Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (Parent K01 - Independent Basic Experimental Studies with Humans Required) (PA-20-191)

Scope Note

Table of IC-Specific Information, Requirements and Staff Contacts

Release Date: May 7, 2020
Expiration Date: May 8, 2023

NIH Institute or Center Contacts Institute of Center Specific Information

National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Scientific Program Contact:
Sergey Radaev, PhD
Phone: 240-276-5630
Email: sradaev@mail.nih.gov

Grants Management Contact:
Amy Bartosch

NCI Specific Information

Career Stage: The NCI only uses the parent K01 funding opportunities to support cancer control and prevention cancer researchers in their early career stages. Candidates must have completed at least two, but usually not more than five years of research training/experience beyond a doctoral degree at the time of submitting a K01 application. Early career-stage faculty, including assistant professors (or equivalent), may apply if within the eligibility window. Exceptions will be considered by the program contact on a case-by-case basis.

Candidates still within postdoctoral non-independent, mentored positions are strongly encouraged to apply for a K99/R00 award if within the K99/R00 eligibility window.

Research Areas of Interest: NCI will only accept K01 applications that are submitted in response to one of the following Notices

More information about potentially relevant research areas can be found by examining the mission and scientific scope of the Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences.

More information about potentially relevant research areas can be found by examining the mission and scientific scope of the Division of Cancer Prevention.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to discuss their proposal with the NCI scientific program contact before preparing an application.

Additional Information:

  • All NCI K01 applicants must justify the need for additional mentored training and explain how the training will facilitate their ability to conduct cutting-edge research in one of these topic areas.
  • Applicants must appropriately justify the duration of support, taking into consideration prior research experience and the proposed mentored career development goals that are essential for developing an independent, NCI-funded research program.
  • An application must include a strong and credible plan for the candidate’s transition to research independence, including milestones, and evidence of significant institutional commitment to the continued development of the K01 candidate as an independent researcher at the applicant institution. Applicants are expected to plan to apply for independent research support during the later years of their mentored career award.
  • Award project period: Up to 5 years with justification for a mentored training award for the requested duration.
  • Salary Support: Up to $100,000 plus fringe benefits per year.
  • Research support: Up to $50,000 per year

    Review additional details about the NCI Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (K01).

For information about Career Development Awards to Promote Diversity, please visit the NCI Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities (CRCHD)

National Institute on Aging (NIA)

Scientific Program Contact:
NIA Training Office
NIAtraining@nih.gov

Grants Management Contact:
Jessi Perez, NIA
Phone: (301) 402-7739
Email: jessi.perez@nih.gov
NIA Specific Information:

See: Training and Career Development .

Salary Support: Up to 75,000 plus fringe benefits per year.
Research Support: Up to $20,000 per year.

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

Scientific Program Contact:
Benjamin Xu, Ph.D.
Phone: (301) 443-6545
Email: benxu1@mail.nih.gov

Grants Management Contact:
Judy Fox
Phone: (301) 443-4704
Email: jfox@mail.nih.gov

NIAAA Specific Information:

NIAAA supports faculty level early stage investigators through career development awards by providing protected time and mentoring in an environment where they can develop the skills and expertise for independent research. Under this announcement mentored research must focus on NIAAA’s research priorities as described in the NIAAA Strategic Plan ​. Examples, include but are not limited to research in social, behavioral, biological and mathematical sciences as related to alcohol use disorder and alcoholism.

Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the program official identified in the contact table before preparing an application to discuss eligibility requirements and the relevance of the proposed research to the Institute’s research priorities.

All applications must include a strong and credible plan for the applicant's transition to research independence, outlining milestones and providing evidence of significant institutional commitment to the development of the K01 applicant as an independent researcher at the sponsoring institution.

Candidates with less than 4 years of post-doctoral research experience, who are enrolled in the T32 training programs are strongly encouraged to apply for a K99/R00 award.

At the time of submission, candidates must have less than 10 years post-doctoral research experience, and AT THE TIME OF AWARD must have a secured full time faculty or faculty equivalent appointment in an appropriate research-intensive environment.
The application must also provide a document on institutional letterhead that describes its commitment to the candidate and the candidate's career development, independent of the receipt of the K award. It is also essential to document the institution's commitment to the retention, development, and advancement of the candidate during the period of the award. For additional information about NIH requirements for the institution’s commitment letter, applicants are referred to G.410 - PHS 398 Career Development Award Supplemental Form instructions under Institutional Commitment to Candidate's Research Career Development.

Applications that include human subject research must comply with NIAAA policy on providing plans for submitting grant-related human subjects data to a NIAAA-sponsored data repository, the NIAAA Data Archive (NIAAA DA ), as described in NOT- AA- 19- 020.
To help you decide which award best suits your needs, as well as additional guidance on application specifics, see Research Training and Career Development/Training Opportunities by Grant Mechanism ​.

Salary Support: Up to $90,000 plus fringe benefits per year. A minimum of 75% effort must be devoted to the career award.
Research Support: Up to $50,000 per year.

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

Scientific Program Contact:

Medical Rehabilitation Medicine
Ralph Nitkin, Ph.D.
Phone: (301) 402-4206
Email: rn21e@nih.gov

Child Abuse and Neglect Research
Valerie Maholmes, Ph.D., CAS
Phone: (301)496-1514
Email: maholmev@mail.nih.gov

Population Research
Regina M. Bures, Ph.D.
Phone: (301) 496-9485
Email: regina.bures@nih.gov

Down Syndrome Research
(INCLUDE project ONLY)
Sujata Bardhan, Ph.D.
Phone: (301) 435-0471
Email: sujata.bardhan@nih.gov

Grants Management Contact:
Margaret Young
Phone: (301) 642-4552
Email: margaret.young@nih.gov

NICHD Specific Information:

The NICHD accepts K01 applications from eligible individuals in only the following subject areas. Applications on other research topics will be withdrawn without review.

Medical Rehabilitation Research: Applicants must have clinical training in a rehabilitation-related profession (e.g., P.T., O.T., R.N., or Speech and Language pathologist), possess a doctoral level degree (e.g., Ph.D., D.Eng., Ed.D.), and be committed to a career as an independent investigator in medical rehabilitation.

Child Abuse and Neglect: Applicants must be committed to developing careers as independent investigators in child abuse and neglect research.

Population Research: Population research is defined as demographic, behavioral, and social scientific research on fertility, family and household structures, mortality and morbidity, migration, immigration, population and the environment, and population distribution and characteristics. NICHD supports research that addresses the intersection of demographic processes and health, examines health from a population perspective, and/or integrates demographic or social scientific approaches to understanding health with behavioral or biomedical approaches. The K01 award in Population Research is intended to provide mentored training experiences for:

  1. Investigators in demography or other areas of population research who require additional technical and scientific inquiry skills in order to launch independent research careers;
  2. Investigators in demography or population research who seek research experience in different disciplines (e.g., anthropology, geography, biological sciences, epidemiology, public health, medicine);
  3. Investigators in other disciplines (e.g., anthropology, geography, biological sciences, epidemiology, public health, medicine) who propose new training in demography or population research.

The K01 program in Population Research generally is limited to individuals at the Assistant Professor level. However, recent Associate Professors in the latter two categories are also eligible, as are Associate Professors who initially applied as Assistant Professors and are submitting a revised application (resubmission). For further details on the Population Research K01, see NOT-HD-07-010.

Research related to Down syndrome: NICHD will temporarily accept K01 applications for projects related to Down Syndrome as described in NOT-OD-20-021 – “Mentored Career Development Awards to Foster the Careers of Investigators Pursuing Research Related to Down syndrome as Part of the INCLUDE Project.” Applications in response to this Notice should be aligned with the overall INCLUDE Project Research Plan, which consists of three components:

  • Component 1: Targeted, high risk-high reward, basic science studies in areas highly relevant to Down syndrome
  • Component 2: Cohort Study to connect existing resources and expand to inclusion of individuals with Down syndrome
  • Component 3: Inclusive clinical trials research for co-occurring conditions in individuals with Down syndrome

All K01 applicants must justify the need for additional training and explain how the training will facilitate their ability to conduct cutting-edge research in one of these topic areas. NICHD has a 6-year limit of cumulative support on institutional and individual mentored Ks.

Salary Support: Up to $75,000 plus fringe benefits per year.
Research Support: Up to $25,000 per year.


National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)

Scientific Program Contact:
Alberto L. Rivera-Rentas, Ph.D.
Research Training Officer
Division of Scientific Programs
Phone: (301) 451-3245
Email: riverara@nidcd.nih.gov

Grants Management Contact:
Christopher Myers
Phone: (301) 402-0909
Email: myersc@mail.nih.gov

NIDCD Specific Information:

NIDCD uses the K01 program to support new and junior basic research investigators in supervised career development experiences through a formal structured program to enhance the skill sets of the applicant by mentor(s) with established research lines and expertise in the field or technique that the applicant intends to develop or acquire; and a research project based on preliminary data that fits the applicant career development level and serves to incorporate the skills or technique he/she aims to acquire in the career development plan. NIDCD also uses the program to support investigators who need protected time in supervised career development experiences to train in a new field.

  • Application must demonstrate its contribution to NIDCD and its fit to NIDCD's Mission, Research Priorities, and Strategic Plan.
  • Applicants are strongly encouraged to provide clear evidence that adequate resources are available at the institution for the successful completion of the proposed research project.
  • Applications should include explicit statements from the institution and the mentor(s) addressing the following:
    • Detailed information about who will provide the necessary resources;
    • Funding source and amount of additional funding (as needed);
    • Support staff available and committed to the project;
    • Availability of biostatistical support for the duration of the study - including the planning period; and
    • A contingency plan (for the institution and mentor) for completion of the study in the event the awardee leaves the institution earlier than the end date of the award.


Salary Support: Up to $75,000 plus fringe benefits per year.
Research Support: Up to $30,000 per year.


National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)

Scientific Program Contact:
Anissa J. Brown, PhD
Research Training and Career Development Branch
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
Telephone: (301) 594-4805
Email: anissa.brown@nih.gov


Grants Management Contact:
Dede Rutberg, MBA
Grants Management Branch
Phone: (301) 594-4798
Email: rutbergd@mail.nih.gov




NIDCR Specific Information:

NIDCR uses the K01 to support re-entry of individuals into the dental, oral and craniofacial research workforce whose active careers have been interrupted by family responsibilities or other qualifying circumstances.

Candidates must have a research or health professional doctoral degree (e.g., Ph.D., D.D.S., D.M.D, M.D. or equivalent) and must have been in a postdoctoral or faculty position and actively involved in dental, oral or craniofacial research at the time of career interruption.

Eligibility Circumstances: In general, the duration of the career interruption should be at least one year and no more than eight years. Examples of qualifying interruptions would include a complete or partial hiatus from research activities for child rearing; an incapacitating illness or injury of the candidate, spouse, partner, or a member of the immediate family; relocation to accommodate a spouse, partner, or other close family member; pursuit of non-research endeavors that would permit earlier retirement of debt incurred in obtaining a doctoral degree; and military service. The candidate should be within two years of a complete or partial hiatus from research activities at the time of application.

Biographical Sketch: The personal statement of the candidate’s biographical sketch should address: research objectives and career goals directly related to the mission of the NIDCR; research experience prior to onset of hiatus; length of hiatus, whether complete or partial, and reason for career hiatus; a description of how the candidate has kept current or attempted to keep current in her/his field, and identification of any steps already taken toward re-entry (if any, such as research activities, attending scientific meetings).

Individuals who do not have an independent research plan to propose for this K01 re-entry program, should consider support under the NIH Research Supplements to Promote Re-Entry into Biomedical and Behavioral Research Careers. In addition, candidate supported by NIDCR Research Supplements to Promote Re-Entry into Biomedical and Behavioral Research Careers remain eligible for this K01 re-entry program.

See NOT-DE-16-001 for notice of NIDCR K01 participation. The candidate's academic background, previous experience, and career goals should determine both the length and content of a K01 career development program. Applicants are strongly encouraged to provide clear evidence that adequate resources are available at the institution for the successful completion of the proposed research project. Prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to contact NIDCR to determine eligibility for the NIDCR K01 re-entry award.

Salary Support: Up to $100,000 plus fringe benefits per year.
Research Support: Up to $25,000 per year.
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

Scientific Program Contact:
Lindsey Friend, Ph.D.
Telephone: (301) 594-4673
Email: NIDA_Training@nida.nih.gov

Grants Management Contact:
Carol Alderson
Phone: (301) 827-6685
Email: ca10h@nih.gov
NIDA Specific Information:

Salary Support: Up to $90,000 plus fringe benefits per year.
Research Support: Up to $50,000 per year. Examples include supplies, equipment, technical personnel, travel, and statistical services.

Please note that the aggregate total of NIH mentored career award support (both institutional and individual) cannot exceed 6 years. A prospective K01 applicant who was appointed to an institutional K12 award must contact NIDA prior to submitting an individual mentored K application to confirm eligibility. Please contact NIDA_Training@nida.nih.gov for additional details.





National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Scientific Program Contact:
NIMH Training Contacts

Grants Management Contact:
Rita Sisco
Phone: (301) 443-2805
Email: siscor@mail.nih.gov

NIMH Specific Information:

The NIMH supports a broad spectrum of basic and translational research, including basic neuroscience, human genetics, adult and developmental translational research, services and intervention research, and AIDS-related research (NIMH Extramural Research Programs).

  • Eligibility for the K01 is limited to individuals with no more than 6 years of postdoctoral research experience at the time of application (either the initial or resubmission application). NIMH encourages applicants to limit the requested support to no more than four years. The requested duration of support should be appropriately justified, taking into consideration prior research experience and the proposed mentored career development goals that are essential for developing an independent, NIMH-funded research program. See NOT-MH-22-310 and Career Development Programs (K-Series)​ for further details about NIMH’s support for K programs.
  • An application must include a strong and credible plan for the candidate’s transition to research independence, including milestones, and evidence of significant institutional commitment to the continued development of the K01 candidate as an independent researcher at the applicant institution. Applicants are expected to plan to apply for independent research support during the later years of their mentored career award.
  • It is recommended that NIMH mentored K applicants proposing clinical trials review the following guidance: (Career Development Programs (K-Series)).
  • Prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to contact Institute career development staff (Contacts for Research Training and Career Development Programs) before preparing an application to discuss the relevance of the proposed research to the Institute’s current research priorities and for guidance on the proposed research and career development plans.

Salary Support: Up to $90,000 plus fringe benefits per year.
Research Support: Up to $50,000 per year.

National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)

Scientific Program Contact:
Mary Elizabeth (Libbey) Bowen, PhD
National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)
Telephone: 301-841-5345
Email: libbey.bowen@nih.gov

Grants Management Contact:
Randi Freundlich, RD
Phone: (301) 594-5974
Email: freundlichr@mail.nih.gov

NINR Specific Information:

NINR uses the K01, Career Development Program, to provide support for individuals who have a Bachelor's degree or higher in nursing to pursue career development research training. Applications must have a clear focus in science areas related to the NINR mission, which is to promote and improve the health of individuals, families, and communities. Applicants should also consider NINR areas of special interest identified in NOT-NR-21-001.

Those interested in applying for this opportunity are strongly encouraged to contact the NINR Program Director for Extramural Training). The applicant may contact the NINR Program Director by emailing a copy of their draft NIH Biosketch along with any questions and a draft synopsis of interests and research/training aims. NINR limits the length of the K01 award to a 3-year period.

Salary Support: Up to $100,000 plus fringe benefits per year.
Research Support: Up to $25,000 per year.

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)

Scientific Program Contact:
Lanay Mudd, PhD
Phone: (301) 594-9346
Email: lanay.mudd@nih.gov
nccihderinquiries@mail.nih.gov

Grants Management Contact:
Shelley Carow
Phone: (301) 594-3788
Email: CarowS@MAIL.NIH.GOV

NCCIH Specific Information:

NCCIH uses the K01 program to support new and junior investigators in supervised career development experiences that lead to research independence. It also supports investigators who need protected time in supervised career development experiences to train in a new field.

  • Before the application receipt date, investigators are strongly encouraged to discuss their proposed research interest with an NCCIH Program Officer in the specific scientific area and/or intervention that is closely related to the proposed project to confirm its relevance to NCCIH 's mission and research priorities. A list of NCCIH program officials can be found at Division of Extramural Research Program Directors.
  • Applications proposing the use of natural products or devices in an interventional research project should explicitly describe the status of the Investigational New Drug (IND) or Investigational Device Exemption (IDE). Applicants interested in natural products research are encouraged to review NCCIH's Natural Product Integrity Policy.
  • NCCIH will not fund applications proposing a clinical trial to test efficacy or effectiveness through this mechanism. Applicants are encouraged to discuss their proposed scope of work with an NCCIH program officer, and to review resources available at NCCIH’s Clinical Research Toolbox.
  • Applicants are strongly encouraged to provide clear evidence that adequate resources are available at the institution for the successful completion of the proposed research project. Applications should include explicit statements from the institution and the mentor(s) addressing the following:
    • Detailed information about who will provide the necessary resources;
    • Funding source and amount of additional funding (as needed);
    • Support staff available and committed to the project;
    • Allocation of sufficient protected time for the K awardee to conduct the research;
    • Availability of biostatistical support for the duration of the study - including the planning period; and
    • A contingency plan (for the institution and mentor) for completion of the study in the event the awardee leaves the institution earlier than the end date of the award.

Salary Support: Up to $75,000 plus fringe benefits per year.
Research Support: Up to $25,000 per year.


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