Research Training and Career Development grants support special training in laboratory animal science, comparative pathology, and comparative medicine at the pre- and post-doctoral levels through both individual and institutional awards. Prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to discuss their applications with DCM program staff prior to submission.

NCRR's Division of Comparative Medicine (DCM) supports research training and career development through the following awards:

• (K01) Special Emphasis Research Career Awards (SERCA)
  The SERCA in Pathology and Comparative Medicine provides five years of support to assist veterinarians motivated toward research careers to develop new skills and knowledge necessary to become independent biomedical investigators in animal-based research. Candidates for the SERCA must have post-graduate experience in animal medicine and plan to direct their careers to biomedical investigations that explore animal models. The SERCA offers in-depth research experiences in a variety of research areas (basic, applied, and clinical) related to a wide range of biological disciplines. The applicant's research should focus on a central area such as animal models, pathology, biotechnology, normative biology, animal disease, or animal welfare. Applications for a K01 award must be submitted on Public Health Service (PHS) Form 398 and include the additional instructions for Research Career Awards. For additional information, refer to the NCRR Division of Comparative Medicine Program Guidelines.
   
• (K26) Midcareer Investigator Awards in Mouse Pathobiology Research
  This award provides support for midcareer (within 15 years of completing their specialty training) pathobiologists, allowing them protected time (25-50 percent of effort) to devote to mouse pathobiology research and to act as mentors for beginning investigators, thereby increasing the pool of investigators who can conduct mouse pathology studies. Applicants for this award should hold a degree in veterinary medicine (D.V.M. or equivalent) from an institution recognized by the American Veterinary Medical Association. However, individuals who have other degrees, such as clinical (M.D.) or research (Ph.D.), may also apply if they have been certified or have demonstrated the necessary expertise to perform high-quality, funded research in mouse pathobiology. Award candidates must be working in a research environment at an institution that has a well-established research and career-development program and is committed to the candidate’s becoming a productive, independent investigator. This award provides up to five years of support. More information can be obtained from the Midcareer Investigator Award in Mouse Pathobiology Research program announcement. Applications for a K26 award must be submitted on the Public Health Service (PHS) Form 398, using the instructions in Section IV (Research Career Awards) as appropriate. Receipt dates for new applications are: February 1, June 1, and October 1 of each year. For additional information, refer to the NCRR Division of Comparative Medicine Program Guidelines.

• (F32) National Research Service Awards: Individual Postdoctoral Fellowships:
  These awards provide postdoctoral fellowships to ensure that an adequate number of well-trained biomedical and behavioral scientists will be available in the future. The DCM supports up to three years of training for NRSA candidates—U.S. citizens and noncitizen nationals—who possess a degree in veterinary medicine (D.V.M. or V.M.D.), Ph.D. degree, or equivalents, from recognized academic institutions. This training award provides individuals with the knowledge and experience needed to conduct independent research. (For a listing of possible training research areas related to comparative medicine, see Investigator-Initiated Research Grants.) Applicants for these fellowships must arrange their appointments to academic institutions, pursue full-time research activities with the guidance of well-qualified senior experts, and include carefully selected graduate credit courses in their training programs. Applications for an F32 award should be submitted on Form PHS-416-1. For additional information concerning F32 applications, read the Program Announcement in the NIH Guide. Receipt dates for new applications are: April 5, August 5, and December 5 of each year. For additional information, refer to the NCRR Division of Comparative Medicine Program Guidelines.
   
• (T32) National Research Service Award: Institutional Research Training Grants
  These grants support training of highly qualified veterinarians for research careers in biomedical areas related to comparative medicine and/or comparative pathology. An important requirement of institutional training programs sponsored by NCRR is that all applicants must have completed their veterinary medical training and at least 1 year of training in a clinical discipline or comparative medicine and/or comparative pathology prior to their acceptance as a research trainee. The institutional training environment must include a high-quality core of academic scientists in the area(s) of comparative medicine and/or comparative pathology. The research accomplished under this training program should result in first-author publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals and should provide the trainee with the necessary tools to successfully compete for independent grant funding. For additional information, read the NRSA Institutional Research Training Notice in the NIH Guide. Applications for a T32 award must be submitted on the Public Health Service (PHS) Form 398, which contains special instructions for T32 awards. Receipt dates for new applications are: January 10, May 10, and September 10 of each year. For additional information, refer to the NCRR Division of Comparative Medicine Program Guidelines.
   
• (T32) Training for Veterinary Students in Animal-Oriented, Hypothesis-Based Research: Institutional Training Grants
  NCRR awards these grants to eligible research institutions to support individuals pursuing a degree in veterinary medicine (D.V.M. or V.M.D.) for a one-year training opportunity in hypothesis-based laboratory animal medicine, comparative medicine or pathology, or related areas in biomedical research. Applicant institions must have the staff and facilities required to provide a high-quality training environment in biomedical research for the supervised and mentored training of veterinary students pursuing research careers. Applicant institutions must meet the basic eligibility criteria outlined for T32 applications. The applicant should describe a plan for widely advertising the program and for recruiting underrepresented minorities. NCRR will support a maximum of three trainees for a 12-month duration per budget period. All training activities must be on a full-time basis during the training sequence. Institutions that train veterinary students in animal-oriented, hypothesis-based research grants must submit their T32 applications on the Public Health Service (PHS) Form 398. Applications may be submitted for receipt dates of January 10, May 10, or September 10 of each year. For additional information, refer to the NCRR Division of Comparative Medicine Program Guidelines.
   
• (T35) Professional Student Short-Term Research Training Grants
  NCRR awards these grants to eligible biomedical research institutions to support three months of training for veterinary students in laboratory animal science, laboratory animal medicine, comparative medicine, and comparative pathology. Applications may be submitted for receipt dates of January 10, May 10, or September 10 of each year, and institutions can have only one active T35 award at any time (other NIH ICs and PHS awarding units also sponsor T35 awards). Institutions must have the staff and facilities required for the proposed program and be responsible for the selection and appointment of trainees. Grantee institutions are expected to seek applications from students for this training by widely advertising these opportunities. The training must be multi-disciplinary in nature and designed to stimulate the student’s interest in biomedical and behavioral research. Awards may be requested for up to five years and are renewable. The objective is to attract highly-qualified veterinary students for biomedical and biobehavioral research careers. Applicant institutions must meet the basic eligibility criteria outlined for T32 applications. The application should describe a plan for widely advertising the program and for the recruitment of minorities that are presently underrepresented nationally in the biomedical and behavioral sciences. Training is not restricted to activities in a single discipline. Placement of students in an institution’s strongest research and research training programs that may involve basic or clinical research, or a combination of both, is encouraged. Applicants are further expected to employ approaches that will nurture a sense among trainees of belonging to a community of scientists. NCRR’s T35 grants will support a minimum of four, and a maximum of 10, trainees per budget period. All training activities must be on a full-time basis during a training sequence. Applications for a T35 award must be submitted on the Public Health Service (PHS) Form 398. For additional information, refer to the NCRR Division of Comparative Medicine Program Guidelines.

• Special Emphasis Research Career Award (SERCA) in Pathology and Comparative Medicine (K01) Guidelines (A supplement to the Comparative Medicine Program Guidelines - January 1999)

For further information, contact: