The Research Supplements to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research Program is designed to increase the diversity of the research workforce by recruiting and supporting individuals from groups that have been historically underrepresented in biomedical research. Supplements may be used to provide support for research experiences for individuals at all career stages from high school to the faculty level. Previously, NINDS grantees were provided with a maximum of one diversity supplement per grant, with the exception of support for high school and undergraduate students.
The purpose of this addendum is to inform NINDS-supported investigators that NINDS will consider the support of more than one mentored graduate and/or postdoctoral trainee on an active grant when requests are made in response to the NIH Program Announcement Research Supplements to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research.
This policy will facilitate the ability of highly effective mentors to support more than one diversity student concurrently, and is intended to benefit the sense of community in the laboratory, contribute to peer role modeling and contribute to the impact of overall institutional commitment to mentorship and diversity. NINDS diversity supplemental support should be used to help trainees transition to individual funding opportunities such as NIH National Research Service Awards or Career Development Awards.
Applicants are reminded that this program is designed to attract and retain individuals from underrepresented groups into research careers and is not intended to provide an alternative or additional means of funding individuals who already receive support from an NIH research grant, an NIH National Research Service Award (NRSA), or any other DHHS funding mechanism. Graduate students or individuals in postdoctoral training who are supported by an Institutional NRSA may not be transferred to supplemental support prior to the completion of their appointed period of training.
Applicants should be advised that a separate supplement request for each candidate is required, and that the merit of each application will be reviewed independently. Each request must be strongly justified and include assurances that each candidate will receive appropriate mentoring. Each training and mentoring plan should specifically address the needs, strengths and weaknesses of the individual applicant. Applicants will be expected to provide a description of the progress of all previously mentored underrepresented students and postdoctoral fellows in achieving their career goals.
Inquiries
Prior to submission of an application, the Principal Investigator (Applicant) should contact the Program Director responsible for the supplements to discuss the proposed supplement. Critical issues to be discussed may include, but are not limited to, the research development and mentoring plan activities. Please direct all inquiries to:
Michelle Jones-London, Ph.D.
Chief, Office of Programs to Enhance Neuroscience Workforce Diversity (OPEN-WD)
jonesmiche@ninds.nih.gov