Research Service Changes

Employment Changes

It is the responsibility of award recipients to notify DLR immediately if there is a pending change in employment, LRP awardees must submit a Change of Institution (COI) application (PDF, 188 KB) to be considered for continuation in the LRP. A COI applicant must meet all LRP eligibility criteria, and COI requests are subject to final approval by the NIH Institute or Center that funded the LRP award. Approval of COIs is not guaranteed.

To initiate the COI process, download the COI application form (PDF, 188 KB) and follow the instructions to complete the application. Return the completed COI application to DLR at [email protected].

Upon completion, DLR will forward the COI application to the NIH Institute/Center (IC) that funded the award. The IC will review the application and decide based on the research that will be conducted at the new institution or employer and whether it is similar to the research described in the most recent funded LRP application. Even if the site of the research remains the same, a COI must be completed if the employer changes.

If the employer changes to a for-profit or non-domestic institution, eligibility criteria for the LRP will not be met and a current award will be terminated immediately. This may also constitute a breach of contract and the awardee may be subjected to the financial penalties described in the contract.

If a change in employment results in a lapse of research service, a subsequent quarterly repayment will be pro-rated (reduced) to account for the research time missed.

If an awardee transfers to another IC within the NIH, the awardee may continue to participate in the NIH LRP if the IC to which the awardee is transferring also participates in the NIH Intramural LRPs. The awardee must continue to meet the eligibility requirements.

It is the responsibility of the Intramural award recipient to notify DLR immediately if there is a pending change in NIH IC. The awardee must provide a copy of the SF-50 for the new position at the new IC as soon as it becomes available. This information will be reviewed by the Director, Intramural Loan Repayment Program and the awardee may be asked to provide additional information during the review.

If an Intramural awardee plans to seek employment outside of the NIH or transitions to a non-research position within the NIH, they will no longer meet the LRP eligibility criteria, and the current award will be terminated immediately. Awardees are encouraged to contact DLR to ensure compliance with their contract and avoid potential financial penalties.

Research Project Focus

Should the focus of an awardee's research change significantly during the award period, awardees must submit a new Research Activities document to DLR by email to [email protected]. Submissions will be reviewed by the NIH IC that funded the LRP award.

If awardees have a new supervisor, the awardee should email DLR at [email protected] with the name and email address of the new supervisor. The DLR will follow up with the new supervisor for additional information.

Extended Leave or Absence

Family leave can be taken during an LRP award for certain family and medical needs. Recipients must notify DLR in advance by emailing [email protected] if they plan to take any family leave at their research institution.

LRP awardees may continue to receive LRP benefits during up to 15 calendar days of sick leave per year or up to 60 calendar days of unpaid family leave from their research institution. Awardees who exceed these limits must seek approval from the Division of Loan Repayment (DLR) to continue their participation in the program. A request letter must be submitted to [email protected], signed by both the awardee and their research supervisor, prior to the start of the extended unpaid leave period.

If approved, the unpaid leave period may not exceed 12 months and will be granted only with documented justification to support continued LRP participation. Such leave does not reduce the total number of months of LRP support for which an individual is eligible. Depending on the circumstances and duration of the leave, the LRP award may either be extended for the length of the unpaid leave or the payment schedule may be adjusted (e.g., prorated) while maintaining the original end date. No LRP payments will be made during the unpaid leave period beyond the 15 days of sick leave or 60 days of unpaid family leave. Awardees must keep their loan accounts in good standing throughout the leave period. Any unpaid leave request that is not approved may result in a reduction in the number of quarterly payments or termination of the LRP award.