Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Predoctoral Fellowship (Parent F31) | PA 18 671

Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 18 671

The Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Predoctoral Fellowship, commonly referred to as the Parent F31, is an NIH fellowship program meant to support promising predoctoral students while they carry out dissertation research. At its core, the opportunity is designed to fund individualized, mentored research training under the guidance of an experienced faculty sponsor (and sometimes co-sponsors). The expectation is that the training plan and research project align closely with the student s dissertation work and clearly strengthen the applicant s trajectory toward becoming a productive, independent research scientist in a health related field that fits the mission areas of participating NIH Institutes and Centers.

A defining feature of this particular Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is how it treats clinical trials. It is structured for applicants whose proposed research does not involve leading an independent clinical trial, a clinical trial feasibility study, or an ancillary study to a clinical trial. In other words, the predoctoral fellow should not be positioned as the person responsible for running the clinical trial as the lead. That said, the FOA still allows applicants to gain clinical trial related experience, as long as the clinical trial itself is led by the sponsor or co-sponsor. This makes the fellowship a fit for many dissertation projects that involve human research exposure or clinical research training without placing the administrative and regulatory burden of trial leadership on a predoctoral trainee.

The NIH is the sponsoring federal agency, and the funding instrument is a grant, categorized under discretionary spending and associated with multiple CFDA program numbers (including 93.113, 93.121, 93.172, 93.173, 93.213, 93.242, 93.273, 93.279, 93.307, 93.361, 93.398, 93.846, 93.847, 93.853, 93.855, 93.865, 93.866, 93.867, and 93.879). The opportunity number provided in the source information is PA 18 671, and the listing indicates an original closing date of 2019 02 22, with a creation date of 2018 02 16. In practice, NIH fellowship announcements often run across multiple receipt cycles and may be reissued or replaced over time, so applicants generally need to confirm the currently active FOA and deadlines in the live NIH announcement before preparing an application.

Eligibility in the source data is described broadly and includes a range of organizational types that may serve as the applicant institution or be involved in administering the fellowship. The eligible applicant categories listed include public and state controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non 501(c)(3) entities), for profit organizations other than small businesses, small businesses, and other categories. The description also explicitly highlights additional eligible applicants such as Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Hispanic serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), and even non domestic (non U.S.) entities (foreign organizations), while also noting that applicants should consult the full funding announcement for detailed eligibility requirements and conditions. Because NIH fellowship eligibility can depend on factors beyond institution type (for example, trainee status and other program specific requirements), the full FOA is the authoritative source for confirming whether a specific student and institution combination qualifies.

Overall, the Parent F31 is best understood as a structured predoctoral training award rather than a typical research project grant. It is meant to support a student s development through a carefully planned combination of mentored research, didactic or professional development activities as appropriate, and a dissertation research project that is both scientifically strong and tailored to building independence. The sponsor s role is central: the sponsor provides the training environment, mentorship, and oversight that NIH expects will translate the fellowship support into long term career development and research productivity for the fellow.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, environment, food and nutrition, health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Predoctoral Fellowship (Parent F31)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.113, 93.121, 93.172, 93.173, 93.213, 93.242, 93.273, 93.279, 93.307, 93.361, 93.398, 93.846, 93.847, 93.853, 93.855, 93.865, 93.866, 93.867, 93.879.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2018-02-16.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2019-02-22. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.

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