NIH F-series Fellowships

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has a series of fellowships called the F series, which is named for Ruth L. Kirschstein, MD.  Dr. Kirschstein was a key player in the development of a safe and effective polio vaccine, the first woman director of a major institute at the NIH, and a champion of the importance of basic biomedical research and training programs that provided opportunity to all talented students, especially underrepresented minority students.

While the F-series is only eligible to U.S. citizen or permanent residents (Green Card holders), all Downstate School of Graduate Studies students are encouraged to attend the F30/31/32 workshop. The workshop covers key elements to any fellowship application, f.e. specific aims page and research proposal.

Colloquially, people will frequently refer to the F series as an "F grant" or by the specific type "F31." All F fellowships are meant to fund individuals unlike R01 grants, which fund an entire lab - reagents, equipment, and personnel. The difference between an F30, F31, and F32 is the career track and status of person it supports.

                  F30¹  MD-PhD Trainees ("predoctoral")

                  F31    PhD Trainees ("predoctoral")

F31-Diversity^2*   PhD Trainees ("predoctoral")

                  F32   Postdocs

¹Make sure to pick the PA number for students without NIH-Funded Institutional Predoctoral Dual-Degree Training Programs 

²The purpose of this program is to enhance the diversity of the health-related research workforce by supporting the research training of predoctoral students from population groups that have been shown to be underrepresented in the biomedical, behavioral, or clinical research workforce.

*currently suspended

NIH F-series Deadlines

NIH uses multiple due dates for fellowship applications:

• F30, F31 and F32 (non-AIDS)—at 5pm EST April 8, August 8, and December 8
• AIDS and AIDS-related fellowship applications follow standard AIDS due dates: at 5pm EST May 7, September 7, and January 7

Required Actions for F30/31/32 Applicants

Want to apply for an F fellowship? Great!  Help us help you by following these steps:

1. Unsure about applying? Just talk with Manager of Career and Professional Development. The ideal time for grant applications varies by student and we can figure it out.
2. Inform the Manager of Career and Professional Development (justine.lottermoser@downstate.edu) of your intention to apply. The sooner you meet with her, the better. Fellowship submissions require a lot of preparation and meeting early on will enable to submit a stronger application. In that conversation you will:
   • become familiar with the preparation timeline (min. 7-9 months)
   • be informed of necessary steps to take
   • identify which deadline is most realistic
3. Inform your mentor/co-mentor of your intention to apply. Your mentor/co-mentor will need to set up a meeting with the Manager of Career and Professional Development to go over the mentor portion of the application.
4. Register for your Open Researcher and Contributor ID  (ORCID iD)
   

   Screenshot of ORCID iD sign in page. Click Register now to acquire your unique ORCID iD that you will use throughout your scientific career. On your keyboard, hold down the ctrl or command key while pressing the + or - keys to zoom in and out of the screenshot.

5. Meet with Sponsored Programs Administration (grants-office@downstate.edu). The sooner you meet with them, the better. Fellowship submissions require a lot of preparation and meeting early on will enable to submit a stronger application. They will:
   • generate a NIH eRA Commons ID for you
   • enroll you in the mandatory Compliance Training (40min)
   • familiarize you with the Conflict Disclosure form
6. Link your NIH eRA Commons ID with your ORCID iD. You can associate your ORCID iD from the NIH eRA Commons Personal Profile module. For help, view the NIH instructions or contact the NIH eRA Service Desk. 
    

   

   Screenshot of NIH eRA Commons Personal Profile section. Click on Create or Connect your ORCID iD and follow the instructions to connect your ORCID iD to your eRA Commons profile. The process takes only a few minutes.

   

   Screenshot of the ORCID iD connection instructions from the NIH eRA help website. For further help, view the NIH eRA help website or contact the NIH eRA Service Desk. On your keyboard, hold down the ctrl or command key while pressing the + or - keys to zoom in and out of the screenshot.

7. Write down the PA number associated with the most recent notice of funding opportunity (NOFOs). NOFO was formerly known as FOA or Funding Opportunity Announcement. Each PA number is two letters followed by 5 numeral digits.
   1. to find your number, visit the NIH Individual Fellowship Kiosk
   2. see the slideshow below for step-by-step screenshot instructions

!!! Communicate the right PA number with your Letter of Recommendation writers. The numbers change every few years. If recommenders submit letters to the wrong number, the application is considered incomplete and excluded from review.

Find your Notice Number/PA number by following these steps. Click the left and right arrows in the bottom right corner to navigate the image panels.

Annual F30/31/32 Workshop

The annual NIH F fellowship writing workshop is run by the Manager of Career and Professional Development. It consists of 10 in-person sessions in which is discussed:

• application components
• examples from funded applications
• writing time management
•  selecting which Institute for your application submission
• selecting NIH study section
• understanding NIH Scientific Review and Program Officers