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Fellowships

Page at a Glance:

Overview:

NIH fellowships are awards made to UCSD on behalf of individuals, who are usually graduate students or postdoctoral scholars, for the purpose of facilitating the educational and training of the individual.  Some fellowships are available for more senior scientists who are changing the directions of their research.  NIH encourages potential applicants to discuss their plans with one of the NIH fellowship contacts prior to proposal preparation.

 

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Fellowship Mechanisms:

All fellowship opportunities are listed in the NIH Fellowship Kiosk.

  • F30 - Individual Predoctoral NRSA for MD/PhD. Fellowships:
    • Individual fellowships for predoctoral training that leads to the combined MD/PhD
  • F31 - Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award:
    • To provide predoctoral individuals with supervised research training in specified health and health-related areas leading toward the research degree (e.g., PhD).
  • F32 - Postdoctoral Individual National Research Service Award:
    • To provide postdoctoral research training to individuals to broaden their scientific background and extend their potential for research in specified health-related areas.
  • F33 - National Research Service Awards for Senior Fellows:
    • To provide opportunities for experienced scientists to make major changes in the direction of research careers, to broaden scientific background, to acquire new research capabilities, to enlarge command of an allied research field, or to take time from regular professional responsibilities for the purpose of increasing capabilities to engage in health-related research.

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Submitting your Proposal:

Beginning August 8, 2009, all NIH fellowship applications must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov.  While applicants and their departments are responsible for completing the application package, an authorized institutional signing official must perform the actual submission.

 

General Campus Postdoctoral and Senior fellowship proposals are submitted by whichever OCGA analyst normally handles that particular sponsoring NIH institute.  See those staff assignments here.  Postdoctoral and Senior fellowship proposals are submitted by Elizabeth Meier for SIO and by Rachel Cook for Health Sciences.  Rachel Cook also handles MD/PhD and PharmD proposals.  Other Predoctoral (graduate student) fellowship proposals from all campus areas are submitted by the Office of Graduate Studies (OGS).  At OGS, contact Zoe Ziliak Michel at 858-822-2938 or e-mail to gradadvisor@ucsd.edu. 

 

Once the application package is completed with all files attached, email the package, the budget workbook, and the signed UCSD Fellowship Assurance form to the person who will submit the proposal.  Proofread your application carefully, and ensure that it is ready for submission.

 

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Proposal Preparation:

Advance Preparation

  • Read OCGA’s general information about Grants.gov here or take OCGA’s 30-minute online Introduction to Grants.gov e-learning class.
  • Have an appropriate version of Adobe Software installed on your computer, as specified here.
  • Register in the eRA Commons with the “PI” role, as explained here.
  • Read about the 2010 changes to the NIH Fellowship instructions here.

Required Forms and Instructions:

  • UCSD Fellowship Assurance Form
    • This form must be signed by the applicant, mentor, and department business office.  RES forms, COI forms, and UCSD numbers are not required for NIH fellowships.
  • Fellowship Budget Workbook
    • Select the stipend levels from the final reference sheet to complete the budget sheet for your specific type of fellowship application.
    • This internal form will be used by the OCGA/HSSPPO/SIO analyst who reviews and submits the proposal
  • SF424 R&R application package
    • Locate the specific applicable fellowship funding opportunity announcement at the NIH Fellowship Kiosk.
    • Within that specific funding announcement, click on the grey box labeled “Apply for Grant Electronically” to download the correct SF424 R&R application package to your computer.
  • NIH’s Individual Fellowship Application Guide SF424 (R&R)
    • These are very detailed NIH instructions for completing the fellowship application forms.  They should be used along with the instructions in your specific funding announcement.

Proposal Preparation Tips:

  • SF424 R&R application package, in general
    • See the OCGA instructions for preparing new NIH electronic grant proposals here.  Ignore any requests for UCSD proposal numbers.
    • See an example of a General Campus Fellowship SF424 R&R package here.
    • For Health Sciences instructions and examples, see the information here.
  • SF424 R&R Cover Component
    • Use the exact abbreviations, code numbers, etc. provided on OCGA’s Sample SF424 R&R Quick Reference. 
    • Graduate student applicants should use the OGS version posted here and refer to the OGS Fellowship web site for additional information.
    • The Estimated Project Funding (box 15) should be calculated based on the specific funding announcement, the standard NIH rates for Stipends and the Institutional Allowances listed here, and the UCSD tuition and fees listed here. For future years, escalate the UCSD tuition and fees by 14% each year. Do not include any indirect costs. Use the Fellowship Budget Workbook, here.
  • PHS Fellowship Supplemental Form
    • This is where the sections of the research training plan are attached.
    • Follow the Individual Fellowship Application Guide SF424 (R&R) instructions, paying particular attention to the page limits for specific attachments.
    • The UCSD Research Ethics Program includes options for the required section on training in the responsible conduct of research. To see sample language click here.
    • Please note that the Tuition and Fee budget cannot include Health Insurance costs.  Those must be paid from the Institutional Allowance.
  • Other Project Information Component
    • Additional attachments at line 12 are required, providing information about the sponsor/co-sponsor/mentor, collaborators, and referees.
  • Senior/Key Person Profile
    • Most information for the applicant (PD/PI) will be pre-populated from the SF424 R&R cover component.
    • The PI must add his/her eRA Commons user name in the box labeled “Credential, e.g., agency login”.
    • Pre- and Postdoctoral applicants must attach the special Fellowship Applicant Biographical Sketch, while Senior Fellowship applicants use the standard NIH Biosketch.
    • Additional profiles, with attached standard Biosketches, must be completed for the sponsor, and any co-sponsors.
  • Cover Letter
    • NIH requires the inclusion of a cover letter listing specific information.  A cover letter is also required for a late application (for example, when correcting submission errors).  Follow the instructions in the Individual Fellowship Application Guide SF424 (R&R).
  • Letters of Reference
    • The PI must arrange to have three to five letters of reference uploaded to a special Commons web site using special referee forms by the proposal submission deadline.
    • Names of all referees must have been provided in an attachment to line 11 on the Other Project Information Component.

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Post-Award Actions:

Activation Notice (PHS 416-5)

  • When a new fellowship award is received, the Activation Notice must be submitted to NIH to indicate the desired start date.
  • You must include the address for mailing checks only if you will be located in a foreign country. Otherwise, leave that field blank.
  • This form must be signed by the Fellow, Sponsor, and the UCSD official who signed the proposal. A copy must be sent from the department business office to OPAFS. The fellow is responsible for sending the signed original form to NIH.

Payback Agreement (PHS 6031)

  • Postdoctoral Fellows must also sign and submit the Payback Agreement to NIH with their Activation Notice.

Continuation Application/Progress Report (PHS 416-9)

  • Two months prior to each succeeding year of the fellowship, an Individual Fellowship Progress Report
    for Continuation Support     must be submitted to NIH. 
  • These applications still use paper forms, so the face page will be signed by the same office that submitted the original proposal, and the fellow will be responsible for mailing the proposal.

Termination Notice (PHS 416-7)

  • Effective January 1, 2011, the use of the eRA Commons xTrain system is mandatory to electronically prepare and submit PHS 416-7 Termination Notices.  After January 1, paper termination notices will not be accepted.   Please see the Tip Sheet for details of preparation and routing among the Fellow, Sponsor, and Business Official (BO).  Only the BO can submit the form.

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Fellowship Assistance:

Graduate Student Fellowships:

  • For all issues related to proposal submission, activation, continuation, and termination of Graduate Student fellowships, contact Zoe Ziliak Michel at 858-822-2938 or e-mail at gradadvisor@ucsd.edu.
  • Questions regarding other aspects of Graduate Student fellowships should be directed to Kathryn Murphy at 858-534-3724 or email at kjmurphy@ucsd.edu.

MD/PhD, PharmD, Postdoctoral, and Senior Fellowships:

  • For official actions related to proposal submission, activation, and continuation of these fellowships contact the following:
  • Submission of Payback Forms to NIH is the responsibility of the fellow
  • Submission of Termination Forms will be the responsibility of the fellow’s departmental business office.
  • Contact Jennifer Oh at 858-534-6632 or email at jmoh@ucsd.edu with any questions about postdoctoral policies in general.

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Related Resources:

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