NCI Pathway to Independence Award for Outstanding Early Stage Postdoctoral Researchers (K99/R00 - Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | RFA CA 22 035

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA CA 22 035

The NCI Pathway to Independence Award for Outstanding Early Stage Postdoctoral Researchers (K99/R00 - Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed) is a National Cancer Institute grant program meant to help exceptional postdoctoral researchers move more quickly from mentored training into independent faculty careers. The central goal is to build and sustain a strong pipeline of new, talented investigators who will become independent, NCI-supported researchers. It is aimed at postdoctoral fellows who already have a research doctorate and/or a clinical doctoral degree and who are ready to transition without needing many additional years of mentored training beyond the doctorate. In practice, the award is structured to support a two-step career progression: an initial mentored postdoctoral phase followed by an independent phase once the awardee secures a tenure-track (or equivalent) faculty position. By providing NCI research support across this transition, the program is designed to help awardees establish a research niche, generate publishable results, and launch a competitive, independent cancer research career.

A notable emphasis in this opportunity is encouragement for applicants working in data science and cancer control science, signaling NCI interest in strengthening the workforce in areas such as computational methods, analytics, population-level research, prevention, survivorship, health behaviors, implementation science, and related fields that influence cancer outcomes at scale. While the program broadly supports cancer-relevant research, it is specifically tailored to projects that do not involve the candidate leading an independent clinical trial. That restriction is a defining feature of this particular FOA: applicants cannot propose to be the lead investigator on an independent clinical trial, a clinical trial feasibility study, or an ancillary clinical trial as part of this application. However, the announcement does allow candidates to gain clinical trial experience in a mentored context, meaning they may propose a research experience within a clinical trial that is led by their mentor or co-mentor. Applicants who do intend to lead a clinical trial (or an ancillary clinical trial) are directed to apply instead to the companion funding announcements (RFA-CA-22-036 or RFA-CA-22-037), which are designed for those trial-leading scenarios.

From an eligibility standpoint, the opportunity is offered by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), with NCI as the participating institute, and is categorized as a discretionary grant in the health and education funding area (CFDA 93.398). A wide range of organizations may apply, including public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (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 and certain housing authorities. The FOA also explicitly highlights additional eligible applicant 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 (AANAPISIs), along with faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and eligible federal agencies. At the same time, it draws clear geographic boundaries: non-U.S. (non-domestic) entities and non-U.S. institutions are not eligible to apply, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible. Even so, foreign components are allowed when they meet the NIH definition in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, which can matter for candidates whose research requires collaboration, samples, fieldwork, or specialized expertise outside the United States.

Administrative details from the listing include the funding opportunity number RFA-CA-22-035, with an original closing date of February 28, 2023, and an initial posting/creation date of September 15, 2022. While the provided source information does not specify an award ceiling or expected number of awards, the overall intent is clear: this is a career development-to-independence mechanism that invests in promising postdoctoral scientists at a pivotal career stage, supports the move into a faculty role, and helps establish the independence, productivity, and competitive trajectory needed for long-term success in cancer research, while keeping the proposed research outside of candidate-led independent clinical trials under this particular FOA.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NCI Pathway to Independence Award for Outstanding Early Stage Postdoctoral Researchers (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): 93.398.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2022-09-15.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-02-28. (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 CA 22 035

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