Research Career Development Awards

Research Career Development Awards are available to individuals at a variety of career stages post-terminal degree who wish to become independent investigators.

DMS Plan Update - Individual Career Development Applications submitted for due dates after January 25, 2023, must include a Data Management and Sharing (DMS) Plan. This plan, typically around two pages long, should describe how scientific data generated under the proposed aims would be managed and shared. Learn more about DMS plans.

Mechanisms for Postdoctoral Fellows
Number	Title	Eligibility	Description
K18	HEAL Initiative: Translational Science Career Enhancement Awards	Doctoral degree	Supports translational science experience for researchers to develop new knowledge and skills in novel, non-addictive pain therapies
K22	NIA Career Transition Award	2-8 years postdoc experience	A postdoctoral award that provides funding for the first years of a junior faculty research program.
K99/R00	NIH Pathway to Independence Awards	Up to 4 years of experience; no citizenship requirement	An early career mechanism for postdoctoral fellows and others with similar standing to facilitate career advancement.
K25	Mentored Qualitative Research Career Development Awards	Advanced quantitative or engineering degree	An award for scientists trained in quantitative disciplines who wish to develop their careers in biomedical research.
REDI K01	Mentored Entrepreneurial Career Development Award	Research or health professional doctoral degree, early stage investigator	Support transition to research independence in a multitude of career options, including research and teaching faculty as well as entrepreneurial, industry, science policy, and research administration positions.

Are you a postdoc wondering which K mechanism is right to take you into a faculty position? Explore the links above and check out this comparison of the most common K award choices for postdocs - the K99, K22, and K01.

Mechanisms for Junior Faculty
Number	Title	Eligibility	Description
K01	Mentored Research Scientist Development Awards	Doctoral degree, faculty or equivalent position	An early or mid-career award for individuals with some prior postdoctoral research experience.
K08	Mentored Clinical Scientist Development Awards	Clinical doctoral degree	An award for junior clinicians with little-to-moderate research training who wish to become independent clinician-scientists.
K18	HEAL Initiative: Translational Science Career Enhancement Awards	Doctoral degree	Supports translational science experience for researchers to develop new knowledge and skills in novel, non-addictive pain therapies
K23	Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Awards	Clinical doctoral degree	An award for junior clinicians with little-to-moderate research training who wish to become independent clinician-scientists trained in patient-oriented research.
K25	Mentored Quantitative Research Career Development Awards	Advanced quantitative or engineering degree	An award for scientists trained in quantitative disciplines who wish to develop their careers in biomedical research.
K43	Emerging Global Leader Award	Doctorate, or master’s degree with research thesis	An award for early career scientists holding a junior faculty position at a low- or middle-income country (LMIC) institution.
K76	Paul B. Beeson Emerging Leaders Career Development Award in Aging	Clinical doctorate; ESI status; already achieved independent funding	An award for early-stage investigators who have begun to establish research programs and who, through this award, will be ready to assume leadership roles in their field of expertise.

Note: NIA has specific guidance on the K01 and K23 awards. Click on the 'Title' of each mechanism for details. Salary Caps and Allowable Expenses on NIA Career Awards.

Eligibility for mentored career awards: You are ineligible for the above, mentored career development awards if you have received major independent NIH research funding such as the R01, P01, or P50. If you have already received an R01 or similar, please consider the mechanisms for academic faculty, below. Except for the Beeson K76, you are also ineligible for the above mentored career development awards if you have already received a mentored K award, with the exception of institutional awards such as the K12 or KL2.

Mechanisms for Academic Faculty
Number	Title	Eligibility	Description
K02	Independent Scientist Awards	Researcher who holds independent research funding	An early-to-midcareer award for individuals with prior research grant funding who seek to become leaders in their research fields. See NIH Career Award Kiosk.
K07	Academic Career Awards	Established researcher who holds independent funding	An infrastructure-building award for established senior research leaders who wish to build aging research or an aspect of aging research at their institutions. NIA does not support Developmental K07 Award. See NIH Career Award Kiosk.
K24	Midcareer Investigator Awards in Patient-Oriented Research	Associate professor or equivalent rank with clinical doctorate	An award for midcareer clinician-scientists who wish to devote more time to patient-oriented research and mentor junior clinicians in patient-oriented research. See NIH Career Award Kiosk.

Questions?

If you have questions, please contact NIATraining@mail.nih.gov. If you would like feedback on whether your research area is appropriate for the NIA, please include a one-page summary of your Specific Aims.

How to Apply

There are three options available to submit your application to NIH:

NIH ASSIST: Use NIH ASSIST to prepare and submit your application, and track its progress through the review process after submission.
Grants.gov: Use Grants.gov to prepare and submit your application. (Perform an “Opportunity Number” search using the fellowship’s NOFO, or follow the Grants.gov link found in the fellowship’s NOFO.) Then, use eRA Commons to track your application’s progress through the review system.
System-to-System: Your institution may have a system-to-system (S2S) solution to prepare and submit your application. Check with your institutional officials regarding availability. Then, use eRA Commons to track your application’s progress through the review process.

Which Submission Option is Right for Me?

To choose the submission method that is best for you, consult with your institution’s grant office or read more information from the NIH Office of Extramural Research. Detailed application instructions can be found in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for each award, and in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guides for career development.

Important Dates
Cycle	New Application Due Date	Resubmission Due Date	Initial Review	Council Review	Earliest Start Date
1	February 12	March 12	June/July	August/October	September/December
2	June 12	July 12	October/November	January	April
3	October 12	November 12	February/March	May	July

Most K awards have three due dates per year. The Beeson K76 has one due date per year in the fall.

Components of a Career Development Application
Application Component	Length Limit
Abstract	30 lines of text
Project Narrative	3 sentences
Applicant Biosketch	5 pages
Mentor Biosketch	5 pages
Budget Justification	no limit
Candidate Information and Goals for Career Development and Research Strategy	12 pages for combined sections
Specific Aims	1 page
Plans and Statements of Mentor and Co-mentor(s)	6 pages
Letters of Support from Collaborators, Contributors, and Consultants	6 pages
Institutional Environment	1 page
Institutional Commitment to Candidate Career Development*	1 page
Data Management and Sharing Plan	no limit, approximately 2 pages
3 Reference Letters**	2 pages each

*This letter typically comes from a department Chair.

*Reference letter writers should be separate from co-mentors, collaborators, or advisors. A letter from your predoctoral thesis advisor is not required. For faculty level awards, a letter from your postdoctoral mentor is likewise not required.

Detailed instructions for each application part can be found in the Career Development instructions of the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide.

What Are My Chances of Succeeding?

Find success rates at Success Rates on NIH's RePORT.

What is the ORCID ID Requirement?

As described in this notice, all applicants for career development awards are required to have an ORCID ID, which is a unique digital identifier for an individual researcher. Registration for an ORCID ID takes only a few minutes.

Resubmission

Revising and resubmitting an unfunded application is highly encouraged, and can result in a higher chance of receiving funding. Find tips on resubmission. However, you cannot have two applications active under the same Notice of Funding Opportunity. If you wish to resubmit an application, you will need to wait to receive a summary statement from the original submission.

Other Submission Resources

Continuity and Retention Supplements for Critical Life Events

Recipients of mentored K awards are eligible to apply for an Administrative Supplement to Promote Research Continuity and Retention (NOT-OD-23-031). For awardees who have experienced a critical life event, including for instance childbirth, serious illness, or primary caregiving responsibilities, this supplement can provide up to $70,000 in additional funding to support the awardee's research and career development. Read more about the continuity and retention supplements.