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GPP Individual Partnership

Graduate students currently enrolled in a Ph.D. training program come to NIH laboratories to enhance their dissertation research by developing an individual partnership. Many of the individual partnership students come to the NIH because they learned about the various opportunities through existing collaborations between their university mentor and an NIH faculty member. Other students discover the NIH independently of their university mentor because of the availability of research resources at the NIH. Currently, we have graduate students in partnerships with more than 100 national and international universities.

step one - Your first step in arranging an individual partnership is to discuss the possibility of performing dissertation research within the NIH Intramural Research Program with your university mentor and department. You must obtain permission from your department to perform dissertation research at the NIH.

step two - Your second step is to identify an NIH Investigator willing to host you in his/her laboratory for dissertation research, visit the Finding a Mentor section for assistance. Before you proceed to the final step you must obtain written communication between you and the investigator for dissertation research that indicates an offer of admission has been extended. The GPP will contact all investigators listed within your registration to confirm the offer. 

Step Three - Your third step, once items one and two have been completed, you must register with the GPP by completing the following items.

  • Complete required elements as identified by your department or program chairperson
  • Complete the registration form
  • Complete the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).  An MOU must be completed for each individual agreement GPP student who anticipates working in the NIH IRP for greater than 6 months. The MOU must be signed by the student, NIH mentor, the IC Scientific Director, appropriate representatives of the student's university and the GPP Director and must be filed in the GPP office prior to the student's arrival.
  • Obtain appropriate Visa or permission from International Office (if required)

Upon arrival to the NIH register for an Orientation for Postdoctoral Fellows and Graduate Students (see Events).

There is no registration deadline for the Individual Partnership.

Additional Information