F31 and F32 fellowships
Definition
F31 and F32 fellowships are NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards (NRSA) for individual trainees: the F31 supports predoctoral students working on their dissertation research, and the F32 supports postdoctoral researchers.
How it works
An F31 or F32 works by funding the trainee directly, with a stipend, tuition and fees support, and an institutional allowance, while they train under a sponsor (the faculty mentor). As of October 2026:
- F31 (predoctoral). For doctoral students, typically after they have chosen a dissertation project and sponsor. Some institutes also support the F30 for dual-degree MD/PhD students.
- F32 (postdoctoral). For researchers who have completed a doctoral degree and are training in a sponsor's lab.
- Citizenship. Applicants must be US citizens, noncitizen nationals, or permanent residents. International students and postdocs are not eligible, though the K99/R00 is open to them later.
- Stipends. Set by NIH's annual NRSA stipend levels, not by the institution.
- Indirect costs. Individual fellowships do not pay indirect costs to the institution.
- Payback. Postdoctoral NRSA recipients incur a payback obligation for their first 12 months of support, usually satisfied by continuing in research. Predoctoral F31 support does not carry payback.
The 2025 application redesign
NIH restructured individual fellowship applications for due dates on or after January 25, 2025. The changes removed grades from applications, replaced the candidate's narrative with a "Candidate's Goals, Preparedness, and Potential" section, added a sponsor section on commitment to the candidate, mentoring, and the training environment, and consolidated review into three main criteria. Reference letters remain required, with more detailed guidance for letter writers.
Why it matters for trainees and institutions
F31 and F32 fellowships matter because they are among the earliest independent awards a scientist can win, and they signal promise to future employers and reviewers. The application process itself is training: writing specific aims, a training plan, and responding to review. For institutions, fellowship success reflects the strength of graduate and postdoctoral training programs.
F31 vs F32
The F31 supports predoctoral training toward a PhD, while the F32 supports postdoctoral training after the PhD. The F32 carries a payback obligation and a higher stipend; both require a strong sponsor and training plan. Institutional training grants (T32) fund the same career stages through slots the institution controls rather than individual applications.
Common mistakes
- A research plan that reads like the sponsor's R01, with no clear training component.
- Generic sponsor and reference letters.
- Applying too late in the PhD for an F31 to cover meaningful training time.
- Overlooking institute-specific rules; participating institutes vary by program.
How Atom helps
Atom checks each fellowship's citizenship and career-stage rules against every researcher's profile, so graduate students and postdocs see the fellowships they can actually apply for, not just the ones that match their topic.
Frequently asked questions
The F31 is an NIH fellowship for predoctoral students working on their dissertation research. The F32 is for postdoctoral researchers who have completed their doctorate and are training under a sponsor.
No. NIH NRSA fellowships require US citizenship, noncitizen national status, or permanent residency at the time of award. International postdocs can consider the K99/R00, which has no citizenship requirement.
Yes. Postdoctoral NRSA recipients incur a payback obligation for their first 12 months of support, which is usually satisfied by continuing to work in health-related research.