Five Takeaways from the September Webinar on the Fellowship Changes

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Changes to the fellowship application and review process are coming for applications due on or after January 25, 2025. In case you missed the live event, a recording of our first webinar on the changes is now available. We had great turnout, with more than 1900 viewers tuning in and over 150 questions answered live by NIH experts.

With the changes just around the corner, many of the questions we heard dealt with the application changes and how candidates could start to prepare now. Below are answers to some of the most frequent questions.

  • Will fellowship applications being resubmitted for due dates on or after January 25, 2025 need to follow the new application format?
    Yes, the new format will apply to all fellowship applications for due dates on or after January 25, 2025. This includes applications that were previously submitted using the current format. Because of the scope of the changes, candidates and sponsors should factor in additional time when updating their application for resubmission.
  • Do sponsors need to have had NIH support or extensive mentorship experience in the past for a fellowship application to be competitive?
    No. Candidates with sponsors who have not had NIH support or extensive mentoring experience are encouraged to apply. Among other things, the revisions are meant to level the playing field and reduce the impact of the sponsor’s reputation on the candidate’s application.
  • Will grades be allowed in fellowship applications submitted on or after January 25, 2025?
    No. Fellowship candidates will no longer be allowed to include their undergraduate or graduate grades in applications submitted on or after January 25, 2025.
  • What information should candidates provide in the new fellowship application Candidate Section? Specifically, the statement on scientific perspective?
    The candidate section asks for four personal statements: (1) a statement of professional and fellowship goals, (2) a statement on fellowship qualifications, (3) a self-assessment, and (4) a statement of scientific perspective. The statement of scientific perspective allows candidates to discuss why the field of science is important, the ways in which the research training project will advance the field, and broader unresolved questions in the chosen field and how biomedical research might advance them.
  • How can candidates start preparing their applications before full instructions for fellowship applications are available?
    Candidates can start writing the specific aims and research strategy, which are not significantly impacted by the application changes. It may also be helpful to start discussing their career and fellowship goals with their sponsor(s).

In addition to reviewing the webinar materials, candidates and sponsors are encouraged to review the NIH page on the revisions, check out our updated FAQs, and subscribe to updates from the NIH Guide to Grants and Contracts to stay up to date on news and new Notices of Funding Opportunity as they are released later this fall.

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