Research Supplements

Table of Contents

• Overview
• What Do Research Supplements Pay For?
• Applying for a Research Supplement
• Primary Caregiver Technical Assistance Supplements
• Research Supplements to Promote Reentry, Reintegration into, and Retraining in Health-Related Research Careers

Overview

Supplements are not grants. Research supplements are funds added to an existing grant to increase the participation of scientists from underrepresented groups in biomedical research. They also help promising researchers return to a scientific career.

Any principal investigator (PI) with at least 2 years remaining on a grant can apply for this supplementary funding, which he or she uses to pay salary, fringe benefits, and research support.

People ranging from high school students through senior faculty members who are members of underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, have physical or mental disabilities, or have taken a career hiatus (between 1 and 8 years) for family obligations are eligible to be hired through a research supplement. Anyone interested should talk to an NIAID-supported PI.

The following grants are eligible for supplements:

• Research project grants—R00, R01 (or RL1), R10, R18, R21/R33, R22, R24, R35, R37
• Multiproject grants—P01 (or PL1), P20, P30, P40, P41, P50, P51, P60
• Small business awards—R41, R42, R43, R44
• Cooperative agreements—U01 (or UL1), U10, U19, U41, U42, U54
• Director's awards—DP1, DP2

To get an email alert when we post new supplement opportunities, learn how to sign up at NIAID Email Alerts Subscription Center and pick Research Supplements as a topic of interest.

Check the links below for specific eligibility requirements and contact your NIAID program officer with questions about your grant.

What Do Research Supplements Pay For?

The amount of financial support provided by NIAID research supplements depends on the career level of the person receiving the support.

• High school students—Institutional salary rates; not to exceed the hourly minimum wage (with justification). Supplies and travel not allowed.
• Undergraduates—Institutional salary rates; not to exceed $12 per hour (with justification), up to $200 per month for supplies and travel.
• Post baccalaureate—Salary, fringe benefits, up to $3,000 (with justification) for supplies, publication costs, and travel.
• Graduate/clinical doctorate students—Salary, tuition, and fringe benefits, up to $4,000 each year (with justification) for supplies, publication costs, and travel.
• Postdocs—Salary, fringe benefits, up to $6,000 (with justification) for supplies, publication costs, and travel.
• Junior faculty—Salary, fringe benefits, up to $10,000 (with justification) for supplies, publication costs, and travel.
• People reentering a scientific career—Institutional salary (consistent with the level of effort) and fringe benefits, up to $10,000 (with justification) for supplies, domestic travel, and publication costs.

For people with disabilities, NIAID also provides reasonable accommodation costs.

Applying for a Research Supplement

NIAID has no firm deadline for research supplement applications. Check with NIAID about "soft" deadlines that may affect your application, e.g., if you are seeking an award before the end of a fiscal year.

NIAID senior staff will administratively review your application. You'll want to emphasize certain factors in a research supplement application. Begin by detailing the research candidate's qualifications. Career goals, previous training and work experience, and (for students) educational achievement should emphasize the candidate's high potential in the field of health-related research.

Describe how the research experience will enhance the candidate's skills and knowledge and help him or her achieve career goals. For reentry supplements, candidates should show recent effort to reenter the scientific community, such as reading scientific journals. You should also show that the work will be integral to the project and illustrate how proposed research and career development activities are relevant to the subject matter of the parent grant. Include a proposed mentoring plan in your application.

Below we give instructions for four types of supplements:

1. Primary Caregiver Technical Assistance Supplements
2. Research Supplements to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research
3. Research Supplements to Promote Reentry, Reintegration into, and Retraining in Health-Related Research Careers
4. Administrative Supplements to Promote Diversity in Research and Development Small Businesses-SBIR/STTR

Primary Caregiver Technical Assistance Supplements

Primary Caregiver Technical Assistance Supplements (PCTAS) support postdoctoral research scientists who are taking care of a child or sick family member. They provide additional funds for NIAID recipients to hire a mid-to-senior level technician to fill in when the caregiver needs to be away from the lab. Check the Primary Caregiver Technical Assistance Supplements (PCTAS) (Admin Supp, Clinical Trial Optional) notice of special interest (NOSI).

Pls apply for a supplement to their NIAID-funded grant. Postdocs who need technical support should talk to a PI.

For questions about NIH's dependent care policy, go to NIH's Frequently Asked Questions: NIH Family Friendly Initiatives.

Deadlines

NIAID receives and accepts applications on a rolling basis and reviews them monthly. Applications should be submitted on the first day of the month at least 12 weeks in advance of the proposed start date.

If you are seeking an award before the end of a fiscal year—September 30—we have to receive your application no later than March 1.

Applications received after this date are considered for funding in the next fiscal year. Keep in mind we usually experience delays in making awards at the beginning of every fiscal year (October 1).

Review and Award

A committee of NIAID senior staff members review applications on scientific merit and training potential. NIAID will make awards about 8 to 10 weeks after review.

Eligibility

As long as PIs have at least 2 years of NIAID support remaining, they can receive funding for grants such as:

• Research project grants—R01, R24, R37
• Multiproject grants—P01, P30, P50
• Cooperative agreements—U01, U19, U42, U54

Postdocs must have at least one full year at an NIAID-funded laboratory and be primary caregivers for a child or ailing relative.

Technicians do not need U.S. citizenship or permanent residency status. Temporary and student visas are acceptable.

Salary and Budget

PI

• Ask for enough funding to hire a sufficiently experienced full- or part-time technician and cover fringe benefits.
• Request only research technical assistance. You can't use funding for other expenses, e.g., supplies, travel, or postdoc benefits.
• Keep in mind the salary of a mid-to-senior level technician varies by institution but is generally between $40,000 to $50,000.

Technician

• Get up to 2 years' salary and fringe benefits.

Application Submission

Submit your application electronically using the Administrative Supplements to Existing NIH Grants and Cooperative Agreements (Parent Admin Supp, Clinical Trial Optional) notice of funding opportunity (NOFO). 

Application Content

• Research Strategy, including a summary or abstract of the funded parent award or project.
• Personal statement of the postdoctoral fellow, including research objectives, career goals, and a description of circumstances that affect scientific advancement or productivity.
• Plan and timeline for the proposed research in the supplemental request and their relationship to the research proposed in the parent grant.
• Evidence the supplement will increase or preserve the likelihood for the postdoctoral fellow to maintain strong productivity in the research program.
• Evidence that the activities of the postdoctoral fellow and technical assistant will be an integral part of the research project.
• Adequate plans for monitoring and evaluating the research progress and productivity of the postdoctoral fellow and the technical assistant.

Research Supplements to Promote Reentry, Reintegration into, and Retraining in Health-Related Research Careers

Reentry supplements support scientists who have taken time off to care for children or parents, or attend to other family responsibilities. Check the Research Supplements to Promote Reentry, Reintegration into, and Retraining in Health-Related Research Careers NOSI.

Pls apply for a supplement to their NIAID-funded grant. Those interested in being supported by a reentry supplement should talk to a PI.

Investigators with grants that have multiple PIs are eligible to apply, but they may not use a supplement to request adding another PI to the grant.

Deadlines

NIAID receives and accepts applications on a rolling basis and reviews them monthly. Applications should be submitted on the first day of the month at least 12 weeks in advance of the proposed start date.

If you are seeking an award before the end of a fiscal year—September 30—we have to receive your application no later than March 1.

Applications received after these dates are considered for funding in the next fiscal year. Keep in mind we usually experience delays in making awards at the beginning of every fiscal year (October 1).

Review and Award

A committee of NIAID senior staff members review applications on scientific merit and training potential. NIAID will make awards about 8 to 10 weeks after review.

Eligibility

As long as PIs have at least 2 years of NIAID support remaining at the time of submission, they can receive additional funds awarded as supplements to parent awards using the activity codes listed in the NOFO. Note, not all participating institutes and centers support all the activity codes listed in the NOFO.

Candidates must have a doctoral degree and had a postdoctoral or faculty position when they left active research.

Candidates who have begun the reentry process through a fellowship, traineeship, or similar mechanism are not eligible for this program. Reentry supplement funding is not intended to provide an alternative or additional means of supporting a candidate who is already receiving PHS support.

Non-U.S. citizens must have permanent residency status ("green card") at time of award. People on temporary or student visas are not eligible.

Investigators should contact their program officer if they are unsure if their grant qualifies.

Salary and Budget

• Salary and fringe benefits: consistent with the institutional salary policy.
• Supplies and travel: up to $10,000 with justification.
• Equipment: allowed only with prior approval from NIAID.

Application Content

You must use the most current version of the grant application forms. 

Work with your business office to make sure you use the correct forms, and include the following:

• Front page of PHS 398.
• Budget page from PHS 398 for the first 12 months (DD).
• Budget page for entire proposed period of support (EE).
• PI's biosketch, up to five pages as in an R01 (FF).
• Reentry scientist's biosketch (FF).
• Four- to six-page description of what the project entails. We need to know exactly what project the reentry scientist will be doing. See Section IV.2 of the NOFO for additional information.
• Brief personal statement prepared by the reentry candidate. See Section IV.2 of the NOFO for additional information.
• Brief note describing why the reentry supplement is needed.

Application Submission

Your options for submitting supplement requests are as follows:

• Submit electronically through the eRA Commons.
• Submit electronically through Grants.gov, using the Administrative Supplements to Existing NIH Grants and Cooperative Agreements NOFO.