Special Guidance for Foreign Research Opportunities

• Foreign Researchers Planning to Conduct Research OUTSIDE the United States
• Before applying, consider whether your application presents special opportunities for furthering research programs through the use of unusual talent, resources, populations, or environmental conditions that are not readily available in the United States or that augment existing U.S. resources. Also, in order to receive NIH funding, your research should benefit the health of the American population, as well as your local population.
• In general, NIH can make grant awards directly to foreign institutions. However, some specific NIH grant programs (such as the Small Business Innovation Research programs) are limited to applicants who are U.S. citizens. To determine eligibility for a specific NIH funding opportunity, check the eligibility criteria on the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) found in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/index.html.
• For more information, please see our sections on:
• Determining Eligibility
• FOAs by Institute/Center (IC)
• Collaborations and Partnerships
  
• Foreign Researchers Planning to Conduct Research IN the United States
• If you have already made arrangements to visit and/or work at an American institution, you may be able to apply for NIH funding. However, the NIH does not actively match foreign scientists with American universities and institutions.
• Some NIH programs, such as career development (K) awards (except the K99), may be limited to U.S. citizens only. To determine eligibility for a specific NIH funding opportunity, please see the eligibility criteria on the Funding Opportunity Announcement found in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/index.html.
• You must have a valid work visa to conduct research at a U.S. institution. To learn more about visa status, visit our Division of International Services webpage at http://dis.ors.od.nih.gov/VISA/01_visamain.html or the International Services department at your institution.
• Foreign Institutions Collaborating with a U.S. Institution
• In general, the NIH allows foreign institutions to apply for grants that include consortia or subcontracts with U.S. institutions, and it also allows U.S. institutions to apply for grants that include foreign consortia or subcontracts. To determine funding eligibility for such collaborations, check the eligibility criteria on the Funding Opportunity Announcement found in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/index.html. 
• A list of some specific NIH programs designed to foster international collaboration is on the Collaborations and Partnerships page.
• Special policies that apply to grants awarded to foreign entities are described in the Policies section and/or in the Notice of Award.
• If you have specific questions about a funding opportunity or an award, you may contact the program officer / grants management specialist named in the Notice of Award, or the NIH International Contact for a specific Institute/Center (IC).
• Foreign students looking for opportunities to study in the United States:
• Many universities have fellowship programs on their campuses that can be found on those institutions’ websites. Also, NIH’s Fogarty International Center maintains a directory of other organizations that can provide fellowship support for students. This Directory can be accessed at http://www.fic.nih.gov/funding/directory_fellowships.htm.  
• U.S. citizen-students looking for opportunities to study outside the United States:
• Students receiving Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards (F or T awards) through U.S. institutions may conduct research in other countries, provided that research has prior approval by the awarding NIH IC, and that the fellow follows NIH policies and guidelines for conducting research in foreign countries.
• Some ICs at NIH offer special programs for global health research. See our page on Foreign-Specific Programs for more information.
• To identify other opportunities, search the Directory of Grants and Fellowships in Global Health Sciences hosted by NIH’s Fogarty International Center at http://www.fic.nih.gov/funding/directory_fellowships.htm.

• Foreign Researchers Planning to Conduct Research at NIH     
• The NIH Division of International Services (http://dis.ors.od.nih.gov/index.html ) has a Visiting Program that provides opportunities for foreign scientists to train and conduct collaborative research at the NIH. More information on the Visiting Program can be found at http://dis.ors.od.nih.gov/visitingprogram/01_vpmain.html.
• Foreign Students Looking for Opportunities to Study in the United States:
• The NIH has partnerships with several countries that allow foreign postdoctoral fellows to train at NIH before returning to their home country. These partnerships can be found at: http://www.training.nih.gov/postdoctoral/international.asp.

Additional opportunities:

• Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS)
• NIH/Fogarty Clinical Research Training Scholars and Fellows Program
• International Research Scientist Development Award (IRSDA)
• Minority Health and Health Disparities International Research Training Program (MHIRT)

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