Full Text PA-95-028

PREDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP AWARDS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

NIH GUIDE, Volume 24, Number 5, February 10, 1995

PA NUMBER:  PA-95-028

P.T. 22, DD

Keywords: 
  Biomedical Research Training 


National Institutes of Health

Application Receipt Dates:  May 1 and November 15

PURPOSE

This is a new program announcement (PA) from the National Institutes
of Health (NIH) for National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual
Predoctoral Fellowships for Students with Disabilities.  This trans-
NIH announcement applies to all NIH funding components listed under
INQUIRIES at the end of this announcement.

These fellowships will provide up to five years of support for
research training leading to the Ph.D. or equivalent research degree;
the combined M.D./Ph.D. degree; or other combined professional
doctorate/research Ph.D. degrees in the biomedical or behavioral
sciences.  Support is NOT available for individuals enrolled in
medical or other professional schools UNLESS they are enrolled in a
combined professional doctorate/Ph.D. degree program in biomedical or
behavioral research.

The intent of this Predoctoral Fellowship Program is to encourage
students with disabilities to seek graduate degrees and thus further
the goal of increasing the number of scientists with disabilities who
are prepared to pursue careers in biomedical and behavioral research.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Citizenship.  At the time of application, individuals must be
citizens or noncitizen nationals of the United States or have been
lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence (i.e.,
in possession of a currently valid Alien Registration Receipt Card I-
551 or other legal verification of such status).  Noncitizen
nationals are persons born in outlying possessions of the United
States (i.e., American Samoa and Swains Island).  Individuals on
temporary or student visas are not eligible.

Definition of Disability.  For the purpose of this announcement, the
definition of persons with disabilities from the Americans with
Disabilities Act will be used.  An individual with a disability is
one who "has a physical or mental impairment that substantially
limits one or more major life activities, a record of such an
impairment, or who is regarded as having such an impairment."
Qualified students with disabilities are those who, with reasonable
accommodation for their disability, are capable of pursuing a
research career after appropriate education, training, and
experience.  A list of disabilities that might confer eligibility for
awards under this program includes, but is not limited to, the
following:  total deafness in both ears, visual acuity less than
20/200 with corrective lenses, speech impairment, missing
extremities, partial paralysis, complete paralysis, convulsive
disorders, mental or emotional illness, learning disabilities, kidney
dialysis, and severe distortion of limbs and/or spine.  In all cases,
individuals supported under this program must, with reasonable
assistance, be able to complete the requirements for the degree
program in which they are enrolled.

In addition, an applicant must currently be enrolled in a Ph.D. or
equivalent research degree program, a combined M.D./Ph.D. program, or
other combined professional doctorate/research Ph.D. graduate program
in the biomedical or behavioral sciences, or have been accepted by
and agreed to enroll in such a graduate program in the academic year
for which funds are sought.

MECHANISM OF SUPPORT

This PA for individual predoctoral fellowships (F31) is issued under
the auspices of the NRSA Act (see AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS).  An
applicant must work with her/his research advisor or graduate program
director in preparing the application.  Awards will be administered
under the Public Health Service (PHS) Grants Policy Statement and the
NRSA Guidelines for Individual Awards and Institutional Grants.

Period of Support

The period of fellowship support requested in response to this PA may
not exceed five years. (Note:  The total period of predoctoral
training support under the NRSA authorization is limited to five
years except in unusual circumstances where a waiver has been
requested from and granted by the funding component.)  Continuation
of the fellowship award for each subsequent year beyond the first is
based upon evidence of satisfactory progress in a graduate program.

Award Provisions

The fellowship award provides an annual stipend of $10,008 to help
meet the fellow's living expenses; a tuition and fee allowance in
accordance with NIH policy; and an annual institutional allowance of
$2,000, which may be used for travel to scientific meetings and for
laboratory and other training expenses.

Reasonable Accommodations

As a part of these awards, additional funds may be requested to make
changes or adjustments in the academic or research environment that
will make it possible for an otherwise qualified individual to
perform the work necessary to meet the requirements of the degree
program in which he/she is enrolled.  The accommodations requested
under this program must be directly related to the work required to
meet the requirements of the degree program as regards both course
work and laboratory experience and must be appropriate to the special
needs of the applicant.  Some types of accommodations that might be
provided under these awards include, but are not limited to:
specialized equipment, assistive devices, and personnel such as
readers, interpreters, or assistants.  In all cases, the total funds
requested for accommodations must be reasonable in relationship to
the total costs of the fellowship award.  This award is not meant to
relieve the sponsoring institution of its obligations to provide
reasonable accommodations as defined by the Americans with
Disabilities Act.

Stipend Supplementation and Compensation

An institution is permitted to provide funds to a fellow in addition
to the stipend paid by the NIH.  Such additional amounts may be in
the form of augmented stipends (supplementation) or compensation for
services.

Supplementation.  Supplementation, when provided, must not obligate
the fellow in any way.  Additionally, no Federal funds may be used
for supplementation unless specifically authorized under the terms of
both the program from which such supplemental funds are to be
received and the program whose funds are to be supplemented.  Under
no circumstances may PHS grant funds be used for supplementation.

Compensation.  An institution may provide additional funds to a
fellow in the form of compensation (as salary and/or tuition
remission) for services, such as teaching or serving as a laboratory
assistant.  Compensation for services is not considered stipend
supplementation.  A fellow may receive compensation for services as a
research assistant or in some other capacity, on a Federal research
grant, including a PHS research grant.  However, compensated services
must occur on a limited, part-time basis apart from the normal
training activities, which require a minimum of 40 hours per week.
Compensation may not be paid from a research grant that supports the
same research that is part of the F31 training experience.

Under no circumstances may the conditions of stipend supplementation
or the services provided for compensation interfere with, detract
from, or prolong the fellow's approved NRSA training program.

A fellow may make use of Federal educational loan funds and
assistance under the Veterans Readjustment Benefits Act (G.I. Bill).
Such funds are not considered supplementation or compensation.

Concurrent Awards

An F31 may not be held concurrently with another Federally sponsored
fellowship or similar Federal award that provides a stipend or
otherwise duplicates provisions of the NRSA.  However, an individual
may accept concurrent educational benefits from the Department of
Veterans's Affairs (e.g., G.I. Bill) and Federal loans.

Payback Requirements

The NIH Revitalization Act of 1993, signed into law on June 10, 1993,
includes provisions in Section 1602 that eliminate the payback
obligation requirements for predoctoral support.  Accordingly, the
Service Assurance Section VII (pages 29 and 30) of the fellowship
application, PHS 416-1 (rev. 10/91), is no longer applicable to this
program.

For more details concerning this change, see NIH Guide for Grants and
Contracts, Volume 22, Number 27, July 30, 1993.

Tax Liability

Section 117 of the Internal Revenue Code applies to the tax treatment
of all scholarships and fellowships.  Degree candidates may exclude
from gross income reported for tax purposes any amount used for
tuition and related expenses, such as fees, books, supplies, and
equipment, required for courses of instruction at a qualified
educational organization.

The taxability of stipends, however, in no way alters the
relationship between NRSA fellows and institutions. NRSA stipends are
not considered salaries.  NRSA fellows are not considered to be in an
employee-employer relationship with the NIH or with the institution
in which they are pursuing their degree.

The interpretation and implementation of the tax laws are the domain
of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the courts.  The NIH takes
no position on what the status may be for a particular taxpayer, and
it does not have the authority to dispense tax advice.  Individuals
should consult their local IRS office about the applicability of the
law to their situation and for information on the proper steps to be
taken regarding their tax obligations.

The business office of the sponsoring institution is responsible for
the annual preparation and issuance of IRS form 1099 (Statement of
Miscellaneous Income) for fellows paid through the institution.

Other Training Costs

Tuition and fees, in accordance with NIH policy, will be provided for
the fellow, along with an institutional allowance of $2,000 per 12-
month period to non-Federal, nonprofit sponsoring institutions to
help defray such awardee expenses as research supplies, equipment,
travel to scientific meetings, and related items.  This allowance is
intended to cover training-related expenses for the individual
awardee.  The allowance is not available until the fellow officially
activates the award.  If an individual fellow is not enrolled or
engaged in training for more than six months of the award year, only
one-half of that year's allowance may be charged to the grant.  The
Notice of Research Fellowship Award will be revised, and the balance
must be refunded to the NIH.

Additional funds may be requested by the institution if the training
of a fellow involves extraordinary costs for:  (1) travel to field
sites remote from the sponsoring institution; or (2) reasonable
accommodations, as previously described.  The funds requested for
these cost factors must be reasonable in relationship to the total
dollars awarded under the F31.  Such additional funds shall be
provided only in circumstances that are fully justified and explained
by the institution.  Receiving such funds does not relieve the
institution of its responsibility to provide reasonable
accommodations as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Funds are not available to cover the cost of travel between the
fellow's place of residence and a training institution.  However, in
cases of extreme need or hardship, a one-way travel allowance may be
authorized by the sponsoring institution.  Such travel must be paid
from the institutional allowance.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

The fellowship application form PHS 416-1 must be used in applying
for these awards.  These forms are available at most university
offices of sponsored research and from the Office of Grants
Information, Division of Research Grants, National Institutes of
Health, 5333 Westbard Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20892, telephone (301)
710-0267.

Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to consult with one of
the NIH staff listed under INQUIRIES prior to submitting an
application.  Applicants should identify a faculty mentor/sponsor to
help them determine the most appropriate NIH institute, and staff
member, to contact.

The applicant must follow all general instructions in the application
kit AND the specific instructions included in the APPENDIX to this
program announcement.

Applicants and sponsoring institutions must comply with policies and
procedures governing the protection of human subjects, the humane
care and use of live vertebrate animals, and the inclusion of women
and minorities in study populations.

The following must be included with the application at the time of
submission.  Failure to include any of these items may delay review
of the application:

o  at least three reference letters in sealed envelopes and attached
to the face page of the original application.  Applications submitted
without three reference letters will be returned without review.

o  a copy of the results of either the Graduate Record Examination or
the Medical College Admission Test (for M.D./Ph.D. applicants) must
be included at the end of the application;

o  a clear and legible copy of the applicant's transcript(s) from all
undergraduate and graduate institutions in which the applicant is/has
been enrolled must be included at the end of the application;

o  certification of eligibility completed by the institution (see
Suggested Format at end of this program announcement) must be
included at the end of the application; and

o  a description of the graduate or combined degree program in which
the applicant is either enrolled or has been admitted and agreed to
enroll  must be included as part of application item 33.

Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

Submit a signed, typewritten original of the application (including
the Checklist, Personal Data form, at least three sealed reference
letters, and all other required materials) and two exact, clear,
single-sided photocopies of the signed application, in one package
to:

Division of Research Grants
National Institutes of Health
6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 1040
Bethesda, MD  20892
Bethesda, MD  20817 (express mail)

An individual may not have more than one competing NRSA individual
application pending concurrently with the NIH or the PHS.
Furthermore, an application cannot be submitted in response to this
PA that is essentially identical to one that has already been
reviewed.  This does not preclude the submission of substantial
revisions of applications already reviewed, but such applications
must include an Introduction addressing the previous critique.  If a
candidate submits an application in response to this PA that is
substantially similar to one already submitted to the NIH for review,
but which has not yet been reviewed, the applicant will be asked to
withdraw one of them.

Application Receipt and Review Schedule

F31 applications undergo an expedited review that takes approximately
five months.  The two annual review cycles are as follows:

Application Receipt Dates:        May 1       Nov 15
Initial Review Date:              Jun/Jul     Feb/Mar
Secondary Review Date:            Aug/Sep     Apr/May
Earliest Possible Start Date:     Sep 1       May 1

REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS

Complete applications will be assigned to the appropriate
participating Institute and a suitable DRG initial review group.
Applicants will automatically be sent a postcard to inform them of
their applications's Institute and IRG assignment.  Applications
receive two sequential levels of review.  The first level is an
assessment of the merit of the research training by an IRG, composed
primarily of nongovernment scientists selected for their competence
in research and research training in a particular scientific area.
After the IRG meeting, the Scientific Review Administrator (SRA), a
designated Federal official who coordinates the review of
applications for the IRG, prepares a written summary of the review of
each application and forwards it to the appropriate NIH Institute.  A
second level of review is provided by Institute staff members and a
funding decision is made by the Institute.

Review Criteria

The review criteria are:

o  the quality of the academic record and the research experience of
the applicant;

o  the quality of the graduate program in which the applicant is
already enrolled or plans to enroll;

o  the qualifications and the research/research training experience
of the applicant's sponsor or researcher advisor;

o  the match between the research interests of the student and the
research advisor/sponsor;

o  for advanced graduate students, scientific significance,
originality, and feasibility of the proposed research; for beginning
students, quality and clarity of the stated research interests.

Notification

Shortly after the IRG meeting, each applicant will be sent a postcard
that includes the IRG recommendation and the name and telephone
number of the Institute program official responsible for the
application.  When the program official representing the Institute
receives the written summary of the review, prepared by the SRA after
the review meeting, he/she automatically forwards a copy to the
applicant.

Following the second-level review, the program official will notify
each applicant of the final disposition of his/her application.  Any
questions on IRG recommendations and funding possibilities should be
directed to the appropriate Institute program official, not the
Scientific Review Administrator of the IRG.

AWARD CRITERIA

The staff of the NIH Institutes use the following criteria in making
awards:  (1) the IRG recommendation of the overall merit of the
application; (2) the relevance of the application to the Institute's
research priorities and program balance; and (3) the availability of
funds.

Activation

No funds may be disbursed until the fellow has started training under
the award and an Activation Notice (PHS 416-5) has been submitted to
NIH.

An awardee has up to six months from the issue date on the Notice of
Research Fellowship Award to activate the award.  Under unusual
circumstances, an Institute may grant an extension of the activation
period upon receipt of a specific request from the fellow.

AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS

NRSAs are made under the authority of Section 487 of the Public
Health Service Act as amended (42 USC 288), and Title 42 of the Code
of Federal Regulations, Part 66.  The following Catalog of Federal
Domestic Assistance numbers are applicable to these awards:  93.121,
93.172, 93.173, 93.272, 93.278, 93.282, 93.306, 93.361, 93.398,
93.821, 93.837-93.839, 93.846-93.849, 93.853-93.856, 93.859, 93.862-
93.867, 93.880, 93.894, and 93.929.

Fellowships must be administered in accordance with the current NRSA
Guidelines for Individual Awards and Institutional Grants, the
current PHS Grants Policy Statement, and any terms and conditions
specified on the Notice of Research Fellowship Award.   This program
is not subject to the intergovernmental review requirements of
Executive Order 12372 or Health Systems Agency review.

INQUIRIES

For additional information contact the appropriate individual listed
below or if you are not sure whom to contact, call Dr. Walter
Schaffer, Research Training Officer, National Institutes of Health,
(301) 496-9743.  Dr. Schaffer can also be reached on Internet at
ws11q@nih.gov.  All the individuals listed below can be reached via
the Federal Information Relay System, 1 (800) 877-8339.

National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Dr. Robin Barr
Telephone:  (301) 496-9322
Email:  rb42h@nih.gov

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Dr. Ernestine Vanderveen
Telephone:  (301) 443-1273
Email:  tvanderv@willco.niaaa.nih.gov

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Dr. Milton Hernandez
Telephone:  (301) 496-7291
Email:  mh35c@nih.gov

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
(NIAMS)
Dr. Richard Lymn
Telephone:  (301) 594-5128
Email:  rl28b@nih.gov

National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Dr. John Schneider
Telephone:  (301) 496-8580
E-mail:  schneidj@dcbdcep.nci.nih.gov

Dr. Andrew Vargosko
Telephone:  (301) 496-8580
Email: vargoska@dcbdcep.nci.nih.gov

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
Ms. Hildegard Topper
Telephone:  (301) 496-0104
Email:  ht20t@nih.gov

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
(NIDCD)
Dr. Daniel Sklare
Telephone:  (301) 496-1804
Email:  daniel_sklare@nih.gov

National Institute of Dental Research (NIDR)
Dr. James Lipton
Telephone:  (301) 594-2618
Email:  jl46d@nih.gov

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
(NIDDK)
Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolic Diseases
Dr. Ronald Margolis
Telephone:  (301) 594-8819
Email:  ronm@dvsgate.niddk.nih.gov

Division of Digestive Diseases and Nutrition
Dr. Judith Podskalny
Telephone:  (301) 594-8876
Email:  judyp@dvsgate.niddk.nih.gov

Division of Kidney, Urologic and Hematologic Diseases
Dr. Charles Rodgers
Telephone:  (301) 594-7726
Email:  chuckr@dvsgate.niddk.nih.gov

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Division of Basic Research
Dr. Charles Sharp
Telephone:  (301) 443-1887
Email:  csharp@aoada.ssw.dhhs.gov

Division of Clinical Research
Dr. Arthur Horton
Telephone:  (301) 443-4060
Email:  ahorton@aoada.ssw.dhhs.gov

Division of Epidemiology and Prevention Research
Dr. Mario De La Rosa
Telephone:  (301) 443-6543
Email:  mdelaros@aoada.ssw.dhhs.gov

Medications Development Division
Dr. Heinz Sorer
Telephone:  (301) 443-6270
E-mail:  hsorer@aoada.ssw.dhhs.gov

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
Dr. Michael Galvin, Jr.
Telephone:  (919) 541-7825
Email:  mg63c@nih.gov

National Eye Institute (NEI)
Dr. Maria Giovanni
Telephone:  (301) 496-0484
Email:  mg37u@nih.gov

National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Dr. Adolphus Toliver
Telephone:  (301) 594-3900
Email:  tolivera@gm1.nigms.nih.gov

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Division of Blood Diseases and Resources
Dr. Fann Harding
Telephone:  (301) 496-1817
Email:  fh11h@nih.gov

Division of Heart and Vascular Diseases
Dr. Joyce Hunter
Telephone:  (301) 496-1724
Email:  jh75q@nih.gov

Division of Lung Diseases
Ms. Mary Reilly
Telephone:   (301) 594-7466
Email:  mr50w@nih.gov

Division of Epidemiology and Clinical Applications
Dr. Thomas Blaszkowski
Telephone:  (301) 496-1841
Email:  tb33i@nih.gov

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Division of Clinical and Treatment Research
Dr. George Niederehe
Telephone:  (301) 443-1185
Email:  gniedere@aoamh4.ssw.dhhs.gov

Division of Epidemiology and Services Research
Dr. Kenneth Lutterman
Telephone:  (301) 443-3373
Email:  klutterm@aoamh2.ssw.dhhs.gov

Division of Neuroscience and Behavioral Science
Dr. Stanley Schneider
Telephone:  (301) 443-4347
Email:  ss209b@nih.gov

Office on AIDS
Dr. Leonard Mitnick
Telephone:  (301) 443-7281
Email:  lm32p@nih.gov

Office for Special Populations
Dr. Rodney Cocking
Telephone:  (301) 443-3641
Email:  rc30x@nih.gov

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Mr. Edward Donohue
Telephone:  (301) 496-4188
Email:  ed25b@nih.gov

National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)
Dr. Teresa Radebaugh
Telephone:  (301) 594-7590
Email:  tradebaugh@ep.ninr.nih.gov

National Center for Human Genome Research (NCHGR)
Dr. Bettie Graham
Telephone:  (301) 496-7531
Email:  bg30t@nih.gov

National Center for Research Resources (NCRR)
Dr. Harriet Gordon
Telephone:  (301) 594-7945
Email:  harrietg@ep.ncrr.nih.gov

APPENDIX

Instructions for Completing the Application

A.  To be completed by the student-applicant

(Form page 1)

Item 1.  ("Title of Research Training Proposal").  Type: PREDOCTORAL
FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM (DISABILITY)

Item 2.  ("Level of Fellowship").  Type:  Predoctoral.

Item 3.  ("Program Announcement Number").  Type:   PA-95-

Items 4 - 8.  Self explanatory.

Item 4i  ("Citizenship").  See explanation under 'ELIGIBILITY
REQUIREMENTS' at the beginning of this announcement. Applications
from permanent residents MUST be accompanied by a notarized
statement.

(Items 9 - 14.  Completed by sponsor).

Item 15.  YOU MUST SIGN THE APPLICATION.

(Form page 2)

Items 16-18.  Self explanatory; if any do not apply to you, type N/A.

(Items 19 and 20. Completed by sponsor)

Item 21.  (Abstract of Proposed Research).  If you have selected a
thesis topic, briefly describe, in abstract form, the question you
are studying, how you are approaching it, and the health relatedness
of your project.  If you have not yet selected a thesis project, type
"No thesis selected," and instead give a brief description of the
research area that interests you most, even if your research
interests are still very broad, and why.

(Form page 3)

Fill in the appropriate page numbers in the spaces provided.

(Form page 4)

Item 22.  (Scholastic Performance).  List all undergraduate and
graduate courses you have taken and the grades you received.  In
addition, you MUST submit a LEGIBLE copy of a transcript from all
undergraduate and graduate institutions you have attended or are
currently attending.

(Form page 5)

Items 23-26.  Self-explanatory

(Form page 6)

Item 27.  Research Experience

a.  (Summary).  Provide a thorough description of your relevant work
and research experiences, including time, place, research director,
and your role in the research.

b.  (Doctoral Dissertation).  Leave blank.

c.  (Publications).  Include a list of publications, abstracts, and
poster presentations.  Three collated sets of copies of publications
may be provided as part of Section 3 (Appendix).

Item 28.  (Revised Application).  Complete ONLY if this application
is a revision of an application submitted earlier.  Limit this to one
page.

Item 29.  (Research Training Plan)

a.  (Activities Under Award).  Explain your research training and
long-range career goals, and how the proposed course of study to be
supported by this fellowship will help you attain these goals.  If
appropriate, explain how prior work and research experiences affected
your choice of career goals.

b. and c.  (Research Proposal and Respective Contributions).  If you
have selected a research thesis topic, complete this section
according to the instructions.  If you have not yet selected a
thesis, give a description of the research area that interests you
most and why.

d.  (Selection of a Sponsor and Institution).  Explain why you chose
to enroll in this university/institution and in this graduate
program.  If you have selected a research advisor, give the rationale
for your choice.  If you have not selected an advisor, identify up to
five individuals with whom you would like to work, giving a rationale
for your choices.

B.  To be completed by the research advisor or sponsor

If the applicant HAS SELECTED A RESEARCH ADVISOR, the ADVISOR must
complete the items in this section.  If the applicant HAS NOT YET
SELECTED A RESEARCH ADVISOR, the director of the graduate program
should designate a sponsor to complete these items.  The director may
choose to serve as the sponsor.

For items 9-14 on Form page 1, items 19-20 on Form page 2, and items
30-37 on Form pages 7, 8, and 9 follow the instructions in the 416
kit.

In Item 33, in addition to the information requested in the
application kit:

(1) for ALL students, provide a full description of the graduate or
combined degree program in which the applicant is (or is to be)
enrolled.  This description should give both the normal course of
study (both didactic and laboratory) for students enrolled in the
program AND the specific training plan for the applicant.

(2) for students ALREADY ENROLLED in the graduate program, describe
the applicant's course of study up to the time of submission of the
application and plans for further study; and

(3) for ALL students, provide the applicable tuition and fees for
each year of support requested.  Such tuition and fees must be those
charged to all similar individuals regardless of source of support.

C.  To be supplied by the university or institution

1.  A statement from the institution certifying:  (a) the applicant
is enrolled as a predoctoral student OR has been accepted by and
agreed to enroll in the graduate training program; (b) the applicant
is a citizen, non-citizen national or permanent resident of the U.S.
(see the beginning of this Announcement); and (c) the applicant is an
eligible individual with a disability (This certification MAY include
an OPTIONAL identification of the applicant's disability  status, but
must include a description of the occupational limitations of the
applicant, any accommodations required, the institution's
contribution to those accommodations, and any costs requested from
the NIH).  This statement must be signed by the director of the
graduate program in which the student is (or is to be) enrolled and
by the official authorized to sign for the institution.  FAILURE TO
INCLUDE THIS CERTIFICATION MAY DELAY REVIEW OF THE APPLICATION.  The
institution may wish to use the format given at the end of the
program announcement.

Although optional, identification of the applicant's disabling
condition will aid the NIH in making awards, in evaluating any
request for reasonable accommodation, and in determining the success
of this program.

2.  By signing Item 37 (Form page 9), the institution is also
certifying the accuracy of the tuition and fees requested for each
year of support as listed in Item 33.

SUGGESTED FORMAT FOR INSTITUTIONAL CERTIFICATION (see Appendix
section C.1, above)

Institutional Certification
Predoctoral Fellowship Awards for Students with Disabilities

This is to certify that (applicant's name), who submitted an
application for an NIH Predoctoral Fellowship Award for Students with
Disabilities is:

(1) currently enrolled in a Ph.D. or combined M.D./Ph.D. (or other
combined professional doctorate/research Ph.D.) degree program in the
biomedical or behavioral sciences at this institution, or has been
accepted by and agreed to enroll in such a program during the
(insert date) academic year;

(2) a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national, or permanent resident,

(3) an individual with a disability.

Briefly, describe the nature of the applicant's disability, any
occupational limitations associated with that disability, the types
of accommodations required, the institution's contribution to those
accommodations, and costs requested from the NIH:

Signature                            Signature
Graduate Program Director            Authorized University Official
Title                                Title

.

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