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Recurring Limited Submissions

2025-2026 Greenwall Foundation Faculty Scholars Program in Bioethics

Slots: Only one applicant from a university or non-profit research institute will be considered in each application cycle. Institutions should have an internal screening and selection process, as the Foundation will not consider multiple letters of intent received from a single institution. For purposes of this limitation, the Foundation considers the overseeing university to be the institution. Thus, a university with a law school, medical school, several teaching hospitals, and a faculty of arts and sciences may only submit one application in total. If a university system, such as a state-wide university system, comprises several universities, each university within the system may nominate one applicant.

Deadlines

Internal Deadline: Friday, August 1st, 2025, 5pm PT

LOI: September 15, 2025, 11:59pm ET

External Deadline: January 5, 2026, 11:59pm ET

Recurring Deadlines: TBA; likely January every year.

Award Information

Funding Info: The award supports 50 percent of a Scholar’s salary plus benefits for three years, up to the NIH salary cap, with 10 percent institutional costs for the salary and benefits. This funding is intended to ensure that at least 50 percent of the Scholar’s time is devoted to bioethics research. In addition, the Foundation provides $5,000 each year for limited project support and travel (no indirect costs are provided for these items). 

Who May Serve as PI:

Applicants must be early-career faculty members at a university or non-profit research institute that has tax-exempt status in the United States. Applicants must hold a faculty appointment (or other long-term research position outside a university) that allows at least 50 percent of their effort to perform research (often this is a faculty position with at least a 60 percent appointment in a tenure-track position or its equivalent). Priority will be given to applicants who have not yet been considered for tenure or an equivalent promotion; whose research will have an impact on clinical, biomedical, and public health decision-making, policy, and practice; and who will make important contributions to the field of bioethics over their careers.

Faculty Scholars will be selected on the basis of the strength of their research project, their commitment to the field of bioethics, their achievements, their potential for growth as a bioethics scholar, and support from their home institution, including after the end of this award. While the amount and quality of an applicant’s research in bioethics will count favorably towards their application, outstanding candidates with less direct experience in bioethics will also be considered when their proposed work aims to advance the bioethics field.

Within this group, priority will be given to applicants whose research addresses innovative ideas and/or emerging topics. Lower priority will be given to applicants who are primarily carrying out educational reform or theoretical work with limited applicability to practice, research, or policy. The Greenwall Foundation values and supports diverse voices in bioethics and particularly welcomes applicants from backgrounds that are underrepresented in bioethics and academia. We are committed to building a broad and inclusive bioethics that welcomes everyone, elevates many perspectives, asks a wide range of questions, and learns from diverse voices. For more information on how the Foundation incorporates these values into our grantmaking, read more here.

Link to Award: https://greenwall.org/faculty-scholars-program/scholars-rfp-2025-2026

Process for Limited Submissions

PIs must submit their application as a Limited Submission through the Research Initiatives and Infrastructure (RII) Application Portal: https://rii.usc.edu/oor-portal/. Use the template provided here: RII Limited Submission Applicant Template

Materials to submit include:

  • (1) Two-Page Proposal Summary (1” margins; single-spaced; standard font type, e.g. Arial, Helvetica, Times New Roman, or Georgia typeface; font size: 11 pt). Page limit includes references and illustrations. Pages that exceed the 2-page limit will be excluded from review. You must use the template linked above.
  • (2) CV – (5 pages maximum)

Note: The portal requires information about the PIs in addition to department and contact information, including the 10-digit USC ID#, Gender, and Ethnicity. Please have this material prepared before beginning this application.

Purpose

The Greenwall Faculty Scholars Program in Bioethics is a career development award to enable early-career faculty members to carry out innovative bioethics research. It supports research that goes beyond current work in bioethics to help resolve pressing ethical issues in clinical, biomedical, and public health decision-making, policy, and practice, and creates a community that enhances future bioethics research by Scholars and Alums.

Each year, the Foundation selects approximately three Greenwall Faculty Scholars to receive 50 percent salary support for three years to enable them to carry out a specific research proposal and develop their research program.

Scholars and Alums attend twice-yearly meetings, where they present their works in progress, receive feedback and mentoring from the Faculty Scholars Program Committee and other Scholars and Alums, and have the opportunity to develop collaborations with other researchers. Third-year Scholars are expected to help plan these meetings. Ongoing involvement of Alums with the Program provides continued opportunities for professional development and feedback, and engages them in mentoring of early-career Scholars. In addition, all first-year Scholars participate in a philosophical bioethics seminar series; additional professional development opportunities may also be offered.

The Program Committee provides oversight and direction for the Program and is involved not only with selection of the Scholars but also with mentoring and professional development activities.  

Review Criteria:

1. Quality of the proposed project. Does it address an important bioethics issue in an innovative way? Does the application show how the project will make a significant advance beyond what has already been published on the topic? Is the applicant thinking about the conceptual and normative ethical issues regarding the topic in a rigorous and creative way?

In the case of proposals to carry out an empirical study of a topic that has a bioethics component, the most successful applicants have conducted enough empirical research to be able to discuss what conceptual or normative bioethics issues they will focus on. Because the Greenwall Faculty Scholar award is intended to ensure that at least 50 percent of the Scholar’s effort and time are devoted to bioethics research, the applicant will need to show that additional funding also will be available for any data collection and analysis. Applicants will need to summarize the methods for the empirical part of the project as well. Applicants who propose to carry out empirical work on a bioethics issue, without a strong conceptual framework, normative analysis, and methods are unlikely to be successful. Applicants who are extending previous empirical research to a new population or clinical condition are unlikely to be successful unless they demonstrate persuasively how their proposed extension is innovative. 

Historical, theological, psychological, sociological, normative, legal, comparative, and policy research projects, among others, are welcomed, provided they are tightly tied to bioethics. Pure advocacy is not supported. 

2. Importance of the topic. The Faculty Scholars Program supports research to help resolve pressing ethical issues in clinical, biomedical, and public health decision-making, policy, and practice. The topic of the proposed research should be timely and relevant, and the proposed project should seek to meaningfully contribute to its understanding. Successful applicants often demonstrate their commitment to the topic through prior related work or a clear professional trajectory.

3. Potential of the applicant to further the field of bioethics and contribute to and benefit from the Program. The Program Committee carefully considers a candidate’s personal statement and goals at the letter of intent stage; if a full application is invited, the Program Committee considers, among other things, an institution’s commitment to the candidate and the candidate’s plan for professional development and mentorship.

The Program Committee also considers whether an applicant has demonstrated an ability to carry out innovative bioethics research. At the full application stage of the selection process, the Program Committee carefully reads a first- or sole-authored book chapter or peer-reviewed bioethics article written by the applicant that has been published or is in press. Because this demonstrated publication of bioethics research is given great weight, applicants who have not yet published an innovative bioethics article will not be successful. The Program Committee assesses candidates on their potential; prior work is used to assess future creativity, productivity, and prospect of becoming a leader in the field.

Visit our Institutionally Limited Submission webpage for more updates and other announcements.

2026 Sloan Research Fellowships

Slots: USC may nominate up to three candidates from a department for each of the following: chemistry, computer science, Earth system science, economics, mathematics, neuroscience, physics, or a related field.

Deadlines

Internal Deadline: Friday, July 11th, 2025, 5pm PT Contact RII.

LOI: N/A

External Deadline: September 15, 2025

Award Information

Anticipated Award Amount: $75,000

Link to Award: https://sloan.org/fellowships

Who May Serve as PI: Candidates must hold a Ph.D. or equivalent degree in chemistry, computer science, economics, mathematics, neuroscience, earth sciences, physics, or a related field.

Candidates must be members of the faculty of a college, university, or other degree-granting institution in the U.S. or Canada.

Candidates must be tenure-track, though untenured, as of September 15 of this year.

Candidate’s faculty position must carry a regular teaching obligation.

Process for This Limited Submission

PIs must submit their application through the “Limited Submissions – Foundations” workspace through the Research Initiatives and Infrastructure (RII) Application Portal: https://rii.usc.edu/oor-portal/. The direct link to the workspace is also provided here: https://provost.sma.usc.edu/prog/foundations. Our standard template is not being used for this opportunity. Please see below for materials to submit.

Materials to submit include:

  • (1) Sloan Research Fellows are selected on the basis of their independent research accomplishments, creativity, and potential to become leaders in the scientific community through their contributions to their field. With this in mind, describe your significant scientific work and immediate research plans. (1-2 pages; 1” margins; single-spaced; font type: Arial, Helvetica, or Georgia typeface; font size: 11 pt. Submissions exceeding two pages will not be reviewed.)
  • (2) CV (5 pages maximum)
  • (3) Two representative articles by the candidate that highlight his/her/their independent research
  • NOTE: No letters of support are required for the internal selection process.

Purpose

To stimulate fundamental research by early-career scientists and scholars of outstanding promise.

Budgetary Requirements: Fellowship funds may be used by the fellow for any expense judged supportive of the fellow’s research including staffing, professional travel, lab expenses, equipment, or summer salary support. Fellowship funds may not be used for indirect costs or overhead charges.

Visit our Institutionally Limited Submission webpage for more updates and other announcements.

(CLOSED) 2026 Searle Scholars Program

Slots: University of Southern California is invited to nominate 1 individual to apply

Deadlines

Internal Deadline: Friday, July 11th, 2025, 5pm PT Closed.

LOI: N/A

External Deadline: September 30, 2025, 5pm CT.

Award Information

Type: Grant

Estimated Number of Awards: Generally, fifteen new awards are granted annually and are activated on July 1 of the year of the competition.

Anticipated Amount: Grants are set at $300,000 for a three-year period with $100,000 payable in the first year and equal sums payable in the second and third years and are subject to the receipt of acceptable progress reports.

The awards are made to tax-exempt institutions described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and are designated for the support of the research described in the application.

Link: https://searlescholars.org/competition/award-information/

Who May Serve as PI: The Searle Scholars Scientific Advisory Board is primarily interested in the potential of applicants to make innovative and high-impact contributions to research over an extended period of time. 

Applicants for the 2026 competition (awards which will be activated on July 1, 2026) are expected to be pursuing independent research careers in biochemistry, cell biology, genetics, immunology, neuroscience, pharmacology, and related areas in chemistry, medicine, and the biological sciences. 

Applicants should have begun their appointment as an independent investigator at the assistant professor level on or after May 1, 2024. The appointment must be their first tenure-track position (or its nearest equivalent). 

Institutions which do not have tenure-track appointments should consult with the Scientific Director of the Program regarding eligibility of selected applicants PRIOR to nominating such individuals. 

The Searle Scholars Program does not ordinarily support purely clinical research but has supported research programs that include both clinical and basic components. Potential applicants who are unsure if their research is appropriate for our Program are encouraged to examine the research interests of present and former Searle Scholars on this website. 

Applicants who were nominated for awards in the previous competition year but were not awarded may still meet the eligibility criteria for the current competition. Institutions should consult with the Scientific Director of the Program regarding renomination of such individuals.

Process for Limited Submissions

PIs must submit their application as a Limited Submission through the Research Initiatives and Infrastructure (RII) Application Portal: https://rii.usc.edu/oor-portal/. Use the template provided here: RII Limited Submission Applicant Template

Materials to submit include:

  • (1) Two-Page Proposal Summary (1” margins; single-spaced; standard font type, e.g. Arial, Helvetica, Times New Roman, or Georgia typeface; font size: 11 pt). Page limit includes references and illustrations. Pages that exceed the 2-page limit will be excluded from review. You must use the template linked above.
  • (2) CV – (5 pages maximum)

Note: The portal requires information about the PIs in addition to department and contact information, including the 10-digit USC ID#, Gender, and Ethnicity. Please have this material prepared before beginning this application.

Purpose

The Searle Scholars Program is a limited submission award program that makes grants to selected academic and research institutions to support the independent research of outstanding early-career scientists who have recently been appointed as assistant professors on a tenure-track appointment. The Searle Scholars Program supports high risk, high reward research across a broad range of scientific disciplines.

Visit our Institutionally Limited Submission webpage for more updates and other announcements.

PAR-25-194: Limited Competition: Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Predoctoral Research Training Grant for the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) Program (T32 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

Slots: 1

Deadlines

Internal Deadline: Friday, June 27th, 2025, 5pm PT Contact RII.

LOI: N/A

External Deadline: September 29, 2025;

Recurring Deadlines January 28, 2026; May 28, 2026; September 28, 2026; January 28, 2027; May 28, 2027; September 28, 2027

Award Information

Award Type: Grant

Estimated Number of Awards: The number of awards is contingent upon NIH appropriations and the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications.

Who May Serve as PI: The PD/PI should be an established investigator in the scientific area in which the application is targeted and capable of providing both administrative and scientific leadership to the development and implementation of the proposed program. The PD/PI will be responsible for the selection and appointment of trainees to the approved research training program, and for the overall direction, management, administration, and evaluation of the program. The PD/PI will be expected to monitor and assess the program and submit all documents and reports as required. The PD/PI has responsibility for the day to day administration of the program and is responsible for appointing members of the Advisory Committee (when applicable), using their recommendations to determine the appropriate allotment of funds.

The UM1 PD(s)/PI(s) may not be a PD(s)/PI(s) on the T32 application or award in order to ensure the PD(s)/PI(s) have adequate time to devote to the respective programs.

Link to Award: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-25-194.html

Process for Limited Submissions

PIs must submit their application as a Limited Submission through the Research Initiatives and Infrastructure (RII) Application Portal: https://rii.usc.edu/oor-portal/. Use the template provided here: RII Limited Submission Applicant Template

Materials to submit include:

  • (1) Two-Page Proposal Summary (1” margins; single-spaced; standard font type, e.g. Arial, Helvetica, Times New Roman, or Georgia typeface; font size: 11 pt). Page limit includes references and illustrations. Pages that exceed the 2-page limit will be excluded from review. You must use the template linked above.
  • (2) CV – (5 pages maximum)

Note: The portal requires information about the PIs in addition to department and contact information, including the 10-digit USC ID#. Please have this material prepared before beginning this application.

Purpose

Purpose and Background Information

The NRSA program has been the primary means of supporting predoctoral and postdoctoral research training programs since enactment of the NRSA legislation in 1974. Research training activities can be in basic biomedical or clinical sciences, in behavioral or social sciences, in health services research, or in any other discipline relevant to the NIH mission.

Institutional NRSA programs allow the Training Program Director/Principal Investigator (Training PD/PI) to select the trainees and develop a program of coursework, research experiences, and technical and/or professional skills development appropriate for the selected trainees. Each program should provide high-quality research training and offer opportunities in addition to conducting mentored research. Trainees should develop 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 grant offsets the cost of stipends, tuition and fees, and training related expenses, including health insurance, for the appointed trainees in accordance with agency-approved support levels.

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) provides an opportunity for the Hub to create, provide, and disseminate clinical and translational science training and career support programs for translational scientists and to support meaningful translational science research projects that address demonstrable needs among stakeholder communities.

Program Objective

The goal of the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Institutional Predoctoral Research Training Grant for the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) Program is to equip trainees with the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) to advance diagnostics, therapeutics, clinical interventions, and behavioral modifications that improve health.

The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is transforming the translational science process so that new treatments and cures for disease can be delivered to patients faster. NCATS strives to develop innovations to reduce, remove or bypass costly and time-consuming bottlenecks in the translational research pipeline in an effort to speed the delivery of new drugs, diagnostics and medical devices to patients.

Translation, translational research, and translational science are related but different. Translation turns observations in the laboratory, clinic, and community into diagnostics, therapeutics, medical procedures, and behavioral changes that improve people’s health. Translational research moves a project to the next step in the translational process. Translational science enables these projects to reach their goals faster and more efficiently. At NCATS, we define translational science as the field that generates scientific and operational innovations that overcome the long-standing barriers along the translational research pipeline. With its focus on improving the process, translational science ultimately leads to more treatments for all people more quickly. 

The NCATS Translational Science Principles characterize effective approaches for advancing translational progress. These principles are described on the NCATS website (https://ncats.nih.gov/about/about-translational-science/principles). These principles are intentionally broad and apply to research anywhere along the translational continuum. While they exemplify translational science approaches, they are not intended to be comprehensive. 

The NCATS Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) Program is designed to develop innovative solutions that will improve the efficiency, quality and impact of the process for turning observations in the laboratory, clinic and community into interventions that improve the health of individuals and the public. Sustaining a vibrant clinical and translational research enterprise requires a 21st century workforce that can advance clinical and translational science (CTS) that will, in turn, increase the efficiency and efficacy of translation, with the ultimate goal of getting more treatments to more patients more quickly.

Clinical and translational scientists will possess both deep scientific domain expertise and systems understanding, and their research is expected to be designed to produce discoveries that are simultaneously important for their discipline(s) and contribute to other disciplines, thus intentionally advancing the translational process as a whole. These characteristics will be required to successfully prepare trainees to transition into the many and varied productive career paths available to clinical and translational scientists within the translational science spectrum. Proposed training programs are expected to help trainees develop the following characteristics independent of their particular area(s) of expertise:

  • Domain Expert: Possesses deep disciplinary knowledge and expertise within one or more of the domains of the translational science spectrum ranging from basic to clinical to public health research and domains in between.
  • Boundary Crosser: Breaks down disciplinary silos and collaborates with others across research areas and professions to collectively advance the development of a medical intervention.
  • Team Player: Practices a team science approach by leveraging the strengths and expertise and valuing the contributions of all players on the translational science team. Has the ability to work effectively with colleagues from a variety of cultural and scientific backgrounds, and to promote inclusive, safe and supportive scientific research and training environments.
  • Process Innovator: Seeks to better understand the scientific and operational principles underlying the translational process and innovates to overcome bottlenecks and accelerate that process.
  • Skilled Communicator: Communicates clearly with all stakeholders in the translational process across  social, cultural, economic, and scientific backgrounds, including patients and community members.
  • Systems Thinker: Evaluates the complex external forces, interactions, and relationships impacting the development of medical interventions, including patient needs and preferences, regulatory requirements, current standards of care, and market and business demands.
  • Rigorous Researcher: Conducts research at the highest levels of rigor and transparency within their field of expertise, possesses strong statistical analysis skills, and designs research projects to maximize reproducibility. 

Visit our Institutionally Limited Submission webpage for more updates and other announcements.

PAR-25-195: Limited Competition: Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Postdoctoral Research Training Grant for the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) Program (T32 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

Slots: 1

Deadlines

Internal Deadline: Friday, June 27th, 2025, 5pm PT Contact RII.

LOI: N/A

External Deadline: September 29, 2025

Recurring Deadlines: January 28, 2026; May 28, 2026; September 28, 2026; January 28, 2027; May 28, 2027; September 28, 2027

Award Information

Award Type: Grant

Estimated Number of Awards: The number of awards is contingent upon NIH appropriations and the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications.

Who May Serve as PI: The PD/PI should be an established investigator in the scientific area in which the application is targeted and capable of providing both administrative and scientific leadership to the development and implementation of the proposed program. The PD/PI will be responsible for the selection and appointment of trainees to the approved research training program, and for the overall direction, management, administration, and evaluation of the program. The PD/PI will be expected to monitor and assess the program and submit all documents and reports as required. The PD/PI has responsibility for the day-to-day administration of the program and is responsible for appointing members of the Advisory Committee (when applicable), using their recommendations to determine the appropriate allotment of funds.

The UM1 PD(s)/PI(s) may not be a PD(s)/PI(s) on the T32 application or award in order to ensure the PD(s)/PI(s) have adequate time to devote to the respective programs.

Link to Award: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-25-195.html

Process for Limited Submissions

PIs must submit their application as a Limited Submission through the Research Initiatives and Infrastructure (RII) Application Portal: https://rii.usc.edu/oor-portal/. Use the template provided here: RII Limited Submission Applicant Template

Materials to submit include:

  • (1) Two-Page Proposal Summary (1” margins; single-spaced; standard font type, e.g. Arial, Helvetica, Times New Roman, or Georgia typeface; font size: 11 pt). Page limit includes references and illustrations. Pages that exceed the 2-page limit will be excluded from review. You must use the template linked above.
  • (2) CV – (5 pages maximum)

Note: The portal requires information about the PIs in addition to department and contact information, including the 10-digit USC ID#. Please have this material prepared before beginning this application.

Purpose

This is a limited competition.  The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) will award Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Postdoctoral Institutional Research Training Grants for the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) Program (T32) to eligible institutions to create, provide, and disseminate clinical and translational science training and career support programs that enhance postdoctoral research training of individuals with doctoral degrees (these include, but are not limited to, the following: D.M.D., DC, DO, DVM, OD, DPM, ScD, EngD, DrPH, DNSc, DPT, PharmD, ND [Doctor of Naturopathy], DSW, PsyD, as well as a doctoral degree in nursing research) and help ensure a heterogenous pool of clinical and translational scientists trainees are equipped with the knowledge, skills and abilities to advance diagnostics, therapeutics, clinical interventions, and behavioral modifications that improve health and support meaningful translational science research projects that address demonstrable needs among stakeholder communities.

NCATS will not accept applications proposing combined predoctoral and postdoctoral training under this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). Applications proposing predoctoral research training should apply to the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Predoctoral Institutional Research Training Grant for the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) Program (PAR-25-194).

Applicants interested in providing short-term research experiences should apply to the companion NCATS Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) Program Research Education Grants Programs (R25) (PAR-25-197). A short-term research experience is one where the participant is full-time (40 hours per week) for a period of 10 to 15 weeks, or as specified by the sponsoring institution in accordance with its own policies.

The proposed institutional research training program may complement other ongoing research training and career development programs at the applicant institution, but must be clearly distinct from related programs currently receiving Federal support.

This NOFO does not allow appointed Trainees to lead an independent clinical trial but does allow them to obtain research experience in a clinical trial on which the principal investigator is a mentor or co-mentor.

This NOFO is part of a required set of companion applications: the Clinical and Translational Science Award (UM1) and companion Institutional Career Development Award (K12). The remaining NOFOs in the suite are optional and include the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) institutional training programs (T32 predoctoral and T32 postdoctoral), the Research Education Grant (R25), and the Specialized Innovation Program (RC2). These optional NOFOs are only available to CTSA Program UM1 applicants and award recipients. Applications to the companion NOFOs cannot be awarded until an award has been issued for the UM1 (see Section III. Eligibility Information of this NOFO and the respective NOFOs for more information).

Visit our Institutionally Limited Submission webpage for more updates and other announcements.

PAR-24-128: Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) (T32)

Slots: 1

Deadlines

Internal Deadline: Friday, June 27th, 2025, 5pm PT Contact RII.

LOI: N/A

External Deadline: September 25, 2025

Recurring Deadlines: January 25, 2026; May 25, 2026; September 25, 2026; January 25, 2027

Award Information

Award Type: Grant

Estimated Number of Awards: The number of awards is contingent upon NIH appropriations and the number of meritorious applications submitted.

Anticipated Award Amount: Application budgets are not limited but must reflect the actual needs of the proposed project.  

Who May Serve as PI: 

  • To provide research training leadership for the program, at least one of the training PDs/PIs should have a record of using rigorous and transparent methods in experimental design, data collection, analysis, and reporting in a biomedical research field applicable to the program.
  • Additional PDs/PIs may be included to strengthen the expertise of the PD/PI team. Examples include individuals such as program directors who regularly interact with students, or individuals with expertise in education, relevant social sciences, program evaluation, mentoring, or university administration. 

Any of the PDs/PIs may serve as the contact PD/PI. The contact PD/PI is expected to have a full-time appointment at the applicant organization unless extremely well-justified. If the full-time status of the contact PD/PI changes after the award, the organization must obtain prior program approval to appoint a new PD/PI or request a deviation from the full-time rule. The PD(s)/PI(s) will be responsible for:

  • The overall direction, management, administration, and evaluation of the program.
  • The day-to-day administration of the program, including direct involvement with trainees.
  • The selection and appointment of trainees to the research training program.
  • The selection of faculty mentors for the program, assessment of mentor performance, and ensuring the program deals appropriately with substandard mentor performance.
  • Monitoring and assessing the program and submitting all documents and reports as required.
  • Appointing members of the Advisory Committee (when applicable) and implementing their guidance as appropriate.

Link to Award: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-24-128.html

Process for Limited Submissions

PIs must submit their application as a Limited Submission through the Research Initiatives and Infrastructure (RII) Application Portal: https://rii.usc.edu/oor-portal/. Use the template provided here: RII Limited Submission Applicant Template

Materials to submit include:

  • (1) Two-Page Proposal Summary (1” margins; single-spaced; standard font type, e.g. Arial, Helvetica, Times New Roman, or Georgia typeface; font size: 11 pt). Page limit includes references and illustrations. Pages that exceed the 2-page limit will be excluded from review. You must use the template linked above.
  • (2) CV – (5 pages maximum)

Note: The portal requires information about the PIs in addition to department and contact information, including the 10-digit USC ID#, Gender, and Ethnicity. Please have this material prepared before beginning this application.

Purpose

The overall goal of the NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) program is to help ensure that a diverse pool of highly trained scientists is available in appropriate scientific disciplines to address the nation’s biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research needs. More information about NRSA programs may be found at the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award website. The NRSA program has been the primary means of supporting predoctoral and postdoctoral research training programs since enactment of the NRSA legislation in 1974. 

Each NIGMS-funded MSTP award is expected to provide a rigorous, well-designed research training program that includes mentored research experiences, courses, seminars, and additional training opportunities that equip clinician scientists with the following skills required for careers in the biomedical research workforce:

  • Technical (for example, appropriate methods, technologies, and quantitative/computational approaches).
  • Operational (for example, independent knowledge acquisition, rigorous experimental design, interpretation of data, and conducting research in the safest manner possible).
  • Professional (for example, management, leadership, communication, and teamwork).

Through this funding announcement, NIGMS encourages changes in integrated clinical and graduate research training to keep pace with the rapid evolution of the biomedical research enterprise, which is increasingly complex, interdisciplinary, quantitative, and collaborative. Other changes in the biomedical research enterprise include greater diversity in the backgrounds of people participating in biomedical research, the approaches utilized to investigate clinically relevant research questions, and the range of careers that dual-degree recipients are pursuing. Additionally, there is an increasing recognition of the need to enhance reproducibility of biomedical research results through scientific rigor and transparency, and to promote a culture where the highest standards of practice are used to ensure the safety of all individuals in the research environment. This funding opportunity is intended to encourage and enable the scientific community to develop and implement evidence-informed approaches to biomedical research training and mentoring that will effectively train future generations of rigorous clinician scientists to become leaders in biomedical research and clinical medicine.

Programs are encouraged not to simply layer additional activities onto existing structures but to instead use creative and transformational approaches to integrate clinical and biomedical graduate training, including curricular reform, that preserve the best elements of current programs, while enhancing the focus on the development of trainee skills.

NIGMS strives to ensure that future generations of researchers will be drawn from the entire pool of potential contributors and seeks to expand opportunities to support individuals from a variety of backgrounds at multiple training and career stages in a variety of organizations and educational settings across the country. The Overarching Objective of the MSTP is to develop a diverse pool of well-trained clinician scientists (that is, a Ph.D. combined with a clinical degree, such as an M.D., D.O., D.V.M., D.D.S., Pharm.D., etc.) who have the following:

  • A broad understanding across biomedical disciplines.
  • The skills to independently acquire the knowledge needed to advance their chosen fields and careers.
  • The ability to think critically and 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 and conducting 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 utilize clinical experience and observations to identify biomedical research questions and to develop impactful research programs that push forward the boundaries of their areas of study.
  • The skills necessary to integrate research and clinical activities and the capacity to translate scientific research findings into clinical practice.
  • The ability and skills to lead changes that promote health equity, reduce health disparities and improve the health of those medically underserved across diseases, disorders, and conditions.
  • 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 methodologies and findings to a wide variety of audiences (for example, discipline-specific, across disciplines, and for the public).
  • The knowledge, professional skills and experiences required to identify and transition into careers in the biomedical research workforce that utilize the dual-degrees (for example, the breadth of careers that sustain biomedical research in areas that are relevant to the NIH mission).

Program Considerations

NIGMS will accept predoctoral training grant applications supporting integrated clinician and graduate research training through this MSTP funding announcement and subsequent reissuances (graduate research training in basic biomedical sciences is supported through PAR-23-228 and subsequent reissuances). Applicants are strongly encouraged to read information about NIGMS predoctoral training grant programs, including the MSTP and Leading Equity and Diversity in the Medical Scientist Training Program (LEAD MSTP) (PAR-23-030), found on the NIGMS website and to contact program staff before preparing or submitting an application  to verify that the proposed program is eligible and in alignment with NIGMS funding priorities.

General Considerations. NIGMS intends to fund applications that propose feasible, rigorous, well-designed and integrated dual-degree research training programs that will build on the most effective elements of successful programs, while encouraging creative and transformational approaches to clinician scientist research training, ranging from curricular reform to changes in the research training environment. Funded programs should implement plans to optimize the time required to earn the dual degree. Programs are expected to limit appointments to individuals committed to research careers that utilize the dual-degree qualifications.

NIGMS encourages programs to devise and test alternative entry pathways in addition to or instead of the direct application and admission to the first year of the dual-degree training program, thus providing opportunities to recruit students from clinician-only or from Ph.D.-only programs.  NIGMS encourages institutions to offer MSTP trainees the opportunity to earn the Ph.D. in a broad range of biomedical, physical, and social and behavioral sciences, and engineering to meet the needs for clinician scientist researchers in all areas of the biomedical workforce.  Programs that provide interdisciplinary research training, incorporate training in data science, or take advantage of clinical research opportunities within nationwide networks and infrastructures such as the NIH Clinical and Translational Science Award program are encouraged to apply.  NIGMS encourages applicants to offer training across the landscape of medical fields and scientific disciplines related to health, and to promote opportunities for the exploration of clinician scientist career options. Funded programs are expected to:

  • Be a well integrated dual-degree program  that exerts a strong, positive influence at the organizational level on research training and mentoring practices.
  • Have clearly defined training objectives and show evidence of meeting the objectives in progress reports and in renewal applications.
  • Implement evidence-informed training and mentoring activities (for example, approaches that are grounded in the literature and evaluations of existing relevant dual-degree research training programs). Programs are expected to be responsive to evaluations, particularly with respect to trainee feedback.
  • Provide rigorous, well-designed mentored research experiences, and additional opportunities that will build a strong cohort of dual-degree research-oriented individuals. Training grant funds may not be used solely as a vehicle to provide financial aid for trainees to conduct research.
  • Demonstrate effective oversight of dual-degree trainee development and promote retention for the entire time the dual-degree trainee is in the training program. Retention efforts are activities designed to sustain the scientific interests and participation of trainees from all backgrounds. Retention and oversight activities might include monitoring academic and research progress, building strong trainee cohorts, as well as increasing science identity, self-efficacy, and a sense of belonging within research training environments. Programs are expected to make efforts to identify individuals who may need additional academic and social supports to successfully complete the program, and ensure they receive the needed support.
  • Promote inclusive, safe, accessible, and supportive research training environments to maximize success for all individuals in the training program. Specifically, funded programs should have organizational and departmental environments where individuals from all backgrounds are welcomed, feel integrated into, and supported by the biomedical research community. Safety in research training should encompass (1) environments free from harassment, discrimination, and intimidation, in which all are treated in a respectful and supportive manner, (2) laboratory and clinical settings where individuals exercise the highest standards of practice for chemical, biological and physical safety, and (3) practices at the organizational leadership and research community levels that demonstrate core values and behaviors to emphasize safety over competing goals.

Trainee Support. The training grant defrays the cost of stipends, tuition and fees, and training related expenses, including health insurance, for the appointed trainees in accordance with the approved NIH NRSA support levels.   NIGMS typically provides full-time support for approximately 25% of the trainees in the training program during any given year.  Individuals may receive up to six years of aggregate Kirschstein-NRSA support at the predoctoral level for dual-degree training, including any combination of support from institutional training grants (for example, T32) and an individual fellowship award (for example, F30 or F31 awards).  Many dual-degree training programs guarantee enrolled students full support for the duration of the dual-degree program (through combinations of federal support, institutional funds, other fellowships, and grants). Training programs may implement institutional policies regarding payback of non-NRSA institutional sources of funds by students who start training but do not complete one or both degrees.  NIGMS does not require nor permit institutions to receive payback NRSA funds from trainees who are appointed to NIH training grants, but do not complete training.

Synergies of Federally Funded Training Programs. Funded research training programs are encouraged to complement and synergize with other ongoing federally supported predoctoral research training programs at the applicant organization (for example, in the development of skills needed for careers in the biomedical research workforce that are not discipline-specific); however, the scientific training goals must be distinct from related programs at the same organization currently receiving federal support. In cases where an organization has multiple NIGMS predoctoral training grants, it is expected that these programs will work together to create administrative and training efficiencies to reduce costs and improve trainee services and outcomes.

Visit our Institutionally Limited Submission webpage for more updates and other announcements.

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