Lana Oconnell
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the U.S. federal government's primary agency for supporting biomedical and behavioral research. It comprises dozens of institutes and centers, including the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). While most NIH grants are awarded to domestic institutions, international students and institutions are eligible for some grants and funding opportunities. This paragraph will explore the accessibility of NIH grants and programs to international students and institutions.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Is NIH open to international students? | Yes, NIH is open to international students. However, there are some restrictions and additional requirements for foreign students and institutions. |
| Citizenship requirements | While most NIH grants go to domestic institutions, U.S. affiliation or citizenship is not required to become a recipient institution or principal investigator (PI) for most grants. However, fellowships, career development awards, and training grants are exceptions and require U.S. citizenship or permanent residency. |
| Funding for international students | NIH has traditionally awarded institutional training grants and fellowships exclusively to U.S. citizens and permanent residents. However, starting in the 2004-05 academic year, NIH launched a training program open to all, regardless of citizenship. |
| International grant applications | International institutions and organizations are eligible for most research project grants from NIH. However, they are ineligible for specific grant types, including Institutional National Research Service Awards, Career Development Awards, Program Project Grants, Center Grants, Resource Grants, and SBIR/STTR grants. |
| Foreign components | Some NIH grant mechanisms support projects awarded to domestic institutions with a foreign component, defined as performing a significant element of the project outside the U.S. or collaborating with investigators at a foreign site. |
| Additional requirements for foreign institutions | Foreign institutions must register for electronic applications and obtain a NATO Commercial and Government Entity code. They may use a standard number in the Employer Identification field of the application package. |
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What You'll Learn
International students can apply for NIH grants
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the U.S. federal government's primary agency for supporting biomedical and behavioral research. Its mission is to expand scientific knowledge to improve public health. Most of the NIH's funding goes to grants and contracts with research organizations in the U.S., but a smaller portion is awarded to institutions in other parts of the world. The NIH is made up of dozens of institutes and centers, including the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).
The NIAID supports basic and applied research to better understand, treat, and prevent infectious, immunologic, and allergic diseases. While most NIAID grants are awarded to domestic institutions, you do not need U.S. affiliation or citizenship to become either a recipient institution or a principal investigator (PI) for most grants. The main exceptions are fellowships, career development awards, and training grants, for which the applicant must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. However, PIs of small business awards are not required to have U.S. citizenship, but they must legally reside in the U.S.
For international applicants, the NIH requires additional steps for foreign institutions to register for electronic application. It is important to refer to the specific Application Requirements when submitting an application. Additionally, international applicants should ensure that their research idea is competitive and important to their field. They can do so by learning about NIH databases and searching for similar funded projects, experts in their field, publications, grants, and study sections that reviewed applications.
It is worth noting that the NIH has traditionally awarded institutional training grants and fellowships exclusively to U.S. citizens and permanent residents. However, this is changing with the launch of a new training program for the 2004-05 academic year that will be open to all, regardless of citizenship. This program, called "Training for a New Interdisciplinary Research Workforce," aims to increase the number of scientists trained in interdisciplinary research and foster inclusivity.
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Foreign students can work on NIH-funded research grants
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the U.S. federal government's primary agency for supporting biomedical and behavioural research. Its mission is to expand scientific knowledge to improve public health. Most of the NIH's funding goes to research organisations in the U.S., with a smaller proportion going to other parts of the world.
The NIH has dozens of institutes and centres, each with a defined research focus. These include the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), and the Fogarty International Center.
In general, foreign and international organisations are eligible to apply for most NIH research project grants. However, they are not eligible for institutional training, program project, centre, resource, small business, or construction grants. There may also be additional eligibility requirements for specific funding opportunities.
Foreign postdoctoral fellows may work on NIH-funded research grants, but they may not work on a National Research Service Award fellowship or training grant. According to the NIH Grants Policy Statement, PIs and other personnel supported by NIH research grants are usually not required to be U.S. citizens, although some programs do have citizenship requirements.
NIH grantees have always been able to support foreign students and postdocs through their research grants. However, the agency's primary means of training undergraduates, graduate students, and postdocs—the National Research Service Award program—was restricted to domestic students under a 1974 law. However, starting in the 2004-05 academic year, NIH is launching a new training program open to all, regardless of citizenship. The program, called "Training for a New Interdisciplinary Research Workforce," aims to increase the number of scientists trained in interdisciplinary research.
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International applicants must meet additional review criteria
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the U.S. federal government's primary agency for supporting biomedical and behavioural research. Its mission is to expand scientific knowledge to improve public health. Most NIH grants go to domestic institutions, but international students can also benefit from its grants and funding opportunities.
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) is one of the dozens of institutes and centres that make up the NIH. NINDS offers grants to non-U.S. scientists and U.S. scientists at foreign institutions. International institutions and organisations are eligible to receive most research project grants from NINDS. However, they are not eligible for Institutional National Research Service Awards, Career Development Awards, Program Project Grants, Center Grants, Resource Grants, and SBIR/STTR grants.
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), another institute within the NIH, also offers funding opportunities for international applicants. While most NIAID grants go to domestic institutions, you do not need U.S. affiliation or citizenship to become either a recipient institution or a principal investigator (PI) for most grants. The main exceptions are fellowships, career development awards, and training grants, for which you must be a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident.
NIH is also launching a training program for the 2004-05 academic year that will be open to all, regardless of citizenship. The program, called "Training for a New Interdisciplinary Research Workforce," aims to increase the number of scientists trained in interdisciplinary research.
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International students are eligible for most research project grants
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the U.S. federal government's primary agency for supporting biomedical and behavioural research. Its mission is to expand scientific knowledge to improve public health. Most of the NIH's funding goes towards grants and contracts for research organisations in the U.S., with a smaller proportion going to other parts of the world.
The NIH is made up of dozens of institutes and centres, each with its own specific focus and mission. One example is the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), which supports basic and applied research to better understand, treat, and prevent infectious, immunologic, and allergic diseases.
While most NIH grants go to domestic institutions, international students are eligible for most research project grants. You do not need U.S. affiliation or citizenship to become either a recipient institution or a principal investigator (PI) for most grants. The main exceptions are fellowships, career development awards, and training grants, for which you must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. However, PIs of small business awards are not required to have U.S. citizenship, but they must legally reside in the U.S.
Some NIH grant mechanisms support projects awarded to domestic institutions with a foreign component. A "foreign component" is defined as the performance of any significant element or segment of the project outside the U.S. by the grantee or a researcher employed by a foreign institution. This can include extensive foreign travel for data collection, surveying, or sampling, or any activity that may impact U.S. foreign policy.
International postdoctoral fellows may work on NIH-funded research grants but not on National Research Service Award fellowships or training grants. While some programs have citizenship requirements, this is not usually the case for PIs and other personnel supported by NIH research grants.
It is important to note that there may be additional steps and requirements for foreign institutions and international applicants when applying for NIH grants. For example, foreign institutions must obtain a NATO Commercial and Government Entity code when applying electronically, and there may be special budget requirements.
NIH also offers specific grant opportunities for international collaboration, such as supporting interdisciplinary research on HIV-associated malignancies in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) through collaborative consortia involving institutions from both LMICs and the United States.
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NIH grants are primarily for US citizens and permanent residents
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the U.S. federal government's primary agency for supporting biomedical and behavioural research. Its mission is to expand scientific knowledge to improve public health. Most of the NIH's funding goes towards grants and contracts for research organisations in the U.S. and, to a lesser extent, other parts of the world.
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) also states that you do not need US affiliation or citizenship to become a NINDS grantee. However, if you are working at a US institution that is receiving the award, you must remain there long enough to finish your project.
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), an NIH institute, supports basic and applied research to better understand, treat, and prevent infectious, immunologic, and allergic diseases. NIAID provides funding opportunities for both international and domestic applications.
In addition, foreign postdoctoral fellows may work on NIH-funded research grants, but they may not work on a National Research Service Award fellowship or training grant. According to the NIH Grants Policy Statement, PIs and other personnel supported by NIH research grants are usually not required to be US citizens, although some programs do have citizenship requirements.
Furthermore, some NIH grant mechanisms may support projects awarded to a domestic institution with a foreign component. A "foreign component" is defined as the performance of any significant element or segment of the project outside the US by the grantee or a researcher employed by a foreign institution, regardless of whether grant funds are used.
NIH is also quietly launching a training program for the 2004-05 academic year that will be open to all, regardless of citizenship. The program, called "Training for a New Interdisciplinary Research Workforce," aims to increase the number of scientists trained in interdisciplinary research.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, NIH is open to international students. However, most NIH grants go to domestic institutions.
International students do not need U.S. affiliation or citizenship to become either a recipient institution or a principal investigator (PI) for most grants. However, international students are not eligible for fellowships, career development awards, and training grants, for which they must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
International students can work on NIH-funded research grants, but they cannot work on National Research Service Award fellowships or training grants. Some NIH grant mechanisms may support projects awarded to a domestic institution with a "foreign component".
A "foreign component" is defined as the performance of any significant element or segment of the project outside the U.S. by the grantee or a researcher employed by a foreign institution. Activities that would meet this definition include the involvement of human subjects or animals, extensive foreign travel for data collection, and any activity that may impact U.S. foreign policy.
