NIDCR Mentored Career Development Award to Promote Diversity (K01 Independent Basic Experimental Studies with Humans Required) | PAR 22 052

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 22 052

The NIDCR Mentored Career Development Award to Promote Diversity (PAR 22-052) is an NIH career development grant (K01 mechanism) designed to help build a more diverse and highly trained research workforce in dental, oral, and craniofacial science. Its central aim is to support postdoctoral fellows and early career faculty who come from diverse backgrounds, particularly individuals from groups that are underrepresented in the biomedical, behavioral, and social sciences. The award is structured to provide a sustained, mentored period of intensive research and career development so that recipients can strengthen their skills, publish, secure preliminary data, and move toward research independence in fields aligned with NIDCRs mission.

This opportunity combines two main forms of support: (1) salary support to protect a significant portion of the recipients time for research and career development activities, and (2) research support to help carry out the proposed project and training plan. A defining feature of the program is the expectation of close guidance by an experienced mentor. The mentor-mentee relationship is not incidental; it is a core part of the award, with the intent that structured mentorship, along with a thoughtful career development plan, will accelerate the awardees progression toward becoming independent investigators.

As indicated by the title, this particular K01 FOA is the version that requires independent basic experimental studies involving humans. In practice, that means the proposed research is expected to include human participants in a way that meets NIHs definition of clinical research, and specifically includes basic experimental research in humans rather than being limited to observational or purely secondary data analyses. Applicants should interpret this as a clear signal that the research plan must address human subjects considerations and the regulatory, ethical, and compliance expectations that come with that kind of work (for example, protections for participants and appropriate oversight), consistent with NIH policy.

Eligibility to apply is broad across U.S.-based organizational types and spans many sectors. Eligible applicants include state, county, city or 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 authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education where specified); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other eligible entities. The FOA also explicitly highlights additional categories of eligible applicant organizations that are closely tied to the diversity mission, including 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, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and tribal governments that are not federally recognized.

At the same time, there are clear limits related to foreign involvement. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign institutions) are not eligible to apply as the applicant organization, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible to apply as the applicant organization. However, foreign components are allowed when they meet the NIH Grants Policy Statement definition, meaning the research can include certain foreign activities or collaborations as part of an otherwise eligible U.S.-based application, as long as NIH requirements for foreign components are followed.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is listed under CFDA 93.121 and is offered by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), with NIDCR as the sponsoring institute. The funding instrument is a grant within the Health funding activity category. The posting shows an original closing date of 2024-06-06. The listing does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards in the provided fields, so applicants typically need to consult the full FOA and NIH budget guidance for the K01 mechanism to understand allowable costs, duration, and institute-specific salary and research support limits.

Overall, PAR 22-052 is best understood as a mentored career runway for promising early-stage investigators whose presence and leadership can broaden representation in dental, oral, and craniofacial research. It is meant to give recipients the time, resources, and mentoring structure to develop as scientists while conducting a well-justified human-participants basic experimental study that contributes to the evidence base and prepares them for the next step toward independence, such as competing for independent NIH research project funding.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NIDCR Mentored Career Development Award to Promote Diversity (K01 Independent Basic Experimental Studies with Humans Required)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.121.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2022-02-11.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-06-06. (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 PAR 22 052

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: