National Institute of
National Institute of General Medical Sciences Predoctoral Basic Biomedical Sciences Research Training Program (T32)
Program Goal & Structure
The goal of the NIGMS Basic Biomedical Sciences Predoctoral Research Training Grant (T32) program is to develop well-trained scientists available to address the nation's biomedical research agenda. Programs are expected to support the development of biomedical scientists with the technical, operational, and professional skills necessary to conduct rigorous and reproducible research, and transition into careers in the biomedical research workforce.
Training grants offset the cost of stipends, tuition and fees, and training related expenses, including health insurance. Training grants are usually awarded for five years and are renewable. Full details are found in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-25-168.html.
Organizational Considerations
NIGMS supports predoctoral research training grant applications from eligible organizations to enhance Ph.D. research training in 8 broad areas of basic biomedical sciences relevant to the NIGMS mission (see NOT-GM-26-007 for recent updates).
- Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology programs prepare students to investigate fundamental biological processes at the cellular and molecular levels. Relevant fields include genetics, molecular and cell biology, developmental biology, and stem cell research.
- Physiology, Pathophysiology, and Pharmacology programs train students to investigate how biological processes function across complex systems in health and disease. Relevant fields include physiology, molecular medicine, pharmacology, and systems biology.
- Biochemistry and Chemical Biology programs prepare students to apply chemistry-based and biochemical methods to biological questions.
- Quantitative and Computational Biomedical Sciences programs prepare students from biological or quantitative backgrounds to apply quantitative approaches to biomedical problems. Relevant fields include biostatistics, bioinformatics, data science, computer science, artificial intelligence, and machine learning.
- Biophysics, Bioengineering, and Technology Development programs develop students who apply physical and engineering principles to uncover fundamental biological mechanisms. Programs in this area can also train students to develop new methods, technologies, and instruments to advance biomedical discovery.
- Biomedical Behavioral Sciences Interface programs train students to advance NIGMS-relevant research by examining how well-defined and rigorous biobehavioral factors directly impact biomedical outcomes. Relevant fields include fundamental biological psychology, neuroscience and the 'science of science.'
- Pathways for Basic Science-Industry Translation programs prepare students to translate fundamental discoveries into an industry context.
- All programs must include a required two- or three-month internship at a biotechnology firm.
- Programs may focus on a specific interdisciplinary topic relevant to industry or take a broader approach that supports trainees across multiple disciplines.
- Expanding Basic Research Training and Development programs aim to expand the institutions and regions where rigorous predoctoral biomedical research training takes place.
- Programs must be grounded in the basic biomedical disciplines and should support students from the range of biomedical fields at the institution.
- Institutions may not hold an active NIGMS predoctoral basic biomedical T32 award in any other program area at the time of the award.
Trainee Eligibility and Participation
The applicant organization will select the trainees to be supported by the research training program. It is the responsibility of the organization to establish the qualifications, consistent with applicable law, of the trainees before they are supported by the program.
The individual to be trained must be a citizen or a noncitizen national of the United States or have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence at the time of appointment. Additional details on citizenship, training period, and aggregate duration of support are available in the NIH Grants Policy Statement. Predoctoral trainees must be enrolled in a program leading to a Ph.D. in a biomedical discipline.
All trainees are required to pursue their research training full time, normally defined as 40 hours per week, or as specified by the sponsoring organization in accordance with its own policies. Students are typically provided full-time support for 1-2 years of graduate studies. Use of training grant support in the first two years of graduate research training is strongly encouraged to provide maximum benefits in the participation in courses, laboratory rotations, and professional development activities.
Information for Applicants
- Applicants are strongly encouraged to read the NOFO (including Related Notices in the Overview Section), Answers to Frequently Asked Questions, and consult relevant NIGMS staff for the proposed program area to discuss eligibility and application requirements prior to submission.
- Each organization may hold only one award per program area.
- NIGMS does not support applications requesting support for a combined predoctoral and postdoctoral research training programs.
- NIGMS does not support short-term training.
For general questions about NIGMS basic biomedical predoctoral training programs, please contact NIGMSPredocT32@mail.nih.gov.
For questions about training programs in a specific area, please contact the relevant program officials.
