Research career development K award, CDA, leave, unpaid leave
12.13.1 Leave
Since CDA recipients are employees of the institution, applicable institutional leave policies for leave such as vacation, sick, parental, etc. apply to individuals supported by NIH CDAs.
CDAs are expected to be for continuous support of an individual; however, in certain circumstances, candidates will be permitted to take a leave of absence. Circumstances include personal or family situations such as parental leave, childcare, elder care, medical conditions, or a disability. A leave of absence or sabbatical greater than three months must be requested and approved in writing by the NIH awarding IC The NIH organizational component responsible for a particular grant program or set of activities. The terms "NIH IC," or "awarding IC" are used throughout this document to designate a point of contact for advice and interpretation of grant requirements and to establish the focal point for requesting necessary prior approvals or changes in the terms and conditions of award.. A leave of absence less than 3 months only requires institutional prior approval Written approval by an authorized HHS official, e.g., a designated IC GMO, evidencing prior consent before a recipient undertakes certain activities or incurs specific costs (see Administrative Requirements-Changes in Project and Budget-Prior Approval Requirements)..
For some CDAs additional information is required as part of any prior approval Written approval by an authorized HHS official, e.g., a designated IC GMO, evidencing prior consent before a recipient undertakes certain activities or incurs specific costs (see Administrative Requirements-Changes in Project and Budget-Prior Approval Requirements). request:
- For transition CDAs (K22 and K99/R00), because of the relatively short duration of the mentored phase of each of these awards, a request for approval of a leave of absence lasting more than 3 months must address the impact of such action on the recipient's ability to make sufficient progress to meet the goals of the award. For example, a K99 phase recipient must describe how the leave will affect the recipient's ability to transition to the R00 phase.
- For K05, K07 leadership, and K24 recipients, the request for a leave of absence lasting more than 3 months must include a letter assuring that arrangements have been made to continue to commit the appropriate effort to the research and to provide mentoring.
- For K12 and KL2 Scholar appointees, because of the short duration of the mentored phase of each of these awards, a request for a leave of absence lasting more than 3 months must address the impact of such action on the scholar's ability to make sufficient progress to meet the goals of the program.
12.13.1.1 Unpaid Leave
Leave without award support may not exceed 12 months. Such leave requires prior written approval of the awarding component and will be granted only with justification. When approved, the K award will be placed in a no-cost extension for the duration of the unpaid leave and no charges to the grant will be allowed during that period, although continued coverage of health insurance would be allowable if in accordance with institutional policy. Such leave does not reduce the total number of months of program support for which an individual is eligible.