New Program Will Boost Aspiring Clinician Scientists

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Through its new Medical Scientist Partnership Program (MSPP), NIH will sponsor predoctoral students pursuing both a clinical doctoral degree (e.g., M.D., D.V.M., D.D.S., D.N.P.) and a biomedical research doctoral degree (i.e., Ph.D.). MSPP support will come in two forms:

  • Placement into an NIH Intramural lab for Ph.D. dissertation research
  • Support for clinical degree training, i.e., stipend, tuition, fees, and allowances

Complete details are available in the notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) NIH Medical Scientist Partnership Program (FM1, Clinical Trial Not Allowed), though we’ll cover several key aspects of this novel initiative below.

Two Tracks

The NOFO delineates two tracks—one for current undergraduate students and recent graduates (post-bacs), the other for first-year students at clinical degree training schools.

On both tracks, MSPP scholars will take a leave of absence from their clinical degree programs after their second year to pursue Ph.D. dissertation research within NIH’s Intramural Research Program (IRP), then return to complete the clinical degree. During the research phase, MSPP scholars will be financially supported by IRP. The key difference between the two tracks lies in their onramps.

Track 1

Year

Final BA/MA Year

Clinical School Year 1

Clinical School Year 2

Ph.D. Research (multiple years)

Clinical School Year 3

Clinical School Year 4

Funds

Apply

MSPP FM1

MSPP FM1

IRP Stipend

MSPP FM1

MSPP FM1

Track 2

Year

Clinical School Year 1

Clinical School Year 2

Ph.D. Research (multiple years)

Clinical School Year 3

Clinical School Year 4

Funds

Apply

MSPP FM1

IRP Stipend

MSPP FM1

MSPP FM1

Keep in mind, by the time of award (rather than application submission), the applicant must have a baccalaureate degree and be matriculated into either a combined degree program (e.g., M.D./Ph.D.) or a clinical degree program and a separate Ph.D. program.

In the application itself, the candidate is not required to identify the clinical training degree school, dissertation research project, or dissertation mentor. NIH will collect those details as part of the just-in-time process that occurs between selecting an application for funding and issuing an official award.

Benefits of Being at IRP

Collectively, NIH’s intramural laboratories are one of the largest biomedical research institutions in the world, with approximately 1,200 principal investigators (PIs) and more than 4,000 postdoctoral fellows conducting basic, translational, and clinical research. IRP can facilitate opportunities to conduct both long-term and high-impact science that would be difficult to undertake without its unique resources and funding.

Plus, IRP covers many potential areas of research relevant to clinician scientists. Examples include biological chemistry, biophysics, bioinformatics, cellular and molecular biology, computational biosciences, epidemiology, developmental biology, genetics, immunology, neuroscience, oncology, biomedicine, pharmacology, physiology, bioethics, and technology development.

While at IRP, MSPP scholars will participate in the Graduate Partnerships Program (GPP), following GPP’s regular processes for admission, placement, and support.

Through the Looking Glass

This novel initiative is unusual. Each application’s PI will be the student themselves, and for Track 1 that student is likely to be at a different institution now than the one to which NIH will later grant the FM1 award.

Moreover, most undergraduate and first-year medical students are unlikely to have experience seeking award funding. Applying for NIH support is arduous and writing a compelling grant application is a skill within itself.

For these reasons, we expect mentors will play a critical role in the success of MSPP. Mentors are more familiar with NIH and its funding processes, likelier than their students to read this article, and best positioned to spur MSPP applications on to fruition.

Application Details

There are three application submission deadlines: August 8, 2023; August 8, 2024; and August 8, 2025.

Applicants, you will need some lead time to prepare your submission package. Track 1 candidates should contact NIAID staff at least 90 days before the deadline to receive NOFO-specific instructions (NIAID will be acting as the application’s recipient institution on your behalf). Track 2 candidates should contact their clinical research training school’s business or grant administration office at least 90 days before applying.

Moreover, MSPP applications require reference letters, and those can take time!

All applicants and mentors: Direct any inquiries about this NOFO to NIAID’s Training Helpdesk at NIHMSPPQuestions@niaid.nih.gov or 301-761-6203.

You might also find answers to your questions at NIH Medical Scientist Partnership Program (MSPP)—Guidance for Applicants. Over time, we will update that page with additional clarifications as needed.

Contact Us

Email us at deaweb@niaid.nih.gov for help navigating NIAID’s grant and contract policies and procedures.

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