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NIH Grants and Funding
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
National Institutes of HealthProgram
Legislative Authority
Public Law (Pub. L.) 103-43 added Section 487E to the Public Health Service (PHS) Act (42 USC 288-5), establishing a program of educational loan repayment to attract physicians or dentists from disadvantaged backgrounds to conduct clinical research.
Program Announcement
See Intramural Loan Repayment Program for Clinical Researchers from Disadvantaged Backgrounds (CR-LRP) guide notice in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts for program and policy guidance.
Additional Program Information
Applicants certify disadvantaged background status by submitting at least one of the following documents at the time of application:
- A written statement from the applicant's health professions school(s) that indicatesthe applicant qualified for Federal disadvantaged assistance during matriculation;
- Documentation of Health Professions Student Loans (HPSL) or Loans for Disadvantaged Students; or
- Documentation of a scholarships from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) under the Scholarship for Individuals with Exceptional Financial Need.
Current financial need is not sufficient to be classified as an individual from a disadvantaged background.
Definitions
Clinical Research – Patient-oriented research conducted with human subjects, or research on the causes and consequences of disease in human populations involving material of human origin (such as tissue specimens and cognitive phenomena) for which an investigator or colleague
directly interacts with human subjects in an outpatient or inpatient setting to clarify a problem in human physiology, pathophysiology or disease, epidemiologic or behavioral studies, outcomes or health services research, or developing new technologies, therapeutic interventions, or clinical
trials.
Please Note: The definition of Clinical Research for the LRPs is derived from LRP-related legislation and may differ from other published Clinical Research definitions.
Disadvantaged Background – An individual from a disadvantaged background means an individual who:
- Comes from an environment that inhibited the individual from obtaining the knowledge, skill and ability required to enroll in and graduate from a health professions school; or
- Comes from a family with an annual income below a level based on low-income thresholds according to family size published by the U.S. Bureau of the Census, adjusted annually for the changes in the Consumer Price Index, and adjusted by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Secretary) for use in all health professions programs. The Secretary periodically publishes these income levels in the Federal Register.
Eligibility
See eligibility on the Eligibility & Programs page.
Review Process
LRP Review
DLR reviews each application to ensure it is complete and meets all general eligibility requirements. Applications that are incomplete – including those missing supplemental information, such as recommendations and institutional certification – as of the applicable deadline will not be considered for further review.
NIH Institute or Center/Peer Review
Applications that meet the eligibility criteria are forwarded to the Intramural Loan Repayment Program Scientific Review Committee (SRC). The SRC reviews, ranks, and approves/disapproves eligible applications for LRP awards.
Evaluation of each application is based primarily on the applicant’s:
- Credentials;
- Potential to perform basic or clinical research; and
- Research training plan.
Financial Review
Select applicants will be emailed on a rolling basis to request submission of loan documentation. Loan balance and eligibility must be established to be considered for repayment. Loan documentation can take several months to acquire from lenders. DLR encourages all applicants to contact their lenders as soon as the LRP application is submitted. LRP applicants should carefully review the Loan Detail Page for more information.
Key Dates
02
17
Online Application Period
02
17
Colleague & Institutional
Documentation Period
IC & Peer Review Period
Financial Review Period
Notification Period
Application Components
Individuals applying to the Intramural LRPs are automatically considered mentored research scientists and will need to enter the name of their Intramural research supervisor/mentor.
There are many attachments requested during the online application process. The table below lists the required attachments, organized by type of document and who needs to submit it.
In addition, applicants must have a minimum of three reference letters, but no more than five will be accepted. For guidance on selecting referees, please see the
Referees/Recommenders section of this website.
| Document or Form | Mentored Research Scientist | Independent Researcher |
|---|---|---|
|
Disadvantaged Background Submitted by: |
Applicant | Applicant |
| Instructions: Applicants selecting Clinical Research for Individuals from DIsadvantaged Backgrounds LRP in their online application will complete the Disadvantaged Background form. This form requires applicants to choose the type of documentation they will provide DLR to demonstrate disadvantaged background status. After the application is submitted, the documentation can be uploaded directly to the submitted application or faxed to 1-866-849-4046 using the appropriate coversheet, which will be provided during the online application process. | ||
|
NIH Biosketch (Applicant) Submitted by: |
Applicant | Applicant |
| Instructions: Submit a Biosketch in a specified NIH format. It is not necessary to have a well-established career to apply to the LRP, but the Biosketch should include a list of significant honors and grants. An NIH Biosketch cannot exceed five (5) pages. | ||
|
NIH Biosketch (Mentor) Submitted by: |
Applicant | Not Applicable |
| Instructions: Submit your Mentor's Biosketch in a specified NIH format. An NIH Biosketch cannot exceed five (5) pages. | ||
|
NIH Biosketch (Additional) Submitted by: |
Applicant | Not Applicable |
| Instructions: If another laboratory staff member will be involved in your mentoring, you should also submit this staff member’s Biosketch. The Biosketch must be in a specified NIH format and cannot exceed five (5) pages. Only one additional Biosketch may be attached to an application. | ||
|
Personal Statement Submitted by: |
Applicant | Applicant |
| Instructions:Use one (1) page to describe your previous research training experience and short-term academic and research objectives. | ||
|
Career Development Plan Submitted by: |
Not Applicable | Applicant |
| Instructions: Use two (2) pages or less to describe your career development plan and explain how this plan will foster the development of your career in research. Specify the types of research methods and scientific techniques to be learned, memberships in journal clubs or groups, and conferences and seminars to be attended. | ||
|
Research Activities Submitted by: |
Applicant, with approval from Mentor | Applicant |
| Instructions: Use eight (8) pages or less to describe the research activities you will pursue over the next two years and your specific role and responsibilities in the research project(s). Literature citations are included in the character count and should be listed on the last page. Include your name, employer, title of research project, and date in the document header. | ||
|
Research Environment Submitted by: |
Applicant, with approval from Mentor | Applicant |
| Instructions: Use one (1) page to describe the research to be conducted during the course of the LRP award and the facilities that will be available to execute the project. The description should include the branch/laboratory/section/department of the applicant and the appropriate scientific colleagues, institutional research, and facilities available. Include a brief description of the funding source for your research. Also, if this is a mentored application, a brief description of the mentor's research should be included. | ||
|
Training/Mentoring Plan Submitted by: |
Applicant, with approval from Mentor | Not Applicable |
| Instructions: Use two (2) pages or less to describe your research training program and mentoring plan. Specify the types of training interactions, training mechanisms to be used, research methods, and scientific techniques to be learned, involvement in activities such as journal clubs, professional groups, conferences, and seminars. Describe how your mentor will contribute to your training program and his/her prior experience as a mentor of other investigators. Additionally, the nature and extent of supervision should be discussed as they will occur during the award period. If another laboratory staff member will be involved in your mentoring program, provide his/her name and describe his/her degree of involvement. | ||
|
Certification for Online Application Submitted by: |
Applicant | Applicant |
| Instructions: Read all statements listed in the Certifications for Online Applications section and check the box next to each statement to signify your consent. You will enter your electronic signature in lieu of printing, signing, and returning the form to the NIH LRPs. | ||
|
Contract Submitted by: |
Applicant | Applicant |
| Instructions: Read the NIH Loan Repayment Programs Contract in its entirety and check the box next to the statement to signify your consent. You will enter your electronic signature in lieu of printing, signing, and mailing in a signed copy of the contract to the NIH LRPs. | ||
|
Loan Documents Submitted by: |
Applicant | Applicant |
| Instructions: It can take many months to obtain the LRP-required documentation from lenders and servicers, so you are strongly advised to collect those documents well in advance. Provide specified documentation to demonstrate that educational loans listed in the application are eligible for loan repayment. Loans will be considered ineligible if appropriate documentation is not provided in a timely manner. See additional details about loan documents. You will be notified by DLR when to submit those documents any time between May and August. | ||
Award Calculations
All Intramural Clinical Research for Individuals from Disadvantaged Backgrounds Research LRP and AIDS Research LRP new awards are two years. The repayment amount is equal to one-quarter of the total eligible debt, up to $50,000, for each year of the award. To receive the maximum amount of $100,000 for a two-year award, an applicant must have at least $200,000 in eligible educational debt at the contract start date.
Payments are made on a quarterly basis, starting with the highest priority loan per NIH guidelines. If a loan is paid-in-full before the end of the contract, subsequent quarterly payments will be directed to the loan with the next highest priority. See a full list of the
full list of the loan priority order.
Use the repayment calculator to estimate the amount of an LRP new award.
Loan Eligibility
Qualifying Lenders
Qualified lenders: Any U.S. government (Federal, State, or local) entity, accredited U.S. academic institution, and/or U.S. commercial educational lender that is subject to examination and supervision in their capacity as a lending institution by an agency of the United States or of the State in which the lender has its principal place of business.
Unqualified lenders: Entities that are not U.S. government (Federal, State, or local), U.S. academic, or U.S. commercial educational lenders. Loans from friends, relatives, or other individuals are also not qualified.
Loan Eligibility
Most U.S.-based educational loans made by a qualified lender for educational purposes are eligible for repayment, including U.S.-based educational loans made for the following purposes:
- Undergraduate, graduate, and health professional school tuition and expenses;
- Other reasonable educational expenses required by the school(s) attended, including fees, books, supplies, educational equipment and materials, and laboratory expenses;
- Reasonable living expenses, including the cost of room and board, transportation and commuting costs, and other living expenses as determined by the Secretary of the Department of Health & Human Services.
A consolidated loan is eligible as long as all loans in the consolidation are eligible for repayment.
Existing principal and capitalized interest on eligible loans and related expenses, such as the required insurance premiums on the unpaid balances of some loans, from qualifying lenders are also eligible for repayment.
Ineligible Loans
The following loans are not eligible for repayment through the LRPs:
-
Consolidated loans that include at least one of the following loans are not eligible for repayment;
- Loans obtained from an unqualified lender;
- Loans obtained by the applicant for an individual other than the applicant, such as a spouse or child;
- Loans obtained by an individual other than the applicant, such as a spouse or parent;
- Non-educational loans, such as a home-equity loan;
- Loans for which eligibility documentation is not provided;
- Loans or portions of loans obtained for educational or living expenses which exceed a reasonable level as determined by the standard school budget for the year in which the loan was made;
- Loans, financial debts, or service obligations incurred under a program where an incurred service obligation converts to a loan upon failure to satisfy the service obligation;
- Loans that are delinquent, in default, or not current in their repayment schedule;
- Parent PLUS loans;
- Loans that are paid-in-full;
- Loans that are obtained after the start date of the initial NIH Loan Repayment Program Contract.
Additionally, late fees, penalty fees, additional interest charges, or collections costs will not be repaid by the LRP.
Register to Start Your Application View Detailed Loan InformationContractual Obligations
Contract Length
A new LRP award is a two-year contract that starts on the date of NIH employment. Awardees are required to meet the terms and conditions of the LRP award for the entire contract period.
An LRP award cannot be transferred from an Intramural LRP to an Extramural LRP. If an awardee terminates employment with NIH, the LRP award will be terminated as well. Depending on the circumstances of the change in employment, breach of contract may be considered by the NIH Institute or Center (IC) that funded the award.
Change of Institution
If an awardee transfers to another IC within the NIH, the awardee may continue to participate in the NIH LRP as long as the IC to which the awardee is transferring also participates in the NIH Intramural LRPs. The awardee must continue to meet the eligibility requirements.
It is the responsibility of the Intramural award recipient to notify DLR immediately if there is a pending change in NIH IC. The awardee must provide a copy of the SF-50 for the new position at the new IC as soon as it becomes available. This information will be reviewed by the Director, Intramural Loan Repayment Programs and the awardee may be asked to provide additional information during the review.
If the Intramural awardee obtains employment outside of the NIH, the awardee will no longer be eligible to participate in the Intramural LRPs and the award will be terminated immediately. This may also constitute a breach of contract and the awardee may be subjected to the financial penalties described in the contract.
Family Leave
Family leave can include maternity, paternity, parental, and adoption leaves. Paid family leave may be used during an LRP award. Any unpaid leave, even if covered under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), may result in a reduced quarterly payment. Awardees must make payments to lenders on their own behalf for periods of Leave Without Pay (LWOP).
Breach of Contract
Failure to complete the terms of an LRP contract, including the research service requirement, is considered a breach of contract. The penalty for breaching the LRP contract is $7,500 for each month the contract terms are not met, with the minimum penalty set at $31,000. Please read the LRP contract in its entirety before applying to the LRP.