MODIFICATION OF THE NRSA SERVICE PAYBACK OBLIGATION

NIH GUIDE, Volume 22, Number 27, July 30, 1993



P.T. 22, 44



Keywords:

  Biomedical Research Training 

  Grants Administration/Policy+ 



National Institutes of Health

Agency for Health Care Policy and Research

Health Resources Services Administration



The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Revitalization Act of 1993,

signed into law on June 10, 1993, includes provisions in Section 1602

that substantially modify the service payback requirement for

individuals supported by National Research Service Awards (NRSA).

These new provisions will be applicable to all new appointments or

reappointments to research training grants and to all new, noncompeting

continuation, and competing renewal fellowship awards beginning on or

after June 10, 1993.  For fellowships, the award beginning date refers

to the award activation date.



An individual appointed to a research training grant or who has a

fellowship award activated before June 10, 1993 will continue to accrue

a service payback obligation as specified in the NRSA Guidelines for

Individual Awards and Institutional Grants (NIH Guide for Grants and

Contracts, Vol. 13, No. 1, January 6, 1984) until the end of the

current appointment.



The following will apply to appointments beginning and awards activated

on or after June 10, 1993:



o  Predoctoral trainees and fellows WILL NOT incur a service payback

obligation.



o  Postdoctoral trainees and fellows in the first twelve months of

postdoctoral NRSA support WILL incur one month of obligation for each

month of support.



o  Postdoctoral trainees and fellows in the 13th and subsequent months

of NRSA support will incur NO further obligation.



The requirements established by the Revitalization Act also provide

that the 13th and any subsequent month of postdoctoral NRSA supported

research training will be used to discharge any PRIOR postdoctoral NRSA

service payback obligation.  Beginning with awards operating under the

Act, service payback obligations may be discharged in the following

ways:



o  By receiving an equal number of months of postdoctoral NRSA support

beginning in the 13th month of such postdoctoral NRSA support;



o  By engaging in an equal number of months of health-related research

and/or health related teaching averaging more than 20 hours per week of

a full work year.



IMPLEMENTATION



o  Individuals who have completed their NRSA training and have an

existing NRSA service payback obligation will be required to engage in

service payback or make financial repayment as described in the 1984

Guidelines cited above or other guidelines applicable to NRSA

recipients appointed prior to 1984.



o  Individuals currently appointed to a research training grant or who

have had a fellowship award activated before June 10, 1993, will

continue to accrue a service payback obligation as described in the

1984 Guidelines until the end of that appointment or fellowship award

period.  At the end of the current appointment or award period,

individuals will complete and submit a Termination Notice (form PHS

416-7) even if they expect to continue NRSA supported research training

after that date.  This form will serve as the basis for determining

their payback obligation under the 1984 Guidelines.  Individuals who

then are reappointed to a training grant or receive a fellowship award

will follow the new guidelines to be established by the NIH

Revitalization Act of 1993.



o  PREDOCTORAL trainees beginning appointments and fellows activating

awards on or after June 10, 1993 are NOT required to complete the

Payback Agreement Form (PHS 6031).



o  POSTDOCTORAL trainees and fellows beginning the first twelve months

of postdoctoral NRSA support on or after June 10, 1993 must complete a

Payback Agreement Form (PHS 6031).



At the present time, the NIH is modifying the Payback Agreement Form.

Until the revised form becomes available, trainees and fellows

beginning appointments or awards for the first twelve months of

postdoctoral NRSA support will continue to sign the existing Payback

Agreement Form (PHS 6031 (rev. 10/91).  Under the 10/91 revision of the

Payback Agreement Form, no payback obligation will accrue if this

period of postdoctoral NRSA support is the individual's initial twelve

months of NRSA support (postdoctoral or predoctoral).



When the Payback Agreement Form has been revised to reflect the

requirements of the NIH Revitalization Act, copies will be distributed

to all NRSA institutional training grant program directors and to all

individual fellows.  In addition, the availability of the revised form

will be announced in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts.  All

unused copies of the 10/91 revision will be replaced by the new form

under which all individuals beginning the first twelve months of

postdoctoral NRSA support will incur an obligation even if this is

their initial period of support under the NRSA program.



o  Postdoctoral trainees and fellows beginning appointments or

fellowship awards for the 13th or subsequent month of NRSA support on

or after June 10, 1993 are NOT required to complete the Payback

Agreement Form (PHS 6031).



SERVICE PAYBACK



Trainees and fellows beginning appointments for the 13th and subsequent

month of POSTDOCTORAL NRSA support on or after June 10, 1993 will be

engaging in service which will satisfy any prior postdoctoral NRSA

service payback obligation.  Post-award service in non-NRSA supported

health-related research or teaching, as described in the 1984

Guidelines, is creditable toward any NRSA service payback obligation.



INQUIRIES



Questions concerning the implementation of these policies may be

directed to program staff at the NIH Institute or Center that awarded

your training grant or fellowship.



Questions concerning general information about this policy may be

directed to:



Research Training and Special Programs Office

National Institutes of Health

Building 31, Room 5B44

Bethesda, MD  20892

Telephone:  (301) 496-9743



.

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