Frequently Asked Questions

The is a hard deadline for complete applications for each application cycle. Applications will not be reviewed until after that date however you are welcome to submit before that date. Incomplete applications will not be accepted past this date.

There are two program pathways in the MTIS program: Mentored Training (2 years; completed at your home institution) and Degree Seeking (2 years total; 2 year fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis to complete MSCI, MPH, or MPHS degree.) Learn more about these pathways on the About section of our website.

It is preferred that you include both letters of recommendation with you full application PDF. However if your recommenders prefer to send it to us directly, you will not be penalized. Your recommender will receive confirmation when their letter is received and the applicant will receive confirmation when we have received their completed application.

You can address the recommendation letters to the “MTIS Review Committee”

Please use the most recent (Forms D) non-fellowship NIH Biosketch. You can find instructions and template here: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms/biosketch.htm

Your home institution must:

• Commit to support the time and effort not included with this award (the remaining 25% effort, not covered by this award)
• Have an on-site mentor in your substantive area of expertise, with a track record of external grant support from NIH or other funding
• Be able to support the logistics of your grant submission and have capacity to manage awarded grants
• Provide scholar with a faculty appointment during their duration in program

Due to NIH requirements, MTIS Scholars must be US Citizens, noncitizen national, or been lawfully admitted for permanent residence and possess an Alien Registration Receipt Cart (I-151 or I-155) at the time of appointment.

As we review applications, we will carefully consider the strength of applicants’ relationships with their mentors. Mentors must be readily and easily accessible to scholars at a “home institution” for mentoring scientific skills, especially skills for writing grant applications. Therefore applicants must demonstrate the commitment of a mentor through either an extensive past relationship or, in the case of a recent relationship, a letter of commitment from the mentor. Applicants and mentors can make a case for working together although at separate institutions. However if the scientific (substantive) mentor is at a different institution than the scholar, the scholar also must have a second mentor—one at the home institution who will provide grant writing guidance and support.

Primary (Home or local) mentors are the scholar’s main source of research supervision and career development for the scholars Local mentors need not be an expert in D&I, but will need to have a successful record of funding to support trainees in grant-writing fundamentals.  The MTIS Mentor will provide specific feedback on the D&I science of the scholar’s work and will work with assisting the scholars with decisions regarding their D&I pilot studies and NIH grant proposals.  MTIS mentors meet with their scholar every month to assess the progress of the scholar’s work, address D&I concerns and monitor the development of the scholar’s D&I research proposal.  MTIS mentors will work with the scholars for the 2-3 years of their training, whereas local mentors can have longer mentor-mentee relationships with the scholars.

We welcome applications from individuals who desire to shape and advance a research career in D&I research. We also welcome applications at a variety of levels of previous experience in D&I. You will need to demonstrate at least a base-line knowledge of D&I science within your concept paper (required with your application to the program).

We expect that scholars may enter the program with different skill levels. If you feel that a degree will advance your research and/or be beneficial to your career, we encourage you to pursue a degree program.

Yes, the MTIS Program will support 75% effort up to $100,000. In addition, each scholar will receive $30,000 to be used to support their research, tuition, and travel to scientific conferences.

MTIS is not designed to advance a physician’s skills as a medical provider. It is intended for scientists who have already demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship, and seek a vehicle for furthering their advanced training in research skills for new knowledge development. MTIS expedites Scholar’s ability to work on their own initiated research projects with identified advisers. Awards are offered to a limited number of persons of outstanding ability who wish to make research a significant component of their career.  The MTIS Program targets “early” and “mid-career” researchers.