NIH Career Development (K) Grant Applications for the Support of Junior Faculty; Best Practices for Competitive NIH Grant Applications: Research Grants and Career Development Awards
Discussion of the mission and the different types of career development programs (e.g., K01, K08, K23, K24) will be provided. Discussion of the NIH review process specific for career development grant applications, including the role of NIH Institutes and Study Section review panels, deadlines, scoring system, Impact Scores, review criteria, and the allowed number of applications. An NIH career development application includes all of the components of an NIH research grant application, plus the Candidate Section. The components of this latter section will be discussed in detail, including the Candidate’s Background; Career Goals and Objectives; and Career Development/Training Activities. Related topics include how to select a Mentor, when to have more than one Mentor, how to select members of an Advisory Committee, and from whom to request confidential letters of reference. The discussion will also include how to develop a comprehensive research training plan involving formal didactics (e.g., courses, workshops), short-term and long-term goals, and a plan for the “transition to independence”. In addition, all of the elements required for a strong Mentor’s Statement will described in detail, including the Mentor’s assessment of candidate and the Mentor’s funding to support the applicant’s research project. In addition, all of the research-related items discussed in the R01 grant application lecture will also be addressed. Data on the number of applications, awards, success rates, and paylines for each of NIH’s Institutes will be provided.