DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE
National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, MD 20892
To: Former Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service
Awardees
PAYBACK REQUIREMENTS
Under Section 487 of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act as amended (42
USC 288), all individuals other than prebaccalaureate students who received a
Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) prior to June 10,
1993, must engage in biomedical or behavioral health-related research and/or
health-related teaching for a period equal to the period of Kirschstein-NRSA
support in excess of 12 months.*
For Kirschstein-NRSA recipients who began appointments to training grants or
activated fellowship awards on or after June 10, 1993, only the first twelve
months of postdoctoral support will incur a service payback obligation. Such
individuals may satisfy that obligation by engaging in an equal period of health-
related research, health-related teaching, or health-related activities or by
receiving an equal period of Kirschstein-NRSA supported postdoctoral
research training. Kirschstein-NRSA postdoctoral support beyond the initial 12
months may also be used to satisfy a postdoctoral service obligation incurred
for awards which began before June 10, 1993.
By regulation (42 CFR Part 66), this service must be initiated within two years
after termination of Kirschstein-NRSA support. If payback service is not started
within the 2-year period, financial payback will become due unless an extension
of the period of undertaking payback or a waiver request has been approved
by the PHS.
ANNUAL PAYBACK ACTIVITIES CERTIFICATION, FORM PHS 6031-1
The enclosed Annual Payback Activities Certification (APAC) form is the basic
communication between former Kirschstein-NRSA recipients and the PHS.
Regardless of the nature of your present activities, complete and return the
form. Do not hesitate to provide supplemental information or request
clarification of your obligation from the PHS agency that supported your
training.
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR APAC
Follow the instructions on the APAC form together with these instructions. This
form may be filled out online and printed for submission to PHS. It also may be
downloaded, printed, and completed. If you need more than one form to cover
the reporting period, duplicate the form and clearly label them at the top “#1 of
2 certifications,” etc. This form is available at:
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms.htm #training
.
SECTION I
Item 1. Not Engaged: If this APAC is received in the first year after the
termination of your Kirschstein-NRSA support and you are not electing financial
payback or requesting an extension of the 2-year period in which to initiate
payback, sign and return the form; no further information is required. If the
APAC covers the second year after termination of your Kirschstein-NRSA
support, financial payback will be due 24 months after the termination date
unless a request for an extension of the payback initiation period or a payback
waiver is submitted and approved.
Item 2. Financial Payback: Those electing financial payback will be contacted
by the PHS with appropriate instructions.
Item 3. Extension: Reasons for an extension or break in service include such
things as physicians completing residency training, graduate students
completing degree requirements, temporary disability or substantial hardship.
This item should also be used to report participation in any of the NIH Loan
Repayment Programs (LRP). Participation in LRP will result in a deferral of the
NRSA obligation because concurrent payback under both LRP and NRSA is
not permissible. If requesting an extension because of LRP participation,
include the start and end date of your LRP in Section II.4.
Item 4. Engaged in Payback Service: This item includes regular payback
service (biomedical or behavioral health-related research, teaching, and/or
activities). For additional information on acceptable payback service, see the
Payback section of the most recent version of the NIH Grants Policy Statement
found at
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/policy.htm
.
PHS 6031-1 (Rev 06/15) Instructions Page 2 of 3