1. NIH Loan Repayment Programs
How many people here have some sort of debt? How about credit card debt? Car note? Mortgage? Ok…how many of you have student loan debt? Raise your hands….raise them high….well, you’re in the right place. Because while folks aren’t in a hurry to help you pay back your credit card debt, or your car note, NIH has a program that can help you pay back your student loan debt.
May 12, 2016
Ericka M. Boone, Ph.D.
Director, Division of Loan Repayment
NIH Office of Extramural Programs/NIH Office of Extramural Research

2. LRP Overview General Overview of LRPs
Eligibility and Qualifying Research
Describe the 5 Extramural LRPs
Peer Review Criteria
Application Components
Tips for Writing a Competitive Application
Common Mistakes
Tour of the Website
Wrap Up

3. General Overview of LRPs

4. About the LRPs YOU: Commit to perform research for 2 years
NIH Loan Repayment Programs (LRPs) are a vital component in our nation's effort to keep health professionals in research careers
Here’s how it works:
YOU: Commit to perform research for 2 years
NIH: Repays up to $35,000/year of your qualified educational debt and covers resulting Federal taxes (39%)
Outcome: Increase in nation’s stock of biomedical research scientists

5. Basic Eligibility and Qualifying Loans

6. Basic LRP Eligibility Criteria
Extramural
Doctoral Degree
M.D., Ph.D., or equivalent
Exception: Contraception & Infertility Research LRP
Research Funding
Citizenship
Domestic nonprofit, university, or government organization; NIH grant support NOT required
U.S. Citizen or permanent resident
Educational Loan Debt
Research Time
At least 20 percent of applicant’s annual income
At least 20 hours

7. Qualifying Loans NIH WILL Repay:
Educational loans backed by the U.S. government
Educational loans from accredited U.S. academic institutions and commercial lenders
NIH Will NOT Repay:
Non-educational loans (e.g. home equity loans)
PLUS loans to parents
EXCEPTION: PLUS loans disbursed to graduate and professional students on or after July 1, 2006, qualify for LRP repayment
Loans from non-US governments or institutions
Loans converted to a service obligation, delinquent or in default
Loans consolidated with another individual (e.g. spouse or child)
Loans of full-time Federal government employees or VA Fellows

8. Description of LRPs

9. Clinical Research LRP
For clinical investigators interacting with human patients in an inpatient or outpatient setting
Qualifying research:
Patient-oriented clinical research (must have direct contact with human subjects or materials of human origin, e.g., tissue specimen or cognitive phenomena)
Research on the causes and consequences of disease in humans
Clarify a problem in human physiology, pathophysiology or disease
Epidemiologic or behavioral studies
Outcomes research or health services research
Develop new technologies, therapeutic interventions, or clinical trials

10. Pediatric Research LRP
For investigators conducting research directly related to diseases, disorders, and other conditions in children
Qualifying Research:
Research directly related to diseases, disorders, and other conditions in children, including pediatric pharmacology
**Basic research can be conducted under the pediatric research LRP

11. Health Disparities Research LRP
For investigators conducting research that focuses on minority health disparity populations/issues
Qualifying research:
Basic, clinical or behavioral research directly related to health disparity populations
Causes of health disparities
Methods to prevent, diagnose and treat such conditions

12. Contraception and Infertility LRP
For investigators conducting research in conditions that impact on the ability of couples to either conceive or bear young
Note:
Applications reviewed by National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) 
Acceptable degrees include doctoral-level and other allied health professionals (e.g., nurses, physician assistants, graduate students, or postgraduate research fellows training in a health profession)

13. Clinical Research for Individuals from Disadvantaged Backgrounds LRP
Definition of clinical research same as for the Clinical Research LRP, except researcher must be from a family meeting low-income requirements; current financial need alone is not sufficient to qualify for this program
Note:
Applications reviewed by National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)
Applicants must certify disadvantaged background status
Certify by submitting a written statement from former schools where qualified for Federal disadvantaged assistance; verification of receipt of loans from either the health professions student loans or loans for disadvantaged student program; verification of a scholarship from US Dept of Health and Human Services under scholarship for individuals with exceptional financial need

14. The Application and Review Process

15. The Application The LRP application is divided into several sections:
Personal Information –
Contact information; verification of citizenship status
In your personal statement, include information on who you are, how you developed your scientific interests, background and accomplishments; short and long-term career goals (including grant and publication submissions)
Research Activities
Describe your proposed research plans, include timelines, etc
Identification of research supervisor, institutional business officials and recommenders; NIH sends an to these individuals and they are asked to respond online
Loan Information (new applicants only)
Lender and servicer information, loan number, total loan amounts, loan status (in repayment/forbearance), etc

16. $$$ Review Process YOU Division of Loan Repayment
Center for Scientific Review
YOU
NIH Institute or Center
$$$
Peer Review
NIH Institute or Center

17. What Are Reviewers Looking For?
Reviewers evaluate applicant’s potential to succeed in a research career by rating:
Applicant’s previous training and research experience
Applicant’s commitment to a research career
Strength and quality of letters of recommendation
Quality and appropriateness of the research environment
Research progress (for Renewal applications only)
base your application on the research you will conducting DURING the LRP contract (that’s 2 years for a new application and 1 or 2 years for a renewal).

18. Tips for Writing a Competitive Application

19. Tips for Strengthening Your App
Know the funding priorities of the NIH Institute or Center reviewing your application (what’s their funding ‘sweet spot’?)
Effectively demonstrate your qualifications and commitment to research
Talk about yourself…who you are, your scientific background, and where you are right now in your career stage; Short and long-term career goals
Describe research environment, resources and support thoroughly –
Not just pipettes and centrifuges; include information on personnel/PI, institutional environment, resources, infrastructure, laboratory
Write a strong research plan – you are the ‘architect’ of your career
Include research activities, plans for publishing/applying for grants
Provide strong letters of recommendation
What is unique about you? Demonstrate your strengths, dedication to a research career and how your work will contribute to the NIH mission
These Tips Applicable for ANY Fellowship, Grant, etc
**To download this complete document, visit

20. Common Mistakes to Avoid
The following conditions often weaken an applicant’s competitiveness
Weak or lukewarm recommendation letters ( kiss of death…)
Questionable research commitment
Mediocre research plan
Rushed application
Inadequate research environment
Slim publication record
NEVER submit a funding application without making contact!

21. Start the Application Process Now! Deadline Nov 15th!
The following are things you can do now to be ahead of the curve:
Talk to an NIH LRP liaison to discuss their research priorities so that you can determine eligibility and which LRP is for you
Order your college transcripts
Contact your lender to get specific loan information (including account numbers and amount owed)
Inform your mentor you are going to apply for the NIH Loan Repayment Program
Contact people to write letters of recommendation

22. LRP Success Rates

23. Overall Success Rate ~ 50%
NIH LRP Applications & Awards, FY07-FY15
Overall Success Rate ~ 50%
**Average ~ 3000 applications/year

24. NIH LRP: Applied vs. Funded, FY 2007-2015
Applications vs. Awards
Success Rates

25. Contracts by State: FY 2014
California had the most recipients, followed by Massachusetts and New York
# of Participants
States
DE, NV, OK, WY
1-25
AK,AL,AR,AZ,DC,HI,IA,ID,IN,KS,KY,LA,ME,MN,MS,MT,ND,NE,NH,NJ,NM,OR,PR,RI,SC,SC,
UT,VA,VT,WI,VW
26-50
CO,CT.FL,FA,IL,MI,MO,OH,TN,WA
51-100
MD,NC,PA,TX
MA,NY CA

26. Quick Website Tour www.lrp.nih.gov
Descriptions of the 5 extramural programs can be found at
*Visit for more information

27. Wrap Up

28. Summary NIH LRPs will repay:
Up to $70K over 2 yrs in educational loan repayment
Depending on debt level
Coverage of most Federal taxes resulting from the NIH LRP
2 year initial contracts
1 or 2 year competitive renewals
Approximately 1,600 researchers funded yearly
50% application success rate overall
**Applications Deadline - Nov 15, 2016

29. Application Cycle Timeline
September 1 – November 15: Application Cycle Open
November 15: Application, Colleague and IBR Deadline
February – May: Application Peer Review
May – July: Financial Vetting
Mid-July–August: Final Funding Decisions/Recipient Notifications
October: First Lender Payments

30. Important for FY 2017
All applicants will be required to have an NIH eRA Commons ID to submit an application
Same deadline for online application and colleague and institutional support documentation
= November 15th, 2016
Newly revised LRP online application beginning September of 2016

31. Contact LRP
Website: Phone: (9am to 5pm, EST) Inquiries: Facebook:

32. Please complete and turn in your survey. Thank you for your attention!
*Visit for more information

34. Five (5) Extramural LRPs
Clinical Research
Patient-oriented research conducted with human subjects or materials of human origin
Pediatric Research
Research directly related to diseases, disorders, and other conditions in children
Basic research can be conducted
Health Disparities Research
Research focusing on minority & other health disparity populations
Contraception and Infertility Research
Research focusing on conditions impacting the ability conceive and bear young
Clinical Research for Individuals from Disadvantaged
Backgrounds
Available to clinical investigators from disadvantaged backgrounds

35. The Application
The LRP application is divided into three (3) sections:
Personal Information – contact info and background; personal statement about career goals, verification of citizenship status
Research – description of proposed research, identification of research supervisor, institutional business officials and recommenders; NIH sends an to these individuals and they are asked to respond online
Loan Information (new applicants only) – lender and servicer information, loan number, total loan amounts, loan status (in repayment/forbearance), etc

36. # of Awards FY 2007 thru FY 2014 **Average ~ 3000 applications/year