Part 1. Overview Information

Key Dates

All applications are due by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization.

Applicants are encouraged to apply early to allow adequate time to make any corrections to errors found in the application during the submission process by the due date.

No late applications will be accepted for this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).

It is critical that applicants follow the Training (T) Instructions in the How to Apply Application Guide, except where instructed to do otherwise (in this NOFO or in a Notice from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts). Conformance to all requirements (both in the How to Apply Application Guide, and the NOFO) is required and strictly enforced. Applicants must read and follow all application instructions in the How to Apply Application Guide, as well as any program-specific instructions noted in Section IV. When the program-specific instructions deviate from those in the How to Apply Application Guide, follow the program-specific instructions. Applications that do not comply with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.

There are several options available to submit your application through Grants.gov to NIH and Department of Health and Human Services partners. You must use one of these submission options to access the application forms for this opportunity.

1. Use the NIH ASSIST system to prepare, submit and track your application online.
2. Use an institutional system-to-system (S2S) solution to prepare and submit your application to Grants.gov and eRA Commons to track your application. Check with your institutional officials regarding availability.
3. Use Grants.gov Workspace to prepare and submit your application and eRA Commons to track your application.

Part 2. Full Text of Announcement

Section I. Funding Opportunity Description

The purpose of the National Library of Medicine (NLM) Institutional Training Program in Biomedical Informatics, Data Science, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) is to support pre-doctoral and postdoctoral training for research careers in fields which jointly advance information sciences and data-driven discovery. As the scale and complexity of biomedical and health data continue to grow, there is an increasing national need for a highly skilled workforce capable of developing innovative computational, statistical, and information science approaches to accelerate biomedical discovery and improve health. Graduates of NLM-supported T15 programs are expected to conduct original basic or applied research at the intersection of computer, statistical, and information sciences and one or more biomedical application domains, preparing them for research- and development-oriented roles in academic institutions, not-for-profit research institutes, governmental and public health agencies, biomedical and technology companies, and health care organizations.

Applicants must propose programs that provide a strong, interdisciplinary training environment equipping trainees with rigorous methodological expertise and meaningful research experience in biomedical informatics, data science, and AI. Proposed programs should include supervised research experiences of increasing sophistication that culminate in an independent research project and dissemination of findings through peer-reviewed publications and presentations at national scientific meetings. Applications may propose the creation of new training programs or the renewal of existing NLM training grants and must describe innovative, adaptable curricula that integrate foundational principles with emerging advances, promote interdisciplinary collaboration, and prepare trainees to address complex challenges in biomedical data science. Programs should focus on advancing technical knowledge and developing a highly skilled research workforce in biomedical informatics, data science, and AI.

This funding opportunity is not intended to train individuals for careers primarily centered on the planning, deployment, maintenance, or administration of health care, public health, or research systems and data. .

NIH supports training that prepares individuals for careers in clinically relevant research. Accordingly, gaining experience in clinical trials under the guidance of a mentor or co-mentor is encouraged.

See Section VIII. Other Information for award authorities and regulations.

Section II. Award Information

Other Award Budget Information

NIH grants policies as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement will apply to the applications submitted and awards made from this NOFO.

Section III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

Higher Education Institutions - Includes all types

• Public/State Controlled Institutions of Higher Education
• Private Institutions of Higher Education

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)

Local 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

Federal Governments

• Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government
• U.S. Territory or Possession

The sponsoring institution must assure support for the proposed program. Appropriate institutional commitment to the program includes the provision of adequate staff, facilities, and educational resources that can contribute to the planned program.

The applicant institution must have a strong and high-quality research program in the area(s) proposed under this NOFO and must have the requisite faculty, staff, potential trainees and facilities on site to conduct the proposed institutional program. In many cases, it is anticipated that the proposed program will complement other ongoing research training programs occurring at the applicant institution and that a substantial number of program faculty will have active research projects in which participating trainees may gain relevant experience consistent with their research interests and goals.

Foreign Organizations/International Collaborations

Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are not eligible to apply.

Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply.

Applicant Organizations

Applicant organizations must complete and maintain the following registrations as described in the How to Apply - Application Guide, to be eligible to apply for or receive an award. All registrations must be completed prior to the application being submitted. Registration can take 6 weeks or more, so applicants should begin the registration process as soon as possible. Failure to complete registrations in advance of a due date is not a valid reason for a late submission, please reference NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 2.3.9.2 Electronically Submitted Applications for additional information.

• System for Award Management (SAM) – Applicants must complete and maintain an active registration, which requires renewal at least annually. The renewal process may require as much time as the initial registration. SAM registration includes the assignment of a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code for domestic organizations which have not already been assigned a CAGE Code. Foreign organizations must obtain a NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) Code (in lieu of a CAGE code) in order to register in SAM.
  • Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)- A UEI is issued as part of the SAM.gov registration process. The same UEI must be used for all registrations, as well as on the grant application.
• eRA Commons - Once the unique organization identifier is established, organizations can register with eRA Commons in tandem with completing their Grants.gov registration; all registrations must be in place by time of submission. eRA Commons requires organizations to identify at least one Signing Official (SO) and at least one Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) account in order to submit an application.
• Grants.gov – Applicants must have an active SAM registration in order to complete the Grants.gov registration.

Program Directors/Principal Investigators (PD(s)/PI(s))

All PD(s)/PI(s) must have an eRA Commons account. PD(s)/PI(s) should work with their organizational officials to either create a new account or to affiliate their existing account with the applicant organization in eRA Commons. Obtaining an eRA Commons account can take up to 2 weeks.

All PD(s)/PI(s) must be registered with ORCID. The personal profile associated with the PD(s)/PI(s) eRA Commons account must be linked to a valid ORCID ID. For more information on linking an ORCID ID to an eRA Commons personal profile see the ORCID topic in our eRA Commons online help.

Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research training program as the Training Program Director/Principal Investigator (Training PD/PI) is invited to work with their organization to develop an application for support.

For institutions/organizations proposing multiple PDs/PIs, visit the Multiple Program Director/Principal Investigator Policy and submission details in the Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) Component of the How to Apply - Application Guide.

The PD/PI should be an established investigator in the scientific area in which the application is targeted and capable of providing both administrative and scientific leadership to the development and implementation of the proposed program. The PD/PI will be responsible for the selection and appointment of trainees to the approved research training program, and for the overall direction, management, administration, and evaluation of the program. The PD/PI will be expected to monitor and assess the program and submit all documents and reports as required. The PD/PI has responsibility for the day to day administration of the program and is responsible for appointing members of the Advisory Committee (when applicable), using their recommendations to determine the appropriate allotment of funds. Additional PDs/PIs, including individuals with experience in areas relevant to the program goals may be included to achieve the training goals.

2. Cost Sharing

This NOFO does not require cost sharing as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 1.2 Definition of Terms.

3. Additional Information on Eligibility

Only one application per institution (normally identified by having a unique entity identifier (UEI)) is allowed.

Program faculty should be active researchers in the biomedical sciences as demonstrated by recent publications and research support in the area of the proposed research training program.  Programs are encouraged to recruit prospective preceptors/mentors with relevant experience and expertise to advance the program goals, including  faculty at different career stages (for example, early stage investigators as well as senior faculty). When building a training team, programs should include faculty who are committed to training, mentoring, and providing safe and supportive research training environments.  All program faculty should have a mentoring philosophy appropriately tailored to the needs of potential trainees that ensures trainees will receive the tailored mentorship needed to develop skills and advance their career.  Program faculty should also have sufficient time to commit to training given their other professional obligations.

Trainees

Applicants proposing training may request NLM funding for up to a total of 10 trainees, including up to 3 postdoctoral fellows. Applicants may also request additional slots for training in disease-specific informatics research areas; these areas should align with the research priorities of an NIH Institute or Center participating in this program as described in Section V.2 "Review and Selection Process" below. Disease-specific slots should be scientifically justified and supported by an appropriate curriculum track and well-qualified faculty.

Institutional research training grants must be used to support a program of full-time research training. Within the full-time training period, research trainees who are also training as clinicians must devote their time to the proposed research training and must confine clinical duties to those that are an integral part of the research training experience. The program may not be used to support studies leading to the MD, DDS, or other clinical, health-professional training except when those studies are part of a formal combined research degree program, such as the MD/PhD.

For pre-doctoral appointees entering training, the endpoint must be a PhD or other doctoral degree in informatics or a related field. Trainees who are, at the time of application for informatics training, matriculated in programs leading to a doctoral-level health professional degree (i.e., an MD/PhD program), may be supported as predoctoral trainees for their informatics PhD training. Postdoctoral appointees entering training must evidence training gaps that will be rectified by formal training plans; unless otherwise advised, postdoctoral appointees should matriculate in an informatics-relevant graduate degree program.

The applicant organization will select the trainees to be supported by the research training program and is responsible for establishing trainee eligibility and selection criteria that are consistent with applicable law.

The individual to be trained must be a citizen or a noncitizen national of the United States or have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence at the time of appointment. Additional details on citizenship, training period, and aggregate duration of support are available in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

All trainees are required to pursue their research training full-time, normally defined as 40 hours per week, or as specified by the sponsoring institution in accordance with its own policies. Appointments are normally made in 12-month increments, and no trainee may be appointed for less than 9 months during the initial period of appointment, except with prior approval of the awarding unit.

Predoctoral trainees must have received a baccalaureate degree by the beginning date of their appointment and must be enrolled in a program leading to a PhD or in an equivalent research doctoral degree program. Health-professional students who wish to interrupt their studies for a year or more to engage in full-time research training before completing their formal training programs, are also eligible.

Postdoctoral trainees must have received, as of the beginning date of the appointment, a Ph.D., M.D., D.D.S., or comparable doctoral degree from an accredited domestic or foreign institution. Comparable doctoral degrees include, but are not limited to, the following: D.M.D., DC, DO, DVM., OD, DPM, ScD, EngD, DrPH, DNSc, DPT, PharmD, DSW, PsyD, as well as a doctoral degree in nursing research. Documentation by an authorized official of the degree-granting institution certifying all degree requirements have been met prior to the beginning date of the training appointment is acceptable. Individuals in postgraduate clinical training, who wish to interrupt their studies for a year or more to engage in full-time research training before completing their formal training programs, are also eligible. Postdoctoral appointees entering training must evidence training gaps that will be rectified by formal training plans supported by the program core and elective curriculum.

Section IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Requesting an Application Package

The application forms package specific to this opportunity must be accessed through ASSIST, Grants.gov Workspace or an institutional system-to-system solution. Links to apply using ASSIST or Grants.gov Workspace are available in Part 1 of this NOFO. See your administrative office for instructions if you plan to use an institutional system-to-system solution.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

It is critical that applicants follow the Training (T) Instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide except where instructed in this Notice of Funding Opportunity to do otherwise (in this NOFO, in a policy notice, or other notice from NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts). Conformance to the requirements in the How to Apply - Application Guide is required and strictly enforced. Applications that are out of compliance with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.

Page Limitations

All page limitations described in the How to Apply - Application Guide and the Table of Page Limits must be followed.

Instructions for Application Submission

The following section supplements the instructions found in the How to Apply - Application Guide and should be used for preparing an application to this NOFO.

SF424(R&R) Cover

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed.

SF424(R&R) Project/Performance Site Locations

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed.

SF424 (R&R) Other Project Information

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed.

Project Summary/Abstract. Provide an abstract of the entire application. Include the goals, objectives, rationale and design of the research training program, as well as key activities in the training plan. Indicate the planned duration of appointments, the projected number of trainees including their levels (i.e., pre-doctoral, postdoctoral), and intended trainee outcomes.

Other Attachments. An Advisory Committee is not a required, but a highly recommended component of a training program. However, if an Advisory Committee is intended, provide a plan for the appointment of an Advisory Committee to monitor progress of the training program. The composition, roles, responsibilities, and desired expertise of committee members, frequency of committee meetings, and other relevant information should be included. Describe how the Advisory Committee will evaluate the overall effectiveness of the program. Proposed Advisory Committee members should be named in the application if they have been invited to participate at the time the application is submitted. Renewal applications with Advisory Committees should include the names of all committee members during the past project period. Please name your file “Advisory_Committee.pdf”.

The attachment titled "Advisory_Committee.pdf" must not exceed 2 pages in length.

The filename provided for each "Other Attachment" will be the name used for the bookmark in the electronic application in eRA Commons.

SF424(R&R) Senior/Key Person Profile Expanded

Follow all instructions provided in the How to Apply - Application Guide.

PHS 398 Cover Page Supplement

Follow all instructions provided in the How to Apply - Application Guide.

PHS 398 Training Subaward Budget Attachment(s)

Follow all instructions provided in the How to Apply - Application Guide.

The following additional modifications apply:

• Include all personnel other than the Training PD(s)/PI(s) in the Other Personnel section, including clerical and administrative staff.

PHS 398 Research Training Program Plan

The PHS 398 Research Training Program Plan Form is comprised of the following sections:

• Training Program
• Faculty, Trainees, and Training Record
• Other Training Program
• Appendix - Note that the Appendix should only be used in circumstances covered in the NIH policy on appendix materials or if the NOFO specifically instructs applicants to do so.

Follow all instructions provided in the How to Apply - Application Guide.

Particular attention must be given to the required International Training Data Tables. Applicants should summarize, in the body of the application, key data from the tables that highlight the characteristics of the prospective candidate pool, faculty mentors, the educational and career outcomes of past participants, and other factors that contribute to the overall environment of the program.

Training Program

Program Plan

Program Administration.

Describe the acknowledged strengths, leadership and administrative skills, training experience, scientific expertise, and active research of the PD/PI. Relate these strengths to the proposed management of the training program. Describe the planned strategy and administrative structure to be used to oversee and monitor the program. If there are multiple PDs/PIs, then the plan for Program Administration is expected to synergize with the Multiple PD/PI Leadership Plan section of the application.

Institutions with existing programs must explain what distinguishes this program from the others, how their programs will synergize with one another, if applicable, and make it clear that the pool of faculty, potential scholars, and resources are robust enough to support additional programs. When a program administrator position is planned, a description of the scientific expertise, leadership, and administrative capabilities essential to coordinate a program for developing investigators must be included in the application.

When a program director position is planned, in addition to the PD/PI, a description of the scientific expertise, leadership, and administrative capabilities essential to coordinating a program for developing investigators must be included in the application. Each application must describe in detail the organizational entity in which the program will be based. This may be a department, center, division, institute, or other organization as appropriate. If the home organization for the program is not authorized to confer academic degrees and the proposed training is to be degree-granting, the application should contain appropriate certifications from the leadership of the degree-granting unit(s) to the effect that the proposed curricula have been approved to enable students to earn the stipulated academic degrees. Applicants should not predicate their training plans on any degree-granting programs that are pending approval at the time of submission.

Program Faculty

The application must include information about the program faculty who will be available to serve as preceptors/mentors and provide guidance and expertise appropriate to the level of trainees proposed in the application. Describe the complementary expertise and experiences of the proposed Program Faculty, including active research and other scholarly activities in which the faculty are engaged, as well as experience mentoring and training individuals at the proposed career stage(s). For any proposed Program Faculty lacking research training experience, describe a plan to ensure successful trainee guidance by these individuals. Describe the criteria used to appoint and remove faculty as Program Faculty and to evaluate their participation.

Each program must list separately a core faculty and any additional faculty members who will directly support the program as teachers of important courses or advisors to trainees.

Training Program Plan

Applicants must propose innovative, adaptable training programs that respond to emerging trends in biomedical informatics, data science, and artificial intelligence (AI). The application should provide an overview of the proposed program, including its objectives and the activities that will be used to achieve them. Strong applications will describe how the curriculum integrates foundational principles with emerging advances, promotes interdisciplinary collaboration, and prepares trainees to address complex challenges in biomedical and health research. Applicants should also outline strategies to ensure that the curriculum remains current as science and technology evolve.

Applicants should describe the intended trainee population (e.g., predoctoral and/or postdoctoral), the academic and research background required for participation, and plans to accommodate differences in trainee preparation. The application should also describe the structure of the training program, including coursework, mentored research experiences, and activities designed to develop the technical and professional skills needed for research careers in biomedical informatics, data science, and AI. Applicants should explain how trainees will gain an understanding of the human health– and disease–related context of their research.

The program must include a required core curriculum that provides foundational training in biomedical informatics, data science, and AI. This core must include instruction in: principles of informatics, data science, and AI; quantitative methods (e.g., biostatistics or applied mathematics); relevant areas of computer science, engineering, or information sciences; and the design and conduct of rigorous, reproducible research. The core curriculum should be complemented by advanced coursework and mentored research in specific areas of focus proposed by the applicant, reflecting the strengths of the participating faculty and the goals of the training program. For all courses listed as part of the program that are not under the direct control of the principal investigator's home academic unit (e.g. his/her home department), applicants must document through appropriate letters that their trainees will have routine access to these courses.

Applicants must clearly describe the areas of focus that will shape the curriculum and research training within the program. These areas may reflect methodological specializations, biomedical or health research priorities, or other interdisciplinary topics relevant to biomedical informatics, data science, and AI. The application should explain how these focus areas are integrated into the curriculum and research experiences while maintaining a common foundational core shared by all trainees. Applicants should describe the goals and required components of the core curriculum, including courses and other structured learning experiences. Tables summarizing the proposed program of study are encouraged.

Trainees should participate in meaningful, supervised research experiences of increasing sophistication that culminate in an independent research project, which may be a thesis or dissertation. Applicants should describe how trainees identify and select research projects and provide examples of potential research rotations or projects. Programs must also describe how trainees will be instructed in the principles of rigorous and reproducible research in biomedical informatics, data science, and AI.

Applicants should describe experiences that integrate methodological training with the program's proposed areas of focus and outline activities that prepare trainees for a range of research career pathways in biomedical informatics, data science, and AI. Trainees are expected to disseminate research findings at national scientific meetings and in peer-reviewed publications. For courses offered outside the principal investigator's home academic unit, applicants must document that trainees will have reliable access to these courses.

In addition to the above, applicants that are requesting additional training slots from participating disease-focused institutes or NIH offices must also be responsive to research priorities which are specific to the intended secondary institute or NIH office. An informational webinar will be scheduled prior to the NOFO receipt date where participating IC representatives will explain research area priorities and responsiveness criteria in more detail. Please monitor The NLM Extramural Programs website (https://www.nlm.nih.gov/ep/index.html) for details regarding this webinar. These priorities are described in Section V.

Program Evaluation

Applicants must present a comprehensive evaluation plan that combines holistic program-level assessment with granular tracking of trainee progress and outcomes. High-quality plans will specify how both qualitative and quantitative measures will be used to assess curriculum effectiveness, trainee competency development, mentoring quality, and long-term career impact (i.e., responsible alumni tracking). This plan should include the metrics to be evaluated (including program activities completed, degree completion (if applicable), publications, fellowships/honors, and subsequent positions) as well as plans to obtain feedback from current and former trainees to help identify weaknesses and to provide suggestions for program improvements. Specified evaluation metrics should be tied to the goals of the program.

Proposals should describe how evaluation findings will inform continuous improvement and demonstrate accountability for program goals. Ideally, applications would follow a well-established evaluation framework with coordinated measurement instruments and cadences to drive continuous improvement (e.g., CIPP, Kirkpatrick, IHI-'Plan-Do-Study-Act', etc.)

Trainee Candidates

Describe, in general terms, the size and qualifications of the pool of trainee candidates, including information about the types of prior clinical and research training and career level required for the program. Do not name prospective trainees. Describe specific plans to recruit candidates and explain how these plans will be implemented. Describe the nomination and selection process to be used to select candidates who would be offered admission to the program and criteria for trainees' reappointment to the program.

The application should contain a description of how the individual development plan for each trainee will be tailored to the needs of the prospective candidates, taking into account their experiences and competencies. Applicants must describe any prerequisites that apply to all trainee candidates.

For renewal applications, highlight how the training program has evolved in response to changes in relevant scientific and technical knowledge, educational practices, and innovates with respect to evaluation of the training program.

Institutional Environment and Commitment to the Program

The sponsoring institution must ensure support for the proposed program including assurance that sufficient time will be allowed for the PDs/PIs and other Program Faculty to contribute to the proposed program. The application must include a signed letter, on institutional letterhead, that describes the applicant institution's commitment to the planned program. Appropriate institutional commitment to the program includes the provision of adequate staff, facilities, and educational resources that can contribute to the planned program. This commitment may also include features such as PD/PI salary, stipend or tuition support for individuals involved in the proposed training program, or other commitments essential to a successful training program. Institutions with ongoing research training, student development, or career development programs that receive external funding should explain what distinguishes the proposed program from existing ones at the same trainee level, how the programs will synergize, if applicable, whether trainees are expected to transition from one support program to another, and how the training faculty, pool of potential trainees, and resources are sufficiently robust to support the proposed program in addition to existing ones.

Plan for Instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research

Individuals are required to comply with the instructions for Plan for Instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research as provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

Appendix:

Limited items are allowed in the Appendix. Follow all instructions for the Appendix as described in the How to Apply - Application Guide; any instructions provided here are in addition to the How to Apply - Application Guide instructions.

PHS Assignment Request Form

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed.

3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)

See Part 2. Section III.1 for information regarding the requirement for obtaining a unique entity identifier and for completing and maintaining active registrations in System for Award Management (SAM), NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) Code (if applicable), eRA Commons, and Grants.gov

4. Submission Dates and Times

Part I. contains information about Key Dates and times. Applicants are encouraged to submit applications before the due date to ensure they have time to make any application corrections that might be necessary for successful submission. When a submission date falls on a weekend or Federal holiday, the application deadline is automatically extended to the next business day.

Organizations must submit applications to Grants.gov (the online portal to find and apply for grants across all Federal agencies). Applicants must then complete the submission process by tracking the status of the application in the eRA Commons, NIH's electronic system for grants administration. NIH and Grants.gov systems check the application against many of the application instructions upon submission. Errors must be corrected and a changed/corrected application must be submitted to Grants.gov on or before the application due date and time. If a Changed/Corrected application is submitted after the deadline, the application will be considered late. Applications that miss the due date and time are subjected to the NIH Policy on Late Application Submission.

Applicants are responsible for viewing their application before the due date in the eRA Commons to ensure accurate and successful submission.

Information on the submission process and a definition of on-time submission are provided in the How to Apply - Application Guide.

5. Intergovernmental Review (E.O. 12372)

This initiative is not subject to intergovernmental review.

6. Funding Restrictions

All NIH awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement. The National Research Service Award (NRSA) policies apply to this program. An NRSA appointment may not be held concurrently with another Federally sponsored fellowship, traineeship, or similar Federal award that provides a stipend or otherwise duplicates provisions of the NRSA.

Pre-award costs are allowable only as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 7.9.1 Selected Items of Cost. Note, however, that pre-award costs are not allowable charges for stipends or tuition/fees on institutional training grants because these costs may not be charged to the grant until a trainee has actually been appointed and the appropriate paperwork submitted to the NIH awarding component. Any additional costs associated with the decision to allow research elective credit for short-term research training are not allowable charges on an institutional training grant.

7. Other Submission Requirements and Information

Applications must be submitted electronically following the instructions described in the How to Apply - Application Guide. Paper applications will not be accepted.

Applicants must complete all required registrations before the application due date. Section III. Eligibility Information contains information about registration.

For assistance with your electronic application or for more information on the electronic submission process, visit How to Apply – Application Guide. If you encounter a system issue beyond your control that threatens your ability to complete the submission process on-time, you must follow the Dealing with System Issues guidance. For assistance with application submission, contact the Application Submission Contacts in Section VII.

Important reminders:

All PD(s)/PI(s) must include their eRA Commons ID in the Credential fieldof the Senior/Key Person Profile form.Failure to register in the Commons and to include a valid PD/PI Commons ID in the credential field will prevent the successful submission of an electronic application to NIH.

The applicant organization must ensure that the unique entity identifier provided on the application is the same identifier used in the organization's profile in the eRA Commons and for the System for Award Management. Additional information may be found in the How to Apply - Application Guide.

See more tips for avoiding common errors.

Upon receipt, applications will be evaluated for completeness and compliance with application instructions by the Center for Scientific Review and responsiveness by components of participating organizations, NIH. Applications that are incomplete, non-compliant and/or nonresponsive will not be reviewed. 

Recipients or subrecipients must submit any information related to violations of federal criminal law involving fraud, bribery, or gratuity violations potentially affecting the federal award. See Mandatory Disclosures, 2 CFR 200.113 and NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 4.1.35.

Send written disclosures to the NIH Chief Grants Management Officer listed on the Notice of Award for the IC that funded the award and to the HHS Office of Inspector Grant Self Disclosure Program at grantdisclosures@oig.hhs.gov

Post Submission Materials

Applicants are required to follow the instructions for post-submission materials, as described in the policy.

Section V. Application Review Information

Only the review criteria described below will be considered in the review process.

Applications submitted to the NIH in support of the NIH mission are evaluated for scientific and technical merit through the NIH peer review system. While any information in the application relevant to the program goals can be included as part of the review process, the race, ethnicity, or sex of trainee candidates, trainees, or faculty may not be used as factors in the evaluation of applications.

For this particular NOFO, note the following:
Reviewers should evaluate the program's potential to: 

• Produce a pool of trainees with the technical, operational, and professional skills necessary to conduct rigorous and reproducible research, and transition into careers in the biomedical research workforce. Reviewers should note that careers in the biomedical research workforce refers to the breadth of careers that sustain the biomedical research enterprise (which includes, but is not exclusive to, careers as independent NIH-funded investigators).
• Enable a wide range of research-oriented individuals the ability to participate and succeed in the research training program (for example, through recruitment and mentor training activities).  
• Implement and continually improve upon an innovative curriculum through incorporation of well-designed key performance indicators and an appropriate evaluation framework.

Reviewers will provide an overall impact score to reflect their assessment of the likelihood that the proposed training program will equip the trainees with the skills, knowledge and experiences necessary to transition to successful careers in the biomedical research workforce, in consideration of the following review criteria and additional review criteria (as applicable for the project proposed.)

Reviewers will consider each of the review criteria below in the determination of the merit of the training program and give a separate score for each. When applicable, the reviewers will consider relevant questions in the context of proposed short-term training. An application does not need to be strong in all categories to be judged likely to have major biomedical research training impact.

As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will consider each of the following items, but will not give scores for these items, and should not consider them in providing an overall impact score.

Applications will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit by (an) appropriate Scientific Review Group(s), convened by CSR in accordance with NIH peer review policy and procedures, using the stated review criteria. Assignment to a Scientific Review Group will be shown in the eRA Commons.

As part of the scientific peer review, all applications will receive a written critique.

Applications may undergo a selection process in which only those applications deemed to have the highest scientific and technical merit (generally the top half of applications under review) will be discussed and assigned an overall impact score.

Requests for reconsideration of initial peer review will not be accepted for applications submitted in response to this NOFO. 

Applications will be assigned on the basis of established PHS referral guidelines to the appropriate NIH Institute or Center. Applications will compete for available funds with all other recommended applications submitted in response to this Announcement. Following initial peer review, recommended applications will receive a second level of review by the Board of Regents of the National Library of Medicine.

The following will be considered in making funding decisions, consistent with applicable law:

• Scientific and technical merit of the proposed project as determined by scientific peer review.
• Availability of funds.
• Relevance of the proposed project to program priorities.

Awarding institutes, centers, and offices may give priority to applications in the following areas:

National Cancer Institute (NCI)

• Training that advances the NCI mission.
• Training in informatics, data science, and AI/ML applied to basic, translational, and clinical cancer research.
• Training in FAIR data management, sharing, and transparent reporting to support rigorous cancer research and accelerate discovery.
• Interdisciplinary mentorship from both cancer research faculty and AI, data science, and/or informatics faculty to support research and career development.

National Eye Institute (NEI)

• Training in FAIR data principles to enhance rigorous research
• Training in the integration of multi-modal and multi-omics pre-clinical and clinical research to enable mechanistic insights, biomarker discovery, and therapeutic development
• Training incorporating interdisciplinary mentorship such as computer science, AI, data science, and informatics
• Training in the development of tools, pipelines, metrics, and methodologies that assess data quality, interoperability, and reliability

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)

• Support training that aligns with the NIAID priority to train the next generation of infectious, allergic, immunologic, and transplant researchers fluent in computational and experimental approaches.
• Rigorous training in AI, ML, modeling, NLP, and analytics applied to infectious, allergic, immunologic, and transplant datasets.
• Training in FAIR data management, sharing, and reproducibility to advance rigorous research in infectious, allergic, immunologic, and transplant diseases.
• Access to mentorship integrating computational and biomedical faculty to support dissertation research and career development in infectious, allergic, immunologic, and transplant fields.
• Focused training in HIV research, including data-driven approaches to epidemiology, pathogenesis, prevention, treatment, and cure.

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

• Support training that aligns with the NIAID priority to train the next generation of infectious, allergic, immunologic, and transplant researchers fluent in computational and experimental approaches.
• Rigorous training in AI, ML, modeling, NLP, and analytics applied to infectious, allergic, immunologic, and transplant datasets.
• Training in FAIR data management, sharing, and reproducibility to advance rigorous research in infectious, allergic, immunologic, and transplant diseases.
• Access to mentorship integrating computational and biomedical faculty to support dissertation research and career development in infectious, allergic, immunologic, and transplant fields.
• Focused training in HIV research, including data-driven approaches to epidemiology, pathogenesis, prevention, treatment, and cure. 

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)

• NIDCD is committed to supporting training programs that develop the next generation of scientists in our mission areas of hearing, balance, taste, smell, voice, speech, and language.
• Training in FAIR and TRUST data practices using NIDCR-relevant CDEs to maximize reuse and reproducibility in DOC research.
• Rigorous training in bioinformatics, clinical informatics, and computational biology using data tools that support NIDCR's DOC research priorities.
• Training in scalable pipelines for integrating multimodal DOC-relevant data–omics, imaging, dental/medical EHR, and claims–to advance data-driven oral and systemic health research.
• Access to mentorship connecting computation, data science, and biomedical experts to support interdisciplinary DOC-focused research.
   

National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)

• Training in FAIR and TRUST data practices using NIDCR-relevant CDEs to maximize reuse and reproducibility in DOC research.
• Rigorous training in bioinformatics, clinical informatics, and computational biology using data tools that support NIDCR's DOC research priorities.
• Training in scalable pipelines for integrating multimodal DOC-relevant data–omics, imaging, dental/medical EHR, and claims–to advance data-driven oral and systemic health research.
• Access to mentorship connecting computation, data science, and biomedical experts to support interdisciplinary DOC-focused research.

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

• Training in informatics, data science, and AI/ML applied to biomedical and behavioral, on the causes, diagnosis, treatment, management, and prevention of mental illnesses across the lifespan.
• Training that leverages data from the NIMH Data Archive, especially those that incorporate NIMH Common Data Elements.
• Training that follows recommendations of the NAMHC Workgroup on High Dimensional Data.
• Training in FAIR data management, sharing, and transparent reporting to support rigorous research and accelerate discovery.
• Interdisciplinary mentorship from both neuroscience or mental health faculty and AI, data science, and/or informatics faculty to support research and career development.

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)

• Training that advances the NINDS mission to seek fundamental knowledge about the brain and nervous system and to reduce the burden of neurological disease.
• Training in informatics, data science, and AI/ML applied to basic, translational, and clinical neuroscience–from fundamental discovery to the spectrum of neurological diseases and conditions.
• Training in FAIR data management, sharing, and transparent reporting to support rigorous neuroscience research and accelerate discovery.
• Interdisciplinary mentorship from both neuroscience faculty and AI, data science, and/or informatics faculty to support research and career development

Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR)

• Integration of behavioral and social science with data science/AI: Programs that apply informatics, data science, and AI/ML to questions involving health behaviors that directly inform clinical practice.
• Longitudinal and real-world data: Use of repeated, time-varying, digital, mobile, clinical, survey, and/or administrative data to study behavior and health over time that directly inform clinical practice.

Office of Data Science Strategy (ODSS)

• Government organizations, including federal agencies and laboratories; state, local, territorial, or Tribal health departments; and government-supported research or public health programs.
• Industry organizations, including biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical device, diagnostics, digital health, health technology, and health data analytics companies.
• Public health sector organizations, such as public health departments, disease surveillance programs, population health initiatives, and nonprofit public health organizations.
• Healthcare sector organizations, including hospitals, health systems, clinics, and other healthcare delivery or healthcare operations organizations.

NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research

• Training that advances the Blueprint for Neuroscience Research mission to accelerate transformative discoveries in brain function in health, aging, and disease.
• Training in informatics, data science, and AI/ML applied to basic, translational, and clinical neuroscience.
• Training in FAIR data management, sharing, and transparent reporting to support rigorous neuroscience research and accelerate discovery. 
• Interdisciplinary mentorship from both neuroscience faculty and AI, data science, and/or informatics faculty to support research and career development 

If the application is under consideration for funding, NIH will request "just-in-time" information from the applicant as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 2.5.1. Just-in-Time Procedures. This request is not a Notice of Award nor should it be construed to be an indicator of possible funding.

Prior to making an award, NIH reviews an applicant's federal award history in SAM.gov to ensure sound business practices. An applicant can review and comment on any information in the Responsibility/Qualification records available in SAM.gov.  NIH will consider any comments by the applicant in the Responsibility/Qualification records in SAM.gov to ascertain the applicant's integrity, business ethics, and performance record of managing Federal awards per 2 CFR Part 200.206 "Federal awarding agency review of risk posed by applicants."  This provision will apply to all NIH grants and cooperative agreements except fellowships.

After the peer review of the application is completed, the PD/PI will be able to access their Summary Statement (written critique) via the eRA Commons. Refer to Part 1 for dates for peer review, advisory council review, and earliest start date.

Information regarding the disposition of applications is available in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

Section VI. Award Administration Information

A Notice of Award (NoA) is the official authorizing document notifying the applicant that an award has been made and that funds may be requested from the designated HHS payment system or office. The NoA is signed by the Grants Management Officer and emailed to the recipient's business official.

In accepting the award, the recipient agrees that any activities under the award are subject to all provisions currently in effect or implemented during the period of the award, other Department regulations and policies in effect at the time of the award, and applicable statutory provisions.

Recipients must comply with any funding restrictions described in Section IV.6. Funding Restrictions. Any pre-award costs incurred before receipt of the NoA are at the applicant's own risk.  For more information on the Notice of Award, please refer to the NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 5. The Notice of Award and NIH Grants & Funding website, see Award Process.

The following Federal wide and HHS-specific policy requirements apply to awards funded through NIH:

• The rules listed at 2 CFR Part 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards.
• All NIH grant and cooperative agreement awards include the NIH Grants Policy Statement as part of the terms and conditions in the Notice of Award (NoA). The NoA includes the requirements of this NOFO. For these terms of award, see the NIH Grants Policy Statement Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart A: General and Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart B: Terms and Conditions for Specific Types of Grants, Recipients, and Activities.

All federal statutes and regulations relevant to federal financial assistance, including those highlighted in NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 4 Public Policy Requirements, Objectives and Other Appropriation Mandates.

By applying for or accepting federal funds from HHS, recipients certify compliance with all federal antidiscrimination laws and these requirements and that complying with those laws is a material condition of receiving federal funding streams. Recipients are responsible for ensuring subrecipients, contractors, and partners also comply.

Applicants and recipients are strongly encouraged to refer to the NIH Director's Statement of Priorities, entitled "Advancing NIH's Mission Through a Unified Strategy." 

Recipients are responsible for ensuring that their activities comply with all applicable federal regulations. Pursuant to 2 CFR 200.340, by accepting an NIH award, the recipient agrees that continued funding for the award is contingent upon the availability of appropriated funds, recipient satisfactory performance, compliance with the Terms and Conditions of the award, and may also otherwise be terminated, to the extent authorized by law, if the agency determines that the award no longer effectuates the program goals or agency priorities, in line with 2 CFR 200.340(a)(4).

Pursuant to the Cybersecurity Act of 2015, Div. N, § 405, Pub. Law 114-113, 6 USC § 1533(d), the HHS Secretary has established a common set of voluntary, consensus-based, and industry-led guidelines, best practices, methodologies, procedures, and processes.

Successful recipients under this NOFO agree that:

When recipients, subrecipients, or third-party entities have:

• ongoing and consistent access to HHS owned or operated information or operational technology systems; and
• receive, maintain, transmit, store, access, exchange, process, or utilize personal identifiable information (PII) or personal health information (PHI) obtained from the awarding HHS agency for the purposes of executing the award.

Cybersecurity plans and procedures must at minimum include the following:

• Develop cybersecurity plans and procedures, modeled after the NIST Cybersecurity framework, to protect HHS systems and data:
  • Identify:
    • Develop an inventory of all assets and accounts with access to HHS owned and operated information or operational technology systems or which obtain PII or PHI for the purposes of the award.
  • Protect:
    • Limit access to HHS owned and operated systems to only those in need of access to complete reward activities.
    • Require all staff to complete annual cybersecurity and privacy awareness training. Visit 405(d): Knowledge on Demand (hhs.gov) to obtain free trainings, if needed.
    • Enable multifactor authentication for all employees, subrecipients, and third-party entities to access HHS owned and operated information or operational technology systems.
    • Regularly backup sensitive data and test backups.
  • Detect:
    • Install anti-virus or anti-malware software on all devices, servers, and accounts used to connect to HHS owned and operated systems.
  • Respond:
    • Develop an incident response plan. See Incident-Response-Plan-Basics_508c.pdf (cisa.gov) to learn about developing incident response plans.
    • Have cybersecurity incident reporting procedures that ensure the relevant HHS awarding agencies are notified of a cybersecurity incident within 48 hours of discovery. A cybersecurity incident is defined as an unplanned interruption to a technology service or reduction in the quality of a technology service, or an occurrence that actually or potentially jeopardizes the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of an information system or the information the system processes, stores, or transmits.
  • Recover:
    • Investigate incidents and plug any security gaps identified. 

All activities proposed in your application and budget narrative must align with applicable law, including but not limited to statutes, executive orders, federal regulations and applicable judicial holdings.  Accordingly, discretionary awards shall not be used to fund, promote, encourage, subsidize, or facilitate; racial preferences or other forms of racial discrimination by the recipient, including activities where race or intentional proxies for race will be used as a selection criterion for employment or program participation; denial by the recipient of the sex binary in humans, or the belief that sex is a chosen or mutable characteristic; illegal immigration; or any other initiatives that compromise public safety.  If an application does not align, the application will not receive funding to the extent permitted by law and applicable court orders.

For applications involving substance abuse, the application must not support harm reduction. Please see Updated Funding Guidance for Recipients on Supplies and Services.

For applications involving funding Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) or medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), this funding should be used to provide comprehensive treatment and recovery support services rather than medication-only models for opioid use disorder. Services should include medications, where clinically indicated, in conjunction with psychosocial and other treatment and recovery support services. Funding can also be used to support individualized tapering and discontinuation of medications when clinically indicated. Please see Updated Funding Guidance for Recipients on  MAT/MOUD.

As of October 1, 2025, HHS has adopted 2 CFR Part 200, with some modifications included in 2 CFR Part 300. These regulations replace those in 45 CFR Part 75. However, for NIH, under the Consolidated Appropriations Act for FY 2026, (P.L. 119-75, Division B, Title II, Sec. 224), the provisions relating to indirect costs in 45 CFR 75 continue to apply to NIH awards. Consistent with the statute, NIH will not apply updated thresholds outlined within 2 CFR Part 200, at this time.

In administering programs under this and all funding announcements, NIH prioritizes: 

• Research involving rigorous scientific methods, including for studies related to children and adolescents, where NIH is committed to approaches that reflect the highest standards of clinical care and child safety. 
• Biological and physiological integrity: Recognizing the relevance of biological sex to health outcomes, NIH encourages applicants to account for sex-based health factors in program design, data collection, and service delivery where scientifically appropriate.
• NIH will implement these priorities consistent with applicable laws, regulations, court orders, and all required administrative procedures. Applicants are encouraged to describe how their proposed programs align with these priorities in their project narratives. Funded activities must advance NIH's vision of protecting and improving the health and well-being of Americans. The particular focus is on those who are medically vulnerable, or live in areas with limited access to care. NIH's duty is to serve wisely, effectively, and with measurable results that justify every taxpayer dollar invested. 

Not Applicable

A Data Management and Sharing Plan (DMS Plan) is not applicable for this NOFO.

When multiple years are involved, recipients will be required to submit the Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR) annually. Continuation support will not be provided until the required forms are submitted and accepted. 

The institution must submit a completed Statement of Appointment (PHS Form 2271) for each trainee appointed or reappointed to the training grant for 8 weeks or more. Recipients must submit the PHS 2271 data electronically using the xTrain system. More information on xTrain is available at xTrain (eRA Commons). An appointment or reappointment may begin any time during the budget period, but not before the budget period start date of the grant year.

A final RPPR, the expenditure data portion of the Federal Financial Report, and Termination Notices for all Trainees, are required for closeout of an award as described in the  NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 8.6 Closeout. NIH NOFOs outline intended research goals and objectives. Post award, NIH will review and measure performance based on the details and outcomes that are shared within the RPPR, as described at 2 CFR Part 200.301.

In carrying out its stewardship of human resource-related programs, NIH may request information essential to an assessment of the effectiveness of this program from databases and from participants themselves. Participants may be contacted after the completion of this award for periodic updates on various aspects of their employment history, publications, support from research grants or contracts, honors and awards, professional activities, and other information helpful in evaluating the impact of the program.

Within ten years of making awards under this program, NIH will assess the program's overall outcomes and consider whether there is a continuing need for the program. Upon the completion of this evaluation, NIH will determine whether to (a) continue the program as currently configured, (b) continue the program with modifications, or (c) discontinue the program.

The overall evaluation of the program will be based on metrics that will include, but are not limited to, the following:

For programs involving graduate students:

• Successful completion of a STEM graduate program
• Subsequent participation in a formal research training or career development program in a STEM field
• Subsequent participation in research or employment in a STEM field
• Authorship of scientific publications in a STEM field
• Subsequent independent research grant support from NIH or another source

For programs involving postdoctorates:

• Subsequent participation in a formal research training or career development program in a STEM field
• Subsequent participation in research or employment in a STEM field
• Authorship of scientific publications in a STEM field
• Subsequent independent research grant support from NIH or another source

Section VII. Agency Contacts

We encourage inquiries concerning this funding opportunity and welcome the opportunity to answer questions from potential applicants.

eRA Service Desk - Questions regarding ASSIST, eRA Commons, application errors and warnings, documenting system problems that threaten submission by the due date, and post-submission issues.

Grants.gov Support Center - Questions regarding Grants.gov registration and services (e.g., Workspace, subscriptions).

NLM Extramural Programs
Email: NLMProgram@nih.gov

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
Email: nidcd.training@mail.nih.gov

Center for Cancer Training
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Telephone: 240-276-5630
Email: NCIT32@nih.gov 

Office of Training and Workforce Development 
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
E-mail: NINDSTraining@ninds.nih.gov

NIH Office of Data Science Strategy (ODSS) 
Training, Workforce Initiative, and Community Engagement Unit
Email: ds-workforce@nih.gov  

Office of Research Training and Career Development
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Email: NIMHTraining@mail.nih.gov

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) 
Email: NIAID-T15@mail.nih.gov

NEI Extramural Programs 
Email: NEI_extramural@nih.gov

Office of Research Training and Career Development 
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Email: NIDA_Training@nida.nih.gov 

National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)
Email: NIDCRtraining@nidcr.nih.gov

Examine your eRA Commons account for review assignment and contact information (information appears two weeks after the submission due date).

NLM Grants Management
Email: NLMGrants@nih.gov

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
Email: NIDCDGrantsMgt@nidcd.nih.gov

Office of Grants Administration
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Email: NCIFinancialContact@nih.gov 

Chief Grants Management Officer
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
E-mail: ChiefGrantsManagementOfficer@ninds.nih.gov

Chief, Grants Management Office
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Email: NIMHNOFOGrantsManagement@mail.nih.gov

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) 
Email: NIAIDFinancial-GrantsContact@mail.nih.gov

NEI Grants Management 
Email: NEI_extramural@nih.gov

Chief Grants Management Officer 
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Email: nidagmbemail@nida.nih.gov 

National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)
Email: deeranotifications@nidcr.nih.gov

Section VIII. Other Information

Recently issued trans-NIH policy notices may affect your application submission. A full list of policy notices published by NIH is provided in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts. All awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

Awards are made under the authorization of Sections 301 and 405 of the Public Health Service Act as amended (42 USC 241 and 284) and under Federal Regulations 42 CFR 63A and 2 CFR Part 200.