National Institutes of Health (NIH) has released several funding opportunities in its “K Series” of Research Career Development grants, which offer $100,000 per year toward the salary of the career award recipient and between $30,000 and $50,000 per year toward research development costs (as well as 8% in indirect costs). Project periods range from a maximum of three to five years. The opportunities outlined below have 2015 application deadlines of March 12, July 12, and November 12.
National Cancer Institute (NCI) Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Award to Promote Diversity (K08) GrantThis NCI-sponsored K08 award is specifically designed to promote career development of clinical scientists from diverse backgrounds who are underrepresented in health-related science. The K08 mechanism supports a mentored research experience that integrates didactic studies with basic biomedical, behavioral, or translational cancer research, including cancer health disparities. The K08 provides support and protected time for period of intensive, supervised research career development under the guidance of an experienced mentor, or sponsor. The expectation is that through this sustained period of research career development and training, awardees will develop enhanced research capabilities for cancer research careers and be better prepared to compete for research project grants (e.g., R03, R21 or R01) funding in biomedical, behavioral or clinical sciences. The K08 award may be used by candidates with different levels of prior research training and at different stages in their career development.
NCI Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award to Promote Diversity (K23) GrantThe purpose of the NCI Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award (K23) is to support the career development of investigators who have made a commitment to focus their research endeavors on patient-oriented cancer research (POR). The program represents the continuation of a long-standing NIH program that provides support and protected time to individuals with a clinical doctoral degree for an intensive, supervised research career development experience in the fields of biomedical, clinical, behavioral, and social sciences. The objective of the NCI Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award (K23) program is to provide salary and research support for a sustained period of protected time to ensure a future cadre of well-trained scientists conducting NIH-supported POR. The expectation is that through this sustained period of research career development and training, awardees will develop enhanced research capabilities for cancer research careers and be better prepared to compete for research project grants (e.g. R03, R21, or R01) funding.
NCI Transition Career Development Award to Promote Diversity (K22) GrantThe goal of the NCI Career Transition Award to Promote Diversity (K22) program is to enhance the diversity of the NCI-funded research workforce by providing support to outstanding basic, behavioral, translational, or clinical investigators from backgrounds underrepresented in scientific research to develop their independent research skills. This goal is achieved by providing protected time through salary and research support for the initial 3 years of the first independent tenure-track faculty position, or its equivalent. Appropriate K22 applications are expected, but not required, to address problems that are pertinent to cancer health disparities and the biology, etiology, pathogenesis, prevention, diagnosis, control, and/or treatment of human cancer.
NCI Mentored Research Scientist Development Award to Promote Diversity (K01) GrantThe objective of the NCI Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (K01) is to enhance the diversity of the NCI-funded research workforce by supporting eligible individuals from groups that have been shown to be underrepresented in the biomedical, behavioral, social, and clinical sciences. This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) provides salary and research support for a sustained period of “protected time” for intensive research career development under the guidance of an experienced mentor, or sponsor. The expectation is that through this sustained period of research career development and training, awardees will develop enhanced research capabilities for cancer research careers and be better prepared to compete for research project grants (e.g. R03, R21, or R01) funding. Candidates with clinical degrees (e.g., MD) may wish to consider the NCI Mentored Clinical Scientist Award to Promote Diversity Award (K08) and candidates interested in patient-oriented research may wish to consider the NCI Mentored Patient-Oriented Research to Promote Diversity Award (K23) as more appropriate alternatives relative to their stage of development and career goals.
