Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Fellowship for Students at Institutions Without NIH-Funded Institutional Predoctoral Dual-Degree Training Programs (Parent F30) | PA 21 050

Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 21 050

The Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Fellowship for Students at Institutions Without NIH-Funded Institutional Predoctoral Dual-Degree Training Programs (Parent F30), FOA number PA-21-050, is an NIH fellowship opportunity designed to support predoctoral students pursuing dual-doctoral clinical and research degrees at institutions that do not have an NIH-funded institutional predoctoral dual-degree training program. In practical terms, it is meant to help fill a training-support gap for MD/PhD and other dual-degree students whose schools do not have certain NIH training grants that provide structured institutional support for these paths. The overall goal is to strengthen the pipeline of physician-scientists and clinician-scientists by funding trainees who show strong promise and who have a clearly integrated plan for research and clinical training.

This F30 mechanism focuses on students who are actively matriculated in a combined dual-degree program such as MD/PhD, DO/PhD, DDS/PhD, AuD/PhD, DVM/PhD, or similar dual-doctoral pathways, and who intend to build careers that combine clinical practice (or clinically oriented professional work) with research leadership. Applicants are expected to propose both (1) a well-developed dissertation research project in a health-related scientific area aligned with the missions of participating NIH Institutes and Centers, and (2) an integrated training plan that ties together their clinical/professional training and their research development. The fellowship is framed as a training investment: reviewers will be looking for evidence that the proposed environment, mentoring, and training activities will measurably improve the candidate’s trajectory toward becoming an independent, productive clinician-scientist.

A key boundary in this announcement is how it handles clinical trials. This particular Parent F30 is intended for candidates whose proposed work does not involve leading an independent clinical trial, a clinical trial feasibility study, or an ancillary clinical trial. However, it does allow applicants to propose a research experience that occurs within a clinical trial as long as the trial itself is led by a sponsor or co-sponsor (in other words, the fellow is not the person responsible for directing the trial). This distinction matters because NIH separates fellowship and grant opportunities based on the level of responsibility a trainee would hold for trial design, oversight, and regulatory obligations. Applicants whose projects would require them to lead a trial generally need a different FOA specifically built for that scenario.

The opportunity is offered as a discretionary grant program through the National Institutes of Health and falls under broad federal activity areas that include education and health. It is associated with multiple CFDA numbers (now often referenced under Assistance Listings), reflecting that different NIH Institutes and Centers participate and fund awards aligned with their missions. While the notice does not list an award ceiling or an expected number of awards in the provided excerpt, NRSA fellowships typically provide standardized NIH support components (such as stipend and certain allowances) governed by NIH NRSA policies rather than a simple single “maximum award” figure.

Eligibility, as presented in the source text, spans a wide range of applicant organization types, including public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, a variety of nonprofit organizations (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), and small businesses, as well as certain “other” categories. The FOA also highlights participation from and relevance to specific institution types, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), and eligible agencies of the federal government. Importantly, non-U.S. (foreign) institutions are not eligible to apply, and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply. At the same time, “foreign components” are allowed as defined by NIH policy, meaning parts of a project may involve foreign activities in a way that complies with NIH rules and approvals, even though the applicant organization itself must be U.S.-based and eligible.

From a candidate standpoint, the most central expectations are that the applicant is in an eligible dual-degree program, the research and training plan is integrated and credible, the dissertation project fits NIH’s health-related mission space for the participating Institutes and Centers, and the fellowship experience is likely to enhance the applicant’s potential for independence as a clinician-scientist. The emphasis is less on simply funding a research project and more on demonstrating a coherent training trajectory: why this applicant, why this training environment and mentorship team, why this project, and how the combined clinical and research experiences will build the skills needed for a long-term career at the interface of patient-facing work and scientific discovery.

Administrative details in the provided record include the original closing date shown as 2023-09-07 and a creation date of 2020-10-26. The sponsoring agency is the National Institutes of Health, and the funding instrument type is a grant. Overall, PA-21-050 functions as a targeted NIH individual fellowship route for dual-degree predoctoral trainees at institutions lacking NIH-funded institutional dual-degree predoctoral training programs, with an explicit focus on developing the next generation of physician/clinician-scientists through structured, mentored research and integrated clinical training, while avoiding scenarios where the fellow would lead an independent clinical trial.

• 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 Fellowship for Students at Institutions Without NIH-Funded Institutional Predoctoral Dual-Degree Training Programs (Parent F30)" 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, 93.233, 93.242, 93.273, 93.279, 93.286, 93.351, 93.398, 93.837, 93.838, 93.839, 93.840, 93.846, 93.847, 93.853, 93.855, 93.859, 93.865, 93.866, 93.867, 93.879.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2020-10-26.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-09-07. (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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