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Issued by

National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)

Purpose

The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) is providing information to the applicant community on upcoming changes to our predoctoral and postdoctoral institutional training programs for future biomedical researchers and clinician scientists.

Background 

• A key NIH priority is training future biomedical and clinician scientists (see Unified NIH Funding Strategy). 
• NIGMS leads efforts to support research training and keep the U.S. biomedical research enterprise strong and productive. 
• As part of a broader NIH effort to reduce administrative burden and simplify the funding opportunity landscape, we will advance our training mission using Parent Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) where possible.

Below we provide information on changes to two institutional training areas.

Area #1 - Predoctoral Basic Biomedical Training

• NOFO change: Beginning with the January 25, 2027 due date, we will accept competing institutional predoctoral basic biomedical research training applications through the Parent T32 funding opportunity instead of an NIGMS-specific funding opportunity.
• Training areas reorganization: To reduce administrative burden for applicants, we will reorganize predoctoral research training from 12 specialized areas into 8 broad program areas. 
  • These areas reflect the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of science.
  • Awards may span any combination of the relevant disciplines and approaches within a program area.
• What this means for institutions:
  • Institutions should align competing applications with due dates on or after January 25, 2027 with these 8 new program areas.
    • Consistent with our current practice, each institution may hold only one award per program area.
    • For institutions with multiple current awards:
      • We expect that current awards will continue through their project period.
      • Future applications should be realigned so there is a maximum of one award per program area at the institution.
  • We intend to maintain well-justified institutional support while expanding opportunities across institution types and regions.

Reorganized Training Program Areas

1. Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology programs prepare students to investigate fundamental biological processes at the cellular and molecular levels. Relevant fields include genetics, molecular and cell biology, developmental biology, and stem cell research.
2. Physiology, Pathophysiology, and Pharmacology programs train students to investigate how biological processes function across complex systems in health and disease. Relevant fields include physiology, molecular medicine, pharmacology, and systems biology.
3. Biochemistry and Chemical Biology programs prepare students to apply chemistry-based and biochemical methods to biological questions.
4. Quantitative and Computational Biomedical Sciences programs prepare students from biological or quantitative backgrounds to apply quantitative approaches to biomedical problems. Relevant fields include biostatistics, bioinformatics, data science, computer science, artificial intelligence, and machine learning.
5. Biophysics, Bioengineering, and Technology Development programs develop students who apply physical and engineering principles to uncover fundamental biological mechanisms. Programs in this area can also train students to develop new methods, technologies, and instruments to advance biomedical discovery.
6. Biomedical Behavioral Sciences Interface programs train students to advance NIGMS-relevant research by examining how well-defined and rigorous biobehavioral factors directly impact biomedical outcomes. Relevant fields include fundamental biological psychology, neuroscience and the 'science of science.'
7. Pathways for Basic Science-Industry Translation programs prepare students to translate fundamental discoveries into an industry context.
   • All programs must include a required two- or three-month internship at a biotechnology firm.
   • Programs may focus on a specific interdisciplinary topic relevant to industry or take a broader approach that supports trainees across multiple disciplines.
8. Expanding Basic Research Training and Development programs aim to expand the institutions and regions where rigorous predoctoral biomedical research training takes place.
   • Programs must be grounded in the basic biomedical disciplines and should support students from the range of biomedical fields at the institution.
   • Institutions may not hold an active NIGMS predoctoral basic biomedical T32 award in any other program area at the time of the award.

Area #2 – Clinician Scientist Training

NIGMS currently supports clinician scientists through two institutional training programs designed for their unique needs:

• The Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) supports training for dual-degree clinician scientists who complete both clinical and research doctoral degrees.
  • No planned changes: We will continue to support the MSTP (see published Forecast) and will work to enhance organizational and geographic participation.
• Postdoctoral training grants (T32) for clinician scientists conducting research in NIGMS-mission clinical areas.
  • Planned change: To better support postdoctoral clinician scientist career development, we will transition support from the Parent T32 to the Parent Institutional Mentored Career Development Award (K12). Here's how this change will work:
    • Effective immediately, new competing applications for postdoctoral clinician scientist career development should be submitted to the Parent K12 NOFO.
    • Current postdoctoral T32 awards will continue until the end of the current project period. At that point, institutions will apply for a new K12 institutional career development award to continue supporting their postdoctoral clinician scientists.
    • Additional information for program support and scholars can be found on the NIGMS ICO Profile Page. 

Inquiries

We welcome prospective applicants and current awardees to contact us with questions:

General Inquiries

[email protected]

Predoctoral Basic Biomedical Training

[email protected] 

Medical Scientist Training Program

[email protected] 

Postdoctoral Clinician Scientist Career Development

[email protected]