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(CLOSED) PAR-24-031: Initiative for Maximizing Student Development (IMSD) (T32)

Slots: 1

Deadlines

Internal Deadline: TBA

LOI: N/A

External Deadline: January 29, 2025

Recurring Deadlines: January 29, 2026

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,  efforts to promote broader participation in the biomedical sciences, 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, and administration of the program, including ensuring the training program is appropriately evaluated. 
  • 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-24-031.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 can 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 NRSA program is expected to provide a rigorous, well-designed research training program that includes mentored research experiences, courses, seminars, and additional training opportunities to equip trainees 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).

Program Objective

The Overarching Objective of the Initiative for Maximizing Student Development (IMSD) (T32) program is to strengthen research training environments and promote broader participation in the biomedical research workforce by expanding the pool of well-trained scientists earning Ph.D. degrees, for example, encouraging the inclusion of individuals from underrepresented groups (see Notice of NIH’s Interest in Diversity).  The program should provide trainees with 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 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 (for example, the breadth of careers that sustain biomedical research in areas that are relevant to the NIH mission).

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