IRTAs are held under the Office of Intramural Training & Education (OITE), allowing summer interns, postbacs, graduate students, and postdocs to apply to the NIH. 

• If you are a summer intern or an individual who will be at the NIH for less than 6 months, you will be considered a "Short Term Employee" and will receive our short-term RLA badge. For more information on Summer Internships, please visit our Summer Internships page.
• If you have a fellowship appointment that is greater than 6 months (at all training levels), you will be subject to a background investigation. Please read our DPSAC Process Overview to understand how to receive your ID badge in a smooth and timely manner. You may receive a long-term PIV or RLA badge, as it will be contingent on your ability to successfully pass a full federal background check, which is required for logical and physical access to NIH facilities and systems. For more information, please take a look at the first step in getting your badge, "Administrative Sponsorship."​ 

Offer Letter Template

The IRTA manual chapter “template offer letter" has been updated with this language: https://policymanual.nih.gov/2300-320-7#c6abf559. (OITE Contact person: Jackie Newell-Hunt)​​

Offer letters for trainees (at all levels) have the following language:

As part of the clearance process, you will be asked: “In the last year, have you used, possessed, supplied, or manufactured illegal drugs?" This question pertains to the use of controlled substances or drugs as defined under federal law. Please be aware that while marijuana may be legal or decriminalized within your home jurisdiction, it remains illegal under U.S. federal law. The use, possession, supply, or manufacture of marijuana may preclude you from obtaining the necessary clearances to participate in NIH intramural training programs, even if you were initially offered a position. 

If you have questions about this policy or would like guidance on the clearance process, please reach out to oite-private@nih.gov (please put eligibility inquiry in the subject line).

Points of Contact

For information regarding IRTAs, please feel free to reach out to the following points of contact:​

Sharon Mi​lgram, PhD

Director, Office of Intramural Training and Education

milgrams@nih.gov

Jackie Newell-Hunt, MBA

Chief of Staff, Office of Intramural Training and Education

newellj@nih.g​ov​​​

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Back to Information for Fellows and Summer Interns​​