Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Predoctoral Fellowship (Parent F31)

The Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Predoctoral Fellowship (Parent F31) is an initiative of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is designed to enhance the research training of promising predoctoral students in scientific health-related fields aligned with the missions of participating NIH Institutes and Centers. These include institutes such as the National Eye Institute (NEI), the National Cancer Institute (NCI), and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), among others. Participation from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) was added on May 13, 2025. The primary goal of the Parent F31 fellowship is to enable predoctoral students to obtain individualized, mentored research training in their dissertation research. This training should significantly contribute to the candidate’s development as an independent research scientist. Fellowship candidates must propose a dissertation research project and training plan that aligns with the NIH's scientific health-related missions. Candidates are expected to receive rigorous training in research design, methodology, data analysis, and scientific communication, among other areas. This funding opportunity supports only mentored research training and not independent clinical trials. However, candidates may propose to gain experience in a clinical trial led by their sponsor or co-sponsor. The fellowship provides up to five years of aggregate NRSA support at the predoctoral level, which includes support from institutional training grants and individual fellowships. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, non-citizen nationals, or permanent residents at the time of award and must be enrolled in a PhD or equivalent research degree program. Eligible applicant organizations include higher education institutions, non-profits, for-profit organizations, federal agencies, and foreign institutions with the capacity for high-quality research training. Applications must be submitted electronically via ASSIST, Grants.gov Workspace, or an institutional system-to-system solution. Required registrations include SAM, eRA Commons, and Grants.gov. All application materials must conform to NIH guidelines as outlined in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide. Applications are reviewed based on criteria such as the applicant’s academic potential, the quality and integration of the research training plan, the qualifications of the sponsor(s), the institutional environment, and the proposed training's potential to advance the candidate’s career. Reviewers also consider aspects like protections for human subjects, inclusion of diverse populations, use of vertebrate animals, and compliance with NIH policy on responsible conduct of research. Awards are subject to NIH funding availability, scientific merit, and programmatic priorities. Contact for application and system issues includes the eRA Service Desk (https://www.era.nih.gov/need-help), GrantsInfo at grantsinfo@nih.gov or 301-480-7075, and Grants.gov Support at support@grants.gov or 800-518-4726. Specific scientific and programmatic questions must be directed to NIH staff listed in the Table of IC-Specific Information and Staff Contacts. The most recent expiration date for this NOFO was May 8, 2025, but late submissions may be accepted under specific conditions related to NIH policy.