NIH PREDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP AWARDS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES (F31)

Release Date:  February 24, 2000

PA NUMBER:  PA-00-068 (Expiration date extended, see NOT-OD-06-044)

Update: The following update relating to this announcement has been issued:   

July 21, 2006  - This PA has been reissued as PA-06-481.

EXPIRATION DATE:  May 1, 2006, unless reissued.

National Institutes of Health

Application Receipt Dates:  May 1 and November 15

PURPOSE

This program announcement from the National Institutes of Health is for 
National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Predoctoral Fellowships for 
Students with Disabilities.  It is a trans-NIH announcement that applies to 
all NIH funding components listed under INQUIRIES at the end of this 
announcement.  

The NRSA Predoctoral Fellowship for Students with Disabilities will provide up 
to five years of support for research training leading to the Ph.D. (or 
equivalent research degree), or the combined M.D./Ph.D. degree (or other 
combined professional research doctoral degrees) in the biomedical or 
behavioral sciences.   The intent of this Predoctoral Fellowship Program is to 
encourage students with disabilities to seek graduate degrees and thus further 
the goal of increasing the number of scientists with disabilities who are 
prepared to pursue careers in biomedical and behavioral research.  

HEALTHY PEOPLE 2000

The Public Health Service (PHS) is committed to achieving the health promotion 
and disease prevention objectives of "Healthy People 2000," a PHS led national 
activity for setting priority areas.  This Program Announcement (PA), Title of 
PA, is related to one or more of the priority areas.  Potential applicants may 
obtain a copy of "Healthy People 2000" at 
http://odphp.osophs.dhhs.gov/pubs/hp2000.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Citizenship.  By the time of award, individuals must be citizens or noncitizen 
nationals of the United States, or have been lawfully admitted to the United 
States for permanent residence (i.e., possess a currently valid Alien 
Registration Receipt Card I-551, or other legal verification of such status). 
 Noncitizen nationals are persons born in outlying possessions of the United 
States (e.g., American Samoa and Swains Island).  Individuals on temporary or 
student visas are not eligible.

Definition of Disability. For the purpose of this announcement, the definition 
of persons with disabilities from the Americans with Disabilities Act will be 
used.  An individual with a disability is one who has a physical or mental 
impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a 
record of such an impairment, or who is regarded as having such an 
impairment."  Qualified students with disabilities are those who, with 
reasonable accommodation for their disability, are capable of pursuing a 
research career after appropriate education, training, and experience.  A list 
of disabilities that might confer eligibility for awards under this program 
includes, but is not limited to, the following: total deafness in both ears, 
visual acuity less than 20/200 with corrective lenses, speech impairment, 
missing extremities, partial paralysis, complete paralysis, convulsive 
disorders, mental or emotional illness, learning disabilities, kidney 
dialysis, and severe distortion of limbs and/or spine.  In all cases, 
individuals supported under this program must, with reasonable assistance, be 
able to complete the requirements for the degree program in which they are 
enrolled. 

Degree Requirements.  An applicant must currently be enrolled in a Ph.D. or 
equivalent research degree program, a combined M.D./Ph.D. program, or other 
combined professional doctorate/research Ph.D. graduate program in the 
biomedical, behavioral, or clinical sciences.  Or, the applicant must have 
been accepted by and agreed to enroll in such a graduate program in the 
academic year for which funds are sought.

Sponsor. The applicant must identify an individual who will serve as a sponsor 
or mentor and will supervise the training and research experience.  The 
applicant’s sponsor should be an active investigator in the area of the 
proposed research who will directly supervise the candidate’s research.  The 
sponsor must document the availability of staff, research support, and 
facilities for high-quality research training. The applicant must work with 
his/her sponsor in preparing the application.  

Foreign Sponsorship.  Applicants requesting foreign training must show in the 
application that the foreign institution and sponsor offer unique 
opportunities that are not currently available in the United States.  Only if 
there is a clear scientific advantage will foreign training be supported.

Institution.  The sponsoring institution may be private (profit or non-profit) 
or public. 

MECHANISM OF SUPPORT

This program announcement for the individual Predoctoral Fellowship Award For 
Students with Disabilities (F31) is issued under the auspices of the NRSA Act 
(see AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS).   The period of fellowship support requested 
in response to this program announcement may not exceed five years. 
Continuation of the fellowship award for each subsequent year beyond the first 
year of the award is based upon evidence of satisfactory progress in a 
graduate program.  (Note:  the total period of predoctoral training support by 
statute is limited to 5 years by statute, 42 USC 288, with a provision for 
waiver of the limit in unusual circumstances.  If the recipient of a 
predoctoral fellowship seeks a waiver of the five-year limit, a request must 
be submitted in writing to the funding NIH Institute or Center documenting the 
conditions that might justify an extension.) Awards will be administered under 
the NIH Grants Policy Statement found at 
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/policy.htm, and the NRSA Guidelines for 
Individual Awards and Institutional Grants, available on the NIH website at 
http://grants.nih.gov/training/nrsaguidelines/nrsa_toc.htm. 

The proposed NRSA training must be within the scope of biomedical, behavioral, 
or clinical research and must offer an opportunity for individuals to broaden 
their scientific background or to extend their potential for research in 
health-related areas.  

Individuals are required to pursue their research training on a full-time 
basis, devoting at least 40 hours per week to the training program.

ALLOWABLE COSTS

Stipend.  The fellowship award provides an annual stipend to help meet the 
fellow's living expenses; an allowance for tuition, fees and health insurance 
in accordance with NIH policy; and an institutional allowance. The stipend 
amount is updated periodically and applicants are advised to search the NIH 
Guide for Grants and Contracts for the most current rate or for the posting of 
the current stipend on the NIH website at 
http://grants.nih.gov/training/nrsa.htm.  In FY 2000, the NRSA stipend is 
$15,060.  The awarding NIH institute or center will adjust awards as the 
stipend is changed.     

Tuition, Fees, and Health Insurance.  The NIH will offset the combined cost of 
tuition and fees and self-only or family health insurance (as appropriate) at 
the following rate: 100 percent of all costs up to $3,000 and 60 percent of 
costs above $3,000.  Costs associated with tuition and fees are allowable only 
if they are required for specific courses in support of the research training 
experience supported by the fellowship.  A full description of the tuition 
policy is contained within the NRSA Policy Guidelines on the NIH website at 
http://grants.nih.gov/training/nrsa.htm.

Institutional Allowance.  An institutional allowance of $2,500 per 12-month 
period will be awarded to non-Federal, non-profit sponsoring institutions to 
help defray such awardee expenses as research supplies, equipment, travel to 
scientific meetings, and related items.  This allowance is intended to cover 
training-related expenses for the individual awardee and is not available 
until the fellow officially activates the award.  If the fellow is not 
enrolled or engaged in training for more than 6 months of the award year, only 
one-half of that year’s allowance may be charged to the grant.  The Notice of 
Research Fellowship Award will be revised, and the balance must be refunded to 
the NIH.  

Reasonable Accommodations.  As a part of these awards, additional funds may be 
requested to make changes or adjustments in the academic or research 
environment that will make it possible for an otherwise qualified individual 
to perform the work necessary to meet the requirements of the degree program 
in which he/she is enrolled.  The accommodations requested under this program 
must be directly related to the work required to meet the requirements of the 
degree program as regards both course work and laboratory experience, and must 
be appropriate to the special needs of the applicant.  Some types of 
accommodations that might be provided under these awards include, but are not 
limited to: specialized equipment, assistive devices, and personnel such as 
readers, interpreters, or assistants.  In all cases, the total funds requested 
for accommodations must be reasonable in relationship to the total costs of 
the fellowship award.  This award is not meant to relieve the sponsoring 
institution of its obligation to provide reasonable accommodations as defined 
by the Americans with Disabilities Act. NIH will not provide funds for 
infrastructure alterations such as lowering countertops, widening doorways, 
etc.

Other Training Costs.  Additional funds may be requested by the institution if 
the training of a fellow involves extraordinary costs for travel to field 
sites remote from the sponsoring institution. Funds are not available to cover 
the cost of travel between the fellow's place of residence and a training 
institution.  However, in cases of extreme need or hardship, a one-way travel 
allowance may be authorized by the awarding component.  Such travel must be 
paid from the institutional allowance.

Awards for training at a foreign site may include a single economy or coach 
round-trip travel fare. No allowance is provided for dependents.  U.S. flag 
carriers must be used to the maximum extent possible when commercial air 
transportation is available for travel between the United States and a foreign 
country or between foreign countries. 

Facilities and Administrative Costs.  F&A (indirect) costs are not allowed on 
individual fellowship awards.

STIPEND SUPPLEMENTATION, COMPENSATION AND OTHER INCOME 

An institution is permitted to provide funds to a fellow in addition to the 
stipend paid by the NIH.  Such additional amounts may be in the form of 
augmented stipends (supplementation) or compensation for services.

Supplementation.  Supplementation or additional support to offset the cost of 
living may be provided by the sponsoring institution, but must not require any 
additional effort from the fellow.  Federal funds may not be used for 
supplementation unless specifically authorized under the terms of both the 
program from which such supplemental funds are to be received and the program 
whose funds are to be supplemented.  Under no circumstances may PHS grant 
funds be used for supplementation.

Compensation.  An institution may provide additional funds to a fellow in the 
form of compensation (as salary and/or tuition remission) for services, such 
as teaching or research.  Compensation for services is not considered stipend 
supplementation.  A fellow may receive compensation for services as a research 
assistant or in some other capacity on a Federal research grant, including a 
PHS research grant.  However, compensated services must occur on a limited, 
part-time basis apart from the normal training activities, which require a 
minimum of 40 hours per week.  In addition, compensation may not be paid from 
a research grant supporting research that is part of the F31 research training 
experience.

Under no circumstances may the conditions of stipend supplementation or the 
services provided for compensation interfere with, detract from, or prolong 
the fellow's approved NRSA training program.  Additionally, compensation must 
be in accordance with institutional policies applied consistently to both 
federally and non-federally supported activities and supported by acceptable 
accounting records determined by the employer-employee relationship agreement.

Educational Loans or G.I. Bill.  An individual may make use of Federal 
educational loan funds and assistance under the Veterans Readjustment Benefits 
Act (G.I. Bill).  Such funds are not considered supplementation or 
compensation.  

Concurrent Awards.   An F31 may not be held concurrently with another 
Federally sponsored fellowship or similar Federal award that provides a 
stipend or otherwise duplicates provisions of the NRSA.  

Tax Liability.  The Internal Revenue Code, Section 117, applies to the tax 
treatment of all scholarships and fellowships.  Degree candidates may exclude 
from gross income reported for tax purposes any amount used for tuition and 
related expenses, such as fees, books, supplies, and equipment, required for 
courses of instruction at a qualified educational organization.

The taxability of stipends, however, in no way alters the relationship between 
NRSA fellows and institutions.  NRSA stipends are not considered salaries.  
NRSA fellows are not considered to be in an employee-employer relationship 
with the NIH or with the institution in which they are pursuing their degree.

The interpretation and implementation of the tax laws are the domain of the 
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the courts.  The NIH takes no position on 
what the status may be for a particular taxpayer, and it does not have the 
authority to dispense tax advice.  Individuals should consult their local IRS 
office about the applicability of the law to their situation and for 
information on the proper steps to be taken regarding their tax obligations.

The business office of the sponsoring institution is responsible for the 
annual preparation and issuance of IRS form 1099 (Statement of Miscellaneous 
Income) for fellows paid through the institution.  NIH will issue the form for 
all fellows training at Federal or foreign laboratories and receiving a 
stipend check from the U.S. Treasury.

PAYBACK

There are no payback requirements for predoctoral NRSA support.  

LEAVE

Predoctoral fellows may continue to receive stipends during periods of 
vacation and holidays available to individuals in comparable training 
positions at the sponsoring institution.  Also, predoctoral fellows may 
continue to receive stipends for up to 15 calendar days of sick leave per 
year.  Sick leave may be used for the medical conditions related to pregnancy 
and childbirth.  Fellows may continue to receive stipends for up to 30 
calendar days of parental leave per year for the adoption or the birth of a 
child when those in comparable training positions at the grantee or sponsoring 
institution have access to paid leave for this purpose and the use of parental 
leave is approved by the sponsor.  A period of terminal leave is not permitted 
and payment may not be made from grant funds for leave not taken.  Individuals 
requiring extended periods of time away from their research training 
experience must seek approval from the NIH awarding component for an unpaid 
leave of absence.

INCLUSION OF WOMEN AND MINORITIES IN RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMAN SUBJECTS

It is the policy of the NIH that women and members of minority groups and 
their subpopulations must be included in all NIH supported biomedical and 
behavioral research projects involving human subjects, unless a clear and 
compelling rationale and justification is provided that inclusion is 
inappropriate with respect to the health of the subjects or the purpose of the 
research.  This policy results from the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993 
(Section 492B of Public Law 103-43).

All investigators proposing research involving human subjects should read the 
"NIH Guidelines For Inclusion of Women and Minorities as Subjects in Clinical 
Research," which have been published in the Federal Register of March 28, 1994 
(FR 59 14508-14513) and in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, Vol. 23, 
No. 11, March 18, 1994 available on the web at the following URL address:  
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not94-100.html
 
INCLUSION OF CHILDREN AS PARTICIPANTS IN RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMAN SUBJECTS

It is the policy of NIH that children (i.e., individuals under the age of 21) 
must be included in all human subjects research, conducted or supported by the 
NIH, unless there are scientific and ethical reasons not to include them.  
This policy applies to all initial (Type 1) applications submitted for receipt 
dates after October 1, 1998.

All investigators proposing research involving human subjects should read the 
"NIH Policy and Guidelines on the Inclusion of Children as Participants in 
Research Involving Human Subjects" that was published in the NIH Guide for 
Grants and Contracts, March 6, 1998, and is available at the following URL 
address: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not98-024.html

Investigators also may obtain copies of these policies from the program staff 
listed under INQUIRIES.  Program staff may also provide additional relevant 
information concerning the policy.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

Individuals must submit the application form, PHS Individual National Research 
Service Award (PHS 416-1, rev. 12/98), and include at least three letters of 
reference.  If the applicant has been lawfully admitted to the United States 
for permanent residence, the appropriate item should be checked on the Face 
Page of the application.  Applicants who have applied for and have not yet 
been granted admission as a permanent resident should check the Permanent 
Resident block on the Face Page of the PHS 416-1 application, and also write 
in the word  pending .   A notarized statement documenting legal admission for 
permanent residence must be submitted prior to the issuance of an award. 

Potential applicants are STRONGLY ENCOURAGED to consult with one of the NIH 
staff listed under INQUIRIES prior to submitting an application.  Applicants 
should identify a faculty mentor/sponsor to help them determine the most 
appropriate NIH institute, and staff member to contact.

The applicant must follow all general instructions in the application kit AND 
the specific instructions included in the APPENDIX to this program 
announcement.

All fellowship applications submitted in response to this Program Announcement 
must identify the number PA-00-068 in Item 3.

In addition to the information requested in the application kit (Form 416-1), 
the following MUST be included with the application at the time of submission. 
 Failure to include any of these items may delay review of the application:

o  THREE reference letters in sealed envelopes must be affixed to the original 
face page of the application. The sponsor cannot be used as a reference.  
APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED WITHOUT THREE REFERENCE LETTERS WILL BE RETURNED 
WITHOUT REVIEW.

o  a copy of the results of either the Graduate Record Examination or the 
Medical College Admission Test (for M.D./Ph.D. applicants) must be included at 
the end of the application;

o  a clear and legible copy of the applicant's transcript(s) from all 
undergraduate and graduate institutions in which the applicant is/has been 
enrolled must be included at the end of the application;

o  a description of the graduate or combined degree program in which the 
applicant is either enrolled or has been admitted and agreed to enroll  must 
be included as Item 34 of the application.

o  a description of plans to receive instruction in the responsible conduct of 
research must be included in Item 34.  No award will be made if an application 
lacks this component.

Application Materials.  To obtain application kits with instructions and 
forms, please contact your institutional office of sponsored research.  If 
application kits are not available at the institution, they may be downloaded 
from the NIH website at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms.htm or they may be 
requested from:

Extramural Outreach and Information Resources Office
Office of Extramural Research
National Institutes of Health
6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 6207
MSC 7910
Bethesda, MD 20892-7910
Telephone: (301) 710-0267

For faster service, send Email requests to [email protected] .  Please allow 
2-4 weeks for U.S. mail requests.

Concurrent Applications.  An individual may not have more than one individual 
NRSA fellowship or comparable application pending review or award at the NIH 
or other DHHS agencies at the same time.

Application Receipt Dates and Review Schedule.   F31 applications undergo an 
expedited review that takes approximately five months. The two annual review 
cycles are as follows:

Application Receipt Dates:     May 1     Nov 15
Initial Review Date:           Jun/Jul   Feb/Mar
Secondary Review Date:         Aug/Sep   Apr/May
Earliest Possible Start Date:  Sep 1     May 1 

Note that this schedule differs from the schedule given in the PHS 416-1 
instructions.

INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE REVIEWED.

SUBMISSION

Submit a signed, typewritten original of the application (including the 
Checklist, Personal Data form, at least three sealed reference letters, and 
all other required materials) and two (2) exact, clear, single-sided 
photocopies of the signed application, in one package to:

CENTER FOR SCIENTIFIC REVIEW
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
6701 ROCKLEDGE DRIVE, ROOM 1040 MSC 7710 
BETHESDA, MD 20892 
BETHESDA, MD 20817 (express mail) 
(a mailing label is included in the PHS 416-1 application kit)

REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS

Complete applications will be assigned to the appropriate participating 
Institute and a suitable Scientific Review Group (SRG) in the Center for 
Scientific Review (CSR).  Applicants will be notified of their application's 
Institute and SRG assignment.

Applications receive two sequential levels of review.  The first level is an 
assessment of the merit of the research training by an SRG, composed primarily 
of non-government scientists selected for their competence in research and 
research training in a particular scientific area.  After the SRG meeting, the 
Scientific Review Administrator (SRA), a designated Federal official who 
coordinates the review of applications for the SRG, prepares a written summary 
of the review of each application and forwards it to the appropriate NIH 
institute.  A second level of review is provided by staff within the assigned 
funding Institute or Center.

Review Criteria

The review criteria include:

o  the quality of the academic record and the prior research experience of the 
applicant as well as the potential for independent contributions to scientific 
knowledge;

o  the quality of the graduate program in which the applicant is enrolled or 
has been accepted for enrollment;

o  the qualifications and the research/research training experience of the 
applicant's sponsor or research advisor;

o  the match between the research interests of the student and the research 
advisor/sponsor and the quality of the career development plan;

o  the quality of the research training plan including the plan to receive 
training in the responsible conduct of research; and

o  for advanced graduate students, scientific significance, originality, and 
feasibility of the proposed research; for beginning students, quality and 
clarity of stated research interests.

Notification.  Shortly after the SRG meeting, each applicant will be notified 
of the SRG recommendation and the name and phone number of the Institute 
program official responsible for the application.  When the program official 
representing the Institute receives the written summary of the review, 
prepared by the SRA after the review meeting, a copy will be forwarded to the 
applicant. 

Following the second-level review, the program official will notify each 
applicant of the final disposition of his/her application.  Any questions on 
SRG recommendations and funding possibilities should be directed to the 
appropriate Institute program official, not the Scientific Review 
Administrator of the SRG.

AWARD CRITERIA

The staff of the NIH Institutes use the following criteria in making awards:  
(1) eligibility of the applicant; (2) the SRG recommendation of the overall 
merit of the application; (3) the relevance of the application to the 
Institute's research priorities and program balance; and (4) the availability 
of funds.

Activation.  No funds may be disbursed until the fellow has started training 
under the award and an Activation Notice (PHS 416-5) has been submitted to the 
NIH.

An awardee has up to 6 months from the issue date on the Notice of Research 
Fellowship Award to activate the award.  Under unusual circumstances, an 
Institute may grant an extension of the activation period upon receipt of a 
specific request from the fellow.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SUPPORT

Fellowships must be administered in accordance with the current NRSA Policy 
(found on the NIH website at 
http://grants.nih.gov/training/nrsaguidelines/nrsa_toc.htm),  the current PHS 
Grants Policy Statement (see the NIH website at 
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/policy.htm), and any terms and conditions 
specified on the Notice of Research Fellowship Award.

Certification and Reporting Procedures.   No application will be accepted 
without the applicant signing the certification block on the face page of the 
application.  Individuals admitted to the United States as permanent residents 
must submit notarized evidence of legal admission prior to the award. When 
support ends, the fellow must submit a Termination Notice (PHS 416-7) to the 
NIH. Forms will be provided to the awardees by the NIH awarding component.  
Forms may also be found on the NIH Website at 
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms.htm.

Inventions and Publications.   Fellowships made primarily for educational 
purposes are exempted from the PHS invention requirements.  F31 awards will 
not contain any provision giving PHS rights to inventions made by the awardee. 
 
Data Sharing.  PHS Policy is to make available to the public the results and 
accomplishments of the activities that it funds.  Therefore, it is incumbent 
upon fellows to make results and accomplishments of their F31 activities 
available to the public. There should be no restrictions on the publication of 
results in a timely manner.

Copyrights.  Except as otherwise provided in the terms and conditions of the 
award, the recipient is free to arrange for copyright without approval when 
publications, data, or other copyrightable works are developed in the course 
of work under a PHS grant-supported project or activity.  Any such copyrighted 
or copyrightable works shall be subject to a royalty-free, nonexclusive, and 
irrevocable license to the Government to reproduce, publish, or otherwise use 
them, and to authorize others to do so for Federal Government purposes.  

AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS

NRSAs are made under the authority of Section 487 of the Public Health Service 
Act as amended (42 USC 288), and Title 42 of the Code of Federal Regulations, 
Part 66.  The following Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance numbers are 
applicable to these awards: 93.121, 93.172, 93.173, 93.233, 93.272, 93.278, 
93.282, 93.306, 93.361, 93.398, 93.821, 93.837-93.839, 93.846-93.849, 93.853-
93.856, 93.859, 93.862-93.867, 93.880, 93.894, and 93.929.  This program is 
not subject to the intergovernmental review requirements of Executive Order 
12372 or Health Systems Agency review.

INQUIRIES

For additional information contact the appropriate individual listed below.  
All individuals listed below can be reached via the Federal Information Relay 
System, 1 (800) 877-8339.

National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Dr. Robin Barr
Telephone:  (301) 496-9322
Email:  [email protected]

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Dr. Ernestine Vanderveen
Telephone:  (301) 443-1273
Email:  [email protected]

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Dr. Milton Hernandez
Telephone:  (301) 496-3775 or (800) 380-3876
Email:  [email protected]

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
Dr. Richard Lymn
Telephone:  (301) 594-5128
Email:  [email protected]

National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Dr. Eric J. Bailey  
Telephone:  (301) 496-7344 
Email: [email protected]

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
Dr. Steven Klein
Telephone:  (301) 496-5541
Email: [email protected]

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
Dr. Daniel Sklare
Telephone:  (301) 496-1804
Email:  [email protected]

National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)
Dr. James Lipton
Telephone:  (301) 594-2618
Email: [email protected]

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
Division of Digestive Diseases and Nutrition
Dr. Judith Podskalny
Telephone:  (301) 594-8876
Email: [email protected]

Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolic Diseases
Dr. Ronald Margolis
Telephone: (301) 594-8819
Email: [email protected]

Division of Kidney, Urologic, and Hematologic Diseases
Dr. Charles Rodgers
Telephone: (301) 594-7726
Email: [email protected]

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Division of Basic Research
Dr. Charles Sharp
Telephone:  (301) 443-1887
Email: [email protected]

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
Dr. Carol Shreffler 
Telephone:  (919) 541-1445
Email: [email protected]

National Eye Institute (NEI)
Dr. Maria Giovanni
Telephone:  (301) 496-0484
Email:  [email protected]

National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Dr. Anthony A. Rene
Telephone:  (301) 594-3833
Email:  [email protected]
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Mrs. Ann Rothgeb
Telephone:  (301) 435-0202
Email: [email protected]

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Henry Khachaturian, Ph.D.
Telephone: (301) 443-4335
Email: [email protected] 

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
David A. Jett, Ph.D.
Program Director, Office of Minority Health and Research
NSC, Suite 2149
Bethesda, MD 20892
Rockville, MD 20852(For Express/Courier Service)
Telephone:  (301) 496-3102
FAX:  (301) 594-5929
Email: [email protected]

National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)
The National Institute of Nursing Research has an ongoing Program Announcement 
for NINR National Research Service Award Individual Predoctoral Fellowships (F31)
that is also an appropriate funding opportunity for nursing students with disabilities.
Information about this announcement and other aspects of our research training program
is found at http://www.ninr.nih.gov/   Inquiries about this program should be directed to:
Dr. Nell Armstrong
Telephone:  301-594-5973
[email protected]

National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)
Dr. Bettie Graham
Telephone:  (301) 496-7531
Email:  [email protected]

National Center for Research Resources (NCRR)
Dr. David Wilde  
Telephone:  (301) 435-0799 
Email: [email protected] 

National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Dr. Neal West
Telephone: (301) 402-5867
Email: [email protected]

If you are not certain whom to contact, contact:

Walter T. Schaffer, Ph.D.
Research Training Officer
National Institutes of Health
6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 6184
Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7911
Phone:  301-435-2687
FAX:      301-480-0146
EMail:     [email protected]

APPENDIX

Instructions for Completing the Application

A.  To be completed by the student-applicant

(Form Page 1)

Item 1.  ("Title of Research Training Proposal").  Type: PREDOCTORAL 
FELLOWSHIPS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES 

Item 2.  ("Level of Fellowship").  Type:  Predoctoral.

Item 3.  ("Program Announcement Number").  Type:   PA-00-XXX

Items 4 - 8.  Self-explanatory.

Item 4j  ("Citizenship").  By the time of the award, individuals must be 
citizens or non-citizen nationals of the United States, or must have been 
lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence (i.e., possess 
a currently valid Alien Registration Receipt Card I-551, or other legal 
verification of such status).  Non-citizen nationals are generally persons 
born in outlying possessions of the United States (e.g., American Samoa and 
Swains Island).  Individuals on temporary or student visas are not eligible.  
If permanent residence status is pending when the application is submitted, 
place an X in the box for permanent resident and type  pending .

(Items 9 - 14.  Completed by sponsor).

Item 15.  THE APPLICANT MUST SIGN THE APPLICATION.

(Form Page 2)

Items 16-18.  Self-explanatory; if any do not apply to you, type N/A.

(Items 19, 20, and 21.  Completed by sponsor)

Item 22.  (Abstract of Proposed Research).  If you have selected a thesis 
topic, briefly describe, in abstract form, the question you are studying, how 
you are approaching it, and the health relatedness of your project.  If you 
have not yet selected a thesis project, type "No thesis selected," and instead 
give a brief description of the research area that interests you most, even if 
your research interests are still very broad, and why.

(Form Page 3)

Fill in the appropriate page numbers in the spaces provided.

(Form Page 4)

Item 23.  (Scholastic Performance).  List all undergraduate and graduate 
courses you have taken and the grades you received.  In addition, you MUST 
submit a LEGIBLE copy of a transcript from all undergraduate and graduate 
institutions you have attended or are currently attending.

(Form Page 5)

Items 24, 25,27.  Self-explanatory

Item 26. Complete only if the dissertation advisor is different from the 
sponsor.
 
(Form Page 6)

Item 28.  Research Experience

a.  (Summary).  Provide a thorough description of your relevant work and 
research experiences, including time, place, research director, and your role 
in the research.

b.  (Doctoral Dissertation).  Leave blank.

c.  (Publications).  Include a list of publications, abstracts, and poster 
presentations.  Three (3) collated sets of copies of publications may be 
provided as part of Section 3 (Appendix), per instructions on page 3.

Item 29.  (Revised Application).  Complete ONLY if this application is a 
revision of an application submitted earlier.  Limit this to 1 page.

Item 30.  (Research Training Plan)

a.  (Activities Under Award).  Explain your research training and long-range 
career goals and how the proposed course of study to be supported by this 
fellowship will help you attain these goals.  If appropriate, explain how 
prior work and research experiences affected your choice of career goals.

b. and c. (Research Proposal and Respective Contributions).  If you have 
selected a research thesis topic, complete this section according to the 
instructions.  If you have not yet selected a thesis, give a description of 
the research area that interests you most and why.

d.  (Selection of a Sponsor and Institution).  Explain why you chose to enroll 
in this university/institution and in this graduate program.  If you have 
selected a research advisor, give the rationale for your choice.  If you have 
not selected an advisor, identify up to five individuals with whom you would 
like to work, giving a rationale for your choices.

B.  To be completed by the research advisor or sponsor

If the applicant HAS SELECTED A RESEARCH ADVISOR, the ADVISOR must complete 
the items in this section.  If the applicant HAS NOT YET SELECTED A RESEARCH 
ADVISOR, the director of the graduate program should designate a sponsor to 
complete these items.  The director may choose to serve as the sponsor.

For Items 9-14 on Form Page 1, items 19-21 on Form Page 2, and items 30-38 on 
Form Pages 6 through 8, follow the instructions in the 416-1 kit.

In Item 34, in addition to the information requested in the application kit:
(1) provide a full description of the graduate or combined degree program in 
which the applicant is (or is to be) enrolled. This description should give 
both the normal course of study (both didactic and laboratory) for students 
enrolled in the program AND the specific training plan for the applicant.  A 
description of opportunities to receive training in the responsible conduct of 
research must also be included;

(2) for students ALREADY ENROLLED in the graduate program, describe the 
applicant's course of study up to the time of submission of the application 
and plans for further study; and

(3) provide the applicable tuition and fees for each year of support 
requested.  Such tuition and fees must be those charged to all similar 
individuals regardless of source of support.

C.  To be supplied by the university or institution

A signed statement from the institution certifying: 

the applicant is enrolled as a predoctoral student OR has been accepted by and 
agreed to enroll in the graduate training program; 

the applicant is a citizen, non-citizen national or permanent resident of the 
U.S. (see ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS, at the beginning of this Announcement);

the applicant is an eligible individual with a disability (This certification 
MAY include a description of the applicant’s disabling condition, the 
occupational limitations of the applicant, any accommodations required, the 
institution’s contribution to those accommodations, and any costs requested 
from the NIH). FAILURE TO INCLUDE THIS CERTIFICATION MAY DELAY REVIEW OR 
AWARD.  

2. By signing Item 38 (Form Page 8), the institution is certifying the 
accuracy of the information provided.

Weekly TOC for this Announcement
NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices

			Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
NIH... Turning Discovery Into Health®