NCI Special Notes

Funded F32 Grants

Submitting an Application

Peer Review Process

Frequently Asked Questions

Policy-Related Application Process/Review-Related Policy/Post-Award

NCI Staff Contacts

Introduction

The Ruth L. Kirschstein Individual National Research Service Award (NRSA) for Postdoctoral Fellows uses the F32 grant mechanism to support individuals with a doctoral degree (e.g., M.D., Ph.D., D.P.H.) for a three-year period of supervised research experience to achieve independence. Individuals with health professional doctoral degrees who have little initial research experience and want to dedicate themselves to a career in cancer research should refer to K07, K08 or K23 grant mechanisms as possible alternatives to the F32 award.

By the time of award a candidate must be a citizen of the United States, or a non-citizen national, or must have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence and possess an Alien Registration Receipt Card (1-151 or 1-551) or some other verification of legal admission as a permanent resident. The Candidate must be able to identify an individual who can serve as a mentor who will directly supervise the candidate's training and research experience.

Individuals are required to pursue their research training on a full-time basis, devoting at least 40 hours per week to the training program. The F32 award provides support in the form of stipends (determined by the number of full years of relevant postdoctoral experience at the time the award is issued), tuition and fees, and institutional allowance to defray expenses such as research supplies, equipment and travel to research meetings.

Individuals are allowed three years of aggregate postdoctoral support under any combination of National Research Service Award Mechanisms. Training beyond three years may be allowed under exceptional circumstances, but a waiver from the NCI Program Staff is required.

Program Announcement

Notice of extension of PA:
PA-07-107 Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards for Individual Postdoctoral Fellows (F32) ¹

M.D. Candidates

M.D. candidates are advised to refer to Question #5 in the Frequently Asked Questions ² section.

Data Sharing

Under the NIH Data Sharing Policy ³, grantees are expected to engage in a timely release of final data sets that have been generated with NIH support for use by other researchers, provide a Data Sharing Plan that will achieve this objective, OR state why data sharing is not possible or appropriate. No Data Sharing Plan is required for the F32 mechanism because it supports a training rather than, a research grant. It supports stipends and other ancillary costs for individual trainees, but it does not provide support for the generation of research data, directly. With regard to the data generated by trainees working in research environments funded by NIH research grants, it is the responsibility of the institutions that are awarded these research grants to share the data and provide acceptable Data Sharing Plans to the NIH as part of the research application.

#	Grant Number	Principal Investigator Name	Project Title	Institution
1	1F32CA124138-01A1	Alterovitz, Ron	Deformable Registration For Image-Guided Radiotherapy	University Of California San Francisco
2	5F32CA113177-03	Angus, Steven P	Pre-Replication Complex Assembly In Mammalian Cells	Duke University
3	1F32CA130562-01	Backlund, Michael G	Mechanisms For Chemoprevention Of Colorectal Cancer	Vanderbilt University
4	5F32CA110620-02	Bawa-Khalfe, Tasneem	Role Of SENP1 In Prostate Cancer Pathogenesis	University Of Texas Health Science Center Houston
5	5F32CA112714-03	Bigelow, Rebecca	Mechanistic Analysis Of TIMP-1 Induction Of EMT	Louisiana State University Health Science Center Shreveport
6	5F32CA119629-02	Blobaum, Anna L	Selective Inhibition Of Cox-2 By Lumiracoxib	Vanderbilt University
7	5F32CA123825-02	Bobrovnikova-Marjon, Ekaterina	Role Of PERK Kinase In Mammary Gland Tumorigenesis	University Of Pennsylvania
8	5F32CA123814-02	Bodily, Jason M	Genetic Analysis Of Human Papillomavirus E2 Protein	Northwestern University
9	1F32CA126252-01A1	Boiko, Alexander D	Isolation And Characterization Of Melanoma Tumor Stem Cells	Stanford University
10	1F32CA126302-01	Bostick, Magnolia L	Role Of The YDG-PHD Protein Family In Maintenance Of DNA Methylation	University Of California Davis
11	5F32CA119636-03	Bravo, Dawn T	Roles of WNT Receptors (Frizzled) in Lung Cancer	University Of California San Francisco
12	5F32CA124058-02	Brown, Jonathan Q	Multi-Label Molecular Flim Of Breast Cancer	Duke University
13	5F32CA123938-02	Burt, Bryan M	Natural Killer Dendritic Cells In Cancer	Sloan-Kettering Institute For Cancer Research
14	5F32CA123842-02	Campos, Samuel K	Investigation Of Early Events In Oncogenic HPV Infection	University Of New Mexico Albuquerque
15	1F32CA126301-01A1	Carey, James F	Role Of Condensin In Gene Regulation And Heterochromatin Assembly In C. Elegans	University Of Massachusetts Medical School Worcester
16	5F32CA123823-02	Chan, Denise A	The Role Of Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1 Alpha In Tumroigenesis	Stanford University
17	1F32CA130372-01	Chi, Ping	Elucidating Mechanisms Of Histone H2B Dynamic Modification In Mammalian Apoptosis	Sloan-Kettering Institute For Cancer Research
18	5F32CA108196-04	Chial, Heidi J	Dip13Alpha And Dip13Beta Phosphoinositide Binding	Stanford University
19	5F32CA119729-02	Cowden Dahl, Karen D	EGFR Activation Of PEA3 And FOXM1 In Ovarian Cancer Invasion	University Of New Mexico Albuquerque
20	5F32CA117779-03	Das, Chandreyee	Contribution Of N-Ras Loss To Metastasis Of Thyroid C-Cell Tumors	Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
21	5F32CA110618-03	Depianto, Daryle J	Keratin Function In The Cancer Cell	Johns Hopkins University
22	1F32CA123774-01A1	Desgrosellier, Jay S	Regulation Of Src By Integrins During Metastasis	University Of California San Diego
23	5F32CA119625-02	Dovey, Jennifer L	Developing shRNA Vectors To Study The Activating E2Fs	Massachusetts Institute Of Technology
24	5F32CA126344-02	Duex, Jason E	Novel Negative Regulators Of EGF Receptor Downregulation	University Of Colorado Denver/Health Science Center Aurora
25	1F32CA130365-01	Dusek, Rachel	Role Of The p53/p63 Target Gene PERP In Mammary Gland Morphogenesis And Cancer	Stanford University
26	5F32CA119776-02	Eoff, Robert L	Translesion Synthesis Opposite Carcinogen Bound DNA	Vanderbilt University
27	1F32CA130434-01	Farjah, Farhood	A Population-Based Analysis Of Mediastinal Staging For Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer	University Of Washington
28	5F32CA117236-02	Finger, L David	Fen-1/Wrn Complex In Prevention Of Genetic Diseases	City Of Hope/Beckman Research Institute
29	5F32CA112989-03	Freeman, Kevin W	Transcriptional Repressors Of E-Cadherin In Metastasis	Harvard University (Medical School)
30	5F32CA123887-02	Frese, Kristopher K	Lineage Tracy In Murine Pancreatic Cancer Metastasis	Cambridge Research Institute (CRUK)
31	5F32CA117720-03	Fu, Zheng	The Role of CHFR In Tumorigenesis	Mayo Clinic College Of Medicine Rochester
32	5F32CA119780-02	Gantt, Kira R	Development Of A Pancreatic Cancer Vaccine	University Of Pittsburgh At Pittsburgh
33	1F32CA125910-01	Gersbach, Charles A	Regulating Sensitivity To Cancer Therapy With Engineered Transcription Factors	Scripps Research Institute
34	5F32CA124030-02	Gladden, Andrew B	Stem Cell Regulation By The Nf2 Tumor Suppressor Merlin	Massachusetts General Hospital
35	1F32CA121733-01A1	Guo, Nini	The Hedgehog Pathway In Injury-Associated Pancreatic Carcinogenesis	Johns Hopkins University
36	5F32CA119771-02	Guvench, Olgun	Development Of Tyrosine Phosphatase SHP-2 Inhibitors	University Of Maryland Baltimore
37	5F32CA119768-02	Hanson, Erica M	Tolerance To Tumor Antigens Post-Surgery	University Of Maryland Baltimore
38	5F32CA123651-02	Har-El, Yah-El	Liposomal Delivery Of High Let Emitters To Cell Nuclei	Johns Hopkins University
39	5F32CA120055-02	Haseltine, Eric L	Optimizing Biological Circuits: Methods And Application	California Institute Of Technology
40	3F32CA119623-02S1	Heaney, Jason D	Testicular Tumor Susceptibility At The Agouti Locus	Case Western Reserve University
41	1F32CA130302-01	Heine, George F	Understanding The Role Of Brca1 In Response To Dna Damage	Ohio State University
42	5F32CA119894-02	Hennkens, Heather M	Radiometal-Cyclized Octerotide Derivatives For Oncology	University Of Missouri-Columbia
43	5F32CA119725-02	Henson, Brian J	Analysis Of Gene Expression From The 11Q13 Amplicon	University Of Pittsburgh At Pittsburgh
44	5F32CA119875-02	Horne, William Seth	Beta-Peptide Inhibitors Of Protein-Protein Interactions	University Of Wisconsin Madison
45	1F32CA125955-01A1	Houghtaling, Scott R	Deregulated Wnt Signaling In Prostate Cancer	Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
46	5F32CA113037-03	Hurst, Douglas R	Mechanistic Insight Into Brms1 Suppression Of Metastasis	University Of Alabama At Birmingham
47	5F32CA110624-03	Ippolito, Gregory C	BCL11A In Normal B-Cell Biology And Malignancy	University Of Texas Austin
48	1F32CA128331-01	Itahana, Yoko	Control Of P53 Function By Mdm2 E3 Ubiquitin Ligase	University Of North Carolina Chapel Hill
49	7F32CA126276-02	Janz, Jay M	Regulation Of BetaPIX Scaffolding Complexes By Non-Canonical G Protein Signaling	Oregon Health & Science University
50	5F32CA123750-02	Jones, Jeremy O	Regulation Of Androgen Receptor Conformation	University Of California San Francisco
51	5F32CA124028-02	Kim, Albert Hong-Jae	Mechanisms Of Glioblastoma Multiforme Invasion: The Role Of Stat3	Children'S Hospital Boston
52	1F32CA128210-01	Kim, Hahn	Cascade Catalysis Towards Synthesis Of Phorbol Architecture	Princeton University
53	5F32CA113132-03	King, Jennifer C	Understanding Hormone Receptor And Oncogene Crosstalk	Sloan-Kettering Institute For Cancer Research
54	3F32CA123662-01S1	Knudsen, Giselle M	Geldanamycin-Mediated Uptake Of Nanoparticle Probes	Purdue University West Lafayette
55	1F32CA124082-01A1	Krieg, Adam J	Mechanisms Of Transcriptional Repression By P53 During Hypoxic Stress	Stanford University
56	5F32CA119471-02	Kroch, Abigail E	Super-Activity Of Gene Regulators In Fibrosarcoma	University Of California San Francisco
57	1F32CA132493-01	Kupfer, Sonia	Genetic Association Study In African-American Colorectal Cancer Patients	University Of Chicago
58	3F32CA117721-02S1	Lazzara, Matthew J	Quantitative Analysis of ErbB-Targeted Drug Efficacy	Massachusetts Institute Of Technology
59	5F32CA117775-03	Lee, Eunice Y	Molecular Characterization Of Medulloblastoma	Stanford University
60	5F32CA110646-03	Lee, Shun J	Role Of RNAPII-CTD Modification In DNA Damage Response	University Of California San Diego
61	5F32CA119647-02	Lengner, Christopher J	Control Of Somatic Stem Cell Proliferation By Oct4	Whitehead Institute For Biomedical Research
62	1F32CA130276-01	Lin, Yin C	The Molecular Mechanism For E2A Tumor Suppressor	University Of California San Diego
63	5F32CA110636-03	Lopanik, Nicole B	Chemoenzymatic Analysis Of Bryostatin Biosynthesis	University Of Michigan At Ann Arbor
64	1F32CA125959-01	Lu, Shihua	Analysis of Brca1/Non-Coding RNA Interactions	Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
65	5F32CA117749-02	Mack, Jody Tucker	Defining The Cellular And Physiological Role Of Abca2	Medical University Of South Carolina
66	5F32CA123889-02	Mackay, John A	pH Sensitive Elastin-Like Peptides For Tumor Targeting	Duke University
67	7F32CA126294-03	Madison, Blair B	Identification Of Colon Cancer Genes Via Retrotransposon Mutagenesis	Transposagen Biopharmaceuticals, Inc
68	5F32CA119467-02	Malkoski, Stephen P	Regulation Of Delta-Np63 In Squamous Cell Carcinoma	Oregon Health & Science University
69	1F32CA130458-01	Martin, Chelsea	Mechanisms Of Bone Invasion And Tumor Growth In Models Of Head And Neck Cancer	Ohio State University
70	1F32CA130329-01	Mason, Steven	Tumor-Stroma Interactions During Metastasis	Sloan-Kettering Institute For Cancer Research
71	1F32CA128157-01A1	Mattson, Anita E	Total Synthesis Of The Anticancer Natural Product Pachyclavulariaenone G	University Of North Carolina Chapel Hill
72	5F32CA117752-03	May, Jeremy A	Antitumor Antibiotics UCS1025A And UCS1025B	Sloan-Kettering Institute For Cancer Research
73	5F32CA117246-03	Mccabe, Noel P	The Role Of SPARC In Prostate Cancer Growth In Bone	Cleveland Clinic Lerner College Of Medicine-CWRU
74	5F32CA117746-02	Merdek, Keith D	Roles Of The Alpha6Beta4 Integrin In Breast Cancer	University Of Massachusetts Medical School Worcester
75	1F32CA125923-01	Miller, Leah M	Defining The Tubulin Cytoskeleton Of Drug Resistant Cells By High Resolution MS	Yeshiva University
76	1F32CA121900-01A1	Miller, Todd W	Modulation Of Aromatase: Implications For Breast Cancer	Vanderbilt University
77	1F32CA126346-01	Moorefield, Kristopher S	Cpg Island Methylation In Glioblastoma Cancer Stem Cells	University Of California San Francisco
78	1F32CA130600-01	Mosher, Catherine E	Expressive Writing And Adjustment To Metastatic Breast Cancer	Sloan-Kettering Institute For Cancer Research
79	5F32CA119775-02	Mueller, Jaime A	Synthesis Of Pederin Hybrids For Biological Evaluation	University Of Chicago
80	5F32CA112988-02	Mulholland, David J	Deciphering Beta-Catenin Contributions In Prostate Cancer	University Of California Los Angeles
81	1F32CA126272-01	Murphy, Drew L	The Effect of Mre11/Rad50 On Fidelity Of Synthesis By DNA Polymerase Beta	Yale University
82	5F32CA110605-03	Murphy, George J	Safer Vectors And Strategies For Gene Therapy	Harvard University (Medical School)
83	1F32CA125934-01	Nagorny, Pavel	Preparation Of Polyvalent Anticancer Vaccines For T-Cell Activation	Sloan-Kettering Institute For Cancer Research
84	5F32CA123939-02	Olive, Kenneth P	Pre-Clinical Evaluation of Novel Therapeutics for PDA	Cambridge Research Institute (CRUK)
85	1F32CA126295-01A1	Orringer, Daniel	Nanoparticle-Enabled Brain Tumor Surgery	University Of Michigan At Ann Arbor
86	1F32CA126290-01	Pankratz, Daniel G	Identifying The Genetic Basis For The Drt/Dmc Phenotype	Oregon Health & Science University
87	1F32CA130441-01	Partch, Carrie L	Moelcular Basis Of Selectivity For Coactivator Recruitment by ARNT PAS Domains	University Of Texas SW Medical Cenetr/Dallas
88	1F32CA126258-01A1	Phillips, Kenneth S	Development Of A Microfluidic Device For Single Cell Bcr-Abl Kinase Assay	University Of North Carolina Chapel Hill
89	1F32CA126247-01	Pipkin, Matthew E	Mechanisms Of LCR Action On Perforin To Establish Cytotoxicity In NK Cells And CTL	Immune Disease Institute, Inc
90	1F32CA130318-01	Pokorski, Jonathan K	Molecular Evoluation Of Virus Based Hydrogels For Cancer Therapy	Scripps Research Institute
91	5F32CA119616-02	Post, Sean M	A Polymorphism In The Mdm2 Promoter Enhances Cancer Risk	University Of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
92	5F32CA113048-03	Pysz, Marybeth A	PKC Regulation Of Cell Survival Intestinal Cells	Roswell Park Cancer Institute Corporation
93	5F32CA117621-03	Ranganathan, Aparna C	Mechanisms Of Cancer Dormancy And Drug Resistance	State University Of New York At Albany
94	5F32CA115160-02	Regala, Roderick P	PKC Iota Is An Oncogene In Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer	Mayo Clinic College Of Medicine Jacksonville
95	1F32CA128297-01	Roadcap, David W	The Control Of Metastasis By Oncogene-Induced Actin Regulatory Proteins	University Of North Carolina Chapel Hill
96	5F32CA115075-04	Rounbehler, Robert J	The Role of TTP in Myc's Angiogenic Response	Scripps Research Institute
97	5F32CA110622-03	Rozek, Laura S	Methylation Patterns In Colorectal Cancer	University Of Michigan At Ann Arbor
98	1F32CA123776-01A1	Sansam, Courtney	Cellular Consequences Of Snf5 Tumor Suppressor Loss	Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
99	5F32CA119634-02	Sarkissian, Madathia	SV40 St Induced Cell Transformation Via PP2A Inhibition	Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
100	5F32CA112982-03	Saxowsky, Tina T	Transcriptional Mutagenesis In A Mammalian Model System	Emory University
101	1F32CA130327-01	Schafer, Zachary T	The Role Of Metabolic Alterations In Anchorage-Independent Survival	Harvard University (Medical School)
102	5F32CA119619-02	Scoggins, Robert M	Chronic Inflammation And Lung Cancer	Vanderbilt University
103	5F32CA124068-02	Shelby, Rebecca A	Mammography Pain In Breast Cancer Survivors	Duke University
104	5F32CA117702-03	Showalter, Scott A	NMR/MD Studies Of Human Mdm2 Interaction With p53	Florida State University
105	5F32CA113124-03	Simmons, Lyle A	DNA Mismatch Repair In Bacillus subtilis	Massachusetts Institute Of Technology
106	5F32CA110667-03	Singer, Elizabeth M	Bionanotechnology For Breast And Prostate Cancer	City Of Hope/Beckman Research Institute
107	1F32CA130309-01	Skala, Melissa C	Molecular Optical Coherence Tomography For Monitoring Cancer Therapy	Duke University
108	1F32CA130328-01	Slatore, Christopher G	Effect Of NSAIDs On Risk Of Incident Lung Cancer: A Cohort Study	University Of Washington
109	5F32CA125977-02	Slotkin, Richard K	Transposable Element Reactivation And Influence On Gene Regulation	Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
110	1F32CA130468-01	Smith, Karen	Novel HDAC-Interacting Proteins That Regulate Breast Cancer Cell Growth	Stowers Institute For Medical Research
111	5F32CA117737-03	Smolen, Gromoslaw A	The Role Of Met Proto-Oncogene In Breast Tumorigenesis	Massachusetts General Hospital
112	5F32CA124144-02	Snyder, Andrew R	Characterization Of The BRCT-Mediated ATRIP Recruitment	Wistar Institute
113	1F32CA121716-01A1	Sperry, Jeffrey B	Total Synthesis Of Anticancer Angents Methyl Tortuoate A And B	University Of Pennsylvania
114	1F32CA130851-01	Stairs, Douglas	Role Of P120Ctn In Esophageal Cancer	University Of Pennsylvania
115	1F32CA121769-01A1	Stommel, Jayne M	Identification And Characterization Of Activated Tyrosine Kinases In Gioblastoma	Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
116	5F32CA119676-02	Tootle, Tina L	Cell Migration: The Roles Of Prostaglandins	Carnegie Institute
117	1F32CA130376-01	Trang, Phong	Let-7 Micro-RNA Therapy To Enhance Radiosensitivity In Lung Cancer Treatment	Yale University
118	1F32CA126259-01A1	Vana, Marcy L	Mitigation Of Radiation-Induced GI Injury By Myeloid Progenitor Cells	Stanford University
119	5F32CA115148-03	Wadas, Thaddeus J	Bone Metastasis Imaging With Copper-64-Labeled Peptides	Washington University
120	1F32CA126307-01A1	Waldron, James S	Inhibition Of The PI3 Kinase Pathway In Malignant Glioma By Convection Enhanced D	University Of California San Francisco
121	5F32CA123945-02	Wang, David H	Hedgehog In Barrett's Esophagus And Associated Adenocarcinoma	Johns Hopkins University
122	1F32CA130430-01	Ward, Robert D	The Role Of Progesterone Receptor Phosphorylation In Target Gene Regulation	Baylor College Of Medicine
123	5F32CA115276-02	Ward, Simone V	Gene Therapy For Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia	Salk Institute For Biological Studies
124	5F32CA113126-02	Weir, Barbara A	Defining The Lung Adenocarcinoma Genome With SNP Arrays	Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
125	1F32CA128338-01	West, Matthew	Tissue And Tumor Specific Glycosylation Of Proteins	University Of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
126	1F32CA126283-01	White, David E	Linking Chromatin Remodeling Machinery To The DNA Damage Response	Wistar Institute
127	1F32CA119642-01A2	Wittmann, Bryan M	Mechanism(s) Of AR Gene Repression In Prostate Cancer	Duke University
128	5F32CA112847-03	Witze, Eric S	Functional Proteomic Study Of Wnt Signaling In Melanoma	University Of Colorado At Boulder
129	5F32CA119641-02	Wolan, Dennis	Activation Of Procaspases With Small Molecules	University Of California San Francisco
130	5F32CA111040-02	Wormke, Mark T	Modulation Of Hepatic N-Myristoyltransferases By Dioxins	National Research Center/Environment And Health
131	1F32CA130323-01	Xiong, May P	Caged Micelles For Co-Delivery Of SAHA And Geldanomycin In Cancer Therapy	California Institute Of Technology
132	5F32CA117622-02	Yang, Zhihong J	MyoD Activity In Rhabdomyosarcomas	Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
133	1F32CA130313-01	Yeh, Elizabeth	Defining A Role For Hunk In Oncogenic Signaling	University Of Pennsylvania
134	5F32CA123752-02	Yi, Chunling	Elucidation Of Nf2'S Tumor Supressive Function	Wistar Institute
135	5F32CA117668-02	Zaharoff, David	Mucosal Delivery Strategies For Cancer Vaccines	U.S. National Cancer Institute
136	1F32CA130304-01	Zhao, Li	Roles Of p85, Ras, and eIF3i/TRIP1 In PI3-Kinase Oncogenic Transformation	Scripps Research Institute

Submitting an Application

For the application form and details on submitting the application, see the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Individual Fellowship Application Form PHS 416-1 ⁴. It is suggested that you print, if possible, and carefully review them especially the section titled "NOTABLE CHANGES MADE TO PHS 416-1 FORM PAGES AFTER INITIAL RELEASE ON October 30, 2002. This section contains information to facilitate the completion of your application.

Application Receipt Dates and Review Schedule

	Application Receipt Date: New and Amended	Initial Review Date	Council Review Date	Earliest Possible Start Date *
Receipt Cycle 1	April 8	June/July	September/October	December
Receipt Cycle 2	August 8	October/November	January/February	April
Receipt Cycle 3	December 8	February/March	May/June	July

If the application receipt date falls on a weekend, the application must be postmarked by the application receipt date and received at the Center for Scientific Review (CSR) by the following Monday.

If the application receipt date falls on a holiday, (but not on a weekend), the application must be postmarked by the application receipt date and received at CSR by the following day.

* Start dates are determined by the availability of NCI funds and may not occur until well after the earliest possible start date.

Upon receipt, competing applications will be reviewed both by the Center for Scientific Review (CSR) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) for completeness and for conformance to all eligibility requirements and special provisions and requirements. Incomplete applications will be returned to the applicant without further consideration.

Unlike all other NCI postdoctoral support grant mechanisms, which are peer-reviewed by the NCI Division of Extramural Activities, F32 applications are peer-reviewed by review groups managed by the NIH CSR. Applications will receive a second level review by the National Cancer Advisory Board (NCAB) to determine if the application meets the broad program needs and priorities of the NCI and the National Cancer Program.

For review criteria for the F32 grant mechanism, see the REVIEW CRITERIA section of the Program Announcement: PA-07-107 Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards for Individual Postdoctoral Fellows (F32) ¹.

Policy-Related

1. Can an NRSA F32 awardee receive concurrent supplemental salary/stipend support for the same research from an NIH research grant?
No. Public Health Service funds may NOT be used to supplement an NRSA stipend.

2. Can an NRSA F32 awardee receive compensation from an NIH grant for additional work?
Yes. An NRSA awardee may receive separate salary from an NIH grant when employed for services rendered that are not part of the training program, such as laboratory assistant. However, since NRSA awardees are expected to devote a 100% full-time effort (full-time being 40 hours per week) to the NRSA-supported program, employment must be on a limited, part-time basis, and must not interfere, detract or prolong the awardee's training program. Part-time effort is considered by NCI to be up to 20 hours per week.

3. How is the initial stipend level determined on an individual NRSA award?
The stipend level for the first year of NRSA support is determined by the number of full years of relevant postdoctoral experience at the time the award is issued. Relevant experience may include research, teaching, internship, clinical duties, residency, or other time spent in full-time studies in a health-related field beyond that of the qualifying doctoral degree. The stipend levels are regulated by Congressional legislation and are regularly changed to meet the rise in the cost-of-living.

4. A potential awardee had prior NRSA support from an institutional grant from another agency. Is he/she eligible for an individual NRSA grant?
Postdoctoral fellows may receive up to 3 years of aggregate NRSA support, including any combination of support from institutional training grants and individual fellowship awards, unless a special waiver is requested by the awardee and approved by NCI. If the prior NRSA support was pre-doctoral, this would have no impact on the amount of postdoctoral support.

5. Is an MD, with no track record of research activity, at a disadvantage applying for an NRSA grant?
It depends upon the circumstances. For example:

• Individuals who have no track record of research may be at a disadvantage applying for a NRSA grant. However, NIH recognizes the critical importance of training clinicians to become researchers and encourages them to apply. In fact, clinical researchers serve on the NRSA peer review committee. The applicant should be advised that the reviewers will apply the review criteria listed in the REVIEW CRITERIA section of the F32 Program Announcement ¹. In the absence of evidence for 'research performance,' it may be difficult for the reviewers to evaluate the Candidate's potential to achieve independence in research.
• On the other hand, the F32 grant mechanism is a good option for M.D.s who are NOT junior faculty, who have experience in cancer research, and who wish to dedicate themselves to a career in cancer research.
• For junior faculty members with some research experience and publications, there are better funding options available through the mentored career development award (e.g., K07, K07 and K23).

6. Is health insurance required for federal fellows?
Yes. Federal fellows are required to obtain health insurance either from the Foundation for Advanced Education in the Sciences (FAES) or from a private company of their choice. If the fellow elects coverage from FAES, the funds are provided separately from the Institutional Allowance in the "Other Expenses" category. If the fellow elects coverage through a private company, the allowable premium is provided in addition to the stipend in the stipend category.

7. Can an individual apply for an NRSA grant before he/she completed all requirements for a doctorate?
Yes. Several awardees have timed the awarding of the NRSA award to their completion of the doctorate thereby beginning a postdoctoral program immediately. If there is a delay in completion of all academic requirements, the award can be made to the candidate but the implementation must wait until all degree requirements are completed. An awardee has a window up to 6 months after award to activate the grant.

8. Can one have more than 3 years of NRSA supported postdoctoral training?
Only under exceptional circumstances is it possible to extend the total number of years of NRSA support beyond the congressionally mandated 3 years (postdoctoral) cap. A request for an extension must be made directly to the NCI Program Director.

9. Can an applicant submit an individual NRSA application if he/she applied for a "green card" but has not received it yet?
Yes. Citizenship requirements for fellowships must be satisfied at the time of award. An individual must possess a currently valid Alien Registration Receipt Card I-551, or other legal verification of permanent residence status. Individuals on temporary or student visas are not eligible for an NRSA award.

10. Can an NRSA applicant apply for and then be supported from another award simultaneously?
No. Individuals supported by F32s are required to pursue their research training full-time, devoting at least 40 hours per week to the approved program.

Application Process/Review Related

11. Should the sponsor assist the candidate in preparing the F32 grant application?
Yes. The sponsor should provide advice on grantsmanship as part of the training process, but the candidate is expected to write the application. This often helps eliminate the common flaws in an application resulting from lack of experience that often reduce the potential for funding. It is important that the sponsor provides sufficient detail about the sources of funds that will be used to support the candidate's research and how the project supported by these funds relates to the candidate's research proposal.

12. Can an NRSA fellow have more than one sponsor?
Yes. A second sponsor is advisable if the project requires special expertise or is being conducted in more than one location. Clinicians doing translational research projects may find it useful to have a clinical and basic science sponsor.

13. Can a person submit an individual NRSA grant application to train at a private for-profit biotech firm?
Yes. The application will be reviewed as any other application from a university or public institution. The applicant's sponsor should be an active investigator in the area of the proposed research who will directly supervise the candidate's research. The sponsor must document the availability of staff, research support, and facilities for high-quality research training. However, PHS policy states that the results and accomplishments funded from PHS support must be made available to the public in a timely manner. There should be no restrictions on the publication of results.

14. Is the training record of the sponsor taken into consideration in the evaluation of a fellowship application by the CSR initial review group?
Yes. This is a critical component in determining the quality of the applicant's training environment. Applications with sponsors lacking a substantive track record in training postdoctoral individuals, who continue in biomedical research after completion of their training, will generally not be assigned a favorable priority score by the CSR initial review group. These applications are generally not competitive for funding.

15. What should my application contain if it deals with human subjects, clinical trials or vertebrate animals?
Links to the instructions for Human Subjects, Clinical Trails and Vertebrate Animals are found in the Table of Contents of the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Individual Fellowship Application Form PHS 416-1 ⁴.

Policy/Post Award

16. Is it possible to change sponsoring institutions while on an NRSA F32 Postdoctoral Fellowship?
Yes. However, this requires prior approval by NCI Program staff. The awardee should first contact NCI Program staff prior to the change and discuss the reason for the change. NCI program staff will then request a letter from the awardee, cosigned by an appropriate business official at the sponsoring institution, describing the reason(s) for the change, and stating the proposed new sponsor and institution. The awardee must also describe in this letter the relationship between the peer-reviewed research program and the research training/program that is to be conducted at the new sponsoring institution, and explain how the proposed new sponsor will contribute the appropriate expertise to ensure achievement of the research/training objectives of the fellowship award. A letter of support from the proposed new sponsor, cosigned from a business official from the new sponsoring institution, should accompany the awardee's letter. If NCI Program staff approve the change, a transfer application will be mailed to the awardee by the NCI Grants Administration Branch for completion and return to the NCI.

Often in a change of institution there is also a change in the research project. Depending upon any extenuating circumstances and on whether the new project is within the scope of the originally peer-reviewed project or not, NCI Program staff need to approve of this change. This is looked at very carefully since the research project contributed significantly to the success of the original application in peer review. Program staff does not always approve of this change.

17. Can an awardee change sponsor during the course of the fellowship award?
Yes. However, the past sponsor was a critical element in the success of the application in peer review. Anytime there is either a new research project or a new sponsor, the nature of the training experience changes significantly; prior approval from NCI staff is required. A request for change of sponsor should be signed by an Institutional Business Official, and should be accompanied by a copy of the curriculum vitae (C.V.) of the proposed sponsor.

18. Can an awardee change the project during the course of a fellowship award?
As with a change in sponsor, prior approval from NCI staff is required.

19. Can a grantee terminate his/her grant early?
Yes. When the decision is made to terminate early, the trainee should contact the NCI Program Director for guidance. A Termination Notice (Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Individual Fellowship Termination Notice: PHS 416-7 ⁵) should be sent to the NCI Training Branch. It may be necessary to contact the NCI Training Branch to confirm the actual costs incurred during the training period and how much money still remains in the grant. The NCI Grants Specialist will revise the award.

20. What occurs when a foreign or Federal fellow terminates a grant early?
If a direct pay fellow (e.g., those working at Federal labs or a foreign site) terminates a grant early, they should immediately notify the NCI Training Branch, in writing, that they are doing so. The NCI will then revise the Notice of Research Fellowship Award to reflect the early termination once it receives the Termination Notice from the awardee.

21. Are there special issues concerning the Termination Notice for foreign and Federal fellows?
Yes. Because Federal fellows are paid directly, no institutional business official signature is required. Foreign fellows who are training at a foreign site must have the Termination Notice signed by the Business Official. The Institutional allowance is awarded directly to the foreign site. Direct pay fellows are required to report to the IRS all funds paid directly to them by Government check. Foreign fellows must also include any travel funds awarded. The NIH Fellowship Payment Office will provide annually an IRS Form 1099-G "Statement of Miscellaneous Income."

22. Are payback agreements required annually for foreign and federal fellows?
A payback agreement is required only for the initial 12 months of postdoctoral NRSA support regardless of where the NRSA training takes place.

23. Should grantees on fellowships in a foreign country have their stipend and travel checks sent to a foreign or a domestic bank account?
Fellows in a foreign country are strongly encouraged to open a domestic bank account especially for this fellowship. This will avoid considerable delays when using foreign mail delivery. The fellow should investigate the electronic transfer of funds directly to their domestic bank account. NIH is not able to transfer funds electronically to foreign banks.

24. Is the procedure different when making an award to a foreign fellow compared to an award to a domestic institution?
Yes. Two awards are issued to foreign fellows. A personal award for stipend and any travel funds is issued directly to the fellow. An institutional award is issued to the foreign institution for only the Institutional Allowance.

25. Is it possible to apply for a leave-of-absence from the grant?
Yes. Contact your NCI Program Director for guidance. These are usually unique situations that require prior approval of NCI. Extended leave from the grant is unpaid leave.

26. What is the difference between supplementation and compensation?
Supplementation refers to additional money provided without the requirement for additional work. Compensation refers to money earned in return for additional work. An NRSA grant can be supplemented with non-PHS funds. An NRSA fellow can be compensated for additional work. However, the additional work must not prevent the fellow from completing the objectives of the NRSA award. The NCI recommends that fellows not spend more than 20 hours per week on compensated activities. See the Program Announcement (PA-07-107) ¹, and refer to the section titled SUPPLEMENTATION OF STIPENDS, COMPENSATION, AND OTHER INCOME.

27. If I have a F32 award and I would like to ask for post award changes, how do I go about this?
You must contact the NCI Grants Administration official to determine the appropriate procedures to use in making a request for post-award changes in your grant. In general, you will have to make a request that is signed by you and a business official of your institution. After receiving the request for post-award changes, the Grants Administration official will consult with the NCI scientific program staff as necessary to determine whether the request can be approved.

28. Is a payback agreement required for all NRSA postdoctoral trainees?
Yes. A payback agreement is required for postdoctoral trainees who are newly appointed to an NCI F32 grant. This includes individuals who were previously appointed to a F32 grants supported by other Institutes.

29. Does an awardee have to pay taxes on stipends?
There is some modest tax guidance provided in the NRSA guidelines. For information about taxes, access the F32 Program Announcement ¹, go to the section titled STIPEND SUPPLEMENTATION, COMPENSATION AND OTHER INCOME, then scroll down to the section titled TAX LIABILITY. This section of the Program Announcement explains the requirements for all candidates.

30. Must each foreign and federal fellow submit an Activation Notice (Form PHS 416-5) every year?
Yes. An Activation Notice (Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Individual Fellowship Activation Notice: PHS 416-5 ⁵) is mailed annually by the NCI Training Branch. The fellow must complete the Activation Notice and return it immediately to the NCI Training Branch where it will be processed and sent to the NIH Fellowship Payment Office. This document authorizes payments to the fellow from the US Treasury.

For additional information regarding policies and/or guidance in preparing an application, contact:

Dr. Sonia B. Jakowlew
Program Director
Telephone: (301) 496-8580
Fax: (301) 402-4472
E-mail: jakowles@mail.nih.gov

Dr. Shannon M. Lemrow
Program Director
Telephone: (301) 496-8580
Fax: (301) 402-4472
E-mail: lemrows@mail.nih.gov

Dr. Dorkina Myrick
Program Director
Phone: (301) 496-8580
Fax: (301) 402-4472
E-mail: myrickd@mail.nih.gov

For information regarding fiscal and/or budget issues, contact:

Grants Administration Branch
Phone: (301) 496-7208
Fax: (301) 496-8601

For information regarding referral and review issues, contact:

Referral Officer
Division of Extramural Activities
Phone: (301) 594-1403
Fax: (301) 402-0275