Mentored Career Development Award to Promote Faculty Diversity in Biomedical Research (K01) - (Clinical Trials Not Allowed) | RFA HL 18 026

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA HL 18 026

The Mentored Career Development Award to Promote Faculty Diversity in Biomedical Research (K01) (Clinical Trials Not Allowed), Funding Opportunity Number RFA-HL-18-026, is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) career development grant designed to expand and strengthen the pipeline of independent biomedical investigators from diverse backgrounds that are underrepresented in research. The core purpose of the opportunity is workforce development: it supports a period of structured, mentored training and supervised research so that an eligible early-career faculty member can deepen their expertise, publish strong work, and build the foundation needed to transition to research independence.

The scientific focus is aligned with NIH programs that address cardiovascular, pulmonary, and hematologic diseases, as well as sleep disorders. Projects may be basic, clinical (non-trial), or translational, but they must be grounded in advanced methods and experimental approaches that can meaningfully tackle important problems in these disease areas. A notable emphasis is placed on relevance to both the general population and health disparities populations, signaling that applications that address inequities in disease burden, access, mechanisms, or outcomes are within the intended scope so long as they remain within the scientific mission areas listed and fit the K01 mentored development model.

A central feature of this K01 is the mentoring structure. The application is expected to be built around a faculty candidate working closely with a mentor who is an accomplished investigator in the proposed research area and who has a track record of developing independent investigators. In practical terms, the opportunity is meant to fund a training-like period for faculty: the candidate proposes a career development plan (skills, coursework or workshops as appropriate, research milestones, and professional development) paired with a coherent research plan that is feasible under mentorship and clearly leads toward independence. The mentor and institutional environment are therefore integral to competitiveness, since NIH K awards typically assess not only the project but also the quality of the training plan, mentoring commitment, and likelihood the candidate will become an independent researcher.

Eligibility is broad at the organizational level and includes a wide range of U.S.-based entities such as public and private institutions of higher education, state and local governments, special district governments, independent school districts, federally recognized tribal governments, tribal organizations (including those other than federally recognized tribal governments), public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), and small businesses, as well as other categories listed by NIH. The announcement also explicitly highlights several institution types and community-oriented organizations as eligible applicants, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions. While many organizational forms can apply, the FOA is specifically aimed at institutions sponsoring eligible faculty candidates who meet the program’s intent of promoting faculty diversity in biomedical research.

The FOA places clear restrictions on foreign involvement. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply, and foreign components (as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement) are not allowed. This effectively means the work and supported activities must be carried out within allowable domestic organizational structures rather than through foreign institutional applicants or foreign project components.

As to the “Clinical Trials Not Allowed” designation, it means the proposed research cannot include an NIH-defined clinical trial as the main activity under this award. Applicants can still propose research involving human participants when appropriate, but it must not meet NIH’s definition of a clinical trial (for example, studies that do not prospectively assign participants to interventions to evaluate effects on health-related outcomes). This restriction is important for aligning the project with the mechanism and review expectations for mentored career development that is not centered on running a clinical trial.

Key administrative details from the source information include that this is a discretionary grant opportunity under NIH, in the health activity category, with CFDA numbers 93.233, 93.837, 93.838, and 93.839. The opportunity’s original closing date listed is 2018-03-02, and the creation date is 2017-10-26. The source text does not provide an award ceiling or the expected number of awards, indicating those fields were not specified in the provided extract.

Overall, this K01 FOA is best understood as a mentored, career-building award for underrepresented faculty investigators working in heart, lung, blood, and sleep research areas, with an emphasis on strong mentorship and rigorous methodological training, a clear path to research independence, and strict limits on foreign components and clinical trial activities.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Mentored Career Development Award to Promote Faculty Diversity in Biomedical Research (K01) - (Clinical Trials Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.233, 93.837, 93.838, 93.839.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-10-26.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-03-02. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• 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 RFA HL 18 026

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