We’ve just released a new funding opportunity announcement (FOA) for the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP). Through this FOA, we intend to encourage changes in integrated medical and graduate research training to keep pace with the rapid evolution of a research environment that is increasingly complex, interdisciplinary, quantitative, and collaborative.
The objective of the MSTP Institutional Research Training Grant (T32) is to develop a diverse pool of highly trained physician-scientists. The MSTP is designed to help the community develop and implement effective, evidence-based approaches to training, leading to the award of both professional medical doctorate and research doctorate degrees (Ph.D. or equivalent). Through rigorous scientific research and clinical practice, graduates will be equipped with the skills to develop research programs that accelerate the translation of research advances to the understanding, detection, treatment, and prevention of human disease. Areas of particular importance to NIGMS are optimizing MSTP training efficacy and efficiency, fostering MSTP alumni into long-term research careers, and enhancing physician-scientist workforce diversity.
Because diversity at all levels—from the kinds of science to the regions in which it is conducted to the backgrounds of the people conducting it—contributes to excellence in research training environments and strengthens the research enterprise, this FOA is intended to support a variety of outstanding research training programs (see NIH’s Interest in Diversity).
The new FOA applies to all MSTP T32 training grant applications submitted for receipt dates beginning May 25, 2019. Because this is a new funding announcement, all applications (including those from previously established programs) must be submitted as new (-01). However, applicants who have been supported by MSTP grants may describe in the narrative their program’s outcomes over the past 15 years. For more details, please see NIH Guide Notice NOT-GM-18-047.
As always, we welcome your feedback. You can email your questions and comments or post them here.