Become a Beeson Scholar: Apply for NIA’s premier career development award
Are you an up-and-coming leader in aging research? If so, it’s time to apply for a Paul B. Beeson Emerging Leaders Career Development Award in Aging (K76). Through these awards, NIA supports early-stage clinician-investigators who have begun to establish research programs and demonstrate leadership in the field of aging science. Unlike other mentored K awards, Beeson Scholar candidates must have received competitively awarded research support at the faculty level or have otherwise leveraged faculty-level support to develop an independent line of research.
Early-stage clinician-investigators with a commitment to aging and aging-related science are invited to apply to become a Beeson Scholar to advance skills in their specialty and in the broader field of aging or geriatrics. Successful applicants receive up to $225,000 in annual direct costs for five years. Since 2016, NIA has awarded 57 Beeson awards.
The award was named in honor of Paul B. Beeson, a luminary in medical education and research. It evolved from the Beeson Career Development Program, established in 1994 by a group of foundations and nonprofit organizations, including the American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR). AFAR hosts the annual Beeson Scholars meeting, an invaluable forum for scientific and professional networking opportunities for current Beeson awardees, alumni, and mentors.
A new resource for Beeson applicants
The next deadline for Beeson applications is Oct. 21, 2022. Applicants for the upcoming and future deadlines can explore the NIA K76 Beeson website. This features information on eligibility, examples of leadership activities for successful applications, more details on the Beeson Annual Meeting, and a list of currently funded K76 awards.
Beeson budget tips
Applicants may find the following budget tips helpful as they prepare their applications:
- Salary escalations are not allowed. Like other K awards, the Beeson K76 does not allow salary escalations. In other words, the proposed salary may not increase from year to year, particularly in the absence of an increase in percent effort. Annual cost of living increases (typically 3%) are not covered and will be removed from salary budgets.
- A detailed budget justification is required. The budget justification should provide a detailed description for specific research costs. Modular budgets are not allowed.
- Research costs within $225,000 direct cost cap. There is no cap on the research costs budget category as long as the request fits within the total direct cost cap of $225,000 and is appropriately justified for research needs.
- Indirect costs covered at 8% rate. As with all NIH training and career development programs, facilities and administrative (indirect) costs are provided at a rate of 8% of modified total direct costs.
We are here to help
For questions on policy and eligibility regarding the K76 Beeson award, or to be connected with an NIA program official with expertise in your research field, contact NIATraining@mail.nih.gov. For information on issues involving budget and other fiscal matters, contact jessi.perez@nih.gov. The NIA Training and Career Development team is happy to answer your questions about the K76 and the full range of NIA training and career development awards.
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