NRSA: An Introductory Presentation Michael J. Zvolensky and Rex Forehand

Special thanks to Melinda Davis (!), Amit Bernstein, Anka Vujanovic, and Marcy Burstein

What is this all about? Research-oriented training fellowship for an individual doctoral student Provides financial support to gain experience and skills (self-defined) in a domain of study relevant to mission of NIH –Stipend (~$20,000) –Direct research support (~$5,000) Can be supported via numerous “subdivisions” of NIH (e.g., NIMH, NIDA, NCI) Unique in that applicant and mentor each have a component to complete

What is this all about? Congress enacted the National Research Service Act (NRSA) Program in 1974 to help ensure that a diverse pool of highly trained scientists will be available in adequate numbers to carry out the Nation's biomedical and behavioral research agenda. In 2002, the National Research Service Award Program was renamed the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Program as a tribute to Dr. Kirschstein's years of exceptional service to the Nation.

Why would a person apply? Facilitates growth of scholarly work not necessarily possible without an equivalent amount of financial support Idiographic-based mentored training (“tailored”) It often is important for research scientists to attain funding to increase their marketability down the road It often is a good predictor of future grant success

Where can information be located? NIH websites have program announcements Example: – – 067.htmlhttp://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA html NIH-sponsored grant workshops at conferences

Where can information be located? (Really) Faculty mentor –Other faculty that have had students apply for such grants Program officer Students who have applied or received NRSA’s

When should one apply? General rule of thumb is to permit 2 years of training prior to internship It may be worth considering adding a year of training “in house” to attain a fellowship (e.g., Amit Bernstein) Standard receipt dates (April, August, and December) –Requires approval from mentor, department, university prior to developing an application and submitting a grant

When should one apply? (Really) General rule of thumb is to permit 6-8 months of preparation and writing preceding a submission deadline Exact “preparation time” is necessarily individually-based (largely function of applicant and mentor working relationship)

How does one start to think about developing a (successful) application? Two core components to the application that will undergo peer-review The first is a research proposal The second is a research-based training proposal

Scoring Criteria Candidate: An assessment of the candidate's previous academic and research performance and the potential to become an important contributor to biomedical, behavioral, or clinical science.

Scoring Criteria Sponsor and Training Environment: An assessment of the quality of the training environment and the qualifications of the sponsor as a mentor for the proposed research training experience.

Scoring Criteria Research Proposal: The merit of the scientific proposal and its relationship to the candidate's career plans.

Scoring Criteria Training Potential: An assessment of the value of the proposed fellowship experience as it relates to the candidate's needs in preparation for a career as an independent researcher.