Forecast to Publish a Notice of Funding Opportunity for Academic Career Excellence (ACE) Award (K32 - Clinical Trial Required)
Last verified by NonDilute: 2026-04-29. Official notice and agency instructions control.
Structured pathway for early-career clinical researchers to establish independent programs with institutional backing and mentor oversight before scaling to larger NIH grants.
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What this is
The K32 is an NIH career-development award designed for researchers with a doctoral degree (MD, PhD, or equivalent) who are ready to establish themselves as independent clinical investigators. Applicants must propose a clinical trial as part of their research plan. This grant provides salary and research support to enable early-career researchers to develop their research programs and demonstrate preliminary data before pursuing R01 funding. The award typically targets researchers at academic institutions with mentoring and institutional support.
Who can apply
Applicants must hold a doctoral degree (MD, PhD, DDS, DO, DVM, or equivalent) and typically be employed at an NIH-eligible academic institution with demonstrated mentoring infrastructure. Solo practitioners and small businesses are not eligible; this award is limited to university researchers and academic medical centers.
Topics: clinical trial funding · early career researcher · NIH K32 award · academic career development · independent investigator support
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.