Multidisciplinary K12 Urologic Research (KURe) Career Development Program (K12 Clinical Trial Optional) | RFA DK 22 006

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA DK 22 006

The Multidisciplinary K12 Urologic Research (KURe) Career Development Program (K12 Clinical Trial Optional) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) institutional training and career development grant designed to help build the next generation of independent investigators in urologic research. The program focuses on supporting structured, mentored career development for individuals who already hold doctoral-level degrees, including clinical and other professional doctorates, and who want to develop the expertise needed to launch and sustain a long-term research career. A central emphasis is on benign urological disease and related urological research, with the expectation that participants will progress toward independent funding and a durable research trajectory.

A key feature of this opportunity is that it funds an institutional program rather than a single individual. In practical terms, an eligible organization applies to establish or maintain a formal career development “pipeline” that recruits, selects, and mentors early-career clinician-scientists or other doctoral-level scholars (often referred to as “scholars” in K12 programs). The institution is expected to provide a multidisciplinary environment, strong mentorship, and a coherent set of career development activities that move participants from mentored research toward independence. The “clinical trial optional” designation indicates that the program can support career development experiences that may include clinical trial-related research, but a clinical trial is not required for the application to be responsive.

The research supported through KURe must align with the mission and priorities of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), specifically within its urologic diseases research portfolio. That means proposed training and mentored research experiences should be clearly tied to the kinds of urologic conditions and scientific questions NIDDK supports, and the overall program should demonstrate how it will cultivate expertise relevant to those areas. Because the FOA stresses multidisciplinary urologic research, competitive programs typically integrate complementary fields and approaches (for example, clinical investigation, epidemiology, outcomes research, biostatistics, basic and translational science, bioengineering, health services research, and other relevant disciplines) to give scholars broad, practical preparation for independent research careers.

Eligibility for applicants is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based organizations and governmental entities. Eligible applicants listed for this opportunity include state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments); nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education when applying under those nonprofit categories); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and small businesses. The announcement also explicitly calls out additional eligible categories such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), faith-based or community-based organizations, Hispanic-serving institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Indian/Native American Tribal Governments that are not federally recognized, regional organizations, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), eligible federal government agencies, and U.S. territories or possessions. At the same time, foreign organizations and foreign institutions are not eligible to apply as the primary applicant, though non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are allowed, meaning a U.S. applicant organization may include certain international components as part of its overall program structure if justified and allowable under NIH policy.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is a discretionary grant under NIH, with a funding activity category that falls under health (and is tagged under Food and Nutrition, Health in the source data). The program’s Funding Opportunity Number is RFA-DK-22-006, and it is associated with CFDA number 93.847. The original closing date shown is October 27, 2022, and the record creation date is June 6, 2022. The provided source data does not specify an award ceiling or expected number of awards, which typically means those details would need to be confirmed in the full FOA text or related NIH notices.

Overall, KURe is best understood as a capacity-building mechanism: it supports institutions in creating a rigorous, mentored, and multidisciplinary career development ecosystem focused on NIDDK-relevant urologic science. The intended outcome is a cohort of well-trained investigators with the skills, mentorship, and research foundation to compete successfully for independent research support and to contribute meaningfully to advances in benign urological disease and broader urologic research aligned with NIDDK priorities.

• The National Institutes of Health in the food and nutrition, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Multidisciplinary K12 Urologic Research (KURe) Career Development Program (K12 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.847.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2022-06-06.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-10-27. (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 RFA DK 22 006

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