Clinical Loan Repayment Program

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NIH Loan Repayment Programs Presentation
to National Drug Abuse Advisor Council
September 21, 2005
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Introduction
NIH Loan Repayment Programs are a vital
component of our nation's efforts to attract
health professionals to careers in research
How LRP Works Applicant Commit to perform
research for 2 years NIH Repays up to
35,000 per year of qualifying
educational debt and the resulting taxes. 

Goal To increase our nations stock of
clinical research scientists.
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Public Health Improvement Act (P.L.
106-505) Title II, Clinical Research Enhancement
Act Included requirement for the establishment
of a loan repayment program for qualified health
professionals who contract with the federal
government to conduct clinical research.
Signed into Law, November 13, 2000
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Extramural Loan Repayment Program

• For health professionals conducting research in
  non-profit institutions
• Clinical Research LRP
• Pediatric Research LRP
• Contraception Infertility Research LRP
• Health Disparities Research LRP
• Clinical Research LRP for Individuals from
• Disadvantaged Backgrounds

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Distribution of NIH LRP Contracts by Programs -
2004
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Who is eligible to apply?

• U.S. Citizens, nationals, or permanent residents
• Individuals holding a PhD, MD, MD/PhD, DO, DDS,
  DVM, DMD, DPM, DC, OD, PsyD, ND, PharmD, or
  equivalent doctoral degree
• Individuals with qualifying educational debt in
  excess of 20 of their annual salary or
  compensation
• Individuals conducting qualifying research for at
  least 50 percent of time (not less than 20 hours
  per week) with support from non-profit or
  U.S./domestic government entity (Universities,
  Foundations, Federal, state or local agencies).

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LRPs and Qualifying Research

• Clinical Research
• Patient-oriented clinical research conducted
  with human subjects, or research on the causes
  and consequences of disease in human populations
  involving material of human origin (such as
  tissue specimens and cognitive phenomena) for
  which an investigator or colleague directly
  interacts with human subjects in an outpatient or
  inpatient setting to clarify a problem in human
  physiology, pathophysiology or disease, or
  epidemiologic or behavioral studies, outcomes
  research or health services research, or
  developing new technologies, therapeutic
  interventions, or clinical trials.
• Pediatric Research
• Research that is directly related to diseases,
  disorders, and other conditions in children.

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Loan Repayment Program
Benefits Up to 35,000 per year in loan
repayments, dependent upon debt level Coverage of
up to 13,650 per year in Federal tax payments
39 of loan payments Additional State/local tax
reimbursements LRP awards are portable and can be
transferred, subject to NIH approval of
qualifying non-profit environment and research
project Contract Length 2 year initial contracts
Competitive extension contracts (Extramural 1 or
2 years)
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Application Receipt and Referral

• Applications are submitted online
  (www.lrp.nih.gov December 1, 2005 is deadline)
• Staff in the NIH Loan Repayment Program screen
  the applications for completeness and
  eligibility.
• Applications are sent to CSR, where they are
  referred to the NIH Institute or Center (IC) to
  which the application will be assigned for review.

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Review

• Peer review Internet Assisted Review,
  standardized across all LRPs and ICs
• Focus is on applicants potential to pursue a
  career in research
• Review criteria are posted on the web for
  applicants and reviewers

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LRP Review Criteria

• Appropriateness of training and experience as
  preparation for a research career
• Suitability of proposed research activities in
  the two-year period to foster a research career
• Assessment of commitment to a research career as
  reflected by the personal statement of long-term
  career goals and the plan outlined to achieve
  those goals
• Strength of recommendations on potential for a
  research career

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LRP Review Criteria
Availability of appropriate scientific colleagues
(i.e., mentors, collaborators, and consultants)
to achieve and/or enhance research
independence Quality and appropriateness of
institutional resources and facilities
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IC Funding Considerations

• Funding decisions priority score, critiques,
  program balance, stage of career.
• Applications can be transferred across IC lines
  before review or funding.
• ICs make awards to meet a pre-announced set-aside
  budget. The NIH intends to commit approximately
  59 million in Fiscal Year 2005 to the Clinical
  and Pediatric Research LRPs.
• NIDAs commitment is approximately 3.6 million.

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• NIDA SUPPORT THROUGH THE LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM

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NIDA Extramural Loan Repayment Program FY2002-2005
Clinical
Number of Applications vs. Awards
Pediatric
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NIDA Extramural Loan Repayment Programs--FY05 New
Applications vs. Renewals
71
59
47
Number of Applications
27
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New Applications
Renewals
45 Success Rate
69 Success Rate
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NIH Extramural Loan Repayment Programs New
Applications vs. Renewals (FY05)
Number of Applications
New Applications
Renewals
38 Success Rate
69 Success Rate
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NIDA Extramural Loan Repayment Programs Degree
of Applicants (FY05)
Clinical Research
Number of Applications
Pediatric Research
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OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS

• Deadline for Applications December 1, 2005
• Website www.lrp.nih.gov