The application cycle for the NIH Loan Repayment Programs opened Sept. 1, 2011. These programs repay up to $35,000 of educational debt annually and are open to biomedical and behavioral researchers who are committed to conducting two years of qualified biomedical or behavioral research at a nonprofit, university or government institution. On average, nearly 40 percent of all new LRP applications are funded, and the awards are renewable.
The five LRPs are clinical research, pediatric research, health disparities research, contraception and infertility research, and clinical research for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds. To qualify, research must fit within one of these program areas, and individuals must
- possess a doctoral-level degree (with the exception of the contraception and infertility research LRP)
- devote at least 20 hours per week to research funded by a domestic nonprofit, university or government entity
- have educational loan debt equal to or exceeding 20 percent of their annual institutional base salary
- be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
The application cycle will close Nov. 15, 2011 at 8:00 p.m. EST. More details and the application can be found at www.lrp.nih.gov. For additional assistance, potential applicants may call or e-mail the LRP Information Center at (866) 849-4047 or lrp@nih.gov. Also, to receive program updates throughout the application cycle updates, follow us on Twitter @NIH_LRP or www.twitter.com/NIH_LRP .