Medical Research Scholars Program
On this page:
Purpose
Participants engage in a mentored basic, clinical, or translational research project on the main NIH campus in Bethesda or at close-by NIH facilities that matches their professional interests and career goals. Collectively, participants will experience the full continuum of biomedical research—the bench, the bedside, between both and beyond—from crystallography to molecular biology, computational biology to clinical trials and epidemiology, and all areas of contemporary biomedical science.
Applications are open from September 1 to December 2. Additional program details are available on the NIH Clinical Center website.
NIDDK Contact
NIDDK Fellows Career Development and Recruitment Office
Eligibility
Candidates must currently be enrolled in a
- medical school accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education
- dental school that is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation
- osteopathic school that is accredited by the American Osteopathic Association
- veterinary medical college that is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association, Council on Education
Candidates must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
Candidates in double degree (e.g., M.D./Ph.D.) programs are eligible to apply.
The program is designed for students who have completed their core clinical rotations (typically third year) but does not exclude students with strong research interests from applying prior to having completed their clinical rotations.
Fourth-year students qualify to apply and participate in the Medical Research Scholars Program. However, accepted fourth-year students must defer graduation before participation.
Applicants must pass a federal background check.
Length of Award
The length of award is one year. For a select group of participants, an additional year of support may be available to allow continuation of ongoing studies if this is judged to be in the best interests of the scholar and the mentor.
Benefits and Services
Learn about numerous benefits and services available to trainees in this program, including furnished residential housing, relocation allowance, and funding support for travel, courses, and textbooks.
Federal Background Check
To be approved for access to NIH facilities and systems, candidates must be able to pass a federal background check, using Standard Form-85 (read SF-85 (PDF, 204 KB) ). NOTE: Section 14 of the form asks, “In the last year, have you used, possessed, supplied, or manufactured illegal drugs?” The question pertains to the illegal use of drugs or controlled substances in accordance with Federal laws, even though potentially permissible under state laws.