Mentored Career Development Award to Promote Faculty Diversity in Biomedical Research (K01 Independent Clinical Trial Required) | RFA HL 19 025

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA HL 19 025

The Mentored Career Development Award to Promote Faculty Diversity in Biomedical Research (K01 Independent Clinical Trial Required), funding opportunity number RFA-HL-19-025, is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) career development grant aimed at expanding and strengthening the pipeline of investigators from diverse backgrounds that are underrepresented in biomedical research. The program is focused on building a highly trained, competitive group of early-career faculty who are positioned to become independent researchers, particularly in areas tied to heart, lung, blood, and sleep-related conditions. The scientific scope is broad across basic, clinical, and translational research, but it emphasizes projects that rely on advanced research methods and experimental approaches capable of addressing important problems in cardiovascular, pulmonary, and hematologic diseases, as well as sleep disorders. A notable emphasis is on research that is relevant to both the general population and health disparities populations, reflecting an interest in improving outcomes and reducing inequities in these disease areas.

This FOA supports a mentored career development structure, meaning the applicant is expected to carry out a structured plan of specialized training, professional development, and supervised research under the guidance of a qualified mentor. The mentor is expected to be an accomplished investigator in the proposed research area and to have a track record of successfully developing independent investigators. The award is designed to help the candidate deepen their expertise, publish impactful work, develop leadership and grantsmanship skills, and ultimately transition toward research independence. The application is typically submitted by an institution on behalf of an eligible faculty candidate, and the overall expectation is that the award period will provide the protected time and mentored environment needed to establish a strong independent research trajectory.

A key feature of this particular K01 announcement is that it is specifically intended for candidates who will serve as the lead investigator of an independent clinical trial. That includes three acceptable clinical trial-related paths: leading a full independent clinical trial, conducting a clinical trial feasibility study, or proposing a separate ancillary study linked to an existing clinical trial. In other words, the candidate is expected to be in a leadership role for the clinical trial component rather than simply participating in a trial led by someone else. For applicants who are not planning to lead an independent clinical trial, or who want clinical trial experience as part of another investigator’s trial, NIH directs those applicants to a companion funding opportunity (RFA-HL-19-026) instead. This distinction matters because NIH uses different FOAs to align review criteria, training expectations, and oversight requirements with the applicant’s level of responsibility in clinical trial leadership.

Eligibility for applicant organizations is broad and includes many types of domestic entities that can sponsor the candidate and administer the award. Examples listed include public and private institutions of higher education, state and local governments, special district governments, independent school districts, federally recognized Native American tribal governments, tribal organizations (including those other than federally recognized tribal governments), nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), and small businesses. The FOA also highlights additional eligible organizational categories 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), as well as faith-based or community-based organizations and eligible federal agencies. Regional organizations and U.S. territories or possessions are also included. At the same time, the FOA is clear that non-U.S. entities are not eligible to apply, non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, and foreign components (as NIH defines them in the NIH Grants Policy Statement) are not allowed, keeping the program fully domestic in its supported institutional footprint.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary grant opportunity in the health funding category, supported under CFDA numbers 93.233, 93.837, 93.838, 93.839, and 93.840. The source information lists an award ceiling of $150,000. The opportunity was created on July 19, 2018, and the original closing date shown is May 6, 2021. Overall, the program can be understood as a mentored, faculty-focused career development mechanism that combines structured training with a clinically oriented research leadership requirement, aiming to help underrepresented investigators build the expertise, track record, and independence needed to sustain a long-term research career in NHLBI-relevant disease areas, including work that directly addresses health disparities.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Mentored Career Development Award to Promote Faculty Diversity in Biomedical Research (K01 Independent Clinical Trial Required)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.233, 93.837, 93.838, 93.839, 93.840.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2018-07-19.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-05-06. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $150,000.00 in funding.
• 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 RFA HL 19 025

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