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NIMH NRSA Practices and Guidance

The following guidance is for prospective applicants for National Research Service Award (NRSA) programs (F30, F31, F32, T32) supported by NIMH. NIMH is most enthusiastic about applications that are aligned with NIMH’s scientific priorities as outlined in our Strategic Plan and our Strategic Priorities, and that are consistent with the following NIMH practices:

Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the appropriate NIMH Training and Career Development Program Officer before preparing an NRSA application to determine if their application aligns with the Institute’s priorities.

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Individual fellowships

The NRSA Fellowship application should document a viable source of funding from the Sponsor to support the research proposed.

Applicants for individual fellowships are strongly encouraged to include plans for the development and continued refinement of Individual Development Plans throughout their training.

Some sponsors may not yet have successfully mentored a predoctoral student or postdoctoral scholar to the next stage of their research career. In such case, a co-sponsor with a strong mentoring track record may be a helpful addition to the individual fellowship training plan. The co-sponsor’s role in the training plan should be clearly described.

Instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research is integral to any training program. Successful completion of such instruction is required during Year 01 of a fellowship award. Instructional details must be reported in the Year 02 Progress Report. Full details about this policy requirement can be found in the NIH Guide Notice NOT-OD-10-019  and NOT-OD-22-055 . This requirement is fulfilled if the fellow provides documentation that acceptable instruction has been completed within the last four years and during the current career stage (for example, if a postdoctoral fellow, instruction was completed during the postdoctoral period).

For predoctoral fellowships, support is limited to the first 6 years of Ph.D. research training (excluding clinical internship) except in exceptional circumstances. Potential candidates are encouraged to discuss their individual situation with an NIMH Program Contact before applying if they intend to request support beyond 6 years.

F30: Over the duration of dual degree support, at least 50 percent of the award period must be devoted to graduate research training leading to the doctoral research degree. This 48-month window is calculated from the start date of entry into medical school or other equivalent (such as veterinary) school. For questions regarding F30 eligibility, potential applicants should contact the appropriate NIMH Training and Career Development Officer.

For F30 applications for dual-degree candidates other than D.D.S./Ph.D., D.M.D./Ph.D., and Au.D./Ph.D. candidates, applicants must have matriculated into a dual-degree program no more than 48 months prior to the due date of the initial (-01) application.

F31: NIMH uses the omnibus NRSA for Individual Predoctoral Fellows to support individuals conducting dissertation research who have matriculated to Ph.D. candidacy (typically after completing a “qualifying exam” or some other program-specific threshold). Applicants generally request 2-3 years of individual NRSA support to complete their dissertation research training and related activities.

Individuals submitting applications for the NRSA F31 for Individual Predoctoral Fellowships to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research are eligible to do such at any point during their graduate training. They should do so only when they can document a cohesive and sustained line of research and research training that would allow for an appropriate review of the application.

F32: NIMH uses the NRSA for Individual Postdoctoral Fellows mechanism to support early-stage postdoctoral research. The F32 training plan should clearly describe how the candidate will develop additional expertise distinct from what they learned as a graduate student.

Institutional training grants

T32: Applications for the NRSA Institutional Research Training Grant mechanism are strongly encouraged to include Individual Development Plans for all trainees.

At the predoctoral level, NIMH T32s typically support "late-stage" research training. That is, NIMH T32s are typically used to support individuals conducting dissertation-stage research who have matriculated to Ph.D. candidacy (for example, after completing a "qualifying exam" or some other program-specific threshold). Candidates are typically appointed to a T32 for 2-3 years, during which they can benefit from the programmatic activities of the T32 and complete their dissertation research training. NIMH encourages T32 programs to foster the submission of individual predoctoral fellowships by their trainees.

NIMH also participates in the trans-NIH Jointly Sponsored NIH Predoctoral Training Program in the Neurosciences  that supports "early-stage" predoctoral training (typically years 1-2 of graduate education).

At the postdoctoral level, NIMH T32s typically support early-stage, postdoctoral research training when individuals are most likely to benefit from an institutional training program's structure and programmatic activities.

Instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research is integral to any training program. Successful completion of such instruction is required during the first year a trainee is appointed to a NIMH T32. Instructional details for appointed trainees must be reported annually in the Progress Report. Trainees must fulfill this instructional requirement during each career stage (for example, predoctoral or postdoctoral) and at an interval no greater than four years. This requirement is fulfilled if the Progress Report documents that acceptable instruction has been completed during the current career stage and within the last four years. Full details about this policy requirement can be found in the NIH Guide Notice NOT-OD-10-019 .