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NIH Loan Repayment Program (LRP)

The 2026 LRP Application Period will be open September 1 - November 19, 2026.

The National Institutes of Health Loan Repayment Program is designed to recruit and retain highly qualified health professionals into biomedical or biobehavioral research careers. For researchers outside NIH, support is provided via the following extramural programs:

  • Clinical Research
  • Pediatric Research
  • Facilitating Opportunities in Cutting-edge Science (FOCUS)

Each program provides for the repayment of up to $50,000 annually of a researcher’s qualified educational debt in return for a commitment to engage in NIH mission-relevant research.

Note: Three subcategories — Clinical Research for Individuals from Disadvantaged Backgrounds (L32), Contraception and Infertility Research (L50), and Research in Emerging Areas Critical to Human Health (LRP-REACH) — previously offered as standalone tracks have been folded into this new three-pathway structure. NIH’s stated intent is to make it easier for applicants to identify which pathway fits their research rather than choosing among six overlapping categories. 

Northwestern Submission Process (2026)

  1. Applicant must submit a completed Northwestern Loan Repayment Program Certification Form by close of business on November 12, 2026.  [Note: Use Adobe Acrobat to utilize fillable PDF form features].
    1. The form must include all required information and be attested and signed by the applicant, department/division administrator, and department chair/division chief.
    2. Submit the completed certification to Sponsored Research via our NIH LRP Certification Submission e-Form.
  2. Applicant is responsible for application submission via the LRP online site, National Institutes of Health Loan Repayment Program (LRP). Applicant should choose Pamela Hawkins as Institutional Authorized Official using p-hawkins@northwestern.edu as the email address. (Do not use the Sponsored Research general email address.)
Questions about the Northwestern process? Contact Pamela Hawkins.

Additional Information and NIH Resources

Applicant Requirements

  • Be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or permanent resident of the U.S.
  • Have a doctoral degree
  • Conduct qualifying research
    • Applicant’s research must be supported by a domestic nonprofit foundation, university, professional association, or other nonprofit institution, or a U.S. government agency (federal, state, or local).
  • Certify at least 50% or more of their time to domestic nonprofit- or government-funded research
    • Applicant must engage in qualified research that represents 50 percent of their level of effort and consumes an average of at least 20 hours per week during each quarterly service period during the contract (2 years for the initial contract).
  • Have educational debt equaling at least 20% of their institutional base salary
    • Applicant must have total qualified educational debt equal to or in excess of 20 percent of their institutional base salary at the time of award, which will be between July and September annually.
  • Obtain a commitment of not less than two years of research appointment from the Northwestern University department chair, administrator, and authorized official

Awardee Expectations

If the NIH Loan Repayment Program application is approved, awardees will be expected to fulfill all program requirements by filing regular progress reports and certifying research effort.  Mentors and supervisors will be obliged to do the same.  These requirements will normally extend for the contract term. Any change in the awardee’s eligibility status must be reported internally, through the process outlined above, and with the appropriate LRP.

Quick Links to NIH Resources