Information for Applicants
Applications are accepted from students, postgraduates, and U.S. college/university faculty with participants selected by the NIH mentor. Review the applicant information and program details below for more information and email ORISE with any additional questions.
Additional Information
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Eligibility
The NIH Participation Programs are educational and training programs designed to provide college students, recent graduates, and university faculty opportunities to participate in project-specific NIH research, and developmental activities.
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Because of the educational nature of these programs, participants must fall into one of the following categories:
- Students must be enrolled in an accredited U.S. pre-college, college or university pursuing a degree in a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM), or another discipline relevant to the NIH mission. Students must maintain satisfactory progress in academic coursework.
- Postgraduates must have received their degree in an appropriate STEM discipline within five years of the appointment start date or must complete all requirements for such a degree prior to the desired start date. If more than five years since receipt of degree, the applicant must have an academic background and experience in a relevant field and must be seeking to gain new knowledge/experience to expand career opportunities or to advance professionally.
- Faculty must be full-time faculty from an accredited U.S. pre-college, college, or university.
NIH Participation Programs offer a wide variety of opportunities during the year to accommodate the needs and schedule of individual NIH Centers. These opportunities may have different eligibility requirements. To qualify for an opportunity, you must meet the eligibility requirements detailed for the opportunity in Zintellect. View open opportunities.
Applications will be considered without regard to race, color, age, sex, religion, national origin, mental or physical disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, or covered veteran’s status.
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NIH Hosting Laboratories
ORISE gives students, recent graduates and U.S. faculty an opportunity to be paired with a staff scientist who will provide a hands-on research experience at one of the NIH laboratories listed below.
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More information can be found about each facility by clicking below:
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
National Library of Medicine (NLM)
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
All of Us Research Program | National Institutes of Health (NIH)
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Guidelines for Non-U.S. Citizens
In this section you will find information which is intended to be used as a guide. If selected to participate, ORISE Immigration Services is required to verify your immigration status eligibility.
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There are various types of immigration statuses that allow foreign nationals to participate in some Research Participation Programs where U.S. citizenship is not required. Generally, participants are not required to hold U.S. citizenship. However, a few NIH offices may have restricted areas that may only allow U.S. citizens access due to the sensitive nature of the research performed.
More information can be found at the ORISE Immigration website.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to the questions most commonly asked by applicants.
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Participants receive a monthly stipend to help defray living and other expenses during the appointment. Stipend rates are determined by NIH, and are based on the participant’s educational level. Some mentors may also award relocation, a travel allowance, and/or a health insurance stipend.
Depending on the opportunity you may be able to apply before you complete your degree, depending on what the posting states. If you are selected, you will be required to show proof of degree completion before beginning the appointment.
The expected duration of the appointment is included in the opportunity description of each opportunity listed in Zintellect. Typically, appointments are initially for one-year, renewable up to four additional years upon program needs and funding availability. Some opportunities will allow shorter appointment durations or part-time appointments, such as for summer students and U.S. faculty.
Most opportunities require only 1 recommendation. However, some may require more than one; Refer to each opportunity for the specified number of recommendations needed. Use your discretion as to whether additional references will strengthen your application by highlighting aspects of your background that were not addressed elsewhere. Selection officials will not be able to see your application until all recommendations have been submitted.
You will enter your recommender’s contact information in Zintellect, and requests will be sent automatically when you submit your application. There is also a “send now” button that you can use to send the requests before you submit your application. It’s a good idea to let your recommender know to watch for an email from zintellect@orau.org.
You may request more than the required number of recommendations. However, Zintellect will only accept the required number of recommendations in the order received.
You can view the status of your recommendation and resend your recommendation requests from the application card on your dashboard after the application is submitted and before the deadline.
You should obtain recommendations from people familiar with your educational and professional qualifications. At least one recommender should be a professor or other individual who can comment on your educational experience.
Applicants are reviewed and selected by NIH mentors from the applicant pool of the specific opportunity postings for each NIH office and will notify ORISE of their selection(s).
Some opportunity postings have specific deadlines, and selections are typically made within 2 months after the deadline. Other opportunity postings that do not specify a deadline are reviewed on a rolling basis as mentors seek applicants for additional projects as needed. If selected, the process between receiving your official appointment offer letter and your actual start date may vary depending on several factors such as background or security checks and other processes for on-boarding.
If you see the opportunity on Zintellect then it is still actively accepting applications. If no deadline is listed, then applications are considered on a rolling basis. You can always contact NIHprograms@orau.org with any questions regarding the status of your application and/or the opportunity.
Please ensure that all the necessary application materials have been received and that you meet the required qualifications. Applications will not be reviewed without the required recommendations, so you may want to be sure your recommenders submit their recommendations on-time.
All opportunities for NIH Participation Programs are listed in Zintellect. ORISE advises frequently checking Zintellect for additional postings.
Please ensure that all of the necessary application materials have been received and that you have obtained the necessary educational qualifications. At least one recommendation needs to be submitted in order for the mentor to view your application. Applications will not be reviewed without the required completed recommendations, so you may want to be sure your recommenders will submit their recommendations on-time.
All opportunities for NIH Participation Programs are listed in Zintellect. Check back often for additional postings.
All ORISE appointment selections must be submitted by the NIH mentor. ORISE will send an appointment letter once this submission is received and the funding for the appointment is in place.
We strongly recommend against this. Your appointment is not guaranteed until ORISE issues your appointment letter.
Non-citizens with appropriate immigration statuses are eligible for most NIH appointments. Generally, participants are not required to hold U.S. citizenship. However, a few NIH offices may have restricted areas that may only allow U.S. citizens access due to the sensitive nature of the research performed.
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