Table of Contents

• Overview
• What Do Research Supplements Pay For?
• Applying for a Research Supplement
• Primary Caregiver Technical Assistance Supplements
• Research Supplements To Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research
• Research Supplements to Promote Reentry Into Biomedical and Behavioral Research Careers

Overview

Supplements are not grants. Research supplements are funds added to an existing grant to increase the participation of scientists from underrepresented groups in biomedical research. They also help promising researchers return to a scientific career.

Any principal investigator with at least two years remaining on a grant can apply for this supplementary funding, which he or she uses to pay salary, fringe benefits, and research support.

People ranging from high school students through senior faculty members who are members of underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, have physical or mental disabilities, or have taken a career hiatus (between one and eight years) for family obligations are eligible to be hired through a research supplement. Anyone interested should talk to an NIAID-supported PI.

The following grants are eligible for supplements:

• Research project grants—R00, R01 (or RL1), R10, R18, R21/R33, R22, R24, R35, R37
• Multiproject grants—P01 (or PL1), P20, P30, P40, P41, P50, P51, P60
• Small business awards—R41, R42, R43, R44
• Cooperative agreements—U01 (or UL1), U10, U19, U41, U42, U54
• Director's awards—DP1, DP2

To get an email alert when we post new supplement opportunities, learn how to sign up at NIAID Email Alerts Subscription Center and pick Research Supplements as a topic of interest.

Check the links below for specific eligibility requirements and contact your NIAID program officer with questions about your grant.

What Do Research Supplements Pay For?

The amount of financial support provided by NIAID research supplements depends on the career level of the person receiving the support.

• High school students—Institutional salary rates; not to exceed the hourly minimum wage (with justification). Supplies and travel not allowed
• Undergraduates—Institutional salary rates; not to exceed $12 per hour (with justification), up to $200 per month for supplies and travel
• Post baccalaureate—Salary, fringe benefits, up to $3,000 (with justification) for supplies and travel
• Graduate students—Salary, tuition, and fringe benefits, up to $4,000 each year (with justification) for supplies, publication costs, and travel
• Postdocs—Salary, fringe benefits, up to $6,000 (with justification) for supplies, publication costs, and travel
• Junior faculty—Salary, fringe benefits, up to $10,000 (with justification) for supplies, publication costs, and travel
• People reentering a scientific career—Institutional salary (consistent with the level of effort) and fringe benefits, up to $10,000 (with justification) for supplies, domestic travel, and publication costs

For people with disabilities, NIAID also provides reasonable accommodation costs.

Applying for a Research Supplement

NIAID has no firm deadline for research supplement applications. Check with NIAID about "soft" deadlines that may affect your application, e.g., if you are seeking an award before the end of a fiscal year. 

NIAID senior staff will administratively review your application. You'll want to emphasize certain factors in a research supplement application. Begin by detailing the research candidate's qualifications. Career goals, previous training and work experience, and (for students) educational achievement should emphasize the candidate's high potential in the field of health-related research.

Describe how the research experience will enhance the candidate's skills and knowledge and help him or her achieve career goals. For reentry supplements, candidates should show recent effort to reenter the scientific community, such as reading scientific journals. You should also show that the work will be integral to the project, and illustrate how proposed research and career development activities are relevant to the subject matter of the parent grant. Include a proposed mentoring plan in your application.

Below we give instructions for three types of supplements:

1. Primary Caregiver Technical Assistance Supplements
2. Research Supplements to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research
3. Research Supplements to Promote Reentry Into Biomedical and Behavioral Research Careers

Primary Caregiver Technical Assistance Supplements

Primary Caregiver Technical Assistance Supplements (PCTAS) support postdoctoral research scientists who are taking care of a child or sick family member. They provide additional funds for NIAID grantees to hire a mid-to-senior level technician to fill in when the caregiver needs to be away from the lab.

Principal investigators apply for a supplement to their NIAID-funded grant. Postdocs who need technical support should talk to a PI.

For questions about NIH's dependent care policy, go to NIH's Frequently Asked Questions: Policies Related to Parental Leave and Child Care.

Deadlines

NIAID receives applications at any time and reviews them approximately four times a year (November, February, April, and May). If you want your application reviewed in one of the four listed months, submit it by the first of the preceding month.

If you are seeking an award before the end of a fiscal year—September 30—we have to receive your application no later than April 15.

Applications received after these dates are considered for funding in the next fiscal year. Please keep in mind we usually experience delays in making awards at the beginning of every fiscal year.

Review and Award

A committee of NIAID senior staff members review applications on scientific merit and training potential. NIAID will make awards about eight to ten weeks after review.

Eligibility

As long as PIs have at least two years of NIAID support remaining, they can receive funding for the following grant types:

• Research project grants—R01, R18, R24, R37
• Multiproject grants—P01, P30, P50
• Cooperative agreements—U01, U19, U42, U54

Postdocs must have at least one full year at an NIAID-funded laboratory and be primary caregivers for a child or ailing relative.

Technicians do not need U.S. citizenship or permanent residency status. Temporary and student visas are acceptable.

Salary and Budget

PI

• Ask for enough funding to hire a sufficiently experienced full- or part-time technician and cover fringe benefits.
• Request only research technical assistance. You can't use funding for other expenses, e.g. supplies, travel, or postdoc benefits.
• Keep in mind the salary of a mid-to-senior level technician varies by institution but is generally between $40,000 to $50,000.

Technician

• Get up to two years' salary and fringe benefits.

Advice for Applicants

Submit a paper application or email PDF files of scanned documents. NIAID encourages—but does not require—using PDFs.

Work with your business office to make sure you use the correct forms.

Paper Applications

• Include the following:
  
  • Front page of PHS 398.
  • Budget page from PHS 398 for the first 12 months.
  • Budget page for entire proposed period of support.
  • PI's biosketch, up to five pages as in an R01.
  • Postdoc's biosketch.
  • Two- to four-page description of what the project entails. We need to know exactly what the postdoc and technician will work on.
  • One-page statement of postdoc's career goals.
  • A signed statement from the PI and an institutional official establishing the eligibility of the postdoc for support under this program. Include citizenship and a description of any previous PHS research grant support.
  • Provide a detailed justification describing the need for a PCTAS.
• Send the original plus two copies to the NIAID staff contact listed on this page.

PDF Files

• Convert the required PHS 398 forms (see above) into PDF files.
  
  • Your institutional business official's signature must be clearly legible.
  • Include a single PDF with transcripts, letters of recommendation, and other items that cannot be downloaded from the PHS 398 application package.
• Send your PDFs as attachments in an email to the NIAID staff contact listed on this page.
  
  • Use the subject line "NIAID PCTAS Application PDF."
  • Make sure your contact information is in the body of the email.

Research Supplements To Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research

Diversity supplements support students, postdocs, and faculty scientists who are members of an underrepresented group.  See the Research Supplements to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research funding opportunity announcement.

Principal investigators apply for a supplement to their NIAID-funded grant. Anyone who wants to be hired under a diversity supplement should talk to a PI.

Investigators with grants that have multiple PIs are eligible to apply, but they may not use a supplement to request adding another PI or other personnel for salary support.

Duration of support depends on the candidate’s career level and may be adjusted by the review committee.

We do not award diversity supplements to grants in a no-cost extension. A reasonable timeframe (at least two years) must be remaining on the parent grant at the time of submission. For more on this, see Eligibility below.

Deadlines

NIAID receives applications at any time and reviews them approximately four times a year (November, February, April, and May). If you want your application reviewed in one of the four listed months, submit it by the first of the preceding month.

Submit applications for a high school or undergraduate student for summer work as early as possible. To consider your application for the summer of this calendar year, we have to receive it no later than March 1.

If you are seeking an award before the end of a fiscal year—September 30—we have to receive your application no later than April 15.

Applications received after these dates are considered for funding in the next fiscal year. Please keep in mind we usually experience delays in making awards at the beginning of every fiscal year.

Review and Award

A committee of NIAID senior staff members review applications on scientific merit and training potential. NIAID will make awards about 8 to 10 weeks after review.

Eligibility

As long as PIs have at least two years of NIAID support remaining at the time of submission, they can receive funding for the following grant types:

• Research project grants—R00, R01 (or RL1), R10, R18, R21/R33, R22, R24, R35, R37, R61/R33
• Multiproject grants—P01 (or PL1), P20, P30, P40, P41, P50, P51, P60
• Small business awards—R41, R42, R43, R44
• Cooperative agreements—U01 (or UL1), U10, U19, U41, U42, U54, UH2/UH3, UM1, UM2
• Director's awards—DP1, DP2

For grants with performance periods of two years or less, the proposed supplement should support activities and career levels appropriate for the shortened performance period.

People who are supported on research grants (especially the parent grant) are not eligible. Students who are supported by an Institutional National Research Service Award are eligible once they have completed the grant.

Graduate students or people in postdoctoral training who are supported by an Institutional NRSA may not be transferred to supplemental support before completing their appointed period of training.

Non-U.S. citizens must have permanent residency status ("green card") at time of award. People on temporary or student visas are not eligible.

Investigators should verify eligibility with the NIAID staff contact listed on this page.

Note: M.S. and post-M.S. students should contact the NIAID staff contact listed on this page before submitting an application.

Salary and Budget

• High school students—Institutional salary rates; not to exceed the hourly minimum wage (with justification). Supplies and travel not allowed.
• Undergraduates—Institutional salary rates; not to exceed $12 per hour (with justification), up to $200 per month for supplies and travel.
• Post baccalaureate—Salary, fringe benefits, and up to $3,000 (with justification) for supplies and travel.
• Graduate students—Salary, tuition, and fringe benefits, and up to $4,000 each year (with justification) for supplies, publication costs, and travel.
• Postdocs—Salary not to exceed $50,000 annually, fringe benefits, and up to $6,000 (with justification) for supplies, publication costs, and travel.
• Investigators developing independent research careers
  
  • Salary: consistent with level of support
    • The requested salary and fringe benefits can be up to $85,000 in total direct costs. This includes the candidate's salary of up to $75,000 each year plus fringe benefits.
    • Candidates with clinical degrees may request up to $100,000 (maximum) plus fringe benefits; percentage effort must be at least 75 percent or nine person-months of your full-time effort.
  • Fringe benefits: consistent with your institution's policies.
  • Supplies, peer reviewed publication costs, and travel: up to $10,000 per year with justification.
• Established investigators who become disabled
  
  • Salary: limited to items necessary for the investigator to meet the goals of a funded research project.
  • Equipment: any accommodations necessary for the investigator to complete the research project, consistent with the type of disability and the nature of the research.

Application Content

PIs should read the program announcement (under Application and Submission Information) for what to include in a supplement request. Work with your business office to make sure you use the correct forms. See below for further details and additional information that NIAID requires.

• PI biosketch may be up to five pages as in an R01.
• Candidate biosketch
• Research Plan, six to eight page description that includes:
  
  • A summary or abstract of the funded grant or project
  • Description of the candidate’s proposed research project
    • The program announcement requires that the PI describe how the mentored research experiences will expand and foster his or her research capabilities and how they relate to the research goals and objectives of the parent grant. The Research Plan should present evidence that the proposed experience is appropriate for the stage of the candidate’s research development and that it will significantly enhance his or her research potential, while furthering the candidate's ability to pursue a research career.
      • The proposed research must be within the scope of the parent grant and should be a logical extension of the goals and objectives but not sufficiently different to constitute new research or program expansion.  A Research Plan redundant with any portion of the studies approved under the parent grant will not be supported under this supplement program.
• Career Development Plan
  • Provide details on skills to be acquired and progress for milestones, i.e., goals that will be reached during the supplement experience, such as abstract and publication submission, preliminary data, and oral scientific presentations at local or national conferences.
  • Provide a timeline for the research and career development activities for investigators, postdoctoral researchers, graduate students, post baccalaureate students, and undergraduates.
  • Describe how you will assist the candidate in achieving the objectives and goals described in the candidate's career goals statement.
  • Describe the interaction between the mentor, research team, and candidate as well as opportunities to interact with other research team members.
  • Provide a detailed development and mentorship plan that includes plans, objectives, and associated timelines for helping the candidate make the transition to the next stage of his or her research career.
• Description of your track record as a mentor
  
  • If you are a junior faculty member, it may be helpful to include an experienced co-mentor in the career development plan.
  • If you have received research supplements, describe the outcome or progress of the supplements, including the diversity candidate's current status (provide full names, title, and institution).
  • If other investigators contribute to the research mentoring, describe their role and include a biosketch.
• One-page statement of the diversity candidate's career goals
  
  • Candidates must provide a signed statement outlining short- and long-term research objectives and career goals and describe how the planned activities are related to or will facilitate achieving their career goals.
  • Candidates at the graduate, postdoctoral, or investigator level are encouraged to submit career stage-appropriate grant applications during or at the end of the period of support (see Choose an Award by Career Stage). Candidate's statements should also include plans for the development and submission of such applications.
• Statement of Eligibility. The application should include a signed statement from you and an institutional official establishing the candidate's eligibility for support under this program. The statement must include:
  
  • Clearly presented information on citizenship.
  • The last four digits of the candidate's Social Security number.
  • Information on the nature of the candidate's disability, circumstances, background, or characteristics that confer eligibility under this program.
  • A description of any current or previous PHS research grant support the candidate has received, including start and end dates. Include a statement indicating that the candidate has not received any current or previous PHS support, if applicable. Candidates receiving PHS support at the time of submission are not eligible.
• Transcript Requirements, References or Letters of Support
  • Provide a scanned copy of most recent transcript(s) for only high school, undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, medical students, and graduate students.
  • References or letters of support are optional but may be included in the supplement application.

Application Submission

Your options for submitting supplement requests are as follows:

• Send paper PHS 398 forms to the NIAID staff contact listed on this page.
• Submit electronically through the eRA Commons.
• Submit electronically through Grants.gov, using the diversity PA.

Research Supplements to Promote Reentry Into Biomedical and Behavioral Research Careers

Reentry supplements support scientists who have taken time off to care for children or parents, or attend to other family responsibilities. See the Research Supplements to Promote Reentry into Biomedical and Behavioral Research Careers funding opportunity announcement.

Principal investigators apply for a supplement to their NIAID-funded grant. Those interested in being supported by a reentry supplement should talk to a PI.

Investigators with grants that have multiple PIs are eligible to apply, but they may not use a supplement to request adding another PI to the grant.

Deadlines

NIAID receives applications at any time and reviews them approximately four times a year (November, February, April, and May). If you want your application reviewed in one of the four listed months, submit it by the first of the preceding month.

If you are seeking an award before the end of a fiscal year—September 30—we have to receive your application no later than April 15.

Applications received after these dates are considered for funding in the next fiscal year. Please keep in mind we usually experience delays in making awards at the beginning of every fiscal year.

Review and Award

A committee of NIAID senior staff members review applications on scientific merit and training potential. NIAID will make awards about eight to ten weeks after review.

Eligibility

As long as PIs have at least two years of NIAID support remaining, they can receive funding for the following grant types:

• Research project grants—R00, R01 (or RL1), R10, R18, R21/R33, R22, R24, R35, R37, R61/R33
• Multiproject grants—P01 (or PL1), P20, P30, P40, P41, P50, P51, P60
• Small business awards—R41, R42, R43, R44
• Cooperative agreements—U01 (or UL1), U10, U19, U41, U42, U54, UG3/UH3, UH2/UH3, UM1, UM2
• Director's awards—DP1, DP2

Candidates must have a doctoral degree and had a postdoctoral or faculty position when they left active research.

Non-U.S. citizens must have permanent residency status ("green card") at time of award. People on temporary or student visas are not eligible.

Investigators should contact their program officer if they are unsure if their grant qualifies.

Salary and Budget

• Salary and fringe benefits: consistent with the institutional salary policy.
• Supplies and travel: up to $10,000 with justification.
• Equipment: allowed only with prior approval from NIAID.

Application Content

Work with your business office to make sure you use the correct forms, and include the following:

• Front page of PHS 398.
• Budget page from PHS 398 for the first 12 months (DD).
• Budget page for entire proposed period of support (EE).
• PI's biosketch, up to five pages as in an R01 (FF).
• Reentry scientist's biosketch (FF).
• Four- to six-page description of what the project entails. We need to know exactly what project the reentry scientist will be doing. See Section IV.2 of the program announcement for additional information.
• Brief personal statement prepared by the reentry candidate. See Section IV.2 of the program announcement for additional information.
• Brief note describing why the reentry supplement is needed.

Application Submission

Your options for submitting supplement requests are as follows:

• Send paper PHS 398 forms to the NIAID staff contact listed on this page. See below for instructions.
• Submit electronically through the eRA Commons.
• Submit electronically through Grants.gov, using the reentry PA.