Bethesda, Maryland — On Thursday, September 1, 2005, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) began accepting applications to its five Loan Repayment Programs (LRPs). Deadline for applications is December 1, 2005.

The five LRPs offered by the NIH include the Clinical Research LRP, Clinical Research LRP for Individuals from Disadvantaged Backgrounds, Contraception and Infertility Research LRP, Health Disparities LRP, and Pediatric Research LRP.

Through these programs, the NIH offers to repay up to $35,000 annually of the qualified educational debt of health professionals pursuing careers in biomedical and behavioral research. The programs also provide coverage for federal and state tax liabilities.

To qualify, applicants must possess a doctoral-level degree, devote 50 percent or more of their time (20 hours per week based upon a 40-hour work week) to research funded by a domestic non-profit organization or government entity (federal, state, or local), and have educational loan debt equal to or exceeding 20 percent of their institutional base salary. Applicants must also be U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or U.S. nationals to be eligible.

“The NIH Loan Repayment Programs offer an easy and effective way for research scientists to focus more on medical research and less on repaying student loans,” says Dr. Norka Ruiz Bravo, Deputy Director for Extramural Research. “Since 2002, nearly 4,000 qualified health professionals have benefited from more than $225 million disbursed in loan repayment support. Through these programs, the NIH has opened doors for many young scientists to launch careers in research without the burden of student loan debt.”

All applications must be completed by 8 p.m. eastern time, December 1, 2005. Visit www.lrp.nih.gov to apply.

The Office of the Director, the central office at NIH, is responsible for setting policy for NIH, which includes 27 Institutes and Centers. This involves planning, managing, and coordinating the programs and activities of all NIH components. The Office of the Director also includes program offices which are responsible for stimulating specific areas of research throughout NIH. Additional information is available at http://www.nih.gov/icd/od/.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) — The Nation's Medical Research Agency — is a component of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary Federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov.