Author: Alison Cole

The next submission date for NIGMS predoctoral T32 applications is May 25. If you plan on submitting an application, please see my earlier post with reminders about mandatory requirements related to recruitment and retention plans for students with disabilities, training in the responsible conduct of research and NIGMS-specific guidelines. Feel free to contact me with additional questions.

As we approach the next submission date for T32 applications on January 25, I’d like to remind applicants about several requirements:

Recruitment and Retention Plans for Students with Disabilities: The long-standing requirement for a recruitment and retention plan to enhance diversity must include students with disabilities as well as individuals from racial and ethnic groups that are underrepresented in the health-related sciences (see the current funding opportunity announcement). We’ve posted some ideas and approaches for this element on our Training Web page. For both new and renewal applications, the focus at this time for the recruitment and retention of students with disabilities is on plans and strategies, rather than on numerical outcomes. Applications lacking a plan for the recruitment and retention of individuals in either category will be considered unacceptable.

Training in the Responsible Conduct of Research: The responsible conduct of research (RCR) requirement was updated in an NIH Guide notice in 2010 to include five components: format, subject matter, faculty participation, duration of instruction and frequency of instruction. All components must be addressed in an application for it to be considered acceptable. We find that some applications fail to address the requirement that RCR instruction be taken at least once every 4 years. This “refresher” training can take many forms, but it must be substantive. For example, it can be a formal course given in the later years of graduate training, ongoing annual seminars or workshops, sessions at annual retreats, etc.

NIGMS Special Requirements: All applicants for NIGMS-funded predoctoral training grants are required to address six special requirements related to their training programs as listed in our NRSA Institutional Predoctoral Training Grants Program Description and Guidelines. This material should be inserted at the end of the background section of the application.

These requirements are mandatory. Any application with an unacceptable plan for diversity recruitment or RCR training will not be funded until the applicant provides an acceptable, revised plan.