NIH Extramural Loan Repayment Programs

The NIH Loan Repayment Programs (LRPs) are a set of programs established by Congress and designed to recruit and retain highly qualified health professionals into biomedical or biobehavioral research careers. The escalating costs of advanced education and training in medicine and clinical specialties are forcing some scientists to abandon their research careers for higher-paying private industry or private practice careers.

The LRPs counteract that financial pressure by repaying up to $50,000 annually of a researcher's qualified educational debt in return for a commitment to engage in NIH mission-relevant research. Since tomorrow's medical breakthroughs will be made by investigators starting in their research careers today, the LRPs represent an important investment by NIH in the future of health discovery and the wellbeing of the Nation.

Note that successful awardees must engage in qualified research for an average of at least 20 hours per week during each quarterly service period of your LRP award.

• Research funding from NIH is not required to participate in the Extramural LRP, and Extramural and Intramural LRP awardees may apply for subsequent, competitive renewal awards as long as they meet Program eligibility. Although organized around broad research areas, the LRPs were never intended to fund research projects. Rather, LRP awards are based on an applicant's potential to build and sustain a research career. Please read below for general eligibility requirements and Program details.
• NIH Program Overview
• Apply and Download the Online Application System Instruction Guide
• NIH LRP Application Process Interactive Roadmap and FAQs

★Note- these awards will be made based on the appropriateness of the proposed research activities, with due consideration given to the specific context and compliance with applicable Executive Orders.

★Applicants are strongly encouraged to discuss their career interests with an NIH Institute or Center scientific liaison provided at this site: https://www.lrp.nih.gov/contact-engage.

Extramural LRP applications will be accepted from September 1, 2025 through November 20, 2025.

All LRP applications must be submitted electronically using the NIH LRP Website.

Important: the business official is your department's Director of Finance and Administration (DFA). Please be sure to allow sufficient time for your DFA to countersign your application.Please do not submit your LRP proposal through your RPM/RMG or CGO/OSR. Please submit your proposal by working with you DFA or Division Manager.

Guide to the NIH Extramural Loan Repayment Program 
Info Session & Panel Discussion: September 9, 2025, 10:00 am - 11:00 am (PST) via Zoom

Topics to be covered will include applicant eligibility requirements, application details and timeline, as well as resources for preparing your application. Following the seminar, a panel discussion with LRP awardees will provide personal insights and Q&A. REGISTER NOW!

• Eligible positions: Residents, postdoctoral fellows, medical fellows, basic life science staff/research associates, Instructors, Clinical Instructors, and Assistant Professors (with UTL, UML, NTLR, and CE faculty appointments) who meet the NIH LRP eligibility criteria.
• Note: researchers who have dual Stanford University & VA appointments are eligible to apply for the NIH LRP if they have less than a 5/8ths VA appointment, such that the remainder of their appointment is with Stanford University. The “business official” for their applications is the DFA for their Stanford department.
• Citizenship - You must be a U.S. citizen, U.S national, or permanent resident of the U.S. by the LRP award start date.
• Qualifying Degree (Extramural programs only) - Possess an M.D., Ph.D., Pharm.D., Psy.D., D.O., D.D.S., D.M.D., D.P.M., D.C., N.D., O.D., D.V.M., or equivalent doctoral degree from an accredited institution. There are some exceptions in the Contraception and Infertility and REACH subcategories. Visit the Contraception and Infertility and REACH pages for additional details. 
• See the NIH Eligibility and Programs for additional information on qualified educational debt, domestic, nonprofit research funding, qualified research, as well as an overview of non-eligible individuals. 
• Each LRP program may have additional eligibility criteria; please refer to the following detailed NIH Notices: 
• • Extramural Loan Repayment Program for Clinical Researchers (LRP-CR) - (NOT-OD-25-091)
  • Extramural Loan Repayment Program for Pediatric Research (LRP-PR) - (NOT-OD-25-092)
  • Extramural Loan Repayment Program for Health Disparities Research (LRP-HDR) - (NOT-OD-25-093)
  • Extramural Loan Repayment Program for Research in Emerging Areas Critical to Human Health (LRP-REACH) - (NOT-OD-25-094)
  • Extramural Loan Repayment Program for Clinical Researchers from Disadvantaged Backgrounds (LRP-CRDB) - (NOT-OD-25-095)
  • Extramural Loan Repayment Program for Contraception and Infertility Research (LRP-CIR) - (NOT-OD-25-096)

ROLES: Applicants, Referees, and Business Officials

• All 3 roles (Applicants, Referees, and Business Officials) need NIH eCommons IDs. 
• How to obtain your NIH eCommons ID: Contact your Research Process Manager (RPM) in the Research Management Group (RMG) to set up an NIH eCommons ID if you do not already have one.
   

APPLICANTS:

• Review the eligibility section of the LRP website.
• Identify the LRP program to which you wish to apply. 
• Go to NIH ASSIST and log in with your Commons ID and password to begin the application process.

REFEREE/RECOMMENDER:

• Go to the Referees/Recommenders page.
• Continue to the Reference Letter Submission section of the LRP website.
• You will need to enter the Application Tracking Code (please obtain from the applicant).

BUSINESS OFFICIALS - DEPARTMENT DFAs

• Your department's Director of Finance and Administration (DFA) or his/her delegate has the authority to sign as the Business Official for the applicants from the department. Find your department’s DFA here. 
• Department of Medicine LRP applicants: please use your division manager as your business official. Find your division manager here.