The program provides support for the trainees, who are appointed for the last two years of their undergraduate education, typically called the junior and senior years, to enable them to be fully engaged in the training experience.The program also provides support to enable the institution to improve its educational and research outcomes by strengthening the mental health-related science curriculum.The proposed research training program should provide NIMH COR students with unique research training experiences designed to improve their qualifications for entry into and completion of a graduate research training program that leads to a Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. in research relevant to the NIMH mission.

Undergraduate curricula typically preparatory for graduate research training in relevant areas of study include, but are not limited to, biology, psychology, neurobiology, neuroscience, psychobiology, experimental psychology, cognitive science, social work, sociology, epidemiology, and genetics, as well as quantitative disciplines such as mathematics, physics, chemistry, engineering, statistics, and computer sciences.More importantly, a strong foundation in scientific research methods, critical thinking, and writing are necessary to prepare students for the rigor of graduate research training. Therefore, NIMH COR programs must offer curricula to introduce trainees to critical analysis and experimental design and statistical methodology used in basic and/or clinical mental health research.

The program should be viewed as a four- or five-year institutional training activity even though financial support to individual trainees is limited to 24 months or the final two undergraduate years. The grant offsets the cost of stipends and tuition support (which includes fees) for the appointed trainees in accordance with the approved NIH support levels.