NIH Institute, Center, and Office (ICO) Funding Considerations for Institutional Career Development and Other Trainings

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]

• 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.