The 2010 National Institute of Health (NIH) Extramural Loan Repayment Program application cycle will open September 1, 2009, and close December 1, 2009.
NIH wants to encourage outstanding health professionals to pursue careers in biomedical, behavioral, social, and clinical research. If students commit at least two years to conducting qualified research funded by a domestic nonprofit organization or U.S. federal, state, or local government entity, NIH may repay up to $35,000 of qualified student loan debt per year, including most graduate and medical school loans. Loan repayment benefits are in addition to the institutional salary students receive for research.
There are five research areas eligible for the Extramural Loan Repayment Program:
Clinical Research Pediatric Research Health Disparities Research Contraception and Infertility Research Clinical Research for Individuals from Disadvantaged Backgrounds Students can find detailed guidance about the Extramural program at http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-09-107.html.
The NIH sponsors two other Loan Repayment Programs: the Intramural Program, which requires participants to sign a contract agreeing to conduct appropriately qualified research activities as NIH employees; and a general NIH employee recruitment and retention program in which employees and job candidates may be considered for loan repayment assistance up to $10,000 per calendar year. See the NIH Loan Repayment Programs Web site for information on all three.
Posted 08/14/09 to www.NASFAA.org. Redistribution to non-NASFAA institutions is prohibited.