MARC and U-RISE (T34) Summer Research Experience (SRE) Policy

Effective November 9, 2023

MARC and U-RISE (T34) trainees are required to participate in at least one summer research experience (SRE), typically for at least 8-weeks, that will broaden and deepen their research training.

T34 trainees receive an annual stipend, paid monthly, that must be provided to trainees throughout the SRE. In addition to this monthly stipend, SRE funds are provided to support trainees remaining on the training grant during their SRE and promote a continuous research training experience.

Summer Research Experience Policy:

Allowable sites include domestic:

  • Research-intensive higher education institutions, and nonprofits other than institutions of higher education.
  • For-Profit Organizations that conduct biomedical research (for example, private industry or biotechnology companies).
  • Federal government organizations that conduct biomedical research (for example, NIH Intramural Research program).

SRE funds will not be provided for trainees at foreign organizations.

  • U-RISE Trainees are required to spend at least one summer in research training at an external organization as described above. Prior approval requests for a home institution SRE can be submitted for trainees with extenuating circumstances that would make an external SRE an extreme hardship (for example, immovable caregiving responsibilities).
  • MARC Trainees are required to spend at least one summer in research training at a research-intensive organization - either at an external site as described above or at the home institution.

Summer Research Experience Funds

SRE funds include per diem funds, and travel costs to and from the host organization. For MARC trainees in an SRE at the home institution, SRE funds are used as per diem.

  • Per diem and travel funds are restricted for the SRE purpose only and may only reimburse actual costs incurred. Since the cost of housing, food and travel will vary, the institutional T34 program director can rebudget these funds within the SRE category per their institution’s policies to accommodate all the trainees participating in the SRE in a given budget year.
  • In those cases in which a student would participate in on-campus housing and a meal plan, the T34 institution should act on behalf of the trainee and pay the host institution for summer housing and meal plans for the period of the training using SRE funds. The per diem funds should not be given to trainees for them to pay host institutions directly. In those cases where a trainee does not reside on campus (e.g., rents a room or apartment) or does not participate in the host campus meal plan, trainees are to be reimbursed for actual living and meal costs at a rate consistent with university policies for the per diem.
  • Trainees cannot receive additional support from any other federally-sponsored award that would otherwise duplicate the fiscal support of what trainees receive in the T34 program (including but not limited to, NIH R25 program or NSF REU programs). If they receive complementary housing and meal support from the host institution, they would not incur costs for reimbursement.
  • Arrangements for trainees to participate in the SRE should be done by the Spring and the institutional T34 program director(s) must be involved.
  • Trainees should be strongly encouraged to maintain health insurance during their SRE – responsibility for coverage generally rests with the trainee.
  • NOTE: Trainees placed at a federal organization generally must only be supported by funds from the T34 and other non-federal institutional funds. Federal funding from sources other than the T34 can only occur under the exceptions listed in section 11.3.10.1 of the NIH Grants Policy Statement. Federal funds may not be used for stipend supplementation unless specifically authorized under the terms of the program from which funds are derived. Under no circumstances may PHS funds be used for supplementation.