Predoctoral T32 RFA and Application Information

Funding Opportunity Purpose

The Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) is calling for applications to the Predoctoral T32 mentored research training program. 

The goal of this predoctoral training program is to leverage the large, collaborative, and multidisciplinary research environment at Ohio State to increase the reach of clinical and translational science (CTS) education and training across the Ohio State University campus and to recruit and develop a multidisciplinary cohort of trainees to become the next generation of clinical and translational scientist leaders.

The T32 grant provides full-time research training support for predoctoral trainees pursuing mentored clinical and translational research or clinical and translational science who are enrolled in any Ohio State University graduate degree program and are postcandidacy. Examples of potential CTS projects include research focused on advancing therapeutics, developing new clinical interventions, promoting health for all or investigating/fostering behavior modifications to improve health. 

Predoctoral trainees in clinical/translational related graduate degree programs (such as in the Colleges of Medicine, Public Health, Engineering, Nursing, Veterinary Medicine, and others; and interdisciplinary programs such as Neuroscience and Nutrition) and health-professional doctorate trainees who are enrolled in a Master’s or Doctoral program (such as MPH, MMS or MD/PhD program) are also eligible to apply.

The overall goal of the T32 program is to increase the number of well-trained biomedical researchers who can lead the design and oversight of future clinical and translational investigations critical to transforming the translational process so that new treatments and cures for disease can be delivered to patients faster and efficiently to all affected populations. 

Table of Contents

Section I.       Funding Opportunity Description
Section II.      Eligibility Information
Section III.     Application & Submission Information
Section IV.    Application Review Information 
Section VI.    Other Information
Section VII.   Award Administration Information
Section VIII.  Program Contacts
 

Purpose

For this cycle, three predoctoral awards will be made.

Please read this RFA carefully for complete eligibility requirements related to the applicant and type of research proposed.

Benefits of the T32 Program

• Stipend support will be awarded at the NIH allowed annual maximum. 
• Coverage of tuition and fees
• Access to the CTSI professional services and staff including biostatistics, research participant recruitment and retention services, and regulatory support.
• Access to a training curriculum in clinical and translational research methodology and specialized training seminars.

Expectations of T32 Trainees

• Trainees must be able to commit full-time effort to the program at the time of appointment.
• Individual Development Plan (IDP): Working with the T32 PDs and the trainee mentors, the T32 trainee converts the training plan from their application into an on-line IDP. Administered as a REDCap survey, the IDP and organizes training, coursework, conference and workshop plans as well as individualized training of the T32 trainee to achieve career development goals along with target completion dates. Every six months, the PDs hold an IDP meeting with the trainee and lead mentor to monitor progress and provide feedback on trainee progress.
• Participate in 8 CTSI Graduate Students In Clinical and Translational Science seminars, 3 CTSI Tools of the Trade Workshops, 2 CTSI T32 Career Dinners per year.
• All trainees will take PUBHEPI 6412 - Basic Principles in Clinical and Translational Science (Autumn Semester) and PUBHEPI 6413: Conducting and Communicating Research in Clinical and Translational Science (Spring Semester).
• Trainees will complete the requirements for the Graduate Biomedical, Clinical, and Translational Science Interdisciplinary Specialization (BIOMCLT-IS) (see https://ctsi.osu.edu/biomedical-clinical-and-translational-science-interdisciplinary-specialization-program-description for more information).
• All trainees are expected to submit abstracts for poster or oral presentations and attend the annual CTSI Scientific Conference and the Association for Clinical and Translational Science annual meeting.
• Completion of required training elements.
• All trainees are expected to attend at least once the Translational Science Conference sponsored by the Association for Clinical and Translational Science. They will have the opportunity to submit abstracts for poster and oral presentations.
• Research Productivity expectations are a minimum of one first authored publication and two co- authored publications, one national scientific presentation per year, experience submitting or contributing to the submission of an external grant at least once during their graduate training.
• Progress reports will be required quarterly in conjunction with the IDP updates.
• All trainees must acknowledge CTSI T32 support in all publications and presentations.
• All trainees must adhere to the NIH Public Policy Access Policy.
• All trainees complete the CITI Good Clinical Practice training, all Ohio State University Office of Responsible Research Practice (ORRP) requirements and trainings, at least one course in Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) and additional RCR related seminars and workshops.
• In order to maintain the Graduate School Tuition and Fee Award, 
  • Trainees are responsible for ensuring they are enrolled in the proper number of hours for Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters. All courses taken through the graduate school, with the exception of courses taken under the audit option, count toward minimum hours requirement for doctoral students. Failure to meet any of these conditions may result in the immediate cancellation of the Graduate School Tuition and Fee Award. Students are responsible for the payment of any “special” fees such as the COTA fee, recreation fee, student activity fee, learning technology fee, etc. 
  • T32 Trainees must remain in good academic standing, which requires a minimum quarterly cumulative grade point average of 3.00 while making reasonable progress toward the graduate degree. 

Section II. Eligibility Information 

Eligible Applicants

Before you apply, please note the following information.

Eligibility criteria for T32 applicants (established by our funding source, the National Institutes of Health) are as follows: 

1. Citizenship Status: At the time of appointment to the training program, individuals selected to participate in the training program must be citizens or non-citizen nationals of the United States or have been lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence by the time of award. Noncitizen nationals are individuals, who, although not citizens of the United States, owe permanent allegiance to the United States. They generally are people born in outlying possessions of the United States (e.g., American Samoa and Swains Island). Individuals who have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence must have a currently valid Permanent Resident Card (USCIS Form I-551) or other legal verification of such status. See https://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps/HTML5/section_11/11.2.2_eligibility.htm#Citizens for complete information.
2. Degree Requirements: Trainees must be enrolled in a program leading to a PhD or an equivalent research health professional doctoral degree program.
3. Effort: Trainees must be able to commit full-time effort in the program at the time of appointment.
4. Individuals currently supported by other Federal funds are not eligible for trainee support from the T32 program at the same time. 
5. Applicants must be either (a) post-candidacy (applicants will be asked to supply the date of the candidacy exam); or (b) have a candidacy exam scheduled before August 16, 2027 (applicants will be asked to provide the date of the scheduled exam). All others should wait for a later RFA to apply for the T32.
6. Doctoral students conducting research in NCH labs are eligible to apply, but to receive the T32 they must be appointed as Graduate Fellows at the Ohio State University and receive their stipend and tuition and fee waiver through Ohio State University.
7. No predoctoral trainee may receive more than 5 years of aggregate Kirschstein-NRSA support, including any combination of support from Kirschstein-NRSA institutional research training grants and individual fellowships. Therefore, if you have 4 years on an F or T32 you would be eligible for only one year on the CTSI T32.

Eligible Research

The Predoctoral T32 Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) from the NIH does not allow appointed Trainees to lead an independent clinical trial. Trainees may obtain research experience in a clinical trial led by a mentor or co-mentor. NIH strongly supports training towards a career in clinically relevant research and so gaining experience in clinical trials under the guidance of a mentor or co-mentor is encouraged.

The applicant can be part of the clinical trial team and can use the data generated during the clinical trial research experience in his/her proposed research project. NIH expects the mentor to assume overall responsibility of the trial including registering and reporting in clinicaltrials.gov and obtaining IRB approval.

Refer to “Appendix 1. Definitions: Clinical and Translational Research” of this RFA for more information on this topic, including a link to an NIH webpage with a decision tree that you can use to determine if your proposed research meets the NIH definition of a clinical trial, which may be different from your definition.

Section III. Application and Submission Information

This grant program involves a two-phased application process: a Letter of Intent to Apply (LOI) and a Full Application. 

This funding announcement will serve as the instructions and guidelines for both the LOI and the Full Application submissions.

Phase One: Letter of Intent

To be eligible, it is required that you indicate your intention to apply via the T32 Letter of Intent form found at the web address noted at the top of this RFA.

The purpose of the Letter of Intent is:

1. To let program staff know of your intent to apply for the T32 in order that they may organize the Study Section.
2. So applicants can fill-out the eligibility checklist to know that they are eligible.

The Letter of Intent takes the form of a REDCap survey. You are able to save your work and return later. REDCap will send you an email with a return link.

All Letters of Intent must be submitted through the online process by 11:59 PM EST on the date noted above.  No late Letters of Intent will be accepted.

The process of completing the eligibility checklist will clearly tell you if ou are eligible to go on to apply for the T32. You should review carefully the eligibility criteria found in Section II of this document before applying.

Staff will use the information you submit about your project to organize the T32 Study section. The information about your project that you submit in the Letter of Intent will not undergo scientific review. Do not expect further contact from project staff after submitting the Letter of Intent. If project staff do have questions or concerns, they will contact you.

Phase Two: Full Application

This funding announcement will serve as the instructions and guidelines for Full Application submissions.

Please read these instructions carefully before going online to apply. The application must be completed and submitted online at the web address noted above. The application process is designed so that you can save your information and return to it (You will be able to bookmark the survey page to return to the survey, or you can provide an email address to which the survey link will be emailed).

Applications and supporting materials are to be submitted by 11:59 p.m. EST on the date noted at the top of this RFA. No late applications will be accepted.

Materials must be submitted online in PDF format with the file named using the following guideline:

 < lastname_firstname_T32_Application_2026 >

Use Arial with font no smaller than size 11. Use single-space text. Margins should be at least ½ inch on all sides.

Please make sure you have completed all sections of the entire application. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.

A consultation with a biostatistician for the impending proposal is strongly recommended. You can request a virtual consultation at https://medicine.osu.edu/departments/biostatistics/service-request-form. 

Investigators are strongly encouraged to visit the CTSI website to search for and make use of other CTSI resources relevant to your project.

Application Components: Personal Statement, Career Development and Mentoring Plans

This section cannot exceed three type-written, single-spaced pages.

Applicant's Background: The CTSI T32 application requires trainees to describe their educational background, motivation for a research career, clinical and translational research focus and how the CTSI T32 training experience would benefit their research and their career development.

Career Development/Training Activities during the Award Period: Describe here the new, enhanced research skills and knowledge you will acquire as a result of the proposed award. The governing body of the CTSI has defined Core Competencies in clinical and translational science, and they are listed in Appendix 2, below. Draw from the list those areas in which you need development and describe how you will gain skills, knowledge, and experience in Clinical and Translational Science through the T32 program. Here you may include lists of courses, workshops, meetings, etc.

You may also describe how you will use the award to gain specific technical skills, again through courses, workshops, mentoring, etc., as appropriate.

Training in Responsible Conduct of Research. Describe in this section how you will meet the NIH requirements for instruction in the responsible conduct of research. Reflection on responsible conduct of research should recur throughout a scientist's career: at the undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, predoctoral, postdoctoral, and faculty levels. Instruction must be undertaken at least once during each career stage, and at a frequency of no less than once every four years. T32 applicants must indicate in their training plan when in their graduate career they have had NIH compliant training in RCR. If it has been more than four years since they have had such training, the T32 training plan must include a plan to obtain instruction in the responsible conduct of research. The plan must address the five instructional components, format, subject matter, faculty participation, duration of instruction, and frequency of instruction, as outlined and explained by the NIH at https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not-od-10-019.html. See Appendix 4, below, for training options.

Mentoring: Applicants will put together a three-person mentoring team. This is the section in which to describe how the mentors fit with your training goals. For example, if the training and research plan include clinical trial research experience for the Trainee, address how the mentor(s) who will supervise the Trainee have the expertise, experience, resources, and ability to provide appropriate guidance and help the Trainee to meet the timelines.

Primary Mentor. It is expected that the applicant will identify a mentor in their area of clinical or translational research who is likely to be a member of the faculty in the applicant’s unit. Under the guidance of the mentor, the applicant will further develop their proposal that describes the clinical research project to be undertaken. 

The primary mentor is expected at a minimum to:

• Provide guidance for design and execution of an original, high-quality research project
• Meet with the trainee regularly
• Provide career development and counseling
• Participate in formal CTSI Mentor training (and complete mentor competency assessment surveys)
• Practice inclusive and culturally responsive mentorship
• Have sufficient funding to support at least two years of trainee research (the T32 does not provide research funds, so the reviewers want to know that the mentor will be able to provide support, if needed, for the research—or some other source of funds should be identified).
• Attend Orientation, IDP meetings (twice a year), and at least two trainings/events per year organized for T32 trainees and mentor

The Primary Mentor’s Letter of Support should acknowledge their understanding of these requirements; describe their mentoring plan for your development, including reference to the mentoring and training plan in your application; and describe their training experience (including number of mentees). 

Note: The Primary Mentor will need to sign the signature page.

Additional members of the mentorship team (at least 2 additional):

The mentorship team provides additional expertise in the scientific area of research chosen for the project. In order for the team to be complementary to the interests of the primary mentor, the three-person team should have the following characteristics:

1. One mentor must be from a different department than the applicant. The choice of this mentor should reflect a skill-building purpose that is discussed in the career development and mentoring plans.
2. The mentoring team must include at least one clinician and one who is either a lab-based or a population-focused researcher.

Mentoring teams that cross health science colleges are encouraged, but not required.

Your mentorship team may include a university faculty member who is not a regular member of the graduate faculty (e.g., an adjunct professor), a university staff member, or a qualified individual outside the university who can provide expertise in your discipline. 

Application Components: Research Plan

The Research Plan should not exceed 4 pages. 

The proposed research must fit the following definition of clinical research and be situated somewhere on the translational research spectrum from T1 to T4. See Appendix 1 for more information.

Clinical Research: Research with human subjects that is:

1) Patient-oriented research. Research conducted with human subjects (or on material of human origin such as tissues, specimens, and cognitive phenomena) for which an investigator (or colleague) directly interacts with human subjects. Excluded from this definition are in vitro studies that utilize human tissues that cannot be linked to a living individual. Clinical research includes: (a) mechanisms of human disease, (b), therapeutic interventions, (c) clinical trials, or (d) development of new technologies. Or:

2) Epidemiological and behavioral studies. Or: 

3) Outcomes research and health services research.

Translational Research. The translational science spectrum represents each stage of research along the path from the biological basis of health and disease to interventions that improve the health of individuals and the public. For more detailed information, see Appendix 1.

T0 Basic Science. Refers to basic scientific discovery (Not funded by this award).

T1 Discovery or Foundational Research seeks to move basic discovery into a candidate health application.

T2 Health Application to Assess Efficacy: assesses the value of application for health practice leading to the development of evidence-based guidelines.

T3 Health Practice (Science of Dissemination and Implementation): attempts to move evidence-based guidelines into health practice, through delivery, dissemination, and diffusion research. Research examples include health services research related to dissemination, communication, and implementation; and clinical outcomes research. Phase 4 Clinical Trials are also part of T3, but are not funded by this award.

T4 Evaluation of Health Impact on Real World Populations: seeks to evaluate the “real world” health outcomes of population health practice. Research examples include: population level outcome studies; studies of the social determinants of health. 

The research plan should be organized as follows:

• Title of the proposed project.
• Significance of the problem. State how the proposed project will improve scientific knowledge and/or change the field of study; what will be the (short- or long- term) impact of the research on human health; what will be the long-term impact of the proposed research on health for all
• Specific Aims of the Project. An outline that lists the individual experimental issues that are to be addressed. Each should be framed in terms of a hypothesis.
• A brief description of the Methods to be employed. A (somewhat) detailed description of the experimental system to be examined, the materials available, the procedures to be employed, expertise available in the sponsor lab, and the rationale for the design of the project. From this section, the reader should be able to determine how the data to be gathered will help solve the problem identified. The reviewers should also be able to assess the feasibility of the proposal both in terms of experimental design and time frame for completion.
• Describe how your research aims to improve health for all. For example, if human subjects are involved in the research, a plan for recruiting a cohort that mirrors the effected population should be included. Or the applicant might discuss how the effects of the health problem being researched disproportionally affect different population groups and describe how the ultimate clinical application of the research could lead to improved health outcomes.
• References are not included in the page limit.

NOTE: Research requiring regulatory approval (IRB, IACUC, IBC) should be conducted under a mentor’s protocol(s). The application form asks you to report the regulatory requirements and status of your project.

Application Components: NIH Biosketches

NIH Biosketches. The biosketches of the Applicant, the Primary Mentor and the other two (or more) members of the mentoring team should be uploaded to the application. Use the “Personal Statement” section to describe why your experience and qualifications make you particularly well-suited for your role (either as T32 trainee or mentor) in the program. Within this section you may, if it is relevant to your situation, briefly describe factors such as family care responsibilities, illness, disability, and active-duty military service that may have affected your scientific advancement or productivity.

You can find a “Biographical Sketch Sample,” with instructions, and a blank formatted “Biographical Sketch” form here: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms/biosketch.htm

Application Components: Letters of Support 

Letters of support are required from: your Lead Mentor and each member of your mentorship team.

Include these letters in your application PDF.

The Letters should acknowledge awareness and support of the project and address the role and qualifications of the mentor for the project.

Address the letters to:

Ginny L. Bumgardner, MD, PhD
Clinical and Translational Science Institute
376 W. 10th Ave., Suite 260
Ohio State University
Columbus, OH 43210

Other Application Components

Current Advising Report. The predoctoral application should include a current Advising Report. To access your advising report, log on to BuckeyeLink. Go to the “Student Center” section. Under “Academics” you will see the link “Generate Advising Report.” Click on this link and a current Advising Report will be generated that you can save as a PDF.

Typically, the advising report includes your professional entrance examination scores (GRE or MCAT, or equivalent as relevant to your situation) in the left column. If it does not for some reason, please include documentation of your relevant score(s). 

Section IV. Application Review Information

A Study Section will make recommendations to the T32 Internal Advisory Board for funding. Each application will be read by three reviewers. Applications will receive an Impact Score (NIH 1-9 scale). Individual components will also be scored 1-9. 

Trainee selection criteria are based on a holistic review process in which the candidate’s attributes, experiences and educational metrics and accomplishments to date are assessed. The candidate’s academic and scholarly accomplishments, service contributions to the community, potential contribution to the variety of training programs represented in the T32 trainee cohort and research career aspirations are assessed. The quality of the mentorship team and the training plan are important evaluation criteria. The potential CTR/CTS research project impact on innovation and advances in health and the rigor of the research approach contribute to the evaluation. Finally, the potential of the T32 training program to significantly impact the candidate’s career trajectory is assessed.

All applicants will receive reviewer comments on their applications.

Section VI. Other Information

• The NIH requires individuals supported by the T32 to have ORCID IDs (Open Researcher and Contributor Identifiers). You may acquire your free ORCID here: https://orcid.org/ 
• Appointed Predoctoral T32 Trainees are not allowed to simultaneously hold another appointment or position. Trainees must be appointed as a full-time fellow and must maintain that appointment during the entire award period. The student may not be required to perform any service for the fellowship stipend beyond that normally required for coursework and/or research activities and may not hold any other type of employment or appointment.
• Graduate Fellows receive stipends related to their academic programs. They do not render services for pay, and therefore are not considered employees. According to the Federal Tax Reform Act of 1986, fellowship stipends are considered taxable income. However, because fellowships are considered awards, the university may not withhold income tax from the monthly stipend. Students will not receive a W-2 Form. Students may be required to file federal and state estimated quarterly income tax forms. Information and forms on quarterly filing can be obtained from a tax advisor or at Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Information about fellowships and taxes can be found at the IRS website. Students may also be required to pay the Columbus city tax (City of Columbus tax website). Questions regarding taxes on fellowships should be directed to the Office of the Controller, Payroll Services Tax Information, 614-292-2311, or < controller.osu.edu/pay/pay-home.shtm > 
• Research in foreign countries is not allowed by this award.

Section VII. Award Administration Information

Award Notices

Meritorious applications will receive formal notice in the form of a Letter of Offer provided to the applicant. A completed and signed CTSI Award Acceptance Letter is required before the start date. 

Award Requirements

Applicants and mentors must become CTSI members by completing a CTSI membership form. https://ctsi.osu.edu/about/membership --scroll down the page to “Register Now.”

Reporting

You will provide brief interim progress reports quarterly and an annual progress report at the end of the year in which you will report on the progress of meeting the project milestones you listed in your application. 

Trainees, Mentors, and T32 Program Directors will meet every six months to review progress on the scholars Training Plan.

Citation Requirements: Awardees are required by National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants policy to include a specific acknowledgment of grant support on all products (publications, patents, presentations, posters) resulting from this award. See Cite the Grant | Clinical and Translational Science Institute for sample text.

Compliance with the NIH Public Access Policy: Award recipients are required to comply with the NIH Public Access Policy. This includes submission to PubMed Central, upon acceptance for publication, of an electronic version of a final peer-reviewed manuscript resulting from research supported in whole or in part by the NIH. The staff of Prior Health Science Library can help investigators navigate the Public Access Policy processes.