Notice Number: NOT-NS-09-015

Update: The following update relating to this announcement has been issued:

• May 18, 2012 - See Notice NOT-NS-12-018. Change in NINDS salary caps for the K02, K08 and K23 Career Development Awards.

Key Dates
Release Date: August 7, 2009

Issued by
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), (http://www.ninds.nih.gov)

Purpose

The purpose of this notice is to notify investigators of a change in salary support provided by 5 year mentored K awards when the applicant obtains an NIH R01 during the first 3 years of the award. Awards affected by this notice are the NINDS K01, K08, K23 and K25 (see K Kiosk).

Current Policy

Mentored K awards require a commitment of at least 75% of full time professional effort (50% effort for neurosurgeons) towards the mentored K research project. NINDS currently provides salary support commensurate with the requested effort, up to a maximum of $85,000. Applicants may not obtain salary support from other federal grants until the final two years of mentored K support (NOT-OD-08-065). In the final two years of the K award, if the awardee obtains a federal grant that is an NIH R01 or equivalent, applicants may 1) reduce effort on the K award to a minimum of 50% and 2) may obtain salary support, commensurate with committed effort, from the R01 or equivalent federal grant. NINDS encourages K awardees to obtain R01 level funding as soon as possible after obtaining the mentored K. Consequently, some K awardees may obtain an R01 or federal equivalent during the first 3 years of a 5 year mentored K award and be unable to fully support their salary commensurate with their effort.

Change in Policy

To ameliorate this situation, NINDS is instituting the following policy, effective at the beginning of FY2010. NINDS will eliminate the salary cap for those with mentored K awards who obtain R01 or equivalent federal grant funding during the first 3 years of the mentored K award. Applicants within their first 3 years of a mentored K award, who obtain an R01 or federal equivalent, may obtain up to 80% of their institutional base salary, commensurate with effort, as long as the R01 research project represents an expansion of the K award project. A minimum of 75% effort must still be devoted to the K award project during the first 3 years of K award support. This level of salary support can continue for all remaining years of the K award, commensurate with effort devoted to the K award project. During the final two years of the mentored K award, additional salary may be obtained from the awarded R01, or from another R01, for effort exceeding the 80% level. If appropriate or desired, the level of effort on the mentored K award may be reduced to a minimum of 50% during the last two years of the award. At all times, salary obtained from the K award cannot exceed that which is commensurate with full time professional effort committed to the K award research project.

For those who initially obtain R01 or federal equivalent support during the final 2 years of mentored K award, salary support from the mentored K award will continue to be capped at up to $85,000. In accordance with present NIH policy, additional salary support may also be obtained from the awarded R01 or federal equivalent.

Timing of the change in salary support after receipt of an R01 or federal equivalent

Grant start dates determine when the salary change can go into effect. If the R01 is obtained during the same fiscal year as the mentored K award anniversary date, a requested salary change will be effective on the start date of the R01. If the R01 is obtained in the fiscal year subsequent to the most recent mentored K award anniversary date, the requested salary change will be effective on the K award anniversary date during the fiscal year that coincides with the R01 start date (for example, if the K award anniversary date is July 1 and the R01 is approved at the subsequent October council, the salary change will go into effect on the following July 1). It is incumbent upon the K award recipient to request the change in salary support in a timely manner. The request for changes in K award salary must be made at least one month prior to the end of the fiscal year in which they are to take effect. Otherwise, changes to the K award cannot be made until the K award anniversary date of the subsequent fiscal year.

Inquiries

Direct your questions about this Notice to:

Stephen J. Korn, Ph.D.
Director of Training and Career Development
NIH/NINDS
Neuroscience Center, Room 2186
6001 Executive Blvd MSC 9531
Bethesda, MD 20892-9531
e-mail: korns@ninds.nih.gov