Part 1. Overview Information

Key Dates

No late applications will be accepted for this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).

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

There are several options available to submit your application through Grants.gov to NIH and Department of Health and Human Services partners. You must use one of these submission options to access the application forms for this opportunity.

1. Use the NIH ASSIST system to prepare, submit and track your application online.
2. Use an institutional system-to-system (S2S) solution to prepare and submit your application to Grants.gov and eRA Commons to track your application. Check with your institutional officials regarding availability.
   
   
3. Use Grants.gov Workspace to prepare and submit your application and eRA Commons to track your application.



Table of Contents
Part 1. Overview Information
Key Dates
Part 2. Full Text of Announcement
Section I. Funding Opportunity Description
Section II. Award Information
Other Award Budget 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

Part 2. Full Text of Announcement

Section I. Funding Opportunity Description

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 Research Training and Career Development  website.

The objective of the Career Enhancement Award for Experienced Investigators (K18) is to provide support for experienced scientists who either wish to broaden their scientific capabilities or to make changes in their research careers by acquiring new research skills or knowledge. The purpose of this NOFO is to provide such investigators with support for an intensive period of mentored research experience to acquire new research capabilities in research areas supported by the sponsoring NIH Institute(s)/Center(s). Such experiences will afford candidate investigators protected time to: 1) enrich and expand their expertise and research programs through retooling in new techniques, emerging technologies, and/or scientific areas; and/or 2) redirect their research programs in new trajectories; and/or 3) catalyze research collaborations in new research directions.  It is expected that this initiative will lead to new and/or augmented research programs competitive for NIH funding.

The goal of this K18 initiative is to enhance research workforce capacity by supporting a program that will help experienced investigators in related or complementary fields to gain cross-disciplinary research expertise that will advance future comparative studies of the factors contributing to the differences in life spans between human and nonhuman primate species.

Background

Comparative primate research holds significant importance in the context of aging and health span studies in its potential to identify intervention targets aimed at extending and improving human health span, in ways that may not be unveiled through human studies alone. Recent NOFOs supporting research in this area, RFA-AG-24-019 for R01 research projects and RFA-AG-24-020 for networking and infrastructure support, will be awarded in fiscal year 2024.

The application of comparative approaches to primate aging research represents an important new direction which differs from, but complements, studies on primate models mirroring aspects of human aging and aging-related diseases and conditions. Comparative analysis can offer a powerful approach for identifying phylogenetic and developmental differences, and life history trade-offs, that can lead to the generation and testing of hypotheses that can elucidate mechanisms that underlie variation across primates in lifespan and aging outcomes.

A wide range of factors may have contributed to variability in primate species' life spans and health spans. These include evolutionary genetic modifications and changes in gene expression and divergence in factors associated with age-related physiological dysregulation, including changes in the anatomy and function of specific brain regions. Various factors, including the timing of reproduction and maturation, as well as behavioral and socioecological adaptations to stress and changing environmental conditions, can influence the life spans of primate species. As illustrated by the range of potential contributory factors noted above, and as discussed in the report of a 2021 NIA workshop on this topic, comparative studies examining life span and life histories among primate species necessitate expertise spanning various scientific fields. These include human longevity research, comparative aging biology, evolutionary genetics and biology, biological anthropology, and primatology. Such interdisciplinary collaboration is crucial for formulating innovative research questions and fostering team collaborations. This integrated approach is key to identifying factors that contribute to species-specific longevity differences and to advancing potential longevity-extending therapeutics from preliminary findings to translational studies in humans.

Program Objective

NIA intends to continue supporting the development of this interdisciplinary field by providing support for experienced investigators with expertise in human and/or nonhuman primate (NHP) studies, who either wish to broaden their scientific capabilities or to make changes in their research careers by cross-training in a pertinent field to acquire new research skills or knowledge. This cross-disciplinary training is intended to enhance the investigator’s capability to lead future comparative studies of factors contributing to differences in the species life spans of human and nonhuman primates.

This NOFO invites applications proposing to establish a collaborative mentored career enhancement plan. This plan should allow the investigator to gain cross-disciplinary expertise in one or more scientific fields substantially distinct from their current scientific area of focus, to augment their existing expertise and skills, thereby enhancing their ability to lead future research projects on comparative studies focused on topics such as (but not limited to) those listed below:

• Relationships between primate species’ levels of quantitative traits and species life spans.
• Comparisons of biodemographic and life history characteristics of primate species and their relationships to species life span.
• Relationships among behavioral and social factors to primate species life histories and life spans.
• Effects of genomic changes during primate evolution (including but not limited to the divergence of humans and chimpanzees) and their potential relationships to species life spans.
• Influence of behavioral and socioecological adaptations to stress and changing environmental conditions on the life spans of primate species.
• Primate species differences in age-related pathologies and their rates of progression.
• Relationships among primate species differences in brain regions and neuroanatomical features with species life span and risk of neurodegenerative conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease.
• Development and validation of appropriate measures for use in primate cross-species comparative analysis.

Specific Research & Training Objectives

This NOFO will provide investigators with support for an intensive period of mentored research experience for up to two years. Eligible candidates must hold an academic rank of associate or full professor, or the equivalent in non-academic research settings.

This opportunity will provide investigators protected time to: 1) enrich and expand their expertise and research programs through retooling in new techniques, emerging technologies, and scientific areas; 2) redirect their research programs in new trajectories; and 3) catalyze research collaborations to lead future comparative studies of human and nonhuman life span. This proposed training plan should also benefit the supporting mentors, by providing the opportunity to collaborate with an investigator (the K18 candidate) who has compatible research interests, complementary expertise, financial support, and dedicated, protected time for the designated research project. This interdisciplinary collaboration will be mutually beneficial, by providing both the mentor and candidate with  broadened and more varied research scope, as well as expanded networks for future collaboration and resource access. It is expected that this initiative will lead to new and/or augmented collaborative research programs competitive for NIA funding.

Examples of cross-training discipline collaborations for scientists with expertise in human and/or NHP studies that would be well-suited for this award include collaborations on factors related to differences in primate species’ longevity, engaging cross-disciplinary combinations such as (but not limited to):

• Nonhuman primate and human longevity research
• Evolutionary biology and genetics
• Biological anthropology and other biomedical research
• Neuroscience and cognition
• Primate field studies and comparative biology of aging
• Biodemography and primate field studies
• Developmental biology and evolutionary biology
• Biological anthropology and social/behavioral sciences

Career development plans spanning more than one new field in addition to the candidate’s field may also be proposed. The research career development experience proposed must have the potential to substantially augment the research capabilities of the candidate with sufficient depth in cross-disciplinary research to make significant novel contributions to future collaborative comparative studies of determinants of human and nonhuman primate longevity and health span.

Applicants must identify one or more mentor(s) with relevant expertise and available resources in one or more applicant knowledge-gap areas. Applicants must propose a career enhancement plan with the following elements: 1) a didactic component (e.g., directed study/tutorials, online courses, semester-long courses, short courses, seminar series, journal clubs, methodology/technical skills-based training/instruction, etc.) directly relevant to the proposed cross-training area(s) proposed; 2) a collaborative research project between awardee and mentor to provide experience, knowledge, and skill acquisition in the new research area; and 3) detailed plans for expanding the candidate's professional network (and access to relevant resources) within the proposed scientific area(s).

While a training plan may include multiple mentors, all training activities must be overseen by a primary mentor. The proposed research project must be conducted in facilities or field sites affiliated with either the applicant's institution (i.e., site of the candidate’s primary appointments) or the mentor's institution, ensuring access to appropriate resources and institutional commitment to support the proposed research career enhancement experience. Career enhancement activities may be conducted within the candidate’s institution but must not be in the department of the applicant’s current primary appointment. The mentor’s host program must have an active funded research project of high relevance to one or more scientific areas such as those listed in the bulleted section above, with demonstration of the capability and resources necessary to collaborate on comparative human and nonhuman primate studies. The proposed career enhancement plan must include appropriate academic enrichment plans and networking opportunities for future collaborations within this developing field. The identified mentor, host department, and applicant institution are expected to demonstrate the availability of appropriate resources and expertise to provide the training and experiences that will meet the goals of this NOFO and the applicant’s career enhancement plan.  In line with the objectives of this NOFO and the development of this field, the candidate and proposed mentor(s) should not have extensive previous research collaborations.

Building this area of comparative primate research requires collaboration and communication between a broad range of scientific disciplines and investigator expertise in both human longevity studies and nonhuman primate studies on aging. Accordingly, it is expected that awardees of this K18 award will interact with and participate in networking and outreach activities associated with the grant awardee of the networking/infrastructure RFA-AG-24-020. During the term of this K18 award, all applicants funded through this NOFO are encouraged to attend annual meetings conducted by the awardees of the RFA-AG-24-020 networking/infrastructure award. As such, applicants should include annual travel expenses for two-day meetings in Bethesda, Maryland within their application budgets.

Research resources supported by NIA and other organizations could assist in identifying potential mentors and/or be engaged as components of the applicant’s career enhancement plan to achieve the objectives outlined within this NOFO. These resources include, but are not limited to, the seven National Primate Research Centers and their supporting institutions; other U.S. nonhuman primate facilities and their associated universities; investigative teams that study free-ranging and wild-primate populations; human longevity epidemiologists; and universities and centers with highly successful programs in areas such as primate genetics and anthropology. 

Non-responsiveness Criteria

The following types of applications will be considered non-responsive to this NOFO and will be withdrawn prior to review:

• Applications that propose a career enhancement plan and research project that does not involve a substantially different scientific area than that of the applicant’s current area of study.
• Applications in which the career enhancement plan is not primarily focused on enriching and expanding the applicant's expertise and research programs to lead future comparative studies focused on elucidating the bases for primate species differences in life span or age-related conditions.
• Applications that do not include appropriate academic enrichment plans and networking opportunities.
• Applications that do not propose cross-disciplinary training.
• Applications that do not include mentor(s) in different disciplines from that of the candidate.
• Applications that propose career enhancement activities within the department of the applicant's current primary appointment.
• Applications from a candidate who holds an academic rank less than Associate Professor or the equivalent in a non-academic institution.

Additional Background Information and Pre-application Webinar

Prospective applicants for this award are encouraged to join a planned NIA webinar with representation from NIA’s Division of Geriatrics and Clinical Gerontology, Division of Aging Biology, Division of Behavioral and Social Research, and Division of Neuroscience. This webinar will include an overview of the training opportunity and address potential applicant questions related to the objectives of this career enhancement award. The date of the webinar and access information will be posted here. 

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions regarding this NOFO will be posted here. 

It is recommended that potential applicants consult NIA program staff early in their process of considering or planning an application. Inquiries should be sent to the NIA Scientific/Research Contact listed in Section VII of this NOFO and will be directed to appropriate NIA staff.

Note: This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is designed specifically for proposing research that does not involve leading an independent clinical trial, a clinical trial feasibility study, or an ancillary clinical trial. Under this NOFO are permitted to propose a research experience in a clinical trial led by a mentor or co-mentor. 

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

Section II. Award Information

Other Award Budget Information

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

Section III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

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)

Local 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)

Federal Governments

• 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

Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) are not eligible to apply.

Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply.

Applicant Organizations

Applicant organizations must complete and maintain the following registrations as described in the How to Apply - 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. Failure to complete registrations in advance of a due date is not a valid reason for a late submission, please reference NIH Grants Policy Statement 2.3.9.2 Electronically Submitted Applications for additional information.

• 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.
  • Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)- A UEI is issued as part of the SAM.gov registration process. The same UEI must be used for all registrations, as well as on the grant application.
• eRA Commons - Once the unique organization identifier is established, organizations can register with eRA Commons in tandem with completing their Grants.gov registration; 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 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.

 An academic rank of associate or full professor, or the equivalent in non-academic research settings, is required for eligibility for this award. 

Any candidate meeting this criterion who has the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) is invited to work with their mentor(s) and organization to develop an application for support. Individuals from diverse backgrounds, including individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, individuals with disabilities, and women are always encouraged to apply for NIH support. See, Reminder: Notice of NIH's Encouragement of Applications Supporting Individuals from Underrepresented Ethnic and Racial Groups as well as Individuals with Disabilities, NOT-OD-22-019. Multiple PDs/PIs are not allowed.

The candidate and the proposed host laboratory/research program should not have extensive previous research collaborations.

By the time of award, the individual 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).

Candidates for the K18 award must have a research or health-professional doctoral degree. This award is intended for well-established investigators who have established records of independent, peer-reviewed Federal or private research grant funding. Applicants are not required to have active research grant support at the time of application for this award.

2. Cost Sharing

This NOFO does not require cost sharing as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 1.2 Definition of Terms.

3. Additional Information on Eligibility

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

NIH will not accept duplicate or highly overlapping applications under review at the same time per NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 2.3.7.4 Submission of Resubmission Application. 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 NIH Grants Policy Statement 2.3.9.4 Similar, Essentially Identical, or Identical Applications).

At the time of award, the candidate must have a “full-time” appointment at an eligible institution. Candidates are required to commit a minimum of 3 person-months of effort (i.e., 25% of full-time professional effort) per year for 2 years to their program of career development, but may devote up to their full-time (i.e., 12 calendar months) effort to the K18 program. This effort can be expended consistently throughout the academic or calendar year or be focused during summer or off-term months. This allowance for a part-time commitment of professional effort will allow candidates to maintain their ongoing research grant(s) and/or meet other institutional responsibilities, 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-18-156  and NIH Grants Policy Statement, Section 12.3.6.4 Temporary Adjustments to the Percent Effort Requirement for more details.

Mentor(s)
Before submitting the application, the candidate must identify an experienced mentor or mentoring team who will supervise the proposed career development and research experience. The mentor(s) should be an active investigator and expert in a discipline different than the mentee and be committed both to the career development of the candidate and to the direct supervision of the candidate’s research. The mentor(s) must document the availability of sufficient research support and facilities for high-quality research. Candidates are encouraged to identify more than one mentor, i.e., a mentoring team, if this is deemed advantageous for providing expert advice in all aspects of the research career development program. In such cases, one individual must be identified as the primary mentor who will coordinate the candidate’s research. The candidate must work with the mentor(s) in preparing the application. The mentor, or a member of the mentoring team, should have a successful track record of mentoring individuals at the candidate’s career stage.  The recruitment of women, individuals from underrepresented  racial and ethnic groups, and individuals with disabilities as potential mentors is encouraged.

The mentor(s) or mentoring team must demonstrate appropriate expertise, experience, and ability to guide the applicant in the organization, management, and implementation of the proposed research and career development plan.

The proposed research project must be conducted in facilities or field sites affiliated with either the applicant's institution (i.e., site of the candidate’s primary appointments) or the mentor's institution, ensuring access to appropriate resources and institutional commitment to support the proposed research career enhancement experience. Host institutions must have a strong, well-established record of research and career development activities and faculty qualified to serve as mentors. The host institution must in addition have well-qualified faculty and a strong record of research in one or more areas relevant to those listed in Part 2, Section I, Specific Research & Training Objectives section of this NOFO.

Career enhancement activities may be conducted within the candidate’s institution but must not be in the department of the applicant’s current primary appointment. 

Section IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Requesting an Application Package

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 NOFO. See your administrative office for instructions if you plan to use an institutional system-to-system solution.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

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

For information on Application Submission and Receipt, visit Frequently Asked Questions – Application Guide, Electronic Submission of Grant Applications.

Page Limitations

All page limitations described in the How to Apply – Application Guide and the Table of Page Limits must be followed.

Letter of Intent

Although a letter of intent is not required, is not binding, and does not enter into the review of a subsequent application, the information that it contains allows IC staff to estimate the potential review workload and plan the review.

By the date listed in Part 1. Overview Information, prospective applicants are asked to submit a letter of intent that includes the following information:

• A brief description of your current research area(s) and how that knowledge and skills will complement your proposed area of career enhancement
• Name(s), address(es), and telephone number(s) of the PD/PI and mentor(s) 
• Participating institution(s) and host department(s) or program(s)
• Number and title of this funding opportunity

The letter of intent should be sent to:

Carol Nguyen
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Email: carol.nguyen@nih.gov

The following section supplements the instructions found in the How to Apply – Application Guide and should be used for preparing an application to this NOFO.

SF424(R&R) Cover

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed.

SF424(R&R) Project/Performance Site Locations

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed.

Other Project Information

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed.

Project Summary/Abstract

Include a description of your current research areas and how that knowledge and skills will complement your proposed area of career enhancement to help lead and/or collaborate on future comparative studies of primate species differences in life span and life histories.

SF424(R&R) Senior/Key Person Profile Expanded

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed.

R&R Budget

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed.

The following additional instructions apply to this NOFO:

Other program-related expenses: Applicants may request up to $100,000 in direct costs to cover other program-related expenses, such as tuition and fees for short-term courses, travel to scientific meetings or training, and research-related costs, primarily supplies and technical or computational services.

During the term of this K18 award, all applicants funded through this NOFO are encouraged to attend annual meetings conducted by the recipients of the RFA-AG-24-020 networking/infrastructure award. As such, applicants should include annual travel expenses for two-day meetings in Bethesda, Maryland within their application budgets. 

PHS 398 Cover Page Supplement

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed.

PHS 398 Career Development Award Supplemental Form

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 How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed.

Candidate Section

All instructions in the How to Apply - 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 as a health-related research scientist and how it relates to aging and life span.
• Describe the candidate's research efforts and accomplishments in health related research to date as an independent investigator, including publications, prior research interests and experience, and history of research support. 
• Present evidence of the candidate's potential to augment their research career and to ultimately advance scientific progress through this career enhancement plan. 
• Provide evidence of the candidate's ability to interact and collaborate with other scientists, particularly those from other disciplines.
• Describe the candidate's current research program and research expertise, and how these are complementary for the proposed program in the cross-disciplinary area.

Career Goals and Objectives​

• Describe the candidate's research career trajectory to date and future career goals and objectives and explain how these relate to the proposed research career development enhancement program. 
• Justify the need for further career enhancement in order to achieve the candidate's future research goals. 
• Demonstrate how the proposed career enhancement program and the research, educational and mentoring resources of the sponsoring laboratory and institution will further the stated research career goals.

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

• The candidate and the mentor are jointly responsible for the preparation of the career development plan. The candidate and mentor may propose a mentoring team. 
• Describe the career enhancement plan, tailoring it to the candidate's goals, prior experience and career level. Describe how the proposed didactic training components and networking opportunities will enhance the research capabilities of the candidate with sufficient depth in cross-disciplinary research to make significant novel contributions to future collaborative comparative studies of determinants of human and nonhuman primate longevity and health span.
• Provide a systematic plan for progression of career enhancement and research experiences for the period of the award and beyond, including a timeline for the phasing of the career enhancement and research activities. 
• Explain how the career development plan will enhance the candidate’s independent research career trajectory, including a description of any cutting-edge research skills and conceptual knowledge that will be acquired during the career award period.
• Describe any clinical, administrative, teaching, mentoring or grant-related research commitments the applicant will maintain during the period of the award, and the arrangements to be made with the applicant institution and/or the host institution to ensure the requisite protected time for this award period.
• Provide a timeline for planned activities, milestones, and other benchmarks. Any plans for submitting a subsequent grant application of high relevance to the comparative topics listed in Part 2, Section 1, Purpose section of this NOFO should be detailed in the timeline.

Research Plan Section

All instructions in the How to Apply - 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 their 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 carry out the research.
• The application must describe the relationship between the mentor's research and expertise and the candidate's proposed collaborative research plan. If more than one mentor is proposed, the respective areas of expertise and responsibility should be described.
• 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 mentored career development plan.
• The research project component of the application must be consistent with the objectives of the candidate's career development plan and should demonstrate how the research project will help expand and enhance his/her expertise and capability to lead or collaborate on future comparative studies of determinants of human and nonhuman primate longevity and health span.

• If the applicant is proposing to gain experience in a clinical trial, ancillary study to a clinical trial or a clinical trial feasibility study as part of his or her research career development, describe the relationship of the proposed research project to the clinical trial.

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 How to Apply - Application Guide for instructions.

Mentor, Co-Mentor, Consultant, Collaborators Section

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions:

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

• The candidate must name a primary mentor who, together with the candidate, is responsible for the planning, directing, monitoring, and executing the proposed program.  The candidate may also nominate co-mentors as appropriate to the goals of the program.  
• The candidate or mentor(s) should describe sufficient research funding to support the proposed collaborative research project, in excess of the allowable costs of this award. This is to include any costs for the proposed research project that will not be covered by this K-award or by the mentor's independent research support.
• Include a statement that the candidate will commit at least 3 person months (25% of full-time professional effort) to the career development program and related career development activities.
• The application must include a statement from each mentor and co-mentor providing: 1) information on their research qualifications and interests, as well as previous experience as a research mentor; 2) a plan that describes the nature of the mentoring that will occur during the proposed award period, including how the candidate's scientific and professional development will be promoted; and 3) the ongoing research activities and research grant support of the mentor(s), along with how the research activities of the candidate will be collaborative with these. 
• Similar information must be provided by any co-mentor.  If more than one co-mentor is proposed, the respective areas of expertise and responsibility of each should be described.  Co-mentors should clearly describe how they will coordinate the mentoring of the candidate. If any co-mentor is not located at the sponsoring institution, a statement should be provided describing the mechanism(s) and frequency of communication with the candidate, including the frequency of face-to-face meetings. 
• The primary mentor must agree to provide annual evaluations of the candidate’s progress as required in the annual progress report.

• If the candidate is proposing to gain experience in a clinical trial as part of his or her research career development, the mentor or co-mentor of the mentoring team must include a statement to document leadership of the clinical trial, and appropriate expertise to guide the applicant in any proposed clinical trials research experience.

Letters of Support from Collaborators, Contributors and Consultants

• Signed statements must be provided by all collaborators and/or consultants confirming their participation in the project and describing their specific roles. Unless also listed as senior/key personnel, collaborators and consultants do not need to provide their biographical sketches. However, information should be provided clearly documenting the appropriate expertise in the proposed areas of consulting/collaboration. 
• Advisory committee members (if applicable): Signed statements must be provided by each member of the proposed advisory committee.  These statements should confirm their participation, describe their specific roles, and document the expertise they will contribute.  Unless also listed as senior/key personnel, these individuals do not need to provide their biographical sketches. 

Environmental and Institutional Commitment to the Candidate

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions: 

Description of Institutional Environment

• The host institution must document a strong, well-established research and career development program related to the candidate's area of interest, including a high-quality research environment with key faculty members and other investigators capable of productive collaboration with the candidate.
• Describe how the host institutional research environment is particularly suited for the development of the candidate's research career and the pursuit of the proposed research plan.
• Describe the resources and facilities that will be available to the candidate. 

Institutional Commitment to the Candidate’s Research Career Development

• The sponsoring 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 clear that the institutional commitment to the candidate is not contingent upon receipt of this career award. 
• The candidate's home institution must provide a clear statement of assurance that during the active period of the K18 award that the candidate will be able to devote the required effort to activities under this award. This includes release from all administrative, teaching, and/or clinical duties that infringe on his/her commitment to the award, and that he/she will be able to devote a minimum of 3 person-months (maximum of 12 person-months) of full-time professional effort to the research career enhancement program of this K18 award. The remaining effort should be devoted to activities related to the development of the candidate’s career as an independent scientist. 
• Provide assurances that the candidate will have access to appropriate office and laboratory space, equipment, and other resources and facilities (including access to clinical and/or other research populations, as applicable) to carry out the proposed research plan. 
• The host institution must provide a statement of commitment that appropriate time and support for any proposed mentor(s) and/or other staff are consistent with the career development plan of the candidate. 

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 application forms packages.

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions:

• 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.

Appendix:

Limited items are allowed in the Appendix.  Follow all instructions for the Appendix as described in the How to Apply - Application Guide; any instructions provided here are in addition to the How to Apply - Application Guide instructions.

PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information

When involving NIH-defined human subjects research, clinical research, and/or clinical trials (and when applicable, clinical trials research experience) follow all instructions for the PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form in the How to Apply - 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 Delayed Onset Study record.

Study Record: PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed.

• For NOFOs that do not allow independent clinical trials, do not complete Section 4 – Protocol Synopsis information or Section 5 - Other Clinical Trial-related Attachments.

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 How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed.

PHS Assignment Request Form

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide must be followed.

Reference Letters

Candidates must carefully follow the How to Apply - 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. 

3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)

See Part 2. 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

4. Submission Dates and Times

Part I. 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 Grants Policy Statement Section 2.3.9.2 Electronically Submitted Applications.

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 How to Apply – Application Guide.

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 Section 7.9.1 Selected Items of Cost .

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

7. Other Submission Requirements and Information

Applications must be submitted electronically following the instructions described in the How to Apply - 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 fieldof the Senior/Key Person Profile form. 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. See Section III of this NOFO for information on registration requirements.

The applicant organization must ensure that the unique entity identifier provided on the application is the same identifier used in the organization’s profile in the eRA Commons and for the System for Award Management. Additional information may be found in the How to Apply - 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 NIA, NIH. Applications that are incomplete or non-compliant and/or non-responsive will not be reviewed.

In order to expedite review, applicants are requested to notify the NIA Referral Office by email at ramesh.vemuri@nih.gov when the application has been submitted. Please include the NOFO number and title, PD/PI name, and title of the application.

Post Submission Materials

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

Section V. Application Review Information

1. Criteria

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.

Overall Impact

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.

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.

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.

2. Review and Selection Process

Applications will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit by (an) appropriate Scientific Review Group(s), in accordance with NIH peer review policies and practices, 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.

Appeals for initial peer review will not be accepted for applications submitted in response to this NOFO.

Applications will be assigned to the appropriate NIH Institute or Center. Applications will compete for available funds with all other recommended applications submitted in response to this Announcement. Following initial peer review, recommended applications will receive a second level of review by the National Advisory Council on Aging.

• 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

3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates

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 Section 2.4.4 Disposition of Applications.

Section VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices

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. This request is not a Notice of Awards nor should it be construed to be an indicator of possible funding.

A formal notification in the form of a Notice of Award (NoA) will be provided to the applicant organization for successful applications. The NoA signed by the grants management officer is the authorizing document and will be sent via email to the recipient’s business official.

Recipients must comply with any funding restrictions described in Section IV.6. 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 NOFO 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.

Institutional Review Board or Independent Ethics Committee Approval: Recipient 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 recipient must provide NIH copies of documents related to all major changes in the status of ongoing protocols.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

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, Recipients, and Activities, including of note, but not limited to:

• Federal-wide Standard Terms and Conditions for Research Grants
• Prohibition on Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment
• Acknowledgment of Federal Funding

If a recipient is successful and receives a Notice of Award, in accepting the award, the recipient agrees that any activities under the award are subject to all provisions currently in effect or implemented during the period of the award, other Department regulations and policies in effect at the time of the award, and applicable statutory provisions.

If a recipient receives an award, the recipient must follow all applicable nondiscrimination laws. The recipient agrees to this when registering in SAM.gov. The recipient must also submit an Assurance of Compliance (HHS-690). To learn more, see the Laws and Regulations Enforced by the HHS Office for Civil Rights website. 

HHS recognizes that NIH 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 NOFO.

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 System for Award Management (SAM.gov) requirements. SAM.gov requires Federal agencies to review and consider information about an applicant in the designated integrity and performance system (currently SAM.gov) prior to making an award. An applicant can review and comment on any information in the responsibility/qualification records available in SAM.gov. NIH will consider any comments by the applicant, in addition to the information available in the responsibility/qualification records in SAM.gov, 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 2 CFR Part 200.206 “Federal awarding agency review of risk posed by applicants.” This provision will apply to all NIH grants and cooperative agreements except fellowships.

3. Data Management and Sharing

Consistent with the 2023 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.

4. Reporting

When multiple years are involved, recipients 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. For mentored awards, 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. NIH NOFOs outline intended research goals and objectives. Post award, NIH will review and measure performance based on the details and outcomes that are shared within the RPPR, as described at 2 CFR 200.301.

The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 as amended (FFATA), includes a requirement for recipients of Federal grants to report information about first-tier subawards and executive compensation under Federal assistance awards issued in FY2011 or later.  All recipients 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 the threshold.  See the NIH Grants Policy Statement for additional information on this reporting requirement. 

In accordance with the regulatory requirements provided at 2 CFR Part 200.113 and Appendix XII to 2 CFR Part 200, 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 (Responsibility/Qualification in SAM.gov, formerly 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 2 CFR Part 200 – Award Term and Condition for Recipient Integrity and Performance Matters.

5. Evaluation

In carrying out its stewardship of human resource-related programs, 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.

Within ten years of making awards under this program, NIH [or NIA] will assess the program’s overall outcomes, gauge its effectiveness in enhancing diversity, and consider whether there is a continuing need for the program. Upon the completion of this evaluation, NIH will determine whether to (a) continue the program as currently configured, (b) continue the program with modifications, or (c) discontinue the program. 

The overall evaluation of the program will be based on metrics that will include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Subsequent participation in research or employment in a STEM field
• Authorship of scientific publications in a STEM field
• Subsequent independent research grant support from NIH or another source

Section VII. Agency Contacts

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 on-time submission, and post-submission issues)

Finding Help Online: https://www.era.nih.gov/need-help (preferred method of contact)
Telephone: 301-402-7469 or 866-504-9552 (Toll Free)

General Grants Information (Questions regarding application processes and NIH grant resources)
Email: GrantsInfo@nih.gov (preferred method of contact)
Telephone: 301-637-3015

Grants.gov Customer Support (Questions regarding Grants.gov registration and Workspace)
Contact Center Telephone: 800-518-4726
Email: support@grants.gov

Carol Nguyen
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Telephone: 202-450-9536
Email: carol.nguyen@nih.gov

Ramesh Vemuri, Ph.D.
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Telephone: 301-402-7700
Email: ramesh.vemuri@nih.gov

Jessica Perez
National Institute on Aging (NIA)  
Telephone: 301-402-7739 
Email: jessi.perez@nih.gov 

Section VIII. Other Information

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.

Please note that the NIH Loan Repayment Programs (LRPs) are a set of programs to attract and retain promising early-stage investigators in research careers by helping them to repay their student loans. Recipients of career development awards are encouraged to consider applying for an extramural LRP award.

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 2 CFR Part 75.