NIDCR Mentored Career Development Award to Promote Diversity in the Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Workforce (K01 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 19 160

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 19 160

The NIDCR Mentored Career Development Award to Promote Diversity in the Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Workforce (K01 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed), PAR-19-160, is a National Institutes of Health career development grant designed to help build a more diverse, independently funded research workforce in dental, oral, and craniofacial science. Its central goal is to support eligible postdoctoral fellows and early career faculty from diverse backgrounds, including individuals from groups that are underrepresented in the biomedical and behavioral sciences, by giving them the time, structure, and mentorship needed to transition into productive, independent research careers. In practical terms, the award is meant to buy protected time for research and career development while the applicant works closely with an established mentor who can provide scientific guidance, training, and career sponsorship.

A key feature of this opportunity is that it supports mentored research experiences that do not involve the candidate leading an independent clinical trial. This FOA is specifically labeled "Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed," meaning the award is not intended for applicants who plan to serve as the lead investigator of a clinical trial, a clinical trial feasibility study, or an ancillary study tied to a clinical trial. That said, the FOA does allow a candidate to gain experience within a clinical trial environment if the trial is led by the mentor or a co-mentor. This distinction is important: participation and training in a mentor-led clinical trial is acceptable, but proposing to run your own clinical trial as the primary driver of the K01 project is not. The announcement also points applicants toward companion FOAs if their proposed work crosses into areas that would require a different mechanism, including situations where the proposed research is more clearly clinical trial-oriented or involves prospective basic science studies with human participants as defined in NIH policy notices.

The award provides both salary support and research support over a sustained period, with the explicit expectation that the recipient will have meaningful protected time to develop as a scientist. The spirit of the mechanism is intensive, mentored career development: building research skills, strengthening a publication record, forming a coherent long-term research direction, and positioning the investigator to compete successfully for independent funding later on. While the summary information provided does not list a specific award ceiling or number of expected awards, it clearly frames the K01 as a discretionary grant in the health category (CFDA 93.121) administered through NIH, specifically the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR).

Eligibility is broad at the organizational level and includes many common U.S. applicant types such as public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (with and without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), small businesses, and multiple levels of government (state, county, city/township, special districts), along with independent school districts and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities. It also includes federally recognized Native American tribal governments and certain tribal organizations that are not federally recognized. The FOA explicitly highlights additional categories of eligible applicant organizations aligned with its 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 (AANAPISISs), as well as faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, and U.S. territories or possessions.

At the same time, there are clear restrictions related to foreign involvement. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and 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. However, foreign components may be permitted when they meet NIH definitions and policy requirements, which can allow certain project elements to occur internationally under the rules of the NIH Grants Policy Statement, even though the primary applicant organization must be eligible and domestic.

Finally, the opportunity details indicate it was created on 2019-01-08 and lists an original closing date of 2022-01-07, reflecting the lifecycle of this particular announcement record. Applicants interested in this type of K01 should pay close attention to the clinical trial restriction and, if their project would involve leading a clinical trial or certain human participant experimental designs, should use the companion FOA that matches the intended study type.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NIDCR Mentored Career Development Award to Promote Diversity in the Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Workforce (K01 Independent 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): 93.121.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2019-01-08.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-01-07. (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 19 160

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