November 30, 2022
PAR-21-198 - Bridges to the Doctorate Research Training Program (T32)
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
The purpose of this Notice is to alert potential applicants of a clarification in the "Eligible Organizations" section of PAR-21-198, "Bridges to the Doctorate Research Training Program (T32)" regarding the eligibility of institutions with multiple campuses.
Part 2. Section III.1. Eligible Applicants
Currently Reads:
Eligible Organizations
Higher Education Institutions
- Public/State Controlled Institutions of Higher Education
- Private Institutions of Higher Education
The following types of Higher Education Institutions are always encouraged to apply for NIH support as Public or Private Institutions of Higher Education:
- Hispanic-serving Institutions
- Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
- Predominantly Black Institutions (PBI)
- After Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs)
- American Indian/Alaska Native Serving, Non-Tribal Institutions (AI/AN)
- Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs)
- Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions
- Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs)
Nonprofits Other Than Institutions of Higher Education
- Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education)
- Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education)
Governments
- Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Federally Recognized)
- Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized)
- U.S. Territory or Possession
Other
- Native American Tribal Organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
- Faith-based or Community-based Organizations
For diversity enhancing programs, NIGMS recognizes separate institutional eligibility tracks: research-intensive, i.e., those with an average of NIH research project grant (RPG) funding greater than or equal to $7.5 million total costs per year over the past 3 fiscal years, and research-active, i.e., those with an average of RPG funding less than $7.5 million total costs per year over the past 3 fiscal years (RPG data are available through NIH RePORTER). For example, FY 2018, FY 2019 and FY 2020 for applications submitted in September 2021.
Each Bridges to the Doctorate Research Training Program must consist of a partnership/consortium composed of at least two institutions: an institution that offers the master's degree as the terminal graduate degree in the biomedical sciences, and a research-intensive institution granting Ph.D. degrees in the biomedical sciences. The research-intensive partner institution(s) must have the resources and structures in place to support the Bridges trainees to facilitate doctoral degree completion in a timely manner.
Research-active institutions (i.e., those eligible for U-RISE or G-RISE) are not eligible to apply for or receive Bridges to the Doctorate Research Training Program grants as the Ph.D. granting partner institution(s).
The master's degree granting institution(s) must have a sufficient pool of training grant-eligible master's degree-seeking students and offer research training programs that are in alignment with the NIGMS mission. A college/university where the master’s degree is the highest graduate degree offered in the biomedical sciences, but offers a doctoral program in unrelated disciplines, is eligible to participate in a Bridges to the Doctorate Research Training Program. The program seeks to promote and enhance partnerships between institutions. Accordingly, institutions offering both master's and doctoral degrees in the biomedical sciences may not form partnerships within their own institution even if the students transition to another department, school, or college.
An eligible institution may participate in more than one Bridges to the Doctorate Research Training Program if multiple partnerships are strongly justified by the potential to magnify the programs' and institutions' outcomes. An institution is not allowed to serve as the applicant institution on more than one Bridges the Doctorate Research Training Program.
The applicant and partner institution(s) must assure support for the proposed program. Appropriate institutional commitment to the program should be detailed in the Institutional Support Letter in the Letters of Support attachment. Additionally, a signed letter is required from a Provost or similar official with institution-wide responsibility verifying the eligibility of the applicant and partner institutions at the time of application submission according to the eligibility criteria indicated above. See the application instructions for the required “Letters of Support” instructions in Section IV.
Modified to read (changes in italics):
Eligible Organizations
Higher Education Institutions
- Public/State Controlled Institutions of Higher Education
- Private Institutions of Higher Education
The following types of Higher Education Institutions are always encouraged to apply for NIH support as Public or Private Institutions of Higher Education:
- Hispanic-serving Institutions
- Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
- Predominantly Black Institutions (PBI)
- After Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs)
- American Indian/Alaska Native Serving, Non-Tribal Institutions (AI/AN)
- Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs)
- Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions
- Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs)
Nonprofits Other Than Institutions of Higher Education
- Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education)
- Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education)
Governments
- Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Federally Recognized)
- Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized)
- U.S. Territory or Possession
Other
- Native American Tribal Organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
- Faith-based or Community-based Organizations
For diversity enhancing programs, NIGMS recognizes separate institutional eligibility tracks: research-intensive, i.e., those with an average of NIH research project grant (RPG) funding greater than or equal to $7.5 million total costs per year over the past 3 fiscal years, and research-active, i.e., those with an average of RPG funding less than $7.5 million total costs per year over the past 3 fiscal years (RPG data are available through NIH RePORTER). For example, FY 2018, FY 2019 and FY 2020 for applications submitted in September 2021.
Each Bridges to the Doctorate Research Training Program must consist of a partnership/consortium composed of at least two institutions: an institution that offers the master's degree as the terminal graduate degree in the biomedical sciences, and a research-intensive institution granting Ph.D. degrees in the biomedical sciences. The research-intensive partner institution(s) must have the resources and structures in place to support the Bridges trainees to facilitate doctoral degree completion in a timely manner.
Research-active institutions (i.e., those eligible for U-RISE or G-RISE) are not eligible to apply for or receive Bridges to the Doctorate Research Training Program grants as the Ph.D. granting partner institution(s).
The master's degree granting institution(s) must have a sufficient pool of training grant-eligible master's degree-seeking students and offer research training programs that are in alignment with the NIGMS mission. A college/university where the master’s degree is the highest graduate degree offered in the biomedical sciences, but offers a doctoral program in unrelated disciplines, is eligible to participate in a Bridges to the Doctorate Research Training Program. The program seeks to promote and enhance partnerships between institutions. Accordingly, institutions offering both master's and doctoral degrees in the biomedical sciences may not form partnerships within their own institution even if the students transition to another department, school, or college.
An eligible institution may participate in more than one Bridges to the Doctorate Research Training Program if multiple partnerships are strongly justified by the potential to magnify the programs' and institutions' outcomes. An institution is not allowed to serve as the applicant institution on more than one Bridges the Doctorate Research Training Program.
Institutional eligibility (e.g., as a research-intensive Ph.D. granting partner) is determined by an eligible organization's unique entity identifier (UEI) and unique NIH eRA Institutional Profile File (IPF) number. For institutions with multiple campuses, eligibility can be considered for an individual campus (e.g., main, satellite, etc.) only if a UEI and a unique NIH eRA IPF number are established for the individual campus. For institutions that use one UEI or NIH IPF number for multiple campuses, eligibility is determined for the campuses together.
The applicant and partner institution(s) must assure support for the proposed program. Appropriate institutional commitment to the program should be detailed in the Institutional Support Letter in the Letters of Support attachment. Additionally, a signed letter is required from a Provost or similar official with institution-wide responsibility verifying the eligibility of the applicant and partner institutions at the time of application submission according to the eligibility criteria indicated above. See the application instructions for the required “Letters of Support” instructions in Section IV.
All other aspects of this Fundng Opportunity Announcement remain the same.
Bob Coyne, Ph.D.
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Email: robert.coyne@nih.gov
and Human Services (HHS)
