BRAIN Initiative Advanced Postdoctoral Career Transition Award to Promote Diversity (K99/R00 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 18 814

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 18 814

The BRAIN Initiative Advanced Postdoctoral Career Transition Award to Promote Diversity (K99/R00, Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed), Funding Opportunity Number PAR-18-814, is an NIH grant program led by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) in partnership with other NIH Institutes and Centers participating in the NIH BRAIN Initiative. Its central purpose is to strengthen diversity in the biomedical research workforce by supporting a pipeline of highly trained, NIH-funded investigators from underrepresented groups who are doing research aligned with the BRAIN Initiative priorities outlined in "BRAIN 2025: A Scientific Vision." In practical terms, the opportunity is meant to help exceptional postdoctoral researchers move more quickly and successfully from mentored postdoctoral training into independent, tenure-track (or equivalent) faculty positions.

The award uses the K99/R00 mechanism, which is structured as a two-stage career transition pathway. The first stage, the K99 phase, provides mentored research training and career development for postdoctoral scholars who still need structured mentorship before independence; the notice emphasizes that applicants should require at least 12 months of mentored development during this phase. The second stage, the R00 phase, supports the applicant after they secure an independent faculty position, providing resources to launch an independent research program. The overall design is intended to reduce the common bottleneck between postdoctoral training and independence by pairing a strong, deliberate mentoring plan with a clearly defined path to an independent appointment and research program.

This specific BRAIN Initiative K99/R00 is aimed at women and members of underrepresented groups who are engaged in BRAIN-relevant research areas and who have no more than five years of postdoctoral research experience at the time of application. The scientific scope is broad, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of the BRAIN Initiative. Projects can span many fields connected to understanding brain function and developing neurotechnologies, and the notice explicitly encourages applications not only from traditional neuroscience domains but also from engineering, computer science, statistics, mathematics, physics, chemistry, and neuroethics, among others. The "Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed" label indicates that applicants cannot propose an independent clinical trial as part of this award, which generally means the funded research should not be designed as the applicant independently conducting a clinical trial; the opportunity is focused on research and career development rather than leading a clinical trial.

Eligibility at the individual level is restricted to U.S. citizens or permanent residents who fall into at least one of the specified diversity categories. The notice names women and individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups (as defined by NIH policy) as key intended beneficiaries. The emphasis on these groups reflects the program goal of increasing representation among independent investigators in BRAIN-supported research areas, not simply supporting training in general.

From an organizational standpoint, the eligible applicant landscape is wide and includes many types of U.S.-based entities. Examples listed include public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), small businesses, and multiple levels of government entities (state, county, city/township, special districts), as well as independent school districts, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, and Native American tribal governments and organizations (including federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations). The opportunity also highlights participation by institutions and organizations that often serve underrepresented communities, such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), and Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, as well as faith-based or community-based organizations and certain federal government agencies. At the same time, the notice makes clear that non-U.S. (foreign) institutions and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply as applicant organizations. However, foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed, which typically means parts of the research may involve an allowable international element under NIH rules even though the primary applicant organization must be domestic.

Key administrative details included in the source information are that this is a discretionary grant opportunity under the National Institutes of Health, with the original opportunity record created on 2018-06-01. The notice states that the FOA was expected to be published in April 2018 with an anticipated application due date in June 2018, and the record lists an original closing date of 2019-11-14. Multiple CFDA numbers are associated with the opportunity (including 93.173, 93.213, 93.242, 93.273, 93.279, 93.286, 93.313, 93.853, 93.865, 93.866, 93.867), reflecting the participation of multiple NIH components and the broader BRAIN Initiative funding structure. The main takeaway for prospective applicants is that this program is tailored for advanced postdocs from underrepresented groups who are close to independence, have a strong BRAIN-aligned research vision, and can assemble a mentoring team and training plan that credibly positions them to compete for and succeed in a tenure-track or equivalent independent research role.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BRAIN Initiative Advanced Postdoctoral Career Transition Award to Promote Diversity (K99/R00 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.173, 93.213, 93.242, 93.273, 93.279, 93.286, 93.313, 93.853, 93.865, 93.866, 93.867.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2018-06-01.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2019-11-14. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, 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, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.

Apply for PAR 18 814

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: