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Admission to the mHealth Training Institute (mHTI) is highly competitive. Each year, up to 25 scholars are selected from a national and international applicant pool for an intensive, team-based training experience

2027 In-person Institute dates: June 20 - 24, 2027

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must hold a doctoral level degree (PhD, ScD, MD, DDS, DVM, etc.), or equivalent, in a field relevant to mobile and digital health, including:

  • Behavioral & Social Sciences
  • Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, and Other Health Sciences
  • Biological & Physical Sciences
  • Computer Science, Data Science, & Biostatistics
  • Engineering
  • Economics and related quantitative disciplines

Priority is given to academic investigators at the junior, mid-career, or senior level who seek to expand their mHealth research and develop rigorous, innovative, and high-impact programs of research.

U.S. citizenship or permanent residency is not required.

Scholar Commitment

Accepted scholars are expected to:

  • Participate fully in all virtual and in-person components of the Institute
  • Contribute actively to interdisciplinary team projects and capstone proposal development
  • Complete required program activities and evaluations

Applicants should review the current program schedule before applying and confirm that they can participate fully throughout the Institute..

Key Dates

  • Applications Open: October 19, 2026
  • Application Deadline: January 15, 2027 (11:59 PM ET)
  • Notification of Acceptance: March 9, 2027
  • Scholar Acceptance Deadline: March 19, 2027
  • In-Person Institute @ UCLA: June 20 - 24, 2027

Costs & Scholarships

There are no registration or tuition fees to participate in the mHTI.

The four-day in-person session at the UCLA Luskin Conference Center and Hotel is substantially supported by the mHTI to ensure broad access to the program. Scholars are responsible for arranging and paying for their travel to and from Los Angeles.

Additional information regarding lodging, program support, and any scholar cost-sharing arrangements for the 2027 Institute will be provided to accepted scholars.

Frequently Asked Questions - For Applicants

Navigation:

Deadline to submit applications: Friday, January 15, 2027 11:59 PM, Eastern Time

Notifications of acceptance will be sent by March 9, 2027.

Additional Information:

If you have any questions about the program that are not contained in our website, please email us your questions through our Contact page. Please understand that we are not in a position to individually respond to phone inquiries.

To be considered eligible, applicants will need to have a doctoral level degree (PhD, ScD, MD, DDS, DVM, etc.) or have the degree conferred by the start of the training (June 20, 2027). Examples of doctoral level degrees include those obtained in the following disciplines: Behavioral and Social Sciences; Health Sciences Specialties (including Medical, Dental, Nursing, Public Health, Optometry, Kinesiology, or other like fields); Biological, Physical or Earth sciences; Computational Sciences and Biostatistics; Engineering; and Economics. If you have a doctorate-level degree in a discipline that is not listed, you may still apply, but please indicate in your application how your field relates to mHealth.

All doctoral students should have obtained their degree before the start of training. Students not graduating this year are welcome to apply in future years!

Yes, you are welcome to apply! Please be sure to detail your interest in research even though you have a non-traditional setting.

Because the mHTI is funded by the NIH, its focus is on academic research advancement. Correspondingly, the training institute emphasizes the development of the next generation of academic mHealth researchers and translational scientists. Key outcome metrics of the mHTI are (a) the academic career narrative of mHTI graduates and (b) their success in obtaining extramural funding for their mHealth research. Absent these qualifiers, the enormous interest in the institute and sheer number of applicants for the 25 positions will quickly overwhelm the carefully calibrated, multi-reviewer process in place. Please note that NIH does have other brief trainings that are open regardless of the candidate’s degree.

Of course you can! We have a diverse group at the training and welcome your participation. We seek a balance of junior and senior mHealth researchers and welcome different backgrounds and perspectives. There are no age requirements for the mHealth Institute.

We are sorry, but due to the volume of applicants, providing individual feedback on applications is not possible.

Frequently Asked Questions - For Scholars

Program Structure & Recording

Yes. With IRB approval, team sessions at the mHTI will be recorded to support ongoing social network analyses and to serve as a testbed for exploring new ways to strengthen team science. By studying how transdisciplinary teams interact, communicate, and build trust, the mHTI aims to develop practical strategies that make collaboration across disciplines more effective and advance the broader science of team science.

Accommodation & Logistics

There are no registration or tuition fees to attend the mHTI.

The four-day in-person session at the UCLA Luskin Conference Center and Hotel is generously supported by the mHTI to encourage broad participation. In recognition of current funding challenges, and in support of your professional growth and future contributions, the mHTI cost-share requirement has been waived for all 2027 Scholars.

Family members are welcome to visit Los Angeles during your stay; however, the mHTI is unable to provide accommodations or funding for them. The in-person institute is designed as an immersive and intensive learning experience, so we encourage participants to fully engage with the program and limit outside commitments to make the most of their time at mHTI.

Yes. The mHTI is committed to supporting participants with young families. The UCLA Luskin Conference Center offers a dedicated lactation room for nursing mothers - a quiet, private, and comfortable space equipped with the necessary amenities to meet your needs throughout the program.

NIH funding covers lodging only for the official mHTI program dates. Scholars are responsible for arranging their own travel to and from Los Angeles. In recognition of current funding challenges, and in support of your professional growth and future contributions, the mHTI cost-share requirement has been waived for all 2027 Scholars.

To maximize your learning experience, we discourage attending external events during the mHTI. If a critical event related to your work emerges, exceptions may be made. Please consult with the program director prior to making any commitments.

We strive to make our programs accessible to everyone. Please inform us of any special accommodations you may require when you send in your acceptance.

Research & Team Formation

The four-day in-person program at the UCLA Luskin Conference Center kicks off with an evening welcome reception on Sunday, offering a chance for participants to meet one another and connect with faculty mentors. The following three days are devoted to immersive workshops, collaborative team sessions, and hands-on capstone project development. The institute concludes on Thursday with team capstone presentations, a celebratory graduation luncheon, and the awarding of certificates.

The virtual portion features a series of interactive webinars led by thought leaders in mHealth and team science. These sessions build a shared foundation of knowledge, concepts, and frameworks to prepare participants for the in-person program. Scholars will engage in guided webinars, structured team exercises, and planning discussions that strengthen collaboration and refine project ideas. Pre-institute capstone sessions, supported by faculty mentors, help teams develop and sharpen their research concepts while fostering strong interdisciplinary connections.

While mHTI does not currently offer formal continuing education units (CEUs), participants receive a certificate of completion that documents their engagement in an intensive, NIH-funded training experience. This certificate is highly regarded, reflecting the institute’s competitive selection process and its rigorous, evidence-based grounding in mHealth research and team science. Participants often include the certification in their professional portfolios or institutional development records.

mHTI brings together participants from across the United States, representing a broad range of fields such as behavioral science, computer science, engineering, clinical medicine, data science, health economics, and public health. The mix of geographic backgrounds and disciplinary expertise is central to the institute’s mission, fostering an energetic environment where scholars exchange ideas, build cross-cutting collaborations, and develop innovative approaches to advancing mHealth research.

By the conclusion of the program, participants will have collaborated within a multidisciplinary team to develop a draft capstone research proposal and receive detailed feedback from peers and mentors. Beyond the institute, many teams continue refining their projects, leading to publications, funded research, and lasting professional collaborations. Graduates of the mHTI have gone on to become leading researchers in mHealth across the country. The institute serves as a powerful career accelerator, helping scholars expand their research networks, strengthen their scientific leadership, and position themselves for success in the rapidly evolving field of mHealth.

Teams are formed based on participants' interests and expertise. While you may express preferences, final assignments are determined by program coordinators to ensure balanced and effective collaborations.

The mHTI is designed to foster the development of new mHealth projects, which may not directly align with your current research. Our primary goal is to equip you with the skills to contribute effectively to multidisciplinary projects, potentially expanding your research horizons.
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