The National Institutes of Health Graduate Partnership Program

Description: The Graduate Partnerships Program (GPP) links the National Institutes of Health (NIH) with universities in the graduate level training of students. Through university partnerships the NIH strengthens and expands its role as a provider of excellent training for the biomedical scientists of the future. The mission of the GPP is to establish and foster graduate education partnerships with national and international universities and institutions dedicated to quality education in biomedical basic and clinical research while providing the infrastructure and community support needed by the students in these programs.
Dollar Value: Funding for Graduate students who have applied to and are now enrolled in NIH-University partnership programs receive an NIH Intramural Research Training Award for stipend, health benefits, and tuition support as needed. This award is renewable up to five years based on the student's progress toward degree.
Number of Scholarships: Varies with each partnership program.
Eligibility:
  • Prospective Ph.D. Students - Limited to United States Citizens and Permanent Residents who wish to pursue a Ph.D. in the biomedical sciences can apply to one or more of the NIH-University partnership programs. The available programs are separated into two groups, depending on the location of the university: National University Partnerships and International University Partnerships.
  • Current Ph.D. Students - Individuals already enrolled in a Ph.D. program wishing to perform part or all of their dissertation research at the NIH may develop an Individual Agreement with an NIH Investigator and their graduate university. Individual Agreements are open to United States Citizens, Permanent Residents, and Foreign Nationals enrolled in a Ph.D. or equivalent program.
Application Procedures: There is an online application process on the website. To be considered for the formalized programs applicants must:
  • Submit both the university application and the online GPP application
  • Be a U.S. citizen or have permanent resident immigration status
  • Meet the admission deadline established by each program
Deadlines: Varies with programs and institutions.
Contact:
National Institutes of Health - DHHS
2 Center Drive: Building 2 / Room 2E06
Bethesda, Maryland 20892-0234
Email: gpp@nih.gov

Frequently asked questions

Are All Graduate Students at NIH in a University Partnership Program?
Graduate students from dozens of universities across the United States and globally come to the NIH to perform part or all of their dissertation research within the NIH Intramural Research Laboratories.
Prospective Ph.D. Graduate Students - Individuals wishing to pursue a Ph.D. in the biomedical sciences should review the list of formal NIH-University partnership programs available.
Current Ph.D. Graduate Students - Individuals already enrolled in a Ph.D. program wishing to perform part or all of their dissertation research at the NIH may develop an Individual Agreement with an NIH Investigator and their graduate university.
Why consider NIH Graduate Partnership Program for graduate studies?
Until recently, only graduate students able to take advantage of the incredible research resources of NIH did so through informal arrangements between their home graduate school and an NIH scientist. In the late 1990s, the leadership of NIH recognized that this important national resource was woefully underutilized in the preparation of the "next generation" of biomedical scientists. The Graduate Partnerships Program (GPP) was Grafted to take advantage of the best of both worlds - the academic environment of highly respected universities and the breadth and depth of research at NIH. But the goal has not been to create 'just another graduate school' to mimic the many excellent university programs to choose from. The goal is to create a different kind of graduate experience, one which purposefully focuses on skills of the future scientist and how discoveries will be made in the decades ahead.
How many Graduate Students are at the NIH?
The NIH has over 320 graduate students from 70 universities doing dissertation research in the 21 institutes and centers. The NIH partnerships accept 50-75 new graduate students each year. Graduating students recommend the NIH to other graduate students and prospective students, citing the unparallel resources and highly supportive experts available to them. In future years, the goal is to increase the number of graduate students at NIH to ~500.
What Financial Support is Available to Graduate Students at the NIH?
Funding for Prospective Graduate Students — Graduate students who have applied to and are now enrolled in NIH-University partnership programs receive an NIH Intramural Research Training Award for stipend, health benefits, and tuition support as needed. This award is renewable up to five years based on the student's progress toward degree. The Fall 2005 stipend level is $24,000.00. Stipend levels increase yearly.
How does a candidate apply to the NIH for Dissertation Research?
Students with an undergraduate degree wishing to pursue a Ph.D. can apply to one of the many formal NIH-University partnership programs by requesting a formal application from the university sponsoring the program. Student must submit an application to both the university and GPP as directed by the GPP website.