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NIH Fellowship Activation & Termination

Purpose

This procedure guides NIH fellowship awardees, their faculty sponsors, and departmental administrators regarding the required processes for activating and terminating NIH fellowship awards. 

Applicability

Principal Investigators (PIs) and fellows awarded NIH fellowships must comply with all relevant NIH Grants Policy requirements, including:

Activation Instructions

Fellows will receive a Notice of Award (NOA), which specifies the latest allowable activation date.
F31

General Activation Requirements (F31 and similar NRSA fellowships)

  • Fellows must submit an Activation Notice for the first year of their fellowship.
    • This form documents the official start date and other required information.
    • It must contain original signatures and be submitted before any funds are expended.
    • No stipend or tuition may be disbursed until the fellow has entered on duty and NIH has received the completed form.

Subsequent years:
An activation Notice is not required unless the fellowship is at a foreign or federal site.

Additional Required Documentation

  • Payback Agreement
    A Payback Agreement is required for all postdoctoral fellows beginning their initial NRSA appointment. Must be submitted with the Activation Notice. 
  • Degree Certification:
    If the NOA includes a degree contingency, a certified statement from the degree-granting institution must be attached.

Submission Process (xTrain)

  1. Log in to eRA Commons > open xTrain.
  2. Locate the grant record and select Initiate TN.
  3. Route/assign the TN to the Business Official (BO): Robert Allen (Financial Services)
  4. Financial Services will review and submit the form to NIH.

Importance of the Termination Notice

The TN, along with the PHS 2271 Statement of Appointment, is used to:

  • Verify the trainee's total period of NRSA support
  • Determine payback obligation (if applicable)

The PI/PD is responsible for ensuring that a Termination Notice (PHS 416-7) is submitted within 30 days after the fellowship ends, even if the fellow is unavailable to sign.

If the PI is unavailable, the BO may verify and submit the form. Late or inaccurate TNs can negatively impact NRSA reporting and payback records.

Editing or Correcting Termination Notices

NIH may occasionally require corrections to a submitted Termination Notice.

  • The individual who currently has the TN in their xTrain queue may make edits
  • If the fellow does not see the TN in their queue, contact Financial Services.
  • If the BO does not see it, they must contact NIH or ask the fellow to recall the TN into their queue.

Additional Notes

OSP receives general closeout reminders; however;

  • xTrain processing, Termination Notices, and financial closeout are handled by Research Management & Compliance (RMC), including Grants and Contracts Accounting, and Financial Services.
  • For all questions related to xTrain or TN processing, contact:
    Robert Allen (Business Official, Financial Services)

Resources: 

Last Updated: 2/14/26