NIMH Career Transition Award for Tenure-Track Intramural Investigators (K22)
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Funding available for up to three years.
No specific ceiling or floor amounts mentioned.
To support career intramural investigators at NIMH transitioning to independent research faculty positions.
Focus on enhancing contributions to mental health-related research.
Tenure-track intramural investigators at NIMH.
Extramural research institutions and the broader mental health research community.
Eligible organizations include higher education institutions, nonprofits, and government entities.
Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities are not eligible to apply.
Only successful Phase 1 candidates may proceed to Phase 2.
Applications must be from domestic institutions.
Foreign components are allowed but foreign organizations cannot apply.
Research must not involve leading independent clinical trials.
Projects should span both phases of the award.
NIMH will contribute funds for up to 6 person-months' effort per year toward the salary of the career award recipient during Phase 2.
Annual direct cost cap of $300,000 for the K22 program.
Applications are due by 5:00 PM local time of the applicant organization.
Phase 1 generally lasts for 18 months, with a maximum of 3 years for Phase 2.
An individual may not have two or more competing NIH career development applications pending review concurrently.
Applications must follow the instructions in the Career Development (K) Instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide.
Specific forms include SF424(R&R) and PHS 398.
Applications are evaluated for scientific and technical merit through the NIH peer review system.
Review criteria include candidate qualifications, career development plan, research plan, and institutional commitment.
Applications undergo peer review and are assigned an overall impact score.
Funding decisions are based on scientific merit and availability of funds.
Priority is given to applications that demonstrate potential for significant contributions to mental health research.
The program is specifically designed for tenure-track intramural investigators transitioning to independent positions.
Candidates negotiating or accepting independent faculty positions before notification of award intent are ineligible.
Candidates are encouraged to apply for NIH or other independent research grant support during the second year of the Phase 2 award.
Demonstrated record of meritorious research in mental health-related fields.
Strong institutional support and commitment to the candidate's research career development.
Submitting applications that do not comply with the application instructions.
Failing to secure an independent research position before applying for Phase 2.
Engage with NIMH Program Officials early in the process to discuss eligibility and program requirements.