Training Awards

The NJ ACTS Clinical and Translational Science Fellowship Program supports predoctoral trainees from Princeton, Rutgers University and New Jersey Institute of Technology. The mission of the program is to prepare future generations of translational researchers to leverage the principles of translational science to more efficiently and effectively identify, disseminate and implement new approaches to address current health challenges. This NIH-funded T32 award provides two years of support during a 2-year program that includes stipend and benefits, funds for professional travel to the Association for Clinical and Translational Science conference, and training/research-related expenses pertinent to the program. 

Learn more about the program requirements and opportunities under the 'Become a T32 Fellow' section 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]).

Letter of Intent Due Monday, April 7, 2025 by 5 PM

2025 Princeton-Specific Award Provisions and Application Instructions 

The NJ ACTS Fellowship Program (T32) supports 6 predoctoral Fellows/year from Princeton, Rutgers and NJIT. Two years of financial support is provided and includes:

  • Two years* of stipend, commensurate with the current NRSA level for predoctoral trainees  (https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-24-104.html). 
    • Per Princeton University’s policy for graduate support, tuition support will not be requested for predoctoral applicants.
    • *Second year of funding is dependent on successful performance in Year 1.
  • Up to $1,500/yr for travel is provided to support attendance at the annual Association for Clinical and Translational Science (ACTS) conference and other related conferences.
  • Up to $2,000/yr is provided for other training/research-related expenses pertinent to the program.
  • Indirect cost rate is 8% on stipend, travel, and training/research-related fees (tuition is excluded).

Please contact Bianca Freda at [email protected] for any questions about the program 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 

  • This is an NIH training grant, so only US citizens, permanent residents of the US or non-citizen nationals are eligible to apply. 
  • Only predoctoral applicants who are in Years 1, 2 or 3 of the Ph.D. (as of July 1, 2025) and can complete the program within the prescribed 2-year time period during their training are eligible. 
  • 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 by Monday, April 7, 2025 (by 5 pm)

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 2025 LOI: https://redcap.rutgers.edu/surveys/?s=LA8JLWLP8T37A9DR 

 

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 to ensure compliance with NJ ACTS and University policies at least one week prior to submission.

Refer to the Application Process section and sample documents on the program web site for additional details and instructions.

 

3. Submit your application to NJ ACTS by Monday, April 28, 2025 (by 5 pm)

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 and Bianca Freda have 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, visit the Fellowship program web site (section labeled 'Become a T32 Fellow')

Complete the required Letter of Intent (LOI) to apply using this link 

View a pdf copy of the 2025 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 trainees Tom Zajdel,  Susan Leggett, Christos Suriano, Rebecca Kim-Yip, Krystal Lum, and Devin Simpkins. MD/PhD students Chloe Cavanaugh and Camden MacDowell. And graduate students Ellen Acosta, Esmat Hegazi, 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.