxation as well as time off for graduate or medical school interviews. Postbaccalaureate IRTA trainees are not employees and do not, therefore, accrue vacation or sick leave.

Taxes, Social Security, and retirement

Since IRTA trainees are not employees, they are not eligible to participate in the Federal retirement system. No deductions are withheld from their stipends for either Social Security or Medicare. (It is the opinion of the NIH legal advisor that IRTA trainees are not considered self-employed for the purposes of the Social Security Act and therefore need not make Social Security or Medicare payments on their own behalf.)

IRTA Fellowships are subject to federal, state, and local income taxes. However, no deductions are taken from the stipend for this purpose, and in January the trainee receives a Form 1099 (rather than a W2) reporting earnings for the prior calendar year. Trainees should be certain to set aside funds to cover their income taxes and may be required to submit quarterly estimated tax returns. IRTA trainees should consult their local IRS office if they have tax questions. The Office of Intramural Training and Education works with trainee groups to sponsor an annual tax workshop.

Have a question about the Postbaccalaureate IRTA program?  Click here.