NIH F31: Predoctoral Individual NRSA Fellowship

Eligibility

F31 applicants must meet citizenship and enrollment requirements specific to the NRSA program.

• Citizenship — must be a US citizen, non-citizen national, or permanent resident at the time of award
• Enrollment — must be enrolled in a research doctoral degree program (PhD or equivalent) at a domestic institution
• Stage of training — should be past preliminary exams or equivalent milestone; the F31 supports dissertation research, not coursework
• Sponsor — must have an identified sponsor (dissertation advisor) at the applicant's institution
• F31 Diversity — separate version for students from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, students with disabilities, and students from disadvantaged backgrounds

Application Components (FORMS-I, effective Jan 2025)

The F31 application emphasizes the candidate's potential, the training environment, and the research plan. Unlike R-series grants, the F31 is evaluated as a training award, not purely a research project. As of January 25, 2025, fellowship applications use FORMS-I (SF424 R&R Version I) with restructured sections.

• Specific Aims (1 page) — research objectives for the dissertation project
• Research Training Project Strategy (6 pages) — Scientific Foundation & Rationale and Approach (replaces the former Significance/Innovation/Approach structure)
• Candidate's Goals for the Fellowship (6 pages) — four personal statements covering professional goals, fellowship qualifications, self-assessment, and scientific perspective
• Training Activities and Timelines (6 pages) — structured training plan with timelines, plus Additional Educational Information (coursework, clinical rotations, etc.)
• Sponsor(s) Commitment — five required statements covering mentoring approach, prior training record, commitment to candidate's plan, research training environment, and candidate's potential
• Responsible Conduct of Research (1 page) — plan for instruction in the responsible conduct of research
• Letters of Support — from collaborators, consultants, and others supporting the training plan

Payback and Service Requirements

NRSA fellowship recipients incur a payback obligation. The first 12 months of support must be paid back through continued research or teaching service (one month of service for each month of support). Support beyond 12 months converts to a financial payback obligation unless fulfilled through additional research or teaching service. The payback can be satisfied by conducting health-related research or teaching at a US institution.