For Intramural LRP Applicant: Reference Letters and Monitoring Submissions
For Intramural Applicants
As an intramural LRP applicant, in addition to filling out an application, you must also have colleagues/mentors submit reference letters in support of your application, and your IC coordinator must attest to certain certifications about you.
A minimum of three reference letters (7,500 character/2 page limit) is required for an LRP applicant, and no more than five will be accepted. For mentored research scientists, one of the reference letters must be from the mentor.
NOTE: In addition to submitting a reference letter, the mentor should also provide an NIH-formatted biosketch to the applicant, as the applicant must upload it to the application.
Read below for:
About Reference Letters
When you apply for an NIH Loan Repayment Program (LRP) award, you (the applicant) are required to have colleagues submit reference letters on your behalf. Persons who submit a reference letter on your behalf are referees. For intramural LRP applicants, one of the submitted reference letters must be from your mentor.
After you initiate an application with LRP, you receive an email titled "Welcome to the NIH Loan Repayment Programs" from the Division of Loan Repayment (DLR). This email contains instructions on filling out the Colleague Information section of the ASSIST LRP application. It also contains the link that you can send to NON-mentor referees to submit reference letters on your behalf. See Information You Should Send to Your Referees (not to Mentors).
Mentors only are specified on the Colleague Information section, and mentors only receive their own email from LRP describing reference letter submission. The email to mentors contains a different link, so do not send the referee link to your mentor.
IMPORTANT: Your referees and mentor should not use the "Submit a Reference Letter" link on the main eRA Commons home page; instead they should use these links:
Mentor link for reference letters: https://public.era.nih.gov/commonsplus/public/lrpreference/referenceLetter.era?mode=mentor
Referee (NON-mentor) link for reference letters: https://public.era.nih.gov/commonsplus/public/lrpreference/referenceLetter.era?mode=referee
LRP Intramural Applicant Reference Letter Requirements
Below are the mentor and referee requirements for intramural LRP applicants:
| Intramural LRP Program | Mentor Reference Letter | New/Renewal Award | Referee Reference Letters | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Min | Max | |||
| AIDS Research | New | Yes | 2 | 4 |
| Renewal | Yes | Not req. | Not req. | |
| Clinical Research for Individuals from Disadvantaged Backgrounds | New | Yes | 2 | 4 |
| Renewal | Yes | Not req. | Not req. | |
| General Research | New | Yes | 2 | 4 |
| Renewal | Yes | Not req. | Not req. | |
| General Research for ACGME (Non-competitive) | New | Not req. | Not req. | Not req. |
Information You Should Send to Your Referees (not to Mentors)
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Your NIH Commons ID
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The link where the NON-mentor referee can submit a letter: https://public.era.nih.gov/commonsplus/public/lrpreference/referenceLetter.era?mode=referee
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A deadline (date) by which the LRP application must be submitted. (Preferably, ask your referees to submit the letter at least a week before your submission deadline.)
Monitoring Submissions by Referees/IC Coordinator for Your Application
You can monitor submissions for your application on both the Personal Profile and Status Information screens of eRA Commons. In addition, you receive regular reminder emails from the LRP program if submissions that are required by your referees or IC Coordinator are not made in a timely manner.
See:
Monitoring Reference Letters Submission Through Personal Profile
Monitoring LRP Application Status and Submissions Through Status
