LRP Director's Blog

Spring is in the air, and I can’t wait to get outside to enjoy nature’s playground on a regular basis.  We’re well into the new year, but I wanted to connect with you to provide some updates and introduce myself.

Last June, I was named the new Director of the Division of Loan Repayment within the NIH Office of Extramural Research.  In this role, I’m responsible for administering and providing leadership for the NIH Loan Repayment Programs (LRPs) as well as representing NIH on matters related to the operations, policy development and evaluation of the LRPs.  When I learned that I was going to be the new director, it was a surreal feeling for me because this was where I started my career as a student intern.  Talk about a full circle moment.

As you know, the period to apply for FY 2023 LRP awards closed in November 2022, and we received more than 1,900 applications - all of which are currently under review. If you’re curious about when funding decisions will be announced, take a look at our application cycle timeline. Remember that more than 1,300 scientists benefit from the over $90 million NIH invests each year through the extramural LRPs. On average, nearly 50% of all new LRP applications are funded, and these awards are competitively renewable (for a one- or two-year period) until all educational debt is repaid.

In the spirit of data, this is a reminder that we’ve recently updated our data dashboard to reflect FY 2022 statistics including our newest subcategory, Research in Emerging Areas Critical to Human Health (REACH LRP).  Key features from the Dashboard include:

• Ready access to 10 years’ worth of program statistics
• 18 data widgets that can be adjusted/filtered by year, LRP and award type
• Easy export of all data to an Excel compatible format

I would like to personally thank all of the LRP Ambassadors, and champions of the programs for spreading the word and encouraging your colleagues to apply. Whether it’s a tweet, email, call, or text message – your efforts are invaluable! If you think your institution or organization could benefit from a presentation about the LRP, send an email to lrp.communications@mail.nih.gov and we will be happy to schedule something. We also host several events leading up to the application submission deadline so if you’d like to stay informed, feel free to subscribe to our mailing list.

If you or one of your colleagues plan to apply for during the upcoming cycle, now is the time to reach out to an LRP program officer to discuss your research and career interests as it relates to the research and funding priorities of the selected IC (Institute or Center).  If you need a little inspiration, check out the Q&A with Raushanah Newman, Program Officer in the Office of Research Training and Special Programs, at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). 

While traveling to scientific conferences last fall, I had the opportunity to meet hundreds of people at various stages of their education and/or research careers from all over the country.  I was especially struck by how different people had common misunderstandings about the LRP.  In response to that, we’ve put together a handy document that dispels some of the misconceptions about the LRP that seem to be floating around in the extramural research community.

The period to apply for FY 2024 LRP awards opens on September 1, 2023 and closes on November 16, 2023. For additional assistance, call or e-mail the LRP Information Center at 866-849-4047 (Mon-Fri 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST) or lrp@nih.gov. You can also follow us on Twitter and Facebook for more information about the LRP, including program announcements and updates.

To reflect everchanging workforce needs in the biomedical research community, NIH added a new subcategory under the Extramural LRP called the Research in Emerging Areas Critical to Human Health (REACH).  During the FY 2022 program cycle, which opened on September 1, 2021, NIH accepted REACH LRP applications for the first time.  The purpose of this new subcategory is to recruit and retain highly qualified health professionals into research careers where there are major gaps in biomedical and biobehavioral research and expand research in emerging areas critical to human health.  Emerging areas are considered new areas of biomedical and behavioral research that are ripe for targeted investments that can have a transformative relevance and impact for years to come.

With the FY 2022 program cycle in the books, here’s a look at the numbers from the inaugural REACH LRP cohort.  There were 169 applications assigned to 21 ICs with 95 applications successfully funded from 19 ICs.  The REACH LRP subcategory received the fourth highest number of applications and awards out of the six Extramural LRP subcategories.  The success rate of 56.2% was in line with the success rate of the overall Extramural LRP (58.2%), as shown in the following table.

FY 2022 Extramural LRP Applications, Awards, and Success Rates
Subcategory	Applications	Awards	Success Rate
Clinical	1,108	679	61.3%
Pediatric	510	313	61.4%
Health Disparities	471	232	49.3%
REACH	169	95	56.2%
Clinical – DB	27	10	37.0%
CIR	21	12	57.1%
Total	2,306	1,341	58.2%

The REACH subcategory aims to provide NIH ICs with more autonomy to fund emerging research areas and target researchers who are conducting research in NIH-mission critical research areas, but do not qualify under the existing LRP subcategories.  Each NIH IC determines which emerging areas of research fit with their research priorities by publishing their own annual REACH priority statement on the LRP website.  Applicants are strongly encouraged to pay attention to the IC specific research priorities and discuss their career interests with an NIH IC scientific liaison before applying.

A breakdown of the FY 2022 REACH LRP awards shows that the following NIH Institute and Centers (ICs) funded the most awards:

NIH Institute or Center	Awards
National Institute of Allergy and infectious Diseases (NIAID)	16
National Cancer Institute (NCI)	12
National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI)	12
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)	7
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)	6

“The results from the first REACH program cycle highlight the extraordinary efforts of applicants who are conducting research in critical areas that wouldn’t traditionally fit in the existing subcategories,” said Matthew Lockhart, M.B.A., Director, Division of Loan Repayment. “We’re thrilled to have this category that truly gives researchers an opportunity to apply and receive an LRP award.  My hope is that these results will inspire researchers out there to consider our programs now that our subcategories cast a wide net across many disciplines.”

The objective of the NIH LRPs is to recruit and retain highly qualified health professionals to careers in biomedical or biobehavioral research. Qualified health professionals who are engaging in NIH mission-relevant research for at least 20 hours per week at a nonprofit or government institution may be eligible to apply to one of the extramural LRP subcategories:

• Clinical Research: Patient-oriented research conducted with human subjects;
• Pediatric Research: Research that is directly related to diseases, disorders, and other conditions in children;
• Health Disparities Research: Research that focuses on minority and other health disparity populations;
• Research in Emerging Areas Critical to Human Health: Designed to recruit and retain researchers pursuing major opportunities or gaps in emerging areas of human health;
• Clinical Research for Individuals from Disadvantaged Backgrounds: Available to clinical investigators from disadvantaged backgrounds; and
• Contraception and Infertility Research: Research on conditions impacting the ability conceive and bear young.

The period to apply for FY 2024 LRP awards opens on September 1, 2023, and closes on November 16, 2023.  Applicants are strongly encouraged to review each IC Mission and Research Priorities statement and then contact one or more IC scientific LRP liaisons to discuss their research and career interests as it relates to the research and funding priorities of the selected IC.  Research and funding priorities can change yearly, so it is important that applicants contact a liaison – ideally in advance of the opening of the application cycle – to ensure appropriate understanding of IC priorities.  The list of NIH IC scientific LRP liaisons can be found here: https://www.lrp.nih.gov/contact-engage.

For additional assistance, call or e-mail the LRP Information Center at 866-849-4047 (Mon-Fri 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST) or lrp@nih.gov. You can also follow the NIH Division of Loan Repayment on Twitter and Facebook for more information about the LRP, including program announcements and updates.

By: Omar McCrimmon, M.A.
Date: January 26, 2023

Happy New Year! 2020 was an unexpected and perhaps challenging year for all of us, however, my optimism cup is full as I look forward to what 2021 will bring. As you know, the 2021 LRP application cycle officially closed on November 15th, and more than 2200 researchers from across the country submitted applications. Those applications will soon begin undergoing review, so stay tuned for updates. In the meantime, I’d like to remind you of some programmatic changes, and one important update that will be implemented beginning in September:

Programmatic Reminders:

• The maximum LRP award amount (depending on debt level) is now $50,000. Thus, awardees can receive up to $100,000 in student debt relief during their first award
• Participation in the Health Disparities Research LRP has been expanded to all NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs), which means that when applying for the HD LRP, applicants can select from a list of more than 20 NIH ICs that fund this program. Here’s a look at the HD LRP results for the FY 2020 application cycle.

Programmatic Updates:

• Beginning September 1, 2021, the Research in Emerging Areas Critical to Human Health (REACH LRP) will be launched! The REACH LRP is intended to address high priority emerging and gap areas of research. Each NIH Institute and Center that participates will set the priorities for this LRP. Stay tuned for an official announcement.

Now we’ve turned the page on the year 2020, it’s important to remember that taking care of yourself should be at the top of your ‘To-Do’ list. During unprecedented times like these, practicing self-care must be a priority. Whether it’s getting some exercise, listening to music, reading, or just indulging in some quiet time – do something that brings you joy. If you need a little help getting started, here’s an example of a selfcare plan:

Also, don’t let imposter syndrome creep in and cloud your mental well-being. I’ve continued to give several virtual workshops over the past year addressing imposter syndrome/thoughts as a career development impediment, and trust me, you’re not alone. Read more about my thoughts on imposter syndrome in a past issue of The POSTDOCket. Also, if you’re feeling brave and empowered, feel free to tweet me your stories of overcoming the ‘imposter monster’ on Twitter. The more we shine a light on our collective experiences, the more we can empower ourselves and those around us! As we close out this month’s DLR Director’s Blog, I’d like to remind you that if you have questions about the LRPs, feel free to call or e-mail the LRP Information Center at 866-849-4047 (Mon-Fri 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST) or lrp@nih.gov. You can also follow the NIH Division of Loan Repayment on Twitter and Facebook for more information and cycle updates. Take good care of you and cheers to an outstanding 2021!

As we close out this month’s DLR Director’s Blog, I’d like to remind you that if you have questions about the LRPs, feel free to call or e-mail the LRP Information Center at 866-849-4047 (Mon-Fri 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST) or lrp@nih.gov. You can also follow the NIH Division of Loan Repayment on Twitter and Facebook for more information and cycle updates. Take good care of you and cheers to an outstanding 2021!

Beginning September 1, 2019, the NIH expanded participation in the Health Disparities Research Loan Repayment Program (HDR-LRP) to include all NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs).  Previously, all HDR-LRP applications were assigned to and reviewed solely by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD).  Each year, the HDR-LRP would receive more than 400 applications, but due to budgetary constraints, fewer than 100 could be funded, which meant significant numbers of meritorious applications would go unfunded each year.  Now, HDR-LRP applicants, upon applying, can select one NIH IC from a list of 24 NIH ICs participating in the HDR-LRP for primary review assignment and, if desired, one additional IC for secondary review assignment. While NIH takes an applicant's selection under consideration, final review assignments, as usual, are determined by the Division of Receipt and Referral, Center for Scientific Review.

The Extramural LRPs are competitive with a nearly 50% success rate overall.  However, the success rate for HDR-LRP applications ranged from 15% to 26% from FY 2015 to FY 2019.  With its expansion during the FY 2020 cycle, the HDR-LRP saw 170 applicants receive an award from 20 ICs, which represents more than double the 83 awards made in FY 2019 and the highest success rate (36%) since FY 2014.

FY	Applications	Awards	Success Rate
2015	486	125	26%
2016	512	111	22%
2017	462	105	23%
2018	451	67	15%
2019	392	83	21%
2020	468	170	36%

Table reflects historical # of applications, awards, success rates

A closer look at the FY 2020 HDR-LRP awards shows that the following ICs funded the highest number of awards:

NIH Institute or Center	Awards
National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)	66
National Cancer Institute (NCI)	22
National Institute on Aging (NIA)	17
National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI)	13

“We are extremely thrilled about the FY 2020 Health Disparities Research LRP results. Not only does it indicate the wealth of Health Disparities Research portfolios throughout each NIH IC, it also allows NIH ICs to more fully engage in this LRP category,” said Ericka Boone, Ph.D., Director, Division of Loan Repayment. “We’re hopeful that these results will encourage applicants to think about their research more broadly now that we’ve revealed that other NIH ICs have a strong interest in HDR applications.”

As a reminder, the objective of the NIH LRPs is to recruit and retain highly qualified health professionals to careers in biomedical or biobehavioral research. Qualified health professionals who are engaging in NIH mission-relevant research for at least 20 hours per week at a nonprofit or government institution may be eligible to apply to one of the five extramural LRP subcategories:

• Clinical Research: Patient-oriented research conducted with human subjects;
• Pediatric Research: Research that is directly related to diseases, disorders, and other conditions in children;
• Health Disparities Research: Research that focuses on minority and other health disparity populations;
• Contraception and Infertility Research: Research on conditions impacting the ability conceive and bear young; and,
• Clinical Research for Individuals from Disadvantaged Backgrounds: Available to clinical investigators from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The application period for FY 2021 LRP awards opened on September 1 and will close on November 20 this year.  Applicants are strongly encouraged to review each IC Mission and Research Priorities statement and then contact one or more IC scientific LRP liaisons to discuss their research and career interests as it relates to the research and funding priorities of the selected IC.  Research and funding priorities can change yearly, so it is important that applicants contact a liaison – ideally in advance of the opening of the application cycle – to ensure appropriate understanding of IC priorities.  The list of NIH IC scientific LRP liaisons can be found on our Contact & Engage page.

For additional assistance, call or e-mail the LRP Information Center at 866-849-4047 (Mon-Fri 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST) or lrp@nih.gov. You can also follow the NIH Division of Loan Repayment on Twitter and Facebook for more information and cycle updates.

By: Omar McCrimmon, M.A. and Matthew Lockhart, M.B.A.
Date: September 23, 2020