Funding News Edition: March 17, 2021 See more articles in this edition
Effective April 8, 2021, NIH will provide childcare support to recipients of National Research Service Award (NRSA) fellowships. Each fellow is eligible to receive $2,500 per budget period toward expenses for childcare provided by a licensed childcare provider. For households where both parents are NRSA fellows, each parent is eligible to receive $2,500.
NIH plans a second phase to the policy, anticipated in fiscal year 2022, in which support for childcare costs will extend to trainees on NRSA training grants.
Childcare costs are permitted for dependent children living in the eligible fellow’s home from birth to under the age of 13 or children who are disabled and under age 18. Childcare costs do not apply to elder or non-child dependent care costs.
How you request the support will depend on the timing of your award, as explained below.
New Fellowship Applications
If you are applying for a fellowship award, request childcare costs in field 28b Supplementation from Other Sources: Amount, Number of Months, Type, and Source on the PHS Fellowship Supplemental Form. Enter “Childcare Costs” as the Type. Cover all applicable years that the project will be funded based on the dependent’s age eligibility factor.
Continuing Applications
For an ongoing fellowship award, submit a request for childcare costs for future years when you submit your next Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR). In Section G.1 of the RPPR, upload a PDF named Childcare_Cost_Request.pdf and specify in the attachment the requested childcare costs amount and number of years requested. Cover all applicable years that the project will remain funded based on the dependent’s age eligibility factor.
Administrative Supplement
For an ongoing fellowship award, make a request for childcare costs in the current year of the project period by applying for an administrative supplement. Instructions are provided in Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Availability of Administrative Supplements for Childcare Costs for Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Fellows and a related Notice of Correction to Application and Submission Information. Of note, you will apply using Administrative Supplements to Existing NIH Grants and Cooperative Agreements (Parent Admin, Supp Clinical Trial Optional) and must list “NOT-OD-21-070” in box 4B Agency Routing Identifier of the SF 424 R&R form.
Learn More
The March 15, 2021 Guide notice provides NIH’s full policy announcement. Find further clarification on NIH’s Childcare Costs—Frequently Asked Questions page.