September 13, 2023
- August 21, 2023 - The NCI Predoctoral to Postdoctoral Fellow Transition Award (F99/K00 Clinical Trial Not Allowed). See NOFO RFA-CA-23-042.
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
The purpose of this Notice is to correct RFA-CA-23-042, The NCI Predoctoral to Postdoctoral Fellow Transition Award (F99/K00 Clinical Trial Not Allowed).
The following sections of RFA-CA-23-042 have been corrected - the corrections (when text has been inserted) have been indicated in either italics or bold italics:
Section II, Other Award Budget Information, Stipends
Currently reads:
Tuition and Fees
Stipends (F99)/Salary (K00) ALLOWABLE COSTS: F99 PHASE
Stipends are provided as a subsistence allowance to help defray living expenses during the research training experience.
The stipend level for F99 predoctoral fellows is the same as for the F31 Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) fellows. See https://researchtraining.nih.gov/programs/fellowships
ALLOWABLE COSTS: K00 PHASE
NCI will contribute up to $60,000 in the first year toward the salary of the career award recipient. This will be increased to $63,300 for the second year, to $66,600 for the third year, and to $69,900 for a fourth year.
Further guidance on budgeting for career development salaries is provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.
The total salary, however, may not exceed the legislatively mandated salary cap if the source of the funds is federal. See: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/salcap_summary.htm
Corrected to read (in bold italics):
Stipends (F99)/Salary (K00)
ALLOWABLE COSTS: F99 PHASE
Stipends are provided as a subsistence allowance to help defray living expenses during the research training experience.
The stipend level for F99 predoctoral fellows is the same as for the F31 Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) fellows. See https://researchtraining.nih.gov/programs/fellowships
ALLOWABLE COSTS: K00 PHASE
NCI will contribute up to $60,000 in the first year toward the salary of the career award recipient. This will be increased to $63,300 for the second year, to $66,600 for the third year, and to $69,900 for a fourth year.
Further guidance on budgeting for career development salaries is provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.
The total salary, however, may not exceed the legislatively mandated salary cap if the source of the funds is federal. See: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/salcap_summary.htm
Tuition and Fees
Fellowship awards will contribute to the combined cost of tuition and fees at the rate in place at the time of award. See https://researchtraining.nih.gov/resources/policy-notices
Section IV. Application and Submission Information
Currently reads:
5. Intergovernmental Review (E.O. 12372)
This initiative is not subject to intergovernmental review.
The F99/K00 award may not be held concurrently with another federally sponsored fellowship or similar Federal award that provides a stipend or otherwise duplicates provisions of this award. Pre-award costs are allowable only as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
Corrected to read (in bold italics):
5. Intergovernmental Review (E.O. 12372)
This initiative is not subject to intergovernmental review.
6. Funding Restrictions
All NIH awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
The F99/K00 award may not be held concurrently with another federally sponsored fellowship or similar Federal award that provides a stipend or otherwise duplicates provisions of this award. Pre-award costs are allowable only as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
Section VI. Award Administration Information
Corrected to read (by insertion/addition of text, either in bold italics for headers or in italics for other paragraph text):
F99 Phase:
Fellowships funded primarily for educational purposes are exempted from the PHS invention requirements and thus invention reporting is not required. More details, including exceptions for fellows training at NIH are provided in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.
K00 Phase:
Recipients must complete the "Inventions and Patents" section when submitting the K00 Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR).
Institutional Allowances and No-Cost Extensions
Carry-over of unspent funds is not permitted between the first and second years of the F99 phase, or from a partially completed year in the F99 phase into the K00 phase. Provisions for No-Cost Extensions do not apply.
Transition to the Postdoctoral Career Development K00 Phase
The F99/K00 award is intended to facilitate the successful transition to the postdoctoral career stage. Consequently, a requirement for the K00 phase award is successful completion of the doctoral research degree and subsequent transition to a cancer-focused, mentored postdoctoral research position. Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply for postdoctoral positions at institutions different from where they conducted their doctoral research.
The transition from the predoctoral phase to the postdoctoral phase is intended to be continuous in time (no gaps are allowed between the completion of the PhD requirements (acceptance of the PhD thesis by the institution and not when the degree is conferred) and the start of the K00 phase) and, except in unusual circumstances, NCI will not extend the F99 phase. To begin the K00 award phase of the grant, individuals must have been offered and accepted a postdoctoral appointment to carry out cancer-focused research. Upon starting the K00 phase of the award, the F99 phase of the award ends.
Prospective applicants must contact the NCI Program Official as soon as a plan to assume a postdoctoral position develops, but not later than 9 months prior to the proposed start date of the K00 Award.
An eligible K00 institution and mentor must have appropriate infrastructure to support the proposed research program and a history of external research funding. Foreign institutions are not eligible. Applicants may apply for cancer-focused postdoctoral positions within the NIH intramural research program (IRP). However, should the individual accept such a position in the IRP, the postdoctoral phase will be supported directly by NIH intramural funds and the K00 will not be awarded, since NIH intramural scientists are not eligible for NIH extramural grant awards.
F99 fellows who accept a postdoctoral position in the IRP will be required to submit a final progress report and a final evaluation statement by the primary F99 mentor instead of a K00 application.
The K00 postdoctoral phase institution must submit the materials on behalf of the candidate for the K00 award, no later than 6 months prior to the proposed start date of the K00 Award. The institution's Authorized Organizational Representative will email the application in PDF format using PHS 398 (https://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html) to the NCI Scientific/Research Contact listed in Section VII. The K00 application will be evaluated by NCI program staff for completeness and responsiveness to the program.
Candidates who are not approved to transition will receive written notification from the awarding component communicating the rationale for the disapproval. This notification typically will be sent within 60 days of receipt of the K00 application.
Although the financial plans of NCI provide support for this program, awards pursuant to this funding opportunity are contingent upon the availability of funds.
Instructions for the K00 Transition Award
F99 awardees wishing to submit a K00 transition application must follow the Career Development (K) Instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, including Supplemental Grant Application Instructions except where instructed in this funding opportunity announcement to do otherwise, as described here.
The K00 Transition Application will include the following components:
- A new cover page signed by the K00 phase institutional representative;
- A Final Progress Report for the F99 phase;
- A final evaluation statement by the F99 primary sponsor;
- Updated Project Summary and Abstract, Project Narrative, Bibliography & References Cited, Facilities & Other Resources, and Equipment sections;
- Biographical sketches;
- Detailed budget pages for a non-modular budget: K00 budgets consist of salary and fringe benefits, other program-related expenses (These funds may be used for the following expenses:
- (a) tuition and fees related to career development;
- (b) research-related expenses, such as supplies, equipment and technical personnel;
- (c) travel to research meetings or training; and
- (d) statistical services including personnel and computer time, and indirect costs, as described in Part II, Section II of this funding opportunity announcement.
- Other costs are not allowed;
Updated sections of the PHS Career Development Award Supplemental Form, which should include:
- A new Candidate Section;
- An updated Research Plan section: The Specific Aims should be updated to reflect current plans for the K00 phase and the updated Research Strategy should be described in 4 pages;
- A new Mentor, Co-Mentor, Consultant, Collaborators Section that includes a plan for transitioning the candidate to the next stage of their career by the end of the project award period. The mentor should describe previous experience as a mentor, including type of mentoring (e.g., graduate students, career development awardees, postdoctoral students), number of persons mentored, and career outcomes. If the primary mentor has limited training experience, a co-mentor with a strong, successful track record as a mentor should be included;
- If the candidate is proposing to gain experience in a clinical trial as part of his or her research training, the mentor or co-mentor must include a statement to document leadership of the clinical trial including source of funding, NCT# and appropriate expertise to guide the candidate in any proposed clinical trials research experience.
- An updated Environment and Institutional Commitment to the Candidate Section;
- A Statement of Institutional Commitment to Candidate’s Research Career Development:
- If the candidate is not a U.S. Citizen or permanent resident, the sponsoring institution must include information about the candidate’s visa status and an assurance that the candidate’s visa provides sufficient time to complete the K00 phase of the award at a U.S. institution;
- Updated Protections for Human Subjects and Inclusion of Women, Minorities and Individuals Across the Lifespan (as appropriate);
- Updated Other Research Plan Sections (as appropriate), including:
- Vertebrate Animals;
- Select Agent Research;
- Resource Sharing Plans;
- Authentication of Key Biological and/or Chemical Resources; and
- Updated Biohazards
All other aspects of RFA-CA-23-042 remain unchanged.
Dr. Mariam Eljanne
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Telephone: 301-605-3200
Email: eljannem@mail.nih.gov
and Human Services (HHS)
