National Institute of
General Medical Sciences

NCCIH uses the MOSAIC K99/R00 program to support promising postdoctoral investigators who are seeking to establish an independent career and have the potential to become a future leader in an area of research supported by the Center.

Before the application receipt date, investigators are strongly encouraged to discuss their proposed research interest with the NCCIH Program Officer to confirm its relevance to NCCIH's mission and research priorities.

NCCIH uses the K99/R00 program to support outstanding postdoctoral investigators who are seeking to establish an independent career and have the potential to become a future leader in an area of research supported by the Center.

• The K99 phase may ONLY include observational, basic or mechanistic research projects in areas of NCCIH’s interest and priorities. A mechanistic study is defined as one designed to understand the mechanism of action of an intervention, a biological process, or the pathophysiology of a disease. NCCIH will accept applications that propose a study in the K99 phase with human participants when the primary outcome/endpoint is explicitly mechanistic, rather than a clinical outcome, even if the mechanistic study meets the NIH definition of a clinical trial.
• NCCIH will not fund applications proposing a clinical trial to test efficacy or effectiveness in either the K99 or R00 phase. Applicants are encouraged to discuss their proposed scope of work with an NCCIH program officer, and to review resources available at NCCIH’s Clinical Research Toolbox.
• Before the application receipt date, investigators are strongly encouraged to discuss their proposed research interest with an NCCIH Program Officer in the specific scientific area and/or intervention that is closely-related to the proposed project to confirm its relevance to NCCIH's mission and research priorities. A list of NCCIH program officials can be found at http://NCCIH.nih.gov/grants/contact#area.
• The K99/R00 is appropriate for applicants who are prepared for an accelerated career path, who will be ready to compete for R01 and R01-like grant funding in the next three years. Individuals interested in a longer time frame of mentored research support should consider the K01, K08, or K23.
• Applications proposing the use of natural products or devices in an interventional research project should explicitly describe the status of the Investigational New Drug (IND) or Investigational Device Exemption (IDE). Applicants interested in natural products research are encouraged to review NCCIH's Natural Product Integrity Policy. Applications should include explicit statements from the institution and the mentor(s) addressing the following:
• Detailed information about who will provide the necessary resources;
• Funding source and amount of additional funding (as needed);
• Support staff available and committed to the project;
• Availability of biostatistical support for the duration of the study - including the planning period; and
• A contingency plan (for the institution and mentor) for completion of the study in the event the awardee leaves the institution earlier than the end date of the award.

NEI will accept applications for funding that are responsive to programmatic priority areas for research within vision and ophthalmology as detailed in the National Plan for Eye and Vision Research found at www.nei.nih.gov.

Awardees are expected to complete at least one full year of mentored training under the K99 phase before transitioning to the R00 phase. Individuals who already have extensive postdoctoral training and expect to transition to an independent position in less than one year may not be appropriate candidates for this program.

NEI will only accept “Mechanistic or Minimal Risk CTs” under this NOFO. A mechanistic trial is defined as "A study designed to understand a biological of behavioral process, the pathophysiology of a disease, or the mechanism of action of an intervention. "Minimal risk" means that the probability and magnitude of harm or discomfort anticipated in the research are not greater in and of themselves than those ordinarily encountered in daily life or during the performance of routine physical or psychological examinations or tests.

NHLBI provides global leadership for a research, research training, and education program to promote the prevention and treatment of heart, lung, blood, and sleep diseases and enhance the health of all individuals so that they can live longer and more fulfilling lives. The NHLBI encourages research designed to answer the breadth of scientific questions related to heart, lung, blood, and/or sleep diseases, disorders, and phenotypes. The NHLBI seeks applications that will address questions relevant to the NHLBI mission, address gaps in the NHLBI's portfolio, and should align with the NHLBI's Strategic Vision [PDF]. NHLBI's strategic priorities emphasize the continuum of research from basic molecular biology research to implementation science related to heart, lung, blood diseases and sleep disorders (e.g., hemoglobinopathies and other non-malignant blood diseases; thrombotic and hemostasis disorders; cardiovascular diseases; hypertension prevention and control; asthma; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), sleep apnea; and other cardiopulmonary diseases and conditions), self-management of symptoms and disease conditions, and prevention of these diseases and disorders in various populations. The NHLBI also has significant interests in implementation science research for the prevention, control, and treatment of heart, lung, blood diseases and sleep disorders, particularly research that addresses the development of interventions or strategies that address the translation of proven effective evidence-based interventions into clinical, community, and/or other real world settings; addresses impediments to uptake, scale up, and sustainability of evidence-based interventions in various contexts; examines disparities in disease burden and ways to mitigate these disparities; and/or models possible treatment paradigms. Please refer to the NHLBI website [PDF] for more details on the research priorities of the NHLBI.

If an individual has a faculty appointment and is eligible to apply for independent research funding as the PD/PI of an NIH research grant, he/she is no longer eligible for the K99/R00 mechanism. Additionally, individuals holding certain Career Development Awards that require a faculty appointment (such as the American Heart Association CDA) are not eligible to apply for the K99/R00 mechanism.

To maintain R00 eligibility, awardees in the K99 mentored phase should discuss any potential changes to their academic appointment with an NHLBI Scientific Program Contact. Physician scientists with a clinical faculty appointment, distinct from their research/academic appointment, may still be eligible and should approach an NHLBI Scientific Program Contact for guidance.

Temporary 1-cycle extension of eligibility for NHLBI applicants to the NIH K99/R00 award due to the COVID-19 pandemic

NHGRI will support the development of resources, approaches, and technologies that will accelerate genomic research on the structure of genomes, the biology of genomes, and the biology of disease; that will use genomics to advance the science of medicine; and that will incorporate genomics to improve the effectiveness of healthcare. NHGRI will also support genomic research in several cross-cutting areas, including the ethical, legal and societal implications of genomics and genetics research, bioinformatics, technology development, and research training and career development. NHGRI is also committed to supporting genomics research that addresses health disparities.

In general, NHGRI supports studies that provide generalizable methods and knowledge. Applications for studies relevant only to a particular disease or organ system should be directed to the appropriate Institute or Center. NHGRI strongly encourages potential applicants to contact program staff in the early stages of developing your application.

NIA participates in NIH-wide programs to increase diversity in the research workforce. The goal of this NOFO? is to provide promising postdoctoral researchers from diverse backgrounds (e.g., see the Notice of NIH’s Interest in Diversity) to transition into independent, tenure-track or equivalent faculty positions. NIA welcomes applications in all fields of aging research, including basic science, diseases and disabling conditions of aging, the social and behavioral consequences of an aging society, and topics in between. A particular priority of NIA at the moment is research on Alzheimer's disease and Alzheimer's disease-related dementias (AD/ADRD).

NIAAA supports a broad portfolio of research that encompasses basic, behavioral, epidemiological, health services, prevention, and treatment development research that examines the underlying mechanisms and health effects of alcohol use and alcohol use disorders. Interested applicants should review NIAAA’s strategic plan and are highly encouraged to contact program staff listed below to discuss your application prior to submission.

Applications that include human subject research must comply with NIAAA policy on providing plans for submitting grant-related human subjects data to a NIAAA-sponsored data repository, the NIAAA Data Archive (NIAAA DA), as described in NOT-AA-19-020.

Information about NIAMS funding mechanisms is available at http://www.niams.nih.gov/Funding/Funding_Opportunities/activity_codes.asp.

Applicants must obtain an offer for a tenure-track or equivalent position by the end of the K99 phase to be eligible for R00 support.

NIBIB welcomes applications from postdoctoral scientists seeking to establish an independent research career in scientific program areas relevant to NIBIB. In general, NIBIB interests include the development and integration of advanced bioengineering, sensing, imaging, and computational technologies for the improvement of human health and medical care. An application is not within the NIBIB mission if its principal focus is the development of a technology with the goal of understanding basic biological function or pathological mechanisms. Additionally, NIBIB only supports projects developing platform technologies that are applicable to a broad spectrum of disorders and diseases. However, applicants may propose research that utilizes only a single tissue, organ, or physiological condition as a model system to facilitate the development of what is expected to be a more broadly applicable enabling technology.

Before preparing an application, prospective applicants are encouraged to fill out the NIBIB K99/R00 Eligibility Inquiry Form and forward it along with the requested attachments to the Scientific Program Contact in order to verify eligibility, determine if the application is appropriate for a K99 award through NIBIB.

More information on the NIBIB K99/R00 program can be found at https://www.nibib.nih.gov/training-careers/training-opportunities/nih-pathway-independence-award-parent-k99r00.

NICHD offers research career development awards in areas relevant to normal and abnormal human development, including contraception, fertilization, pregnancy, childbirth, prenatal and postnatal development, and childhood development through adolescence. The mission areas also include research on intellectual and developmental disabilities and rehabilitation medicine. More detailed information can be found at: http://www.nichd.nih.gov/research/by-nichd/pages/index.aspx.

The K99/R00 program is designed for postdoctoral fellows (PhDs, MDs, or other) whose formal research training is nearly complete, and who expect to find a tenure-track or equivalent faculty position within 2 years of receiving the award. Those whose career development would benefit from further research training should also consider the mentored Career Development Awards offered by NICHD (e.g., K01, K08, K23, K25). Prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to email or call the NICHD Scientific/Research Contact to help choose among these career development award mechanisms, to determine K99/R00 eligibility, and to assess relevance of the proposed project to the NICHD mission.

Awardees must spend at least one year on the K99 phase of the award.

NIDCD uses the MOSAIC K99/R00 program to support promising postdoctoral investigators from diverse backgrounds conducting research in NIDCD research areas that are ready to complete their transition to become an independent investigator.

• Application must demonstrate its contribution to NIDCD and its fit to NIDCD's Mission, Research Priorities, and Strategic Plan.
• Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply no later than the third year of their postdoctoral training to ensure awardees receive maximum benefit from both the K99 phase of the award, and to facilitate a timely transition to independence.
• Applicants are strongly encouraged to provide clear evidence that adequate resources are available at the institution for the successful completion of the proposed research project.
• Applications should include explicit statements from the institution and the mentor(s) addressing the following:
  • Detailed information about who will provide the necessary resources;
  • Funding source and amount of additional funding (as needed);
  • Support staff available and committed to the project;
  • Availability of biostatistical support for the duration of the study - including the planning period; and
  • A contingency plan (for the institution and mentor) for completion of the study in the event the awardee leaves the institution earlier than the end date of the award.

NIDCR will accept applications from postdoctoral scientists seeking to establish an independent research career in research areas relevant to the Institute's mission to improve dental, oral, and craniofacial health and align with the NIDCR Strategic Plan.

For additional scientific program information and for pre-application guidance, potential applicants are encouraged to contact the NIDCR scientific staff listed below to discuss an application prior to submission.

NIDDK will accept K99/R00 applications from promising postdoctoral fellows and physician scientists working in the areas of research supported by NIDDK: diabetes, endocrinology, metabolic diseases, obesity, nutrition, digestive and liver diseases, kidney and urological disorders, and hematologic diseases. Information on the NIDDK K99/R00 program can be found at https://www.niddk.nih.gov/research-funding/process/apply/funding-mechanisms/k-awards/k99-r00. Applicants are encouraged to contact the program official identified here prior to submission. The NIDDK provides further information on all K-award programs on our training and career development website: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/research-funding/process/apply/funding-mechanisms/k-awards

Urologic surgeons may request a minimum of 50% effort for the K99 phase.

NIDA supports a broad portfolio of research that encompasses basic, behavioral, epidemiological, health services, prevention, and treatment development research that examines the underlying mechanisms and health effects of substance use and substance use disorders. Interested applicants should review NIDA’s strategic plan and funding priorities and are highly encouraged to contact program staff listed below to discuss your application prior to submission.

Applicants are encouraged to visit the following Web site to learn more about NIDA research training-related opportunities and resources: http://www.nida.nih.gov/researchtraining/traininghome.html.

NIEHS supports research to discover how the environment affects people in order to promote healthier lives, and invites applications from qualified postdoctoral fellows who plan to pursue an independent research career in the environmental health sciences. The Institute funds a substantial portfolio of research conducted by investigators in many disciplines that span the range from basic mechanistic research to clinical and epidemiologic studies using human subjects. More information can be found on the NIEHS web site at: http://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/supported/index.cfm.

The NIMH supports a broad spectrum of basic and translational research, including basic neuroscience, human genetics, adult and developmental translational research, services and intervention research, and AIDS-related research. Prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to contact Institute career development staff before preparing an application to discuss the relevance of the proposed research to the Institute’s current research priorities and for guidance on the proposed research and career development plans.

Under this NOFO?, NINDS supports eligible postdoctoral investigators who will transition to tenure-track faculty (or the equivalent) positions to conduct research in NINDS mission areas. The long-term goal of this program is to enhance diversity in the biomedical research workforce. NINDS will support both an initial mentored research experience (K99) followed by independent research (R00) for highly qualified, postdoctoral researchers, to secure an independent research position. Award recipients are expected to compete successfully for independent R01 support during the R00 phase.

More details on NINDS MOSAIC K99/R00 Awards: https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Funding/Training-Career-Development/Award/K99R00-MOSAIC-Postdoctoral-Career-Transition-Award-Promote

In general, NINDS supports research studies about the brain and nervous system in order to provide fundamental knowledge and reduce the burden of neurological disease. NINDS strongly encourages potential applicants to contact program staff in the early stages of developing your application.

Applicants are strongly advised to consult with NINDS program staff prior to submitting an application with human subjects to determine the appropriate funding opportunity. See the NIH definition of a clinical trial and NIH guidance for basic experimental studies with humans? for more information.

NINR considers career development applications only from research doctorate-prepared applicants who have a Bachelor's degree or higher in nursing. Applicants should be seeking to establish an independent research career in an area related to the mission of the NINR, which is to promote and improve the health of individuals, families, and communities. NINR will support applications from nurse scientists that fall under one or more of its Scientific Program Areas. This includes finding effective approaches to achieving and sustaining a healthy lifestyle, easing the symptoms of illness, improving quality of life for patients and caregivers, eliminating health disparities, and addressing issues at the end of life. For more information, see https://www.ninr.nih.gov/aboutninr/ninr-mission-and-strategic-plan.

NIMHD supports various mentored career development activities involving research to improve minority health and reduce health disparities, organized around three main Research Interest Areas: Clinical and Health Services Research, Community Health and Population Sciences, and Integrative Biological and Behavioral Sciences. Projects are encouraged to use approaches that encompass multiple domains of influence (e.g., biological, behavioral, socio-cultural, environmental, physical environment, health systems) and multiple levels of influence (e.g., individual, interpersonal, community, societal) to understand and address health disparities. See the NIMHD Research Framework for examples of health determinants of interest.

It is recommended that NIMH mentored K applicants proposing clinical trials review the following guidance: (http://www.nimh.nih.gov/funding/training/career-development-programs-k-series.shtml#12).

The Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH) mission is to improve the health of women.

ORWH is part of the Office of the Director of NIH and works in partnership with the 27 NIH Institutes and ensures that research conducted and supported by the NIH addresses issues regarding women's health. ORWH works to stimulate and encourage basic and clinical research on the role of sex and gender in health and disease. ORWH promotes training and career development of a diverse biomedical research workforce to advance science for the health of women. ORWH also develops and supports initiatives to recruit, retain, and advance women in biomedical careers; programs that support both women and men in women’s health and sex differences research careers. ORWH is interested in supporting applications that fulfill goal 1 and goal 4 of the NIH Strategic Plan for Women's Health and Sex Differences Research [PDF].