Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Award (Parent K08 Independent Basic Experimental Studies with Humans Required)
Last verified by NonDilute: 2026-04-29. Official notice and agency instructions control.
If you hold an MD, DO, DDS, or DVM and want 3–5 years of protected research time with mentorship and salary support to launch a research career, this is the NIH's flagship early-stage clinician-scientist grant.
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What this is
The K08 Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Award funds individuals with clinical doctorates (MD, DO, DDS, DVM, etc.) to transition into research careers with 3–5 years of protected time, mentorship, and salary support. This is explicitly for clinicians doing basic experimental research involving human subjects or human-derived materials. Award amounts are not specified in the text, but K08s typically range $50K–$100K+ annually. The program emphasizes biomedical and behavioral research, including translational science.
Who can apply
Open to individuals with clinical doctorates (MD, DO, DDS, DVM, etc.) affiliated with eligible organizations: any 501(c)(3) nonprofit, public/private institutions of higher education, state/local governments, small businesses, and other entity types listed. Applicants must commit to conducting independent basic experimental studies involving human subjects or human-derived materials. Citizenship/visa status varies by CFDA code; check specific IC requirements.
Eligible applicant types
- 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
- Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)
- Independent school districts
- County governments
- Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
- City or township governments
- Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities
- Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
- Special district governments
- Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
- For profit organizations other than small businesses
- State governments
- Private institutions of higher education
- Small businesses
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: NIH K08 career development · clinical scientist mentored research · biomedical research funding · clinician research support · translational research grant · human subjects research
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.