Institutional Translational Research Training Program (T32) | PAR 19 228

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 19 228

The Institutional Translational Research Training Program (T32) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) training grant run through the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). Its main goal is to train the next generation of neuroscience researchers to move beyond basic discovery and understand what it takes to turn lab findings into real clinical applications. In practice, the program is designed to help trainees bridge the gap between fundamental, disease-relevant research and the steps required to develop viable therapies, devices, diagnostics, or other interventions that can ultimately benefit patients.

A core feature of this opportunity is the training environment it expects institutions to provide. Funded programs must place trainees in settings where basic neuroscientists and clinicians work together in active, collaborative research efforts, so trainees routinely see how clinical realities shape research questions and how mechanistic findings can be positioned for human use. In addition, programs must include researchers who specifically have translational expertise and are already doing work intended to push discoveries toward application rather than stopping at proof-of-concept. The program also emphasizes building connections outside academia, particularly relationships with industry partners and with government regulatory agencies, reflecting the reality that translation often requires understanding commercialization pathways, regulatory expectations, and development milestones.

The educational structure is expected to be cohesive and intentionally focused on translational research as a process, not just a topic area. Trainees should learn the stages, decision points, and practical constraints involved in translation while working on their own projects, so that training is integrated with real research execution. NINDS expects programs to cover skills that are essential for rigor and reproducibility, including strong experimental design and a thorough grounding in statistics and analytical methods. Communication training is also required, with an emphasis on communicating science effectively to different audiences, which can include interdisciplinary scientific teams, clinicians, industry stakeholders, regulators, and the broader public.

The typical training period is intended to be about two years, and the program can support one or more trainee groups: advanced predoctoral students, postdoctoral fellows, and fellowship-stage clinicians. By the end of the program, participants should be able to approach basic research problems with a clear understanding of downstream translational requirements, meaning they are better prepared to design studies and generate evidence that can support later development steps rather than producing findings that are difficult to advance toward patient impact.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based organizations and government entities, such as public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (including both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3) organizations), state and local governments, tribal governments (federally recognized), tribal organizations (including those other than federally recognized tribal governments), public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), and small businesses. The announcement also explicitly highlights additional eligible applicants such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, and U.S. territories or possessions. Foreign institutions are not eligible to apply, and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible; however, foreign components as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement may be allowed.

The opportunity is listed as a discretionary NIH grant program under Funding Opportunity Number PAR-19-228, with health-related activity and CFDA numbers 93.853 and 93.866. The original posting was created on March 22, 2019, and the original closing date listed is May 26, 2021. The notice does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards in the provided source details, so applicants typically would need to consult the full FOA and NIH budget guidance for allowable costs, trainee slots, and programmatic expectations tied to T32 mechanisms.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Institutional Translational Research Training Program (T32)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.853, 93.866.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2019-03-22.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-05-26. (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 19 228

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