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Graduate Partnerships Program (GPP)

Program Description:  The NIH Graduate Partnerships Program (GPP) allows participants to take advantage of the best of two worlds - the academic environment of a university and the breadth and depth of research at the NIH.  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 and career and professional development services supported by the Office of Intramural Training & Education (OITE), but students come to the NIH in one of two ways: 

Eligibility:  There are many NIH-University partnerships available to USA citizens / permanent residents or international graduate students.  Use the GPP Eligibility Wizard to determine which pathway, partnership, and online application form is most appropriate for your admission consideration.

Stipend Information: The stipends for graduate students at the NIH are adjusted yearly; the level depends on prior experience. For details, see the Trainee Stipends page.

Application Procedure:

  • Prospective candidates for OITE-administered GPP programs must apply online by the specified deadlines. For certain programs, applications must be submitted concurrently to both the GPP and the partner university.  Please see the application requirements set by the specific NIH-University partnership for more details. 
  • Potential applicants to IC-administered GPP programs should contact the IC Training Office directly. 
  • Individuals interested in arranging an Individual Partnership should contact potential NIH mentors directly to discuss potential projects and the possibility of developing a collaboration.  They can contact the GPP office in the OITE for assistance with completing the required paperwork or advice on negotiating a partnership.