Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award (Parent K23 Independent Basic Experimental Studies with Humans Required) | PA 24 186

Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 24 186

The Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award (K23) is an NIH career development grant designed to help early-career clinicians build the skills, experience, and publication record needed to become independent investigators in patient-oriented research. It is aimed at individuals who already hold a clinical doctoral degree and have clearly committed to a research career that involves direct work with human participants or with human-derived materials where the investigator directly interacts with subjects. The overarching goal is to provide structured, mentored support so that recipients can strengthen their research expertise, develop a focused research program, and transition toward independent funding and leadership in clinical and translational research.

This specific parent opportunity, identified as PA-24-186, falls under the NIH activity category typically associated with research education and career development and is issued as a discretionary grant. It emphasizes patient-oriented research and includes a requirement related to independent basic experimental studies with humans, meaning the supported work must be grounded in studies involving humans in a way that meets NIH definitions for this type of research. In practice, this aligns the award with projects that are clinically relevant and human-centered, rather than purely animal, computational, or bench-based work without a direct human research component.

A wide range of applicant organizations are eligible to submit applications on behalf of candidates. Eligible applicants include many types of U.S.-based governmental entities (state, county, city or township governments, special district governments), independent school districts, and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities. Academic institutions are also broadly eligible, including public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education. The opportunity also allows applications from nonprofit organizations (both those with and without 501(c)(3) IRS status, as long as they are not institutions of higher education in that category listing), for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and small businesses. In addition, NIH explicitly highlights eligibility for several mission-driven and capacity-building institution types, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs). Faith-based or community-based organizations, certain federal agencies, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and Indian/Native American tribal governments (including those other than federally recognized) are also included among eligible applicant types.

Restrictions on non-U.S. involvement are important for this announcement. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities, meaning foreign organizations, are not eligible to apply as the applicant organization. Likewise, non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply. However, foreign components are allowed when they meet the NIH Grants Policy Statement definition, which generally means a project may include a defined foreign component under a U.S. applicant organization if it is justified and compliant with NIH policy. This distinction matters for applicants who collaborate internationally, because it permits certain international elements without allowing a foreign institution to serve as the primary applicant.

The administering agency is the National Institutes of Health, and the opportunity is listed under multiple CFDA numbers (now commonly referenced as assistance listing numbers), reflecting that multiple NIH Institutes or Centers may participate or support awards under this parent announcement. The opportunity was created on April 9, 2024, and lists an original closing date of May 7, 2027, indicating an extended window in which applications may be accepted across multiple receipt cycles typical of NIH parent K announcements. The public summary does not specify an award ceiling or expected number of awards, which often means those details can vary by participating NIH Institute/Center, annual appropriations, and the number and quality of applications received in a given cycle.

In short, PA-24-186 is a mentored career development mechanism intended to protect time and provide resources for clinically trained researchers to develop into independent patient-oriented investigators. It supports a mentored training plan paired with a coherent, human-focused research project, is open to a broad set of U.S. organizations including many institutions that serve underrepresented communities, and allows foreign components only under NIH policy while prohibiting foreign organizations from applying directly.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, environment, health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award (Parent K23 Independent Basic Experimental Studies with Humans Required)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.113, 93.121, 93.173, 93.213, 93.242, 93.273, 93.279, 93.310, 93.313, 93.361, 93.853, 93.865, 93.866.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-04-09.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2027-05-07.
• 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 PA 24 186

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