National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)

The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) announces the availability of funds for Administrative Supplements to NIGMS-funded R01, R35, and R37 awards. These funds are intended for support of undergraduate students who are considering pursuing biomedical research careers by providing authentic research experiences in cutting-edge scientific environments during the summer.

For this supplement program, undergraduate students with a demonstrated interest in or desire to pursue research training in health-related sciences, may participate in a research project during the summer months. This experience is separate from any requirement of the regular academic program. The student may be affiliated with either the applicant institution or another academic institution.

Administrative supplements must support work within the scope of the original project.

For these supplements, all active NIGMS-funded R01, R35, and R37 grantees are eligible to apply.

Application and Submission Information

Applications for this initiative must be submitted to PA-18-591 "Administrative Supplements to Existing NIH Grants and Cooperative Agreements (Parent Admin Supp Clinical Trial Optional)" or its subsequent reissuance. Use the research application package labeled FORMS-E-ADMINSUPP-RESEARCH.

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide and PA-18-591 must be followed, with the following additions:

• Application Due Date April 15, 2020 by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization.
• The process for Streamlined Submissions using the eRA Commons cannot be used for this initiative.
• For funding consideration, applicants must include NOT-GM-20-015 (without quotation marks) in the Agency Routing Identifier field (box 4B) of the SF424 R&R form. Applications without this information in box 4B will not be considered for this initiative.
• All existing NIGMS-funded R01, R35 and R37 awardees are eligible to apply. Only one request per PD/PI will be considered.
• Eligible students may be U.S. or non-U.S. citizens. For non-U.S. citizens, the applicant institution is responsible for determining and documenting that the candidate’s visa will allow him or her to remain in the U.S. long enough to complete the research experience supported by the supplement.
• Budget
  • Requests may be for one year of support only.
  • Funds may be requested for salary support and supplies for the summer student for a period of 8 to 10 weeks during the summer of 2020. The salary for an undergraduate student should be consistent with institutional salary policies. Funds up to $500 for supplies may be requested. Funds for travel are not allowed.
  • In the Budget Justification, include a brief statement regarding currently available unobligated grant funds and expenditure plans, in order to demonstrate the need for additional funds.
  • Applicants should note that the funds from this supplement cannot be used to support stipends or tuition.
• Research Strategy (limited to 2 pages)
  • This section should include a summary or abstract of the funded parent award, as well as a description of how the mentored research experience relates to the specific goals and objectives of the parent grant and will expand and foster the skills of the candidate.
  • The plan should be tailored to the candidates training level and biomedical career aspirations. The research experience should focus on developing the candidate’s technical (e.g., appropriate methods, technologies, and quantitative/computational approaches), operational (e.g., independent knowledge acquisition, rigorous experimental design, and interpretation of data) and professional (e.g., management, leadership, communication, and teamwork) skills. Examples of activities that promote the candidate’s career advancement include the opportunity to present and if appropriate, publish research findings and to interact with members of the academic unit in a structured setting (e.g., at departmental seminars and workshops, journal clubs, lab meetings, retreats, etc.).
  • It should be clear from the application how the supplement will impact and add value to the candidate’s training and career development experiences. Association with an existing structured summer program at the institution and past success of the PD/PI in hosting summer undergraduates would be positive features. Inclusion of students who otherwise would not have access to research experiences is encouraged.
• Biographical Sketches
  • The personal statement in the PD/PI’s biosketch should describe a commitment to training, mentoring, and promoting inclusive and supportive scientific research environments.
  • The personal statement in the candidate’s biosketch should include information about the candidate's motivation to enter and/or remain in biomedical research, and their short-term and long-term career goals.