Limited Competition: Stimulating Access to Research in Residency Transition Scholar (StARRTS) (K38 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

The Stimulating Access to Research in Residency Transition Scholar (StARRTS) K38 Career Development program, solicitation RFA-HL-27-010, is a limited competition managed by the National Institutes of Health, specifically the NHLBI, NIAID, and NCI. The program is designed to retain clinician-investigators who have completed the StARR R38 Program by providing support for 12 to 24 months of mentored research and career development during clinical fellowships or early career faculty appointments. Transition Scholars receive funding for basic, clinical, or translational research to accelerate their path toward independent research careers, with a strong emphasis on eventually applying for independent awards such as K01, K08, or K23 grants. Financial support for individual awards includes up to 100,000 dollars per year for salary and fringe benefits, 20,000 dollars per year for research, and 3,000 dollars per year for travel, with indirect costs reimbursed at 8 percent of modified total direct costs. Total program funding commitments through 2029 are split among the participating institutes, with NHLBI committing up to 6.444 million dollars and both NIAID and NCI committing up to 2.18 million dollars each. Eligibility requires active SAM and eRA Commons registrations, and candidates must demonstrate a minimum effort dedication of 75 percent for clinical fellows or 50 percent for early career faculty. Applications are evaluated via the NIH peer review system based on the scientific and technical merit of the research plan, the quality of the candidate and their mentors, the institutional environment, and the feasibility of the career development plan. Required documentation includes nomination letters, a Data Management and Sharing Plan, and a plan for Responsible Conduct of Research instruction consisting of at least eight contact hours of face-to-face or real-time training. Submission deadlines occur periodically between November 2026 and October 2028, with earliest start dates ranging from July 2027 to July 2029.