Purpose
Fellowships to provide predoctoral individuals with supervised research training in specified health and health-related areas leading toward the research doctoral degree (e.g., PhD) or MD/PhD students in NIH-funded institutional predoctoral dual-degree training programs (e.g., Medical Scientist Training Programs, or MSTP).
Program Announcement
Due Dates for all Applications
April 8, August 8, December 8
Eligibility
Applications are open to U.S. citizens or permanent residents in research doctoral programs at U.S. domestic institutions or foreign institutions.
Additional Information
About the NINDS F31
NINDS provides National Research Service Award (NRSA) predoctoral training fellowships (F31) to promising candidates with the potential to become productive, independent investigators in the scientific mission areas of the Institute. NINDS uses this mechanism to support the career development of neuroscientists (some rare exceptions apply), so the candidate must propose dissertation research in an area within the scientific mission of the NINDS and a training program appropriate for a career in neuroscience research. The mentor should be committed to the successful transition of the candidate to a subsequent appropriate position, have a strong track record in training, and have an active, funded research program in the area of the candidate's proposed research.
Relationship to the mentor's research
NINDS will not support fellowship applications if the specific aims, questions being asked or approach to answering a specific question are fundamentally identical to those already proposed in the mentor’s grants. While it is expected that the candidate will work with the mentor to develop the application, the candidate must write an original research plan consistent with the mentor’s funded research. Candidates should not simply be working towards fulfillment of specific aims already devised by the mentor.
- See NINDS policy on project overlap and fellowship applications(pdf, 131 KB) (pdf, 131 KB) for more information.
Indicating contribution and ownership
Candidates are strongly advised not to write with the plural pronoun (we), or to refer to themselves in the third person. It is critical that NINDS and reviewers understand what the candidate is doing, what the candidate is proposing, what the candidate themself has written, and what has or will be done by others in the research environment. Similarly, the sponsor is encouraged to use first person in their statement.
Duration of funding
NINDS will provide funding to candidates who are within 8 years of starting their entire MD/PhD and within 6 years of starting their research training towards the PhD degree - funded awards will not extend beyond these training periods. 100% of full time effort must be devoted to research training. However, approximately ½ day per week may be devoted to continued clinical education.
This program will provide predoctoral training support for doctoral candidates who are within their first 6 years of graduate school, have or will have successfully completed their comprehensive examinations or the equivalent by the time of award, and will be performing dissertation research and training. Support will be provided for a maximum of 3 years and a minimum of 12 months. The candidate should provide evidence of potential for a productive research career based upon the quality of previous research training and academic record. The research training program should be carried out in a research environment that includes appropriate human and technical resources and is demonstrably committed to the research training of the candidate in the program he/she proposes in the application.
Pre-application guidance
Candidates are encouraged to contact NINDS Fellowships before preparing an application, as NINDS will consider only those applications that are designed to support the training and development of scientists with interests relevant to the mission of NINDS.
Contact
Email: NINDS Fellowships