Notice Number: NOT-OD-16-049

Key Dates
Release Date: January 8, 2016

Issued by
National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Purpose

The NIH has reissued PA-15-083 "NIH Pathway to Independence Award (Parent K99/R00)". Applicants should follow all instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, including Supplemental Instructions to the SF424 (R&R) for Preparing an Individual Research Career Development Award (CDA) Application ("K" Series).

Background
In June 2014, a Working Group of the Advisory Committee to the NIH Director (ACD) issued a report on the Physician Scientist Workforce (http://acd.od.nih.gov/psw.htm). The Working Group identified several challenges confronting physician-scientists, a group which includes individuals with MD, DO, DDS/DMD, DVM/VMD, or nurses with research doctoral degrees who devote the majority of their time to biomedical research. The Working Group made several recommendations to the ACD about the funding and training of physician scientists in order to attract and retain well-qualified individuals in research careers, including the modification of some current NIH programs.

Implementation
In response to the Physician Scientist Workforce Working Group recommendations, NIH is reissuing the K99/R00 FOA to provide additional information for physician-scientists who may wish to apply for this program. Specifically:

• Section I. Funding Opportunity Description: A separate section has been added under "Additional Information for Physician-Scientists" to further clarify features of K99/R00 program suited to physician scientists, and to provide guidance to applicants with respect to career stage and timing of the application. 
• Section III. Eligibility Information: A separate section has been added under "Physician-Scientists in positions not designated as postdoctoral positions" to provide additional guidance on the differences between independence in clinical responsibilities and independence is research. In addition, more specific guidance is provided under "Level of Effort" and "Mentor(s)" sections.
• Section VI. Award Administration Information: Under the section "Transition to the Independent Phase" additional guidance is provided regarding institutional commitment to the awardee during the R00 phase of the award and beyond.

Inquiries

Please direct all inquiries to:

Division of Biomedical Research Workforce
Office of Extramural Programs
Office of Extramural Research
Website: https://researchtraining.nih.gov
Email: NIHTrain@mail.nih.gov