Applying for an NIH F31 fellowship
Eligibility, due dates, FY2026 stipend levels, the Forms-I attachments and the three review criteria for the parent F31 under PA-25-422. Each rule links to the NIH page it comes from.
Updated October 1, 2026 · Checked against 12 NIH sources · Maintained by Erik Jia. Spotted an error? erik@manusights.com
Related NIH guides: F32 postdoctoral fellowship and K99/R00 transition award.
Free planning workbook (PDF, 4 pages)
Eligibility record, attachment map, an evidence check against the three review criteria and a 12-week plan.
- Edition
- 2026.10.01-f31-5
- Format
- License
- CC BY 4.0
- Evidence reviewed
- October 1, 2026
At a glance
- Parent notice
- PA-25-422
- Notice expires
- May 8, 2028
- Next due date
- December 8, 2026
- FY2026 stipend
- $29,364 per year
- Last checked
- October 1, 2026
Eligibility
On an F31, the applicant is your organization and you, the candidate, are the trainee. Your grants office and the active notice govern the submission, so write down each answer below and where it came from instead of relying on memory.
Citizenship at award
US citizen, non-citizen national, or lawful permanent resident.
Degree status
Currently enrolled in a PhD or equivalent research doctoral degree program.
Participating Institute or Center
The proposed research and training fit a participating NIH Institute or Center. NIGMS has participated since March 19, 2026. Source K
Prior NRSA support
Up to 5 years of aggregate Kirschstein-NRSA support at the predoctoral level, or up to 6 years for dual-degree training such as MD/PhD, counting institutional training grants such as a T32 and individual fellowships together. Source A
Sponsor and setting
A primary sponsor and sponsoring organization can provide direct supervision and the proposed training.
Reference letters
3 to 5 letters, submitted by the referees through eRA Commons, not with the application. NIH will not review an application that lacks the required letters. Source L Source A
Clinical trials
The candidate will not lead an independent clinical trial, although sponsor-led trial experience can be allowed.
Registrations
Candidate eRA Commons and linked ORCID records are ready. The notice says obtaining an eRA Commons account can take up to 2 weeks, and the organization's registrations can take 6 weeks or more. Source A
| Requirement | What has to be true |
|---|---|
| Citizenship at award | US citizen, non-citizen national, or lawful permanent resident. |
| Degree status | Currently enrolled in a PhD or equivalent research doctoral degree program. |
| Participating Institute or Center | The proposed research and training fit a participating NIH Institute or Center. NIGMS has participated since March 19, 2026. Source K |
| Prior NRSA support | Up to 5 years of aggregate Kirschstein-NRSA support at the predoctoral level, or up to 6 years for dual-degree training such as MD/PhD, counting institutional training grants such as a T32 and individual fellowships together. Source A |
| Sponsor and setting | A primary sponsor and sponsoring organization can provide direct supervision and the proposed training. |
| Reference letters | 3 to 5 letters, submitted by the referees through eRA Commons, not with the application. NIH will not review an application that lacks the required letters. Source L Source A |
| Clinical trials | The candidate will not lead an independent clinical trial, although sponsor-led trial experience can be allowed. |
| Registrations | Candidate eRA Commons and linked ORCID records are ready. The notice says obtaining an eRA Commons account can take up to 2 weeks, and the organization's registrations can take 6 weeks or more. Source A |
Confirm the complete rules in parent notice PA-25-422. It is listed to expire May 8, 2028, but NIH can amend or replace an opportunity before then.
Before you start writing:
- Confirm the active notice and participating Institute or Center.
- Get your institution's internal deadline.
- Check that eRA Commons and ORCID are set up.
- Open the current Forms-I instructions and the current page-limit table.
What changed recently
A lot of F31 advice online, including many example-application libraries, was written before these changes. If you maintain F31 links or examples for students, these are the items most likely to be out of date.
Participating institutes
Before: NIGMS was not among the participating institutes when PA-25-422 was posted
Now: NIGMS joined the parent F31 on March 19, 2026, effective immediately; the rest of the notice is unchanged. Source K Source A
Application forms
Before: FORMS-H
Now: FORMS-I. NIH set January 25, 2025, but parent F31 applicants kept FORMS-H for the April 8 and May 7, 2025 due dates, so August 8, 2025 was the first parent F31 due date on the new forms. Source G Source H Source A
Review criteria
Before: Five scored criteria
Now: Three: Candidate's Preparedness and Potential; Research Training Plan; Commitment to Candidate. In PA-25-422 the matching application sections are Goals, Preparedness, and Potential; Research Training Plan; and Commitment to Candidate, Mentoring, and Training Environment. Source I Source A
Grades and the candidate section
Before: Applicant section, with grades
Now: A Candidate Section with four personal statements. Grades are no longer required or allowed. Source I
Parent notice
Before: PA-23-272
Now: PA-25-422, posted June 13, 2025, expires May 8, 2028. Source H Source A
Eligibility wording
Before: Also said the candidate must be at the dissertation research stage at the time of award and show evidence of high academic performance in the sciences
Now: That sentence is gone from PA-25-422; the candidate must still be currently enrolled in a PhD or equivalent research degree program. Source H Source A
| What | Before | Now |
|---|---|---|
| Participating institutes | NIGMS was not among the participating institutes when PA-25-422 was posted | NIGMS joined the parent F31 on March 19, 2026, effective immediately; the rest of the notice is unchanged. Source K Source A |
| Application forms | FORMS-H | FORMS-I. NIH set January 25, 2025, but parent F31 applicants kept FORMS-H for the April 8 and May 7, 2025 due dates, so August 8, 2025 was the first parent F31 due date on the new forms. Source G Source H Source A |
| Review criteria | Five scored criteria | Three: Candidate's Preparedness and Potential; Research Training Plan; Commitment to Candidate. In PA-25-422 the matching application sections are Goals, Preparedness, and Potential; Research Training Plan; and Commitment to Candidate, Mentoring, and Training Environment. Source I Source A |
| Grades and the candidate section | Applicant section, with grades | A Candidate Section with four personal statements. Grades are no longer required or allowed. Source I |
| Parent notice | PA-23-272 | PA-25-422, posted June 13, 2025, expires May 8, 2028. Source H Source A |
| Eligibility wording | Also said the candidate must be at the dissertation research stage at the time of award and show evidence of high academic performance in the sciences | That sentence is gone from PA-25-422; the candidate must still be currently enrolled in a PhD or equivalent research degree program. Source H Source A |
| Predoctoral stipend | $28,788 (FY2025) | $29,364 (FY2026). Source J Source B |
Deadlines
Standard F-series applications are due at 5:00 PM local time for the applicant organization. The table shows the next two cycles listed in PA-25-422 as checked on October 1, 2026. It is not a universal calendar.
December 8, 2026
Scientific review: March 2027
Advisory council: May 2027
Earliest start: July 2027
April 8, 2027
Scientific review: July 2027
Advisory council: October 2027
Earliest start: December 2027
| Application due | Scientific review | Advisory council | Earliest start |
|---|---|---|---|
| December 8, 2026 | March 2027 | May 2027 | July 2027 |
| April 8, 2027 | July 2027 | October 2027 | December 2027 |
NIH lists later cycles in the notice. Due dates that fall on a weekend or federal holiday move to the next business day. Check Source A and Source E again before you schedule internal review.
Stipend and allowances
- Predoctoral stipend
- $29,364 per year
- $2,447 per month for FY2026 awards. NIH updates NRSA levels periodically.
- Tuition and fees
- 60% of actual cost
- Up to $16,000 per year, or up to $21,000 for a formally combined dual-degree program.
- Institutional allowance
- $4,750 per year
- Rate for a predoctoral fellow at a non-Federal public, private, or nonprofit organization. The FY2026 Federal and for-profit rate is $3,650.
These are FY2026 rates and limits from NOT-OD-26-044. A later fiscal-year notice can change them.
What goes in the application
The current Forms-I guide uses fellowship-specific attachment names, and NIH's page-limit table sets the limits below. Work from these rather than an old lab template, and check the notice for any different limit.
Goals, Preparedness and Potential
Who writes it: Candidate
What it has to cover: Overall goals, preparation, a self-assessment with 2 to 4 strengths and 2 to 4 development areas, and a scientific perspective.
Training Activities and Timeline
Who writes it: Candidate with sponsor
What it has to cover: Activities by year, percent effort totaling 100% in each year, links to development areas, and the transition to the next career stage.
Research Training Project Specific Aims
Who writes it: Candidate with scientific feedback
What it has to cover: Goals, objectives, expected outcomes, and likely impact of the proposed project.
Research Training Project Strategy
Who writes it: Candidate with scientific feedback
What it has to cover: Scientific foundation and rationale, approach, feasibility, expected challenges, and alternatives in the candidate's own words.
Training in Responsible Conduct of Research
Who writes it: Candidate with program and sponsor
What it has to cover: Format, subject matter, faculty participation, duration, and frequency. Online-only instruction is not sufficient.
Sponsor(s) Commitment Statement
Who writes it: Sponsor team
What it has to cover: Specific supervision, mentoring, training, resources, and commitments. Sponsor and co-sponsor statements are combined into one PDF.
Biographical Sketch materials
Who writes it: Each named contributor
What it has to cover: The current Biographical Sketch Common Form and NIH Biosketch Supplement required by Forms-I.
| Attachment | Who writes it | What it has to cover |
|---|---|---|
| Goals, Preparedness and Potential | Candidate | Overall goals, preparation, a self-assessment with 2 to 4 strengths and 2 to 4 development areas, and a scientific perspective. |
| Training Activities and Timeline | Candidate with sponsor | Activities by year, percent effort totaling 100% in each year, links to development areas, and the transition to the next career stage. |
| Research Training Project Specific Aims | Candidate with scientific feedback | Goals, objectives, expected outcomes, and likely impact of the proposed project. |
| Research Training Project Strategy | Candidate with scientific feedback | Scientific foundation and rationale, approach, feasibility, expected challenges, and alternatives in the candidate's own words. |
| Training in Responsible Conduct of Research | Candidate with program and sponsor | Format, subject matter, faculty participation, duration, and frequency. Online-only instruction is not sufficient. |
| Sponsor(s) Commitment Statement | Sponsor team | Specific supervision, mentoring, training, resources, and commitments. Sponsor and co-sponsor statements are combined into one PDF. |
| Biographical Sketch materials | Each named contributor | The current Biographical Sketch Common Form and NIH Biosketch Supplement required by Forms-I. |
Page limits
Introduction to Resubmission or Revision Application (when applicable)
1 page
Candidate's Goals, Preparedness, and Potential
3 pages
Training Activities and Timelines
3 pages
Research Training Project Specific Aims
1 page
Research Training Project Strategy
6 pages
Training in the Responsible Conduct of Research
1 page
Sponsor(s) Commitment
6 pages
Letters of Support from Collaborators, Contributors, and Consultants
6 pages
| Attachment | Limit |
|---|---|
| Introduction to Resubmission or Revision Application (when applicable) | 1 page |
| Candidate's Goals, Preparedness, and Potential | 3 pages |
| Training Activities and Timelines | 3 pages |
| Research Training Project Specific Aims | 1 page |
| Research Training Project Strategy | 6 pages |
| Training in the Responsible Conduct of Research | 1 page |
| Sponsor(s) Commitment | 6 pages |
| Letters of Support from Collaborators, Contributors, and Consultants | 6 pages |
Limits for all fellowship (F) applications, from NIH's page-limit table, checked October 1, 2026. A notice or NIH Guide notice can set a different limit.
Linking training to the plan
We use a simple check: every development need should show up in three places. It's our own planning method from the workbook, a way to test whether the application hangs together, not an NIH scoring formula.
- Candidate need. Name a specific skill, perspective, or experience that must develop.
- Training action. Identify the activity, frequency, mentor, and observable milestone.
- Sponsor commitment. Show who will provide feedback, access, supervision, and accountability.
How reviewers score it
NIH now scores fellowship applications on three criteria instead of the previous five (see What changed recently for when this took effect). Each is scored from 1 to 9, where 1 is best. Source D
Candidate's Preparedness and Potential
What reviewers ask: Does the record, viewed in context, show the qualities and potential needed to benefit from the proposed training?
Evidence to line up: Goals, prior experiences, candidate self-assessment, scientific perspective, and reference letters.
Research Training Plan
What reviewers ask: Is the plan rigorous, feasible, developmentally appropriate, and likely to provide meaningful training?
Evidence to line up: Specific Aims, research strategy, training activities, milestones, responsible conduct of research, and environment.
Commitment to Candidate
What reviewers ask: Do the sponsor team and organization make specific commitments aligned with the candidate's goals and needs?
Evidence to line up: Sponsor commitment statement, mentoring approach, resources, and institutional support.
| Criterion | What reviewers ask | Evidence to line up |
|---|---|---|
| Candidate's Preparedness and Potential | Does the record, viewed in context, show the qualities and potential needed to benefit from the proposed training? | Goals, prior experiences, candidate self-assessment, scientific perspective, and reference letters. |
| Research Training Plan | Is the plan rigorous, feasible, developmentally appropriate, and likely to provide meaningful training? | Specific Aims, research strategy, training activities, milestones, responsible conduct of research, and environment. |
| Commitment to Candidate | Do the sponsor team and organization make specific commitments aligned with the candidate's goals and needs? | Sponsor commitment statement, mentoring approach, resources, and institutional support. |
Timeline
A 12-week sequence to adapt to your grants office's actual internal deadline. It is our suggestion, not an NIH requirement.
12 weeks before
Confirm the active notice, participating Institute or Center, eligibility, internal deadline, registrations, sponsor team, and grants-office owner.
10 weeks before
Write the candidate self-assessment and turn each development area into a training activity, sponsor commitment, and observable milestone.
8 weeks before
Lock the research question, aims, feasibility boundary, expected challenges, and alternatives. Ask for targeted scientific critique.
6 weeks before
Draft the candidate-owned attachments in Forms-I order. Build the year-by-year effort table and check that every year totals 100%.
4 weeks before
Reconcile the candidate narrative, research plan, sponsor statement, facilities, and letters. Remove contradictions and unsupported promises.
2 weeks before
Run page-limit, file-format, accessibility, citation, privacy, and NOFO-specific checks. Hand the administrative package to the authorized submitter.
After submission
Use eRA Commons to confirm that the assembled application image is complete and viewable before the verification window closes.
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| 12 weeks before | Confirm the active notice, participating Institute or Center, eligibility, internal deadline, registrations, sponsor team, and grants-office owner. |
| 10 weeks before | Write the candidate self-assessment and turn each development area into a training activity, sponsor commitment, and observable milestone. |
| 8 weeks before | Lock the research question, aims, feasibility boundary, expected challenges, and alternatives. Ask for targeted scientific critique. |
| 6 weeks before | Draft the candidate-owned attachments in Forms-I order. Build the year-by-year effort table and check that every year totals 100%. |
| 4 weeks before | Reconcile the candidate narrative, research plan, sponsor statement, facilities, and letters. Remove contradictions and unsupported promises. |
| 2 weeks before | Run page-limit, file-format, accessibility, citation, privacy, and NOFO-specific checks. Hand the administrative package to the authorized submitter. |
| After submission | Use eRA Commons to confirm that the assembled application image is complete and viewable before the verification window closes. |
Sources
We checked every rule on this page against NIH's pages on October 1, 2026: the active parent notice, the FY2026 budget notice, the current Forms-I fellowship instructions, NIH's current review criteria, the standard due-date policy, the current page-limit table, NIGMS's participation notice and the F31 activity-code page. The page, the data file and the PDF share one edition (2026.10.01-f31-5). We re-check within 90 days, or sooner if NIH changes a source. We left out paylines, success rates, typical applicant years and anecdotal reviewer advice because these sources don't establish them. The workbook is original and licensed CC BY 4.0.
- AParent F31 notice PA-25-422. Purpose, Key Dates, Eligibility Information, and Application and Submission Information. Supports: Purpose, participating organizations, citizenship and degree status, clinical-trial boundary, registrations, due cycles, and expiration.
- BFY2026 NRSA stipend and budget levels, NOT-OD-26-044. Predoctoral Fellows and Institutional Allowance tables. Supports: FY2026 stipend, tuition and fees, institutional allowance, and aggregate support limits.
- CHow to Apply: Fellowship Instructions for NIH and Other PHS Agencies, Forms-I. Fellowship Supplemental Form, sections 6 to 11. Supports: Current attachment names, required content, candidate authorship, timeline effort, research strategy, responsible conduct, and sponsor statement.
- DChanges to NIH Fellowship Application Review Criteria. Three scored review criteria. Supports: The three scored criteria used for applications with due dates on or after January 25, 2025.
- EStandard Due Dates. F Series Fellowships table and deadline policy. Supports: Standard April 8, August 8, and December 8 dates and the 5:00 PM local-time rule.
- FTable of Page Limits. Fellowship application page-limit rows. Supports: The current controlling page limits. Values should be checked at drafting time rather than copied from this guide.
- GNIH notice NOT-OD-24-086: FORMS-I application packages. Summary and key dates. Supports: FORMS-I application packages are required for due dates on or after January 25, 2025.
- HPrevious parent F31 notice PA-23-272. Notice history (March 6, 2025 note); Eligibility Information. Supports: Parent F31 applicants kept the FORMS-H package for the April 8 and May 7, 2025 due dates; the previous eligibility wording; the reissue as PA-25-422.
- INIH notice NOT-OD-24-107: changes to fellowship review criteria and application. Notable changes. Supports: The move from five to three scored criteria, the Candidate Section, and grades no longer being required or allowed.
- JFY2025 NRSA stipend levels, NOT-OD-25-105. Stipend levels table. Supports: The FY2025 predoctoral stipend used for comparison with FY2026.
- KNIH notice NOT-GM-26-002: NIGMS participation in PA-25-422. Purpose and Key Dates (release date March 19, 2026). Supports: NIGMS participates in the parent F31, PA-25-422, effective immediately from March 19, 2026.
- LPredoctoral Individual National Research Service Award (F31) activity code page. Application and Submission Information: Reference Letters. Supports: Reference letters are required for the F31: a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 5.
Frequently asked questions
What is the NIH F31 fellowship?
The parent F31 is an NIH individual predoctoral fellowship for individualized, mentored research training while a candidate conducts biomedical research relevant to a participating NIH Institute or Center.
Who is eligible for the parent F31?
By the time of award, the candidate must be a United States citizen, non-citizen national, or lawful permanent resident and enrolled in a research doctoral degree program. The active notice and participating Institute or Center determine the complete rules.
When are standard F31 applications due?
The standard F-series dates are April 8, August 8, and December 8 at 5:00 PM local time for the applicant organization. Always check the active notice because a specific opportunity can use different dates.
How are F31 applications reviewed now?
NIH now uses three scored criteria for fellowship applications: Candidate's Preparedness and Potential, Research Training Plan, and Commitment to Candidate.
Does an F31 research strategy require preliminary data?
The current Forms-I fellowship instructions state that preliminary data and extensive experimental detail are not required. The application still needs enough detail for reviewers to assess rigor, feasibility, challenges, alternatives, and training value.