| Advises you on research
training, career
awards, fellowships,
and research
supplements.
This is the print-friendly version. We update it monthly. For the most current information, read the Tutorial for Training and Career Awards, Fellowships, and Supplements. You can also visit our other All About Grants Tutorials.
Table of Contents
- What Are
Training and Career Development Grants?
- Predoctoral
Grants Support Minority and Disabled Students
- Early-Stage
Postdoctoral Grants Fit Different Interests
- Midcareer
Grants Target More Experienced Investigators
- For Some Grants,
You'll Owe Work Time
- Before Applying,
Choose a Good Sponsor
- Applying
for a Grant
- Review
Your Application for Required Elements
- Submit
Your Application
- Fellowships
- Applying
for a Fellowship
- Writing
a Fellowship Application
- Promote
Your Research Plan
- Advice
for Predoctoral Fellowship Candidates
- Submitting Your Fellowship Forms, Contacting NIAID
- Career Development
Awards
- Understanding
Award Specifics
- Applying
for a Career Development Award
- Advice for Applicants
- Writing
a Career Development Award Application
- Contact
NIAID With Questions on Career Development Awards
- Research Supplements
- What
Do Research Supplements Pay For?
- Applying
for a Research Supplement
- Institutional
Research Training Grants
- Qualifying
for a Training Grant
- Applying
for a Training
Grant
- Writing
a Training Grant Application
- Submitting Your Training Grant Forms, Contacting NIAID
What Are
Training and Career Development Grants?
NIAID funds training and career awards to develop and support the next generation of biomedical researchers -- people just entering graduate school, finishing their doctorates, or coming in from other fields.
These awards enable promising scientists
to gain education and experience. We award some grants to
people, while others go to specific projects or educational institutions.
NIAID supports four types of training and career grants. Except for the K99/R00, all require either U.S. citizenship or permanent residency status (Alien Registration Receipt Card, Form I-551). People on temporary or student visas are not eligible.
Which Grant is Right for You?
NIAID will not accept K-series applications proposing to conduct new,
independent clinical trials. For more information, read the March 28, 2008, Guide notice.
NIAID funds grants for different career stages and types of research. We support awards for basic, clinical, and patient-oriented investigation, as well as awards for special populations at various career stages. To meet urgent national security needs, we offer training and career development opportunities in biodefense and emerging infectious diseases.
For help in sorting out award options, see Support by Career Stage -- Ph.D. Track and Support by Career Stage -- M.D. Track. Also read our advice for predoctoral
students, early-stage
postdocs, and midcareer
researchers.
Additional Resources
Predoctoral
Grants Support Minority and Disabled Students
If
you're a predoctoral student who is a member of an underrepresented
group, your academic institution can
nominate you for a fellowship that
provides up to five years of support for biomedical, behavioral
sciences, or health services research.
Some NIH institutes
support other predoctoral grants.
For more information, see NIH's NRSA
site.
Additional Resources
Early-Stage
Postdoctoral Grants Fit Different Interests
If you recently earned a doctoral degree and are beginning your career as a junior researcher or faculty member, you qualify for several types of research support. Choose the award type that matches your area of interest.
- To obtain training, apply for an NRSA
Postdoctoral Fellowship (F32).
- If you have independent funding, such as an R01 grant, apply for an Independent Scientist Award (K02).
- If your background is in quantitative science and engineering and
you want to integrate this expertise with biomedicine, apply for
a Mentored
Quantitative Research Development Award (K25). To qualify,
you'll need experience at the junior-faculty level, such as early-
to mid-level assistant professor or research assistant professor.
- To work in a clinical field, apply for a Mentored Clinical Scientist Development Award (K08). However, if you have a significant publication history, reviewers may consider you overqualified for a K08.
- To pursue an assistant professorship, apply for a Research Scholar Development Award (K22). You should have three or more years of postdoctoral experience.
- To conduct patient-oriented research, apply for a Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award (K23). You'll need a Ph.D. or clinical degree and just-completed specialty or subspecialty training.
Additional Resources
Midcareer
Grants Target More Experienced Investigators
If you're an established researcher, select an award type that supports your career goals.
- To broaden your background or change scientific careers, apply for an Individual Senior Fellowship (F33). You'll need at least seven years of postdoctoral research experience to qualify.
- To conduct patient-oriented research, apply for a Midcareer Investigator Award in Patient-Oriented Research (K24). You should be within 15 years of completing clinical training and will be expected to mentor junior researchers.
- If you oversee a research training program at a domestic, non-profit, private,
or public educational institution, apply for an Institutional Research Training Grant (T32) for
your program.
- To provide short-term research training for students in health
professional schools, apply for a Short-Term Institutional Research Training Grant (T35).
Additional Resources
For Some Grants,
You'll Owe Work Time
Postdoctorate trainees on T32 grants and postdoctorate fellows (F series) must repay the government for their grant support. This isn't like paying off a loan; your debt is one of time and effort, not money. You can pay it off by continuing to work on the project for which you were funded.
During the first year of your appointment, you'll owe one month of payback for every month you're supported by NIH funds. After the first year, you can start paying back. For every month you continue to work -- even with funding -- you pay back one month of your debt. If your training lasts two years, your obligation will be paid in full.
If You Can't Pay Back With Work
If your project loses funding after the first year, you can complete your payback through continued research or teaching on at least a half-time basis (20 hours per week). Unless there are serious extenuating circumstances, you must complete the payback within two years after termination of support. If you fail to repay your obligation within two years, you'll owe the government the full amount of your grant, plus interest. If you don't perform the research or teaching necessary for payback, make sure you'll have the money to reimburse the government for your grant.
Your Payback Agreement
For information on submitting your payback agreement, see Submitting Your Fellowship Forms, Contacting NIAID and Submitting Your Training Grant Forms, Contacting NIAID.
Additional Resources
Before you apply for an NIAID fellowship or mentored career development award, select an established scientist to act as your sponsor throughout the project. For some projects, you may need two sponsors; check the program announcement for details.
Put time and effort into finding a good sponsor, and make sure you can work effectively together. In evaluating your application, peer reviewers will assess the quality of your sponsor, as well as your CV and research program. After award, you'll need NIAID's approval before you can switch your grant to another lab.
What Should You Look for in a Sponsor?
Your sponsor should be an active investigator, with independent funding in your field of interest. Someone who's no longer doing original research won't score highly with reviewers. Similarly, your application could suffer if your sponsor's expertise doesn't complement your area of investigation.
Peer reviewers will expect your sponsor to offer a solid research and mentoring record, with past trainees who've progressed to significant scientific careers. Although you'll want an experienced sponsor with proven accomplishments, be aware that eminent, established researchers are often away from the lab (and reviewers will know that). Select a mentor who will be available to answer questions and guide you in your research.
Don't underestimate the importance of personal chemistry. Like guidance counselors or college advisors, sponsors should use the benefit of their experience to guide you through unfamiliar situations. If the person you've chosen is aloof or unsympathetic or if you just don't mesh well, you won't derive full benefits from your award. Meet your prospective sponsor and trust your instincts. Historically, this issue has affected some postdocs on individual NRSA fellowships (F32s).
Additional Resources
Applying
for a Grant
Though this site presents crucial information about research awards, read the program announcement (PA) in depth before applying. PAs spell out requirements in greater detail than we provide. Many applications fail to obtain funding because investigators haven't complied with PA instructions.
To apply for a fellowship,
complete a PHS
416-1 fellowship application form. For a training or career
development grant,
prepare a PHS
398, the Public Health Service's grant application form.
You
can download the PHS 398 electronically or request a printed version
from:
Division of Extramural Outreach and Information Resources
National Institutes of Health
6701 Rockledge Drive, MSC 7910
Bethesda, MD 20892-7910
Phone: 301-435-0714
Fax: 301-480-0525
Email: grantsinfo@nih.gov
For assistance and tips on applying, see NIH
Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal. For advice on a particular award type, see our sections on fellowships, career development awards, research supplements, and institutional research training grants.
Review
Your Application for Required Elements
Before
sending us your application for
a training grant, career development award, or research supplement,
make sure you've included the following. (If you're applying for
a fellowship, see Writing
a Fellowship Application.)
- Front page of PHS 398.
- Budget page from PHS 398 for the first 12 months.
- Budget page for entire proposed period of support.
- Biosketch (as
in an R01) -- Four pages is standard, though you may submit fewer. Regardless of length, biosketch must contain all three sections:
- A. Position and Honors
- B. Chronological List of Selected Peer-reviewed Publications (including in-press publications)
- C. Research Support (during the last three years, both ongoing and completed).
- Investigators sometimes omit section C. because they confuse it with the Other Support document, which they know they don't have to provide until later.
- Section C. is important because it helps reviewers assess an applicant's experience in the proposed area of research.
- It also enables them to determine whether the research is a continuation of past lines of inquiry or a new area -- the reason for including completed and current grants.
- Candidate's biosketch.
- Two- to four-page project description. For high school students and undergrads, two pages will suffice, but we require additional project details for graduate students and postdocs.
- One-page statement of the candidate's career goals.
- For reentry candidates, a one-page explanation of why the reentry supplement is needed.
- For students, a copy of their most recent transcript.
Key Points to Keep in Mind
Be sure to remember these important items.
Submit
Your Application
Have
your institutional
business official sign a typewritten original
of your application,
including the checklist.
Your signature is not required; however, you should have a signature
assurance on file with your institution.
Send the original and five photocopies in one
package to:
Center for Scientific Review
National Institutes of Health
6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 1040, MSC 7710
Bethesda, MD 20892-7710 (Use this ZIP code for the U.S. Postal Service, including express mail.)
Bethesda, MD 20817 (Use this ZIP code for commercial carriers such as FedEx and UPS.)
Fellowship applicants, see Writing
a Fellowship Application for information on submitting your PHS
416-1.
Additional Resources
Fellowships
Fellowships are grants awarded to individual researchers for developing independent research projects while completing training that will advance their careers.
NIAID offers fellowships at the predoctoral,
postdoctoral, and senior levels. Grant duration varies; read the program announcement for details.
Investigators must be U.S. citizens, noncitizen nationals, or permanent residents with a valid Alien Registration Receipt Card (Form I-551) at the time of award. People on temporary or student visas are not eligible.
We
support
the following
fellowship
grants:
- NRSA
Senior Fellowships (F33) -- You must have at least
seven years of research experience after your doctoral degree,
and your proposed research must expand your experience and
offer career benefits. F33s typically support faculty sabbaticals.
This award is not intended for people who have been
postdocs for several years.
Note on effort requirement: Fellowships
require full-time effort, 12 person
months a year.
Additional Resources
Applying
for a Fellowship
When Are Applications Due?
NIAID uses multiple due dates for fellowship applications:
- F31 -- April 13, August 13, and December 13
- F32 and F33 -- April 8, August 8, and December
8
For more information, see Where do I send my paper application?
What Do Fellowships Pay for?
Fellowships provide:
- Stipends --
See NRSA Stipend Levels -- FY 2008 for details.
- Tuition and fees:
- F31 -- 60 percent of level requested
by applicant institution, up to $16,000 per year; 60 percent
up to $21,000 for formally combined dual-degree training.
- F32 -- 60 percent of level requested
by applicant institution, up to $4,500 per year; 60 percent
up to $16,000 for formally combined dual-degree training.
- Institutional allowances, including health
insurance:
- F31 -- $4,200 per year at non-federal,
public and private, non-profit institutions
(domestic and foreign) and
$3,100 per year for
federal and for-profit institutions.
- F32 and F33 -- $7,850 per year
at non-federal, public and private, non-profit institutions
(domestic and foreign) and $6,750 per
year for federal and for-profit institutions.
F31 grants are awarded for a maximum of five years, F32s for a maximum of three years, and F33s for a maximum of two years. Fellowships are not renewable.
What Are Your Chances of Succeeding?
Find success rates for each type of fellowship at Success Rates of NIH Competing Applications.
To get an idea of how applicants fared at NIH over the last decade, go to Success Rates for NIH Competing Fellowship Grants.
For more data and statistics, see NIH's Extramural Training Mechanisms.
Additional Resources
Writing
a Fellowship Application
The NIH
Center for Scientific Review (CSR) will peer
review your application. Reviewers give F32 applications
a streamlined
review.
For an overview of the peer review process and to learn about review criteria so you can create a strong application, read Part 8. Assignment and Review.
Your application should include:
- Three outstanding reference letters that are submitted on time. A two-line letter with no specifics about your strengths won't suffice.
- For F31s and F32s, you'll need an exceptional academic record, i.e., great grades at a top undergraduate or graduate school. Address any academic problems directly or in the letters of recommendation.
- A description of your proposed training environment.
- Your plan for receiving training in the conduct of ethical research.
- For predoctoral applicants, include your transcript and GRE
or other relevant test score.
Keep in mind that you must comply with NIH’s public access policy, which includes citing papers from NIH-funded research in your application. See our Public Access of Publications SOP for more information.
Reference publications in the Research Training Plan under C. Preliminary Studies and in Section B of the Applicant/Fellow Biographical Sketch.
You, your sponsor,
and your institutional business
official should sign the typewritten
original of your application. Send it with two photocopies
to:
Center for Scientific Review
National Institutes of Health
6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 1040, MSC 7710
Bethesda, MD 20892-7710 (Use this ZIP code for the U.S. Postal Service, including express mail.)
Bethesda, MD 20817 (Use this ZIP code for commercial carriers such as FedEx and UPS.)
Address Peer Review Criteria
Target your application to key review criteria by focusing on your:
- Program -- Emphasize your program's commitment to research training and career development, quality and availability of facilities and resources, and research support.
- Sponsor -- Reviewers assess your sponsor's caliber as a researcher, research training record, commitment to mentoring responsibilities, and understanding of your research needs and ability to meet them. They'll also consider whether your sponsor's expertise matches your research interests. Explain why you chose your sponsor and highlight his or her research and teaching accomplishments. Don't overpromote; your sponsor's achievements, like yours, should speak for themselves, but make sure reviewers don't overlook them. A good curriculum vitae (CV) will speak for itself.
- Relevant knowledge -- Highlight coursework and professional work directly related to your research topic.
- Proposed Research Plan
For further information, read F31 and F33 review
guidelines published by CSR.
Additional Resources
Promote
Your Research Plan
Your Part 5. Research Plan may be the most important part of your fellowship application. Your plan must communicate:
- Clarity, completeness, and coherence.
- Originality, significance, and practicality of goals.
- A clear description of the research skills and knowledge you want to acquire, and your plan's potential for meeting these objectives.
- Potential of training to serve as a foundation for your health sciences career (for predoctoral investigators) or to advance your career as an independent researcher (for postdoctoral investigators).
- Plans to include a diverse human subjects population
including women and minorities.
- Plans to include animals as
test subjects, if applicable.
- Plans to obtain training in ethical research conduct.
Review Your Plan
Ask your sponsor to review your Research Plan for thoroughness, consistency, and effective presentation of valid and original goals. Make sure you've included required elements like training in ethical research conduct.
The worst thing peer reviewers can say about your application is: "I can't believe that the investigator's mentor read this." Reviewers will forgive minor omissions but not major ones. Even too many minor omissions will add up and hurt your priority score.
Advice
for Predoctoral Fellowship Candidates
Make sure your Part 5. Research Plan presents:
- A thorough grounding in the design, methodology, and analysis of a research protocol.
- Research stages, including proposal, execution, presentation, and publication.
- Problem solving.
- Opportunities to interact with other members of the scientific community.
Peer reviewers will consider your academic record, which can be bolstered or undermined by your other credentials. Although there's no cutoff for acceptable grades and test scores, you should highlight your academic prowess. Ideally, you'll document previous research projects at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
Applications for predoctoral fellowships do best at review when the candidate has performed research in a lab for at least a year or two. Investigators with this level of experience can write a state-of-the-art Research Plan. Investigators who haven't yet selected a lab cannot match the knowledge gained from research experience.
Submitting Your Fellowship Forms, Contacting NIAID
To submit your NRSA forms
for activation, payback, and termination, make sure you have the latest Training Forms and follow the instructions below.
Activation Notices and Payback Agreements
For the initial year of NRSA postdoctoral (F32, F33) support, you must mail your activation notice and an original, signed payback agreement to:
Shellie Wilburn
Grants Management Program
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases,
NIH
6700B Rockledge Drive, Room 2233
Bethesda, MD 20892-7614
Express Mail: Bethesda, MD 20817
Termination Forms
You may submit these forms to Shellie Wilburn in the following ways:
- By mail or express mail to the address above.
- As PDF email attachments to swilburn@niaid.nih.gov.
- By fax to 301-493-0597.
Contact NIAID
If you have questions about our fellowship programs, contact Milton Hernández, director of NIAID's Office of Special Populations and Research Training, at 301-496-3775 or mh35c@nih.gov.
For general grants management questions about fellowships, contact Shellie Wilburn at 301-594-9676 or swilburn@niaid.nih.gov.
Additional Resource
Career Development
Awards
NIAID
offers the following career
development awards, which enable scientists with diverse backgrounds
to enhance their careers in biomedical research.
Keep in mind that except for the K99/R00, all K awards require either U.S. citizenship or permanent residency status (Alien Registration Receipt Card, Form I-551). People on temporary or student visas are not eligible.
- Mentored
Research Scientist Development Award (K01) -- To
qualify, you need to be a clinician or Ph.D. in
the fields of epidemiology and outcomes research and must
have accomplished independent research experience after earning
your degree.
- Independent Scientist Award (K02) -- You're eligible if you have a doctoral degree and your own research project grant (R01 or equivalent). Most successful candidates are assistant professors or just-promoted associate professors.
- Mentored
Clinical Scientist Development Award (K08) -- To
qualify, you'll need current
work in basic research, a clinical doctoral
degree such as M.D., D.V.M., or O.D., and a
professional license to practice in the United States (see the March 31, 2008 Guide notice).
- Research
Scholar Development Award (K22) -- You must be a postdoctoral
scientist with no more than five years
of research experience, and who works on an NIAID training
grant (T32) or in a laboratory supported
by an NIAID research grant or cooperative agreement,
has an individual fellowship (F32),
is hired on a research
supplement to promote diversity, or is employed by an
NIAID intramural laboratory,
with plans to apply for an assistant professorship
at an academic institution.
See Advice
for Applicants for more
information.
- Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award (K23) -- You're eligible if you have a clinical doctorate and perform research that requires direct work with patients.
- Midcareer Investigator Award in Patient-Oriented Research (K24) -- To qualify, you must be an established clinician or Ph.D. who is committed to patient-oriented research and has concurrent research support, such as R01, clinical trial or pharmaceutical company funding, or the equivalent. Apply for a K24 if you want to mentor or teach young scientists engaged in clinical research. You should have completed clinical training within the past 15 years, although NIAID allows some flexibility on this requirement.
- Mentored
Quantitative Research Development Award (K25) --
You should be a junior faculty member with an advanced degree
in engineering or quantitative science, such as Ph.D. or M.S.E.E.
Former principal
investigators on NIH research projects or subprojects and
previous recipients of certain awards are not eligible; see
the program announcement for a complete list of exclusions.
- NIH
Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00) --
To qualify, you must have a clinical or research doctorate and
no more than five years of
postdoctoral
research
training
at
the
time
of application. You do not have to be a U.S. citizen
or a permanent U.S. resident. However, you should have a
visa that allows you to remain in this country long enough
to: 1)
move to an independent research career during the K99 phase,
and 2) be productive on the research project for the duration
of
the R00 phase. See our Pathway to Independence Awards (K99/R00) SOP.
To help you decide which award best suits your needs, use NIH's
visual guides to career development awards for people with research
doctorates and health-professional
doctorates.
During the last two years of a mentored career development
award (K01, K08, K22, K23, K25), NIH will permit you to receive concurrent salary support from any peer-reviewed grant from any federal agency, if you meet the following criteria:
- You are a PI
on a competing research project grant, or director of a subproject on a multi-component
grant, from NIH or another Federal agency.
- Your K award is active.
Under those circumstances, you may reduce your K award's time and effort to six person months.
NIAID supports K01
and K02 awards in epidemiology and outcomes research. NIAID will not accept K-series applications proposing to conduct new,
independent clinical trials. For more information, read the March 28, 2008, Guide notice.
Note on effort requirement: Except for the K24,
K awards require you to spend a minimum amount of
your full-time effort, generally nine person months,
on the research supported
by the award
and have a full-time appointment at the organization applying for
the grant. You can now meet the effort requirement with your full-time
position while simultaneously holding another position part-time.
An example illustrates how this works: An
investigator with a full-time appointment at a university and a
half-time position at a clinical practice can qualify because he
or she can commit at least nine person months of the full-time position
to the award.
Note that NIH now uses person months to measure effort. See Person Months Calculation Example for more information.
Additional Resources
Understanding
Award Specifics
Before applying for an NIAID career development award, review the levels of support, funding periods, and effort requirements to ensure that the award will meet your needs. Other NIH institutes may offer different levels of support.
What Do Career Development Awards Pay For?
All NIAID career development awards include fringe benefits.
Awards provide:
- Maximum salary -- $75,000 for K01, K02, K08, K23, and
K25; $91,750 for K24.
- Maximum research expenses -- $10,000
to $20,000 depending on the number of years for K08 (see Quick
Facts on Research Training and Career Development Awards for
more information); $25,000 for K01, K23,
and K24; and $20,000 for
K99 and K25.
- Direct costs -- K22s provide $150,000 in
the first year and $100,000 in the second year. Up to $50,000 of
the award can be devoted to the PI's salary
each year; the rest can be spent in any way. K99/R00s
provide up to $90,000 total costs per year for the K99 phase with
salary limited to $50,000, and up to $249,000 total costs per
year for the R00 phase.
What is the Funding Duration?
Career development funding provides support for:
- K01, K02, K08, K23, K24, K25 -- Three to five
years. Junior applicants generally get five years of support;
more senior-level applicants, three years.
- K22 -- Two years.
- K99 -- Up to two years.
Are K Awards Renewable?
Except for K24s, K awards are not renewable. NIAID expects K
awardees to move on to independent research support, such as an R01.
Therefore,
for
competing
research
applications, NIH policy allows award
recipients in the last two years of their support period to hold
concurrent support from their career award and a competing research
grant. For more information about concurrent support, go to Career Development Awards.
You can renew a K24 award once if you continue
to
have independent peer-reviewed, patient-oriented research support
when
you submit the competing renewal application. Also,
you may apply for a renewal even if you were promoted to full
professor during the time of your initial award.
If
you request a renewal, you must meet the original award's remaining
requirements.
What Minimum Effort Requirements Apply?
K01, K02, K08, K22, K23, K25, and K99 awards require a minimum
effort of nine person months, meaning that you must devote 75 percent
of your
professional time to the funded project. Although you can use
the other three person months for clinical and
other duties, non-governmental funds must pay for that time.
K24s require three to six person months' effort.
Most Ks require you to spend
a minimum amount of your full-time effort, generally nine person months,
on the research supported by the award and have a full-time appointment
at the organization applying for the grant. You can now meet the
effort requirement with your full-time position while simultaneously
holding another position part-time.
An example illustrates how this works: An
investigator with a full-time appointment at a university and a
half-time position at a clinical practice can qualify because he
or she can commit at least nine person months of the full-time position
to the award.
Note that NIH now uses person months to measure effort. See Person Months Calculation Example for more information.
Additional Resources
Applying
for a Career Development Award
Submit your application electronically. Follow the supplemental instructions for K awards in part 7 of the Application Guide SF424 (R&R) – Adobe Forms Version A.
AIDS and non-AIDS applications have different due dates. See the Standard Due Dates for Competing Applications.
Except for the K99/R00 award, you must be a U.S. citizen or have
a valid Alien
Registration Receipt Card (Form I-551). If you're
a non-citizen who has
applied for
an I-551 and expect to receive it by the earliest award date, you
may apply. If you have a student visa or other temporary visa, you're
not eligible.
What Are Your Chances of Succeeding?
Find success rates for each K award at Success Rates for Career Development Awards by Activity and Institute or Center.
Find more data and statistics at NIH's Extramural Training Mechanisms.
Additional Resources
Advice for Applicants
The career development award category is broad, and special rules may apply for your award. Read the program announcement carefully, and consider the following advice as you prepare your application.
K01
- Apply
only if you are doing research in the fields of epidemiology
and outcomes research.
- If you are
junior in terms of your research
career, you are still eligible for this
award. For more information see Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (K01).
K02
- Build on the science in your R01 project.
Demonstrate how your ideas have developed over the course of your
research and discuss your career development plans. You don't need
to submit recommendations with your application.
- For information on K02 awards in epidemiology and outcomes
research NIAID Research Scholar Development Award (K22).
K08 and K23
- You'll need a strong
CV, including an outstanding academic record and letters of recommendation. Spend time developing a state-of-the-art Research Plan and show that you have strong institutional commitment,
such as a promised faculty appointment after your award term.
- When choosing your mentor, select a top-notch scientist with superior funding,
robust publication history, and the time and interest to mentor
you. Ask your mentor to read and edit your .
- If you have a substantial publication record in the
field and are at the assistant professor level, you may want
to consider applying for an R01 instead. Read What's an R01 in our New Investigator Guide to Funding to learn more about this option, and if you're interested, get more information in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.
K22
- In the first phase of the application process, submit a CV that details your career goals, a Research Plan, and three recommendations.
- Within a year of receiving a fundable score, you must obtain an offer of an assistant professorship at an academic institution. To qualify for the second phase, you'll need to show that your position offers an assistant professorship, your own laboratory, significant start-up funds, and minimal teaching or other responsibilities.
K24
- Your application should include 75 percent science and 25 percent mentoring, teaching, and career development. Clearly explain why you want this additional funding and describe your plans to mentor or sponsor junior researchers.
K25
- Reviewers expect less detail in your Research Plan because most K25 applicants aren't highly experienced researchers.
K99/R00
- Keep in mind that NIAID gives preference to applicants requesting three years of support -- one year for the K99 and two for the R00 -- instead of the five years that NIH allows. Also note that we make very few awards.
- Include in your application a career development plan, Research Plan with a description of
the project you will pursue in the R00 phase, and at least three
letters of reference.
- During the initial
mentored (K99) phase, you must secure a tenure-track, full-time assistant
professor position
at an academic institution.
- To qualify for the independent investigator
(R00) phase, your division or department chair will need to submit
a letter demonstrating the institution's commitment to you by
providing protected research time, space, facilities, and
support needed to conduct the proposed research.
- For more information,
see the NIH Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00) and our Pathway to Independence Awards (K99/R00) SOP.
NIAID will not accept K-series applications proposing to conduct new,
independent clinical trials. For more information, read the March 28, 2008, Guide notice.
Additional Resources
Writing
a Career Development Award Application
NIAID will peer review your application. For an overview of the peer review process and to learn about review criteria so you can create a strong application, read Part 8. Assignment and Review.
Address Peer Review Criteria
Peer reviewers will assess your potential based on the information in your CV, research and career plans, and, except for K24, reference letters.
Make sure your CV highlights your past successes, and that your research and career plans illustrate your commitment and potential for future contributions. Stress your commitment to a career in biomedical or behavioral research (for a K02, K08, or K22), patient-oriented research (K23 and K24), or integration of biomedicine and quantitative science (K25).
Your reference letters should come from people who are familiar with your qualifications, training, and interest. They should submit their letters through the eRA Commons.
For further details, including information you should give to those writing reference letters, read the supplemental instructions for K awards in part 7 of the Application Guide SF424 (R&R) – Adobe Forms Version A.
Reviewers will evaluate the institution where the proposed research will be conducted. They'll consider whether your institution has suitable facilities and is committed to your development as an investigator.
For mentored positions, reviewers will assess your mentor's career and research supervision record, and whether his or her work and experience are relevant to your proposed Part 5. Research Plan.
Design Your Research Plan Carefully
Reviewers will look closely at your Research Plan, assessing whether the topic is important and appropriate to your career stage, background, and objectives. They will consider your methods and design, as well as your attention to ethical considerations. You'll need to account for all ethical considerations regarding human subjects, and document your training in the ethical conduct of research.
Adhere to NIH’s Public Access Policy
As part of NIH’s public access policy, you must cite papers from NIH-funded research in your application. See our Public Access of Publications SOP for more information.
In the Bibliography and References Cited section of the Research Plan, provide a bibliography of any references cited in the Project Summary and Relevance section on Form Page 2.
Also list all publications in the Biographical Sketch.
Additional Resources
Contact
NIAID With Questions on Career Development Awards
If you have questions about our career development programs, contact Milton Hernández, director of NIAID's Office of Special Populations and Research Training, at 301-496-3775 or mh35c@nih.gov.
For general grants management questions about K awards, contact Julie Waugh at 301-451-7381 or waughj@niaid.nih.gov.
Additional Resources
Research Supplements
Unlike
other training and career
awards, research
supplements are not grants.
Supplements are funds added to an existing grant to increase the
participation of scientists from underrepresented
groups in
biomedical research. They also help promising researchers return
to a scientific career.
Any principal
investigator with
at least two years remaining on a grant can apply for this supplementary
funding, which he or she uses to pay salary, fringe benefits, and
research support.
People ranging from high school students through
senior faculty members
who are members of underrepresented
racial and ethnic groups, have physical or mental disabilities,
or have taken a career hiatus (between one and eight years) for
family
obligations
are eligible to be hired through a research supplement.
The following grants are eligible for supplements: R01, R10, R18,
R24, R37, P01, P40, P41, P50, P51, P60, U01, U10, and U54. Some other
small grants may be eligible. Check the links below for specific eligibility requirements and contact your NIAID program officer with questions about your grant.
Additional Resources
What
Do Research Supplements Pay For?
The amount of financial support provided by NIAID research supplements depends on the career level of the person receiving the support.
- High school students and undergraduates -- Your institution's regular hourly rate for high school or undergraduate employees, plus $125 per year for supplies.
- Graduate students -- Stipend, fringe benefits, up to $5,000 per year for supplies (with justification), $1,500 for travel, 100 percent of tuition up to $3,000 and 60 percent above $3,000.
- Postdocs -- Stipend, fringe benefits, up to $5,000 for supplies (with justification), and $1,500 for travel.
- People reentering a scientific career -- Your institution's regular level of salary and fringe benefits, up to $5,000 supplies (with justification), and $1,500 for travel.
For people with disabilities, NIAID also provides reasonable accommodation costs.
Additional Resources
Applying
for a Research Supplement
NIAID has no firm deadline for research supplement applications. We peer review applications roughly every eight weeks, and reviewers prefer to have applications in advance. Check with NIAID about "soft" deadlines that may affect your application. High school and undergraduate summer interns should submit applications in early spring, no later than April 15.
NIAID senior staff will peer review your application. For an overview of the peer review process and to learn about review criteria so you can create a strong application, read Part 8. Assignment and Review. You'll also find tips on creating a successful PHS 398 grant application.
You'll want to emphasize certain factors in a research supplement
application. Begin by detailing the research candidate's qualifications.
Career goals, previous training and work experience, and (for students)
educational achievement should emphasize the candidate's high potential
in the field of health-related research.
Describe how the research experience will enhance the candidate's skills and knowledge and help him or her achieve career goals. For reentry supplements, candidates should show recent effort to reenter the scientific community, such as reading scientific journals. You should also show that the work will be integral to the project, and illustrate how proposed research and career development activities are relevant to the subject matter of the parent grant. Include a proposed mentoring plan in your application.
Contact NIAID With Research Supplement Questions
If you have questions about NIAID research supplements, contact:
Raushanah Newman
newmanrau@niaid.nih.gov
301-451-2691
Additional Resources
Institutional
Research Training Grants
National
Research Service Award (NRSA) Institutional Research Training Grant (T32) and Short-Term Institutional Research Training Grant (T35) provide domestic, nonprofit, and private or public graduate-level
academic institutions with
funds for training predoctoral and postdoctoral candidates.
Senior
investigators who head research or training programs at an institution
generally apply for these grants.
Trainees must be U.S. citizens, noncitizen nationals, or permanent residents with a valid Alien Registration Receipt Card (Form I-551). People on temporary or student visas are not eligible.
For more information, see:
How Long Does Support Last?
NIAID awards T32s for five years, with the chance to renew.
We make awards annually, with further support contingent on performance
and
funding availability.
Trainee appointments are usually in one-year
increments; new appointments must be at least nine months except
when we've approved a short-term training position. A trainee
can remain
in
a program
for a maximum of five years for predoctoral trainees; three years
for postdoctoral trainees.
For more details,
see the trainee appointments section of T32
Training Grants -- Key Administrative Information.
T35s may be awarded for periods up to five years and are renewable.
Trainees must pursue research training for two to three months on
a full-time basis, devoting at least 40 hours per week to the program.
What Do Training Funds Pay For?
T32 and T35 grants provide funds for:
- Stipends --
See NRSA Stipend Levels -- FY 2008 for details.
- Facilities
and administrative costs based on eight percent of modified
total direct
costs. State and local government agencies may request full
reimbursement.
- Tuition and fees:
- Predoctoral trainees --
60 percent of level requested by applicant institution,
up
to $16,000 per year; 60 percent
up to $21,000 for formally combined dual-degree training.
- Postdoctoral trainees -- 60
percent of level requested by applicant institution,
up to $4,500 per year; 60 percent
up to $16,000 for additional degree.
- Trainee travel, including attendance at vital scientific
meetings. We do not set a limit on
how much you can request, though the norm is $1,000 for each
trainee.
- Training-related expenses -- including additional
research costs and health insurance --
of $4,200
a year per predoctoral trainee and $7,850
a year per postdoctoral trainee.
- On a case-by-case basis,
institutional costs for accommodating disabled trainees in addition
to usual costs paid by training-related
expenses.
Note on effort requirement: Trainee
appointments require full-time effort, 12 person
months a year.
Additional Resources
Qualifying
for a Training Grant
A
successful institutional candidate for a training
grant must
provide an outstanding research and academic environment, with suitable
staff and facilities.
The institution's proposed training program
director must be an established, well-recognized scientist, generally
with the rank of professor or equivalent, who offers a long training
track record.
Another key element is a critical mass of fairly
senior scientists in the research area who can demonstrate a publications
history and funding from NIH, NSF, HHMI, or similar agencies.
Too
many junior scientists or those without grants may negatively
influence the priority
score and chances of funding.
Peer reviewers consider the records of past trainees or graduates, who should demonstrate strong academic ability. Programs that accept students with less-than-stellar GRE scores, for instance, fare worse in peer review than a program with strict admissions criteria.
Successful applicant institutions offer a track record of past trainees
who publish, obtain funding, and enjoy distinguished scientific positions.
Reviewers highly rate an adequate supply of high-quality potential
trainees with genuine interest in research and appropriate academic
prerequisites.
See the previous page, Institutional Research Training Grants, for information on citizenship requirements for trainees.
To learn more about training
grant requirements, read the T32 and T35 Guide notices.
What Are Your Chances of Succeeding?
Find success rates for T32s and T35s at Success Rates of NIH Competing Applications.
To get an idea of how applicants fared at NIH over the last decade, go to Success Rates for NIH Competing Institutional Training Grants.
For more data and statistics, go to NIH's Extramural Training Mechanisms.
Additional Resources
Applying
for a Training
Grant
NIAID
accepts training
grant applications every
September 25, which represents an exception to NIH's regular schedule
of three annual receipt
dates. Other ICs may
have different due dates. After initial
peer review in February or March, our advisory Council will
review your application in May or June. If you're successful, your
award will start July 1 or later.
To apply, use the Fillable Institutional Research Training Grant Application Forms and Data Tables section of the PHS
398. After we receive your application, we'll peer review it. For an overview of the peer review process and to learn about review criteria so you can create a strong application, read Part 8. Assignment and Review.
Additional Resources
Writing
a Training Grant Application
Successful training
grant applications require
different elements than do R01s.
You must convince peer
reviewers of your program's value by showing evidence of exceptional
faculty commitment, resources, program design, training environment,
and ability to recruit quality candidates. You should err on the
side of self-promotion, rather than leaving out information that
could help your case.
Demonstrate Quality Program Design
Reviewers will assess the quality of your training program. They'll expect clear objectives and a thorough program design that shows your foresight, competence, and understanding of what a research program entails. Specify the features of the program, special seminar series, and postdoc rotations.
Training grants pay mostly for trainees, so you'll need evidence of a committed faculty, courses, and high-quality, readily available facilities and resources. You'll also need a trainee pool with the academic credentials to become distinguished researchers. Describe in detail your selection critera for trainees.
Showcase Your Successes
Discuss the accomplishments of your former trainees, such as grants or fellowships awarded, other training appointments, promotion to scientific positions, publications, or patents received. Ideally, your program produces many solid researchers who remain in their field. If not, other program strengths can compensate for some weaknesses in past trainees, especially if your program is relatively new.
Plan for Recruiting Trainees From Underrepresented Groups
Your application must include program-specific plans for recruiting
trainees from underrepresented
groups; general institution plans aren't sufficient. Document
your program's previous
recruitment efforts among underrepresented groups,
including successful and unsuccessful strategies. The best plans
include personal recruitment efforts by the program director or
faculty.
Include statistics on your program's current distribution of students
from underrepresented groups who applied for admission or a position
in the department relevant to the training
grant, were offered admission or a position, enrolled in an academic
program, or were appointed to the research training grant.
For more information, see NIH's Frequently Asked Questions: Recruitment and Retention Plan to Enhance Diversity.
Document Training on Responsible Conduct of Research
Your application must include plans to offer trainees Training in the Responsible Conduct of Research.
NIH requires additional training documentation for human subjects research. See Document Training in Research Conduct.
Comply With NIH’s Public Access Policy
Be sure to follow NIH’s public access policy, which includes citing papers from NIH-funded research in your application. See the Public Access of Publications SOP for details.
List your publications in the Biographical Sketch. For trainees or potential trainees, put their authored papers in Table 6: Publications of Research Completed by Trainees.
Additional Resources
Submitting Your Training Grant Forms, Contacting NIAID
You have a few options when it comes to submitting your NRSA forms for appointment, payback, and termination.
Online With xTrain
If you're the PI on a training grant with a Federal Demonstration Partnership (FDP) institution, you can use xTrain to create and submit appointments, re-appointments, amendments, and terminations.
You may also download and print payback agreements from xTrain, but for postdoc trainees you will need to send us an original, signed agreement. See the next section for more information.
Go to Search Institutions to see if yours is an FDP member. If it is and you're registered with the Commons, you're automatically set up to use xTrain. Learn more at xTrain -- Overview and Functions.
On the Paper Trail
If your institution is not an FDP member, follow the instructions below.
Appointment Forms and Payback Agreements for Postdoctoral Trainees
For postdoctoral trainees starting their initial appointment on a T32 or T35, you must mail their appointment form and an original, signed payback agreement three months before your budget period end date. Send to:
Shellie Wilburn
Grants Management Program
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases,
NIH
6700B Rockledge Drive, Room 2233
Bethesda, MD 20892-7614
Express Mail: Bethesda, MD 20817
Termination Forms and Appointment Forms for Predoctoral and Reappointed Postdoctoral Trainees
Immediately following the termination date, you may submit these forms to Shellie Wilburn in the following ways:
- By mail or express mail to the address above.
- As PDF email attachments to swilburn@niaid.nih.gov.
- By fax to 301-493-0597. Note: use faxes for re-appointments only since grayed items for new appointments are usually unreadable on faxes.
Contact NIAID
If you have questions about our training grant programs, contact Milton Hernández, director of NIAID's Office of Special Populations and Research Training, at 301-496-3775 or mh35c@nih.gov.
For grants management questions about training grants, contact Shellie Wilburn at 301-594-9676 or swilburn@niaid.nih.gov.
Additional Resources
Tutorial for Training and Career Awards, Fellowships, and Supplements |
