Institutional Career Development and Other Training Funding Considerations and Contacts

NCATS encourages institutions to propose CTSA K12 programs that prepare investigators for independent careers in clinical and translational science (CTS). 

Interest areas include:

• Research across the full CTS spectrum, from preclinical through clinical research, implementation, and public health impact
• Studies that advance the science of translation, including development of generalizable methods to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of translation
• Development and testing of diagnostics, therapeutics, devices, and behavioral interventions to address unmet needs
• Innovations in clinical research design and conduct, including trial methodologies, recruitment, real-world data, and informatics
• Research addressing barriers and inefficiencies in the translational process and proposing solutions to improve outcomes
• Dissemination and implementation research to promote uptake of evidence-based interventions
• Team-based, multi-disciplinary approaches to complex translational challenges
• Use of innovative tools, technologies, and platforms to enhance translational research
• Research leveraging CTSA resources, infrastructure, and collaborative networks

NCATS does not prioritize:

• Basic research that lack a clear translational application
• Single-discipline projects that lack CTS relevance
• Disease-focused research that lack broader translational science impact
• Activities not aligned with the NCATS mission to accelerate translation into health solutions

• The project period duration is up to 5 years.

• NCATS will contribute up to $120,000 per year toward the salary of each K12 scholar, not including fringe benefits.
• NCATS expects budgets to include funds to support K scholar research projects and career development activities with $10,000-$30,000 per individual Scholar per year for research-related expenses..
• NCATS limits the total budget per scholar to $180,000 in direct costs per year
   

• In general, NCATS expects scholars to devote 9 person-months (75 percent of the K12 full-time effort)  to the K12 program, except for those in surgical specialties, which can have less than 9 person-months (75 percent), but no less than 6 person-months (50 percent), protected time for this program, if sufficiently justified and programmatically approved. 

CTSA Training NOFOs Questions
[email protected]
 

NCI supports institutional career development programs (K12) that prepare clinician-scientists for independent cancer research careers. NCI encourages applications that propose creative transdisciplinary and innovative institutional research career development programs in the mission area(s) of NCI. 

Programs may include, but are not limited to: 

• Community oncology and cancer prevention, screening, treatment, and control research  
• Cancer care delivery and implementation science  
• Integration of cancer health disparities research across clinical trials and population-based studies  
• Transdisciplinary approaches spanning fundamental, prevention, treatment, and survivorship research 
• Clinical and translational research incorporating innovative patient engagement strategies  

Paul Calabresi K12 Program Director(s)
Email: [email protected]

Worta McCaskill-Stevens K12 Program Director(s) 
Email: [email protected] 

NEI is interested in institutional career development programs aligned with NEI’s mission whose goal is to support the next generation of the biomedical research workforce in vision science, optometry, and ophthalmology.

• Creative and innovative institutional research career development programs which will prepare clinically trained vision scientists for independent research careers
• Candidates that have a health professional doctoral degree, such as the M.D., M.D./PhD; D.O., D.O./PhD; O.D.; O.D./PhD; D.V.M., D.V.M/PhD; or equivalent degree, and a professional clinical license to practice ophthalmology or optometry in the United States. 

• Individuals designing, directing, and implementing the career development program may request salary and fringe benefits appropriate for the person months devoted to the program.
• Scholar salaries requested may not exceed the levels commensurate with the institution's policy for similar positions and may not exceed the congressionally mandated cap.
• Mentoring interactions and other activities with scholars are non-reimbursable from grant funds.
• Salary support for ancillary personnel is not allowable.

• Consultant costs, equipment, supplies, travel for key persons, and other program-related expenses may be included in the proposed budget. 
• Annual direct costs of up to $30,000 per scholar may be requested for the following types of expenses: consultant costs, research supplies, equipment, and technical personnel; travel to attend research meetings or training; tuition, fees, and books related to didactic courses or career development activities; and statistical services, including personnel and computer time. 
• Expenses must be justified and must not duplicate items generally available at the applicant institution.
• Costs may not be pooled and used for advertising, recruitment, or other programs unrelated or indirectly related to the research activities of individual scholars.

• Scholars are expected to devote a minimum of 9 person-months (75% of full-time professional effort).
• Scholars who are ophthalmic surgeons may request between 6 and 9 person-months (50% to 75%) of full-time professional effort.

NEI Extramural Research 
[email protected]

NHGRI supports Institutional Career Development programs designed to prepare promising later stage postdoctoral fellows and junior faculty scholars for independent research careers in areas relevant to the NHGRI mission. Prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to contact NHGRI program staff prior to submitting an application.

For Education Projects (R25):

• NHGRI encourages applicants to request up to $1500 of travel allowance for each trainee supported by the NHGRI R25 award. Applicants can also request up $3,000 per year in total (not per individual) to support travel for training program staff to attend the meeting. Training program staff include PDs/PIs, program coordinators, and training faculty to support travel to the NHGRI Research Training and Career Development Annual Meeting.

NHGRI Research Funding
[email protected]

• NICHD offers institutional career development awards in areas relevant to the institute’s research mission. The institute prioritizes programs in pediatrics, women’s health, reproductive sciences, pediatric clinical pharmacology, rehabilitation research, and pediatric critical care and trauma. 
• Institutional career development programs provide 2-4 years of mentored research support for junior faculty or individuals who have completed postgraduate clinical training who aim to become independent investigators. Programs may support slots for basic, behavioral, or clinical scholars.

• The overall project period for the institutional program is limited to 5 years.
• Scholars typically spend 2 to 3 years in the program, with a maximum cumulative limit of 6 years if they transition to an individual NIH mentored career development award. 

• Budget considerations: Contacting NICHD staff prior to submission is strongly encouraged.
• Administrative and Program Personnel costs: Salary support for program administration and management generally should not exceed $50,000 per year.
• Scholar Salary Support: Generally, scholar salaries for institutional career development awards from NICHD are $75,000 per year. For programs focusing on clinician-scientist training, salary support for scholars may be up to $100,000 per year.

• Scholar Research Expenses and Travel: Generally limited to $25,000 per year.
• Other Program Related Expenses: Generally limited to $25,000 per year. 

• NICHD expects Scholars to devote a minimum of 75% (9 person-months) of full-time professional effort toward research and career development activities.
• To maintain specialty clinical competency, U.S. licensed surgeon-scientists with active surgical duties may, with prior approval and institutional justification, devote 50-75% full-time effort to K award activities.

For general inquiries, contact [email protected]. For questions about existing awards and renewal applications, contact the Program Officer or Grants Specialist identified in the Notice of Award. 

• NIDA supports Institutional Career Development Awards in all areas of research described in NIDAs current strategic plan.
• Institutional training for clinician scholars is encouraged.
• Prospective applicants are highly encouraged to contact a NIDA Program Official in their area of interest, prior to preparing an application by contacting [email protected].

• Salary Support: Up to $100,000 plus fringe benefits per year.

• Research Support: Up to $50,000 per year

Office of Research Training and Career Development
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Email: [email protected]

NIDDK prioritizes institutional career development programs in two programmatic areas:

• Non-malignant urology (KURe program): through institutional awards, to promote the career development of individuals with doctorate degrees (e.g. MD, DO, MD/PhD, or PhD) to prepare them for careers in basic, translational, and/or patient-oriented urologic research within the mission areas of NIDDK
• Diabetes (DiabDOCS program): through a single national award, to promote the career development of clinician scientists to prepare them for careers in conducting innovative research into the causes and consequences of type 1 diabetes. The program will also support the career development of physicians whose research focuses on innovative projects in type 2 or other forms of diabetes, as co-funding permits.   

Applications focused on other NIDDK mission areas will not be supported.

KURe applications will be considered for funding for the May 2027 and May 2028 Council rounds.

DiabDOCS applications will be considered for funding for the May 2027 Council round.

Support can be requested for up to 5 years.

For both programs:

NIDDK will provide up to $100,000 plus fringe per year for appointed scholars.

KURe

• NIDDK will provide up to $50,000 in direct costs per year per scholar to support research development costs.  

  Allowable expenses include:

  • Research supplies and small equipment
  • Technical personnel
  • Tuition and fees
  • Travel
  • Statistical services
• Travel funds should include travel to the annual CAIRIBU Meeting.
• Effort for the PI/PD and faculty with significant program responsibilities is limited to 1.2 person months.  Administrative services are limited to 6.0 CM combined total effort.

DiabDOCS

• NIDDK will provide up to $50,000 in direct costs per year per scholar to support research development costs.  
  • Allowable expenses are the same as listed above for KURe.
• Up to $3,000 per year may be used for career development tuition and books
• NIDDK may provide up to $70,000 to support an annual retreat for the scholars. Effort for the PD/PI and faculty with significant program responsibilities is limited to 4.5 person months. Administrative services are limited to 6.0 CM combined total effort

• Scholars are expected to devote a minimum of 9 person-months (75% of full-time professional effort) during the appointment on the K12 award.
• Scholars who are urologic surgeons may request between 6 and 9 person-months (50% to 75%) of full-time professional effort.

Scientific Program Contacts:

Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases 
Email: [email protected] 

Division of Kidney, Urologic, and Hematologic Diseases 
Email: [email protected]  

Grants Management Contact: 

Email: [email protected]

NIEHS Institutional Career Development awards are expected to focus on the environmental health sciences and be responsive to the interest areas and mission of the NIEHS, which is to support research that examines how the environment affects biological systems across the lifespan and to translate this knowledge to reduce disease and promote human health. 

NIEHS encourages proposals that provide new pediatric healthcare providers, obstetricians and gynecologists, and other healthcare professionals with state-of-the-art environmental health training that blends research, research translation, and practice-based applications to prepare them as independent researchers and recognized leaders. 

NIEHS prioritizes applications that propose partnerships with one or more Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit to apply skills and knowledge in real-world settings.

NIEHS prioritizes proposals that outline a strategy to foster programmatic identity and networking among scholars.

Neither the NIEHS Superfund Research Program nor the NIEHS Worker Training Program participates in these programs.

NIEHS allows up to $110,000 plus fringe benefits/per year toward the salary of the career award recipient.

NIEHS will allow annual direct costs of up to $25,000 per year per scholar toward the research development costs of the career award recipient.

• Allowable expenses in this category include
  • Consultant costs, research supplies, equipment, and technical personnel
  • Travel to attend Scholar meetings, research meetings, or training
  • Tuition, fees, and books related to didactic courses or career development activities
  • Statistical services or technical support for data analysis, including personnel and computer time

These expenses must be justified as specifically required by the proposed program and must not duplicate items generally available at the applicant institution.

Career award recipients are expected to devote a minimum of 9 person-months (75% of full-time professional effort) during the appointment on the K12 award.

Career award recipients who are surgeons in pediatric and reproductive health fields may request between 6 and 9 person-months (50% to 75%) of full-time professional effort.

[email protected]

NIGMS prioritizes Institutional Career Development Programs relevant to its mission that prepare postdoctoral researchers for the following career pathways: 

• Clinician Scientist Research Independence (CSRI): Prepares clinician scientists for independent, research careers in NIGMS-mission relevant clinical areas: 
  • Anesthesiology  
  • Clinical pharmacology 
  • Injury and critical illness   

NIGMS anticipates that CSRI programs will recruit 2-4 new scholars annually and support them for two years for a maximum program size of 8 scholars.  At the conclusion of the program, scholars are expected to be able to successfully compete for mentored career development or independent research awards.   

• Academic Research and Teaching (ART): Prepares research scientists for academic careers that combine rigorous research and state-of-the art teaching approaches.  Programs are expected to combine mentored postdoctoral research experiences with mentored teaching and professional skills development opportunities at distinct primarily undergraduate teaching partner institutions. NIGMS anticipates that ART will recruit 3-4 new scholars annually and support them for three years for a maximum program size of 12 scholars.  At the conclusion of the experience, scholars are expected to be able to successfully transition to faculty careers at a range of institution types and compete for independent research support.   

NIGMS strongly encourages applications from:  

• Institutions from IDeA-eligible states 
• HBCUs  
• Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), as defined under 25 U.S.C. 1603 (24). 
• Resource-limited institutions that can support rigorous career development programs.   

NIGMS also encourages the participation of these institutions as partners in career development programs, especially Academic Research and Teaching (ART).

Applications are considered for funding after October and January councils. Although applications are accepted for all opportunity due dates, we recommend submitting to due dates that align with those councils.

Support for up to 5 years. 

NIGMS will contribute up to the following amounts in salary and fringe benefits/per year, consistent with the established salary structure at the applicant institution to other staff members of equivalent qualifications, rank, and responsibilities in the department concerned. 

Salary support: Depending on the number of scholars in the program and the person-months devoted to administration of the program:

• Total PD(s)/PI(s) (including a combination of multiple PD(s)/PI(s)) is limited to up to a total of 2.0 person-months effort per year.
• Total salary support for other administrative staff (for example, a program coordinator to assist the PD(s)/PI(s)) is limited to up to 6 person-months.

Additionally, for ART partner institution(s), total salary support limits per partner organization are:

• 0.6 person months for administrative personnel.
• 2.4 person months for the teaching mentor(s).

Program evaluation: Limited program evaluation costs are allowed up to a maximum of 2% of direct costs per year for the 5-year project period. This includes salaries for evaluation consultants, if any.

Additional information by program area:

CSRI

• Up to $25,000 research support.
• $2,000 for conference travel

ART 

• Up to $2,500 for teaching supplies 
• Up to $2,000 for conference travel

CSRI  

• A minimum of 9 person-months (75% of full-time professional effort) to the award.    
• Surgeon-scientists with surgical duties may request a minimum of 6 person-months (50% full-time professional effort) to the award.  

ART 

• 9 person-months (75% full-time effort) to mentored research experiences. 
• 3 person-months (25% full-time effort) to mentored teaching and skills development activities each year, the timing of which may be flexible over the academic year.   

[email protected]  

NINDS encourages Institutional Career Development applications in each of the following medical specialties: child neurology, neurosurgery, and emergency medicine to support the development of physician-scientists pursuing research in areas within the NINDS mission.  

NINDS will support one national program in each specialty for mentored career development and training of physicians specializing in child neurology, neurosurgery, and emergency medicine at institutions nationwide. NINDS encourages institutions to propose programs designed to 

• increase the cadre of physician-scientists trained to conduct outstanding research into neurological disorders, taking advantage of their clinical training and expertise.  

• promote high quality, novel, creative research and innovative investigation by these cohorts of individuals who possess unique clinical knowledge and experience.  

• prepare each scholar to develop a successful, individual, well-funded research program, which they will combine with their clinical career to advance the understanding and treatment of neurological disorders. 

Applications are prioritized for January and May Advisory Council review. 

• The maximum project period for NINDS-supported Institutional Career Development programs is 5 years.   

• Scholars may receive financial support from an NINDS Institutional Career Development program for up to 3 years. 

Personnel Costs: 

• PD/PI salary and fringe up to 1.2 person-months (10% effort cap shared between PDs/PIs) for designing, directing and implementing the program  
• Up to 1.2 person-months salary for a leadership position if coordination is needed to meet the goals of the program  
• Up to 2.4 person-months salary for administrative staff budgeted as indirect costs 

Scholar Costs: 

• Up to $115,000 for salary plus fringe per scholar per year 
• Up to $50,000 per scholar per year for research expenses 

• Consultant costs, equipment, supplies, travel for key persons, and other program-related expenses may be included if justified as specifically required by the proposed program and must not duplicate items generally available at the applicant institution.  
• Up to $65,000 per year to support the annual program meeting.  
• Honoraria and funds for travel may be requested for members of the National Advisory Committee who review grants and attend the annual program meeting.  
• Site visits and attendance of visiting faculty to the annual program meeting to provide special expertise via workshops or presentations. 

NINDS expects candidates to commit a minimum of 75% of full-time professional effort to their program of career development, except for neurosurgeons, who may commit a minimum of 50% of full-time professional effort. Time with clinical on-call responsibilities may not be counted as protected time for research. 

NINDS Office of Training and Workforce Development:  
[email protected]