Career Development (K) Awards

K01: Mentored Research Scientist Development Award

• Purpose: Supports 3 to 5 years of mentored research training experience in the biomedical, behavioral, or clinical sciences. NICHD accepts K01 applications for only three research areas: Rehabilitation Research, Child Abuse and Neglect, and Population Research.
• Eligibility: Those with a research or health professional doctorate
• Access:
  • Parent K01 Announcement (Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
  • Parent K01 Announcement (Clinical Trial Required)
  • Parent K01 Announcement (Basic Experimental Studies in Humans Required)
• NICHD and Other NIH Institute/Center-Specific Requirements for the K01 Mechanism: Select the “Table of IC-Specific Information, Requirements, and Staff Contacts” link within the parent announcement to find NICHD-specific information.

K08: Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Award

• Purpose: Supports "protected time" for an intensive, supervised research career development experience in the fields of biomedical and behavioral research, including translational research
• Eligibility: Those with a clinical doctorate
• Access:
  • Parent K08 Announcement (Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
  • Parent K08 Announcement (Clinical Trial Required)
  • Parent K08 Announcement (Basic Experimental Studies in Humans Required)
• NICHD and Other NIH Institute/Center-Specific Requirements for the K08 Mechanism: Select the “Table of IC-Specific Information, Requirements, and Staff Contacts” link within the parent announcement to find NICHD-specific information.

K23: Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award

• Purpose: Supports 3 to 5 years of mentored research training experience in patient-oriented research
• Eligibility: Those with a health professional doctorate
• Access:
  • Parent K23 Announcement (Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
  • Parent K23 Announcement (Clinical Trial Required)
  • Parent K23 Announcement (Basic Experimental Studies in Humans Required)
• NICHD and Other NIH Institute/Center-Specific Requirements for the K23 Mechanism: Select the “Table of IC-Specific Information, Requirements, and Staff Contacts” link within the parent announcement to find NICHD-specific information.

K25: Mentored Quantitative Research Development Award

• Purpose: Aims to attract to NIH-relevant research those investigators whose quantitative science and engineering research has thus far not been focused primarily on questions of health and disease
• Eligibility: Those with a research or health professional doctorate and a background in engineering or quantitative sciences (e.g., mathematics, statistics, economics, computer science, imaging science, informatics, physics, or chemistry)
• Access:
  • Parent K25 Announcement (Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
  • Parent K25 Announcement (Clinical Trial Required)
  • Parent K25 Announcement (Basic Experimental Studies in Humans Required)
• NICHD and Other NIH Institute/Center-Specific Requirements for the K25 Mechanism: Select the “Table of IC-Specific Information, Requirements, and Staff Contacts” link within the parent announcement to find NICHD-specific information.

K99/R00: Pathway to Independence Award

• Purpose: Two-stage award to support the final stages of postdoctoral training and to provide independent funding when the candidate secures a faculty position. This award aims to increase and maintain a strong cohort of new and talented NIH-supported independent investigators.
• Eligibility: Those with a clinical or research doctorate and no more than 4 years of postdoctoral research training at the time of initial application or resubmission 
• Access:
  • Parent K99/R00 Announcement (Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
  • Parent K99/R00 Announcement (Clinical Trial Required)
  • Parent K99/R00 Announcement (Basic Experimental Studies in Humans Required)
• NICHD and Other NIH Institute/Center-Specific Requirements for the K99/R00 Mechanism: Select the “Table of IC-Specific Information, Requirements, and Staff Contacts” link within the parent announcement to find NICHD-specific information.