Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (Parent K01 Independent Basic Experimental Studies with Humans Required)
Last verified by NonDilute: 2026-04-29. Official notice and agency instructions control.
If you're a researcher with a PhD or MD ready to establish independence in biomedical or clinical science, the K01 funds your salary and research for 3–5 years under mentorship.
Report stale or inaccurate summary
What this is
This is a career-development award from the National Institutes of Health designed for researchers (postdocs, clinical fellows, or those with research gaps) to gain supervised, intensive mentorship leading to research independence. Awardees receive salary support and dedicated time to conduct their own research project under expert mentorship. It is not a grant to fund a startup or business, but rather a personal career-development award for individuals embedded in research institutions pursuing basic, behavioral, or clinical science.
Who can apply
Applicants must be individuals (not organizations) affiliated with eligible institutions including nonprofits, universities, small businesses, and government entities. Typically requires a PhD, MD, DVM, or equivalent, and commitment from a mentor and sponsoring institution. Solo founders and startup companies are not the target audience; this is for embedded researchers pursuing scientific independence.
Eligible applicant types
- Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
- Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
- County governments
- Small businesses
- Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
- Special district governments
- Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities
- Private institutions of higher education
- Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)
- Independent school districts
- City or township governments
- Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
- Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
- For profit organizations other than small businesses
- State 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. Other ICs use the K01 to support career development in specific fields.
Topics: NIH career development · K01 mentored award · research independence · postdoctoral training · biomedical 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.