Title:
NCI Transition Career Development Award for Underrepresented Scientists (K22) (Reissued PA)

Contact:

Belinda Locke, M.S.
Comprehensive Minority Biomedical Branch
Office of Centers, Training, and Resources
ODDES, NCI
Telephone: (301) 496-7344
E-mail: mp372j@nih.gov

Objective:

The objective of this initiative is to increase the representation of underrepresented scientists engaged in basic, clinical, prevention, and/or population sciences cancer research. The NCI Transition Career Development Award for Underrepresented Scientists (K22), provides a unique pathway for recruiting and retaining advanced postdoctoral students and new investigators, who can conduct independent competitive cancer programs, from groups that are underrepresented in biomedical research into investigative fields that address problems pertinent to the biology, etiology, pathogenesis, prevention, diagnosis, control, and treatment of human cancer. For the purposes of this award, underrepresented scientists are defined as individuals who hold research and/or health professional doctoral degrees (or their equivalent) that are suitable preparation for productive research careers and who belong to particular ethnic, racial, and other groups (e.g., first generation college students/graduates, socio-economically disadvantaged persons) determined by the grantee institution to be underrepresented in biomedical, behavioral, clinical, or social sciences.

Description:

This award will provide “protected time” for underrepresented scientists to develop and receive support for their initial cancer research program, thereby enhancing the likelihood of their success as competitive independent investigators. Candidates for this award must be advanced postdoctoral and/or newly independent investigators who have been in an independent position for less than 2 years at the time of application. Individuals may apply without a sponsoring institution while they are still in a mentored position. Each application must include fundamentally sound research approaches that address a research question of scientific merit that is relevant to the candidate’s cancer research career objectives. The candidate must have the potential to develop, establish, and manage an independent research program. Recipients of this award must submit a competitive research grant application to the NIH/NCI, or an R01 equivalent grant application to an equivalent funding organization (e.g.,. the American Cancer Society Research Project Grant) for peer review and funding consideration prior to the end of the second year of support.