Training Grants Program Description and Guidelines

NIGMS accepts predoctoral research training grant applications from eligible institutions to enhance graduate (Ph.D.) research training in 12 broad areas of basic biomedical sciences relevant to the NIGMS mission. Applicants are expected to identify the program area that they are applying to under the Agency Routing Identifier Field on the Cover Page of their application. In addition to training in these 12 broad areas, NIGMS supports the integrated clinical and graduate research training through the Leading Equity and Advancing Diversity in the Medical Scientist Training Program (LEAD MSTP) and Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP).

The Predoctoral Basic Biomedical and Medical Scientist Training Programs T32 funding opportunities are:

The overarching objective of the NIGMS Institutional Predoctoral Training in Basic Biomedical Sciences is to develop a diverse pool of well-trained 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 are usually awarded for 5 years. Students are typically supported by the training grant for 1-2 years of graduate studies in Ph.D. programs. Use of training grant support during the first two years of graduate research training, is strongly encouraged to provide maximum flexibility in the selection of courses, rotations, research fields and mentors. Use of training grant support in year 3, if proposed, should be strongly justified. The NRSA limit for support of predoctoral trainees is five years.

The overarching objective of the Leading Equity and Advancing Diversity in the Medical Scientist Training Program is to develop a diverse pool of well-trained physician-scientists with the technical, operational, and professional skills necessary to conduct rigorous and reproducible research, and transition into careers in the biomedical research workforce that utilize the dual-degree, and to become leaders in advancing the research to meet the health needs of the Nation at institution types that have historically not been well represented among NIGMS-funded MSTPs. Note that this program supports the integrated clinical and graduate research training for qualified clinician-Ph.D. dual-degree students who are motivated to undertake biomedical research and research-related careers in academia, industry, and government. This program may not be used to support studies leading to the M.D., D.D.S. or other clinical, health-professional training.

Training grants are usually awarded for 5 years. Students are typically supported by the training grant for 2-4 years in dual-degree programs. The NRSA limit for support of predoctoral dual-degree trainees is six years.

The overarching objective of the Medical Scientist Training Program is to develop a diverse pool of well-trained clinician-scientists with the technical, operational, and professional skills necessary to conduct rigorous and reproducible research, and transition into careers in the biomedical research workforce that utilize the dual-degree, and to become leaders in advancing the research to meet the health needs of the Nation. Note that this program supports the integrated medical and graduate research training for qualified clinician-Ph.D. dual-degree students who are motivated to undertake biomedical research and research-related careers in academia, industry, and government. This program may not be used to support studies leading to the M.D., D.D.S. or other clinical, health-professional training.

Training grants are usually awarded for 5 years. Students are typically supported by the training grant for 2-4 years in dual-degree programs. The NRSA limit for support of predoctoral dual-degree trainees is six years.

The proposed training program should be well integrated within one or more graduate department(s)/program(s) and is expected to exert a strong, positive influence on the development and execution of the graduate curriculum, training opportunities and mentoring. Briefly, all NIGMS predoctoral training grant applications in Basic Biomedical Sciences, the Leading Equity and Advancing Diversity in the Medical Scientist Training Program, and the Medical Scientist Training Program are expected to:

  • Identify training needs and objectives (i.e., specific measurable outcomes the program intends to achieve), and develop plans to implement evidence-based training activities.
  • Ensure that trainees have a solid foundation in methods to enhance data reproducibility through rigor and transparency.
  • Implement robust plans to enhance diversity in the biomedical enterprise (e.g., see NIH's Notice of Interest in Diversity for information on groups who are nationally underrepresented in the biomedical sciences), and to promote inclusive research environments (i.e., institutional and departmental environments where trainees from all backgrounds feel integrated into and supported by the biomedical community).
  • Implement plans to enhance trainee retention (i.e., to sustain the scientific interests and participation of trainees from all backgrounds).
  • Describe the institutional commitment and support for the proposed training program and how this training program may complement and synergize with other ongoing federally-supported predoctoral research training programs at the applicant institution. Note that the scientific training goals of the proposed training program must be distinct from related programs at the same institution currently receiving federal support.
  • Create administrative and training efficiencies to reduce costs and improve trainee services and outcomes in cases where an institution has multiple NIGMS predoctoral training grants.
  • Describe plans to track trainee outcomes and make the data publicly available on the institution’s website.

Additionally, NIGMS expects these well-trained scientists (basic biomedical as well as clinician-scientists) to have:

  • A broad understanding across biomedical disciplines;
  • Expertise in a basic biomedical scientific discipline and the skills to independently acquire the knowledge needed to advance their chosen fields;
  • The ability to think critically and independently, and to identify important biomedical research questions and approaches that push forward the boundaries of their areas of study;
  • A strong foundation in scientific reasoning, rigorous research design, experimental methods, quantitative and computational approaches, and data analysis and interpretation;
  • The skills to conduct research in the safest manner possible, and a commitment to approaching biomedical research responsibly, ethically, and with integrity;
  • Experience initiating, conducting, interpreting, and presenting rigorous and reproducible biomedical research with increasing self-direction;
  • The ability to work effectively in teams with colleagues from a variety of cultural and scientific backgrounds, and to promote inclusive and supportive scientific research environments;
  • The skills to teach and communicate scientific research methodologies and findings to a wide variety of audiences (e.g., discipline-specific, across disciplines, and the public); and
  • The knowledge, professional skills and experiences required to identify and transition into careers in the biomedical research workforce (i.e., the breadth of careers that sustain biomedical research in areas that are relevant to the NIH mission).

Notes:

  • NIGMS encourages all applicants for training grants to contact program staff before submitting an application.
  • An institution may not have duplicate or highly overlapping applications in the same training area under review at the same time.
  • NIGMS will support only one training program in each training area per institution normally identified by a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) or Institution Profile File (IPF) number.
  • NIGMS does not accept applications requesting support for a combined predoctoral and postdoctoral training program.
  • Applicants should also note that NIGMS does not require T32 applicants requesting $500,000 or more in direct costs for any year to contact staff to obtain agreement that the IC will accept the application.

Before preparing an application, applicants are urged to contact the staff member who is responsible for the specific area of training.

For general information about these institutional NRSA T32 predoctoral training programs, contact:

Dr. Mercedes Rubio
Chief, Predoctoral Basic Biomedical and Medical Science Training Programs Branch
Division of Training, Workforce Development, and Diversity
National Institute of General Medical Sciences
National Institutes of Health
45 Center Drive MSC 6200
Bethesda, MD 20892-6200​

For questions about the review of applications, contact:

Dr. Greg Bissonette
​​Chief, Scientific Review Branch
National Institute of General Medical Sciences
National Institutes of Health
45 Center Drive MSC 6200
Bethesda, MD 20892-6200

For financial and grants management aspects of the training grant programs, contact:

Lisa Moeller
Grants Management Team Leader
National Institute of General Medical Sciences
National Institutes of Health
45 Center Drive MSC 6200
Bethesda, MD 20892-6200

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