NIH Institutional Training Grants

Catherine Chen

January 11, 2023

This post is adapted from a Research Development Strategic Intelligence program analysis. Please contact ResearchDevelopment@asu.edu for a copy, which includes additional T32 opportunities and award breakdowns by ICs.

What are institutional training grants and why should I apply?

NIH has multiple types of institutional training grants, which develop and support trainees who will eventually move into the biomedical research workforce. Training grants can be an effective way to support trainees, particularly those from diverse backgrounds. These grants help build cultures of effective mentorship and commitment to diversity and equity. Developing these cultures at ASU can facilitate other initiatives (including pursuing additional NIH funding), and importantly, support ASU’s commitment to being a university for all.

Which grant should I apply for?

Consider the following questions to determine which training grant opportunities might be most appropriate for you.

Are you a well-established investigator with a record of NIH funding?
- Training grants require PIs to have sufficient NIH experience. Generally, faculty apply for training grants after successes with the NIH R series.
What trainees are you looking to support?
- Trainee career stage will determine which opportunities are appropriate.
Are you interested in a training program specifically focused on increasing diversity in the biomedical sciences?
- Some programs are specifically for increasing diversity in the biomedical sciences, while others do not emphasize this as heavily.
What research area(s) are you interested in building the training grant around?
- Topic areas will determine which funding opportunities are appropriate. If a topic is relevant to multiple ICs, reach out to program officers to determine which IC would be most appropriate; you may also be able to find success rates by IC.
- It is important to be able to justify why there is a training need in this area.
- Programs can synergize with, but must be distinct from, existing training programs at the institution.
Are there sufficient prospective mentors at ASU to support the program?
- Mentor requirements vary by program, but mentors should demonstrate that they are active researchers in the topic area (as determined by recent publications and funding), although for some programs, the topic area can be extremely broad.
- Mentor teams should include faculty across different career stages and those from underrepresented groups (see NIH’s Notice of Interest in Diversity for more on how NIH defines underrepresented groups).

Opportunities

Note that there are NIH institutional training grants not highlighted below because they make relatively few awards or ASU is ineligible. See NIH’s list of training grants for additional opportunities or email ResearchDevelopment@asu.edu for an extended copy of this article.

Institutional National Research Service Award (T32)

T32s enable institutions to make National Research Service Awards (NRSA) to individuals for predoctoral and postdoctoral research training in specified areas. There are many different T32s, which vary in their goals, topic areas, level of trainees supported, and duration of support. It is important to check specific FOAs and to communicate with program officers to ensure that a potential program is appropriate for a given T32 opportunity.

Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA Institutional Research Training Grant: The T32 that makes the most awards is the Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA Institutional Research Training Grant (PA-20-142), which 19 NIH Institutes/Centers (ICs) participate in. This grant is for enhancing “predoctoral and postdoctoral research training, including short-term research training, and [ensuring] that a diverse and highly trained workforce is available to meet the needs of the Nation’s biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research agenda.” ASU has an active NIDA-funded NRSA Institutional Research Training Grant but does not currently have any others. Characteristics to note:

ICs have different requirements, so it is critical to check that a proposal is appropriate for a given IC and to reach out to program officers.
Programs can be in any discipline relevant to NIH’s and can be interdisciplinary, although specific ICs may have topic limitations.
Funding supports costs of training, including stipends, tuition/fees, and health insurance.
PIs must demonstrate scientific expertise in the proposed topic of the program and have training experience; mentors must have funding and recent publications in the topic.
Programs must prepare trainees for “successful, productive scientific research careers,” which should not be exclusive to academia.
Program durations are up to five years but there are many programs that have been renewed multiple times: 40% of awards have been active for 10-29 years, and 30% have been active for at least 30 years.

Ruth L. Kirschstein Undergraduate NRSA Institutional Research Training Grants (T34)

T34s allow institutions "[t]o enhance the undergraduate research training of individuals from groups underrepresented in biomedical and behavioral sciences… in preparation for research doctorate degree programs.”

Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC): ASU is eligible for MARC (PAR-21-147), which is administered by NIGMS. MARC’s goal is to “to develop a diverse pool of undergraduates who complete their baccalaureate degree, and transition into and complete biomedical, research-focused higher degree programs” using “evidence-informed approaches to biomedical training and mentoring.” Nineteen active MARC awards have been made from 2019 onwards (PAR-21-147, PAR-19-219), with an average value of $422,000 each. There are as many as 65 active MARCs overall, most of which were initially funded by older FOAs. MARCs are often renewed many times: for example, University of Arizona has a MARC which was initially funded in 2000. ASU had a MARC program from 1993-2008, but has not had another since. Characteristics to note:

Only one application allowed per institution. Please reach out to Limited.Submissions@asu.edu if you are interested in submitting a proposal.
Funds can be used for stipends, tuition/fees, health insurance, and training related expenses. NIH encourages using funds to support trainees in their final three years of undergraduate study.
Programs must prepare undergraduates to enter research-focused biomedical higher degree programs (e.g., Ph.D., M.D./Ph.D).
Mentors must be active biomedical researchers with recent publications and grants.
Program durations are up to five years; many awards have been renewed multiple times.

Research Education Program (R25)

R25s allow institutions "to support research education activities,” which can be for workforce training, increasing diversity in the workforce, recruitment into the workforce, or increased public understanding of NIH-funded research. Note that there are R25s that are not institutional training programs.

Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP): PREP (PAR-22-220) supports postbaccalaureate students through a one-year research education program. Administered by NIGMS, it funds “research education programs [that] will incorporate extensive research experiences and well-designed courses for skills development to prepare recent baccalaureates from diverse backgrounds to transition into and complete rigorous, research-focused biomedical doctoral degree programs.” PREP requires development and implementation of evidence-informed approaches to education and mentoring. There are 51 active PREP programs, of which nearly half are over a decade old. ASU does not have a PREP award. Characteristics to note:

Only one award allowed per institution. Please reach out to Limited.Submissions@asu.edu if interested in submitting a proposal.
Funds can be used to support up to ten trainees per year through salary and tuition/fees.
Programs should allocate 9 months to research and 3 months to skills development.
Programs should prepare undergraduates to enter research-focused biomedical higher degree programs (e.g., Ph.D., M.D./Ph.D.).
Mentors must be from diverse biomedical disciplines, rather than a single discipline. NIH encourages applications from institutions with many faculty members with active, funded research programs.
Awards are for up to five years but can be renewed multiple times.