It is critical that applicants follow the Career Development (K) Instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, except where instructed to do otherwise (in this FOA or in a Notice from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts). Conformance to all requirements (both in the Application Guide and the FOA) is required and strictly enforced. Applicants must read and follow all application instructions in the Application Guide as well as any program-specific instructions noted in Section IV. When the program-specific instructions deviate from those in the Application Guide, follow the program-specific instructions. Applications that do not comply with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.

Part 1. Overview Information
Part 2. Full Text of the Announcement

Section I. Funding Opportunity Description
Section II. Award Information
Section III. Eligibility Information
Section IV. Application and Submission Information
Section V. Application Review Information
Section VI. Award Administration Information
Section VII. Agency Contacts
Section VIII. Other Information

The overall goal of the NIH Research Career Development program is to help ensure that a diverse pool of highly trained scientists is available in appropriate scientific disciplines to address the Nation's biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research needs. NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs) support a variety of mentored and non-mentored career development award programs designed to foster the transition of new investigators to research independence and to support established investigators in achieving specific objectives. Candidates should review the different career development (K) award programs to determine the best program to support their goals. More information about Career programs may be found at the NIH Extramural Training Mechanisms website.

Doctoral-level investigators pursuing careers in all fields of cancer research often require extended periods of mentored research training beyond their original doctoral degrees (e.g., M.D., M.D./Ph.D., or Ph.D.). These investigators perform their research training t domestic extramural institutions/organizations, as well as in Federal research groups. Many of these investigators need additional protected time to develop successful independent research programs.

The objective of the NCI Transition Career Development Award (K22) is to provide support to mentored, non-independent investigators in transitioning to their first independent tenure-track faculty cancer research positions, or their equivalent, with an enhanced probability of success for obtaining independent NIH or other research project grant support. Candidates in mentored, non-independent cancer research positions who have had at least 2 years of postdoctoral cancer research training, but, no more than a total of 8 years of mentored, non-independent training experience after the terminal research doctorate or clinical degree may apply, and if successful, must obtain tenure-track faculty, or equivalent, positions, and NCI approval before awards will be issued.

The NCI K22 award will provide up to 3 years of support for the most promising and exceptionally talented mentored, non-independent investigators. This period of support is to allow the investigator to work towards establishing his/her own independent cancer research program and to prepare an application for cancer research grant support (R01 or equivalent). NCI believes that the creativity and innovation of new independent cancer research investigators in their early career stages play an integral role in addressing our Nation’s biomedical, behavioral, and clinical cancer research needs.

The candidate submits a K22 application from the institution where he/she currently pursues mentored, non-independent research training. The application will be peer reviewed and assigned an overall impact score. Successful candidates (i.e. whose application has been selected for funding) will receive a Letter of Intent to Commit Funds from NCI that will include the terms and conditions to issue/activate the K22 award. In order to issue/activate the K22 award, the candidate will need to first secure a tenure-track faculty position, in an extramural institution that is not an agency of the Federal Government, within 12 months of the receipt of the Letter of Intent to Commit Funds. Once the faculty position has been secured, the candidate will submit updated information about the K22 application with the support of the awardee institution. The updated information about the transition to a tenure-track faculty position at the awardee institution will be evaluated by NCI staff to ensure that all programmatic requirements are met prior to the issuance/activation of the K22 award. The details of the requirements for the issuance/activation of the K22 award are described in Section VI.

Note: All applications submitted to this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) must propose independent basic science experimental studies involving humans, otherwise referred to in NOT-OD-18-212 as prospective basic science studies involving human participants, that fall within the NIH definition of a clinical trial and also meet the definition of basic cancer research. Those not proposing a clinical trial, a clinical trial feasibility study, or an ancillary study to an ongoing clinical trial as lead investigator, should apply to the companion FOA (PAR-21-128).

NIH defines basic research consistent with the definition of basic research in federal code, the systematic study directed toward greater knowledge or understanding of the fundamental aspects of phenomena or of observable facts without specific applications towards processes or products in mind.  (32 CFR 272.3). 

NIH defines a clinical trial as "A research study in which one or more human subjects are prospectively assigned to one or more interventions (which may include placebo or other control) to evaluate the effects of those interventions on health-related biomedical or behavioral outcomes." (NOT-OD-15-015).

NIH not only supports trials of safety and efficacy, it also supports mechanistic exploratory studies that meet the definition of a clinical trial and are designed to explore or understand a biological or behavioral process, the pathophysiology of a disease, or the mechanism of action of an intervention.  These studies may focus on basic and/or translational discovery research in healthy human subjects and in human subjects who are affected by the pathophysiology of diseases and disorders. By addressing basic questions and concepts in biology, behavior, and pathophysiology, these studies may provide insight into understanding human diseases and disorders along with potential treatments or preventive strategies. NIH also supports biomarker studies that meet the definition of a clinical trial and that may provide information about physiological function, target engagement of novel therapeutics, and/or the impact of therapeutics on treatment response. NIH thus supports studies that meet the definition of clinical trials (as noted above), but do not seek to establish safety, clinical efficacy, effectiveness, clinical management, and/or implementation of preventive, therapeutic, and services interventions. 

Types of studies that should submit under this FOA include studies that prospectively assign human participants to conditions (i.e., experimentally manipulate independent variables) and that assess biomedical or behavioral outcomes in humans for the purpose of understanding the fundamental aspects of phenomena without specific application towards processes or products in mind.

For the purposes of this FOA, without specific application towards processes or products refers to the application of biomedical or behavioral products, procedures, or services intended to improve the health status of the individual or a group of individuals either by better understanding the mechanism of action of an intervention or a measurable improvement in health. 

Basic experimental studies in which participants are prospectively assigned to conditions and receive an intervention or experimental manipulation where the effect will be assessed or for the purpose of understanding fundamental aspects of phenomena should submit under this FOA. Please refer to the table comparing Funding Opportunity Types by Clinical Trial Allowability for additional guidance on the most appropriate FOA for the type of study https://grants.nih.gov/grants/Comparison-of-FOA-Types-Clinical-Trials.pdf.

Prospective studies with humans conducted with specific applications towards processes or products in mind, including FDA Phase 0 or 1 studies, mechanistic clinical trials (e.g., those that examine the mechanisms by which an intervention works or the processes that account for an intervention's effects on clinical outcome), and safety and efficacy studies should submit under the Independent Clinical Trial Required companion FOA (PAR-21-111), but not under this FOA. 

Observational studies involving humans should submit under the "Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed companion FOA (PAR-21-128)

For FOAs that require independent clinical trials, as this FOA does, complete Section 4 - Protocol Synopsis Information and Section 5 - Other Clinical Trial-related Attachments.

Non-Responsive Applications

Applications with one or more of the characteristics listed below will be considered non-responsive and will not be reviewed:

• Applications in which the candidate has more than a total of 8 years of mentored, non-independent research training experience after the terminal research doctorate or clinical degree at the time of application submission or resubmission unless the candidate received prior approval from the Program Director before application submission; or
• Applications in which the candidate scurrently holds or previously held an independent research faculty or tenure-track faculty position, or its equivalent, in academia, industry or elsewhere; or
• Applications in which the candidate hasan application pending review for any other PHS career development award, including a Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00); or
• Applications in which the candidate currently holds or previously held another NIH career development award (e.g. K01, K07, K08, K18, K22, K23, K99, K99/R00) or other peer-reviewed NIH (except R03) or non-NIH research grants over $100,000 in direct costs per year; or
• Applications in which the candidate hasbeen an independent PD/PI on NIH research grants (e.g. R01, R21, P01), or a sub-project leader on a Program Project (P01) or Center Grant (P50), or a non-NIH research grant equivalent to these grants/awards; or
• Applications in which the candidate does not have an affiliation with a domestic extramural institution or Federal institution at the time of initial application or resubmission; or
• Applications that are merely cancer-related.

See Section VIII. Other Information for award authorities and regulations.

NIH grant policies as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement will apply to the applications submitted and awards made from this FOA.

Higher Education Institutions

• Public/State Controlled Institutions of Higher Education
• Private Institutions of Higher Education

The following types of Higher Education Institutions are always encouraged to apply for NIH support as Public or Private Institutions of Higher Education:

• Hispanic-serving Institutions
• Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
• Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs)
• Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions
• Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs)

Nonprofits Other Than Institutions of Higher Education

• Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education)
• Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education)

For-Profit Organizations

• Small Businesses
• For-Profit Organizations (Other than Small Businesses)

Governments

• State Governments
• County Governments
• City or Township Governments
• Special District Governments
• Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Federally Recognized)
• Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized)
• Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government, including the NIH intramural program
• U.S. Territory or Possession

Other

• Independent School Districts
• Public Housing Authorities/Indian Housing Authorities
• Native American Tribal Organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
• Faith-based or Community-based Organizations
• Regional Organizations

The applicant institution may be private (profit or nonprofit) or public. NIH intramural and other eligible Federal laboratories are eligible to submit K22 applications. However, NIH intramural laboratories and other agencies of the Federal Government are not eligible to be the awardee institution.

Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are not eligible to apply.
Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply.
Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed.

Applicant Organizations

Applicant organizations must complete and maintain the following registrations as described in the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide to be eligible to apply for or receive an award. All registrations must be completed prior to the application being submitted. Registration can take 6 weeks or more, so applicants should begin the registration process as soon as possible. The NIH Policy on Late Submission of Grant Applications states that failure to complete registrations in advance of a due date is not a valid reason for a late submission.

• Dun and Bradstreet Universal Numbering System (DUNS) - All registrations require that applicants be issued a DUNS number. After obtaining a DUNS number, applicants can begin both SAM and eRA Commons registrations. The same DUNS number must be used for all registrations, as well as on the grant application.
• System for Award Management (SAM) Applicants must complete and maintain an active registration, which requires renewal at least annually. The renewal process may require as much time as the initial registration. SAM registration includes the assignment of a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code for domestic organizations which have not already been assigned a CAGE Code.
• NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) Code Foreign organizations must obtain an NCAGE code (in lieu of a CAGE code) in order to register in SAM.
• eRA Commons - Applicants must have an active DUNS number to register in eRA Commons. Organizations can register with the eRA Commons as they are working through their SAM or Grants.gov registration, but all registrations must be in place by time of submission. eRA Commons requires organizations to identify at least one Signing Official (SO) and at least one Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) account in order to submit an application.
• Grants.gov Applicants must have an active DUNS number and SAM registration in order to complete the Grants.gov registration.

Program Directors/Principal Investigators (PD(s)/PI(s))

All PD(s)/PI(s) must have an eRA Commons account.  PD(s)/PI(s) should work with their organizational officials to either create a new account or to affiliate their existing account with the applicant organization in eRA Commons. If the PD/PI is also the organizational Signing Official, they must have two distinct eRA Commons accounts, one for each role. Obtaining an eRA Commons account can take up to 2 weeks.

All PD(s)/PI(s) must be registered with ORCiD. The personal profile associated with the PD(s)/PI(s) eRA Commons account must be linked to a valid ORCID ID. For more information on linking an ORCID ID to an eRA Commons personal profile see the ORCID topic in our eRA Commons online help.

Any candidate with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) and who has at least 2 years of postdoctoral cancer research training, but, no more than a total of 8 years of mentored, non-independent training experience after the terminal research doctorate or clinical degree is invited to work with his/her organization to develop an application for support. Parental, medical, or other well-justified leave for personal or family situations of generally less than 12 months duration is not included in the 8-year eligibility limit, nor is clinical training with no research involvement (e.g., full-time residency training). Part-time postdoctoral research training, related to personal or family situations or occurring during a research residency or fellowship, will be pro-rated accordingly. 

Individuals from diverse backgrounds, including those from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, individuals with disabilities, and those from disadvantaged backgrounds, are always encouraged to apply for NIH support. Such individuals may also be eligible for the NCI Transition Career Development Award to Promote Diversity (K22) and are advised to contact the NCI Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities.

Multiple PDs/PIs are not allowed.

By the time of award, the PD/PI of a K22 award must be a citizen or a non-citizen national of the United States or have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence (i.e., possess a currently valid Permanent Resident Card USCIS Form I-551, or other legal verification of such status).

Postdoctoral Investigators:

At the time of the initial application submission (or resubmission), candidates for this award must (1) have earned a terminal clinical degree or research doctorate (including Ph.D., M.D., D.O., D.C., N.D., D.D.S., D.M.D., D.V.M., Sc.D., D.N.S., Pharm.D., or equivalent doctoral degree) or a combined research doctorate/clinical degree; (2) have at least 2 years of postdoctoral, or its equivalent, training in cancer research (e.g., postdoctoral fellow, postdoctoral associate, clinical fellow, clinical associate, or equivalent); (3) have no more than a total of 8 years of mentored, non-independent research training experience after the terminal clinical degree or research doctorate; (4) have not already obtained an individual career development award or research project grant (except R03) from the Federal Government; and (5) have not already had or have a tenure-track faculty position, or its equivalent.

Individuals are eligible for a K22 award if they have been, or currently are, the PD/PI of an NIH R03 or a PHS or non-Federal award that does not duplicate the specific aims or research goals of an R03 grant.

Other Candidates:

Some institutions appoint postdoctoral fellows in positions with other titles (e.g., research associate, instructor, or equivalent), although they are still in mentored, non-independent training positions. Candidates in such positions are encouraged to obtain confirmation of their eligibility from the NCI K22 Scientific/Research Contact listed in Section VII before they begin to prepare their applications. It is incumbent upon the candidate to provide evidence that he/she is in a mentored, non-independent position if requested.

Investigators trained in Mathematics, Physical Sciences and/or Engineering may want to consider re-orienting to cancer-focused research careers. Such investigators should have some prior training in cancer research, but, less than 2 years of postdoctoral cancer research training to be competitive for this non-mentored award. Candidates in such positions are encouraged to obtain confirmation of their eligibility from the NCI K22 Scientific/Research Contact listed in Section VII before they begin to prepare their applications.

Clinicians:

Time spent in clinical training is not counted for the 8-year postdoctoral research experience limit. Following clinical training or fellowship training periods, clinicians (including those with M.D., D.D.S., D.V.M. degrees and other licensed professionals) may obtain clinical faculty positions that denote independence in clinical responsibilities, but not in research. A clinical faculty member who does not hold an independent research faculty position may be eligible for the K22 award and should contact the NCI Scientific/Research Contact listed in Section VII for guidance. Clinicians in such positions are encouraged to obtain confirmation of their eligibility before they begin to prepare their applications. Such individuals may also wish to consider other career development awards available for physician scientists as well.

NIH Intramural Candidates:

Mentored, non-independent investigators in NIH intramural laboratories and other eligible agencies of the Federal Government are eligible to apply for the NCI K22 award.

Individuals are NOT eligible for the K22 award if they:

• Have less than 2 years of postdoctoral training in cancer research at the time of initial application; or
• Have more than 8 years of mentored, non-independent research training after the terminal research or clinical doctorate at the time of initial application or resubmission; or
• Have currently or previously held an independent research faculty or tenure-track faculty position, or its equivalent, in academia, industry or elsewhere; or
• Have an application pending review for any other PHS career development award, including a Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00); or
• Have currently or have previously held another NIH career development award (e.g. K01, K07, K08, K18, K22, K23, K99, K99/R00) or other peer-reviewed NIH (except R03) or non-NIH research grants over $100,000 in direct costs per year; or
• Have been an independent PD/PI on NIH research grants (e.g. R01, R21 , P01), or a sub-project leader on a Program Project (P01) or Center Grant (P50), or a non-NIH research grant equivalent to these grants/awards; or
• Have no affiliation with a domestic extramural institution or Federal institution at the time of initial application or resubmission.

The following is provided as an aid to distinguish independent from non-independent positions. However, it is not sufficient merely to cite one or more of the following items to document eligibility.

Evidence for non-independence may include:

• The candidate’s salary is paid by another investigator(s).
• The candidate's research is entirely funded by another investigator's grants.
• The candidate’s research is conducted entirely in another investigator s assigned space.
• According to institutional policy, the candidate cannot hire postdoctoral fellows or technical staff or be the responsible supervisor of graduate students.
• According to institutional policy, the candidate is not allowed to submit an application as the PD/PI of an NIH research grant application (e.g., R01, P01).
• The candidate lacks other rights and privileges of faculty, such as attendance at faculty meetings.

Conversely, evidence for independence, and therefore lack of eligibility, includes:

• The candidate has a full-time faculty position.
• The candidate received a start-up package for support of his/her independent research.
• The candidate has research space dedicated to his/her own research.
• The candidate may attend faculty meetings, be the responsible supervisor for graduate students, and/or hire technical support or postdoctoral fellows.
• The candidate is eligible to apply for independent research funding as the PD/PI of an NIH research grant.

This FOA does not require cost sharing as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

Applicant organizations may submit more than one application, provided that each application is scientifically distinct, and each is from a different candidate.

The NIH will not accept duplicate or highly overlapping applications under review at the same time. An individual may not have two or more competing NIH career development applications pending review concurrently. In addition, NIH will not accept:

• A new (A0) application that is submitted before issuance of the summary statement from the review of an overlapping new (A0) or resubmission (A1) application.
• A resubmission (A1) application that is submitted before issuance of the summary statement from the review of the previous new (A0) application.
• An application that has substantial overlap with another application pending appeal of initial peer review (see NOT-OD-11-101).

At the time of award, the candidate must have a full-time appointment at the applicant institution. Candidates are required to commit a minimum of nine person months of effort (i.e., 75% of full-time professional effort) to their program of career development.Candidates may engage in other duties as part of the professional effort not covered by this award, as long as such duties do not interfere with or detract from the proposed career development program.

Candidates who have VA appointments may not consider part of the VA effort toward satisfying the full time requirement at the applicant institution. Candidates with VA appointments should contact the staff person in the relevant Institute or Center prior to preparing an application to discuss their eligibility.

After the receipt of the award, adjustments to the required level of effort may be made in certain circumstances.  See NOT-OD-09-036 for more details.  

NCI K22 award recipients are expected to apply for NIH or other independent research project grant support (R01 or equivalent) prior to the end of the 2nd year of support. Recipients may hold concurrent research support, and, under certain circumstances, salary support from the final 2 years of their K22 award and a competing NIH research project grant when recognized as the PD(s)/PI(s) or subproject Director of the research project grant. See NOT-OD-08-065.

Institutional Environment

The applicant institution must have a strong, well-established record of research and career development activities and faculty qualified in biomedical, behavioral, or clinical research to collaborate with the candidate.

The application forms package specific to this opportunity must be accessed through ASSIST, Grants.gov Workspace or an institutional system-to-system solution. Links to apply using ASSIST or Grants.gov Workspace are available in Part 1 of this FOA. See your administrative office for instructions if you plan to use an institutional system-to-system solution.

It is critical that applicants follow the Career Development (K) Instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, except where instructed in this funding opportunity announcement to do otherwise. Conformance to the requirements in the Application Guide is required and strictly enforced. Applications that are out of compliance with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.

All page limitations described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide and the Table of Page Limits must be followed.

Note: Effective for due dates on or after January 25, 2023, the Data Management and Sharing (DMS) Plan will be attached in the Other Plan(s) attachment in FORMS-H and subsequent application forms packages. For due dates on or before January 24, 2023, the Data Sharing Plan and Genomic Data Sharing Plan GDS) will continue to be attached in the Resource Sharing Plan attachment in FORMS-G application forms packages.

The following section supplements the instructions found in the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide and should be used for preparing an application to this FOA.

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions:

Project Summary/Abstract

Include a description of your current research and the research you propose in the independent K22 award.

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.

Specific for this FOA

There must be no inclusion of a current or future mentor/co-mentor in the Senior/Key Personnel.

IMPORTANT REMINDER: The personal profile associated with the eRA Commons username entered in the Credential field for the PD/PI (candidate) must include an ORCID ID. For more information on linking an ORCID ID to an eRA Commons personal profile see the ORCID topic in our eRA Commons online help.

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.

Other Plan(s):

Note: Effective for due dates on or after January 25, 2023, the Data Management and Sharing Plan will be attached in the Other Plan(s) attachment in FORMS-H and subsequent application forms packages. For due dates on or before January 24, 2023, the Data Sharing Plan and Genomic Data Sharing Plan GDS) will continue to be attached in the Resource Sharing Plan attachment in FORMS-G application forms packages.

All applicants planning research (funded or conducted in whole or in part by NIH) that results in the generation of scientific data are required to comply with the instructions for the Data Management and Sharing Plan. All applications, regardless of the amount of direct costs requested for any one year, must address a Data Management and Sharing Plan.

The PHS 398 Career Development Award Supplemental Form is comprised of the following sections:

• Candidate
• Research Plan
• Other Candidate Information
• Mentor, Co-Mentor, Consultant, Collaborators
• Environment & Institutional Commitment to the Candidate
• Other Research Plan Sections
• Appendix

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions:

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions:

Candidate Information and Goals for Career Development

Candidate’s Background

• Describe the candidate's commitment to a career in a biomedical or behavioral research field relevant to the mission of the NCI as a cancer-focused scientist.
• Describe prior training and research efforts and how they relate to the objectives and long-term career plans of the candidate.
• Describe the candidate's research efforts to this point in his/her research career, including any publications, prior research interests and experience.
• Provide evidence of the candidate's potential to develop into a successful independent investigator. Usually this is evident from publications, prior research interests and experience, and reference letters from at least 3 well-established scientists.
• Present evidence of the candidate's ability to interact and collaborate with other scientists.
• Describe how this award will relieve the candidate of current duties so that a greater portion of the candidate’s effort (at least 9 person-months, equivalent to 75% full-time professional effort) may be devoted to research and related career development activities.
• Describe the candidate's prior clinical trials research efforts, research interests and experience.
• Describe the candidate's ability to organize, manage, and implement the proposed clinical trial, feasibility or ancillary clinical trial.

Career Goals and Objectives

• Describe a systematic plan: (1) that shows a logical progression from prior research and training experiences to the research and career development experiences that will occur during the career award period; and (2) that justifies the need for further career development to become a successful independent investigator.
• Describe the candidate's immediate and long-term research and career goals and objectives under this award, explaining how the award will contribute to their attainment. Candidates are encouraged to provide a timeline for accomplishing these goals.
• If currently supported by an institutional training grant or individual fellowship award (such as provided through the Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA program), describe the candidate’s current research training or fellowship program.
• Describe the training that the candidate already received or will receive in courses such as: data management, epidemiology, study design (including statistics), hypothesis development, drug development, etc., as well as the legal and ethical issues associated with research on human subjects and clinical trials.

Candidate’s Plan for Career Development/Training Activities During Award Period

• The candidate is responsible for the preparation of the career development plan. A career development timeline is strongly encouraged.
• A systematic plan should be presented for obtaining the biomedical, behavioral, or clinical science background, research experience, and career development activities necessary for a successful independent research career. Describe current activities and how they relate to the candidate’s career development plans and career goals. Describe proposed activities, e.g., those that will lead to new and/or enhanced research skills and knowledge, as well as related skills such as grant-writing, communication, leadership, and laboratory management.
• The career development plan must be specifically tailored to meet the needs of the candidate as a successful independent cancer researcher.
• The candidate must justify the need for the K22 award and must provide a convincing case that the proposed period of support (3 years) will substantially enhance his/her career and allow the pursuit of a novel or promising approach to a particular cancer research problem.
• The career development plan should describe the steps that will be undertaken to apply for NIH or other independent research project grant support (R01 or equivalent) prior to the end of the second year of support.
• Although not required, an advisory committee may be formed to monitor the candidate's progress during the career development program. No signed statements, letters of support or NIH biographical sketches for members of any advisory committee, if any, are allowed. If the exact composition of an advisory committee is not known at the time of application submission, general roles and contributions of future committee members can be discussed.

Research Plan Section

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions:

Research Strategy

• A sound research project that is consistent with the candidate s level of research development and objectives of his/her career development plan must be provided.
• The research description should demonstrate the quality of the candidate’s research thus far, and also the novelty, significance, creativity and approach, as well as the ability of the candidate to successfully perform the research.
• Although it is not expected that the description of the research would be as detailed as an application for an investigator-initiated research grant (e.g., R01), enough information should be provided to permit an evaluation of the scientific merit of the candidate's research activities and training.
• Applicants proposing a clinical trial, ancillary or feasibility study should describe the planned analyses and statistical approach and how the expected analytical approach is suited to the available resources, proposed study design, scope of the project, and methods that are used to assign trial participants and deliver interventions.
• If proposing an ancillary clinical trial, provide a brief description of its relationship to the larger clinical trial.
• If proposing a feasibility study, to begin to address a clinical question, provide justification why this is warranted and how it will contribute the overall goals of the research project including planning and preliminary data for future, larger scale clinical trials.
• Describe the proposed timelines for the proposed clinical trial, feasibility or ancillary study, including any potential challenges and solutions (e.g., enrollment shortfalls or inability to attribute causal inference to the results of an intervention when performing a small feasibility study).
• Describe how the proposed clinical trial or ancillary study will test the safety, efficacy or effectiveness of an intervention that could lead to a change in clinical practice, community behaviors or health care policy. (This would not apply to a feasibility study).

Training in the Responsible Conduct of Research

• All applications must include a plan to fulfill NIH requirements for instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR). See SF424 (R&R) Application Guide for instructions.

Mentor, Co-Mentor, Consultants, Collaborators Section

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions:

Plans and Statements of Mentor and Co-mentor(s)

• Not Applicable. The candidate must include a short statement indicating that this is a transition award with no mentor or co-mentor in this section sub-heading of the online application.

Letters of Support from Collaborators, Contributors and Consultants

• Signed statements must be provided by all collaborators, contributors, and/or consultants confirming their participation in the project and describing their specific roles. Collaborators and contributors should provide their NIH biosketches. Consultants do not need to provide their biographical sketches as consultants are generally not directly involved in the development of the career of the candidate as an independent investigator. However, information should be provided clearly documenting the appropiate expertise in the proposed areas of consulting/collaboration.
• Advisory committee members (if applicable): The composition of an advisory committee, if any, should be described only in general terms. No signed statements, letters of support or NIH biographical sketches of members of a proposed advisory committee are allowed. Candidates will not be expected to know the exact compositrion of an advisory committee, if any, until they identify awardee institutions if selected for an award. The main purpose of an advisory committee would be to monitor the candidate's progress during the career development program. An advisory committee should not be a mentoring committee.
• Current and/or past mentors and co-mentors should be advised not to submit letters of support, since this is an independent award. Instead, current and/or past mentors and co-mentors should submit only letters of reference into eRA Commons.

Environmental and Institutional Commitment to the Candidate

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions:

Description of Institutional Environment

• Describe the submitting institution's scientific environment, including the resources and facilities that will be available to the candidate in securing a tenure-track faculty position, or its equivalent, in a domestic academic institution.

Institutional Commitment to the Candidate’s Research Career Development

• The submitting institution must provide a statement of commitment to the candidate's development into a productive, independent investigator and to meeting the requirements of this award. It should be made clear that the institutional commitment to the candidate is not contingent upon receipt of this career award. This statement is typically signed by the Department Chair or Dean in extramural institutions and by the Division Chief in the NIH intramural program.

Appendix

Limited items are allowed in the Appendix.  Follow all instructions for the Appendix as described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide; any instructions provided here are in addition to the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide instructions.

When involving human subjects research, clinical research, and/or NIH-defined clinical trials (and when applicable, clinical trials research experience) follow all instructions for the PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, with the following additional instructions:

If you answered Yes to the question Are Human Subjects Involved? on the R&R Other Project Information form, you must include at least one human subjects study record using the Study Record: PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form or a Delayed Onset Study record.

Study Record: PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed with the following additional instructions:

Delayed Onset Study

Note: Delayed onset does NOT apply to a study that can be described but will not start immediately (i.e., delayed start).

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide must be followed.

Candidates must carefully follow the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, including the time period for when reference letters will be accepted. Applications lacking the appropriate required reference letters will not be reviewed. This is a separate process from submitting an application electronically. Reference letters are submitted directly through the eRA Commons Submit Referee Information link and not through Grants.gov.

See Part 1. Section III.1 for information regarding the requirement for obtaining a unique entity identifier and for completing and maintaining active registrations in System for Award Management (SAM), NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) Code (if applicable), eRA Commons, and Grants.gov.

Part I. Overview Information contains information about Key Dates and Times. Applicants are encouraged to submit applications before the due date to ensure they have time to make any application corrections that might be necessary for successful submission. When a submission date falls on a weekend or Federal holiday, the application deadline is automatically extended to the next business day.

Organizations must submit applications to Grants.gov (the online portal to find and apply for grants across all Federal agencies) using ASSIST or other electronic submission systems. Applicants must then complete the submission process by tracking the status of the application in the eRA Commons, NIH’s electronic system for grants administration. NIH and Grants.gov systems check the application against many of the application instructions upon submission. Errors must be corrected and a changed/corrected application must be submitted to Grants.gov on or before the application due date. and time. If a Changed/Corrected application is submitted after the deadline, the application will be considered late. Applications that miss the due date and time are subjected to the NIH Policy on Late Application Submission.

Applicants are responsible for viewing their application before the due date in the eRA Commons to ensure accurate and successful submission.

Information on the submission process and a definition of on-time submission are provided in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

This initiative is not subject to intergovernmental review.

All NIH awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

Pre-award costs are allowable only as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

Applications must be submitted electronically following the instructions described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.  Paper applications will not be accepted.

Applicants must complete all required registrations before the application due date. Section III. Eligibility Information contains information about registration.

For assistance with your electronic application or for more information on the electronic submission process, visit How to Apply Application Guide. If you encounter a system issue beyond your control that threatens your ability to complete the submission process on-time, you must follow the Dealing with System Issues guidance. For assistance with application submission contact the Application Submission Contacts in Section VII.

Important reminders:

All PD(s)/PI(s) must include their eRA Commons ID in the Credential field of the Senior/Key Person Profile Component of the SF424(R&R) Application Package. Failure to register in the Commons and to include a valid PD/PI Commons ID in the credential field will prevent the successful submission of an electronic application to NIH.

The applicant organization must ensure that the DUNS number it provides on the application is the same number used in the organization s profile in the eRA Commons and for the System for Award Management (SAM). Additional information may be found in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

See more tips for avoiding common errors.

Upon receipt, applications will be evaluated for completeness and compliance with application instructions by the Center for Scientific Review and responsiveness by NCI, NIH. Applications that are incomplete, non-compliant and/or nonresponsive will not be reviewed.

Research projects in applications must be cancer-focused and not merely cancer-related.

The requests by NIH intramural scientists will be limited to the incremental costs required for participation.   As such, these requests will not include any salary and related fringe benefits for career, career conditional or other Federal employees (civilian or uniformed service) with permanent appointments under existing position ceilings or any costs related to administrative or facilities support (equivalent to Facilities and Administrative or F&A costs). These costs may include salary for staff to be specifically hired under a temporary appointment for the project, consultant costs, equipment, supplies, travel, and other items typically listed under Other Expenses. Applicants should indicate the number of person-months devoted to the project, even if no funds are requested for salary and fringe benefits.

If selected, appropriate funding will be provided by the NIH Intramural Program. NIH intramural scientists will participate in this program as PDs/PIs in accord with the Terms and Conditions provided in this FOA. Intellectual property will be managed in accord with established policy of the NIH in compliance with Executive Order 10096, as amended, 45 CFR Part 7; patent rights for inventions developed in NIH facilities are NIH property unless NIH waives its rights.

Should an extramural application include the collaboration with an intramural scientist, no funds for the support of the intramural scientist may be requested in the application. The intramural scientist may submit a separate request for intramural funding as described above.

Applicants are required to follow the instructions for post-submission materials, as described in the policy. Any instructions provided here are in addition to the instructions in the policy.

Note: Effective for due dates on or after January 25, 2023, the Data Sharing Plan and Genomic Data Sharing Plan (GDS) as part of the Resource Sharing Plan will not be evaluated at time of review.

Only the review criteria described below will be considered in the review process. Applications submitted to the NIH in support of the NIH mission are evaluated for scientific and technical merit through the NIH peer review system.

For this particular announcement, note the following: Reviewers should evaluate the candidate’s potential for developing an independent research program that will make important contributions to the field, taking into consideration the years of research experience and the likely value of the proposed research career development as a vehicle for developing a successful, independent research program.

Reviewers should provide their assessment of the likelihood that the proposed career development and research plan will enhance the candidate s potential for a productive, independent scientific research career in a health-related field, taking into consideration the criteria below in determining the overall impact score.

Reviewers will consider each of the review criteria below in the determination of scientific merit, and give a separate score for each. An application does not need to be strong in all categories to be judged likely to have major scientific impact. The reviewers will consider that the clinical trial may include study design, methods, and intervention that are not by themselves innovative, but address important questions or unmet needs. Reviewers should also consider the scope of the clinical trial relative to the available resources, including the possibility that research support provided through career development awards may be sufficient to support only small feasibility studies.

Candidate

• Does the candidate have the potential for becoming a successful independent investigator who will contribute significantly to the cancer research field?
• What is the quality of the candidate's pre- and postdoctoral research training, with respect to development of appropriate scientific and technical expertise?
• What is the scientific productivity during the postdoctoral period of cancer research training in terms of research experience(s), didactic experiences, and other experiences (e.g., special skills, perspectives, techniques), and have they enhanced the candidate's ability to pursue an independent cancer research career?
• Considering the years of postdoctoral research experience to date, what is the candidate's record of research productivity, including the quality of peer-reviewed scientific publication?
• Is the candidate committed to a successful independent research career that will be focused on problems clearly relevant to cancer?
• Does the candidate have the potential ability to successfully manage an independent cancer research project?
• Do the letters of reference from at least 3 well-established scientists address the candidate’s potential for becoming a successful independent cancer research investigator?
• Does the candidate have the potential to organize, manage, and implement the proposed clinical trial, feasibility or ancillary study? 
• Does the candidate have training (or plans to receive training) in data management and statistics including those relevant to clinical trials?

Career Development Plan/Career Goals and Objectives

• Are the content, scope, phasing, and duration of the career development plan appropriate when considered in the context of prior training/research experience and the stated training and research objectives for achieving research independence?
• Are there adequate plans for monitoring and evaluating the candidate’s research and career development progress?
• Are appropriate timelines planned for the candidate's progress?
• Does the candidate demonstrate they have received training or will participate in courses such as: data management, epidemiology, study design (including statistics), hypothesis development, drug development, etc., as well as the legal and ethical issues associated with research on human subjects and clinical trials?

Research Plan

• Is the prior research that serves as the key support for the proposed project rigorous?
• Has the candidate included plans to address weaknesses in the rigor of prior research that serves as the key support for the proposed project?
• Are the proposed research question, design, and methodology of significant scientific and technical merit?
• Are the scientific and technical merits of the research question, design, and methodology appropriate in the context of the candidate's prior training and experience?
• Is the proposed research project appropriate for the candidate’s stage of research development and as a vehicle for development of the research skills described in the career development plan?
• Is the proposed research plan relevant to the candidate’s research career objectives?
• Has the candidate presented strategies to ensure a robust and unbiased approach, as appropriate for the work proposed?
• Has the candidate presented adequate plans to address relevant biological variables, such as sex, for studies in vertebrate animals or human subjects?
• To what extent is the proposed research likely to foster the career of the candidate as a successful independent investigator in cancer research?
• Are the scientific rationale and need for a clinical trial, feasibility or ancillary study well supported by preliminary data, clinical and/or preclinical studies, or information in the literature or knowledge of biological mechanisms?
• If proposing a small feasibility study, is the study warranted and will it contribute to planning and preliminary data needed for design of future larger scale clinical trials?
• Is the clinical trial or ancillary study necessary for testing the safety, efficacy or effectiveness of an intervention, or in the case of a feasibility study necessary to establish feasibility of a future clinical trial?
• Is the study design justified and relevant to the clinical, biological, and statistical hypothesis(es) being tested?
• Are the plans to standardize, assure quality of, and monitor adherence to, the protocol and data collection or distribution guidelines appropriate?
• Are planned analyses and statistical approaches appropriate for the proposed study design and methods that are used to assign participants and deliver interventions, if interventions are delivered?
• For trials focusing on mechanistic, behavioral, physiological, biochemical, or other biomedical endpoints, is this trial needed to advance scientific understanding?

Consultant(s), Collaborator(s)

• Is adequate information provided that clearly documents expertise in the proposed area(s) of consulting/collaboration?
• Are the combined expertise, roles and responsibilities of any involved consultants, and/or collaborators likely to enhance the candidate’s career development?
• Have the proposed consultant(s) and collaborator(s) provided evidence of commitment to the candidate and the candidate's project?
• Do the proposed consultant(s)/collaborator(s) provide the required expertise for successful conduct of the research project?
• Are the proposed collaborations with other active investigators and other opportunities for professional growth appropriate and of high quality?

Environment & Institutional Commitment to the Candidate

• Are there adequate and appropriate research facilities and educational opportunities, including collaborating faculty, at the submitting institution to help the candidate secure a tenure-track faculty position, or its equivalent, in a domestic academic institution?
• Is there appropriate commitment from the submitting institution to assist the candidate in career progression to a tenure-track faculty position, or its equivalent?
• Is there appropriate commitment from the submitting institution to assist in the candidate’s development into a productive, independent investigator?
• Is there adequate assurance that the required minimum of 9 person-months (75% of the candidate’s full-time professional effort) will be devoted directly to the career development and research activities proposed at the submitting institution?
• Are the administrative, data coordinating, enrollment and laboratory/testing centers, appropriate for the trial proposed?
• Does the application adequately address the ability to conduct the trial feasibility or ancillary study at the proposed site(s) or centers? If applicable, are plans to add or drop enrollment centers, as needed, appropriate?
• If international site(s) is/are proposed, does the application adequately address the complexity of executing the clinical trial?

As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will evaluate the following additional items while determining scientific and technical merit, and in providing an overall impact score, but will not give separate scores for these items.

Is the study timeline described in detail, taking into account start-up activities, the anticipated rate of enrollment, and planned follow-up assessment? Is the projected timeline feasible and well justified? Does the project incorporate efficiencies and utilize existing resources (e.g., CTSAs, practice-based research networks, electronic medical records, administrative databases, or patient registries) to increase the efficiency of participant enrollment and data collection, as appropriate?

Are potential challenges and corresponding solutions discussed (e.g., strategies that can be implemented in the event of enrollment shortfalls)?

For research that involves human subjects but does not involve one of the categories of research that are exempt under 45 CFR Part 46, the committee will evaluate the justification for involvement of human subjects and the proposed protections from research risk relating to their participation according to the following five review criteria: (1) risk to subjects, (2) adequacy of protection against risks, (3) potential benefits to the subjects and others, (4) importance of the knowledge to be gained, and (5) data and safety monitoring for clinical trials.

For research that involves human subjects and meets the criteria for one or more of the categories of research that are exempt under 45 CFR Part 46, the committee will evaluate: (1) the justification for the exemption, (2) human subjects involvement and characteristics, and (3) sources of materials. For additional information on review of the Human Subjects section, please refer to the Guidelines for the Review of Human Subjects.

When the proposed project involves human subjects and/or NIH-defined clinical research, the committee will evaluate the proposed plans for the inclusion (or exclusion) of individuals on the basis of sex/gender, race, and ethnicity, as well as the inclusion (or exclusion) of individuals across the lifespan (including children and older adults) to determine if it is justified in terms of the scientific goals and research strategy proposed. For additional information on review of the Inclusion section, please refer to the Guidelines for the Review of Inclusion in Clinical Research.

The committee will evaluate the involvement of live vertebrate animals as part of the scientific assessment according to the following criteria: (1) description of proposed procedures involving animals, including species, strains, ages, sex, and total number to be used; (2) justifications for the use of animals versus alternative models and for the appropriateness of the species proposed; (3) interventions to minimize discomfort, distress, pain and injury; and (4) justification for euthanasia method if NOT consistent with the AVMA Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals. Reviewers will assess the use of chimpanzees as they would any other application proposing the use of vertebrate animals. For additional information on review of the Vertebrate Animals section, please refer to the Worksheet for Review of the Vertebrate Animal Section.

Reviewers will assess whether materials or procedures proposed are potentially hazardous to research personnel and/or the environment, and if needed, determine whether adequate protection is proposed.

For Resubmissions, the committee will evaluate the application as now presented, taking into consideration the responses to comments from the previous scientific review group and changes made to the project.

Not Applicable

Not Applicable

Note: Effective for due dates on or after January 25, 2023, the Data Sharing Plan and Genomic Data Sharing Plan (GDS) as part of the Resource Sharing Plan will not be evaluated at time of review.

As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will consider each of the following items, but will not give scores for these items, and should not consider them in providing an overall impact score.

All applications for support under this FOA must include a plan to fulfill NIH requirements for instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR). Taking into account the level of experience of the candidate, including any prior instruction or participation in RCR as appropriate for the candidate s career stage, the reviewers will evaluate the adequacy of the proposed RCR training in relation to the following five required components: 1) Format - the required format of instruction, i.e., face-to-face lectures, coursework, and/or real-time discussion groups (a plan with only on-line instruction is not acceptable); 2) Subject Matter - the breadth of subject matter, e.g., conflict of interest, authorship, data management, human subjects and animal use, laboratory safety, research misconduct, research ethics; 3) Faculty Participation - the role of the mentor(s) and other faculty involvement in the fellow s instruction; 4) Duration of Instruction - the number of contact hours of instruction (at least eight contact hours are required); and 5) Frequency of Instruction instruction must occur during each career stage and at least once every four years. Plans and past record will be rated as ACCEPTABLE or UNACCEPTABLE, and the summary statement will provide the consensus of the review committee. See also: NOT-OD-10-019.

Reviewers will assess the information provided in this section of the application, including (1) the Select Agent(s) to be used in the proposed research, (2) the registration status of all entities where Select Agent(s) will be used, (3) the procedures that will be used to monitor possession use and transfer of Select Agent(s), and (4) plans for appropriate biosafety, biocontainment, and security of the Select Agent(s).

Reviewers will comment on whether the following Resource Sharing Plans, or the rationale for not sharing the following types of resources, are reasonable: (1) Data Sharing Plan; (2) Sharing Model Organisms; and (3) Genomic Data Sharing Plan (GDS).

Authentication of Key Biological and/or Chemical Resources

For projects involving key biological and/or chemical resources, reviewers will comment on the brief plans proposed for identifying and ensuring the validity of those resources.

Reviewers will consider whether the budget and the requested period of support are fully justified and reasonable in relation to the proposed research.

Applications will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit by (an) appropriate Scientific Review Group(s), convened by NCI, in accordance with NIH peer review policy and procedures, using the stated review criteria. Assignment to a Scientific Review Group will be shown in the eRA Commons.

As part of the scientific peer review, all applications:

• May undergo a selection process in which only those applications deemed to have the highest scientific and technical merit (generally the top half of applications under review) will be discussed and assigned an overall impact score.
• Will receive a written critique.

Applications will be assigned on the basis of established PHS referral guidelines to the appropriate NIH Institute or Center. Applications will compete for available funds with all other recommended applications. Following initial peer review, recommended applications will receive a second level of review by the National Cancer Advisory Board. The following will be considered in making funding decisions:

• Scientific and technical merit of the proposed project as determined by scientific peer review.
• Availability of funds.
• Relevance of the proposed project to program priorities.

After the peer review of the application is completed, the PD/PI will be able to access his or her Summary Statement (written critique) via the eRA Commons. Refer to Part 1 for dates for peer review, advisory council review, and earliest start date

Information regarding the disposition of applications is available in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

If the application is under consideration for funding, NIH will request "just-in-time" information from the applicant as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

Awardees must comply with any funding restrictions described in Section IV.5. Funding Restrictions. Selection of an application for award is not an authorization to begin performance. Any costs incurred before receipt of the NoA are at the recipient's risk. These costs may be reimbursed only to the extent considered allowable pre-award costs.

Any application awarded in response to this FOA will be subject to terms and conditions found on the Award Conditions and Information for NIH Grants website.  This includes any recent legislation and policy applicable to awards that is highlighted on this website.

There will not be a formal Notice of Award (NoA) for applications until an awardee institution has been identified by the candidate and approved by the NCI. The NCI will initially notify candidates who have successfully competed for funding with a Letter of Intent to Commit Funds. Selected candidates will then have up to 12 months from the date of the letter to accept an appointment in a domestic academic institution that has offered a position at the tenure-track faculty level, or its equivalent (e.g., Assistant Professor, Assistant Member, Laboratory Head, Principal Investigator, etc.), at which the candidate is expected to establish his/her own independent research program, prepare applications for regular (non-career development) research project funding, and act as a PI(s)/PD(s) on such independent research projects. No funds will be issued for use while the candidate occupies a mentored, non-independent position at the submitting institution or awardee institution.

In the Request to Activate the K22 Award, the awardee institution must:

• Describe the institution’s scientific environment, including the resources and facilities that will be available to the candidate to perform the proposed research plan.
• Describe how the institutional research environment is particularly suited for the development of the candidate's research career and the pursuit of the proposed research plan and progression to independence, including a high-quality research environment with key faculty members and other investigators capable of productive collaboration with the candidate.
• Provide detailed budget pages for a non-modular budget.
• Provide updated Protections for Human Subjects and Inclusion of Women, Minorities and Individuals across the Lifespan (as appropriate).
• Provide updated Vertebrate Animals (as appropriate).

The awardee institution must also provide a description of the institutional commitment to the candidate's career development for the following:

• The institution must provide a statement of commitment to the candidate s development into a productive, independent investigator, and to meeting the requirements of the award.
• The institution must provide a clear statement that describes the commitment to the career progression of the candidate (e.g., tenure-track faculty position).
• The institution must provide a statement that the institutional commitment to the candidate is not contingent upon receipt of this career award.
• The institution must describe the start-up package and salary to be provided and document how it is equivalent to those provided to recent newly hired tenure-track faculty who do not have K22 awards.
• The institution must provide a statement with assurances that the candidate will be able to spend a minimum of 75% effort (9 calendar months) in the conduct of research and career development activities associated with this award, with the remaining 25% effort devoted to other research, clinical, and teaching activities.
• The institution must provide the candidate with the appropriate facilities and other resources to perform the proposed research plan, including laboratory and office space, and for which the sizes should be indicated.

In addition, the candidate and the new awardee institution must also provide a revised budget according to the the instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide, including Supplemental Grant Application Instructions. This information should be provided through the Change of Grantee Organization (Type 7 Parent Program Announcement) if the candidate changes institutions or through "just-in-time" procedures if the candidate obtains a tenure-track faculty position at the postdoctoral institution.

Individual awards are based on the application submitted to, and as approved by, the NIH and are subject to the IC-specific terms and conditions identified in the NoA.

ClinicalTrials.gov: If an award provides for one or more clinical trials. By law (Title VIII, Section 801 of Public Law 110-85), the "responsible party" must register and submit results information for certain applicable clinical trials on the ClinicalTrials.gov Protocol Registration and Results System Information Website (https://register.clinicaltrials.gov). NIH expects registration and results reporting of all trials whether required under the law or not. For more information, see https://grants.nih.gov/policy/clinical-trials/reporting/index.htm.

Institutional Review Board or Independent Ethics Committee Approval: Grantee institutions must ensure that all protocols are reviewed by their IRB or IEC. To help ensure the safety of participants enrolled in NIH-funded studies, the awardee must provide NIH copies of documents related to all major changes in the status of ongoing protocols.

Data and Safety Monitoring Requirements: The NIH policy for data and safety monitoring requires oversight and monitoring of all NIH-conducted or -supported human biomedical and behavioral intervention studies (clinical trials) to ensure the safety of participants and the validity and integrity of the data. Further information concerning these requirements is found at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/hs/data_safety.htm and in the application instructions (SF424 (R&R) and PHS 398).

Investigational New Drug or Investigational Device Exemption Requirements: Consistent with federal regulations, clinical research projects involving the use of investigational therapeutics, vaccines, or other medical interventions (including licensed products and devices for a purpose other than that for which they were licensed) in humans under a research protocol must be performed under a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigational new drug (IND) or investigational device exemption (IDE)."

Data and Safety Monitoring Requirements: The NIH policy for data and safety monitoring requires oversight and monitoring of all NIH-conducted or -supported human biomedical and behavioral intervention studies (clinical trials) to ensure the safety of participants and the validity and integrity of the data. Further information concerning these requirements is found at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/hs/data_safety.htm and in the application instructions (SF424 (R&R) and PHS 398).

Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) Approval: Grantee institutions must ensure that protocols for vertebrate animal studies are reviewed by their Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW).

Specific to applications proposing clinical trials, ancillary or feasibility studies

Additionally, NCI may specify any special reporting requirements for the proposed clinical trial to be included under NCI-specific terms and conditions in the NoA.

For example: If the proposed clinical trial has elevated risks, NCI may require closer programmatic monitoring and it may be necessary to require the awardee to provide more frequent information and data as a term of the award (e.g., to clarify issues, address and evaluate concerns, provide documentation). All additional communications and information related to programmatic monitoring must be documented and incorporated into the official project file.

All NIH grant and cooperative agreement awards include the NIH Grants Policy Statement as part of the NoA. For these terms of award, see the NIH Grants Policy Statement Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart A: General  and Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart B: Terms and Conditions for Specific Types of Grants, Grantees, and Activities. More information is provided at Award Conditions and Information for NIH Grants. More specifically, for K Awards, visit the Research Career Development ( K ) Awardees section of the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

Recipients of federal financial assistance (FFA) from HHS must administer their programs in compliance with federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, age and, in some circumstances, religion, conscience, and sex.  This includes ensuring programs are accessible to persons with limited English proficiency. The HHS Office for Civil Rights provides guidance on complying with civil rights laws enforced by HHS. Please see https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-providers/provider-obligations/index.html and http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/civilrights/understanding/section1557/index.html.

HHS recognizes that research projects are often limited in scope for many reasons that are nondiscriminatory, such as the principal investigator s scientific interest, funding limitations, recruitment requirements, and other considerations. Thus, criteria in research protocols that target or exclude certain populations are warranted where nondiscriminatory justifications establish that such criteria are appropriate with respect to the health or safety of the subjects, the scientific study design, or the purpose of the research. For additional guidance regarding how the provisions apply to NIH grant programs, please contact the Scientific/Research Contact that is identified in Section VII under Agency Contacts of this FOA.

• Recipients of FFA must ensure that their programs are accessible to persons with limited English proficiency. HHS provides guidance to recipients of FFA on meeting their legal obligation to take reasonable steps to provide meaningful access to their programs by persons with limited English proficiency.  Please see https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/special-topics/limited-english-proficiency/fact-sheet-guidance/index.html and https://www.lep.gov. For further guidance on providing culturally and linguistically appropriate services, recipients should review the National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health and Health Care at https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/omh/browse.aspx?lvl=2&lvlid=53.
• Recipients of FFA also have specific legal obligations for serving qualified individuals with disabilities. Please see http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/civilrights/understanding/disability/index.html.
• HHS funded health and education programs must be administered in an environment free of sexual harassment.  Please see https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/sex-discrimination/index.html; https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/shguide.html; and https://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/publications/upload/fs-sex.pdf. For information about NIH's commitment to supporting a safe and respectful work environment, who to contact with questions or concerns, and what NIH's expectations are for institutions and the individuals supported on NIH-funded awards, please see https://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/harassment.htm.
• Recipients of FFA must also administer their programs in compliance with applicable federal religious nondiscrimination laws and applicable federal conscience protection and associated anti-discrimination laws.  Collectively, these laws prohibit exclusion, adverse treatment, coercion, or other discrimination against persons or entities on the basis of their consciences, religious beliefs, or moral convictions.  Please see https://www.hhs.gov/conscience/conscience-protections/index.html and https://www.hhs.gov/conscience/religious-freedom/index.html.  

Please contact the HHS Office for Civil Rights for more information about obligations and prohibitions under federal civil rights laws at https://www.hhs.gov/ocr/about-us/contact-us/index.html or call 1-800-368-1019 or TDD 1-800-537-7697. 

In accordance with the statutory provisions contained in Section 872 of the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417), NIH awards will be subject to the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS) requirements. FAPIIS requires Federal award making officials to review and consider information about an applicant in the designated integrity and performance system (currently FAPIIS) prior to making an award. An applicant, at its option, may review information in the designated integrity and performance systems accessible through FAPIIS and comment on any information about itself that a Federal agency previously entered and is currently in FAPIIS. The Federal awarding agency will consider any comments by the applicant, in addition to other information in FAPIIS, in making a judgement about the applicant’s integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal awards when completing the review of risk posed by applicants as described in 45 CFR Part 75.205 Federal awarding agency review of risk posed by applicants. This provision will apply to all NIH grants and cooperative agreements except fellowships.

Data Management and Sharing

Note: The NIH Policy for Data Management and Sharing is effective for due dates on or after January 25, 2023.

Consistent with the NIH Policy for Data Management and Sharing, when data management and sharing is applicable to the award, recipients will be required to adhere to the Data Management and Sharing requirements as outlined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement. Upon the approval of a Data Management and Sharing Plan, it is required for recipients to implement the plan as described.

When multiple years are involved, awardees will be required to submit the Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR) annually and financial statements as required in the NIH Grants Policy Statement. The Supplemental Instructions for Individual Career Development (K) RPPRs must be followed. The Mentor’s Report must include an annual evaluation statement of the candidate’s progress.

A final RPPR, invention statement, and the expenditure data portion of the Federal Financial Report are required for closeout of an award, as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (Transparency Act), includes a requirement for awardees of Federal grants to report information about first-tier subawards and executive compensation under Federal assistance awards issued in FY2011 or later. All awardees of applicable NIH grants and cooperative agreements are required to report to the Federal Subaward Reporting System (FSRS) available at www.fsrs.gov on all subawards over $25,000. See the NIH Grants Policy Statement for additional information on this reporting requirement.

In accordance with the regulatory requirements provided at 45 CFR 75.113 and Appendix XII to 45 CFR Part 75, recipients that have currently active Federal grants, cooperative agreements, and procurement contracts from all Federal awarding agencies with a cumulative total value greater than $10,000,000 for any period of time during the period of performance of a Federal award, must report and maintain the currency of information reported in the System for Award Management (SAM) about civil, criminal, and administrative proceedings in connection with the award or performance of a Federal award that reached final disposition within the most recent five-year period.  The recipient must also make semiannual disclosures regarding such proceedings. Proceedings information will be made publicly available in the designated integrity and performance system (currently FAPIIS). This is a statutory requirement under section 872 of Public Law 110-417, as amended (41 U.S.C. 2313). As required by section 3010 of Public Law 111-212, all information posted in the designated integrity and performance system on or after April 15, 2011, except past performance reviews required for Federal procurement contracts, will be publicly available. Full reporting requirements and procedures are found in Appendix XII to 45 CFR Part 75 Award Term and Conditions for Recipient Integrity and Performance Matters.

In carrying out its stewardship of human resource-related programs, the NIH may request information essential to an assessment of the effectiveness of this program from databases and from participants themselves. Participants may be contacted after the completion of this award for periodic updates on various aspects of their employment history, publications, support from research grants or contracts, honors and awards, professional activities, and other information helpful in evaluating the impact of the program.

We encourage inquiries concerning this funding opportunity and welcome the opportunity to answer questions from potential applicants.

eRA Service Desk (Questions regarding ASSIST, eRA Commons, application errors and warnings, documenting system problems that threaten submission by the due date, and post submission issues)
Finding Help Online: http://grants.nih.gov/support/ (preferred method of contact)
Telephone: 301-402-7469 or 866-504-9552 (Toll Free)

GrantsInfo (Questions regarding application instructions, application processes, and NIH grant resources)
Email: [email protected] (preferred method of contact)
Telephone: 301-480-7075

Grants.gov Customer Support (Questions regarding Grants.gov registration and Workspace)
Contact Center Telephone: 800-518-4726
Email: [email protected]

Sonia B. Jakowlew, Ph.D.
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Telephone: 240-276-5630
Email: [email protected]

Referral Officer
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Telephone: 240-276-6390
Email: [email protected]

Amy Bartosch
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Telephone: 240-276-6375
Email: [email protected]

Recently issued trans-NIH policy notices may affect your application submission. A full list of policy notices published by NIH is provided in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts. All awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

Awards are made under the authorization of Sections 301 and 405 of the Public Health Service Act as amended (42 USC 241 and 284) and under Federal Regulations 42 CFR Part 52 and 45 CFR Part 75.