NIH Predoctoral (F31) Application Guide

Before you begin filling out the form, review NIH ’s Fellow Guide.
Make sure you have the right solicitation number, PA-21-051 for Parent Fellowship and PA-21-052 for the Diversity Fellowship.
Each section must be uploaded separately, do not try to combine the attachments.
Formatting can disqualify your application, please look at the formatting regulations before continuing on.
Indicates updated field

Format Regulations for Attachments
Document format	PDF only; do not use headers or footers
Font type/size *Recommended	Arial, Helvetica, Palatino Linotype, or Georgia typeface
	11 or larger
	Black
Line spacing	No more than 6 lines of type within a vertical space of 1 inch
Line spacing	Only single column formatting
Page size	8.5 x 11
Page size	0.5” margins on all sides
File Names If you don’t follow the file name rules your application will be flagged with errors	File names cannot exceed 50 characters
	Don’t use “&” sign
	1 space in between words
	Don’t start file name with a space
Citation Format	All citation formats are acceptable
Images (charts, etc.)	Only allowed in Research Strategy section

Table of Contents

eRA Commons Login……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..Page 2

Reference Letters………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….Page 2

R&R Cover Page…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….Page 3

Requesting an Agency Assignment…………………………………………………………………………………..……Page 4

Other Project Information………………………………………………………………………………………………….....Page 5

Sites……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….Page 6

Sr/Key Person Profile……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..Page 6

Fellowship Supplement………………………………………………………………………………………………………….Page 7

Budget Section……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….Page 9

Human Subjects and Clinical Trails...………………………………………………………………………………………Page 9

The Graduate Division cannot assume responsibility for errors in the applicant’s submission. We will do our best to review the format of your proposal; however final responsibility for format, content, and completeness rests with the applicant.

Before you begin your application:

Connect with an appropriate business partner, usually your mentor’s fund manager, who handles contract and grant submissions.
Apply through the correct central office:

- If the applicant is a single-degree seeking student enrolled in a graduate program, either OCGA or SIO-OCGA will be submitting your application. However, if the student is enrolled in a professional degree program (i.e. PharmD, PharmD/PhD, or MD/PhD program), the applicant will need to contact Health Sciences Sponsored Project Pre-Award Office (HSSPPO).

To apply for the NIH F31 fellowship you will use the ASSIST application portal via NIH eRA Commons.

- Your eRA Commons Login should have the role of PD/PI assigned to your username, if you do not have the role of PD/PI assigned, follow the steps below.
- Set up your eRA Commons Login.
  - If you do not have an eRA Commons login please fill out this online form and request that aPD/PI role be assigned.

Search for the solicitation number PA-21-051 if you are applying for a Parent Fellowship and PA-21-052 if you are applying for a Diversity Fellowship.

Reference Letters

Reference letters are a separate component of this application and will be completed through the eRA Commons. Referees must submit reference letters through the eRA Commons by the application due date.

Selecting a Referee

Submit 3-5 reference letters
The letters cannot be from individuals directly involved in the application (No sponsor/co-sponsors)
- Select the referee that will be able to speak best to your ability to carry out your proposal
Include a list of referees (including name, department, and institution) in the cover letter (see #21 on the list of items below).

Instructions to Provide to Referees

Provide your referees with the appropriate instructions. Include your name (as shown in your Commons account, your eRA username, and the number of the FOA)

Letters must be submitted directly to the eRA Commons. NIH provides Instructions for Fellowship Applicant Referees that you may use as a template to share with your references.

You can learn more about letters of references at NIH’s Reference Letter website.

Campus Requirements

In order to submit a NIH F31 Application you will need a Kuali Research proposal record (typically completed by your mentor’s fund manager). The KR record should contain the following attachments: Solicitation, Internal Budget, signed NIH Fellowship Assurance Form, and a near-final draft of your ASSIST online application.

S F 4 2 4 P o r t i o n ( F o r m G ) o r R & R C o v e r P a g e ( A S S I S T )
1	Type of Submission	Check the box labeled “Application”
2	Date Submitted	Enter date of agency deadline
	Applicant Identifier	Last, First F31 KR [recordnumber]
3	Date Received by state	Leave Blank
	State application Identifier	Leave Blank
4	a. Federal Identifier	Only for resubmissions, email for details
	b. Agency Routing Identifier	Leave Blank
	c. Previous Grants.gov Tracking ID	Leave Blank
5	Applicant Information
	SAM Unique Entity ID (UEI)	UYTTZT6G9DT1
	Legal Name	The Regents of the Univ. of Calif., U.C. San Diego
	Department	Leave Blank
	Division	Contact your Fund Manager for correct entry
	Street 1	9500 Gilman Drive
	Street 2	MC 0934
	City	La Jolla
	County/Parish	San Diego
	State	California
	Province	Leave blank
	ZIP/Postal Code	92093-0934
	Person to be contacted on matters involving this application
	First Name	Michael
	Last name	Kusiak
	Position/Title	Director
	Street 1	9500 Gilman Drive
	Street 2	MC: 0934
	City	La Jolla
	County/Parish	San Diego
	State	California
	Province	Leave blank
	Country	United States
	zip/postal code	92093-0934
	Phone	858-534-3330
	Fax	858-534-0280
	Email	researchadmin@ucsd.edu
6	Employer Identification (EIN) or (TIN)	1956006144A1
7	Type of Applicant	H: Public/State Controlled Institution of Higher Education
8	Type of Application	Check “New” if this is your first time submitting to NIH or first time submitting this project to NIH
		Check “Resubmission” if you are submitting this application to NIH for the second time
	Is this application being submitted to other agencies?	Answer yes or no and disclose which agency will also receive this proposal.
9	Name of Federal Agency	National Institutes of Health
10	Catalog of federal domestic assistance number	Leave blank
11	Descriptive Title of Applicant’s Project	Title of your project
12	Proposed Project Start Date	These are the earliest possible standard start dates for each cycle of NIH. If you are applying for :
	Only request FULL years of support	Cycle 1 (April):	September or December
		Cycle 2 (August):	April of next year
		Cycle 3 (December):	July of next year
13	Congressional District of Applicant	CA-050
14	Project Director/PI Contact Information	This information is pre-populated from the Sr/Key Person tab. To change this information, change it in the Sr/Key Person tab.
15	Estimated Project Funding	Please contact your Fund Manager
16	Is this application subject to review by the state executive order 12372?	Check “No” box: “This program is not covered by E.O. 12372”
17/18	Self-explanatory
19	Authorized Representative *For SIO, contact your Fund Manager for this information*
	Prefix	Ms.
	First	Lisa
	Last	Jandt Auvil
	Position/Title	Senior Contract & Grant Officer
	Name of Organization	The Regents of the Univ. of Calif., U.C. San Diego
	Department	Office of Contract and Grant Administration
	Division	Leave Blank
	Street 1	9500 Gilman Drive
	Street 2	MC 0934
	City	La Jolla
	County/Parish	San Diego
	zip/postal code	92093-0934
	Phone	(858) 534-3330
	Fax	(858) 534-0280
	Email	ljandtauvil@ucsd.edu
20	Pre-application	Pre-application materials are not needed for this application
21	Cover letter	Attach to number 21 of SF424 R&R page
	Your request to be assigned to a certain agency DOES NOT go in this section*	Address letter to the Division of Receipt and Referral
		Include application title
		Include solicitation number (PA-21-052 Diversity, PA-21-051 Parent)
		Include a list of referees (including name, departmental affiliation, and institution).
		Statement that you have attached any required documentation for the type of application submitted.
		If the proposed studies will generate large-scale human or non-human genomic data as detailed in the NIH Genomic Data Sharing Policy Include a statement in the cover letter
		If the proposed studies involve human fetal tissue obtained from elective abortions (HFT), regardless of whether or not Human Subjects are involved and/or there are costs associated with the HFT include a statement in the cover letter. For further information on HFT policy refer to the NIH Grants Policy Statement, Section 2.3.7.11 Human Fetal Tissue from Elective Abortions, Section 4.1.14 Human Fetal Tissue Research and Section 4.1.14.2 Human Fetal Tissue from Elective Abortions.

*Requesting an Agency Assignment

If you would like your proposal to be assigned to a certain agency

Go to the top left side of the screen
Click on the tab that says “Actions”
Select “add optional form”
Select “Assignment Request”
This form will be added as a tab to your ASSIST application next to the “fellowship supplement” tab.
Fill out the form accordingly.

Other Project Information
1	Human Subjects	Not sure if your application requires human subjects approval? Click here for more information.
		NIH’s 3 Exemptions Infographic
		Finding the appropriate exemption number
		If you will be using human subjects in your project and need to include a PHS Enrollment Inclusion Form, follow these instructions: Go to the top left side of the screen Click on the tab that says Actions Select “add optional form” Select “PHS Enrollment Inclusion Form” This form will be added as a tab to your ASSIST application next to the “fellowship supplement” tab or “assignment request” tab
1a	IRB approval	IRB approval date is NOT required at time of submission
	More information about IRB here, page F-32	If IRB is pending, leave blank
2	Vertebrate Animals	If animal involvement is anticipated within the period of award but plans are indefinite, check "Yes."
		If yes, complete the vertebrate animals attachment (for more information, refer to “Are Vertebrate Animals Used?” in the NIH Guide)
2a	IACUC	If IACUC approval is pending, leave blank. Approval dates must be within 3 years.
		IACUC approval date is NOT required at the time of submission, goes for both Human and Animal subjects
3	Is proprietary or privileged information included in the application?	Check yes if your application contains: Patentable ideas/ trade secrets. Privileged, confidential commercial, or financial information should be included in applications only when the info is necessary to convey an understanding of the proposed project.
4-6	Self-explanatory
7	Project Summary (abstract)	Mention: key focus, long-term goals, relevance to agency’s mission, research design method
	30 lines of text max	Write in 3^rd person
	30 lines of text max	Don’t describe past accomplishments
8	Project Narrative	Relevance to public health
	Three sentence max	What will your research contribute to the field?
9	Bibliography and references Cited No page limit	Required. All citation formats are acceptable.
10	Facilities and Other Resources Not required but can help establish the feasibility of the project	Describe how the research site contributes to the probability of success, like, institutional support, physical resources, and intellectual rapport.
11	Equipment	Not required but can help establish the feasibility of the project.
	Not required	List major items of equipment already available for project and, if possible, where it is and what it can do.
12	Other Attachments	If applicable, Foreign Justification can be attached here
	No page limit Do not use this section to attach other parts of the application that did not fit into the page limit, this is grounds for disqualification.

Sites
	Project/Performance Site
	Organization Name:	The Regents of the Univ. of Calif., U.C. San Diego
	DUNS Number:	UYTTZT6G9DT1
	Street 1:	9500 Gilman Drive
	Street 2:	MC: XXXX🡨your home Dept. Mail code
	City:	La Jolla
	ZIP/Postal Code:	92093-XXXX 🡨Your Dept. Mail Code
	Project/Performance Site Congressional District:	CA-050

Sr/Key Person Profile
	Project Director/Principal Investigator
	Credential, e.g., agency login	Your eRA Commons ID. The system will not submit the application without it!
	First name	Your first name
	last name	Your last name
	Position/Title	Graduate Student Researcher
	Department	Your home department
	Division	Enter School of Medicine, SKAGGS, or General Campus
	Street 1	9500 Gilman Drive
	Street 2	MC: XXXX🡨your home Dept. Mail code
	City	La Jolla
	County/parish	San Diego
	state	California
	Province	Leave blank
	zip/postal code	92093-XXXX 🡨Your Dept. Mail Code
	phone/fax	Your personal phone
	email	Your email
	Project Role	PD/PI
	Degree type	Enter highest degree received (DO NOT enter PhD)
	Degree Year	Enter the year that the highest degree was received
	Biographical sketch 5 page max	To download the format page and to view samples, click here. Do not copy and paste a biosketch. Make sure you are following NIH’s current formatting instructions. List by institution and year all undergraduate and graduate courses, with grades. Explain any grading system used if it differs from a 1-100 scale; an A, B, C, D, F system; or a 0-4.0 scale
	current/pending support	Not required at time of application
	Senior/Key Person	Follow these instructions for each mentor/co-mentor/consultant
	Credential, e.g., agency login	Your eRA Commons ID. The system will not submit the application without it!
	First/last name	Enter name of mentor as it appears on BLINK
	Position/Title	If you are a UCSD professor, look up on BLINK and enter exact title
	Department	Professor’s home department
	Organization Name	The Regents of the Univ. of Calif., U.C. San Diego
	Division	Enter School of Medicine, SKAGGS, General Campus, or Scripps Inst. of Oceanography
	Street 1	9500 Gilman Drive
	Street 2	MC: XXXX🡨professor’s home Dept. Mail code
	City	La Jolla
	county	San Diego
	state	California
	ZIP/Postal Code	92093-XXXX 🡨professor’s Dept. Mail Code
	Project Role	Other (specify)
	Other Project Role	Sponsor (do not write mentor) or Co-sponsor
	Degree type/degree year	Enter highest degree received and when it was received
	biographical sketch	Refer to PD/PI section above
	current/pending support	Not required at time of application
F e l l o w s h i p S u p p l e m e n t a l F o r m
1	Introduction 1 page max	Only if resubmitting
2	Applicant’s Background and Goals 6 page max	Organize the attachment in these sections with appropriate headings:
		A. Doctoral Dissertation and Research Experience: Briefly summarize your past research experience, results, and conclusions, and describe how that experience relates to the proposed fellowship. In some cases, a proposed fellowship may build directly on previous research experiences, results, and conclusions. In other situations, past research experiences may lead a candidate to apply for a fellowship in a new or different area of research. Do not list academic courses in this section. Applicants with no research experience: Describe any other scientific experiences. Advanced graduate students (i.e., those who have or will have completed their comprehensive examinations by the time of award): Include a narrative of your planned doctoral dissertation (may be preliminary).
		B. Training Goals and Objectives Describe your overall training goals for the duration of the fellowship and how the proposed fellowship will enable the attainment of these goals. Identify the skills, theories, conceptual approaches, etc., to be learned or enhanced during the award, including, as applicable, expertise in rigorous research design, experimental methods, quantitative approaches, and data analysis and interpretation, as applicable. Discuss how the proposed research will facilitate your transition to the next career stage
		C. Activities Planned Under this Award Briefly summarize your past research experience, results, and conclusions, and describe how that experience relates to the proposed fellowship. In some cases, a proposed fellowship may build directly on previous research experiences, results, and conclusions. In other situations, past research experiences may lead a candidate to apply for a fellowship in a new or different area of research. Do not list academic courses in this section. Applicants with no research experience: Describe any other scientific experiences. Advanced graduate students (i.e., those who have or will have completed their comprehensive examinations by the time of award): Include a narrative of your planned doctoral dissertation (may be preliminary).
	Research Training Plan	For the next couple of sections
		Relate research to your career goals Explain the relationship between the applicant’s research on the fellowship award and the mentor’s ongoing research program. Should be tailored to your experience and allows you to develop career advancing skills
3	Specific aims 1 page max	Goals and expected outcomes
3	Specific aims 1 page max	Impact of results
4	Research Strategy	Include the following sub-sections with appropriate headings:
	6 page max Tip: If possible, keep section to a max of 5.5 pages, your reviewer will appreciate it Tip 2: Try to include experts in your field of research who might review your application	Significance Explain the importance of the problem or critical barrier to progress that the proposed project addresses. Describe the strengths and weaknesses in the rigor of the prior research (both published and unpublished) that serves as the key support for the proposed project Explain how your project will improve scientific knowledge, technical capability, and/or clinical practice in one/more broad fields. Describe how the concepts, methods, technologies, treatments, services, or preventative interventions that drive this field will be changed if the proposed aims are achieved.
		approach Describe the overall strategy, methodology, and analyses to be used to accomplish the specific aims of the project. Describe plans to address weaknesses in the rigor of the prior research that serves as the key support for the proposed project. Describe the experimental design and methods proposed and how they will achieve robust and unbiased results. Unless addressed separately in the Resource Sharing Plan attachment, include how the data will be collected, analyzed, and interpreted, as well as any resource sharing plans, as appropriate. Resources and tools for rigorous experimental design can be found at the Enhancing Reproducibility through Rigor and Transparency website. For trials that randomize groups or deliver interventions to groups, describe how your methods for analysis and sample size are appropriate for your plans for participant assignment and intervention delivery. These methods can include a group- or cluster-randomized trial or an individually randomized group-treatment trial. Additional information is available at the Research Methods Resources webpage. Discuss potential problems, alternative strategies, and benchmarks for success anticipated to achieve the aims. If the project is in the early stages of development, describe any strategy to establish feasibility, and address the management of any high risk aspects of the proposed work. Explain how relevant biological variables, such as sex, are factored into research designs and analyses for studies in vertebrate animals and humans. For example, strong justification from the scientific literature, preliminary data, or other relevant considerations, must be provided for applications proposing to study only one sex. Refer to NIH Guide Notice on Sex as a Biological Variable in NIH-funded Research for additional information. Point out any procedures, situations, or materials that may be hazardous to personnel and the precautions to be exercised. If applicable, a full discussion on the use of select agents should appear in the Select Agent Research attachment below. If research on Human Embryonic Stem Cells (hESCs) is proposed, but an approved cell line from the NIH hESC Registry cannot be chosen, provide a strong justification for why an appropriate cell line cannot be chosen from the registry at this time. If you are proposing to gain clinical trial research experience (i.e., you will not be leading an independent clinical trial), briefly describe your role on the clinical trial. As applicable, also include the following information as part of the Research Strategy, keeping within the two sections (Significance and Approach) listed above. Preliminary Studies for New Applications: For new applications, include information on preliminary studies (including data collected by others in the lab), if any. Discuss the applicant's preliminary studies, data, and/or experience pertinent to this application.
5	Respective Contributions	Describe the collaborative process between you and your sponsor/co-sponsor(s) in the development, review, and editing of this Research Training Plan.
	1 page max	Also discuss your respective goals in accomplishing the proposed research.
6	Selection of Sponsor and institution 1 page max	Explain why you picked your sponsor and why you are doing research on campus. If you aren’t doing research on campus, explain here. Foreign Institution: If you are proposing a research training experience at a foreign institution, describe how the foreign institution and sponsor offer special opportunities for training that are not currently available in the United States
7	Progress Report Pub. List	Leave Blank
8	Training in the Responsible Conduct of Research 1 page max	Include the following subheads in your document:
		Format- format of instruction
		Subject matter- describe the breadth of subject matter (Kuali COIs, human and animal subjects, lab safety, ethics, data management, authorship
		Faculty participation- role of mentor(s) and co-mentors
		Duration of Instruction- total number of contact hours of instruction
		Frequency of Instruction- document prior instruction during current career stage, must occur once every 4 years and during each career stage
9	Sponsor and Co-sponsor Statements 6 page max	Include the following subheads in your document:
		Each sponsor and co-sponsor statement must address all of the following sections (A-E).
		Research Support available- use a table to list all current and pending research and research training support available to you for this project. Include funding source, identifying number, title of research/training program, name of the PD/PI, start and end dates, and the amount of the award. If one or more co-sponsors is proposed, this plan should describe the role of each sponsor and how they will communicate and coordinate their efforts to mentor the applicant effectively.
		Sponsor’s/co-sponsor’s previous fellows/trainees- state total number of pre and post-doctoral individuals that were sponsored. Select 5 that are representative and list how much time was spent in the lab and who (agency) they work for now and job title.
		Training Plan, environment, research facilities- should be tailored to you (the applicant) and to your strengths and weaknesses. Designed to enhance research and clinical training. Include items like classes, seminars, professional development opportunities, research environment and available equipment and facilities. How does this plan help you reach your career goals? What will you learn that will help you with your career goals? The information contained in the “Training Plan, Environment, Research Facilities” section of the Sponsor’s and Co-sponsors’ Statements should be coordinated with information provided under the Description of Institutional Environment and Commitment to Training attachment below. F31, F32, F33 Applications: The Research Training Plan should facilitate the applicant's transition to the next stage of his/her career. Sponsors and co-sponsors should discuss this aspect of the applicant's training as well.
		Number of Fellows/Trainees to be supervised during the fellowship- how many fellows/trainees both pre and post doc is the sponsor/co-sponsor expected to supervise during the award period.
		Applicant’s qualifications and Potential for a research career- based on your academic record and research experience explain why you are well-suited for this opportunity. How does the research training plan and sponsor expertise help you in becoming an independent researcher? (If you will gain experience in a clinical trial, see NIH guide F-65)
10	Letters of Support (Collaborators, Contributors, and Consultants)	If any collaborators, consultants, or advisors will make contributions to your project/ research training, attach letters of support from them here, describing their role and contributions.
	6 page max	Different from reference letters; Letters of recommendation are sent directly to NIH via eRA Commons
11	Description of Institutional Environment and Commitment to Training	Include grad program you are currently enrolled in, description of program and structure, required milestones and usual timing, number of courses, teaching commitments, qualifying exams, journal clubs, seminars, clinical requirements, average time to complete the degree over the last 10 years. Indicate the facilities and other resources that will be made available for both career enhancement and the research proposed in this application.
	2 page max	Where are you in the timeline of the program discussed above? How are you evaluated and monitored?
	2 page max	Include the name of the person who gave you the information (usually chair or director)
12	Description of Candidates Contribution to Program Goals	ONLY students applying for PA-21-052 (NIH F31 Diversity)
		The sponsoring institution must provide a document on institutional letterhead that explains how the candidate’s participation will further the goals of the fellowship program to promote diversity in health-related research. For NIH’s Interest in Diversity, see the Notice of NIH's Interest in Diversity.
		Please have the department Chair sign the letter.
	13-25 Answer accordingly	More information on the NIH guide
26	Budget Section	Tuition and fees
		Check the box that says funds requested Use the budget guide attached to email to fill in this section Please indicate if childcare costs are being requested. NOTE: BUDGET GUIDE IS ATTACHED TO EMAIL
	27-29 Leave blank	More information on the NIH guide
	Human Subjects and Clinical Trial Resources	Link to NIH application guide, Form H. Begins on page F-79.

UCSD will not assume responsibility for errors in the applicant’s submission. We will do our best to review the format of your proposal; however final responsibility for format, content, and completeness rests with the applicant.

NIH F31 Application Guide