NINDS Postdoctoral Mentored Career Development Award (K01 Clinical Trial Required) | PAR 23 142

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 23 142

The NINDS Postdoctoral Mentored Career Development Award (K01 Clinical Trial Required), Funding Opportunity Number PAR-23-142, is a discretionary NIH grant in the health category (CFDA 93.853) intended to help exceptional postdoctoral researchers transition into independent neuroscience research careers. The central aim is to provide protected time, structured mentorship, and resources for a mentored postdoc to carry out a research project with clear potential for impact while also completing a robust, thoughtfully designed career development plan. NINDS places strong emphasis on the candidate not only producing solid research outcomes, but also building the skills, training, and professional trajectory needed to lead a future independent program. The award is framed as a launchpad: by the end of the K01 project period, the recipient should be ready to compete for and sustain independent funding and operate as a leader in their field.

A key feature of this particular K01 is that it is explicitly for applicants whose mentored research will include leading a clinical trial effort. The FOA is designed for candidates proposing to serve as the lead investigator of an independent clinical trial, a clinical trial feasibility study, or an ancillary study that is separate but tied to an existing clinical trial. In other words, it is not just “clinical trial allowed,” but “clinical trial required,” meaning the proposed research experience and training plan are expected to develop hands-on leadership capability in clinical trial design and execution, including the scientific, operational, regulatory, and ethical responsibilities that come with being the lead investigator.

The opportunity targets postdoctoral researchers in a specific career window. NINDS encourages candidates to apply between their second and fourth year of cumulative mentored postdoctoral research experience, and indicates support can occur within the first six years of cumulative postdoctoral research experience. The FOA also strongly nudges applicants to apply earlier in that eligibility window because the career development plan is treated as a critical component, not an afterthought. The expectation is that earlier support allows sufficient time to build training, mentorship, and research momentum in a way that positions the candidate to step into independence at the end of the award.

Eligibility is broad at the organizational level and spans many types of U.S.-based entities that can administer NIH grants. Eligible applicants include state, county, city/township, and special district governments; federally recognized tribal governments and certain tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; nonprofit organizations (including both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3), excluding higher education where specified); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); small businesses; and other entities. The FOA also explicitly calls out categories of institutions and organizations that are recognized as eligible applicants, such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), along with faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions.

At the same time, there are clear restrictions regarding non-U.S. applicants. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and foreign institutions are not eligible to apply, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible to apply. However, foreign components are allowed as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement, which generally means a U.S. applicant organization may include certain foreign project elements or collaborations if they are well-justified and meet NIH policy requirements.

The opportunity was created on 2023-05-08 and lists an original closing date of 2024-02-13. The source information provided does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards, so applicants would typically need to consult the full FOA text and NIH budget guidance for the K01 mechanism to understand allowable costs, project period, and any institute-specific budget policies. Overall, the program is best understood as a mentored career development pathway for postdoctoral neuroscientists who are ready to pair a serious, clinically oriented research plan with deliberate training and mentorship, specifically with the expectation that they will gain real experience leading a clinical trial-related study and emerge positioned to start an independent research program.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NINDS Postdoctoral Mentored Career Development Award (K01 Clinical Trial Required)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.853.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-05-08.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-02-13. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.

Apply for PAR 23 142

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