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 underrepresented racial and ethnic groups as well as individuals with disabilities are always encouraged to apply for NIH support. See, Reminder: Notice of NIH's Encouragement of Applications Supporting Individuals from Underrepresented Ethnic and Racial Groups as well as Individuals with Disabilities, NOT-OD-22-019. Multiple PDs/PIs are not allowed.
NIA invites K01 applications from postdoctoral researchers, research scientist, and/or faculty members in biomedical, social, or behavioral sciences who are interested in entrepreneurial training and are pursuing careers in research areas supported by NIA. Eligible PD/PI’s must be an NIH-defined Early Stage Investigators (ESI). An ESI is defined as a PD/PI who has completed their terminal research degree or end of post-graduate clinical training, whichever date is later, within the past 10 years and who has not previously competed successfully as a PD/PI for a substantial NIH independent research award. Here is a list of NIH grants that a PD/PI can hold and still be considered an ESI.
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), Project Leads of program project (P01), or center grants (P50), other major individual career development awards (e.g., K01, K07, K08, K22, K23, K25, K76, K99/R00), or the equivalent are not eligible. Current and former PDs/PIs of an NIH Small Grant (R03), Exploratory/Developmental Grants (R21), Planning Grant (R34/U34), or Dissertation Award (R36) remain eligible, as do PD/PIs of Transition Scholar (K38) awards and individuals appointed to institutional K programs (K12, KL2).
Candidates for the K01 award must have a research or health-professional doctoral degree.