Postdoc IRTA FAQs

What is intramural research?
Intramural research is research carried out by NIH investigators at the NIH. In contrast, extramural research is research that is funded by the NIH and is carried out in universities, research institutes, or corporate laboratories.

What research opportunities are available for postdocs at the National Institutes of Health?
The NIH offers two major postdoctoral research training programs.  Postdoctoral Intramural Research Training Awards (IRTAs) [Cancer Research Training Awards (CRTAs) for research carried out in the National Cancer Institute] support U.S. citizens and permanent residents.  International scholars are appointed as Visiting Fellows (VFs).  Other postdoctoral programs at the NIH include the National Research Council NIH (NIBIB)/NIST Joint Postdoctoral Associateship Program and the Pharmacology Research Associate Program (PRAT) housed in the National Institute for General Medical Sciences.

Where are these research opportunities located?
These fellowships are available on the main NIH campus in Bethesda, MD as well as at off-campus locations in Baltimore (NIDA and NIA) and Frederick (NCI), MD; Hamilton, MT (NIAID); Phoenix, AZ (NIDDK); Detroit, MI (NICHD); Framingham, MA (NHLBI); and Research Triangle Park, NC (NIEHS). Trainees in the NIH/NIST Joint Postdoctoral Program administered by the National Research Council divide their time between an NIH laboratory and a facility at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Gaithersburg, MD or Boulder, CO.

How do I apply for a postdoctoral IRTA or VF position at the NIH?
The NIH has discontinued the use of its online application system for postdoctoral positions. If you recently applied online, your application will remain in the system for the coming year.  Read on below for additional information.

In the future, all applications for postdoctoral positions will be submitted directly to the NIH investigators themselves.  Some NIH investigators now advertse their postdoctoral positions on the OITE Web site. Check here for the listing of currently available postdoctoral fellowships. You can also contact individual NIH principal investigators by phone or e-mail and submit whatever materials they request directly to them. The latter approach is more likely to yield results when a relationship already exists between the applicant and the investigator.

How do I apply for a postdoctoral CRTA position at the NCI?
Each of the NCI divisions that offer postdoctoral opportunities has its own application procedures.  Center for Cancer Research position announcements contain contact information for the investigator who posted the position.  Inquiries should be addressed directly to that person.  Applications can also be submitted to the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics.  You can also contact individual NCI investigators by phone or e-mail and submit whatever materials they request directly to them, as indicated above.

Is there a deadline for submission of applications?
There is no deadline for submission of IRTA and VF applications. Applications for these programs are accepted year round.  Similarly, there are no deadlines for positions in the Center for Cancer Research or the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics.  The Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program has an application deadline of September 1.

Whom should I ask to write my letters of recommendation? What should I ask them to write? You should request letters from individuals who can best evaluate your scientific accomplishments and your potential for successfully completing postdoctoral training. It is generally expected that you will request a letter from your dissertation advisor. It would make sense for the letters to be tailored for the position you are seeking. It is likely that the principal investigator will be looking for someone who is motivated, responsible, capable, bright, and creative and who works well with others. Also, some people just have "good hands" - i.e., their experiments always work; such individuals are worth their weight in gold. Your letters of recommendation need to convince the PI that you are just such a highly capable person. A good way for your references to do this is to include stories or descriptions of incidents that demonstrate both that you possess desirable qualities and that they know you well.

What instructions should I give those who will be writing my letters of recommendation?
Please ask three referees who have direct knowledge of your scientific interests, abilities, and accomplishments to prepare written recommendations. If an address is listed in the announcement for the opening, letters should be forwarded to that address, and you may want to provide stamped, addressed envelopes to streamline the process. If no address is provided and the principal investigator who posted the ad is interested in your application, your referees will receive an e-mail containing directions for submitting their recommendations electronically.

How can I find out about NIH investigators who are doing research in areas that interest me?
Two good sources of information on the NIH intramural research program are the NIH Intramural Research Sourcebook and the NIH Intramural Database. The latter contains all of the NIH Institute and Center Annual Reports, which can be searched for topics that interest you.  You can also visit Institute/Center (IC) Web sites. You may wish to contact investigators directly to inquire about potential postdoctoral positions.

How many applications may I submit?
Since the online system has been discontinued, you may submit applications to as many NIH investigators as you wish. A successful strategy is to submit several well-thought-out and carefully focused applications.  The OITE is not involved in the selection process.

If I applied online, how can I update my application or check to see whether my letters of recommendation have been received? 
If you applied online, you should have received a confirmation e-mail containing directions for modifying your application and/or checking to see whether your reference letters have been received.  (The application you will see is the application that is available to the principal investigator who posted the ad, except that you will not be able to read your letters of recommendation.)

If letters of recommendation have been submitted on your behalf, you will see a statement to that effect when you access the application.  Letters may not have been submitted for one of two reasons: your reference may have received a request but not yet submitted a letter or your reference may not have received an e-mail request for a letter.  Unfortunately, failure to receive a request for a letter can have multiple causes.  (1) The e-mail address you submitted for the reference may be incorrect.  (You can check this.) (2) The request may have been filtered by your reference's SPAM filter.  (Your reference can check this.) (3) The PI who submitted the ad may have no interest in pursuing your candidacy.  Unfortunately, at the moment we have no way to determine this.

As in most academic situations, the PI may offer the position to the applicant of his/her choice.  OITE is not involved int he selection process.  If you have questions about the status of your application, please contact the PI who posted the ad.

How are applications reviewed?
If you applied online, the investigator who submitted the ad was notified automatically by e-mail.  The investigator can then review your application online.  If you applied directly to an NIH investigator, then he/she will review your materials.  As in most academic situations, the investigator decides to whom he or she will offer a postdoctoral position. The OITE is not involved in the selection process.

When you apply for a position in the Center for Cancer Research, your application is made directly to the investigator with whom you wish to work.  Again, the investigator decides to whom he/she will make an offer.  For information on other NCI programs, please contact the programs directly.

How will I be notified if I am selected?
Typically you will receive a phone call or an e-mail message from the investigator who is interested in having you join his/her research group.

How long do applications remain active?
If you applied online for a specific IRTA or VF postdoctoral position, the investigator who posted that position has semi-exclusive access to your application for up to 90 days. (We say the investigator's access is semi-exclusive, because individuals may apply to more than one postdoctoral position through our site; if you were to do so, each investigator would have access to your application information.) After 90 days (or sooner, if the investigator relinquishes his/her exclusive claim to your application before the 90-day period expires), the status of your application will depend on how you answered item 5 on the application ("If not selected for this position, would you like to be considered for other Postdoctoral Opportunities"). If you answered "no," your application will be removed from the database; if you answered "yes," your application will go into the General Applicant Pool (GAP), where other principal investigators can freely access it. If you have applied for multiple positions, your applications will enter the GAP only after all of the investigators with semi-exclusive access to one of your applications have relinquished their claims or failed to take action within 90 days. Applications in the GAP remain active for one year from the date of submission, after which time they are removed from the database.  This will continue to be the case even though new online applications are no longer being accepted.

Can a postdoctoral IRTA, CRTA, or VF award be used for research training outside the NIH?
No. These awards provide support for training experiences in the Intramural Research Program at the NIH; they cannot be used for other purposes.

Are citizens of countries other than the United States eligible to apply for postdoctoral positions in the NIH intramural program?
Only U.S. citizens and permanent residents are eligible to apply for Intramural Research Training Awards (IRTAs). Citizens of countries other than the United States apply for Visiting Fellowships.  This same division applies to postdoctoral positions in the NCI Center for Cancer Research. The appointments are equivalent and the same postdoctoral positions are available to both populations.  The NRC NIH (NIBIB)/NIST Joint Postdoctoral Program is open to applicants of all nationalities.

Applicants to the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics must be U.S. citizens, resident aliens, or foreign nationals with a valid training visa.  To be eligible for the Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program, one must be either a citizen of the U.S. or a resident alien eligible for citizenship within 4 years at the time of application.

What kind of visa will I need to participate in the VF or NRC postdoctoral program?
Visiting Fellows and NRC Associates are assisted in obtaining J-1 Visas.  This is typically the only option, because Visiting Fellows are officially trainees and not employees.  A J-1 Visa does not qualify a Visiting Fellow to apply for permanent residency.  For additional information for international scholars, please visit the Division of International Services and the Visiting Fellows Subcommitte of FelCom Web sites.

If I am not a U.S. citizen, how do I provide proof of my citizenship?
You will be asked to submit a copy of your birth certificate, passport, and/or alien registration card once you are selected for a position.

Is housing provided by the NIH?
Housing for postdoctoral trainees is not provided by the NIH. Fellows are responsible for finding their own housing.  You may, however, find our Planning Your Move information of use.

Is health insurance provided?
Health insurance is required for all Postdoctoral IRTA/CRTA and VF trainees. The NIH will pay for low-option individual or family coverage available through the Foundation for Advanced Education in the Sciences (FAES). If you wish to subscribe to an FAES policy with more extensive coverage than that provided by the NIH, you will be required to pay the difference in cost. If you are already insured on another policy, you will be allowed to remain on that policy if you provide evidence of coverage. If the policy is in your name, and you can demonstrate that you are the individual who makes the premium payments, you will be reimbursed by the amount the NIH would have paid for FAES coverage.

When should I submit my application?
We suggest that you apply three to six months before the date on which you wish to start. On the other hand, it is never too early to begin networking with NIH scientists whose work is of interest to you and discussing the possibility of spending time at some point in their laboratories.

How will I be paid?
Postdoctoral trainees receive monthly stipend checks. Trainees are paid at the beginning of the month for work completed the previous month. Taxes are not withheld. Income is reported by the NIH to the IRS on IRS Form 1099 at the end of the year. Trainees should plan ahead for the taxes that they will be required to pay and may need to pay quarterly Estimated Taxes throughout the year to avoid penalties.