ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS MUST MEET ALL CRITERIA LISTED IN GROUP A AND AT LEAST ONE OF THE CRITERIA LISTED IN GROUP B.
GROUP A
1. Citizenship / Immigration Status: Students appointed to this program must be citizens or non-citizen nationals of the United States or must have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence (i.e., in possession of a currently valid Alien Registration Receipt Card I-551 or some other legal verification of such status). Non-citizen nationals are generally persons born in possessions of the United States (i.e., American Samoaand Swains Island). Individuals on temporary or student visas and individuals holding PhD, MD, DVM or equivalent doctoral degrees in the health sciences are not eligible.
2. Undergraduate students must: (1) have successfully completed at least one undergraduate year at an accredited school or university (including baccalaureate schools of nursing); or (2) be attending community or junior colleges provided they are enrolled in at least three courses per academic term and have completed at least six courses.
GROUP B
1. 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 (see NIH Guidelines).
In addition, it is recognized that underrepresentation can vary from
setting to setting, and individuals from racial or ethnic groups that
can be convincingly demonstrated to be underrepresented are eligible for
support under this program. Please note: We are happy to accept all
applications, however, gender alone is unlikely to qualify an
applicant.
2. Individuals with disabilities, who are defined as those with a physical
or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life
activities.
3. Individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds who are defined as:
a. Individuals who come from a family
with an annual income below established low-income thresholds. These thresholds
are based on family size; published by the U.S. Bureau of the Census; adjusted
annually for changes in the Consumer Price Index; and adjusted by the Secretary
for use in all health professions programs. The Secretary periodically publishes these income levels.
For individuals from low income backgrounds, candidates must be able to
demonstrate that they have qualified for Federal disadvantaged assistance or
they have received any of the following student loans: Health Professions
Student Loans (HPSL), Loans for Disadvantaged Student Program, or they have
received scholarships from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
under the Scholarship for Individuals with Exceptional Financial Need.
b. Come from a social, cultural, or educational environment such as that
found in certain rural or inner-city environments that have demonstrably
and recently directly inhibited the individual from obtaining the
knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to develop and participate in
a research career.