K07: NIA Academic Leadership Career Award
The NIA Academic Career Leadership award (PAR-21-106) is suitable for an established researcher who is a leader in their research field. The award allows the leader both time and some funds to build an area or subfield of research on aging, typically at a particular institution although the funding may also be used to build a research area through networked investigators or institutions.
In addition to paying 25% to 50% of the Academic Leader’s salary, the funds may be used to provide pilot funding for research by junior faculty, curriculum development in the area of aging, travel of junior faculty to other sites to learn techniques or to develop collaborations, funding for guest faculty to work with the junior faculty on particular research skills or for any additional activity that helps build the research area at the institution.
Application Procedures
It is strongly recommended that prospective applicants contact the NIA Training Officer early in the planning phase of application preparation to discuss research areas of interest and award provisions. Such contact will help ensure that applications are appropriate for assignment to the National Institute on Aging.
Applications submitted in response to this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for Federal assistance must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov using the SF424 Research and Related (R&R) forms and the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.
Find general information on applying to career development awards.
K07 Review
NIA K07 applications are reviewed by NIA Chartered Review Committee AGCD-4.
Salary and Research Development Support
The total salary requested must be based on a full-time, 12-month staff appointment. The K07 Leadership award requires the candidate to devote 3-6 person-months (25%-50% of full-time professional effort), a portion of which may include research. The remaining effort may be devoted to clinical, teaching, or other research pursuits and activities consistent with the objectives of the award. For information regarding NIH policy on determining full-time professional effort for career awards, see NOT-OD-04-056.
NIA provides up to $75,000 (plus fringe benefits) for salary support and at least $25,000 for activities to support expanding the area of research, with total direct costs of no more than $125,000. Salary expenses may include salary for a research coordinator. Research Development Support may be used for any of the following expenses: a) research expenses for junior faculty supported through pilot grants, b) statistical services including personnel and computer time, c) curriculum development expenses, d) statistical services for junior faculty, e) expenses incurred in bringing visiting faculty to campus or any other activities that advance the goals of the award directly. Indirect Costs will be reimbursed at eight percent (8%) of modified total direct costs.
Letters of Reference
Letters of Reference are not required.
Candidate Information
The section includes Candidate’s Background, Career Goals and Objectives, Career Development, Training Activities During Award Period, Training in the Responsible Conduct of Research and Mentoring Plan.
Candidate’s Background: Include descriptions of prior mentoring and leadership activities relevant to this award in addition to a narrative description of scientific contributions not described in the biographical sketch format page.
Career Development/Training Activities during Award period: Describe any courses, degrees, or other formal training that will be expected of, or available to faculty who are mentored through this award. If new courses are to be developed as part of a curriculum development strategy provide a synopsis of each course.
Training in the responsible conduct of research (RCR): Describe how NIH guidelines for Instruction in RCR training will be integrated into the career development activities of the proposed program. Include and document your prior instruction and participation in RCR.
Mentoring Plan: Describe the training and career development provided to junior faculty mentored during the award period.
Statement by Sponsors(s) Consultants(s) Collaborator(s) and Contributor(s): Include any letters from consultants and/or collaborators confirming their participation in the projects and describing their specific roles.
Environment and Institutional Commitment to Candidate's Research. This section includes the environment and institutional commitment to the project.
Description of Institutional Environment: If the award will also include a research coordinator then that individual is listed as key personnel in addition to the principal investigator. A research coordinator is an individual who contributes substantively to the academic leadership activities by organizing the activities of the program and providing advice to faculty on application procedures and potential sources of funding.
Institutional Commitment to Candidate's Research Career Development: Provide evidence of the institution’s commitment and support for the proposed application. There must be evidence of support for further enhancement of the academic area of interest to the NIA. The institution must agree to release you from teaching or administrative duties for the level of effort that will be assigned to this award.
Research Plan
Includes two sections: Specific aims and Research Strategy.
Specific aims: In one page state the goals of the award. Identify any anticipated changes in the state of teaching and research on aging that are likely to continue after the award ends.
Research Strategy:
Includes separate sections addressing significance, innovation and the approach used to accomplish the project. Preliminary studies are also detailed in the research strategy. incorporate the following information into these sections for the NIA K07 Leadership award:
For more information, see: NIH Career Award Kiosk
- Significance:
NIA will not accept an application for review unless it is clear that the proposed work is substantially different from any prior award to the same institution and does not seek to continue or expand it.
- Describe the current state of teaching and research on those aspects of aging proposed for development in the award. Describe the significance of the proposed activities in changing the state of aging research at the institution.
- Innovation:
- Describe any current or prior Academic Career Leadership Awards (K07) supported at the institution and describe how the proposed project adds to aging research at the institution beyond the activities supported by the prior award.
- Describe any innovative methods or content in planned curriculum development, or organization and selection of pilot grants or other planned activities.
- Approach:
- Describe the research and organizational plan to initiate or expand academic and research development in the area of interest to the NIA.
- Describe any internal pre-award review or post-award procedures to evaluate pilot grants, sponsored travel awards and other specific developmental activities.
- Describe plans for collaboration among departments and other steps taken to promote integrating curricula on aging and aging research in the fields being developed.