Helpful Hints on K Awards

(K01, K02, K05, K07, K08, K22, K23, K24, K25, K26, K30)

GENERAL GUIDELINES:

General K Award program guidelines (Section IV, PHS 398) and form pages

Specific Instructions for Participating Institutes and Centers

NIH Institutional Training Grants

Each K program is subject to the general guidelines of the Program Announcement. However, certain institutions award more funds or request slightly higher effort than what is in the general PA. Once a K program is identified and a likely institute is chosen, a visit to the institute's website should indicate whether there are variances from the standard. (See Cover Letter for additional information.)

Required Career Award components (Administrative Shell) for Medical School/University review:

PAF Form
Face Page
Abstract
Entire Budget Period (Form page 5)
Budget Justification (Continuation page)
Biosketches
Other Support
Resources
Specialized Information
Cover Letter


PAF

· Dept sign-off for:

Faculty effort
Space
Any cost sharing necessary
Conflict of Interest

· Notes section: exclusions from the F&A calculation.

*Although PAF may be in name of mentor, the proposal to NIH will always name the applicant as Principal Investigator (on face page).

Face Page
· 2 to list the applied for K Award program and its title (instead of: PA or RFA number)
· 3f to show primary appointment department of Principal Investigator rather than an institute or center
· 3g as "Medical School"
· Accurate financial and fiscal information (see Calculating Budget and F&A Costs below)

* Although PAF may be in name of mentor, the proposal to NIH will always name the applicant as Principal Investigator (on face page).

Abstract Page
· Abstract (Draft)
· Performance site
· Key Personnel TBAs may not really qualify as key personnel.

Initial Budget Period (Form page 4)
Do not submit this page.

Entire Budget Period (Form page 5)
· Total direct costs for each year and total direct costs for the entire proposed period of support
Do not fill out the rest of budget grid.
Each Institute within NIH may have its own salary and research support allotment for a K Award program. Please see the individual web site of the institute for specific program details.

Budget Justification (Continuation page as needed)
· Justification of all project personnel (salaried or unsalaried)
List the name, role on project, and percent effort for all project personnel (salaried or unsalaried). Identify all consultants.
No further justification is needed unless there are major budget items requested that are unusual for the scope of research. No specific costs for items or categories should be shown.

Biosketches
· Candidate: Adherence to required format and content (section IV, #6 of the PHS 398 instructions)
· Sponsors, co-sponsors, and other key personnel: Adherence to the Biographical
Sketch Format

Other Support
· Other support pages of sponsors and co-sponsors on mentored awards (K01, K07, K08, K22, K23), not the candidate
Include current and pending research support relevant to the candidate's research plan. Overlap and effort level is not required at this time.
For all other K awards, do not submit other support pages.

Resources
· Facilities available
Make sure specific laboratory rooms listed here are on the PAF and have appropriate signatures.

Specialized Information (Section D)
· 4. Statements by Sponsor for mentored awards
We need to see these for institutional and environmental assurances.
· 5. Institutional Commitment to Candidate's Research Career Development including agreements to:

release candidate from required % of time, and
provide candidate with appropriate office and lab space, etc.

Effort of candidate in endorsement letters must reflect same effort as budget.

Cover Letter (We do not review)
Applicants have the option of requesting which institution (and even study section) reviews (or does not review) the application. Include a cover letter to the Center for Scientific Review requesting the applicant's preferences.

Checklist
Do not submit.
If the proposal is a resubmission and you cannot include the information on the checklist about the prior submission, please add to the notes section of the PAF so the University knows which proposal is being resubmitted.

Calculating Budget and F&A Costs
Direct costs = salary (up to allowable) + associated fringe benefits + research costs (up to allowable)
Total costs = direct costs + F&A

Most K Awards have a limit on the salary and research costs allowed. Fringe benefits and F&A costs are over and above the allowable costs listed in the program announcement.

Example:
Institute allows $75,000 for salary with at least 75% effort, and $50,000 for research costs per year.

Salary equal to ceiling amount
1. Candidate has 75% effort and a salary of $100,000:
(75% x $100,000) $75,000 + $22,500 (30% fringes) + $50,000
$147,500 direct costs requested for year 1. Since allowable costs are requested, there can be no increase in the following years.

Salary less than ceiling amount
2. Candidate has 85% effort and a salary of $80,000:
(85% x $80,000) $68,000 + $20,400 (30% fringes) + $50,000
$138,400 requested in year 1. In the following years, you may increase the amount of salary and fringes (according to an anticipated increase for the candidate) up to the maximum allowed.

Salary more than ceiling amount
3. Candidate has 75% effort and a salary of $120,000:
(75% x $120,000 = $90,000) $75,000 + $22,500 (30% fringes) + $50,000
$147,500 direct costs requested for year 1. Since allowable costs are requested, there can be no increase in the following years. Also, since the allowable salary does not cover the applicant's salary for the dedicated % effort, voluntary cost sharing will be required and a statement needs to be in the notes section of the PAF. (Department of Pathology will cover salary and fringe benefits over the NIH capped award.)

If you are not requesting the maximum award available, please put breakdown of 1st year costs (salary $X, fringe benefits $Y, research $Z) under the notes section of the PAF.

There are some K Awards (K24, K26) that do not have a specified limit on the salary. These are still subject to the current NIH cap.

Facilities & Administrative Costs (F&A)
F&A costs on K Awards are 8%.
This will only show up on the Face Page included in the total amounts requested, 7b and 8b.
Career Award Descriptions

K01 Mentored Research Scientist Development Award
· Career development in a new area of research
· Candidate must have research or health-professional doctorate
· Either Clinical or Basic Science emphasis
· 3-5 yrs / at least 75% effort
· Mentorship required
General Guide

K02 Independent Scientist Award
· Develop the career of the funded scientist
· Candidate must have a doctoral degree and independent, peer-reviewed
research support at the time the of award
· Either Clinical or Basic Science emphasis
· Up to 5 yrs / at least 75% effort
· No mentorship required
General Guide

K05 Senior Scientist Award
· Enhance outstanding scientist's skills and dedication to his/her area of research
· Candidate must be a senior scientist and have peer-reviewed grant
support at the time of award
· Either Clinical or Basic Science emphasis
· Up to 5 yrs / at least 75% effort
· No mentorship required
General Guide

K07 Academic Career Award
· Developmental/Leadership in academic instruction, research, administration
· Candidates must have a clinical or research doctoral degree
· Either Clinical or Basic Science emphasis
· Development: Up to 5 yrs / at least 75% effort, Leadership: 2-5 yrs / 25-50% effort
· No mentorship required
General Guide

K08 Mentored Clinical Scientist Development Award
· Development of the independent clinical research scientist
· Candidate must have a clinical doctoral degree
· Clinical emphasis
· 3-5 yrs / at least 75% effort
· Mentorship required
General Guide

K22 Mentored-Patient Oriented Research Career Development Award
· Support to an individual postdoctoral fellow in transition to a faculty position
· Candidate must have a clinical doctoral degree
· Clinical emphasis
· Varies according to institute
· Mentorship required
General Guide: no standard PA, please refer to institute

K23 Mid-Career Investigator Inpatient Oriented Award
· Development of the independent research scientist in the clinical arena
· Candidate must have a clinical doctoral degree
· Clinical emphasis
· 3-5 yrs / at least 75% effort
· Mentorship required
General Guide

K24 Mid-Career Investigator Award In Patient-Oriented Research
· Development of clinical mentors conducting funded research
· Candidate must have a health-professional doctoral degree
· Clinical emphasis
· No mentorship required
· 3-5 years / 25-50% effort
General Guide

K25 Mentored Quantitative Research Career Development Award
· To foster interdisciplinary collaboration in biomedical research by supporting career development experiences for scientists with quantitative and engineering backgrounds
· Candidates must have an advanced degree in a quantitative area of science or
engineering
· Basic Science emphasis
· 3-5 yrs / at least 75% effort
· Mentorship required
General Guide

K26 Mid-Career Investigator Award In Mouse Pathobiology Research
· Provides support for established pathobiologists who wish to do research and mentoring in the field of mouse pathobiology
· Most candidates for this award will have a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
degree
· Basic Science emphasis
· 3-5 yrs / 25-50% effort
· No mentorship required
General Guide

K30 Clinical Research Curriculum Development
· Institutional award for development of a clinical research curriculum
· Clinical emphasis
· Up to 5 yrs / % effort not specified
· No mentorship required
General Guide

Still not sure…? Click on the Career Award Wizard web site.
The Wizard walks an individual through a series of questions (approximately 5) regarding degree, mentorship received, etcetera. At the end of the Wizard, one or more application suggestions are given.