Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award (Parent K23 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Last verified by NonDilute: 2026-04-29. Official notice and agency instructions control.
If you're a clinician with a doctoral degree ready to build an independent research career focused on patient-centered science, this NIH award provides salary, mentorship, and research funds to get there.
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What this is
The K23 is designed for clinicians early in their research careers who commit to conducting patient-oriented research—work directly involving human subjects or using human biospecimens. Awardees receive salary support (protected research time), mentorship from established researchers, and research funds to launch their independent programs. This is not for independent clinical trials. Eligible applicants include individuals at academic medical centers, teaching hospitals, research institutes, and some nonprofits and small businesses that can provide appropriate institutional infrastructure and mentorship.
Who can apply
Applicant must hold a clinical doctoral degree (MD, DO, DDS, DVM, PhD, or equivalent) and be affiliated with an eligible institution that can provide mentorship and research support. Eligible organizations include universities, medical centers, nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status, small businesses, and certain government entities. Solo practitioners without institutional affiliation are not eligible.
Eligible applicant types
- Independent school districts
- Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities
- Special district governments
- City or township governments
- Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)
- For profit organizations other than small businesses
- State governments
- County governments
- Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
- Private institutions of higher education
- Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
- Small businesses
- Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
- Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
- Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
Full description — from the agency
The purpose of the NIH Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award (K23) is to support the career development of individuals with a clinical doctoral degree who have made a commitment to focus their research endeavors on patient-oriented research.
Topics: clinical research career development · patient-oriented research · K23 award · NIH mentored research · early-career clinician · research mentorship
Public-source funding discovery only. This summary is generated from public agency data and may be incomplete or stale. NonDilute is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of any government agency. Official notices and agency instructions control. NonDilute does not determine eligibility, provide grant-writing advice, or guarantee funding.