UCSF Graduate Division – Guidance Advisory on F30, F31, F32 Institutional Allowance

Scope

This guidance advisory applies to the NIH Fellowships available to UCSF trainees:

  • F30 – Kirschstein Individual Predoctoral NRSA for MD/PhD and other Dual Degree Fellowships
  • F31 – Kirschstein Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award for PhD
  • F32 – Kirschstein Postdoctoral Individual National Research Service Award for Postdocs

Definition

An NIH Fellowship is a training program with funds provided to support predoctoral and postdoctoral training of individuals to undertake biomedical, behavioral, or clinical research.

Institutional Allowance Expenditures

NIH awards an Institutional Allowance to help support the costs of training. See 11.2.9.4 Institutional Allowance in the NIH Grants Policy Statement. Allowable costs include, books, travel to scientific meetings, research supplies, equipment, and health insurance. Funds may also be used to offset, insofar as possible, appropriate administrative costs of training.

Funds are paid directly to and administered by the sponsoring institution. The sponsoring institution authorizes the expenditure of the institutional allowance on behalf of the fellow according to institutional policy. At UCSF, the trainee’s department or program administers the Institutional Allowance.

UCSF encourages trainees to utilize the allowance on allowable training costs as the NIH intends. In the rare case where Institutional Allowance is expected to be unexpended before the end of the award period, it can be re-budgeted into the tuition and fees category when tuition and fees have been awarded. See 11.2.9.8 Re-budgeting of Funds in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

Funds may not be re-budgeted without prior written approval from the NIH; requests for re-budgeting must made by an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) in the Office of Sponsored Research (OSR). Any questions regarding re-budgeting should be directed to OSR.

Re-budgeting should be extremely rare and only be initiated by the trainee awardee; neither faculty nor administrators should prompt a discussion about re-budgeting.

UCSF Contracts and Grants Accounting (CGA) will refund remaining balances to the NIH sponsor per award terms and conditions. 

Read more about fellowships available to graduate students.