Useful Links

Survival Guide

Campus Maps

International Fellows

Groups

IRTA Taxes

Health Insurance

Institutes

Hispanic Group

Representatives

Survival Guide

This page contains information intended to help orient fellows at NIH to the various information resources and available at NIH. We hope to point fellows to specific pages that we considered helpful to fellows before and after their arrival at NIH. Unfortunately this page was created by someone who was already at NIH for over a year, therefore your help with the content of this page is appreciated. If you think some important information is missing, please let us know via e-mail to our webmaster.

NIH Fellows Handbook

The entire handbook is provided through http://www.training.nih.gov/handbook/. Within it you will find the following reference material useful:

• Acronyms - A list of the more common acronyms you will come across many times during your tenure. We have also compiled a complementary list of acronyms not found in the handbook.
• Employee Assistance Program - Counselors are available to help you resolve personal problems that may interfere with your job.
• Holidays - A generic listing of Federal holidays.
• Resources - A list and description of Research Services available at NIH.
• Visual Art Services - The mandatory NIH source for obtaining visual art services: information about The Medical Arts and Photography Branch (MAPB).
• Taxes - A guide to Taxes, Social Security And Medicare Deductions.

Also in the handbook are links to housing, daycare, special interest groups, parking, etc.

Other sites not listed in the handbook but that may be useful:

• Calendar of events - the official weekly listing of seminars, lectures, and meetings at NIH and events of other selected professional organizations. It is issued each Friday.
• Domestic Per Diem Rates - Find out how much per diem you are allowed while travelling. For some locations, you can get a list of hotels that meet the per diem limitation.
• Intramural Research Sourcebook - Information about and guidelines for intramural research.
• H1b visa policy - Revised NIH Policy on Use of H-1B Visas.
• FAES Home Page - Foundation for Advanced Education in the Sciences, for fellowships, graduate classes, health insurance, etc.
• www.nihfcu.org - The NIH Federal Credit Union was created in 1940 by a small group of NIH employees as a not-for-profit financial cooperative that is democratically owned and operated by the members. It is a full service financial institution dedicated to serving the NIH community, generally offering better rates on savings and loans, with lower fees than banks. Once you join the credit union, you can remain a member for life, even if you change jobs or move away.

Information that is specific to off-campus sites is also available:

• http://www.niehs.nih.gov/nta/orient/handbook.html - NIEHS Trainees and Visiting Scientist Orientation Handbook, Research Triangle Park, NC.
• http://www.niehs.nih.gov/nta/ - NIEHS Trainees Assembly, Research Triangle Park, NC.
• Coming soon - NIA Fellows Handbook, Baltimore, MD.

Please contact us if you have other information relevant to off-campus fellows

Information for Fellows planning to travel to NIH

Before coming to NIH, you should put some effort into finding a place to live, a daycare or school for your child(ren), and setting up the services for your new home (electricity, gas, water, etc). Since many of these services will require a downpayment it is best to prepare in advance. The Fellows Handbook as well as the lab chief and/or lead secretarial staff of the lab you will be working in are useful resources to help you establish your home. Further, many fellows qualify to obtain help (financial advice, credit card, loan, etc.) from a financial institution (such as the NIH Federal Credit Union, see above). A typical breakdown for your first month's budget, including mandatory deposits for services, will soon be available for the Bethesda area as well as for the Baltimore area.

International fellows should also log in to the Federal Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and search for publication 519, US Tax Guide for Aliens. In this publication you should try to decide how you will be filing your income taxes in the USA and find out what documentation you may need from your home country. It would be useful to ask a secretary in your new lab to find out which income tax slips you will be offered at the end of the year (form 1042S versus W2). You may also need to look up any Income Tax Treaties that may exist for your country. Be cautious with the wording of the treaties as some do not allow tax discounts if you work for a government institution (neither educational nor non-profit).

More information may be found on our Information for international fellows page.