The Research Specialist must be the PD/PI of the application. The Unit Director must not be the PD/PI.   However, the Unit Director must be included as Senior/Key Personnel participating as an Other Significant Contributor. 

Both the Research Specialist and the Unit Director must include a NIH Biosketch.

See Additional Information on Eligibility for requirements for the Unit Director.

Additional Eligibility Requirements:

• The Research Specialist must have an advanced degree (e.g., Masters, Ph.D., D.V.M., D.D.S., or M.D.) in an area of biomedical science or biomedical engineering and have demonstrated research accomplishments in their primary discipline.
• At the time of application submission, the Research Specialist must have been contributing to the Unit Director's NCI-funded research for at least the previous 2 years.
• The Research Specialist must have a full-time, non-tenure track position at the academic or research institution.
• For new applications/resubmissions, the Research Specialist must be supported (including salary) for not less than  6 person-months effort on the Unit Director's NCI-funded research grants (where the Unit Director is the PD/PI) during:  
  • Federal Fiscal Year 2023 for a November 2023 submission
  • Federal Fiscal Year 2024 for a November 2024 submission
  • Federal Fiscal Year 2025 for a November 2025 submission
• Specific to Renewals:The institution Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) must provide verification of effort on NCI grants if the Research Specialist was not listed as a participant on the Unit Director's NCI-funded research grants during relevant Federal Fiscal Year stated above .
• The Research Specialist will be required to commit a minimum of 6-person month effort on NCI-funded research grants during the life of the R50 award. The Research Specialist may engage in other duties as part of the remaining  effort not covered by this award.
• The Research Specialist must have demonstrated professional accomplishments consonant with his or her career status and must have demonstrated cancer research experience in the areas of behavioral, biomedical (basic or clinical), computational or bioengineering research that is relevant to the NCI mission.
• The Research Specialist must not have held or applied for independent investigator grant support (e.g., including but not limited to: R00; R01; R03; R21; R43; R44) within the past 5 years.