Courses and Fellowships for Trainees and Fellows

Scientific and Professional Development Courses

NIH offers a wide variety of courses to assist in your scientific and professional development. Depending on the source, some courses are offered at no cost to you (such as those offered by NCI or the NIH Library) but others are offered at a cost (e.g. FAES and BioTech Workshops).  Please talk to your PI to determine if the laboratory will cover the cost for the course.

Courses Offered by NCI

Women's Health 

The Women’s Health course covers important topics in women’s health such as menopause, menstrual disorders, endometriosis, cardiovascular disease, mental health, immune health, as well as ovarian, breast and cervical cancer. 

Translational Research in Clinical Oncology (TRACO)

TRACO is designed to provide an overview of the general principles of cancer biology and treatment, epidemiology, genomics, precision medicine, mechanisms of resistance, use of preclinical models, and identification of novel molecular targets. Participants have an unprecedented opportunity to learn new information, glimpse into future developments of translational research in clinical oncology, and meet leaders in cancer research.

NCI Preparing for Science Based Non-Traditional Careers (PSNC)

This weekly workshop aims to help participants learn about the various career opportunities that lie outside of independent academic research. Given these may include unfamiliar roles outside of traditional bench science, guest speakers are invited from various science-based backgrounds to provide information and insight that will help inform decisions about potential future endeavors.

Statistical Analysis of Research Data (SARD)

This two-day statistics course is designed to provide an overview on the general principles of statistical analysis of research data. The first day features univariate data analysis, including descriptive statistics, probability distributions, one- and two-sample inferential statistics. The second day features bivariate data analysis including bivariate statistics, linear regression non-parametric tools and goodness of fit tests.

Statistical Tutorial

This statistics class is a follow-up to the Statistical Analysis of Research Data course. The tutorial applies the general principles of statistical analysis of research data, including descriptive statistics, z- and t-tests of means and mean differences, simple and multiple linear regression, ANOVA tests, and Chi-Squared distribution.

K Grant Writing Workshop

NIH intramural postdoctoral fellows are eligible to apply for K99/R00 and K22 awards.  If you are interested in pursuing a career in academia you should consider applying for a K99/R00 award during the 2^nd or 3^rd year of your postdoctoral training. The purpose of this course is to increase the quality of your grant application by successfully communicating scientific data and ideas. Emphasis is placed on how to use the title abstract and introduction sections to draw in reviewers and how to write an organized and focused proposal using specific scientific aims.

Scientific Management Training (SMT)

The Scientific Management Training course focuses on personnel and project management. The goal of this course is to help you develop the skills you need to successfully lead a scientific research laboratory.

Teaching in Medical Education (TIME)

The purpose of the Teaching in Medical Education (TIME) course is to increase the scientist's ability to teach in medical education. The course provides basic knowledge in teaching methods, course planning, writing a syllabus and developing examinations.

Bioinformatics Training and Education Program (BTEP)

The Office of Science and Technology Resources (OSTR) established the Bioinformatics Training and Education Program (BTEP) in March 2012. The goal of this program is to increase the awareness and understanding of Bioinformatics techniques and processes among CCR scientists, and to empower CCR scientists to perform a basic, informed set of analyses on their own behalf.

Integrative Medicine

This course for NCI trainees and fellows on integrative medicine will provide an introduction and overview of the concept, evidence-based practice or usage, and current state of research in integrative modalities or strategies.

Additional course offerings through NIH

Computer Training Program

The Technology Training Program offers information technology courses and seminars that enable users to make efficient and effective use of computers, networks, and information systems in their work at NIH.

Demystifying Medicine

The Demystifying Medicine Series, which is jointly sponsored by FAES and NIH, includes the presentation of patients, pathology, diagnosis and therapy in the context of major disease problems and current research. Primarily directed toward Ph.D. students, clinicians and program managers, the course is designed to help bridge the gap between advances in biology and their application to major human diseases.

Foundation for the Advanced Education in Science (FAES)

Graduate School

The Foundation for Advanced Education in the Sciences (FAES) at the NIH seeks to foster education and research in the biomedical sciences by providing instruction at the cutting edge of biological sciences and its evolving applications. Ther goals also include responding to the educational and cultural needs of the NIH community and projecting FAES educational assets globally.

Biotech Training

FAES also offers hands-on biotechnology laboratory trainings. They have an expansive catalog of bench-scientist-developed curricula. Workshops are team taught by active researchers from the National Institutes of Health, in addition to leading experts from academia and industry. Short-term lab courses and management training for scientist classes will hone your skills and get you trained for your next job in research and/or industry. Programs are specifically designed for individuals in the biomedical, life sciences, and pharmaceutical fields.

National Library of Medicine (NLM) Courses

The National Library of Medicine offers several training resources. Please visit NLM Training and Outreach website.

NIH Library

The NIH Library offers training on a variety of topics including 3D printing and modeling, bioinformatics, bibliometrics and portfolio analysis, citation management, data analysis, management, and visualization, database searching, and writing and publishing.

NCI at Frederick Scientific Library

The NCI at Frederick Scientific Library offers training resources for fellows and trainees on the NCI at Frederick campus, including webinars and hands-on classes related to EndNote, PubMed, Web of Science, NCBI resources, chemical and pharmaceutical databases, and more. Customized trainings, one-on-one trainings, and EndNote support are also available upon request.

Office of Intramural Training and Education (OITE)

The NIH Office of Intramural Training & Education (OITE) encourages you to focus your energies in three major areas: 1) Doing outstanding science, 2) Attending to your career/professional development and 3) Exploring and contributing to the community around you. To make the most of your NIH experience, you must plan your time wisely and begin essentially immediately to develop the skills and expertise that you will need to succeed during the next phase of your career. OITE offers programs and services to help you develop your professional career.

Fellowship Opportunities

The following fellowship opportunities are available to both prospective and current NCI trainees. For fellowships for current NCI trainees, you must have no more than two years postdoc experience at NIH.

Interagency Oncology Task Force (IOTF) Fellowship

The Interagency Oncology Task Force Fellowship program trains scientists in research and research-related regulatory review, policies, and regulations to develop a skill set that bridges the two disparate processes.

Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program (CPFP)

The overarching goal of the CPFP is to provide a strong foundation for scientists and clinicians to train in the field of cancer prevention and control. Other educational opportunities are provided throughout the fellowship to complement the research training, including the NCI Summer Curriculum in Cancer Prevention, the Molecular Prevention Laboratory, the NCI Cancer Prevention and Control Colloquia Series, and the weekly Fellows' Research Meeting.

Intramural AIDS Research Fellowship Program (IARF)

The Intramural AIDS Research Fellowship (IARF) program is a collaborative effort of the Office of AIDS Research, the Office of Intramural Training & Education, and the Office of Intramural Research, designed to further cross disciplinary research into HIV and AIDS at the NIH. The aim of the program is to recruit graduate students and postdoctoral researchers from all scientific disciplines to the broad field of AIDS research and to provide a funding opportunity for intramural fellows whose work can be directly related to HIV and AIDS.

NCI Communications Fellowship (NCF)

The NCI Communications Fellowship (NCF), formerly known as the Health Communications Internship Program (HCIP) gives highly qualified graduate students and recent graduate degree recipients the opportunity to participate in vital health and science communications projects in one of the many offices that make up the NCI. Interns will select an area of emphasis: health communications or science writing. Six-month and one-year internship terms are offered.

Presidential Management Fellows (PMF)

The Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) program is a flagship leadership development program at the entry level for advanced degree candidates. PMFs develop Individual Development Plans (IDPs) and select rotations that are tailored to meet their career development goals and the agency's long-term succession planning needs.

Technology Transfer Fellowships

The NCI Technology Transfer Center (TTC) offers a unique opportunity for training through the NCI TTC Fellowship program. This Fellowship is designed to develop the unique skills associated with negotiating technology transfer agreements as well as marketing a portfolio of exciting, cutting edge technologies being developed by a world-renowned Institute within the National Institutes of Health.