The Tribal Undergraduate to Graduate Research Training and Leadership Experiences (TURTLE) program aims to address American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) health disparities by funding eligible Tribal Entities to develop and implement research training programs. The program focuses on identifying and developing a pool of scientists to conduct research on AI/AN health. The TURTLE program will support the research training of undergraduates (T34) and predoctoral students (T32) at degree-granting institutions across the United States and Territories.

Scope of Work

The TURTLE program will provide a phased award (UE5/T34) to eligible Tribal Entities. The first phase (UE5) will focus on developing capacity by hiring personnel and developing educational activities and training grant program and administrative infrastructure. The second phase (T34) will support the research training of undergraduate trainees through a National Research Service Award (NRSA) undergraduate research training program.

Eligibility

Eligible applicants include federally recognized AI/AN Tribes, Tribal colleges or universities, Tribal health programs, or Tribal organizations. A consortium of two or more of these Tribal Entities is also eligible. The sponsoring institution must assure support for the proposed program, including adequate staff, facilities, and educational resources.

Budget and Duration

The total award period will be up to seven years: a maximum of two years for the UE5 component and five years for the T34 component. The budget is not limited but must reflect the actual needs of the proposed project. The budget includes personnel costs, participant costs, and other program-related expenses, including trainee stipends, tuition remission, travel, and training-related expenses.

Additional Information

The TURTLE program is intended to develop capacity at eligible Tribal Entities and provide funds for institutional NRSA training programs. The program should recruit full-time students who are research-oriented and plan to earn a degree in a biomedically relevant field. The eligible Tribal Entities are not required to confer bachelor's degrees but are expected to administer the trainee financial support, and provide oversight and additional biomedical research training activities.

Key Dates

• Posted Date: September 03, 2024

• Open Date: December 27, 2024

• Expiration Date: January 26, 2027

Selection Process

Applications will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit by appropriate Scientific Review Group(s) using the stated review criteria. Applications may undergo a selection process in which only those applications deemed to have the highest scientific and technical merit will be discussed and assigned an overall impact score. Funding decisions will be made based on scientific and technical merit, availability of funds, relevance to program priorities, broad geographic distribution, and contributions to portfolio breadth.

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