Policy for Non-Renewal of Non-FTE Trainees

General Information About Non-Renewals

There are two categories of non-renewals, fellows that are “timing out” at the end of their fellowship or fellows that are not being renewed for other reasons.

There is no obligation to extend a fellow for the maximum duration of their program, but you must notify them in advance that they will not be renewed so that they can make alternate plans to transfer to another research group or find a position outside of NIH.

The decision not to renew a fellow may be based on "fit" within your group, their work ethic and/or ability to contribute, or for other reasons. PIs should make every effort to counsel fellows and to offer resources to support success in the group prior to resorting to issuing a letter of non-renewal. While financial considerations may be a factor, efforts should be made to support current fellows through the duration of their program. We encourage you to consult your branch chief, training office staff, other IC leadership, or appropriate OITE staff prior to issuing a letter of non-renewal.

General Policies Regarding Notices of Non-Renewal

The following policies must be followed when issuing a notice of non-renewal letter:

• You must use template language provided by OITE.
• There are strict requirements regarding the timing of non-renewal letters. Postbacs must be notified 3 months in advance while predoc and postdoc fellows must be notified at least 6 months in advance.

For more information and template letters, please see the OITE intranet at https://www.training.nih.gov/intranet/intramural-training-policies/non-renewals/ [NIH Only].