Institutional Mentored Career Development Award (K12)

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) under the Department of Health and Human Services is offering Institutional Mentored Career Development grants through solicitation PA-27-030. This program is designed to support domestic institutions in establishing career development programs that prepare later-stage postdoctoral fellows and junior faculty scholars for independent research careers in biomedical and behavioral research. The goal is to facilitate the transition of these clinicians to advanced support mechanisms, such as K08 and K23 awards, by providing protected time for intensive, mentored research experiences. Appointed scholars are generally expected to devote at least 9 person-months of effort, though 6 person-months may be permitted for specific surgical and interventional clinical specialties. Applications are evaluated based on scientific and technical merit through the NIH peer review system, focusing on the career development program's rationale, training goals, and the reasonableness of the budget and support period. While application budgets are not limited, they must reflect actual project needs. Key requirements include active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) and eRA Commons, as well as a comprehensive plan for the Responsible Conduct of Research that includes at least eight contact hours of face-to-face instruction. The program prohibits appointed scholars from leading independent clinical trials, although they may gain experience in trials led by mentors. The solicitation was posted on June 22, 2026, with an expiration date of July 13, 2029.