Mentored Career Transition Award for Intramural Fellows (K22 Clinical Trials Required) | PA 21 195

Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 21 195

The Mentored Career Transition Award for Intramural Fellows (K22 Clinical Trials Required), funding opportunity number PA-21-195, is an NIH grant program run by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) to help NIMH Division of Intramural Research Programs (DIRP) postdoctoral fellows move from an intramural postdoc position into an extramural, independent faculty role. It is a reissue of an earlier announcement (PA-18-613) and is structured specifically to support a timely, well-planned transition into a tenure-track or equivalent position at an eligible US institution, while keeping strong mentorship in place during both stages of the move.

This K22 is organized as a two-phase career development pathway. The first phase takes place while the applicant is still an intramural fellow within NIMH DIRP, where the candidate continues mentored development and prepares for independence. The second phase begins after the awardee secures an eligible extramural faculty appointment, at which point the award provides research support intended to help the investigator establish and launch an independent research program. The overall aim is to bridge a common career gap: the period when a promising postdoc is ready to lead a research direction but needs protected support, mentoring, and resources to become competitive as an independent investigator.

A defining feature of this specific FOA is its clinical trial requirement. It is meant for applicants who will serve as the lead investigator of an independent clinical trial. That includes three main possibilities: (1) a full independent clinical trial, (2) a clinical trial feasibility study that tests whether a larger trial is workable, or (3) an ancillary study that is separate but tied to an existing clinical trial (for example, collecting additional measures or addressing a related mechanistic question alongside an ongoing trial). In other words, the proposed research and career development plan must involve the applicant taking primary responsibility for designing and directing a clinical trial component, rather than only participating in someone else’s trial. If an applicant is not planning to lead an independent trial, or if they are seeking clinical trial experience under another investigator’s leadership, they are directed to apply to the companion announcement referenced in the text (PA-18-NNN) instead of this “Clinical Trials Required” version.

In terms of who can apply and where the work can be done, the program is oriented to US-based institutions and positions. Eligible applicant organizations include a wide range of entities such as 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) nonprofits), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), small businesses, and other eligible organizations. The FOA also explicitly highlights institutional categories that may apply, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), and eligible agencies of the federal government. At the same time, it clearly states that non-US entities are not eligible to apply, non-US components of US organizations are not eligible, and foreign components are not allowed under NIH policy definitions, reinforcing that the transition target and funded activities must remain within allowable US-based settings.

Administratively, this opportunity is categorized as a discretionary grant in the health area, with CFDA number 93.242. The posted information lists an original closing date of 2023-04-20 and a creation date of 2021-03-16. The award ceiling and expected number of awards are not specified in the provided source data, which typically means applicants need to consult the full FOA text and NIH budget guidance for the most current financial and policy details. Overall, the program is best understood as a mentored, two-stage launchpad for NIMH intramural postdoctoral fellows who are ready to step into an extramural faculty role and who will build their early independent research trajectory around leading a clinical trial or closely related trial-focused study.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Mentored Career Transition Award for Intramural Fellows (K22 Clinical Trials Required)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.242.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2021-03-16.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-04-20. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, 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 PA 21 195

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