Title 42 › Chapter 6A— PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE › Subchapter III— NATIONAL RESEARCH INSTITUTES › Part G— Awards and Training › § 288
The Secretary must give Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards to support biomedical and behavioral research and training. Awards fund research at the National Institutes of Health and at public or nonprofit institutions, and they pay for pre‑doctoral and post‑doctoral training. The Secretary can make grants to institutions so they can select people for these awards. The Secretary can also make up to 50 contracts for scholarships and loan repayment for fiscal years 1994 through 1996. Awards cannot pay for residency training. Doctors who agree to do at least two years of biomedical research get special consideration. The program must promote recruiting women and people from disadvantaged backgrounds, including racial and ethnic minorities. An individual must apply and get approval to receive an award. The applicant must promise to meet any required service obligations and, for awards at non‑Federal public or private institutions, be sponsored by that institution. Grants are reviewed by the appropriate advisory councils. Pre‑doctoral awards are limited to five years total. Post‑doctoral awards are limited to three years total. Awards must provide stipends, tuition, fees, and allowances (like travel and dependency pay) and may include payments to institutions to cover research support; these amounts are set by the Secretary and tied to reasonable costs. Post‑doctoral awardees must perform health‑related research, training, or teaching for a period equal to 12 months (or one month of service for each month of award, if less); months beyond 12 count toward this requirement. The Secretary will set rules for timing and acceptable activities. If someone fails to meet the service requirement, the United States can recover money under a set formula; the debt must be paid within three years and accrues interest until paid. The obligation ends if the person dies, and the Secretary may waive or suspend the obligation for hardship, impossibility, or fairness.
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The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
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42 U.S.C. § 288
Title 42 — The Public Health and Welfare
Last Updated
Apr 5, 2026
Release point: 119-73not60