Training Awards

The NJ ACTS Clinical and Translational Science Fellowship Program supports predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees from Princeton, Rutgers University and NJIT who are seeking a broad introduction to clinical and translational research. Offered annually, this NIH-funded TL1 award provides one year of support during a 2-3 year program that includes stipend/salary and benefits, tuition for postdoctoral trainees, funds for professional travel to the Association for Clinical and Translational Science conference, and training/research-related expenses pertinent to the program (for predoctoral students only).

Learn more about the program requirements and opportunities under the 'Become a TL1 Fellow' section at the bottom of the training program web page.

The Fellowship program award provisions and application instructions differ for Princeton-based applicants. Please carefully review the information below. If you intend to submit a Letter of Intent to apply for the Fellowship, you must first contact Bianca Freda '98, NJ ACTS Manager, Research and Administration ([email protected]).

THERE WILL NOT BE A FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM APPLICATION CYCLE IN 2024. THE TIMELINE FOR FUTURE APPLICATIONS IS TO BE DETERMINED

Princeton-Specific Award Provisions From 2023 (for reference only)

The NJ ACTS Fellowship Program (TL1) supports 6 Fellows/year (3 predocs, 3 postdocs). One year of financial support is provided and includes:

For predoctoral applicants: one year of stipend, commensurate with the current NRSA level for predoctoral trainees (https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-23-076.html).
- Per the University’s new policy for graduate support, tuition support will not be requested for predoctoral applicants.
For postdoctoral applicants: stipend and tuition commensurate with current NRSA level (https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-23-076.html).
- Additional tuition support is available for postdoctoral fellows who wish to pursue certificate or master's programs in clinical translational sciences
Funds for travel to the required Association for Clinical and Translational Science (ACTS) conference.
Training/Research-related expenses
- Predoctoral Fellows - $2,000 for training/research-related expenses pertinent to the program
- Postdoctoral Fellows - Current Princeton Institutional Allowance for postdoctoral fellows is budgeted only. No additional training/research-related expenses will be awarded.
Indirect cost rate is 8% on stipend, travel, and training/research-related fees (tuition is excluded).

Please contact Bianca Freda at [email protected] or 609-258-2804 for any questions about the program, application or award provisions and if you intend to apply. See application instructions below for details on the Princeton-specific internal process prior to submission.

Note about Eligibility and Program Requirements for 2023 (for reference only)

This is an NIH training grant, so only US citizens, permanent residents of the US or non-citizen nationals are eligible to apply. Only those who can complete the program within the prescribed 2-3-year time period during their training are eligible. Therefore, preference will be given to predoctoral applicants who are currently in Years 1-3 and postdoctoral applicants in Years 1-2 (as of the appointment start date in July 2023). See the program web page for the full list of eligibility criteria and program requirements.
Please refer to the NIH policy regarding the maximum number of years of Kirschstein-NRSA support at the predoctoral and postdoctoral level.

Princeton-Specific Application Instructions (3 steps)

1. Email Bianca Freda and submit a required letter of intent

A completed letter of intent by the deadline is required to submit a full application.

Use the link provided below to initiate a draft letter of intent (LOI) to submit to the program that includes basic information used to ascertain the anticipated pool of applicants and assign reviewers.

Before submitting the LOI via the link in REDCap, a copy of your draft, completed LOI must be saved in progress, printed to pdf and emailed to NJ ACTS manager Bianca Freda ([email protected]).

Once the LOI is submitted in REDCap, this step will initiate a custom application link sent to you via email to complete and submit a full application.

Link to 2023 LOI: https://redcap.link/2023NJACTSTL1fellowship

2. Email a copy of your application and attachments for Princeton internal review

Using your custom application link, complete a final draft of the application and attachments to be uploaded (research project description, NIH format biosketches for applicant and mentor, mentor’s NIH Other Support). The online application and attachments must be saved in progress, printed to pdf and emailed to your departmental grants manager and Bianca Freda to ensure compliance with NJ ACTS and University policies at least one week prior to submission.

Refer to the Application Process section at the bottom of the program web site and the pdf sample copy of the application for additional details and instructions.

3. Submit your application to NJ ACTS

Submission in Princeton ERA is not required at this stage.

After your Princeton departmental grants manager has confirmed that the application is ready for submission, you may submit your application and attachments to NJ ACTS using the custom application link from REDCap. Please make sure your grants manager has a final copy of your application and all attachments before submission.

Resources

For an overview of the program and to learn about the requirements, eligibility, selection process and review criteria, scroll to the bottom of the Fellowship program web site (section labeled 'Become a TL1 Fellow')

Complete the required Letter of Intent (LOI) using this link or view a pdf copy of the LOI (for reference only)

View a pdf copy of the application (for reference only)

Meet the current and previous NJ ACTS Fellows

Congratulations to all of the Princeton NJ ACTS fellows, past and present!

Postdoctoral trainee Tom Zajdel, MD/PhD student Chloe Cavanaugh, postdoctoral trainee Susan Leggett, graduate student Ellen Acosta, MD/PhD student Camden MacDowell, postdoctoral trainee Christos Suriano, graduate student Esmat Hegazi, postdoctoral trainees Rebecca Kim-Yip, Krystal Lum, and Devin Simpkins, and graduate students Brandon Trejo and Sophia Koval. They join other fellows from Rutgers and NJIT to round out the group that has participated in the program since 2019.