Career Transition Award for NINDS Intramural Clinician-Scientists (K22 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 25 215

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 25 215

The Career Transition Award for NINDS Intramural Clinician-Scientists (K22; Clinical Trial Not Allowed) is an NIH grant opportunity intended to help highly promising investigators move from mentored, intramural NIH research roles into stable, independent faculty positions at institutions outside NIH. It uses a two-phase structure: the first phase takes place while the awardee holds an intramural appointment at NIH, and the second phase provides support after the awardee transitions to an extramural (non-NIH) institution. The central purpose is career development toward research independence, with structured support that bridges the common gap between intramural training and securing an academic appointment with the time and resources needed to build an independent program.

This specific K22 is tailored to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and, more narrowly, to NINDS intramural clinician-scientists who are neurologists or neurosurgeons. The program emphasis is on enabling these clinician-researchers to land independent, academic faculty roles that genuinely protect and support research effort while also allowing for clinical responsibilities. In practical terms, the opportunity is meant to help a clinician-scientist establish themselves as an independent investigator capable of competing for and sustaining independently funded research, rather than remaining in a prolonged mentored or dependent position. The “Clinical Trial Not Allowed” designation signals that the proposed research supported by this award cannot include clinical trials as defined by NIH policy, so applicants need to shape their research plans accordingly (for example, focusing on mechanistic, translational, observational, or other non-trial approaches consistent with NIH rules).

From an eligibility and applicant-organization standpoint, NIH lists a broad range of domestic U.S. entities that can serve as applicant institutions for the extramural phase, including state, county, and city governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; nonprofit organizations (with or without 501(c)(3) status, other than higher education institutions); public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; other Native American tribal organizations; for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and small businesses. The notice also explicitly highlights additional categories of eligible applicants such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), 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. Even though many organization types are listed, the award’s design and narrative make clear that the target career path is an academic faculty transition for NINDS intramural neurologist- and neurosurgeon-scientists, so the proposed institutional environment should credibly support that endpoint.

There are clear geographic and foreign involvement restrictions. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities are not eligible to apply, non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, and foreign components (as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement) are not allowed. In other words, the transition supported by this K22 must occur within eligible U.S.-based organizational settings without foreign components under the NIH definition.

Administratively, this opportunity is offered by the National Institutes of Health under a discretionary grant mechanism, categorized under health funding activity, with CFDA number 93.853. The funding opportunity number is PAR-25-215, it was created on 2024-12-02, and the original closing date listed is 2027-11-12. The public summary provided does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards in the extracted source data, so applicants typically need to consult the full funding announcement text and NIH budget guidance for the most current budget structure, allowed costs, and any institute-specific limits or expectations.

Taken together, the opportunity is best understood as a structured bridge for NINDS intramural clinician-scientists: it supports continued development at NIH and then provides time-limited backing after moving to an extramural faculty position, with the explicit goal of accelerating the recipient into a genuinely independent clinician-scientist role that balances research leadership with clinical practice, while staying within NIH rules that prohibit proposing a clinical trial under this particular announcement.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Career Transition Award for NINDS Intramural Clinician-Scientists (K22 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" 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 2024-12-02.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2027-11-12.
• 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 25 215

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