Notice Number: NOT-OD-14-101

Key Dates
Release Date: July 3, 2014

Issued by
National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Purpose

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) will no longer require an annual Ruth L. Kirschstein Individual Fellowship Activation Notice (Form PHS 416-5) for fellows sponsored by foreign and Federal institutions after the initial year of support. The Activation Notice must still be submitted for the initial year of support. This policy is effective as of the date of this Guide Notice.

Background

NIH policy previously required Kirschstein-NRSA fellows paid directly by NIH (i.e., those sponsored by foreign and Federal institutions) to submit an Activation Notice at the start of each award year to initiate payment by the NIH Office of Financial Management. All fellows training at foreign and Federal institutions will now be paid by the Payment Management System (PMS) beginning with awards made on or after October 1, 2013. See NOT-OD-13-111. Therefore, NIH will require the submission of the Activation Notice for fellows sponsored by foreign and Federal institutions for the initial year only. This aligns the requirements for fellows sponsored by foreign and Federal institutions with the requirements for fellows sponsored by domestic institutions.

Reminder, the Activation Notice must be submitted to the NIH awarding Institute or Center (IC) immediately prior to the initiation of training. For fellows sponsored by foreign and Federal institutions, no funds may be drawn from PMS until the training has started and the Activation Notice has been submitted to NIH. Furthermore, if the individual does not begin research training on the day indicated, the NIH awarding IC must be notified immediately.

Inquiries

Please direct all inquiries to:

Division of Grants Policy
Office of Policy for Extramural Research Administration
National Institutes of Health
Telephone: 301-435-0938
Email: [email protected]