Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Short-Term Institutional Research Training Grant (Parent T35)
Can you apply?
This grant is for short-term institutional research training at the undergraduate, postdoctoral, or early-career level in biomedical and behavioral sciences. Eligible applicants are degree-granting institutions (primarily U.S. accredited colleges, universities, and medical schools) that can sponsor and supervise trainees conducting research. The program supports summer or short-term research experiences lasting 3-12 weeks, offering trainees practical exposure to research methodologies across NIH-relevant research domains including health disparities, public health, and translational science. Institutions must have appropriate research infrastructure, mentorship capacity, and commitment to developing the next generation of biomedical researchers. Both individual trainees and institutional training programs qualify under parent and sub-awards.
Program description
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) will award Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Short-Term Institutional Research Training Grants (T35) to eligible, domestic institutions to develop and/or enhance research training opportunities for predoctoral students interested in careers within biomedical, behavioral, or clinical research workforce. Many NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs) use this NRSA program exclusively to support intensive, short-term research training experiences for health professional students (medical students, veterinary students, and/or students in other health-professional programs) during the summer. This program is also intended to encourage training of graduate students in the physical or quantitative sciences to pursue interests in research careers by short-term exposure to, and involvement in, the health-related sciences. The training should be of sufficient depth to enable the trainees, upon completion of the program, to have a thorough exposure to the principles underlying the conduct of biomedical research.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
How to apply
Application links
Required documents
- SF-424 (R&R) application form and supporting PHS forms
- Project Narrative (research training program description, mentorship plan, trainee recruitment strategy)
- Institutional Budget (trainee stipends, institutional allowance, supporting detail)
- Curriculum Vitae or biosketch of key faculty mentors
- Letters of support from department chairs or research leaders
- Institutional resources documentation (research facilities, equipment access)
- Diversity and inclusion plan for trainee recruitment
- Timeline for trainee recruitment, placement, and post-training follow-up
Program contact
- 👤 National Institutes of Health
- 📧 grantsinfo@nih.gov
- 📞 301-402-2541
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 93.173 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
-
$67,501,043
-
$41,811,330
-
$29,666,573
-
$25,009,162
-
$22,883,624
-
$22,740,456
-
$16,596,227
-
$13,255,879
-
$12,363,350
-
$12,276,804
Top States by Funding
- MA 11 awards $142.6M
- CA 10 awards $101.6M
- IA 5 awards $77.5M
- CT 2 awards $76.3M
- MD 7 awards $56.9M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 93.173). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $422,034,489 | |
| 2025 | $422,700,014 | |
| 2026 est. | $427,030,000 |
FAQ
Who is eligible to apply for a T35 NRSA award?
Institutions must be accredited, degree-granting organizations (colleges, universities, or medical schools). Trainees are typically undergraduate students, post-baccalaureate individuals, or early-career postdoctoral researchers. International trainees are subject to visa eligibility rules.
What types of research activities are supported?
Short-term research training (3-12 weeks) in biomedical and behavioral sciences including basic research, clinical research, health disparities research, and public health research. Stipends cover trainee living expenses and institutional allowances.
What is the typical funding range?
T35 awards typically support multiple trainees per institution. Federal funding covers trainee stipends (varies by trainee level) plus institutional allowance, though exact amounts vary by review and NIH budget cycles.
What is the application deadline and how competitive is this program?
Fixed deadline in May (typically May 7 as noted). Competition is moderate to competitive; success depends on institutional research mentorship capacity, trainee recruitment plans, and prior track record of research training.
What budget and scope should I propose?
Budget depends on number of trainees, duration of training (3-12 weeks), trainee stipend levels, and institutional allowances. Proposals should clearly justify mentorship capacity and research opportunities for all trainees.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Emphasize your institution's research infrastructure, mentor availability, and commitment to recruit and train diverse cohorts including underrepresented minorities in biomedical research.
- Clearly describe the research projects trainees will undertake, the mentoring structure, and how short-term training builds research skills and career development.
- Include letters of support from faculty mentors and documentation of prior success in research training, if applicable, to strengthen your application.
- Address recruitment and retention strategies for trainees, particularly from underrepresented populations in STEM and health sciences.
- Budget conservatively and realistically; ensure all costs (stipends, institutional allowances, research supplies) are well-justified and align with NIH guidelines for T35 programs.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Applications often fail when institutions underestimate the mentorship and infrastructure demands of short-term training or propose unrealistic numbers of trainees relative to available faculty mentors. Weak recruitment strategies—especially those failing to target underrepresented groups—or vague descriptions of research training activities also reduce competitiveness. Finally, incomplete budget justification or failure to demonstrate alignment with NIH research priorities diminishes fundability.
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