Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Predoctoral Fellowship to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research (Parent F31-Diversity)

PA-23-271

The overall goal of the NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) program is to help ensure that a diverse pool of highly trained scientists is available in appropriate scientific disciplines to address the Nation's biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research needs. NRSA fellowships support the training of pre-and postdoctoral scientists, dual-degree investigators, and senior researchers.  More information about NRSA programs may be found at the NIH Research Training and Career Development website.

The NIH recognizes a unique and compelling need to promote diversity in the biomedical, behavioral and clinical sciences research workforce. There are many benefits that flow from a diverse NIH-supported scientific workforce, including: fostering scientific innovation, enhancing global competitiveness, contributing to robust learning environments, improving the quality of the researchers, advancing the likelihood that underserved or health disparity populations participate in, and benefit from health research, and enhancing public trust. The purpose of the Kirschstein-NRSA Individual Predoctoral Fellowship to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research (F31) is to provide support for mentored research training leading to the PhD or equivalent research degree, the combined MD/PhD degree, or another formally combined health professional degree and research doctoral degree in the biomedical, behavioral, or clinical sciences for individuals from diverse backgrounds. The goal of this program is to enhance the participation of scientists from diverse backgrounds in a scientific workforce that is well-prepared for research careers in the biomedical, behavioral, and clinical sciences. Institutions are encouraged to recruit potential candidates from diverse backgrounds to participate in the program, including those from underrepresented backgrounds, such as underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, persons with disabilities and those from disadvantaged backgrounds.  For more information, see Notice of NIH's Interest in Diversity, NOT-OD-20-031.

Candidates for this Kirschstein-NRSA F31 award are expected to propose a defined research project and training plan within the mission of the participating Institutes and Centers. The training plan should reflect the candidate's research project, which may be their dissertation research project, and facilitate and clearly enhance the individual's potential to develop into a productive, independent research scientist. The training plan should document the need for, and the anticipated value of, the proposed mentored research and training in relationship to the individual's research career goals.

It is expected that the mentored research training experience will provide:

• A strong foundation in rigorous research design, experimental methods, and analytic techniques appropriate to the proposed dissertation research;
• The enhancement of the candidate's ability to conceptualize and think through research problems with increasing independence;
• Experience conducting research using appropriate, state-of-the-art methods, as well as presenting and publishing the research findings as first author;
• The opportunity to interact with members of the scientific community at appropriate scientific meetings and workshops;
• Skills needed to transition to the next stage of the candidate's research career; and
• The opportunity to enhance the candidate's understanding of the health-related sciences and the relationship of the proposed research to health and disease.

Although candidates may work with their institutions to develop an application in support of their research training at any time, applications are encouraged once a candidate has identified a specific research project that will be undertaken, under the supervision of a sponsor in the sponsor's laboratory.  This often occurs in the second year of a PhD program.

The Kirschstein-NRSA Individual Predoctoral Fellowship to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research may provide up to five years of support for research training. Award budgets are composed of stipends, tuition and fees, and institutional allowance.

Not required

December 08, 2023

Scientific/Research Contact(s)

Table of IC-Specific Information, Requirements, and Staff Contacts