NINDS Faculty Development Award to Promote Diversity in Neuroscience Research (K01 Independent Clinical Trial Required) | PAR 24 229

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 24 229

The NINDS Faculty Development Award to Promote Diversity in Neuroscience Research (K01 Independent Clinical Trial Required), PAR-24-229, is a National Institutes of Health career development grant designed to help expand and diversify the pool of independent neuroscience investigators. It targets junior faculty from backgrounds underrepresented in biomedical research and is meant to provide the kind of runway that is often hardest to secure early on: dedicated research support, protected time to build an independent program, and structured, career-stage appropriate mentoring and professional development within neuroscience. The overall emphasis is not just on funding a project, but on supporting a transition into a sustainable, independent research career with a strong mentorship plan and clear milestones.

Eligibility is centered on investigators who already hold a doctoral research degree (Ph.D. or an equivalent research doctorate) and who are very early in their faculty careers. Applicants must be within the first three years of a tenure-track faculty appointment or an equivalent faculty position at the time they apply. The program is explicitly intended to support those who are in the early, formative period of establishing independence, building a publication and funding record, and developing a coherent research niche in neuroscience that aligns with NINDS priorities.

A defining feature of this specific FOA is that it is the “Independent Clinical Trial Required” version of the K01. That means the research plan must include a study that meets the NIH definition of a clinical trial, and the applicant is expected to serve as the lead investigator. The FOA allows several clinical trial formats so long as the applicant is leading them: an independent clinical trial, a clinical trial feasibility study, or a separate ancillary study linked to an existing clinical trial. NINDS also limits this FOA to human mechanistic trials or mechanistic clinical studies that meet NIH’s clinical trial definition and that fall within NINDS research priorities. In other words, it is not a broad clinical trial mechanism for any type of intervention study; it is specifically geared toward trials or trial-like studies that illuminate mechanisms in humans and fit NINDS’s mission areas.

Because clinical trial classification and institute fit can be nuanced, NINDS strongly encourages applicants to contact NINDS program staff before submitting, especially when human subjects are involved. That pre-submission conversation is meant to confirm that the proposed human study is appropriately categorized as a clinical trial under NIH rules, that it is mechanistic in scope as required here, and that this particular FOA is the right home for the application rather than a different NIH/NINDS mechanism.

Institutional eligibility is broad across U.S.-based organizations and includes many public and private entities that commonly apply for NIH support. Eligible applicants listed in the source information include state, county, city, township, and special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; tribal organizations (including those other than federally recognized tribal governments); public housing and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses, among others. The FOA also highlights a range of mission-relevant institution types 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 regional organizations, reflecting an intent to support a wide range of institutional environments that may contribute to diversifying the neuroscience workforce.

There are important geographic restrictions. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations) are not eligible to apply, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply. However, “foreign components” as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement are allowed, which typically means a U.S. applicant organization can include certain well-justified international elements of the project under NIH rules, even though the applicant institution itself must be U.S.-based.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary NIH grant in the health area, with CFDA number 93.853. The opportunity was created on 2024-06-24 and lists an original closing date of 2027-09-07. The award ceiling and expected number of awards are not specified in the provided source data, which is common in NIH FOAs where budgets depend on justified needs, institute policy caps for K awards, and yearly appropriations rather than a single fixed “maximum award amount” presented in the notice.

In practical terms, a strong application under this FOA typically needs to make a clear case on two parallel tracks: first, that the candidate has the potential to become an independent, externally funded neuroscience investigator; and second, that the proposed human mechanistic clinical trial or clinical study is well-designed, feasible, and positioned to generate meaningful mechanistic insight within NINDS priority areas. Just as importantly, it has to show that the career development plan, mentoring team, and protected time are realistic and aligned with helping the applicant move from early faculty status to independence by the end of the K01 period.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NINDS Faculty Development Award to Promote Diversity in Neuroscience 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): 93.853.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-06-24.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2027-09-07.
• 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 PAR 24 229

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