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

Purpose and Background Information

The overall goal of the NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) program is to help ensure that a pool of highly trained scientists is available in appropriate scientific disciplines to address the Nation's biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research needs. Each NIGMS-funded NRSA program is expected to provide a rigorous, well-designed research training program that includes mentored research experiences, courses, seminars, and additional training opportunities to equip trainees with the following skills required for careers in the biomedical research workforce:

• Technical (for example, appropriate methods, technologies, and quantitative/computational approaches).
• Operational (for example, independent knowledge acquisition, rigorous experimental design, interpretation of data, and conducting research in the safest manner possible).
• Professional (for example, management, leadership, communication, and teamwork).

Developing a highly skilled biomedical research workforce is essential to strengthening the nation’s economic competitiveness and improving public health. Undergraduate education is key to pursuing a career in the biomedical research workforce, and over 45% of undergraduate students begin their education at associate-degree granting organizations (that is, community colleges). Structured research training programs that provide financial support, high quality mentoring, robust networks, authentic research experiences and opportunities for skills development lead to improved biomedical degree completion rates and enhanced commitment to a research career. Therefore, there is a strong need to develop research training programs to effectively support the skills and career development of undergraduate students.

Program Goal

The goal of the Institutional Biomedical Undergraduate Research Training (BURT) program is to strengthen research training environments and develop a pool of well-trained students who:

• Complete their baccalaureate degrees in biomedically-related fields, and
• Transition into and complete biomedical, research-focused higher degree programs (such as Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D.).

Program Considerations

General Considerations: Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact program staff before preparing an application to verify that the proposed program is eligible and in alignment with NIGMS priorities. Funded programs are expected to be tailored to the organizational context(s) and have clearly defined training goals and objectives. Awards should foster safe and supportive research training environments that maximize success for all individuals in the program, demonstrate effective oversight of trainee development, and promote the use of evidence-informed undergraduate mentoring practices. 

Programs should provide trainees with the following:

• Foundational skills for rigorous biomedical research: Broad exposure to biomedical disciplines and strong foundations in scientific reasoning, rigorous research design, experimental methods, data analysis and interpretation.
• Mentored research experiences: Well-designed, authentic research opportunities that enable trainees to conduct rigorous research safely, ethically, and with increasing self-direction. Authentic research experiences may take place through course-based research or in the context of a research group either at the applicant organization or at a partner organization with greater research activity. Training plans must include at least one trainee Summer Research Experience (SRE).
• Scientific Collaboration and Communication: Cohort development activities that allow trainees to work effectively in teams with colleagues from various scientific disciplines and communicate scientific advances to a wide variety of audiences.
• Career Development: The professional skills, knowledge, networks and experiences required to identify and transition into careers in the biomedical research workforce (the breadth of careers that sustain biomedical research in areas that are relevant to the NIH mission).

The BURT program will accept applications from eligible organizations in one of two tracks:

• Single Site: To support trainees from a single baccalaureate-degree granting organization.
• Community College Partnerships: To support community college trainee development through strong collaborations between at least one associate-degree granting organization (that is, a community college) and at least one baccalaureate-degree granting organization. To reinforce strong partnerships, NIGMS requires the participation of at least one Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) from each partner organization.

BURT awards are intended to provide research training opportunities to students from the breadth of biomedical disciplines at the organization. Narrowly focused programs will be a low priority for funding (such as those focused on a single biomedical discipline or approach at an organization with multiple relevant departments). Awards should prepare trainees to pursue advanced research training to address important biomedical problems in a range of fields from basic science to addressing the burden of chronic disease.

NIGMS encourages applications from a wide variety of eligible organizations, including those in Institutional Development Award (IDeA)-eligible states, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), and institutions that enroll significant proportions of Pell Grant-eligible students. Grantees are encouraged to recruit individuals who have the potential to significantly benefit from the program, including those who have not had substantial previous research experience and those whose financial circumstances would typically prevent them from pursuing biomedical research training.  Consistent with existing NIGMS practices and applicable law, (1) funded programs may not use the race, ethnicity, or sex of a trainee or faculty candidate as an eligibility or selection criteria, and (2) NIGMS does not use the race, ethnicity, or sex of trainee candidates, trainees, or faculty in the application review process or funding decisions. Applicants and award recipients are encouraged to consult with their General Counsel to ensure all applicable laws and regulations are followed in program design and implementation.

Trainee Support: The training grant defrays the costs of stipends, tuition and fees, and training-related expenses, including health insurance, for the appointed trainees in accordance with the approved NIH NRSA support levels. Students are typically provided full-time support for the final 2–3 years of undergraduate studies to facilitate their preparation for and transition to research-focused biomedical higher degree programs (such as Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D.). Training grant funds are not intended to support short-term undergraduate biomedical research training. New trainee cohorts are typically appointed in each year of the proposed program. 

Please see Section III. Eligibility for additional information. In accordance with NIH standard peer-review processes, the applications will be peer-reviewed, and only meritorious applications will be considered.

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) does not support of Trainees to lead an independent clinical trial, but does allow them to obtain research experience in a clinical trial led by a mentor or co-mentor.

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

Applicant organizations must (1) enroll undergraduates and (2) have received NIH Research Project Grant (RPG) funding averaging less than $50 million in total costs (direct and F&A/indirect) per year over the last three fiscal years (FY). RPG data are available through NIH RePORTER. For example, applications submitted in FY2026 will use data from FY 2023, FY 2024 and FY 2025.

All applications must include a baccalaureate degree-granting organization. The application must be submitted by the eligible organization with a unique entity identifier (UEI) and a unique NIH eRA Institutional Profile File (IPF) number. For organizations with multiple campuses (e.g., main, satellite, etc.), eligibility can be considered for an individual campus only if a UEI and a unique NIH eRA IPF number are established for the individual campus. For organizations that use one UEI or NIH IPF number for multiple campuses, eligibility is determined for the campuses together.

The sponsoring organization must assure eligibility and support for the proposed program. Appropriate information about eligibility and organizational commitment to the program should be detailed according to the Letters of Support attachment instructions in Section IV. 

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.

NIH will no longer issue awards (i.e., new, renewal, or non-competing continuation) to domestic or foreign entities that involve foreign subawards/subcontracts. All NIH-funded research involving foreign subawards/subcontracts must be submitted in response to a NOFO that is specifically designated for funded international collaborations. This new requirement was effective, May 1, 2025.

Applications involving foreign subawards/subcontracts submitted in response to this NOFO will be deemed noncompliant and will not be considered for funding. This policy applies to all monetary international collaborations resulting in foreign subawards/subcontracts, however, it does not preclude unfunded international collaborations or foreign components, funding for foreign consultants, or procurement of unique equipment or supplies from foreign vendors.

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.

• NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) Code – Foreign organizations must obtain an 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. If the PD/PI is also the organizational Signing Official, they must have two distinct eRA Commons accounts, one for each role. Obtaining an eRA Commons account can take up to 2 weeks.

Any individual(s) with the skills and knowledge 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.

BURT programs proposing Community College Partnerships require a PD/PI from each participating organization.

NIGMS encourages multiple PDs/PIs, particularly when each brings unique skill sets and experiences that will enhance training. At least one of the Training PDs/PIs must have a record of using rigorous biomedical research in a field applicable to the program. Additional PDs/PIs with relevant expertise may be included to strengthen the PD/PI team. Any PD/PI with a full-time appointment at the applicant organization may serve as the contact PD/PI. The PD(s)/PI(s) will be responsible for:

• The overall direction, management, and administration of the program, including ensuring the training program is appropriately evaluated.
• The selection, appointment and evaluation of trainees to the research training program.
• The selection of faculty mentors for the program, assessment of mentor performance, and ensuring the program deals appropriately with substandard mentor performance.
• Facilitating arrangements for trainees to participate in SREs by the spring of each year.
• Monitoring and assessing the program and submitting all documents and reports as required.
• When applicable, appointing members of the Advisory Committee and implementing their guidance as appropriate.

For 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 SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

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

NIGMS will accept only one application, and support only one award, per applicant organization.

NIH will not accept duplicate or highly overlapping applications under review at the same time per NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 2.3.7.4 Submission of Resubmission Application. This means that the NIH will not accept:

• A new (A0) application that is submitted before issuance of the summary statement from the review of an overlapping new (A0) or resubmission (A1) application.
• A resubmission (A1) application that is submitted before issuance of the summary statement from the review of the previous new (A0) application.
• An application that has substantial overlap with another application pending appeal of initial peer review (see NIH Grants Policy Statement 2.3.9.4 Similar, Essentially Identical, or Identical Applications)

The selected faculty should demonstrate the ability to promote authentic research experiences for undergraduates (for example, through recent publications or abstracts at external scientific meetings with undergraduates). Research areas of the participating faculty must fall within the NIH mission. Programs should include faculty who are committed to undergraduate training, mentoring, and providing safe and supportive research environments. Programs are encouraged to recruit prospective preceptors/mentors from various career stages (for example, early-career as well as established faculty), and faculty from the breadth of biomedical disciplines at the applicant organization. 

Trainees

The PI/PD will select the trainees to be supported by the research training program. It is the responsibility of the applicant organization to establish the qualifications of the trainees, consistent with applicable law,  before they are supported by the program.

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 organization 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 NIGMS. NIGMS expects that, with satisfactory progress, trainees will complete the entire 2-3 year training experience. Training grant funds may not be used to support short-term undergraduate biomedical research training.

For Single Site programs:  Trainees must be enrolled in a program leading to a baccalaureate degree in a biomedical field at the applicant organization.

For Community College Partnerships programs:  At the time of initial appointment, trainees must be enrolled at the associate degree-granting organization with plans to complete a baccalaureate degree in a biomedical field. Upon transfer to a baccalaureate-degree granting partner organization, trainees funded through this program must be enrolled in a program leading to a baccalaureate degree in a biomedical field.

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.

Agency Routing Identifier Field: Applicants are expected to identify the track  to which they are applying from the list below by entering the numerical code and abbreviation (for example, 1 SS) in the Agency Routing Identifier Field 4b of the application.

• 1 SS: Single Site Track
• 2 CCP: Community College Partnership Track

Descriptive Title of Applicant's Project: Use the format “Biomedical Undergraduate Research Training at [Name of Organization(s)]”

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 undergraduate trainees, and intended trainee outcomes. 

Other Attachments: 

• Advisory Committee (1-page maximum). An Advisory Committee is not a required 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 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 assess the overall effectiveness of the program. Only pre-existing Advisory Committee members should be named in the application. Potential Advisory Committee members should not be identified or contacted prior to receiving an award. Please name the file “Advisory_Committee.pdf”.  

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.

Biographical Sketch: The personal statement should describe the individual's commitment to scientific rigor, training, and mentoring.

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.

Training Budget

Follow all instructions provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide with the following modifications:

• Include all allowable categories of funds requested to support trainees in the program.
• As per the instructions, request actual amounts for tuition/fees and provide justification. The amounts may be adjusted at the time of award.

Budget Justification: Follow all instructions provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide with the following additions:

• State the number of requested funded trainee slots per year. Provide a justification for the number of requested funded slots per year in the context of the following:
  • Number of training grant eligible candidates.
  • Number of participating faculty.
• Describe the total effort for key personnel in the budget justification (including effort charged to the grant and effort compensated by other sources).

PHS 398 Research Training Program Plan

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

• Training Program Section
• Faculty, Trainees, and Training Record Section
• Other Training Program Section
• 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.

Attention must be given to the required Training Data Tables for Undergraduate Programs. In the Program Plan, applicants should also summarize key data from the tables that highlight the characteristics of the training grant eligible pool, program faculty, organizational support, student outcomes, and other factors that contribute to the overall training environment of the program. 

Training Program

Program Plan

Follow all instructions provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, with the following additional instructions:

• Clearly describe how the program will further the goal of this NOFO to strengthen research training environments and develop a pool of well-trained students who complete their baccalaureate degrees, and transition into and complete biomedical, research-focused higher degree programs (such as Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D.).
• The application should emphasize how the program is tailored to the organizational context(s) and will enhance the development of safe and supportive research training environments that promote the success of all individuals (beyond simply providing financial assistance for trainees to conduct research).
• Applications proposing Community College Partnership(s) should provide a sound rationale for selection of partnering institutions and include a clear description of how the proposed partnership(s) will enhance the research training environments at the participating organizations and facilitate an efficient and timely transfer for community college trainees (for example, articulation agreements).

Background

• Describe the training program goals and objectives in the context of the “Training Outcomes” data requested below that provides data on previous student outcomes. Objectives should include degree completion rates, time-to-degree, and the rate of and time frame for graduates transitioning into and completing research-focused higher degree programs. 
• For Community College Partnership Track programs, describe current transfer rates and baccalaureate degree completion rates for students who have transferred between the participating organizations.

Program Plan

• Program Administration: Include information on: 
  • Mechanisms for matching trainees with faculty mentors and overseeing the effectiveness of the trainee/research mentor match (including plans to address conflicts in the training environment that may impede trainee progress). 
  • Succession plans for key administrative positions. In cases where a program administrator position is planned, describe the administrative capabilities that are essential to coordinate the program. 
• Program Faculty:  Describe how the program faculty will: 
  • Provide research training opportunities for trainees in the breadth of biomedical research disciplines available at the organization.  
  • Have adequate and sufficient time and resources to support authentic undergraduate research experiences. For undergraduate training programs, evidence of rigorous research can include publishable results, abstracts at external scientific meetings, or other measures of scientific accomplishment appropriate to the field(s). 
• Proposed Training:  
  • Describe how the curriculum and overall training plan use evidence-informed teaching and mentoring approaches to support undergraduate development. 
  • Describe the mechanisms to ensure that trainees participate in authentic research experiences throughout the training period, including at least one SRE that broadens and deepens their research training (see Section VI. 2. for details of SRE policy). Community college partnership programs are expected to facilitate at least one SRE at a baccalaureate-degree granting partner for the trainee while enrolled at the community college.
  • Describe cohort activities to build scientific collaboration and communication skills. Include information on planned participation in scientific conferences, and support to facilitate trainee transition into the next phase of the biomedical research workforce pathway (e.g., applying to research-focused higher degree programs or funding opportunities).
  • Reminder: this NOFO does not support short-term training opportunities.
• Training Program Evaluation: Reminder: While funded programs are expected to conduct ongoing program evaluations to monitor the effectiveness of the training activities, Training Program Evaluation is not a form of human subject research.
• Trainee Candidates and Retention Plans: Describe the proposed financial support structure and appointment processes, including the stage in the trainees’ careers for which they will be supported on the training grant and the length of appointments. 
• Institutional Environment and Commitment to Training: Do not duplicate information provided in the Organizational Support and Eligibility Letter.
• Training Outcomes: 
  • Describe baseline data for Recent Graduates (Table 8) on metrics relevant to the NOFO goals such as degree completion rates, time-to-degree, and the rate of and timeframe for graduates transitioning into and completing of research-focused higher degree programs. Include, as applicable, participation by Recent Graduates in authentic research experiences and scholarly activities to promote career development.
  • For Community College Partnership Track programs, as applicable, describe information on the outcomes of students involved in previous partnerships between the applicant and partner organizations. 

Faculty, Trainees, and Training Record

Participating Faculty Biosketches

Participating faculty should provide a personal statement that describes the appropriateness of their research background for the proposed training program, their approach to teaching scientific rigor to undergraduate trainees, and their commitment to mentoring undergraduate students.

Letters of Support

Organizational Eligibility and Support Letter (10-page maximum). The application must include a signed letter on letterhead from a President, Provost, Dean, or similar key leader that certifies (i) organizational eligibility, and (ii) describes the activities and resources provided by the organization to promote the success of the planned training program and its trainees. Applications lacking this letter will be considered incomplete and will be withdrawn prior to peer review. Please name the file “Organizational Eligibility and Support letter.pdf”.

The letter should describe:

(i) Organizational Eligibility: Certify that the applicant organization, as described by UEI and NIH IPF number:

• Enrolls undergraduates.
• Has received NIH Research Project Grant (RPG) funding averaging less than $50 million in total costs (direct and F&A/indirect) per year over the last three fiscal years (FY).
• If the applicant organization is a community college, certify that at least one participating organization grants its own baccalaureate degrees.

(ii) Organizational Support: Describe the organizational commitment to the proposed training program. As applicable, this may include:

• Supporting research training at the undergraduate level, fostering and rewarding excellence in training and mentoring, and providing trainees access to student support services.
• Supporting the PDs/PIs, participating faculty and other key personnel (for example, salary support, protected time, start-up or bridge funding).
• Supporting the scientific and educational facilities, technology, and curricular components in the proposed research training program (do not duplicate information provided in the Facilities and Other Resources attachment).
• Developing and promoting a supportive research training environment and culture in which the highest standards of safety, scientific rigor, reproducibility, and responsible conduct are advanced.
• Providing resources and expertise for evaluating the training outcomes of the program.
• For community college partnership track programs, the letter should describe support to facilitate successful student transitions.

Other Letters of Support. Additional letters of support (for example, from partner organizations or organizations that will support SREs) are permitted; however, these letters may not contain any information required in the Organizational Support Letter described above.

Combine all Letters of Support into a single PDF file.

Data Tables

The application must include the required Training Data Tables for undergraduate programs. Applications that do not contain the required tables, or that submit any additional tables in this attachment, will be considered noncompliant and will not be reviewed.

Other Training Program Section

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. A 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 field of 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.

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 announcement, note the following: NIGMS recognizes that rigorous, well-designed research training programs that further the goal of this NOFO can take place in various organizational environments and with mentors who have varying levels of NIH research project grant support. Reviewers will:

• Evaluate proposed programs considering the program's track (single site or community college partnership), stated goals and objectives, organizational context, available resources, and the capacity of those resources to meet the stated goals and objectives.
• Assess the strength of the program to support undergraduate trainees completing their baccalaureate degrees and undertaking appropriate next steps toward the goal of transitioning to and completing a research-focused higher degree program (such as Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D.) to prepare them for careers in the biomedical research workforce. 
• Note that identification of current challenges and shortcomings can be viewed as positive factors if accompanied by sound plans for how the applicant would use the training award to overcome or remediate them. 

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 the NIH Center for Scientific Review 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.

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. Following initial peer review, recommended applications will receive a second level of review by the appropriate national Advisory Council or Board.

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.
• Geographic, organizational, and program track distribution.

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).

Institutional NRSA training grants must be administered in accordance with the current NRSA section of the NIH Grants Policy Statement - Institutional Research Training Grants.

The taxability of stipends is described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement. Policies regarding the Ruth L. Kirschstein-NRSA payback obligation are explained in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

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:

1. ongoing and consistent access to HHS owned or operated information or operational technology systems; and
2. 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.

Recipients shall develop plans and procedures, modeled after the NIST Cybersecurity framework, to protect HHS systems and data. Please refer to NIH Post-Award Monitoring and Reporting for additional information. 

Summer Research Experience (SRE) Policy

BURT trainees are required to participate in at least one summer research experience (SRE), typically for at least 8 weeks, that will broaden and deepen their research training.

BURT Trainees in single site track programs are strongly encouraged, when feasible, to pursue a SRE at an organization different from the awardee

BURT Trainees in community college partnership track programs are generally expected to participate in a SRE at the baccalaureate-degree granting partner to promote a smooth transition.

Trainees receive an annual stipend, paid monthly, that must be provided to trainees throughout the SRE. In addition to this monthly stipend, SRE funds are provided to support trainees remaining on the training grant during their SRE and promote a continuous research training experience.

Allowable sites include domestic:

• Higher education institutions, and nonprofits other than institutions of higher education.
• For-Profit Organizations that conduct biomedical research (for example, private industry or biotechnology companies).
• Federal government organizations that conduct biomedical research (for example, NIH Intramural Research program).

SRE funds will not be provided for trainees at foreign organizations. SRE funds include per diem funds, and travel costs to and from the host organization. For BURT trainees in a SRE at the home institution, SRE funds are used as per diem.

• Per diem and travel funds are restricted for the SRE purpose only and may only reimburse actual costs incurred. Since the cost of housing, food and travel will vary, the institutional T34 program director can rebudget these funds within the SRE category per their institution’s policies to accommodate all the trainees participating in the SRE in a given budget year.
• In those cases in which a student would participate in on-campus housing and a meal plan, the T34 institution should act on behalf of the trainee and pay the host institution for summer housing and meal plans for the period of the training using SRE funds. The per diem funds should not be given to trainees for them to pay host institutions directly. In those cases where a trainee does not reside on campus (e.g., rents a room or apartment) or does not participate in the host campus meal plan, trainees are to be reimbursed for actual living and meal costs at a rate consistent with university policies for the per diem.
• Trainees cannot receive additional support from any other federally-sponsored award that would otherwise duplicate the fiscal support of what trainees receive in the T34 program (including but not limited to, NIH R25 program or NSF Research Experience for Undergraduate programs). If they receive complimentary housing and meal support from the host institution, they would not incur costs for reimbursement.
• Arrangements for trainees to participate in the SRE should be done by the Spring and the institutional T34 program director(s) must be involved.
• NOTE: Trainees placed at a federal organization generally must only be supported by funds from the T34 and other non-federal institutional funds. Federal funding from sources other than the T34 can only occur under the exceptions listed in section 11.3.10.1 of the NIH Grants Policy Statement. Federal funds may not be used for stipend supplementation unless specifically authorized under the terms of the program from which funds are derived. Under no circumstances may PHS funds be used for supplementation. 

Inventions and Copyrights

Awards made primarily for educational purposes are exempted from the PHS invention requirements and thus invention reporting is not required, as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

Not Applicable

Consistent with the 2023 NIH Policy for Data Management and Sharing, when data management and sharing is applicable to the award, recipients will be required to adhere to the Data Management and Sharing requirements as outlined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

Note: The Data Management and Sharing Policy does not apply to research and other activities that do not generate scientific data, including but not limited to, Research Training (T) awards.

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. 

Failure by the recipient institution to submit required forms in a timely, complete, and accurate manner may result in an expenditure disallowance or a delay in any continuation funding for the award. The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 as amended (FFATA), includes a requirement for recipients of Federal grants to report information about first-tier subawards and executive compensation under Federal assistance awards issued in FY2011 or later. All recipients of applicable NIH grants and cooperative agreements are required to report to the Federal Subaward Reporting System (FSRS) available at www.fsrs.gov on all subawards over $25,000. See the NIH Grants Policy Statement for additional information on this reporting requirement.

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 accordance with the regulatory requirements provided at 45 CFR 75.113 and 2 CFR Part 200.113 and Appendix XII to 45 CFR Part 75 and 2 CFR Part 200, recipients that have currently active Federal grants, cooperative agreements, and procurement contracts from all Federal awarding agencies with a cumulative total value greater than $10,000,000 for any period of time during the period of performance of a Federal award, must report and maintain the currency of information reported in the System for Award Management (SAM) about civil, criminal, and administrative proceedings in connection with the award or performance of a Federal award that reached final disposition within the most recent five-year period. The recipient must also make semiannual disclosures regarding such proceedings. Proceedings information will be made publicly available in the designated integrity and performance system (currently FAPIIS). This is a statutory requirement under section 872 of Public Law 110-417, as amended (41 U.S.C. 2313). As required by section 3010 of Public Law 111-212, all information posted in the designated integrity and performance system on or after April 15, 2011, except past performance reviews required for Federal procurement contracts, will be publicly available. Full reporting requirements and procedures are found in Appendix XII to 45 CFR Part 75 and 2 CFR Part 200 Award Term and Condition for Recipient Integrity and Performance Matters.

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.

In carrying out stewardship of grant programs, NIGMS will periodically evaluate this Research Training Program, employing the representative measures identified below. In assessing the effectiveness of training investments, NIGMS may use information from progress reports and public databases, PD/PIs, and from participants themselves. Where necessary, PDs/PIs and participants may be appropriately contacted after the completion of the grant period for updates on participants’ subsequent outcomes.

NIGMS staff may conduct site visits of funded programs in order to obtain information about the training environment and other specific issues that are not easily assessed through other means.

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

• Characteristics of the applicant and awardee pool for the program, such as:
  • Organization types represented
  • Geographical distribution of programs
• Indicators of trainees' scientific accomplishments or productivity, such as:
  • Peer-reviewed research publications by trainees
  • Presentations at scientific conferences
  • Professional recognitions
• Measures of trainees' educational outcomes or career progression, such as:
  • Trainee degree completion rates
  • Time-to-degree for trainees
  • Trainee career outcomes
  • Persistence of graduates in biomedical research careers
• Matriculation into and completion of research-oriented higher degree programs 

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).

NIGMS BURT T34 Program
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Email: NIGMSBURTT34@nih.gov 

Center for Scientific Review (CSR)
Email: NOFOReviewContact@csr.nih.gov
 

NIGMS NRSA GAB NOFO
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Email: NIGMSNRSAGABNOFO@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.