Training Grant Resources

Note: The information provided below is to provide guidance only and is not intended to be the exclusive source. Please refer to your agency’s instructions.

Training Grants

At Stanford University, training grants play a vital role in supporting graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in their PhD or postdoctoral training programs and provide NIH funds to cover stipends, tuition, health insurance, and trainee related activities. NIH training grant funding develop or enhance research training opportunities for a diverse generation of scientists who will eventually assume leadership roles to advance the nation’ biomedical and clinical research agenda.

There are 3 types of institutional training grants (T32). They are:

  • New Application (new proposal never submitted before)
  • Competing Renewal (previously awarded renewal request)
  • Non-competing Renewal (annual report for awarded proposals)

Training grant applications are submitted in response to a Program Announcement (PA), Request For Application (RFA) or Funding Opportunities Announcement (FOA). For a list of these NIH Institutes and Agencies, see links below.

Listed below are general resources to describe the application process and required data and forms.

NIH Process Overview

Simplified Application Outline

Stanford Process Overview and Systems

 

Research Management Group (RMG)

To facilitate the research mission in the School of Medicine, the Research Management Group (RMG) serves as the central resource and expert partner on research administration providing support and oversight of sponsored projects. RMG represents Stanford University as the institutional official for proposal submission and award acceptance ensuring compliance with federal regulations, sponsor requirements and University policies.

Office of Sponsored Research (OSR)

Provides pre-award and post-award administrative services for sponsored projects.

Process Overview

NIH Application Process

  • Grants.gov, Overview of process to apply for federal grants and search for opportunities.

Only Stanford Institutional Representatives (OSR and RMG) are allowed to submit applications through Grants.gov. Grant applicants submit their grants.gov application materials via Stanford’s eSubmit System to their institutional representative. The institutional representative then submits the application materials from eSubmit to the grants.gov system.

Links to the NIH applications and forms are found within the Parent Announcement (PA) and Funding Opportunities and Announcements (FOA), see below.

The NIH T32 application is composed of two parts:

An applicant using the SF424 (R&R) for Institutional Research Training application submissions to NIH and other PHS agencies will complete data entry into all applicable form components, attach the appropriate PDF attachments within the various components, and upload the package into Grant.gov. Applicants will not actually construct an application. Once the application data goes through Grants.gov, the eRA system will compile the data fields and attachments into a single grant application. Applicants will be able to see the entire grant application for the first time in the eRA Commons.

Electronic Submission

Only Stanford Institutional Representatives (OSR and RMG) are allowed to submit applications through Grants.gov. Grant applicants submit their grants.gov application materials via Stanford’s eSubmit System to their institutional representative. The institutional representative then submits the application materials from eSubmit to the grants.gov system.

Application Outline (Simplified)

Research Training Program Plan

2.1 Introduction
2.2 Background
2.3 Program Plan

  • Program Administration
  • Program Faculty
  • Proposed Training
  • Training Program Evaluation
  • Trainee Candidates
  • Institutional Environment and Commitment to Training
Note: Reference the tables listed below in the sections above:

  • Admissions and Completion Records = Table 7A/7B
  • Qualifications of Applicants = Table 8A/8B
  • Current Trainee Qualifications = Table 9A/9B
2.4
  • Recruitment and Retention Plan to Enhance Diversity
  • History and Achievements
  • Proposed Plans
Note: All sections above (2.2 – 2.4) must fall within a 25 page limit
2.5 Plan for Instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research – 3 page limit
(For more detail, also see the Strategy section)
2.6 Progress Report (Renewal Applications Only)
2.7 Human Subjects (IRB)
2.8 Vertebrate Animals (APLAC)
2.9 Select Agent Research
2.10 Multiple PI Leadership Plan
2.11 Consortium and Contractual Arrangements
2.12 Participating Faculty Biosketches
2.13 Data Tables
2.14 Letters of Institutional Support
2.15 Appendix

Data Tables

(A = grants requesting predocs slots. B = grants requesting postdocs slots)

Table 1 Membership of Participating Departments/Programs
Table 2 Participating Faculty Members
Table 3 Institutional Training Grant Support Available to Participating Faculty Members, Departments, or Programs
Table 4 Grant and Contact Support of the Participating Faculty Member
Table 5A Predoctoral Trainees of Participating Faculty Members
Table 5B Post-doctoral Trainees of Participating Faculty Members
Table 6A Publications of Research Completed by Predoctoral Trainees (Renewal Applications)
Table 6B Publications of Research Completed by Post-doctoral Trainees (Renewal Applications)
Table 7A Admissions and Completion Records for the Participating Departments and Programs During the Past Five Years (Predoctoral Applicants)
Table 7B Admissions and Completion Records for the Participating Departments and Programs During the Past Five Years (Postdoctoral Applicants)
Table 8A Qualifications of Recent Predoctoral Applicants
Table 8B Qualifications of Recent Postdoctoral Applicants
Table 9A Qualifications of the Current Predoctoral Trainees Clearly Associated with the Training Program (Renewal/Revision Applications)
Table 9B Qualifications of the Current Postdoctoral Trainees Clearly Associated with the Training Program (Renewal/Revision Applications)
Table 10 Admissions and Completion Records for Underrepresented Minority (URM), Trainees with Disabilities, and Trainees from Disadvantaged Backgrounds Clearly Associated with the Training Program (Renewal Applications, Optional for New Applications)
Table 11 Appointments to the Training Grant for Each Year of the Past Award (Renewal Applications Only)
Table 12A Predoctoral Trainees Supported by this Training Grant (Renewal Applications Only)
Table 12B Postdoctoral Trainees Supported by this Training Grant (Renewal Applications only)

Stanford Process Overview and Systems

Only Stanford Institutional Representatives (OSR and RMG) are allowed to submit applications through Grants.gov. Grant applicants submit their grants.gov application materials via Stanford’s eSubmit System to their institutional representative. The institutional representative then submits the application materials from eSubmit to the grants.gov system.

  • Stanford Grants.gov – This webpage contains NIH grants.gov resources, eSubmit, and links to NIH eCommons, NIH RePORTER, etc.
  • DoResearch – Stanford’s guide to research and scholarship.
  • Research Management Group (RMG) – To facilitate the research mission in the School of Medicine, RMG serves as the central resource and expert partner on research administration providing support and oversight of sponsored projects. RMG represents Stanford University as the institutional official for proposal submission and award acceptance ensuring compliance with federal regulations, sponsor requirements and University policies.
  • The Office of Sponsored Research (OSR) provides pre-award and post-award administrative services for sponsored projects.

School of Medicine Institutional Support Letter

Compliance

Stanford Research Compliance Office

  • Institution assurances
  • Umbrella Protocols (Stanford)
  • eProtocol

eProtocol – an online application used at Stanford to submit, review, and approve research. There are four modules in eProtocol:

Strategy

This is a suggested strategy to plan your T32 application process. Please also refer to Planning your application from the NIH.

Data Collection

Suggestions and Samples

Shared Data

  • Institution Training Grants (Table 3) (Please contact RMG to get the most current list)
  • TG PIs and Admins
  • TG Participating Specific Faculty List from each training grant administrator
  • Department and Program Stats (from each Dept for Table 1)
    • Faculty Counts
    • Trainee Counts
  • Admissions and Completion Stats

Suggested Steps

  • Start early – at least 9 months in advance of deadline!
  • Research process of submission
    • NIH
    • Grants.gov
    • Contact Stanford RMG
  • Identify NIH Program Announcement and type of application (new, competing, resubmission)
  • Identify the NIH application forms needed (SF424, PHS398) and deadline date
  • Research process of submission
    • NIH
    • grants.gov
    • Stanford RMG
  • Determine who is the Program Director and which participating faculty will be included. (Identify the faculty’s admins; they will generally help supply the faculty information)
  • Who are the trainees to be included? (Pre-doc? Post-doc?)
  • Carefully review the instructions, required portions of the application, and exactly what information is requested. Also note any agency specific instructions or requests. (For example, the NIGMS has several additional items they want addressed in the application program plan)
  • Identify the source for the information requested. (For example, department and admissions statistics, participating faculty, current other training grants, IRB, APLAC protocols)
  • Identify standard sections common to other grants (such as facilities, diversity recruitment, Responsible Conduct of Research training, Institutional Letter of Support). Can sections or templates be borrowed / shared?
  • Identify which tables will be needed (such as, pre-doc, postdoc, short term trainees). Once all the table are completed, create a master PDF of all the tables and bookmark individual table.
  • Create a timeline of tasks, and steps leading to the deadline
  • Create form letters and templates to request information from faculty, trainees, and other departments
  • Create checklists for responses
  • Starting gathering data on Alumni (Current position, contact information, grants obtained)
  • Put it all together!

Proposed Overall Strategy

Principal Investigator Administrator RPM
Read NIH instructions, determine goals for submitting training grant new application or competitive renewal according to NIH instructions and program announcement. Identify training grant deadline. Read instructions for data collection for NIH Tables. Download program announcement for T32. Schedule weekly or bi-weekly meetings with PI and key administrators. RPM to send letter of intent to NIH
Identify key faculty, faculty mentors. Request letters of institutional support from the Dean’s office. Prepare Email draft to faculty to collect table data, set deadline for information
If required by the particular NIH institute, submit letter of intent to submit training grant. Request institutional letters of support. Follow up on PI, NIH, RMG responses to letter of intent; procure institutional letters of support
Request program plans from other training grants and if possible, NIH study section reviewers’ summaries Collect eprotocol information for human subject and animal care for training grant umbrella protocol
Write Program plan (25 pages) Continue to collect data for tables. Continuously check program announcements for updates
Send program plan to several faculty, ask for edits and feedback Refine information and double check data consistency among tables; meet with RMG to discuss their role in preparing training grant
Edit complete first draft of training grant Give first complete draft to PI Prepare budget; initiate PDRF; begin eSubmit process
Use eSubmit to RMG Convert important parts of the training grant to pdf in order to upload through esubmit Submit pdf documents through NIH’s RR for initial catch of errors
Submit final training grant application to NIH Do final check Make sure that training grant proposal is submitted properly

Responsible Conduct

Training in the Responsible Conduct of Research

Training grants are required to provide an acceptable plan for instruction in responsible conduct of research. NIH defines responsible conduct as “the practice of scientific investigation with integrity. It involves the awareness and application of established professional norms and ethical principles in the performance of all activities related to scientific research.” (PA NOT-OD-10-019). The new NIH requirement, the Individual Development Plan (IDP), must also include a responsible conduct component.

For training grants, the recommended training plan for responsible conduct for training grants should include the following:

  1. Participation of all NIH funded trainees in a formal course of ethical instruction, Med 255, “Responsible Conduct”
  2. An annual review of themes/cases/issues in responsible conduct which may occur in various educational settings, such as the departmental retreat, workshops, journal clubs, and/or special events. On line courses and assignments cannot be the only component of the training plan.
  3. Certification of attendance for each trainee.
  4. For NIH, the PI must describe “the subject matter covered, format, frequency and duration of instruction…and should discuss both formal and/or informal instruction in responsible conduct of research and should note the extent to which the PI and trainees participated in these activities.” (PA NOT-OD-10-019)Sample Presentation for Training

Diversity Recruitment and Retention

Supporting students with disabilities:

Retention and Maximizing Academic Success:

Stanford community and background support:

Additional Resources

The NIH Research Training websiteincludes additional information on instruction in responsible conduct of research and links to the Office of Research Integrity links to instructional materials, and examples of programs that have been regarded as good models for instruction in responsible conduct of research.

Process Checklist

Training Grant Application Process Checklist

1 Review the appropriate NIH Program Announcement and SF424 Guide(PDF) specific to T32 and the relevant NIH Institute or Agency
2 Download electronic Adobe file (Adobe serie C) from the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) or Program Announcement (PA).
3 Hold team meeting to discuss programmatic/administrative responsibilities, including post-award budgetary management
4 Assign proposal content development to team members
5 Download the data tables and review required data to gather
6 Ensure PI has eRA Commons account
7 Ensure staff have eRA Commons account (at Stanford final submission is done by RMG)
8 Gather biosketches (DOC) from each participating faculty member mentor (personal statement required for PI only)
9 Collect faculty data (based on tables) from participating faculty —one e-mail request to each with request, template, and stated deadline
10 Collect department data (based on tables (DOC)) from primary department of participating faculty mentor– one e-mail (DOC) request to each with stated deadline
11 Identify non-fiscal compliance approvals needed for T32
12 Create a budget using RMG T32 Budget Development guidance and data
13 For competing renewal — Send each trainee a request for Trainee data (based on tables)– one e-mail each with template and stated deadline
14 For competing renewal — update Table 12 (current positions of past trainees)
15 Establish a Minority Recruitment Plan (link is to NLHBI which has good overall suggestions)
16 Finalize tables
17 Finalize all other business and administrative portions of T32
18 Proposal Content review and feedback by Program Directors and staff
19 PI finalizes Proposal Content
20 Prepare for esubmission
21 Route application with draft T32 application attached for review
22 Modify T32 application based on reviewer comments
23 Upload final submission to RMG by 5:00 pm 5 days before NIH due date
24 Double check for errors

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