Institutional Training Program Support Services
As defined by the National Institute of Health (NIH), institutional training programs provide domestic, non-profit, and private/public graduate level academic institutions with funds to provide trainees at the all levels with research training opportunities (source). These programs are funded by training awards, one of which is the Institutional Research Training (T32) Grant.
At FSU, our support services focus on T32 Training Grants.
What is a T32 Training Grant?
The Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Institutional Research Training Grants (T32) are grants that enable institutions to recruit individuals at the predoctoral and/or postdoctoral-level and provide them with research training in a specific shortage area. The goal of these grants is to prepare these trainees for careers that will have a significant impact of the health of the United State public (source).
Why are these grants important to FSU?
Currently, FSU has two T32 Training Grants, both housed in the College of Arts and Sciences.
- The Integrated Clinical Neuroscience (ICN) Training Program
- Principal Investigator(s): Dr. Pamela Keel and Dr. Lisa Eckel
- Housed in the Department of Psychology
- Active since July 2012
- Funded by the NIMH
- The Chemosensory Training Program (CTP)
- Principal Investigator(s): Dr. Debra Fadool
- Housed in the Program of Neuroscience
- Active since July 1995
- Funded by the NIDCD
These type of grants allow FSU to invest in the future of health research in multiple disciplines. The more training grants at FSU, the more predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees the University can support in specific fields of research.
How Should Apply for T32 Training Grants?
It is recommended that mid- to senior-level scholars with prior mentoring experience and a history of federally-funded grants apply for T32 Training Grants.
How do I Apply for a T32 Training Grant?
T32s have parent announcements that are broad funding opportunities that have no specific area of scientific interest. Different NIH institutes and centers can also have specific training grant announcements that focus on a specific scientific area/interest. Therefore, instructions on how to apply for a training grant may vary depending on the funding organization. It is best to follow the NIH How To Apply - Application Guide for Training (T) Instructions. It is important to follow these instructions unless the NOFO states otherwise.
One of the requirements for applying to a T32 training grant is the compilation of Research Training Data Tables. These data tables summarize key information about participating faculty and their trainee to show how the proposed training program will benefit new trainees. For new applications, 8 data tables are often required.
Below are resources that explain these tables and what information they require:
NIH Data Tables Instructions and Sample Tables (PDF)
NIH Research Training Data Tables Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Data Table Guidance
How does FSU support those Applying for Training Grants?
In addition to services provided by the Office of Research Development, TWD maintains a database that contains the required mentor and trainee information for the creation and management of Data Tables. Interested faculty who would like help on their data tables can reach out to Andrea Johnson, MPH for assistance.
For the creation of brand new data tables, we request 4 to 6 months of lead time
For revisions on already created data tables, we request 3 to 4 months of lead time.
For mentor identification and data table creation, we request 4 to 6 months of lead time.
T32 Funding Opportunities
- This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) seeks to enable the development of a translational research workforce capable of participating and/or leading cross-disciplinary team science programs focused on advancing translational research for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and AD-related dementias (ADRD). This NOFO will support institutional training programs for predoctoral and postdoctoral level researchers from various educational backgrounds. The program invites eligible institutions to develop interdisciplinary training programs that will provide trainees with the knowledge and skills necessary to conduct rigorous and cutting-edge basic, translational, behavioral, population-based, and clinical research for AD/ADRD. This NOFO is sponsored by the National Institute of Aging (NIA) and will expire on September 26, 2026.