Updates to NIH Institutional Training Grant Applications

This page provides details on the updates made to NIH institutional training grant applications for due dates on or after January 25, 2025.

Background

NIH has made significant investments to develop, implement, assess and disseminate innovative, effective approaches to research training and mentoring and to prepare trainees for a variety of career paths in the biomedical research workforce. Through these initiatives, the research community has identified the need for:

  • Broader outreach activities to foster greater awareness of research training opportunities for potential trainees
  • Increased mentorship opportunities to facilitate trainee success

NIH has leveraged the lessons of these initiatives to enhance institutional research training programs, including by enhancing opportunities to strengthen mentor training.

Applicability

The updates apply to applications that use the following activity codes:

  • Institutional Training – T series, e.g., T15, T32, T34, T35, T37, T90/R90, TL1, TL4
  • International Institutional Training – D43, D71, U2R
  • Institutional Career Development – K12, KL2

Application Updates

The updates to NIH Institutional Training Grant Applications include two key changes:

  1. Mentor training expectations are more clearly defined in the parent T32 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).
  2. Institutional Training data tables were updated to reduce burden and promote consistent information collection across training programs.

Defining Mentor Training Expectations in Training Programs

The Parent T32 NOFO incorporates new language outlining expectations for mentor training and oversight into the program considerations, application instructions, and review criteria.

Programs should consider the following, in addition to other evidence-informed curricula, as potential mentor training components and are encouraged to adapt to program and trainee needs:

  • Aligning expectations
  • Maintaining effective communication
  • Fostering independence
  • Assessing understanding
  • Enhancing professional development
  • Articulating your mentoring philosophy and plan

Reviewers will assess the mentor training expectations included in the application.

Updates to Data Tables

Institutional Training data tables were updated to reduce burden, focus on trainee outcomes, and promote consistent information collection across training programs. For example:

  • Tables 1 and 2: Applicants are expected to provide data only for the training stage(s) reflected in the proposed program.
  • Table 5 (Publications of Those in Training) was reorganized so that the first column is the trainee (instead of the faculty member), and applicants are now allowed to include interim research products to which the trainee contributed.
  • Table 6 (Applicants, Entrants, and their Characteristics for the Past Five Years) will no longer ask for trainee characteristics related to prior academic and research experience.
  • Table 8 (Program Outcomes: Predoctoral and Postdoctoral) no longer includes Part II “Those Clearly Associated with the Training Grant.”

Peer Review Updates

Institutional training awards retain the five scored review criteria. For example, for Training Grants (Ts), reviewers will continue to score Training Program and Environment, Training Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s), Preceptors/Mentors, Trainees, and Training Record when determining the overall impact score.   

NIH has moved “Training in the Responsible Conduct of Research” from the “Additional Review Considerations” and is now included as an “Additional Review Criteria.” As such, reviewers will now evaluate “Training in the Responsible Conduct of Research” when determining scientific and technical merit, and in providing an overall impact score.

Notices, Reports, and Blogs

Notices

Blogs

  • Open Mike Announcing updates to NIH Institutional Training Grant applications and required data tables – May 16, 2024

Resources

General

See Also

Webinars & Videos

Contact

Email

For those with questions, please direct all inquiries to: T32updates@mail.nih.gov

This page last updated on: February 3, 2025
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