1. National Institutes of Health (NIH) - Fellowship (F) Grants
Overview of Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards (NRSA) Individual Fellowship Funding Opportunities
Theory and Basic Application
Next Apr 8 except F31 Diversity Apr 13
What is your background – Dept Administrator, student, post-doc?
Do you have experience with NIH Fellowship Grants?
Do you have experience with NIH grants applications?
Do you have experience with COEUS proposals?
Office of Sponsored Projects – NIH Assorted Training

2. What are NIH Fellowship (F) Grants?
The NIH Fellowship Grant series provides graduate students and postdoctoral researchers research education/training support thru the F30, F31, F32 mechanisms.
The series also provides an avenue for experienced senior scientists to make research direction changes in their career or expand their research expertise by obtaining new research skills as an independent investigator (F33)
The overall goal of the NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) program is to help ensure that we have a diverse pool of highly trained scientists in appropriate scientific disciplines to address the Nation's biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research needs.
Applicant proposes a research project and training program that falls in a research area within the scientific mission of the participating Institutes. The proposed research training must offer an opportunity to enhance the fellow's understanding of the health-related sciences and extend his/her potential for a productive, independent research career. The training should provide the applicant with the opportunity to interact with members of the scientific community at appropriate scientific meetings and workshops

3. The mentored research training experience is expected to provide:
A strong foundation in research design, methods, and analytic techniques;
Enhanced ability to conceptualize and think through research problems with increasing independence;
Experience with & conduct of state-of-the-art research methods
Skills for the next stage of the applicant’s research career;
Presentation of research findings & publication as first author; and
Interactions with scientific community at scientific meetings/ workshops.

4. Available NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA Individual Fellowship Funding Opportunities
Mechanism
Program Description
F30
Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards for Individual Predoctoral MD/PhD and Other Dual Doctoral Degree Fellows (Parent F30) – PA
F31
Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards for Individual Predoctoral Fellows (Parent F31) - PA
Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards for Individual Predoctoral Fellowships to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research (Parent F31-Diversity) - PA
F32
Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards (NRSA) for Individual Postdoctoral Fellows (Parent F32) - PA
F33
Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards (NRSA) for Individual Senior Fellows (Parent F33) - PA
PA Purpose of this individual predoctoral research training fellowship is to enable promising predoctoral students to obtain individualized, mentored research training from outstanding faculty sponsors while performing dissertation research in scientific health-related fields relevant to the missions of the participating NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs) during the tenure of the award. The proposed mentored research training must reflect the applicant’s dissertation research project and is expected to clearly enhance the individual’s potential to develop into a productive, independent research scientist. Provides up to five years of support for research training which leads to the PhD or equivalent research degree, the combined MD/PhD degree, or another formally combined professional degree and research doctoral degree in the biomedical, behavioral, or clinical sciences. Applicants for the Kirschstein-NRSA F31 award must propose a dissertation research project and training program. (Students in a dual-degree program (e.g. MD/PhD, DO/PhD, DDS/PhD, or DVM/PhD) who seek support for both dissertation research training and clinical training are not eligible for this Kirschstein-NRSA F31 program because this F31 program does not support the clinical training component of a dual-degree program. Such students may apply for the NRSA Individual Predoctoral MD/PhD or Other Dual-Doctoral Degree Fellowship (Parent F30) to support both dissertation research training and clinical training.)
PA improve the diversity of the health-related research workforce by supporting the training of predoctoral students from groups that have been shown to be underrepresented. - Individuals with disabilities or from disadvantaged backgrounds.
PA – Individual postdoctoral research training fellowships are intended to provide support to promising Fellowship Applicants with the potential to become productive, independent investigators in scientific health-related research fields relevant to the missions of participating NIH Institutes and Centers. –(Probably considered to be preliminary to Career Transition to Independence type grant)

5. Individual Fellowship Features to Keep in Mind
Maximum NRSA support allowance by level (includes combination of training (T) and fellowship (F) mechanism):
Predoctoral level may receive up to 5 years aggregate
Postdoctoral level may receive up to 3 year aggregate
Fellows must pursue research training on full-time basis based on institution’s policies, e.g. 40 hours/week.
Eligibility to receive a Fellowship award requires:
U.S. Citizenship,
Non-citizen National status, or
Permanent Resident with valid Alien Registration Card (Form I-551) status at time of award
By the time of award, the individual must be a citizen or a non-citizen national of the United States or have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence (i.e., possess a currently valid Permanent Resident Card USCIS Form I-551, or other legal verification of such status).
Individuals may not exceed the aggregate limit of NRSA support shown above in the Award Project Period. Applicant fellows must consider any prior NRSA research training in determining the duration of support requested. Information regarding previous Kirschstein-NRSA support must be included in the application and will be considered at the time of award.
At the time of award, individuals are required to pursue their research training on a full-time basis, normally defined as 40 hours per week or as specified by the sponsoring institution in accordance with its own policies. (I have not been able to find any information about less than full time (100%) effort by the fellow.  Our awards consistently show 100% effort.)
PostDocs: The Kirschstein-NRSA F32 fellowship is designed to support research training experiences in new settings in order to maximize the acquisition of new skills and knowledge. In most cases, therefore, the sponsoring institution should be a site other than where the applicant trained as a graduate student.

6. Individual Fellowship Features to Keep in Mind (cont)
Pre-Doctoral Applicant must be enrolled in PhD or equivalent research degree program, a formally combined MD/PhD program, or combined professional/clinical and research doctoral program in the biomedical, behavioral, or clinical sciences.
F31 may not be used to support studies leading to the MD, DDS, or other clinical, health-professional training
Pre-Doctoral applicant must be at dissertation research stage of training.
PostDoc must have received a PhD, MD, ScD, or equivalent before grant activation.
The applicant fellow must be at the dissertation research stage of their training and must show evidence of both high academic performance in the sciences and substantial interest in a research area of high priority to the participating Institutes. The applicant fellow must have a baccalaureate degree and be currently enrolled in a PhD or equivalent research degree program (e.g., EngD, DNSc, Dr PH, DSW, PharmD, PsyD, ScD), a formally combined MD/PhD program, or other combined professional/clinical and research doctoral (e.g., DDS/PhD) in the biomedical, behavioral, or clinical sciences at a domestic or foreign institution. The Kirschstein-NRSA F31 may not be used to support studies leading to the MD, DDS, or other clinical, health-professional training (e.g., DC, DMD, DNP, DO, DPM, DVM, ND, OD, AuD).
An individual may not have two or more competing NIH fellowship applications pending review concurrently.
Individuals may not exceed the aggregate limit of NRSA support shown above in the Award Project Period. Applicant fellows must consider any prior NRSA research training in determining the duration of support requested. Information regarding previous Kirschstein-NRSA support must be included in the application and will be considered at the time of award.
At the time of award, individuals are required to pursue their research training on a full-time basis, normally defined as 40 hours per week or as specified by the sponsoring institution in accordance with its own policies.
Before submitting the application, the applicant fellow must identify a sponsor (sometimes called a mentor) who will supervise the proposed training and research experience

7. Fellowship Funding Fellowship grants provide: Stipend
Tuition (limited for PostDocs)
Institutional Allowance
See Kirschstein NRSA Limits Notice

8. Sponsor(s)
Before completing the application, the applicant must identify a Sponsor/mentor, and possibly co- sponsor(s), who will supervise the proposed training and research experience.
Sponsor must have sufficient research support and facilities for high-quality research training.
Should have a successful mentoring track record
Sponsor must provide:
Research/training plan
Assessment of applicant’s qualifications
. Applicants are encouraged to identify more than one mentor, i.e., a mentoring team, if this is deemed advantageous for providing expert advice in all aspects of the research and training program. In such cases, one individual must be identified as the principal sponsor who will coordinate the applicant’s research training program. The applicant must work with his/her sponsor(s) in preparing the application. 
The sponsor should describe the research training plan for the applicant (coordinated with the applicant’s research strategy). The sponsor and any co-sponsors are also expected to provide an assessment of the applicant’s qualifications and potential for a research career. The research environment and the availability and quality of needed research facilities and research resources (e.g., equipment, laboratory space, computer time, available research support, etc.) must also be described. The description should include items such as classes, seminars, and opportunities for interaction with other groups and scientists. Training in career skills, e.g. grant-writing and presentation skills are strongly encouraged.

9. Letters of Reference
Letters of reference are required important components of the individual Fellowship application. At least three (3), and no more than five (5), letters must be submitted using the Fellowship Reference Form.
Fellowship Reference Forms must be submitted by the Referees via eCommons (i.e. are submitted separately from the application).
Reference Letters are due by the application receipt deadline.
Cover Letter - Provide a list of Referrees. The list must include the names, degrees, and affiliations of the individuals from whom you have asked to submit reference letters. Whenever possible, select at least one referee who is not in your current department. If not submitting a reference from the dissertation advisor or chief of service, provide an explanation. For postdoctoral applications, references from graduate or medical school are preferred over those from undergraduate school.

10. Letters of Reference cont.
The list of Referees must be included in the application’s Cover Letter.
Sponsor(Mentor) & Co-Sponsors MAY NOT be referees;
Sponsor’s recommendation will be included in the application (PHS Fellowship Supplemental Form).
Instructions for Referees on submitting the Reference Letters are in NIH Fellowship Instructions.

11. Before you BeGin… You must become familiar with the following:
FOA/solicitation to which application is responding
(e.g. PA )
NIH Fellowship Application Instructions
Current Kirschstein-NRSA Stipend Levels, Tuition and Fees and Institutional Allowance Levels (NOT-OD )
COEUS NIH Fellowship Guide - A guide highlighting COEUS elements that are specific to NRSA F Series opportunities.
NIH strongly recommends that fellowship applicants and sponsors speak with a PHS Program Official for Institute or Center (IC) specific guidance before preparing this application.

12. Getting Started…
Key Elements that must be identified in the specific FOA and other applicable instructions:
Participating NIH Agencies
Eligibility – Institutional and Individual
citizen, non-citizen national, permanent resident
Due Date and Earliest Start Date
Application Type Allowed (e.g. New, Resubmission)
Project Period and Award Budget – allowable expenses (e.g. Stipend, Tuition) and non-allowable expenses (e.g. F&A)
Other Special Requirements (e.g. Effort Requirement – 100%, Sponsor’s Statement, Letters of Reference, bio-sketch requirements)
Application Contents and Format (also see NIH Fellowship Application Instructions)
Is appropriate NIH institute participating?
Due Dates F Series, 8 Apr, Aug & Dec
F31 Diversity – 13 Apr, Aug, Dec
Earliest Start Date – Sept or Dec, April, July
AIDS Dates are 7 Jan, May & Sep.

13. Content and Form of Application
All Page limitations identified in the SF424 (R&R Individual Fellowship Application Guide for NIH and AHRQ’s Table of Page Limits must be followed unless noted otherwise in the specific FOA.
All attachments must be submitted as PDF files in accordance with the following format:
Paper Size and Margins
Font
Standard Paper Size (8½” x 11”)
Arial, Helvetica, Palatino Linotype, or Georgia typeface
½” margins all around
11 points or larger
No Headers or footers
No more than 15 characters per horizontal inch
No more than 6 lines per vertical inch
Grantsmanship
Figures, Graphs, Diagrams, Etc.
Use English language
Can use smaller font
Avoid jargon
Must be clear and legible

14. Application Forms SF424 (R&R) Cover Component Form
Project/Performance Site Location(s) Form
R&R Other Project Information Form
Project Summary/Abstract – 30 lines of text
Project Narrative – 2 to 3 sentences addressing Relevance
Bibliography and References Cited
Facilities and Other Resources
Equipment
Other Attachments (if applicable)
Diversity F-31 Only: Certification Letter from Institution certifying eligibility of applicant for this program
Description of degree program per NOT-OD
Foreign Sponsorship – applicable if requesting support for training abroad
Collaborator & Dissertation Advisor comments on planned training & goals (if applicable)
Attachments may be provided (if applicable) by collaborators, consultants, advisors, etc. Relevant information applicable to the fellow’s planned research training and future goals may be provided by any contributor or advisor via an attachment.
Describe the graduate program in which the applicant is enrolled, e.g. the structure of the program, required milestones and their usual timing (number of courses, any teaching commitments, qualifying exams, etc.), and the average time to degree over the past 10 years. Describe the progress/status of the F31 applicant in relation to the program's time line. Describe the frequency and method by which the program formally monitors and evaluates a student's progress. This information is typically provided by the director of the graduate program or the department chair. Include the name of the individual providing this information at the end of the description. Name this attachment "Additional Educational Information."
Note that scores for standardized exams (e.g., MCAT, GRE) as well as a listing of the applicant's courses and grades must be included in the Fellowship Applicant Biographical Sketch, and NOT in this attachment. “

15. Application Forms cont.
(R&R) Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) Form
PD/PI – Fellow Applicant
eRA Commons user name must be entered for the Fellow applicant – make sure that the Fellow has an eRA Commons PI Account with Brown University as the affiliation.
Fellow Applicant Biographical Sketches – Format Requirement:
Predoctoral and Postdoctoral Format – use Pre-Doc or Post-Doc Biosketch forms provided - may not exceed 5 pages
Senior Fellowship Format - Standard NIH Biosketch Format, may not exceed 5 pages
Sponsor (Primary), Co-Sponsor, Collaborators, Doctoral Dissertation Advisor
Primary Sponsor should be listed right after the PD/PI
Remaining Senior/Key Person Profiles should be in alphabetical order
Standard NIH Biosketch Format applies – may not exceed 5 pages
Fellowship awards require a primary sponsor, and there may be co-sponsor(s), consultants and contributors.
All individuals who have committed to contribute to the scientific development and execution of the project, including sponsor and co-sponsors, should be identified as senior/key personnel, even if they are not committing any specified measurable effort to the proposed project.
Sponsors and co- sponsors should be assigned the Project Role of “Other Professional” and then enter “Sponsor” or “Co- Sponsor” in the Other Project Role Category field.
Consultants should also be assigned the “Other Professional” role even if they are not committing any specified measurable

16. Application Forms cont.
Bio-Sketch - Pre/Post-Doc:
Use custom NIH Pre/Post-Doc Biographical Sketch Form
In addition to some of the other typical NIH bio-sketch requirements, this attachment must include:
A listing of the applicant’s courses with grades from all undergraduate and graduate institutions in which the applicant is/has been enrolled. Do not include transcripts with the application.
Pre-Docs - Scores for all standardized exams such as MCAT, GRE, and other relevant exams.
Senior fellowships use traditional NIH bio-sketch

17. Application Forms cont.
PHS Cover Letter Form
Cover Letter is required.
Must include:
The List of Referees (name, degrees, institution and department affiliation)
Funding Opportunity (PA or RFA) Title
Application Title
May include:
Request assignment to a particular NIH Center or Scientific Review Group,
List of Individuals who should not review the application and why,
If multidisciplinary, the disciplines involved,
If applicable, a statement that any special required agency approval documentation is attached.

18. Application Forms cont.
PHS Fellowship Supplemental Form
Attachments:
B-1. Introduction to Application
B-10. Inclusion of Children
B-2. Specific Aims
B-12. Vertebrate Animals
B-3. Research Strategy
B-13. Select Agent Research
B-4. Progress Report Publication List
B-14. Resource Sharing Plan
B-8. Protection of Human Subjects
Appendix (approved publications, draft surveys, informed consent documents, etc)
B-9. Inclusion of Women & Minorities
Specific Aims 1 page
Research Strategy 6 pages
Applicant fellows must describe a tailored research training plan, including a description of the research strategy (preferably hypothesis-driven) well-suited to the stage of his/her career development. Describe the skills and techniques that the applicant fellow will learn during the award period, and discuss the relationship of the proposed research training to the applicant fellow’s career goals. The applicant fellow must describe the background leading to the proposed research, the significance of the research, the research approach (design and methods) for achieving the Specific Aims, the rationale, and expected/alternative outcomes of the proposed studies. It is beneficial to include pertinent preliminary data obtained by the applicant fellow in the current or prior laboratory..
F Appendix- Publications approved for publication, but not published yet; publications which are not publicly accessable; surveys, questionnaires, informed consent documents.

19. Application Forms cont.
PHS Fellowship Supplemental Form cont.
Fellowship Unique Attachments:
B-17. Respective Contributions Page
B-18. Selection of Sponsor and Institution Page
B-19. Responsible Conduct of Research Page
C-7. Goals for Fellowship Training and Career Page
C-8. Activities Planned Under this Award Page
C-9. Doctoral Dissertation & Other Research Experience 2 Pages
D. Sponsor(s) & Co-Sponsor(s) Information Pages
B page - Describe the collaborative process between you and your sponsor/co-sponsor in the development, review, and editing of this research training plan.
B page - Applicant’s basis for selecting Institution and Sponsor
B page - Describe past and future instruction in Responsible Conduct of Research
C-7 1 page - Describe goals & how this training will enhance knowledge & skills to achieve goal
C-8 1 page
C-9 2 pages
D 6 pages - Research Support available, Past trainees, Training plan specific to Applicant, Applicant’s Qualifications

20. Application Forms cont.
PHS 398 Fellowship Supplemental Form (cont)
Sponsor(s) & Co-Sponsor(s) Information - must describe:
a research training plan (coordinated with the applicant’s research strategy),
applicant’s qualifications,
available research support & facilities, &
past training experience
6 Pages
The sponsor should describe the research training plan for the applicant (coordinated with the applicant’s research strategy). The sponsor and any co-sponsors are also expected to provide an assessment of the applicant’s qualifications and potential for a research career. The research environment and the availability and quality of needed research facilities and research resources (e.g., equipment, laboratory space, computer time, available research support, etc.) must also be described. The description should include items such as classes, seminars, and opportunities for interaction with other groups and scientists. Training in career skills, e.g. grant-writing and presentation skills are strongly encouraged.

21. Application Forms cont.
PHS Fellowship Supplemental Form (cont.)
Budget
PreDocs & PostDocs - Tuition/Fees only
(Note: SF 424 Cover Form field 15a. must include applicable stipend amount, actual tuition and fees, & standard institutional allowance.)
Only Senior Fellowship applicants provide other budget on this form. Include:
Current Institutional Salary
Appointment Type
Federal Stipend Requested
Supplementation from Other Sources

22. Budget Basics Stipend Levels
Pre-doctoral - One stipend level is used for all pre-doctoral candidates, regardless of the level of experience.
Post-doctoral - The stipend level for the entire first year of support is determined by the number of full years of relevant postdoctoral experience when the award is issued. Once the appropriate stipend level has been determined, the fellow must be paid at that level for the entire grant year.
Career Level
Years of Experience
Stipend for FY2017
Pre-doctoral
All
$23,376
Post-doctoral
$47,484 1
$47,844 2
$48,216 3
$50,316 4
$52,140 5
$54,228 6
$56,400
7 or more
$58,560
For PostDoc, Year level is determined by number of full years of relevant post-doctoral experience on the date the award is issued.
Senior Fellows (F33 only):  The stipend level must be commensurate with the base salary or remuneration that would have been paid by the institution with which the individual is permanently affiliated when the award is issued, but cannot exceed the current Kirschstein-NRSA stipend limit set by the NIH for those with 7 or more years of experience.  The level of Kirschstein-NRSA support will take into account concurrent salary support provided by the institution and the policy of the sponsoring institution.  NIH support does not provide fringe benefits for senior fellows.

23. Budget Basics cont. Stipends Not a salary
Subsistence allowance to help defray living expenses
the fellow is not an employee of either the Government or the Institution
Grantee institution may supplement stipends
Must be in accordance with the established policies and consistently treated
Cannot be supplemented with Federal Funds
No additional effort or obligation required by the Fellow
Fellows may receive additional compensation services associated with employment; e.g. teaching assistant, lab assistant
This is considered salary and not a stipend supplementation
It is inappropriate and unallowable to charge NRSA grants for employee benefits (FICA, Workman’s Comp, Unemployment Insurance, 401K Contributions, etc.)
Kirschstein-NRSA awards provide stipends as a subsistence allowance to help defray living expenses during the research and clinical training experiences. The most recent stipend levels are described on the Kirschstein-NRSA webpage. NIH will adjust awards on the anniversary date of the award to ensure consistency with the stipend level in effect at that time.

24. Budget Basics cont.
Stipends – Employee Benefits, Vacations & Holidays, Leaves
Stipends are not provided as condition of employment
Both Pre-doctoral and Post-doctoral Fellows may receive same vacations and holidays available to individuals in comparable training positions at the grantee/sponsoring intuition
Consistent treatment with Institutional Policy is the key
Sick Leave – may continue to receive stipend for up to 15 calendar days of sick leave per year
Parental Leave - may continue to receive stipend for up to 60 calendar days of parental leave (NOT-OD )
Leave of Absence – approval for leave of absence must be requested in advance from awarding component
Award will be revised to extend termination date by the number of months of leave

25. Budget Basics cont. Tuition and Health Fees
Request the full amount of tuition and fees, however keep in mind that once awarded, the reimbursement will be as follows:
Pre-doctoral Fellows (F30, F31)
60% of the actual costs up to a maximum of $16,000 annually
60% of the actual costs up to a maximum of $21,000 annually for dual degree programs
Post-doctoral Fellows (F32, F33)
60% of the level requested by the applicant institution, up to $4,500 annually.
If the fellow is enrolled in a program that supports postdoctoral individuals in formal degree-granting training, an amount per postdoctoral trainee or fellow equal to 60% of the level requested by the applicant institution, up to $16,000 per year, will be provided
NIH funding for PreDoc may not exceed support for 0-level PostDoc. Brown standard levels should be proposed and NIH will make reduction in grant award.

26. Institutional Allowance
Budget Basics cont.
Institutional Allowance
Allowance intended to defray such expenses as research supplies, equipment, travel to scientific meetings, health insurance, etc.
Pre-doctoral Fellows (F30, F31) - $4,200 annually
Post-doctoral Fellows (F32, F33) - $8,850 annually
The application should include in the Award Budget the applicable Kirschstein-NRSA institutional allowance to help defray the cost of fellowship expenses such as health insurance, research supplies, equipment, books, and travel to scientific meetings.
No indirect (F&A) costs provided under NRSA’s. Institutional allowance is considered to cover institution’s administration costs.

27. Application Forms cont.
Signatures, Assurances, & Certifications
Both Fellow and the Sponsor must complete the NIH Fellowship Certification Assurance as required by PHS.
Applicant organization must secure and retain a written assurance from the Fellow and Sponsor prior to submitting an application to the PHS. Therefore, organizations must retain a unique signature and date for each submitted application.
Human Subjects Assurance Number (COEUS stores & inputs the Brown No.)
IRB Approval (part of Just-In-Time)
Laboratory Animals Assurance Number (Coeus stores & inputs the Brown No.)
IACUC Approval (part of Just-In-Time)
NIH Fellowship Certification Assurance can be found in COEUS under File >Print > Brown Custom Forms > Add’l NRSA Fellow Certification Form

28. Application Submission Timing
Applications are subject to Brown’s 5-Day proposal review rule.
Applications need to be submitted before the due date to allow for time to correct errors/warnings.
Applicants are responsible for viewing application before the due date in the eRA Commons to ensure accurate and successful submission.

29. Fellowship – Post Award
Pre-award spending (expenditures prior to grant ) not allowed
Carryover of unexpended annual balances not allowed
No-Cost Extensions not allowed
Fellowship awards rarely renewable
Payback obligation for Post-Docs who receive only one year of support
Payback is required within 2 years of termination date.  The Payback obligation is for stipend only plus interest  in some cases.
Transfers of fellowships are possible with the NIH Center's approval.

30. Fellowship Specific Reporting
Activation - The fellowship award recipient has up to six months from the issue date on the Notice of Award to activate the award using the Kirschstein-NRSA Individual Fellowship Activation Notice (PHS 416-5). For unusual circumstances, NIH may grant extension of activation period after receipt of request from fellow which has been countersigned by sponsor and AOR.
Payback Agreement - For the individual's initial 12 months of Kirschstein- NRSA postdoctoral support, a signed, original Payback Agreement Form (PHS 6031) must accompany the Activation Notice.
Resident Status - Individuals admitted to US as Permanent Residents must submit notarized evidence of legal admission prior to the award.
Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR) – Due 2 mo. before budget period end date.
Termination - At conclusion of fellowship, fellow must submit a Termination Notice (PHS 416-7) via xTrain to the NIH within 30 days of termination.
Fellows with service payback requirements must notify the NIH of any change in address and submit Annual Payback Activities Certification Forms (PHS ) until the payback service obligation is satisfied.
XTrain is not used for Pre-doc activations or terminations, or Post-doc activations, but it is used for Post-doc terminations. 

31. National Institutes of Health (NIH) - Fellowship (F) Grants
Entering Fellowship Proposal in Coeus

32. Useful Coeus User Guides:
Coeus and Fellowships
Useful Coeus User Guides:
COEUS Proposal Development User Guide– provides step-by-step instructions on how to complete a proposal in COEUS
COEUS NIH Fellowship Guide – A guide highlighting COEUS elements that are specific to NRSA Fellowship (F Series) opportunities

33. Coeus Specific Elements
Proposal Tab
For NRSA Fellowship Opportunities, from the Activity Type drop-down, please select Fellowship/Training Grants (Individual). Selecting this will ensure that Coeus Budget will automatically apply a 0% F&A Rate.

34. Coeus Specific Elements
Proposal Tab
For NRSA Fellowship Opportunities, from the Anticipated Award Type drop-down, please select Fellowship.

35. Coeus Specific Elements
Investigator Tab
In the Investigator Tab, be sure to ONLY include the individual applying for the Fellowship with the appropriate Effort %. Fellowship Applicant must have the PI check box checked.

36. Coeus Specific Elements
Key Person Tab
Sponsors, Co-Sponsors, Collaborators and/or Doctoral Dissertations Advisors should be included in the Key Person Tab, with the appropriate Effort % is applicable. Make sure that the appropriate role for each individual is entered in the Role field (e.g. Sponsor).

37. Coeus Specific Elements
Proposal Personnel Section
Determine the order of the personnel - use the blue up and down arrows on the lowest Icon Toolbar

38. Coeus Specific Elements
Proposal Personnel Section
Add the eRA Commons User Name for the Fellowship Applicant in the Person Details Window. Make sure that the Fellow holds a PI Account in eRA Commons.

39. Coeus Specific Elements
Proposal Personnel Section
Add alternate Phone Number for the Fellowship Applicant in the Person Details Window

40. Coeus Specific Elements
Proposal Personnel Section
Designate Citizenship Status for the Fellowship Applicant in the Person Details Window

41. Coeus Specific Elements
Questionnaire Section
To answer some of the questions on the PHS Fellowship Supplemental Form, you must complete the PHS Fellowship Form Questionnaire in Coeus. The form is directly populated from the answers provided in the Questionnaire. The questions must be fully answered before modifications are made or previous responses will be lost. All questions must be answered in order to pass validation checks prior to submission. You will receive a Grants.gov error message that prompts you to the questionnaire if it is needed. For a list of all the Questionnaire questions, visit

42. Coeus Specific Elements
Certification Process
Fellows applicants sign off on the proposal, just as Brown faculty members do. They should complete the Investigator Certification questions located in the Investigator tab and then print and sign the required form.
The Sponsor does NOT need to certify and sign off on the proposal, UNLESS, they are a Co-PI or CO-I.

43. Coeus Specific Elements
Additional NRSA Fellow Certification
Both the Fellow and Sponsor need to complete the NRSA Fellow Certification as required by PHS. The form is located in the Print Proposal Section of Coeus. To access the Print Proposal Section, select File → Print menu. Select the Additional NRSA Fellow Certification Form and click the [Print] button. The original signed forms must be submitted to OSP.

44. Coeus Specific Elements
PHS Fellowship Supplemental Form
There are specific COEUS Narrative Types that map to the appropriate fields on the PHS Fellowship Supplemental Form.
To view the full listing Narrative types and the Form field to which each maps, see COEUS NIH Fellowship Guide, page 9.

46. Coeus Specific Elements
Budget Section
When entering budget cost categories, only use the Cost Elements that begin with f) to build your fellowship budget; these are mapped as needed to the PHS Fellowship Supplemental form. (A list of all the Cost Elements available, are available at the Coeus Cost Element/Subcode Spreadsheet located at: )
To budget for Senior Fellows please refer to COEUS NIH Fellowship Guide for detailed instructions
These $ fill in SF424 Cover Page ,p.2, block 15.
Tuition $ should be full Brown tuition $, not NIH allowed tuition.
Health fee $ should be full Brown health fee

47. Questions?