Direct comparison
T32 vs. F32 — NIH Training Compared
T32 (institutional training grant) vs. F32 (individual postdoctoral fellowship): how NIH funds and selects trainees differently, compared side by side.
Side-by-side comparison
| Dimension | T32 (Institutional) | F32 (Individual) |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA Institutional Research Training Grant | Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA Postdoctoral Individual Fellowship |
| Who applies to NIH | The institution / program director, on behalf of a training program | The individual postdoctoral researcher, in their own name |
| Who is PD/PI | The training program director (not the trainee) | The postdoctoral fellow themselves |
| How trainees are selected | Internal process run by the program (application, interview, committee review); NIH is not involved in choosing which individual fills a slot | NIH peer review of the fellow's own application via a study section |
| Award recipient | The institution, as a program-level grant covering multiple trainee slots | The sponsoring institution, on behalf of the one named fellow |
| What it funds | Stipends and training costs across a cohort of predoctoral and/or postdoctoral trainees in a defined program | One fellow's individually named, mentored postdoctoral training plan |
| Portability | Not portable -- the slot belongs to the program, not the trainee | Can be transferred to a new sponsoring institution with NIH approval if the fellow relocates |
| Aggregate postdoctoral NRSA support limit | Up to 3 years, combined with any individual (F32) postdoctoral time already used | Up to 3 years, combined with any T32 postdoctoral time already used |
| FY2026 stipend | Same NIH postdoctoral scale: from roughly $63,480/year at entry level, stepping up with experience | Same NIH postdoctoral scale: from roughly $63,480/year at entry level, stepping up with experience |
| Appointment documentation | PHS 2271 Statement of Appointment, typically filed via eRA Commons xTrain | Award notice names the fellow directly as PD/PI; no internal appointment step |
| Parent funding opportunity | PA-25-168 | PA-25-423 |
| Application deadlines | Set by the program's own multi-year competing/renewal cycle, not a fixed individual-fellowship deadline | Standard F-series deadlines: April 8, August 8, December 8 |
| Position in training pipeline | Institutionally offered postdoctoral slot; trainee may not have applied to NIH at all | Individually sought postdoctoral award; typically precedes a K99/R00 or other K award |
Common questions
FAQ
Can a postdoc be supported by a T32 and an F32 at the same time?+
No -- NIH does not permit concurrent, overlapping Kirschstein-NRSA support from two mechanisms for the same period. A postdoc could move from a T32-funded slot onto an F32 (or vice versa) at different points in their training, since both count against the same aggregate 3-year postdoctoral support limit, but not hold both simultaneously.
Does a postdoc apply to NIH directly for a T32 slot?+
No. The institution and its program director hold the T32 grant and apply to NIH for the program as a whole. An individual postdoc applies to the training program itself (often as part of applying for the postdoctoral position), and the program director then selects and appoints trainees into the program's already-funded slots -- NIH is not involved in that individual selection decision.
Which is more common for NIH-funded postdocs, T32 or F32?+
Both are widely used and are not mutually exclusive career paths -- many postdocs are supported by neither and instead by a PI's research grant (e.g., an R01) as staff, by institutional funds, or by a non-NIH fellowship. Whether a T32 slot or an F32 is the relevant option for a given postdoc depends on whether their institution has an NIH-funded training program with an open slot, and whether they'd rather write their own individual fellowship application.
Does time on a T32 count against the same limit as an F32?+
Yes. NIH tracks aggregate Kirschstein-NRSA support at the postdoctoral level as a single 3-year ceiling that combines any mix of institutional T32 time and individual F32 time already received, not two separate clocks.
