But they do much more than that. NIH under Ruth Kirschstein) realized that they could substantially change the training culture at institutions. Graduate students take for granted that their programs require them to do rotations in different labs prior to selecting a lab for their PhD work.
But this was not always a requirement (and still may not be some places). I was a graduate student in a chemistry department where we met with faculty for 1 hour each before making our selection. Many students made choices with incomplete information and may have regretted their choices.
NIH T32 grants have also provided mechanisms to encourage institutions to broaden participation of individuals from groups that have been historically underrepresented in biomedical research.
This is important both to provide opportunities for all of the talent that exists across the United States and because of the importance of diverse life experiences specifically in research that touches on health and medicine.
Training grants are reviewed and funded unevenly over the course of a year. What has happened in FY25 to date compared to FY24?
NIH made comparable numbers of award in FY25 compared to the beginning of FY24 until the first week or so of the current administration when the grant “pause” began.
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NIH training grants using the T32 mechanism.
These awards provide direct support for graduate students and/or fellows during at least part of their training periods.
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NIH made comparable numbers of award in FY25 compared to the beginning of FY24 until the first week or so of the current administration when the grant “pause” began.
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