The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is making a number of updates to training grant applications for due dates on or after January 25, 2025. For details, visit the Updates to NIH Institutional Training Grant Applications webpage. New funding announcements and application instructions for undergraduate (T34) training programs will be released in the coming months. 

Impact for NIGMS Undergraduate Training Grant Applicants 

NIGMS already incorporates mentor training expectations into funding announcements for undergraduate training grant applications and includes instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) and the Recruitment Plan to Enhance Diversity as additional review criteria that contribute to the overall impact score. Therefore, these NIH-wide updates do not impact NIGMS undergraduate training grant applications.

The changes that will impact NIGMS T34 applications include the following:

1. The Recruitment Plan to Enhance Diversity will become a distinct attachment on the PHS 398 Research Training Program Plan form (similar to the Training in RCR and Methods for Instructions in Enhancing Reproducibility).
2. NIGMS applicants need to follow the new data table instructions (refer to these previews). Notable updates include:
   • New Undergraduate Tables
     • Table 1 (Census of Participating Departments or Interdepartmental Programs), which requests information previously requested as part of the Other Attachments, will now be a standard National Research Service Award table. This will be required for all applications.
     • Table 7 (Appointments to the Training Grant for Each Year of the Current Project Period) will be required for renewal applications.
   • Updates to Existing Tables
     • Tables 2 and 4 will allow applicants with partnership programs to clearly show information for partner organizations in the new Part II.
     • Table 5 will be reorganized so it focuses primarily on the trainee outcomes (that is, trainees will be in the first column). Programs can also include:
       • Interim research products to which the trainee has contributed (such as preprints) when there is not a final, peer-reviewed publication available
       • External conference abstracts authored by undergraduate trainees

If you have questions about these upcoming changes, please reach out to the relevant NIGMS program contacts.