Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (Parent K01 - Independent Clinical Trial Required)
Last verified by NonDilute: 2026-06-08. Official notice and agency instructions control.
If you're a PhD or MD scientist ready to launch an independent research program with mentor support, K01 covers your salary and startup costs for 3–5 years.
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What this is
The K01 is designed for researchers ready to transition from postdoctoral training to independent research careers, or for established scientists retraining in a new field or returning after a career break. Awardees receive protected time (typically salary + modest research support) under the guidance of a senior mentor at their institution. This mechanism spans 24 NIH institutes and centers, so scope is broad across NIH-funded research areas. Application requires a mentor commitment, institutional support letter, and a detailed career-development plan.
Who can apply
Applicants must hold a doctoral degree (PhD, MD, DVM, DDS, or equivalent) and be citizens or permanent residents of the U.S. Eligible organizations include academic institutions, nonprofits, small businesses, and government agencies. The applicant's institution must provide mentoring, space, and institutional commitment. Individuals funded as K01 awardees cannot be principal investigators on R01 or equivalent grants during the award period.
Eligible applicant types
- State governments
- Private institutions of higher education
- For profit organizations other than small businesses
- Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
- Small businesses
- Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities
- Special district governments
- Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
- County governments
- City or township governments
- 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
- Independent school districts
- Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)
- Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
Full description — from the agency
The purpose of the NIH Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (K01) is to provide support and protected time (three to five years) for an intensive, supervised career development experience in the biomedical, behavioral, or clinical sciences leading to research independence. Although all of the participating NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs) use this support mechanism to support career development experiences that lead to research independence, some ICs use the K01 award for individuals who propose to train in a new field or for individuals who have had a hiatus in their research career because of illness or pressing family circumstances.
Topics: career development grant · mentored research award · nih k01 · research independence · biomedical scientist training · postdoctoral transition
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.