NINDS Institutional Research Training Program

Purpose

The NINDS Institutional Training Grant is intended to support Training Programs that provide outstanding research training with the breadth and depth to prepare advanced predoctoral (years 3 and 4) and/or postdoctoral trainees to have a successful independent career in the complex, multidisciplinary, integrative, and rapidly evolving research enterprise. The programs must have a specific theme, which may focus on fundamental knowledge about the brain and the nervous system, disease-related basic research, clinical and or translational research. Regardless of the theme, the Programs supported under this mechanism are expected to provide training that ensures a thorough understanding of experimental design, strong quantitative and analytical skills, and a deep understanding of statistical methodology. Programs should also provide trainees with strong oral and written communication skills that allow them to reach a wide variety of audiences.

Program Announcements

PA-25-168 (Parent T32). Instructions available in the Table of IC-Specific Information, Requirements and Staff Contacts under "NINDS".

Note: NINDS will no longer be able to provide 1.2 person months salary support per year for a faculty-level statistician and $8,000 per year to invite outside experts to conduct seminars or workshops due to cost caps built into the Parent T32 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).

Due Dates for all Applications

May 25

PD/PI Eligibility

Established investigators

Appointee Eligibility

U.S. citizens or permanent residents; research doctoral program; clinical doctoral program; research postdoctoral program; clinical postdoctoral program

Institution Eligibility

U.S. domestic institutions

Additional Information

The objective of this NINDS Institutional Research Training Program is to support outstanding training for advanced predoctoral (years 3 and 4) and postdoctoral scientists.

The training should provide both breadth and depth of understanding in disciplines needed to make important advances in the rapidly evolving research enterprise that is increasingly complex and multidisciplinary. These programs should prepare investigators to draw on knowledge and approaches from multiple disciplines and levels of analysis, with an emphasis on applying this broad knowledge in novel ways to yield new discoveries about nervous system mechanisms. Moreover, these programs must provide investigators with strong foundational skills in experimental design, statistical methodology, and quantitative reasoning.

Programs may support predoctoral students, PhD postdoctoral fellows, fellowship-stage clinicians, or any combination of trainees from these three groups. For institutions that have MSTP programs and intend to support MD/PhD students with this mechanism, the PD/PI should ensure that the majority of trainees supported by the program are those seeking a PhD rather than an MD/PhD. Training Programs that will support both predoctoral and postdoctoral fellows should have a single program in with both groups of trainees participate together and interact.

Awards will typically be made for a maximum of 4 trainee slots per year, although an exception may be made in rare circumstances for up to 8 slots. Those interested in applying for more than 4 slots of support per year are advised to contact K. Paul Rezaizadeh, Ph.D. at NINDSTrainingOffice@ninds.nih.gov. Applicants may request support for advanced (dissertation stage) predoctoral Ph.D. and M.D. students, postdoctoral fellows, or a mix of both. (NINDS does not support 1^st or 2^nd year graduate students under this PA). Applications must specify the anticipated predoctoral to postdoctoral ratio.

After a training grant has been awarded, T32 directors who wish to make changes in this ratio must obtain prior approval from K. Paul Rezaizadeh, Ph.D. at NINDSTrainingOffice@ninds.nih.gov. If the original application requested support exclusively for either predoctoral or postdoctoral trainees, the general policy will be to not allow trainees in another category to receive support (as such support has not been through the peer review process). However, exceptions are possible and will require that additional information be provided for administrative review and prior approval.

Applicants for the NINDS Institutional Research Training Grant program are strongly encouraged to contact NINDS Training Office no later than 30 days prior to the application deadline to confirm the relevance and responsiveness of their proposed training program.

List of funded awards under this mechanism