Notice of Increase in Salary Cap and Research Development Support costs for Mentored Patient Oriented Research Development Awards (K23) and Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Development Awards (K08) funded by NIEHS

Notice Number: NOT-ES-08-008

Key Dates
Release Date: July 30, 2008
Effective Date:  October 1, 2008

Issued by
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), (http://www.niehs.nih.gov)

Purpose

Allowable direct costs for Career Development Awards are allocated to two categories:  (1) Salary plus fringe benefits related to effort on the award; and (2) Research Development Support for such costs as tuition and fees, research expenses and travel.  Both of these allocations are subject to fixed dollar allocation caps which do not necessarily reflect actual costs.

Currently, the salary cap on Mentored Patient Oriented Research Development Award (K23) and Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Development Award (K08) grants supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) is $75,000.  A minimum of 75% effort is required to be devoted to the career development award.  Effective October 1, 2008, NIEHS is raising the amount allowable for salary costs on K08 and K23 Career Development Awards to a level of 75% of the Candidate’s (Principal Investigator’s) Institutional Salary Base, not to exceed the level of the legislated cap (for FY 2008, see: NOT-OD-08-035).  Applicants are expected to commit a minimum of 75% effort to the career development program, and a portion of the remainder of the effort is expected to be devoted to maintaining clinical competency.

Currently, applicants may request up to $25,000 in Research Development Support on K23 and K08 applications assigned to NIEHS. Effective October 1, applications for K08 and K23 awards assigned to the NIEHS may request up to $40,000 in Research Development Support. 

The purpose of these changes are to bring the provisions of the K23 and K08 awards supported by the NIEHS in line with the salary and career development support levels provided in the recently funded K12 Patient Oriented Career Development Programs in the Environmental Health Sciences (RFA-ES-06-005) and to encourage scholars supported by that program, as well as other clinicians engaged in environmental health sciences research, to apply for the individual K23 and K08 awards.  Salary caps and career development costs on other career development programs supported by the NIEHS are unchanged from previously published levels.

All K23 and K08 applications supported by the NIEHS are expected to be appropriate for  the mission of the Institute and to be assigned to the NIEHS by the Center for Scientific Review according to the established referral guidelines.  Candidates who are supported in Career Development Programs in the Environmental Health Sciences are expected to propose research career development projects involving the study of an NIEHS mission relevant environmental exposure, and to pursue projects which can evolve into research grant applications (R01, R03, R21) within the defined mission area of the NIEHS.  Examples of environmental agents relevant to the NIEHS mission include industrial chemicals or manufacturing byproducts, metals, pesticides, herbicides, air pollutants and other inhaled toxicants, particulates or fibers, fungal, bacterial or biologically derived toxins.  Agents considered to be outside the mission of the NIEHS which would not be appropriate research areas for candidates supported by NIEHS include, but are not limited to:  alcohol, chemotherapeutic agents, ionizing radiation, smoking (except for second hand smoke in children), drugs of abuse, pharmaceuticals, and infectious or parasitic agents, except when these are disease co-factors to an environmental toxicant exposure to produce the biological effect.  Studies using model compounds are only appropriate when proposals to extend the research to a relevant compound are included in the protocols and the career development plan is consistent with a long term commitment to environmental health sciences research.

As part of the research career development experience, scholars should understand the relevance of the exposure paradigm to human exposure, and the biological and clinical rationale for the link between the exposure and the relevant human disease.  Research projects of candidates which emphasize the translational and integrative aspects of the environmental health sciences will be given preference in decisions regarding program relevance.
Applications from Candidates whose mentor has research grant support funded by NIEHS and who demonstrate a long term commitment to environmental health sciences research are encouraged. 

Inquiries

Direct inquiries regarding this notice to:

Carol Shreffler, Ph.D.
Division of Extramural Research and Training
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
P.O. Box 12233 (EC-23)
79 T.W. Alexander Drive, Room 3453
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2233
Telephone: (919) 541-1445
Fax: (919) 541-5064
shreffl1@niehs.nih.gov


Weekly TOC for this Announcement
NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices


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