Deadline: September 26, 2025
The AIM-AHEAD & NCATS Health Data Science Training Program has opened applications for its 2025–2026 training cycle, inviting professionals to build skills at the intersection of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and healthcare using real-world clinical data.
The focus of the program is reflected in its stated objectives and guiding priorities: To describe foundational and core concepts and terminology related to health data science, such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, real-world data, infrastructure, translational science, and good algorithmic practices. To use artificial intelligence and machine learning approaches to analyze real-world health data, including creating testable research hypotheses, defining concept sets, identifying appropriate patient cohorts, building AI/ML models, testing robustness, and appropriately interpreting results. To describe and demonstrate effective interprofessional team science skills, including defining professional roles, crafting a multidisciplinary project proposal, collaborative project management, effective interprofessional communication, and presenting results to multidisciplinary audiences. North Star 1: Develop a representative AI/ML workforce with broad participation. North Star 2: Increase knowledge, awareness and national-scale community engagement and empowerment in AI/ML. North Star 3: Use AI/ML to improve behavioral health, cardiometabolic health and cancer outcomes for all. North Star 4: Build community capacity and infrastructure in AI/ML to address community-centric health challenges.
This intensive eight-month online training will begin with an orientation in November 2025, followed by a structured curriculum progressing through foundations, three stages of health data analysis, and a final presentation phase. Trainees will gain hands-on experience with the NCATS National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C) Data Enclave, a secure platform containing data from over 22.9 million individuals. Successful participants will not only acquire advanced technical skills but also develop professional competencies in team-based science and communication of results to multidisciplinary audiences.
Each trainee will be paired with a career mentor from the AIM-AHEAD community for personalized guidance. In addition, project teams will have access to clinical advisors who will provide critical insight on variables and data interpretation. Graduates of the program will retain continued access to AIM-AHEAD Connect and N3C resources after completion, supporting their long-term career trajectory in health data science.
Applicants must commit 8–10 hours per week and are expected to fully engage in coursework, mentorship, assignments, and program activities, including presenting research at the AIM-AHEAD 2026 Annual Meeting. Stipend support includes $8,000 for program completion and $2,000 toward meeting participation.
Eligibility is limited to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and non-citizen nationals residing in the United States during the program period. Institutions applying on behalf of candidates must be U.S.-based higher education institutions, nonprofits, businesses, or government organizations. Applicants on temporary visas are not eligible, nor are current or former participants of AIM-AHEAD training programs.
The deadline for application submissions is September 26, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Notification of awards will be announced on November 10, and the program will officially begin on November 17, 2025.
For more information, visit AIM-AHEAD.
