Notices, Policy Announcements and Other Information:
Institutional National Research Service Award (NRSA) Training Grants
Individual National Research Service Award (NRSA) Fellowships
Mentored Research Career Development Awards:
Independent Scientist Research Career Awards:
Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA Grants):
Postdoctoral Fellowships
F05 - International Neuroscience Fellowship Program
As of August 15, 2008, no more applications were accepted for the F05 Program. Program Announcement PAR-06-227 may be re-issued in the future.
F32 - Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards for Individual Postdoctoral Fellows
Individual National Research Service Awards (F32) are made to applicants seeking postdoctoral research training in the basic
or clinical neurological sciences. Before beginning the proposed fellowship, an applicant must earn a doctoral degree. In
addition to biomedical research training, the proposed study must include an opportunity to conduct research. The training
plan should provide an opportunity for research scientists and clinicians to broaden their scientific background or to extend
their potential for research in health-related areas. Training areas are generally the same as those identified earlier for
institutional training grants. Before formally submitting their applications, prospective fellows must arrange for an appointment
to an appropriate institution and acceptance by a sponsor who will supervise the training and research experience. The application
must document that staff and facilities are available to provide a high-quality training opportunity. The application should
emphasize opportunities for research training and broadening scientific competence.
K01 - Mentored Research Scientist Development Award
The NINDS has two separate programs under the aegis of the Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (MRSDA): A. Career Development Award to Promote Diversity in Neuroscience Research, and B. Re-Entry Into the Neurological Sciences Program. A description of each program follows.
K08 - Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Award
The Mentored Clinical Scientist Development Award (K08) is designed to provide "protected time" for clinically trained individuals
to participate in an intensive, supervised training program in biomedical research, including translational research, related
to neurological disorders. Although the award is primarily targeted to candidates holding an MD or equivalent degree, it
may also support individuals holding other health professional degrees. The award supports a 3-5 year period of supervised
basic or clinical neuroscience research experience and should be comparable in scope and rigor to meeting the requirements
for an advanced research degree. This program is intended to support applicants with a clinical doctoral degree that are within
3 years of completing their clinical training (which is defined as sequential years of residency training and clinical fellowships).
Applicants that are beyond 3 years post clinical training must obtain prior written approval from the Director of Training and Career Development to be eligible for this program. The candidate must identify a mentor with extensive research experience and must devote
a minimum of 75% of his or her time and effort to the proposed research and career development activities.
Special Note: To accommodate neurosurgeons, who need significant clinical activity to maintain their surgical skills, NINDS
will accept 50% time commitment to the award.
Salary and Research Costs: NINDS will provide up to $85,000 of the awardees salary per year, and up to $50,000 per year toward research costs. K08 award
recipients are encouraged to apply for independent research awards while the K award is active, and should consult with the
Director of Training and Career Development for budget guidance in this process.
Institutional Support: Please pay careful attention to specific issues that must be addressed in a statement of institutional support for K08 and K23 awards.
K12 - Neurological Sciences Academic Development Award (NSADA)
The Neurological Sciences Academic Development Award (NSADA) (K12) is an award to an educational institution or professional
organization to facilitate and support career development experiences for pediatric neurologists leading to research independence.
This is a continuation of the original NSADA program, which was initiated by NINDS in October 1992. Under this award, newly
trained pediatric neurologists are to be selected and appointed to this program by the grantee institution. It is expected
that individuals appointed to the NSADA program will subsequently apply for their own Mentored Clinical Scientist Development
Award (K08), the Mentored Patient-Oriented Career Development Award (K23), an NINDS Research Scientist Development Award (K02)
or an R01, to continue their research training (see "Research Objectives").
For more information, see PAR-08-197.
K22 - NINDS Career Transition Award
As of March 2, 2006, no more applications were accepted for the K22 Program. Fellows who were considering this mechanism should consider the K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award.
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K23 - Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award
The Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award (K23) was created to support the career development of investigators
who have made a commitment to focus their research endeavors on patient-oriented research. For the purposes of this award,
patient-oriented research is defined as research conducted with human subjects (or on material of human origin such as tissues,
specimens, and cognitive phenomena) for which an investigator directly interacts with human subjects. This area of research
includes: 1) mechanisms of human disease; 2) therapeutic interventions; 3) clinical trials; and 4) the development of new
technologies. This mechanism provides support for a period of supervised study and research for clinically trained professionals
(MD or equivalent) who have the potential to develop into productive clinical investigators focusing on patient-oriented research.
The project period may be 3-5 years. Candidates must devote a minimum of 75% of full-time professional effort in research
career development and clinical research activities.
Special Note: To accommodate neurosurgeons, who need significant clinical activity to maintain their surgical skills, NINDS
will accept 50% time commitment to the award.
Salary and Research Costs: : NINDS will provide up to $85,000 of the awardees salary per year, and up to $50,000 per year toward research costs. K23
award recipients are encouraged to apply for independent research awards while the K award is active, and should consult with
the Director of Training and Career Development for budget guidance in this process.
Institutional Support: Please pay careful attention to specific issues that must be addressed in a statement of institutional support for K08 and K23 awards.
K25 - Mentored Quantitative Research Career Development Award
As of August 22, 2006, the eligibility criteria for this program have changed. See the Notice for details.
The purpose of the Mentored Quantitative Research Career Development Award (K25) is to support the career development of investigators
with quantitative scientific and engineering backgrounds outside of biology or medicine who have made a commitment to focus
their research endeavors on behavioral and biomedical research (basic or clinical). Examples of quantitative scientific and
technical backgrounds outside of biology or medicine considered appropriate for this award include, but are not limited to:
mathematics, statistics, computer science, informatics, physics, chemistry and engineering. Candidates for this award must
have demonstrated research interests with an advanced degree in a quantitative area of science or engineering (e.g., M.S.E.E.,
PhD, D.Sc.). They must identify a mentor with extensive behavioral or biomedical research experience, and must devote at least
75% full-time professional effort conducting research career development and basic or clinical research.
Salary and Research Costs: NINDS will provide up to $85,000 of the awardees salary per year, and up to $50,000 per year toward research costs. All non-competing
(Type 5) applications will continue to receive salary and research support under the original terms and conditions of the
award.
K99/R00 - NIH Pathway to Independence (PI) Award
The Pathway to Independence Award is uniquely designed to facilitate the transition of outstanding postdoctoral candidates from mentored to independent research positions. The award contains two components, a mentored (K99) phase that can last up to 2 years and an independent (R00) phase, which will have a duration of 3 years. The objective of the program is to facilitate research independence earlier in an investigator's career. Investigators complete supervised research, and apply for an independent research faculty position, during the mentored phase of the award. Activation of the independent award phase is administrative, and is contingent upon the investigator securing an independent research position. Eligible candidates will have no more than 5 years of postdoctoral research at the time of application (initial or amended). In addition, eligible applicants will currently be in a mentored postdoctoral position, regardless of title. Review the NIH definition of a postdoctoral scholar. Award recipients are expected to obtain R01 support during the independent phase of the award.Salary and Research Costs: For mentored candidates in an extramural institution, NINDS will provide up to $50,000 per year for salary support (up to $85,000 per year for applicants with an M.D. degree), plus fringe, and up to $20,000 for research support costs. Budget details for mentored candidates in the NIH intramural program will be negotiated with the sponsoring laboratory and will be consistent with offers to scientists in comparable positions.
K02 - Independent Scientist Award
The intent of the Independent Scientist Award (K02) is to support health professionals who are committed to a career in neuroscience research and who have recently achieved independent scientist status. This program normally follows a K08 or K23 award and supports the continued career development of independent clinician-scientists so that they can be more successful in obtaining an R01 or equivalent grant. The award provides salary and research costs for the first three years, and continued salary support for years four and five, with the last two years of support contingent on successful competition for an R01 or equivalent award. In contrast to requirements of other institutes, applicants are not eligible for this award if they have a major, independent, peer-reviewed research grant (R01, subproject on a P01, or equivalent) prior to receiving the K02 award. Awardees are encouraged to apply for R01 support at any time after they’ve received the K02 award. The K02 is intended for physician-scientists who are missing one or more components that would make them competitive for an R01, so applicants should not submit an R01 application simultaneously with a K02 application.
The candidates must hold a clinical doctoral degree, have completed postgraduate clinical training prior to application, and hold a primary appointment in a clinical department. The candidate must also devote a minimum of 75% effort to the proposed award activities.
Special Note: To accommodate neurosurgeons, who need significant clinical activity to maintain their surgical skills, NINDS will accept 50% time commitment to the award.
Salary and Research Costs: Salary and Research Costs: In years 1 - 3 of the K02 award, NINDS will provide up to $95,000 of the awardee's salary per
year, plus the applicable fringe benefit rate, plus up to $50,000 per year toward research costs. Once an applicant receives
an R01 or equivalent award, the applicant may obtain up to 80% of their institutional base salary from the K02, commensurate
with their effort on the K02. Once an R01 or equivalent is obtained, research costs will no longer be provided through the
K02 award.
For a more detailed explanation of the K02 award structure, see the change in policy guidance for this mechanism.
For questions regarding this new funding strategy for K02 awards, contact the Director of Training and Career Development.
Institutional Support: Please pay careful attention to specific issues that must be addressed in a statement of institutional support for the K02.
K24 - Midcareer Investigator Award in Patient-Oriented Research
The Midcareer Investigator Award in Patient-Oriented Research (K24) is to provide support for clinicians to allow them protected
time to devote to patient-oriented research and to act as mentors for beginning clinical investigators. For the purposes of
this award, patient-oriented research is defined as research conducted with human subjects (or on material of human origin
such as tissues, specimens, and cognitive phenomena) for which an investigator directly interacts with human subjects. This
area of research includes: 1) mechanisms of human disease; 2) therapeutic interventions; 3) clinical trials; and 4) the development
of new technologies. The target candidates are outstanding clinical scientists engaged in patient-oriented research who are
generally within 15 years of their specialty training, who can demonstrate the need for a period of intensive research focus
as a means of enhancing their clinical research careers, and who are committed to mentoring the next generation of clinical
investigators focusing on patient-oriented research. The project period may be up to 5 years. Awards are renewable for one
additional 5-year period if the candidate still meets the stated requirements. Candidates for this award must have a clinical
degree (e.g., MD or equivalent), and must devote between 25-50% effort conducting patient-oriented research and mentoring
more junior colleagues. Applicants must have independent research support at the time of application for this program, and
recipients of this award are required to hold independent research support, either Federal or private, during the period of
this award.
Salary and Research Costs: The NINDS will provide salary in accordance with NIH policy: Salary Limitation on Grants, Cooperative Agreements and Contracts. NINDS does not provide funds through the K24 for research, as these costs are provided for by the applicant's RPG funding.
NINDS will provide up to $30,000 for costs associated with the development and implementation of mentoring activities. Applicants
requesting costs for mentoring expenses must provide a detailed justification for the request.
R15 - Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA)
Last updated January 29, 2009