Graduate Partnerships Program (GPP)

Virtual NIH Graduate Partnerships Program Information Session
October 12, 2022, 2:00 – 3:30 PM (Eastern Time)
This event has passed. Email GPP@NIH.GOV for more information. 

Program Description: The NIH Office of Intramural Training & Education (OITE) hosts the Graduate Partnerships Program (GPP), which is designed to bring PhD graduate students to the NIH Intramural Research Program for dissertation research. Participants enjoy the academic environment of a university, the extensive research resources of the NIH, and the breadth and depth of the research programs of both the host university and the NIH Intramural Research Program (IRP). The goal is to create a different kind of graduate experience, one that focuses on training the next generation of scientific leaders by emphasizing communication and collaboration skills, integration of information, and interdisciplinary investigation.

At the NIH, graduate students work in a highly collaborative research environment with leading scientists and clinicians. They share the NIH campus with the largest translational research hospital in the nation. They explore areas such as bioinformatics, biophysics, epidemiology, immunology, cell and molecular biology, neuroscience, health sciences, structural biology, sensory and communication neuroscience, molecular pathology, biobehavioral research, and developmental biology.

All graduate students at the NIH are part of the GPP and can take advantage of the graduate student community as well as career and professional development services supported by the Office of Intramural Training & Education (OITE). Graduate students come to the NIH in one of two ways:

• Institutional Partnerships - the pathway for students wishing to enroll in a PhD program
• Individual Partnership - the pathway for students already enrolled in a PhD program

Eligibility:  There are many NIH-University partnerships available to US citizens, US permanent residents, or international graduate students. Review the partnership descriptions to determine which pathway, partnerships, and online application form are most appropriate for your admission consideration.

BACKGROUND CHECK:  All fellowship offers are contingent on your ability to successfully pass a federal background check, which is required for logical and physical access to NIH facilities and systems. As part of the clearance process, you will be asked questions about a variety of topics including your citizenship, criminal history, and other personal information.  One specific question you will be asked is “In the last year, have you used, possessed, supplied, or manufactured illegal drugs?”  This question pertains to the use of controlled substances or drugs as defined under federal law. Please be aware that while marijuana may be legal or decriminalized within your home jurisdiction it remains illegal under U.S. federal law.  The use, possession, supply, or manufacture of marijuana may preclude you from obtaining the necessary clearances to participate in NIH intramural training programs, even if you were initially offered a position. If you have questions about this policy or would like guidance on the clearance process, please reach out to oite@nih.gov (please put “Eligibility Inquiry” in the subject line).

Stipend Information: The stipends for graduate students at the NIH are adjusted yearly; the level depends on prior research experience and number of years at NIH as a graduate student. For details, see the Trainee Stipends page.

ADMISSION Procedure:  The GPP utilizes an Application Center to help prospective students navigate to the appropriate application for admission consideration. Carefully review the information on the two pathways and associated partnership descriptions prior to creating a MyGPP account. Your MyGPP account will grant you access to one of the following applications, based on responses to specific questions about your educational status and intentions:

• Registration for an Individual Partnership - used by currently enrolled PhD graduate students that are creating an agreement between the NIH and their PhD graduate program.
• Registration for an Institutional Partnership - used by PhD graduate students that are already enrolled in an NIH-University Institutional Partnership that did not require the GPP application for admission consideration.
• Application for Institutional Partnerships - used by students wishing to enroll in a PhD graduate program that requires both a university and a GPP application for admission consideration.  This pathway requires submission of a complete GPP application including three letters of recommendation.