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Bridges to the Doctorate Research Training Program (T32)

National Institutes of Health

The goal of the Bridges to the Doctorate Research Training Program is to promote broad participation in the biomedical research workforce by strengthening research training environments and expanding the pool of well-trained master’s students who transition to and complete biomedical Ph.Ds.

Specifically, this funding announcement provides support to eligible, domestic organizations to develop and implement effective, evidence-informed approaches to biomedical graduate training and mentoring to support the development of a biomedical research workforce that will benefit from the full range of perspectives, experiences and backgrounds needed to advance discovery. NIGMS expects organizations to engage in outreach and recruitment activities to encourage individuals from underrepresented groups to participate in the program. The proposed research training programs will incorporate didactic, research, and career development elements to prepare trainees for careers that will have a significant impact on the health-related research needs of the nation.

This program requires strong partnerships between at least two postsecondary educational organizations: one that supports training at the master’s degree level (Master’s-Training Organization), and a separate organization that supports biomedical Ph.D. training (Ph.D.-Training Organization). Eligible organizations for these partnerships include:

Master’s Training Organization:
- An organization where the highest biomedically-related research degree offered is a master’s degree, OR
- An organization that is a Historically Black Colleges and University (HBCU) or a Tribally Controlled Colleges and University (TCCU), including those that offer biomedical Ph.Ds.
Ph.D.-Training Organization: An organization that grants its own biomedical Ph.Ds.

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) does not allow appointed Trainees to lead an independent clinical trial, but does allow them to obtain research experience in a clinical trial led by a mentor or co-mentor.

NIGMS will only support one Bridges to the Doctorate award per applicant organization. Interested applicants from within Duke should contact fundopps@duke.edu as early as possible.

Deadlines:

Application Due Date(s): September 27, 2024; September 26, 2025; September 28, 2026

PAR-24-232 Expiration Date: September 29, 2026

Specialties

Curriculum Development

Medical

Medical - Clinical Science

Social Sciences

Environmental & Life Sciences

Medical - Basic Science

Medical - Translational

Eligibility Requirements

Each application requires a partnership/consortium between at least two postsecondary educational organizations:

An organization that supports training at the master’s degree level (Master’s-Training Organization), and
A separate organization that supports biomedical Ph.D. training (Ph.D.-Training Organization).

Eligible Master’s-Training Organizations:

Organizations where the master’s degree is the highest biomedically-related research degree offered are eligible to serve as a Master’s-Training Organization. An organization where the master’s degree is the highest graduate degree offered in the biomedical sciences but offers a doctoral program in unrelated disciplines is eligible to participate as a Master’s-Training Organization.
Additionally, HBCUs and TCCUs, including those that offer biomedical Ph.Ds., are eligible to serve as a Master’s-Training Organization in a Bridges to the Doctorate application.

Eligible Ph.D.-Training Organizations:

Any organization that grants its own Ph.Ds. in the biomedical sciences can serve as a Ph.D.-Training Organization, including HBCUs and TCCUs.

An eligible organization can serve as either a Master’s- or Ph.D.-Training Organization, but not both, in a single application.

An organization may only serve as the applicant institution on one Bridges the Doctorate Research Training Program. However, an eligible organization may participate in more than one Bridges to the Doctorate Research Training Program as a partner if multiple partnerships are strongly justified by the potential to enhance the programs' and organizations’ outcomes.

The application must be submitted by the eligible organization with a unique entity identifier (UEI) and a unique NIH eRA Institutional Profile File (IPF) number. For organizations with multiple campuses (e.g., main, satellite, etc.), eligibility can be considered for an individual campus only if a UEI and a unique NIH eRA IPF number are established for the individual campus . For organizations that use one UEI or NIH IPF number for multiple campuses, eligibility is determined for the campuses together.

Organizations funded through this NOFO are eligible for other NIGMS Training programs provided the other eligibility criteria are met. To avoid any potential for overlap, applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the program officers of each program before applying.