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

Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 18 369

The Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (K01) is an NIH career development grant meant to help promising researchers build toward research independence through a structured, mentored period of training and protected time. The award typically provides three to five years of support for an intensive career development plan that combines supervised research with activities like advanced coursework, technical skill-building, and professional development. It is geared toward investigators working in biomedical, behavioral, or clinical science who need dedicated time and mentorship to strengthen their research trajectory and transition into an independent research career.

A key feature of this specific funding announcement is its clinical trial limitation. This Parent K01 opportunity 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. However, it still allows applicants to gain clinical trial experience as part of their training, as long as the trial is led by a mentor or co-mentor and the K01 candidate is not the person directing the trial as the independent leader. If someone wants to propose leading a clinical trial or leading an ancillary study as part of the K01, NIH directs them to apply to the companion announcement (PA-18-363) instead.

NIH Institutes and Centers use the K01 mechanism broadly to develop researchers toward independence, but the program can also serve specific career situations depending on the participating Institute or Center. Some ICs use K01s to help researchers retrain into a new field, which can be important for investigators shifting disciplines to address emerging scientific questions. Others may use it to help applicants who experienced a significant research career interruption, such as a hiatus due to illness or major family responsibilities, by providing a structured pathway back into a productive research program. NIH also notes that separate K01 announcements exist at some ICs specifically aimed at enhancing workforce diversity, meaning applicants should pay attention to whether a different K01 FOA better matches their background or programmatic goals.

Eligibility for applicant organizations is broad and spans many parts of the research and public service ecosystem. Eligible applicants include 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 both with and 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. The opportunity also 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), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, tribal governments other than federally recognized ones (as an additional category), and U.S. territories or possessions.

At the same time, NIH places clear boundaries on foreign involvement. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations and foreign institutions) are not eligible to apply directly, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible to apply. That said, 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 in the project when it is well-justified and consistent with NIH rules.

Administratively, this is an NIH discretionary grant funding opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number PA-18-369) within the broad federal assistance categories tied to health and related research and training, reflected by the multiple CFDA numbers listed in the source data. The announcement was created on November 20, 2017, and the original closing date shown in the provided record is January 7, 2019. The record does not specify an award ceiling or expected number of awards in the excerpt provided, which is common for NIH announcements because award size and volume typically vary by Institute, applicant needs, and annual appropriations.

In practical terms, the K01 is best understood as a mentored, career-shaping award: it is designed to buy protected time, structured training, and high-quality mentorship so a developing scientist can publish, build expertise, and become competitive for independent NIH research funding later on. The defining constraint for this particular Parent K01 is that the applicant should not propose to independently lead a clinical trial, while still being allowed to learn within a mentor-led clinical trial environment if that experience supports the candidate’s development.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (Parent K01 -Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.121, 93.172, 93.173, 93.213, 93.233, 93.242, 93.273, 93.279, 93.286, 93.307, 93.351, 93.361, 93.837, 93.838, 93.839, 93.840, 93.855, 93.865, 93.866.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-11-20.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2019-01-07. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.

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