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The Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA Institutional Research Training Grant (T32)

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have questions about your NCI application or award for training in cancer research or education? Make the NCI Frequently Asked Questions your first stop to getting answers!

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The Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) (T32) supports grants to institutions to develop or enhance research training opportunities for pre and postdoctoral fellows to be trained in cancer research.

Note: The details on this page are for informational purposes only. Please read and follow all requirements and instructions in the notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) and the Table of IC-Specific Information linked therein before applying for an award. Application review information is described in the funding opportunity. If you have any questions before submitting your application, please contact the relevant NCI program staff listed at the end of this page.

For more complete information, reference the Program Announcement PA-23-048 (T32 Institutional Research Training Grant) and/or contact the program director.

Applicant Eligibility

PD/PI Criteria

Citizenship

At the time of the award, PD/PI must be:

  • a United States citizen,
  • 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.
Foreign Nationals with Student Visas Not eligible for this award
Degree/Academic Appointment Established Investigators (Associate and Full Professors)
Commitment Salary support not allowed; 5-10% commitment recommended
Duration of Award Up to 5 years of support with the opportunity for renewal

Program Criteria

Program PD/PI The contact PD/PI must have independent cancer-focused R01, or R01-like, peer-reviewed research funding at the time of application and award.
Program Faculty

NCI expects faculty members to have peer-reviewed independent R01, or R01-like research support.

New and Early Stage Investigators without this funding can serve as co-mentors.

Program 

The training program must be cancer-focused, and distinct from other existing programs at the institution.

May support predoctoral only, postdoctoral only, or combined predoctoral and postdoctoral training. For new programs, NCI will give funding priority to programs that do not overlap substantially with existing programs at the applicant institution.

Budget (Direct Costs)

New T32 Training Programs:

  • May request up to 6 trainee slots

Competing renewal T32 Training Programs: 

  • May request changes in types of trainee slots, i.e., may convert postdoctoral slots to predoctoral slots and vice versa.
  • May not request more than 8 trainee slots in any budget year at the time of competitive renewal; a program with more than 11 current trainee slots may request a stepwise reduction.
  • NCI does not require T32 applicants requesting $500,000 or more in direct costs for any year to contact staff to accept the application.

Trainee Criteria

Citizenship

At the time of the award, the trainee 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.
Foreign Nationals with Student Visas Not eligible for this award
Degree/Academic Appointment Pre and postdoctoral fellows, clinical fellows
Commitment Trainee must dedicate at least 40 hours per week (full-time effort) to the training program
Duration of Award
  • Pre-docs: Up to 5 years of support
  • Post-docs: Up to 3 years of support

Budget

Stipend Support

Stage

Number of Years' Experience Stipend for FY 2023
Predoctoral All

$27,144

Postdoctoral

0

$56,484

1

$56,880

2

$57,300

3

$59,592

4

$61,572

5

$63,852

6

$66,228

 

7 or more

$68,604

Learn more about T32 stipend support

Tuition & Fees

For each... NCI will pay...
Predoctoral Trainee Supported 60% of the combined amount requested for tuition and fees up to $16,000 per year
Combined Dual-Degree Trainee (e.g., M.D.-Ph.D.) Supported 60% of the combined amount requested for tuition and fees up to $21,000 per year
Postdoctoral Trainee Supported 60% of the combined amount requested for tuition and fees up to $4,500 per year
Postdoctoral Trainee in a Formal Degree-Granting Program 60% of the combined amount requested for tuition and fees up to $16,000 per year

Travel to Scientific Meetings

Allowance

$800 per Predoc

$1,000 per Postdoc

Childcare costs

  • $2500 per each full-time predoctoral or postdoctoral NRSA trainee allowance begins in 2022. NOT-OD-21-177

Training-Related Expenses

  • Health insurance (self-only or family, as applicable)
  • Staff salaries
  • Consultant costs
  • Equipment
  • Research supplies
  • Faculty/staff travel directly related to the research training program
Predoctoral Trainee Support $4,550 annually
Postdoctoral Trainee Support $12,200 annually

How to Apply

  • Applications must be submitted electronically.
  • Applicants must follow the instructions in the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide.
  • When the program-specific instructions deviate from those in the Application Guide, follow the funding opportunity announcement.
  • Applications that do not comply with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.

For assistance with application submission, please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions and/or contact eRA Commons Help Desk/Grant.gov contact center.

Application Receipt Dates & Review Schedule

Receipt Cycle Application Receipt Date: New, Renewal, and Resubmission Initial Review Date Council Review Date Earliest Possible Start Date*
1 January 25 June/July September/October December
2 May 25 October/November January/ February April
3 September 25 February/March May/June July

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

Applications are due by 5 pm local time.

When a standard submission date falls on a weekend or Federal holiday, the application deadline is automatically extended to the next business day.

Review and Selection Process

The Center for Scientific Review (CSR) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) review applications 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.

Subcommittee F, convened by the Division of Extramural Activities of the NCI, evaluates applications according to the review criteria listed in the Program Announcement. Before an award is made, the National Cancer Advisory Board (NCAB) conducts a second level of review and ensures that an application meets the broad program needs and priorities of the NCI and the National Cancer Program.

 

Resources

NCI-Specific Requirements

For Applicants

  1. NCI T32 training programs must be cancer-focused and innovative. T32s may support predoctoral only, postdoctoral only, or combined predoctoral and postdoctoral training. For new programs, NCI will give funding priority to programs that do not overlap substantially with existing programs at the applicant institution.
     
  2. The T32 contact Training Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) should have the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to organize and implement a high-quality research training program. The contact PD/PI must hold a peer-reviewed independent cancer-focused R01, or R01-like, research funding at the time the T32 application is submitted and awarded.

    For the NCI T32, R01-like research funding includes peer-reviewed research grants from other federal sources and private foundations. The award duration must be for at least 3 years with a minimum of $150,000 direct costs per year. Grants under a no-cost extension do not qualify.
     
  3. The T32 faculty/mentors/preceptors are expected to have peer-reviewed independent R01 or R01-like research support. New and Early Stage Investigators with no such funding or training track record may serve as co-mentors.
     
  4. Budget
  • A new T32 program may request up to 6 trainee slots.
  • A competitive renewal T32 applicant may request up to 8 trainee slots in any budget year.
  • At the time of competitive renewal, T32 applicants may request changes in types of trainee slots (i.e., convert postdoctoral slots to predoctoral slots and vice versa). 
  • T32 applicants requesting $500,000 or more in direct costs for any year are not required to contact NCI staff for permission to submit the application.

For Grantees

  1. Requests to change the T32 PD/PI must be submitted electronically through the eRA Commons Prior Approval Module.
     
  2. Addition of T32 mentors must meet the requirement of having peer-reviewed independent R01 or R01-like research support (refer to A.3). These changes must be reported in the annual progress report.
     
  3. Short-term training positions are not allowed for NCI T32 training programs.
     
  4. New trainees under NCI T32 grants are generally appointed for full-time 12-month continuous periods per budget year. A new trainee appointment with a minimum of 9 months per budget year may be considered with justification and NCI Program Director prior approval.  The Postdoctoral trainees are expected to commit to their research program for at least 2 years to meet payback obligation.
     
  5. The total number of awarded trainee months for each budget period may not be exceeded, nor may the numbers of predoctoral and/or postdoctoral trainee appointments at any time exceed the numbers specified in the Notice of Award.
     
  6. Trainee slots are decided based on peer-review outcomes. The redistribution of trainee slots may be considered once during the current project period by the NCI program director. The formal signed request with justification must be submitted by the AOR to the assigned NCI Program Director and Grants Management Specialist.
     
  7. Tuition and fees are allowable trainee costs only if such charges are applied consistently to all individuals in a similar training status at the organization, without regard to their source of support.
    • Tuition at the postdoctoral level is limited to that required for specific courses in support of the approved training program and requires NCI prior approval. See NIH Grant Policy Statement 11.2.8.3.
    • NCI allows rebudgeting of Tuition and Fees only up to the NRSA standard allowance.
       
  8. If Postdoctoral tuition and fees are requested, Postdoctoral trainee progress reports must include information about the courses taken.
     
  9. Carryover of unobligated balances requires NCI staff review and prior approval.
     
  10. Only the reappointment of current trainees is allowed during a no-cost extension (if stipend months are available).

Trainee Forms

  • The Statement of Appointment Form (PHS2271) must be submitted for each trainee, each year prior to or at the time of appointment. A Payback Agreement (PHS6031, revised 9/93) must be submitted for all postdoctoral trainees beginning their initial Kirschstein-NRSA appointment. No stipend or other allowances may be paid until the submission of the proper forms. Failure to submit these forms within 90 days of the start date for the appointment may result in an expenditure disallowance or a delay in continued funding. Completed trainee forms must be submitted electronically via xTrain.
  • Termination Notice must be submitted immediately through xTrain upon completion of the Trainee's appointment.

NCI Staff Contacts

For information regarding policies and/or guidance in preparing an application for the T32 Award, contact:

For assistance with xTrain forms, contact:

For technical issues with xTrain, contact the eRA Service Desk

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

For information regarding review issues, contact:

  • Referral Officer
    Division of Extramural Activities
    Phone: 240-276-6390
    Fax: 240-276-7682
  • Updated:
Email