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

Effective April 1, 2019

MARC and U-RISE (T34) trainees are required to spend at least one summer, typically for a 10-week period, in a research training experience at a research-intensive institution. Preferable sites are institutions that offer NIH T32 predoctoral programs. To assist with this interaction, NIGMS maintains a list of NIGMS-funded T32 programs. Other NIH Institutes and Centers also support the T32 predoctoral training program in various research areas. For a query search to identify such programs, visit the NIH Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools (RePORT) website.

All T34 trainees receive an annual stipend and partial tuition support. Information on stipend amounts is available at http://grants.nih.gov/training/nrsa.htm. This monthly stipend amount must be provided to trainees throughout the summer research experience (the use of direct deposit to the trainee’s bank account is strongly encouraged).

Summer Research Experience Policy:

  • Trainees supported by U-RISE T34 programs are required to spend at least one summer in a research training at an external research-intensive institution (e.g., institutions with NIH T32 programs).
  • Trainees supported by MARC T34 programs funded under previous NOFO​s PAR-17-068, PAR-16-113, and PAR-13-205 are required to spend at least one summer in research training at an external research-intensive institution.
  • Trainees supported by MARC T34 programs funded under announcements issued after January 2019 are required to spend at least one summer in research training at a research-intensive institution - either at an external site or at the home institution. SRE funds will be provided if trainees travel to an external institution but will not be provided for trainees continuing the summer research training at the home institution.

For External Summer Research Experiences

SRE funds include per diem and travel funds to defray living and travel costs during the extramural Summer Research Experience. This action allows the host institution to select a T34 trainee at no cost.

  • To help defray costs associated with living expenses while at the host institution during the summer, T34 trainees participating in the SRE receive a per diem and travel funds. Travel funds are available for travel to and from the host site.
  • 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 of the trainees participating in the SRE in a given 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 to 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) and/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. If they receive complementary housing and meal support, 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 must be involved.
  • Trainees should be strongly encouraged to maintain health insurance during their SRE since if an accident occurs at the host institution, responsibility for coverage generally rests with the trainee.
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