Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (Parent K01 -Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PA 18 369

Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (K01) (PA-18-369) FAQs

1) What is the Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (K01)?

The K01 is an NIH career development grant designed to help promising researchers build toward research independence through a structured, mentored period of training and protected time. It supports a career development plan that combines supervised research with activities such as advanced coursework, technical skill-building, and professional development.

2) What is the main goal of this K01 opportunity?

The goal is to provide protected time, structured training, and high-quality mentorship so the candidate can strengthen their research trajectory, produce publishable work, build expertise, and become competitive for independent research funding.

3) How long does the K01 typically provide support?

This K01 typically provides three to five years of support for an intensive, mentored career development plan.

4) What kinds of research areas does this K01 support?

It is geared toward investigators working in biomedical, behavioral, or clinical science who need dedicated time and mentorship to transition into an independent research career.

5) What is the key clinical trial limitation in this specific Parent K01 announcement?

This Parent K01 is intended for applicants whose proposed work does not involve leading an independent clinical trial, a clinical trial feasibility study, or serving as the lead investigator on an ancillary study to a clinical trial.

6) Can a K01 candidate get clinical trial experience under this announcement?

Yes. The announcement allows clinical trial experience as part of training as long as the clinical trial is led by a mentor or co-mentor and the K01 candidate is not directing the trial as the independent leader.

7) If I want to lead a clinical trial as part of my K01, what should I do?

NIH directs applicants who want to propose leading a clinical trial or leading an ancillary study as part of the K01 to apply to the companion announcement PA-18-363.

8) What does NIH mean by "protected time" in the context of the K01?

In practical terms, the K01 is intended to "buy" time for the candidate to focus on mentored research and career development activities, rather than having their time dominated by other duties. (The excerpt provided does not specify a numeric percentage.)

9) What types of career development activities can be included?

The career development plan can combine supervised research with advanced coursework, technical skill-building, and professional development activities, as described in the opportunity summary.

10) How do NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs) use the K01 mechanism?

NIH ICs use the K01 broadly to develop researchers toward independence. Depending on the participating IC, the K01 may also support specific career situations such as retraining into a new field or re-entry after a significant research career interruption.

11) Can the K01 be used to support retraining into a new field?

Yes. Some NIH Institutes and Centers use K01 awards to help researchers retrain into a new field, which can be especially important for investigators shifting disciplines to address emerging scientific questions.

12) Can the K01 support a return to research after a career interruption?

Yes. NIH notes that some ICs may use K01s to assist applicants who experienced a significant research career interruption (for example, a hiatus due to illness or major family responsibilities) by providing a structured pathway back into a productive research program.

13) Are there other K01 announcements that may be a better fit for some applicants?

Possibly. NIH notes that some ICs have separate K01 announcements specifically aimed at enhancing workforce diversity, and applicants are encouraged to pay attention to whether a different K01 FOA better matches their background or programmatic goals.

14) What types of organizations are eligible to apply?

Eligibility for applicant organizations is broad and includes many parts of the research and public service ecosystem. The opportunity lists eligible applicants such as state, county, and local governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; Native American tribal organizations that are not federally recognized tribal governments; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not higher education institutions in that nonprofit category listing); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses.

15) Does the opportunity explicitly include certain institution types like MSIs and HBCUs?

Yes. The announcement explicitly calls out additional eligible organization types, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs).

16) Are faith-based and community-based organizations eligible?

Yes. Faith-based or community-based organizations are explicitly listed among the additional eligible organization types in the opportunity summary provided.

17) Are U.S. territories or possessions eligible?

Yes. U.S. territories or possessions are explicitly listed among the additional eligible organization types.

18) Can foreign (non-U.S.) organizations apply directly?

No. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations and foreign institutions) are not eligible to apply directly under this opportunity.

19) Are non-domestic components of U.S. organizations eligible to apply?

No. Non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible to apply.

20) Can a U.S.-based applicant include a foreign component in the project?

Potentially, yes. The summary notes that foreign components may be allowed under NIH policy as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, meaning a U.S.-based applicant organization could potentially include an allowable foreign component when well-justified and consistent with NIH rules.

21) What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this announcement?

The Funding Opportunity Number provided is PA-18-369.

22) What type of federal funding mechanism is this?

It is described as an NIH discretionary grant funding opportunity.

23) When was this funding announcement created?

The announcement was created on November 20, 2017.

24) What closing date is shown in the provided record?

The original closing date shown in the provided record excerpt is January 7, 2019.

25) Does the excerpt specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards?

No. The excerpt provided does not specify an award ceiling or expected number of awards. The summary notes this is common for NIH announcements because award size and award volume can vary by Institute, applicant needs, and annual appropriations.

26) What is the simplest way to understand what this K01 funds?

It is a mentored, career-shaping award designed to fund protected time, structured training, and mentorship so the candidate can develop their publication record and expertise and transition toward independent NIH research funding. The defining constraint for this Parent K01 is that the candidate should not propose to independently lead a clinical trial.