Medical Scientist Training Program (T32) | PAR 19 036

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 19 036

The Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) (T32) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) institutional training grant opportunity designed to strengthen the nations pipeline of physician-scientists. Its core purpose is to help U.S.-based institutions recruit, train, and graduate a diverse group of future leaders who are fluent in both clinical medicine and rigorous biomedical research. The program supports integrated dual-degree training that results in a medical doctorate (such as an MD or equivalent professional medical degree) alongside a research doctorate (PhD or equivalent). The underlying idea is that trainees who can move comfortably between patient care and discovery science are well positioned to drive translational progress, meaning they can help turn research advances into better ways to understand, detect, treat, and prevent human disease.

This particular funding opportunity announcement emphasizes evidence-based and continuously improving approaches to training. The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), the NIH institute most closely associated with this MSTP announcement, highlights several priorities: improving the effectiveness and efficiency of MSTP training over time (including iterative program evaluation and optimization), increasing the likelihood that graduates persist in research-focused careers long after completing the dual-degree, and meaningfully enhancing diversity within the physician-scientist workforce. In practice, institutions are expected to propose structured training programs that blend coursework and other didactic elements, sustained and high-quality research experiences, strong mentoring systems, and intentional career development. The expectation is not simply that trainees will earn two degrees, but that they will be prepared to build impactful research careers aligned with national health and biomedical research needs.

Eligibility is focused on domestic (U.S.) institutions and organizations capable of administering a structured research training program. A wide range of applicant types can apply, including public and private institutions of higher education, various levels of government (state, county, city/township, and special districts), independent school districts, federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other tribal organizations, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, nonprofits (including both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3) entities), and certain for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) as well as small businesses and other categories listed by the announcement. The FOA also explicitly calls out additional eligible applicants such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), along with faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions. At the same time, non-U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply, and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible, reinforcing that the supported training programs must be domestically based.

Administratively, this is a discretionary grant opportunity under the NIH, categorized under health and associated with CFDA number 93.859. The funding opportunity title is Medical Scientist Training Program (T32), and the opportunity number is PAR-19-036. The original closing date listed in the source information is March 15, 2021, and the creation date is October 25, 2018. While the provided source data does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards, the central theme is clear: NIH support is intended to help institutions build and maintain high-quality, integrated MD/PhD (or equivalent) training environments that produce physician-scientists who remain engaged in research and contribute substantially to the U.S. biomedical research enterprise.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Medical Scientist Training Program (T32)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.859.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2018-10-25.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-03-15. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.

Apply for PAR 19 036

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: