Any candidate with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) is invited to work with his/her mentor and organization to develop an application for support. Individuals from diverse backgrounds, including underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, individuals with disabilities, and women are always encouraged to apply for NIH support. Multiple PDs/PIs are not allowed.
By the time of award, the individual must be a citizen or a non-citizen national of the United States or have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence (i.e., possess a currently valid Permanent Resident Card USCIS Form I-551, or other legal verification of such status).
Current and former PDs/PIs on NIH research project (R01), program project (P01), center grants (P50), other major individual career development awards (e.g., DP5, K01, K07, K08, K22, K23, K25, K76, K99/R00), or Project Leads of program project (P01) or center grants (P50) or the equivalent are not eligible. Current and former PDs/PIs of an NIH Small Grant (R03), Exploratory/Developmental Grants (R21/R33), Planning Grant (R34/U34), Dissertation Award (R36), or SBIR/STTR (R41, R42, R43, R44) remain eligible, as do PD/PIs of Transition Scholar (K38) awards and individuals appointed to institutional K programs (K12, KL2).
Candidates for this K01 award must have a research, veterinary or health-professional doctoral degree and must be within 10 years of their terminal professional degree or residency at the time of application, whichever date is later. The candidate can be a postdoctoral scientist/research fellow, Assistant Professor, Assistant Scientist, Research Assistant Professor, or equivalent. The candidate must be affiliated with an accredited NHP facility, such as a National Primate Research Center or equivalent, which can provide NHPs, core facilities and intellectual resources for using NHPs in research. In situations where the sponsoring institution does not house a National Primate Research Center or equivalent, the description of the institutional environment should specify how the sponsoring institution will collaborate with such an institution to assure support for the candidate. If exceptionally well-justified, the candidate can have a primary appointment at an institution distinct from that which houses NHP-related facilities and infrastructure. However, all work directly related to animals must be performed at the institution that houses the NHP-related facilities and related-infrastructure. Professors, Associate Professors or equivalent, regardless of grant history, are not eligible.
Candidates may submit research project grant (RPG) applications concurrently with the K application. However, any concurrent RPG application may not have substantial scientific and/or budgetary overlap with the career award application. K award recipients are encouraged to obtain funding from NIH or other Federal sources either as a PD/PI on a competing research grant award or cooperative agreement, or as project leader on a competing multi-project award as described in NOT-OD-08-065.