Institutional Training Grants-Application Details, Including Stipend Information

All training grant applicants are expected to present detailed plans of the training program organization, criteria for trainee recruitment and selection and mechanisms for evaluation of the quality and success of the training effort. Information should be provided on the size and quality of the applicant pool and on the qualifications of the proposed faculty participants, including their experience as trainers and their current research programs and support. Applicants must describe their program plans, efforts to recruit and retain individuals from underrepresented minority groups, and success in the recruitment, retention and graduation of these individuals, as well as describe program plans to provide instruction in the responsible conduct of scientific research. NIGMS places special emphasis on the recruitment of underrepresented minorities. The following groups have been identified as underrepresented in biomedical and behavioral research nationally: African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans/Alaska Natives who maintain tribal affiliation or community attachment, Hawaiian Natives and natives of the U.S. Pacific Islands. Additional information on the implementation of this requirement can be found at the following Web sites:

• Diversity Recruitment and Retention Requirement for NRSA Training Grants
• Approaches to Recruitment and Retention to Enhance Diversity on Kirschstein NRSA T32 Institutional Research Training Grants
• Instructions to Reviewers for Preparing the Note on Recruitment and Retention Plan to Enhance Diversity

NIGMS training grant awards do not provide support for mixed predoctoral and postdoctoral research training; an application must request support for either predoctoral or postdoctoral research training. In general, only one award in each of the areas listed below will be made to an institution. This provision includes predoctoral applications from combined support areas. Institutional training grants may be made for project periods of up to 5 years and may be renewable. Information regarding dates of application, trainee-related expenses, trainee eligibility, required payback provision and current stipends may be found at http://grants1.nih.gov/training/nrsa.htm#inst.

NIGMS does not require applicants requesting $500,000 or more in direct costs for any year to contact staff to obtain agreement that the Institute will accept the application. However, NIGMS does strongly encourage all applicants for new training grants (type 1, non-amended) to contact staff before submitting an application.

NIH stipend levels are adjusted periodically. The stipend level for postdoctoral trainees is determined by the number of years of relevant postdoctoral experience at the time of appointment. The stipend levels and other allowable costs for new and competing renewal awards made in FY 2012 are as follows (these levels also apply to non-competing awards issued in FY 2012 for programs that received competing awards in FY 2006 or beyond):  

*includes health insurance

NIH encourages institutions to limit the duration of graduate and postdoctoral training to the extent possible. In most cases, graduate and postdoctoral research training from any source should not exceed 6 years and 5 years, respectively. NIH retains eight levels of postdoctoral stipends to accommodate individuals who complete other forms of health-related training prior to accepting a Kirschstein-NRSA-supported position. The presence of eight discrete levels of experience should not be construed as an endorsement of extended periods of postdoctoral research training.

The initial review of institutional training grants is carried out in study sections organized by the NIGMS Office of Scientific Review. Site visits are employed on some occasions as part of this process; however, applicants should not assume that site visits are automatic. 

For questions about the review of applications, contact:

Dr. Helen Sunshine
Chief, Office of Scientific Review
National Institute of General Medical Sciences
45 Center Drive MSC 6200
Bethesda, Maryland 20892-6200
Tel: 301-594-3663
E-mail: sunshinh@nigms.nih.gov

For general information about these institutional NRSA programs, contact:

Dr. Shiva P. Singh
Chief, Undergraduate and Predoctoral Training Branch
Division of Training, Workforce Development and Diversity, and
Program Director, Division of Genetics and Developmental Biology
National Institute of General Medical Sciences
45 Center Drive Room 2As.37C
Bethesda, Maryland 20892-6200
Tel: 301-594-3900
E-mail: Singhs@nigms.nih.gov

Before preparing an application, applicants are strongly urged to contact Dr. Cole and the staff member who is responsible for the specific area of training. For financial and grants management aspects of the training grant programs, contact:

Ms. Grace Olascoaga
Grants Management Officer, NIGMS
45 Center Drive MSC 6200
Bethesda, MD 20892-6200
Telephone: 301-594-5135
E-mail: olascoag@nighm.nih.gov