Office of Research and Project Administration

NIH has announced that it is formally adopting the policy below for the funding of tuition, fees, and health insurance for Kirschstein-NRSA awards, and will continue to apply it to all future awards.  Note that we have already been using this policy (for new grants awarded in fiscal year (FY) 2007 and onwards and for non-competing continuation years of institutional research training grants that received competing awards in FY 2006). 

NOT-OD-10-073 (below and at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-10-073.html) confirms that this policy is now final. 

Please contact your ORPA Research Administrator with any questions.

Donna Beyea - x5-8037

Anne Corriveau – x3-2137 

Gayle Elledge - x 5-1502

Brenda Kavanaugh - x5-1504

Tammie Martin - x3-3960

Jane Tolbert - x5-4210

Cheryl Williams - x5-1503

 

Final Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (Kirschstein-NRSA) Policy for Tuition, Fees, and Health Insurance on Training Grants and Fellowships

Notice Number: NOT-OD-10-073

Key Dates
Release Date: March 24, 2010

Issued by
National Institutes of Health (NIH), (http://www.nih.gov)

Background and Purpose

In Fiscal Year 2007, the NIH implemented a major policy change in the awarding of tuition, fees, and health insurance on all Kirschstein-NRSA training grants and fellowships (NOT-OD-06-093).  In order to ensure consistency in awarding these costs and balance the need to maintain the preparation of future investigators with a desire to moderate the financial impact on extramural institutions, NIH modified existing budget categories and established formulas and caps for calculating the tuition and fees to be awarded.   At that time, NIH committed to evaluating the policy change through analysis of information submitted in annual progress reports.  

After evaluating the effects of these changes, and finding minimal effects on training grant rebudgeting and the numbers of trainees and fellows supported, the NIH announces that it is formally adopting the policy for the funding of tuition, fees, and health insurance, and will continue to apply it to all future awards. 

Final Policy

Under the now final funding policy:   

Tuition and Fees:

• For Institutional Training grants, the amount awarded for tuition will be based on the following formulas:  60 percent of each requested predoctoral trainee’s tuition and fees up to a cap of $16,000 annually, or $21,000 for dual-degree students.  At the postdoctoral level, tuition and fees will be 60 percent of each requested postdoctoral trainee’s tuition and fees up to a cap of $4,500 per year, or $16,000 for those in formal degree-granting programs.  For postdoctoral trainees, grantees should keep in mind that tuition is limited to that required for specific courses in support of the approved training program, and should be identified in the application. 

Grantees are reminded that these formulas are for award calculation purposes only.  Grantees should continue to request full needs in all competing applications; the formula will be applied at the time of award.  Tuition and Fees continue to be awarded in a single budget category and unless restricted, grantees are free to expend these funds as best meets the actual needs of supported trainees.  Similarly, unless otherwise restricted, institutions retain the authority to rebudget training grant funds between the stipend and tuition categories without prior NIH approval.  In the annual progress report, grantees must continue to explain any rebudgeting from stipends into tuition and fees that has occurred in the current budget period, and indicate whether rebudgeting is planned for the upcoming budget period.

• For Individual Fellowships, tuition and fees will be provided using the same formulas; however, for postdoctoral fellowships these costs continue to be allowable only if they are required for specific courses in support of the research training experience supported by the fellowship.

Health Insurance:

• For Institutional Training grants, health insurance will remain as part of training-related expenses.  That budget category will continue to be awarded based on $4,200 per predoctoral trainee and $7,850 per postdoctoral trainee. 

• For Individual Fellowships, health insurance will remain as part of the institutional allowance, which will continue to be awarded at $4,200 for predoctoral fellowships and $7,850 for postdoctoral fellowships.   Individual Fellowships to Federal and For-Profit sponsoring institutions will continue to be awarded at $3,100 for predoctorates and $6,750 for postdoctorates respectively.

Further details about current levels effective for Kirschstein-NRSA stipends, tuition, fees, health insurance, and training related expenses can be found in NOT-OD-10-047.

Inquiries

Inquiries concerning this Notice may be directed to:

Office of Extramural Programs
National Institutes of Health
Email: NIHTrain@mail.nih.gov

**************************************************************

Jane Tolbert
Senior Research Administrator
Office of Research & Project Administration
University of Rochester
503 Hylan Building
RC Box 270140
Rochester, NY 14627
Phone: 585-275-4210
Fax: 585-275-9492
Email: jtolbert@orpa.rochester.edu