Table of Contents

• Overview
• Types of K Awards at NIAID
• Understanding Award Specifics
• Changes to Appointment and Percent Effort
• Advice for Applicants
• Quick Facts on Career Development Awards

Overview

NIAID offers the following career development awards, which enable scientists with diverse backgrounds to enhance their careers in biomedical research. Mentored K awards can also have positive effects on your publication record and subsequent receipt of NIH grants.

To help you decide which award best suits your needs, see the Support by Career Stage—Ph.D. Track and Support by Career Stage—M.D. Track sections of Training and Career Development Grant Programs.

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. 

Types of K Awards at NIAID

NIAID supports the following career development awards:

• Research Scientist Development Award (K01)—To qualify, you must have a research or health-professional doctoral degree, and your research development plans must be in epidemiology, modeling techniques, and outcomes research.
• Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Award (K08)—To qualify, you'll need current work in biomedical or behavioral research, including translational 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.
• NIAID Career Transition Award (K22)—You must be a postdoctoral scientist with no more than five years of research experience with plans to apply for an assistant professorship at an academic institution. Note: If you are not affiliated with an organization, you may still apply. Read Special Instructions for Submitting K22 Applications From Unaffiliated Applicants Using the SF 424 (R&R).
• Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award (K23)—You're eligible if you have a clinical doctorate, completed specialty or subspecialty training, 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. 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 four years of postdoctoral research training as of the relevant application due date regardless of whether the application is new or a resubmission. For further details, see our Pathway to Independence Awards (K99/R00) SOP. You do not have to be a U.S. citizen or a permanent U.S. resident. Since we fund very few K99/R00 awards, consider applying for a K22 if you are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. If not, contact AITrainingHelpDesk@niaid.nih.gov for advice before applying.

During the last two years of a mentored career development award (K01, K08, 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.

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, K25, and K99/R00; $100,000 for K08 and K23; for K24s, salary is based on full-time institutional salary up to the current NIH salary cap multiplied by the percentage of effort plus fringe benefits.
• Maximum research support—$20,000 for K25; $25,000 for K01 and K99; $50,000 for K08, K23, and K24.
• 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.

See Quick Facts on Career Development Awards section below for more information.

What Is the Funding Duration?

Career development funding provides support for

• K01, 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—NIAID awards 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. 

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, 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.

Changes to Appointment and Percent Effort

For valid reasons, such as personal or family situations, you may change your appointment to part-time or reduce your percent effort. Both need NIAID approval.

For more information on these and other adjustments you can request, see the Career Development Grants SOP.

Applying for a Career Development Award

Submit your application electronically, either using downloadable forms or the NIH Application Submission System and Interface for Submission Tracking (ASSIST). Check with your business office to see what approach it uses. Follow the instructions in the relevant funding opportunity announcement below and the supplemental instructions for K applications in the SF 424 Application Guide.

AIDS and non-AIDS applications have different due dates. See the Standard Due Dates for Competing Applications.

Sending Materials Post-Submission

You may send certain materials after you have submitted your application and before initial peer review. For career development awards, this includes a summary to update your sponsor's funding information.

Send no more than one page to your scientific review officer by 30 days before the review meeting. Include a note from your business office stating its concurrence or ask your authorized organizational representative to send the information on your behalf. 

For more information, see Send Post-Submission Materials.

What Are Your Chances of Succeeding?

Find success rates for each K award at Success Rates on NIH RePORT.

Find more data and statistics at NIH Extramural Training Mechanisms.

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.

K08 and K23

• Apply if you are a physician-scientist who wants to focus on research and hone laboratory and clinical skills.
• 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 application. For additional information about mentors and advice on writing an application below in the Application Advice for Mentored Ks section.
• 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.

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. Just having the K22 can help with this—it shows you can already get NIAID funding on your own.
• 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

• Apply if you want to mentor or teach young scientists engaged in clinical research.
• 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

• NIAID encourages applications requesting up to two years for the K99 and two years of support for the independent R00 phase of the award. We also 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 our Pathway to Independence Awards (K99/R00) SOP.

Writing a Career Development Award Application

Before jumping in to write your application, carefully read the relevant funding opportunity announcement and follow the supplemental instructions for K applications in the SF 424 Application Guide, including guidelines for page limits.

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 Review Process.

Address Peer Review Criteria

Peer reviewers will assess your potential based on your CV, research and career plans, and, except for K24, reference letters. Make sure your CV highlights your past successes, and your research and career plans illustrate your commitment and potential for future contributions.

Your reference letters should come from people who are familiar with your qualifications, training, and interest. For further details, including how letters should be submitted and by when, see our Career Development Grants SOP or read the supplemental instructions for K applications in the SF 424 Application Guide.

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 Research Plan.

Read the relevant funding opportunity announcement for specific peer review criteria. To see the guidelines reviewers follow for each type of career development award, go to the K Awards (Career Development) section of NIH’s Guidelines, Critique Templates, and Review Criteria.

Align Your Career Development Plan to Your Professional Goals

A great program and stellar academic record help, but to get the best score, you need to show reviewers that you can establish a research career.

Your career development plan is as important as your Research Plan, so spend a lot of time and effort on developing it. Be sure to

• Justify your need for a K award and explain how it will be a vital step toward your ultimate career goal and move you toward scientific independence.
• Specify training and courses that you will participate in, how often you'll meet with consultants, and how all of this will help you reach your objectives.
• Stress your commitment to a career in biomedical or behavioral research (for a K08 or K22), patient-oriented research (K23 and K24), or integration of biomedicine and quantitative science (K25).

Read the relevant FOA for other elements you should include in the career development plan.

Design Your Research Plan Carefully

Reviewers will look closely at your Research Plan, which has two parts: Specific Aims and Research Strategy. They will evaluate whether it is appropriate for and tailored to your experience level and if it allows you to develop the skills and knowledge needed for further career advancement.

Your Research Plan needs to demonstrate innovation, address potential limitations, and indicate the skills you will gain during the course of your research.

Make sure you relate the proposed research to your scientific career goals, and you are able to achieve your objectives in the time you request.

Read more advice at Write Your Research Plan.

Adhere to NIH Public Access Policy

As part of NIH public access policy, you must list PubMed Central (PMC) identification numbers when citing a peer-reviewed journal article you have authored or coauthored and that resulted from an NIH-funded award. 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.

Document Training on Responsible Conduct of Research

Make sure you've included a plan for instruction in responsible research conduct. If you fail to include one, your application will be considered incomplete and won't be reviewed until you provide an acceptable plan of instruction.

Read the Responsible Conduct of Research: Training SOP for more information.

Know New Rigor and Reproducibility Requirements

Be sure to address rigor and reproducibility. Learn more on the NIH Rigor and Reproducibility page.

Application Advice for Mentored Ks

If you are interested in applying for a mentored K, the following tips may help you write an application that will fare favorably with peer reviewers and garner a fundable score.

1. Form a strong mentoring team. Should you need or want a mentoring team, i.e., mentor and co-mentors, find people who have expertise in your area of research. For multidisciplinary research, make sure your team covers all the scientific bases. Peer reviewers will check to see that your mentors' work and experience are relevant to your project. (Note: Though you may have only one mentor, we use the term "mentors" here for simplicity's sake.)

2. Pick mentors who are accessible. If any of the people you're thinking of choosing as mentors is away a lot or too busy, move on to someone else. You want someone who will be around to answer your questions and provide guidance—and have the time to meet your needs.

Make it crystal clear in your application that your mentors have enough time to devote to you. This is especially important if several people from your research group are submitting applications.

It's fine to have members of your mentoring team who aren't at your institution. However, you need to demonstrate their commitment to supporting you and provide a plan to communicate regularly.

3. Highlight mentor funding. A mentored K award provides partial salary and only modest funds for research supplies. Therefore, ideally, your mentors should be well-funded (preferably by NIH) so that money from the K supplements their research funding.

Point out that your mentors are active, funded investigators to show peer reviewers that they are conducting original research—research that complements yours.

4. Create a solid Research Plan. Don't skimp on the Research Plan thinking that because you're writing a K (not an R01) application reviewers will be lenient. They won't. Ask important research questions, and use the Research Plan as a vehicle to get preliminary data for a future R01.

5. Accentuate activities. Describe how career development or training activities will lead to your independence and state how your future research will be independent from your mentors' work. We strongly recommend that you provide a career development timeline, including plans to apply for subsequent grant support.

6. Get good reference and institutional letters. Since reviewers will scrutinize reference letters, be sure to ask people who are familiar with your qualifications, training, and interests.

You should also get a strong letter from your institution that speaks to its commitment to your development into a productive, independent investigator. Officials must agree to provide adequate time and support to you for the period of the K award.

7. Obtain strong mentor statements. Be sure your mentor statements convey your mentors' wholehearted support of you. If you don't think that's important, here's a real-world example:

A mentor whose personal style wasn't effusive wrote a terse letter that reviewers interpreted as lack of interest in the candidate. In fact, the mentor was quite supportive of the applicant and had to change his style when writing the letter for the resubmission.

Each mentor must explain how he or she will contribute to the development of your research career and discuss the research as well as other activities, e.g., seminars and presentations at scientific meetings.

Mentor statements from those who aren't at your institution should also describe their commitment to you and how frequently you will communicate.

8. Demonstrate productivity. Reviewers look closely at your productivity, e.g., number of publications, first or last author. If you're lacking in this area, explain your role on other projects.

For example, perhaps you were part of a clinical trial project that doesn't allow papers until the trial ends. Or, maybe you were involved in activities that demonstrate your leadership but don't lend themselves to publications (e.g., helping to set up an HIV research clinic in South Africa).

9. Justify sample size. In this case, size matters, especially if your project is a "spin off" of your mentors'. Explain why you are studying, for instance, 50 samples and why those in particular if they are a subset of a larger study. Get input from a biostatistician if this isn't your strength.

10. Address human subjects. Avoid this common mistake: completing the human subjects research section using the description from a mentor's grant application. That description may not apply to what you'll be doing with your K award.

Example: don't give the impression that you are conducting a phase 3 clinical trial when it's actually your mentors doing so. Make sure to complete the Human Subjects section from the perspective of the specific research you are conducting under the K award, such as using samples from the trial or doing a substudy on subjects from it. Be sure to include letters of permission, e.g., for using samples or conducting a substudy.

11. Get up-to-date on responsible conduct of research. Do you know what your plan for instruction in responsible research conduct (RCR) should cover? Don't rely on samples or information from previous K awardees that might not reflect the latest RCR requirements. Get the latest details in our Responsible Conduct of Research: Training SOP.

12. Get mentors to review your application. We highly recommend that you have your mentors (especially your primary mentor) give your application an once-over to check for thoroughness, consistency, and effective presentation.

Should reviewers see problems in proposed lab work or other areas, they may regard it as a lack of mentor involvement. You don't want them to think, "If the mentor didn't bother to work with the candidate during the application process, how engaged will he or she be during the award?"

Learn more at Know What to Look for When Choosing a Mentor.

Progress Reports for Career Development Awards

Every year, you'll need to submit a Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR) to continue NIH support of your career development award. Remember to do the following:

• Check the guidelines for your award to determine if you should complete biographical sketches for new key personnel and other significant contributors.
• Include other support for the career award recipient, mentor, cosponsors, and key personnel only if the support has changed since the previous submission.
• Describe courses and other activities that enhanced your research skills.
• Describe activities other than research and training in the past year.
• Address Rigor and Reproducibility.
• Note activities planned for the next year.
• If you have a mentored career development award—K01, K08, K23, or K25—include a Mentor's Report. Your mentor's comments help your program officer determine whether NIAID should continue your funding. Give your mentor plenty of time to write feedback on your performance, and make sure he or she signs the report.

We need to get your progress report on time—late or sending incomplete reports could delay your award.

For more information about progress reporting, read Reporting Requirements During Your Grant.

Quick Facts on Career Development Awards