Active (parent announcements) Checked November 7, 2026
- Mechanism
- F30, F31, F32, F33, F99/K00, K99/R00, plus K08, K23 and K25
- Who it serves
- PhD and MD/PhD students, postdocs, early-career researchers
- Today
- Listed by NIGMS in 2026 through parent announcements. Rules vary by NIH institute.
Short answer
Individual NIH fellowships (F30, F31, F32) are applied for by the trainee with a sponsor, use standard due dates of April 8, August 8 and December 8, and require US citizenship, noncitizen national status or permanent residency. The K99/R00 Pathway to Independence award has no citizenship requirement and uses February 12, June 12 and October 12.
What are individual fellowships?
Individual fellowships are NIH awards that a student or postdoc applies for personally, with a faculty sponsor, to fund a specific research training plan. They differ from institutional programs such as T32s, where the institution holds the grant and appoints trainees to slots.
Which award fits which stage?
| Award | Stage | Citizenship | Standard due dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| F30 | MD/PhD student | NRSA rules (citizen, national, permanent resident) | April 8, August 8, December 8 |
| F31 | PhD student | NRSA rules | April 8, August 8, December 8 |
| F32 | Postdoc | NRSA rules | April 8, August 8, December 8 |
| F99/K00 | Late PhD into postdoc | Set by the announcement | Set by the announcement |
| K99/R00 | Postdoc moving to independence | No citizenship requirement | February 12, June 12, October 12 |
| K08, K23, K25 | Clinician or quantitative researchers in early career | Citizens, nationals or permanent residents for most mentored K awards | February 12, June 12, October 12 |
When a standard date lands on a weekend or federal holiday, it moves to the next business day. The timeline builder applies that rule for you.
How do fellowships fit with the 2025–2026 changes?
They are the most stable part of the landscape. The institutional programs that ended in 2025 were mostly diversity-focused T32, T34, R25 and K12 programs. The parent fellowship announcements continued, and NIGMS still lists them in 2026. For a student whose campus lost an IMSD or G-RISE award, the F31 is often the most direct way to keep funded, structured training.
A practical note for NIGMS's F30: it is meant for students at institutions without an NIH-funded dual-degree training program. Students at MSTP institutions are generally expected to be supported through the MSTP.
What makes an application competitive?
Reviewers read fellowships as training plans, not just research proposals. Strong applications show a sponsor with funding and a track record of training, a specific plan for skills the applicant doesn't have yet, and a project the applicant can realistically finish. An individual development plan is a good starting draft for the training section.
Questions people ask
Can I hold an F31 while I'm on a T32?
Not at the same time for the same period; NRSA support can't be stacked. Many students move from a T32 slot to an F31 when the fellowship is awarded, which frees the T32 slot for someone else.
Does every NIH institute accept F31 applications?
Most do, but each institute sets its own policies, and some don't accept every fellowship type. Check the participating-institute table in the parent announcement and the institute's own fellowship page.
Can international postdocs apply for a K99/R00?
Yes. The K99/R00 has no citizenship requirement. It does cap how much postdoctoral experience you can have when you apply, so check the window in the current parent announcement.
Sources
This profile is an independent summary, not an official NIH or NIGMS description. Eligibility and deadlines are set by the current funding opportunity; read it before you apply.