Applying for an NIH K99/R00 award

PA-24-194Independent clinical trial not allowed

The candidate will not lead an independent clinical trial. A research experience in a trial led by a mentor or co-mentor can be permitted.

PA-24-193Independent clinical trial required

The candidate proposes to lead an independent clinical trial, clinical trial feasibility study, or ancillary clinical trial.

BESH route

Before: PA-24-195 was the route for basic experimental studies with humans

Now: PA-24-195 expired May 25, 2026. BESH without a separate clinical trial now goes to a Clinical Trial Not Allowed or Optional notice (for the parent K99/R00, PA-24-194). Source K Source C

NCI

Before: NCI took part in the parent K99/R00 notices

Now: NCI left them after December 31, 2024, and uses its own notices, PAR-25-135 (clinical trial not allowed) and PAR-25-313 (clinical trial required), with a six-year eligibility window. Source G Source H

Application forms

Before: FORMS-H

Now: FORMS-I, for due dates on or after January 25, 2025. Source J

Coming in 2027

Before: K99/R00 (and K22)

Now: For due dates on or after October 12, 2027, NIH merges K99 and K22 into a new KT1/R00 NIH Career Transition to Research Independence Award. Source I

Coming in 2027: clinical trials

Before: PA-24-193 is a K99/R00 route for a candidate who leads an independent clinical trial

Now: NIH says it will no longer support 'Independent Clinical Trial Required' K award notices, and K award funds may not pay for conducting a clinical trial, a feasibility study or an ancillary study. K awardees can still gain trial experience in a trial led by a mentor or co-mentor. PA-24-193 runs to its May 8, 2027 expiration. Source I Source B

Coming in 2027: data sharing plans

Before: K applications include a Data Management and Sharing (DMS) Plan

Now: NIH says K award applications will no longer require a DMS Plan. Source I

October 12, 2026

Resubmission: November 12, 2026

Review: March 2027

Council: May 2027

Earliest start: July 2027

February 12, 2027

Resubmission: March 12, 2027

Review: July 2027

Council: October 2027

Earliest start: December 2027

Postdoctoral research clock

For the parent notices, no more than four years of postdoctoral research experience as of the relevant new or resubmission due date. Only research time counts, and qualifying interruptions or part-time research can change the calculation.

Mentored status

The candidate must remain in a mentored, postdoctoral research position and must not achieve research independence before the K99 award is made. A title alone does not settle the question.

Need for a K99 phase

The candidate must require at least 12 months of mentored research and career development at the time of award.

Doctoral degree

A qualifying clinical or research doctorate is required. The active notice provides the controlling degree and position rules.

Citizenship and visa

The parent K99/R00 has no citizenship requirement. For a temporary visa holder, each institution must document that the visa allows the proposed phase to be completed.

Prior independent support

Current or prior independent faculty status and specified independent awards can make a candidate ineligible. Check the notice's complete list rather than relying on a grant-title shortcut.

Scientific question

During the K99: What the candidate must learn or establish with mentorship.

In the R00: The distinct question the candidate will own as an independent investigator.

What to agree: State the intellectual boundary between mentor and candidate.

Methods and capability

During the K99: Training activity, mentor, access, cadence, milestone, and evaluation.

In the R00: How the new capability enables the independent program rather than only the mentored experiments.

What to agree: Name which methods, protocols, code, or expertise can travel.

Data and materials

During the K99: Datasets, cohorts, samples, reagents, equipment, and permissions used during K99.

In the R00: Independent access, replacement plan, or written permission for each dependency.

What to agree: Record ownership, access conditions, transferability, and backups.

People and environment

During the K99: Mentor team and institutional resources needed during development.

In the R00: The hiring institution's space, protected time, staff, collaborators, and support.

What to agree: Separate continuing collaboration from supervisory dependence.

Candidate Information and Goals for Career Development plus Research StrategyWritten by: Candidate with mentor feedback

Limit: 12 pages combined

What it has to show: One coherent transition across background, goals, development activities, K99 research, R00 research, and scientific separation.

Specific AimsWritten by: Candidate

Limit: 1 page

What it has to show: Aims spanning both phases, with the mentored-to-independent transition visible.

Training in the Responsible Conduct of ResearchWritten by: Candidate and institution

Limit: 1 page

What it has to show: Format, subject matter, faculty participation, duration, and frequency.

Plans and Statements of Mentor and Co-mentor(s)Written by: Mentor team

Limit: 6 pages

What it has to show: Supervision, development, transition support, and a specific statement of what research, resources, and reagents the candidate may take.

Letters of Support from Collaborators, Contributors, and ConsultantsWritten by: Named contributors

Limit: 6 pages

What it has to show: Signed, role-specific commitments from contributors who are not covered by the mentor statement.

Description of Institutional EnvironmentWritten by: K99 institution

Limit: 1 page

What it has to show: The specific environment, faculty, resources, and opportunities that enable the proposed development.

Institutional Commitment to Candidate's Research Career DevelopmentWritten by: Authorized institutional official

Limit: 1 page

What it has to show: Protected effort, appointment, time, facilities, resources, and institutional support independent of receiving the award.

Candidate

The question: Does the record support the candidate's potential to obtain an independent faculty position and build a significant research program?

Evidence to line up: Prior training, productivity in context, quality and originality, referee evaluations, and readiness within the requested K99 period.

Career Development Plan/Career Goals and Objectives

The question: Is the K99 development plan necessary, tailored, measurable, and timed to produce independence?

Evidence to line up: New or enhanced capabilities, justified duration, milestones, evaluation, and transition timing.

Research Plan

The question: Are both phases scientifically sound, connected, rigorous, and capable of launching a viable independent program?

Evidence to line up: K99 development value, R00 significance and viability, rigor, alternatives, and the logical transition across phases.

Mentor(s), Co-Mentor(s), Consultant(s), Collaborator(s)

The question: Can the team provide the needed development while supporting clear scientific separation?

Evidence to line up: Qualifications, supervision, commitments, coordination, transition support, and explicit portability boundaries.

Environment and Institutional Commitment to the Candidate

The question: Will the K99 setting provide the protected effort, resources, and commitment needed for the transition?

Evidence to line up: Research environment, educational opportunities, facilities, collaborators, and assurance of required effort.

Continuous transition

The two phases are intended to be continuous. The independent position normally must be accepted by the end of the K99 period.

Eligible independent position

R00 activation requires an accepted full-time tenure-track assistant professor position or equivalent at an eligible institution.

Institutional commitment

The R00 institution must document appropriate space, resources, comparable startup and salary support, protected research time, and independence.

Program contact

NIH strongly encourages contacting the program official as transition plans develop and no later than six months before K99 termination.

R00 application timing

The R00 institution should submit the activation application no later than two months before the proposed R00 start.

Budget

K99 support is Institute-specific. Parent R00 total costs may not exceed $249,000 per year, including indirect costs.

12 weeks before

Select the clinical-trial route, confirm a participating Institute or Center, calculate postdoctoral research time, document any extension, check mentored status and prior awards, and record the internal deadline.

10 weeks before

Define the independent program in one paragraph. List every scientific, data, material, method, and personnel dependency that connects it to the mentor's program.

8 weeks before

Turn each remaining dependency into a K99 development action, named provider, cadence, milestone, and portable R00 capability.

6 weeks before

Reconcile the Specific Aims, candidate narrative, career development plan, research strategy, and mentor portability statement. Resolve conflicting ownership language.

4 weeks before

Obtain role-specific commitments, confirm protected effort, verify institutional resources, and collect three to five reference letters through the NIH process.

2 weeks before

Run notice, page-limit, attachment, accessibility, citation, privacy, budget, registration, and internal-routing checks with the authorized grants office.

After award

Treat R00 activation as a managed transfer. NIH strongly encourages contacting the program official as plans develop and no later than six months before K99 termination; the R00 institution should submit at least two months before the proposed activation date.