The candidate must have received a Ph.D. or equivalent degree at least 7 years before the date of application. The candidate must intend to return to the minority institution at the end of the training period. Awards made for less than 12 months will have funding prorated by the length of the award. The last segment is the Visiting Scientist Program, which provides support for periods of 3 to 12 months to outstanding scientist-teachers who serve as visiting scientists at eligible minority institutions. The intent of the program is to strengthen research and teaching in the biomedical sciences for the benefit of the students and faculty at these institutions by drawing on the special talents of scientists from other primarily majority institutions.
Awards are determined on an individual basis.
In 1989, NIH launched an initiative to provide funding for underrepresented minorities in biomedical research. Program is to increase the number of underrepresented minorities in biomedical research through the use of supplements to research project grants currently being funded by NIH institutes and centers. Investigators in any institution with an existing grant may apply for supplemental funds to support a minority high school, college, postgraduate, postdoctoral, or junior faculty researcher to work in an area closely allied to the funded research. The length of the award may be tied to the length of the parent grant but is limited to a total award period not to exceed 4 years. The thrust is to increase the total number of these minorities in biomedical research at every level of career development.