NINDS Postdoctoral Mentored Career Development Award (K01 No Independent Clinical Trial Allowed) | PAR 23 143

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 23 143

The NINDS Postdoctoral Mentored Career Development Award (K01 No Independent Clinical Trial Allowed), funding opportunity number PAR-23-143, is an NIH/NINDS career development grant aimed at helping exceptional postdoctoral researchers transition into independent neuroscience research careers. The core idea is to provide a structured, mentored period in which a candidate can pursue a well-conposed research project while also carrying out a thorough, intentional career development plan. NINDS is explicitly looking for applicants who will use the award period to build the skills, publication record, and scientific direction needed to launch an independent research program, with the expectation that by the end of the K01 the candidate will be positioned to compete successfully for independent funding and establish themselves as a leader in their area.

This K01 is geared toward mentored postdocs at a fairly specific stage. Candidates are encouraged to apply during their second through fourth year of cumulative mentored postdoctoral research experience, and support is available as long as it falls within the first six years of cumulative postdoctoral experience. A major emphasis of the announcement is timing: NINDS strongly encourages applying earlier in that eligibility window because the career development plan is not treated as an add-on, but as a central feature of the application. In practical terms, competitive applications are expected to show both a promising, potentially high-impact research direction and a detailed training roadmap (mentorship structure, skill acquisition, coursework or workshops if relevant, responsible conduct of research, networking, and a plan for moving to independence).

A key restriction is the clinical trials policy for this particular FOA. This version of the K01 is for applicants whose proposed research does not involve leading an independent clinical trial. That includes not leading an independent clinical trial feasibility study and not leading an ancillary study to a clinical trial. However, the FOA does allow candidates to gain research experience in a clinical trial as long as the trial is led by a mentor or co-mentor. In other words, you can be involved and learn within a mentor-led clinical trial environment, but the K01-supported project itself cannot put you in the role of the independent clinical trial lead.

On the applicant side, this is a discretionary grant in the NIH “Health” activity area, listed under CFDA 93.853. Eligibility is broad at the organizational level and includes many types of U.S.-based entities such as public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), small businesses, and multiple levels of government (state, county, city/township), among others. The announcement also calls out a range of institution types that are explicitly included, 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, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, and U.S. territories or possessions.

There are also clear constraints related to foreign organizations. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations) and non-domestic (non-U.S.) foreign institutions are not eligible to apply as the applicant organization, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply. At the same time, “foreign components” (as NIH defines them in the NIH Grants Policy Statement) are allowed, meaning a U.S. applicant organization may be able to include certain international elements in the project under NIH’s foreign component rules, even though a foreign institution cannot serve as the primary applicant.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is run by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) through NINDS, uses the grant funding instrument, and was created on 2023-05-08. The original closing date listed in the provided source data is 2024-02-13. The excerpt provided does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards, so applicants typically need to consult the full FOA and NIH budget policies for the most current limits, allowable costs, and submission cycle details.

Overall, the opportunity is best viewed as a mentored launchpad for postdoctoral neuroscientists: it funds a defined period of intensive training and research, requires a strong mentorship and career development framework, and is designed to end with the candidate ready to step into independence. The main “fit” questions an applicant should be able to answer from the outset are whether they are within the postdoctoral experience window, whether their proposed project avoids leading an independent clinical trial, and whether they can present a convincing plan that ties together mentoring, training, and a research project that can grow into an independent program.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NINDS Postdoctoral Mentored Career Development Award (K01 No Independent Clinical Trial Allowed)" 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 23 143

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