Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Award (Parent K08 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 transition into research and secure 3-5 years of mentored independence, K08 funds salary, protected time, and research support—but requires an established mentor and institutional commitment.
Report stale or inaccurate summary
What this is
The K08 is a career development award designed to support clinicians transitioning into research by providing salary support and protected time for an intensive, supervised research experience. Applicants must have a clinical doctoral degree and work under an established mentor at an eligible institution. The award emphasizes preparing qualified researchers to address health-related research needs, with particular focus on early-career clinicians building independence in biomedical, behavioral, or translational research. This is not suitable for independent clinical trials.
Who can apply
Applicant must hold a clinical doctoral degree (MD, DO, DDS, DVM, etc.) and be nominated by an eligible institution (universities, nonprofit research organizations, small businesses, government entities, and others listed). Applicants must identify and work under a committed mentor. Institution type is broad, but the applicant must be an individual clinician, not a solo founder launching a commercial venture.
Eligible applicant types
- Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities
- County governments
- Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
- Public and State controlled 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
- Private institutions of higher education
- City or township governments
- Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
- For profit organizations other than small businesses
- State governments
- Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)
- Special district governments
- Independent school districts
- Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
Full description — from the agency
The primary purpose of the NIH Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Awards (K08) program is to prepare qualified individuals for careers that have a significant impact on the health-related research needs of the Nation. This program represents the continuation of a long-standing NIH program that provides support and "protected time" to individuals with a clinical doctoral degree for an intensive, supervised research career development experience in the fields of biomedical and behavioral research, including translational research.
Topics: clinical research career development · mentored training grant · biomedical research · translational research · clinician scientist · K08 award · protected research time
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.