F99/K00 - Transition to Aging Research for Predoctoral Students
The NIA F99/K00 award (RFA-AG-23-016) supports graduate students in finishing their dissertation research on any topic, and continuing to a postdoctoral position conducting research on aging. The award has two phases: the F99 phase supporting predoctoral training, and the K00 phase supporting postdoctoral training. This award is open to PhD students studying in the United States who are U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or on a valid U.S. visa. View other NIA fellowships available to graduate students.
Diverse Dissertation Topics Encouraged
For the F99 predoctoral portion of this award, no focus on aging is required. NIA invites outstanding graduate students from a wide range of broad research areas who are interested in receiving aging-related postdoctoral training to apply for this award.
NEW: Resubmissions Allowed. Pursuant to a recent Notice of Correction (NOT-AG-23-041), resubmissions are now allowed for the F99/K00.
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NIA F99/K00 Transition to Aging Research Webinar
On August 17, 2023, OSEP's Jamie Lahvic hosted a webinar and live Q&A discussion on NIA's F99/K00 award. The webinar provided participants with an overview of the award, including eligibility and application requirements.
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F99/K00 at a Glance
- Eligibility: PhD students at the dissertation stage
- Maximum Award Duration: 2 years predoctoral, 4 years postdoctoral
- Next Due Date: October 20, 2023
- Stipend/Salary: $27,144 predoctoral, $60,542-$67,776 postdoctoral
- K00 Application: The K00 institution's Authorized Organizational Representative must email the application in PDF format to NIATraining@mail.nih.gov and copy the program official and the grants specialist on the award
- K00 Transition Deadline: K00 transition applications should be submitted 12-16 weeks before the desired K00 start date (details below)
- Questions? Contact NIATraining@mail.nih.gov
Important Dates
| Phase | Application or Resubmission Due Date | Initial Review Date | Council Review Date | Earliest Possible Award Start Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F99 | October 20, 2023 | March 2024 | May 2024 | July 2024 |
| K00 | 12-16 weeks before proposed start of postdoc (details below) | 60 days after receipt of application | N/A | Proposed by applicant |
Award Duration
- F99 Phase (predoctoral): Minimum of 1 year and up to 2 years
- K00 Phase (postdoctoral): Up to 4 years
There is no prescribed eligibility timeline for the F99 award, but applicants should require 1-2 years of additional predoctoral training before graduating with the PhD. At the time of application, Ph.D. students will typically be in the third or fourth year of their graduate program. Dual-degree students or others who will require clinical training between their PhD and postdoctoral research phases are not eligible to apply to this award.
All K00 awardees are guaranteed three years of postdoctoral research funding. To receive the fourth year of K00 support, awardees must apply for a career development award, such as the K99/R00, before the end of their third year of K00 support.
How to Apply
Find general information on applying to fellowships.
F99 instructions
Detailed application instructions specific to the F99/K00 can be found in the Request for Applications (RFA) especially in Section IV, Application and Submission Information. Importantly, most application components should address BOTH the F99 dissertation research phase, and the K00 postdoctoral research plans. Applicants are required to use at least one year of the F99 phase of the award.
Although it is not required to select a K00 (postdoctoral) mentor in the initial F99 application, proposing one with extensive research experience and mentoring history of junior scientists is desirable. For those applicants who do not propose a postdoctoral mentor, make sure to include a clear strategy and plan for identifying a K00 mentor. For additional F99/K00 application tips, see this NIA blog post.
Further application details can be found in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide. NIA intends to commit $450,000 in fiscal years 2023, 2024, and 2025 to fund 7-10 awards each year.
F99 Review
NIA F99 Transition to Aging applications are reviewed by an NIA Special Emphasis Panel.
K00 instructions
The K00 transition application should be submitted by the K00 institution, directly to your NIA program officer. Institutions must submit the application 12-16 weeks prior to the proposed activation date of the K00 award. Further instructions on the transition application are provided below.
F99/K00 Stipend and Funding Levels (2022-2025)
Yearly award budgets for the F99 phase are composed of stipend, tuition and fees, and institutional allowance (F99). In the K00 phase, the yearly award budget covers salary, research and career development support, and indirect costs. F99 stipends update every year according to NRSA predoctoral stipend levels.
| Year | Stipend | Maximum Tuition | Institutional Allowance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | $27,144 | $16,000 | $4,550 |
| Year 2 | $27,144 | $16,000 | $4,550 |
F99: Tuition and fees paid can be 60% of total institutional tuition, or the maximum listed here, whichever is less. Institutional Allowance may be used to cover expenses such as health insurance, research supplies, equipment, books, and travel to scientific meetings. The F99 institutional allowance is $4,550 yearly, plus a one-time additional allowance of $1,500 to cover travel to the proposed K00 institution to meet the postdoctoral mentor and discuss research strategy for the K00 portion of the award.
| Year | Salary | Research and Career Development Support | Indirect Costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | $60,542 | $5,000 | 8% |
| Year 2 | $62,195 | $5,000 | 8% |
| Year 3 | $63,903 | $5,000 | 8% |
| Year 4 | $67,776 | $5,000 | 8% |
K00: Research and career development support may cover coursework on aging, research expenses including supplies, equipment, and technical personnel, travel to aging-related meetings, and statistical services. The K00 provides $5,000 yearly in research and career development support.
The above stipends apply to individuals applying to the currently active F99/K00 notice of funding opportunity (NOFO). Current F99-holders preparing the budget section of the K00 transition application should refer to the F99/K00 funding announcement to which they originally applied and request the K00 salary amounts listed therein. Previous F99/K00 NOFOs and their due dates were: RFA-AG-20-009 (October 2019), RFA-AG-21-022 (October 2020), and RFA-AG-22-026 (February 2022).
Components of an Individual Fellowship Application
Each fellowship application requires many parts; you should begin preparing your application well before the deadline. Below find the major components of an application and their length limits:
| Application Component | Length Limit |
|---|---|
| Abstract | 30 lines of text |
| Project Narrative | 3 sentences |
| Applicant Biosketch* | 5 pages |
| Sponsor Biosketch | 5 pages |
| Applicant Background and Goals for Fellowship Training | 6 pages |
| Specific Aims | 1 page |
| Research Strategy | 6 pages |
| Sponsor Statement | 6 pages |
| Description of Institutional Environment and Commitment to Training | 2 pages |
| Certification Letter** | 1 page |
| 3-5 Reference Letters | 2 pages each |
*A Biosketch is a document containing a CV, personal statement, and description of past research experience. F99 applicants should include the Part D - Scholastic Performance section in their biosketch.
**Under “Other Attachments," applicants are required to attach a letter from their institution certifying the applicant is at the dissertation research stage of training. The letter must be on institutional letterhead, with a signature from an institutional official. For applicants in the U.S. on a valid temporary visa please also include assurance that the applicant can stay in U.S. to complete the F99 phase of the award.
Detailed instructions for each application part can be found in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide under the fellowship instructions. and in the F99/K00 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).
K00 Transition Application
In order to transition to the K00 phase, a postdoctoral position (or equivalent) must be offered and accepted. The K00 phase institution should submit an application on behalf of the candidate for the K00 award using Career Development (K) instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, as well as any instructions found in Section VI of the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). The K00 institution's Authorized Organizational Representative must email the application in PDF format to NIATraining@mail.nih.gov and copy the program official and the grants specialist on the award.
K00 Application Timing
Applications must be received at least 12 weeks prior to the proposed K00 activation date. Due to delays in processing at the end of the NIH fiscal year, K00 transition applications with proposed postdoctoral start dates between August 24 and September 30 must be received no later than June 1. This will ensure the transition to the K00 phase takes place without interruption in funding.
| Desired K00 Start Date | K00 Due Date |
|---|---|
| October 1 - August 23 | at least 12 weeks prior to K00 start date |
| August 24 - September 30 | By June 1 |
Application Contents
The K00 application must include:
- A new cover page signed by the K00 phase institutional representative;
- A Final Progress Report for the F99 phase;
- A final evaluation statement by the F99 primary sponsor;
- Updated Project Summary and Abstract, Project Narrative, Bibliography & References Cited, Facilities & Other Resources, and Equipment sections;
- Updated Biographical sketches;
- NEW 2023: A Data Management and Sharing Plan;
- Detailed budget pages for a non-modular budget (see below);
- Updated sections of the PHS Career Development Award Supplemental Form should include:
- An updated Candidate section;
- An updated Research Plan section: The Specific Aims should be updated to reflect current plans for the K00 phase and the updated Research Strategy should be described in less than 3 pages;
- A new Mentor, Co-Mentor, Consultant, Collaborators Section that also includes a plan for transitioning the candidate to the next stage of his/her career by the end of the project award period. The mentor should describe previous experience as a mentor, including type of mentoring (e.g., graduate students, career development awardees, postdoctoral students), number of persons mentored, and career outcomes. If the primary mentor has limited training experience, a co-mentor with a strong, successful track record as a mentor should be included;
- An updated Description of Institutional Environment;
- An Institutional Commitment to Candidate's Research Career Development: If the candidate is not a U.S. Citizen or permanent resident, the sponsoring institution must include information about the candidate’s visa status and an assurance that the candidate's visa provides sufficient time to complete the K00 phase of the award at a U.S. institution.
- Updated Other Research Plan Sections (as appropriate), including: Vertebrate Animals, Select Agent Research, Resource Sharing Plans, Authentication of Key Biological and/or Chemical Resources; Updated Biohazards
- Updated Protections for Human Subjects and Inclusion of Women, Minorities and Children (as appropriate).
K00 Budget
Please use the NIH "Research and Related" non-modular budget form. K00 budgets consist of salary and fringe benefits, tuition and fees, costs for data management and sharing, other program-related expenses, and indirect costs. Other costs are not allowed.
Budget amounts should reflect the NOFO to which the F99 candidate originally applied. Previous F99/K00 NOFOs and their due dates were: RFA-AG-20-009 (October 2019), RFA-AG-21-022 (October 2020), and RFA-AG-22-026 (February 2022).