Qualifying for a Training Grant

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A successful institutional candidate for a training grant must provide an outstanding research and academic environment, with suitable staff and facilities.

The institution's proposed training program director must be an established, well-recognized scientist, generally with the rank of professor or equivalent, who offers a long training track record.

Another key element is a critical mass of fairly senior scientists in the research area who can demonstrate a publications history and funding from NIH, NSF, HHMI, or similar agencies. Too many junior scientists or those without grants may negatively influence the priority score and chances of funding.

Peer reviewers consider the records of past trainees or graduates, who should demonstrate strong academic ability. Programs that accept students with less-than-stellar GRE scores, for instance, fare worse in peer review than a program with strict admissions criteria.

Successful applicant institutions offer a track record of past trainees who publish, obtain funding, and enjoy distinguished scientific positions. Reviewers highly rate an adequate supply of high-quality potential trainees with genuine interest in research and appropriate academic prerequisites.

See the previous page, Institutional Research Training Grants, for information on citizenship requirements for trainees.

To learn more about training grant requirements, read the T32 and T35 Guide notices.

What Are Your Chances of Succeeding?

Find success rates for T32s and T35s at Success Rates of NIH Competing Applications.

To get an idea of how applicants fared at NIH over the last decade, go to Success Rates for NIH Competing Institutional Training Grants.

For more data and statistics, go to NIH's Extramural Training Mechanisms.

Additional Resources

• Quick Facts on Research Training and Career Development Awards

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