FRI Researcher Receives Loan Repayment Award A Second Time

FRI is pleased to announce that Michael S. Gordon, D.P.A., a Research Scientist at the Social Research Center, has received an award from the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) Loan Repayment Program. This is the second time that Dr. Gordon has received this award. In exchange for a one-year commitment to a research career with FRI, NIH will repay up to $35,000 per year of Dr. Gordon’s qualified repayable educational debt, pay an additional 39% of the repayments to cover his Federal taxes, and may reimburse state taxes that result from these payments. Dr. Gordon’s award is funded through NIH’s Clinical Loan Repayment Program. The purpose of this repayment program is to attract health professionals to careers in clinical research.

To qualify for the Loan Repayment Program, the candidate must be a U.S. citizen and have a doctoral degree from an accredited institution. In addition, s/he must conduct clinical research funded by a domestic nonprofit or U.S. Government entity.

In evaluating the applications, peer review groups comprised of non-NIH scientists are asked to consider the following criteria:

  • Appropriateness of the applicant’s previous training and experience as preparation for a career in clinical research;
  • Suitability of the applicant’s proposed clinical research activities in the two-year period to foster a career in clinical research;
  • Assessment of the applicant’s commitment to a research career as reflected by a personal statement of long-term career goals and the plan outlined to achieve those goals;
  • Strength of recommendations attesting to the applicant’s potential for a clinical research career;
  • Availability of appropriate scientific colleagues to achieve and/or enhance the applicant’s research independence; and
  • Quality and appropriateness of institutional resources and facilities.

FRI would like to congratulate Dr. Gordon for receiving this award a second time. Not only is this a great honor for him but this award will help him continue to pay off loans accumulated during his doctoral education.