NIH Diversity Supplements Connection Program

The NIH Diversity Supplements is an administrative supplement that provides additional funding intended to enhance the diversity of the research workforce by supporting the training of students, post-doctorates and faculty, who have historically been underrepresented in the biomedical, clinical, behavioral, and social sciences as defined by the National Institutes of Health.

Principal investigators:

• It shows a commitment to diversity in your research project.
• It provides an opportunity to receive additional funding while supporting outstanding individuals to work on your project.
• It is a short grant period.
• It is quickly processed because full IRB review is not required.
• It has a high funding rate.

Candidates & trainees:

• It provides a livable salary/stipend.
• It can provide funding for summer internships, or for full-time 1-to-2–year projects, depending on the candidate’s level.
• It includes a small stipend for manuscripts and travel to international meetings.
• It is a great experience to prepare for graduate school.

Below is a high-level overview of the NIH Diversity Supplement eligibility criteria. Before submitting an application, we encourage you to reach out to your program officer to discuss your application further, as well as review the Funding Opportunity Announcement: PA-21-071, to confirm eligibility.

• Eligible grant activity codes, as of November 16, 2020:
  • DP1, DP2, DP4, DP5
  • G12, G20
  • P01, P20, P2C, P30, P40, P41, P50, P51, P60, PM1, PN2
  • R00, R01, R03, R15, R18, R21, R24, R33, R34, R35, R37, R41, R42, R43, R44, R61, RC1, RC2, RC3, RC4, RF1, RM1,
  • SC1, SC2, SC3, S06
  • UL1, U01, U10, U13, U18, U19, U24, U2C, U41, U42, U44, U54, U56, UC2, UC4, UF1, UG1, UG3, UH2, UH3, UM1, UM2
• Supplements should support aims within the scope of the original grant.
• Budget requests for supplements must fall within the budget cycle of the existing grant and not extend beyond the grant’s project end date.

• Eligible Career Levels:
  • High school students
  • Undergraduate students
  • Graduate students
  • Post-baccalaureate graduates
  • Post-doctoral trainees
  • Junior faculty
• Additional eligibility:
  • Citizen, non-citizen national or permanent resident of the United States
• Candidates must meet at least one of the following criteria. Please see the NIH’s Notice of Interest in Diversity (NOT-OD-20-031) for more details.
  • Individuals from racial and ethnic groups that have been shown by the National Science Foundation to be underrepresented in health-related sciences on a national basis. The following racial and ethnic groups have been shown to be underrepresented in biomedical research: Blacks or African Americans, Hispanics or Latinos, American Indians or Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders.
  • Individuals with disabilities, who are defined as those with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, as described in the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
  • Individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, defined as those who meet two or more criteria in the Notice of Interest in Diversity (NOT-OD-20-031).

• Individuals who are already supported on research grants (especially the parent grant) are not typically eligible. Graduate students or individuals in postdoctoral training who are supported by an Institutional NRSA are eligible once they have completed the grant.

We highly recommend PIs review the NIH Diversity Supplement Presentation by an NIH Program Director listed in the “Useful Links and Resources” section of this page for guidance on the application process.

Step 1

Contact your program officer to confirm your study’s eligibility. 

Step 2

Review contacts, submission dates and special instructions specific to your NIH institute or center.

Step 3

Complete and submit this Study Opt-In Form to indicate your interest in participating in the Diversity Supplement Connections Program.

After completing step 3, your study will be reviewed and, if eligible, included in the external database of Eligible DS Grants. The DS Connections Program will contact you further once a candidate has indicated their interest in your study. Email DSConnections@seattlechildrens.org for any questions.

Step 1

Explore our database of grants eligible for NIH Diversity Supplements at Seattle Children's Research Institute.

If you don’t see a project you’re interested in at Seattle Children’s, check out the Diversity Supplement programs from our partner institutions:

• University of Washington School of Public Health
• Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center

Step 2

Express your interest in a grant by completing the NIH Diversity Supplement Interest Form for any study at Seattle Children’s. You may submit an interest form for multiple studies.

After completing Step 2, the DS Connections Program will contact the indicated principal investigator(s) for a potential match. Email DSConnections@seattlechildrens.org for any questions.

As Seattle Children’s works towards being an anti-racist institution, it seeks to lead the way in its equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts both locally and nationally. Seattle Children's NIH Diversity Supplement Program Toolkit is a step-by-step guide on how to build a connections program at your institution. The toolkit includes anecdotal examples of submitted grant applications, and best practice recommendations based on lessons learned. If you'd like access to download the toolkit, please fill out and submit the request form. You'll then receive a confirmation with a link to download the toolkit.

NIH Diversity Supplement Program Toolkit Request Form

If you have questions about the toolkit or our program, please reach out to us at dsconnections@seattlechildrens.org.