Independent Scientist Award (Parent K02 - Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
NIH K02 career awards provide 3-5 years of salary support and protected research time for newly independent scientists who are not leading a clinical trial, to help them advance their research careers.
⚑ No independent clinical trial, clinical trial feasibility study, or separate ancillary clinical trial allowed; applicants may participate in a clinical trial led by another investigator. · Foreign organizations are listed as eligible in the notice, but non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities/components are also stated as not eligible to apply; foreign components of U.S. organizations are allowed. · Career award primarily supports salary and protected time rather than project costs.
Unit fits — one characterization, each unit's own rules
| IPPRA | 40 partial | peripheral portfolio topic: public_health; social/behavioral work is minor; funds training education, not research (capped); biomedical core — IPPRA health lane is communication/crisis/policy (capped); clinical-trial/biomedical core — IPPRA angle is policy/community (capped); capped at 40 (non-research funding) |
| Physical Sciences & Engineering (demo) | 25 weak | technical depth: minor; funds training education (capped) |
| Tom Love Innovation Hub | 15 none | deep-tech content; no commercialization signal |
Description
The purpose of the NIH Independent Scientist Award (K02) is to foster the development of outstanding scientists and enable them to expand their potential to make significant contributions to their field of research. The K02 award provides three to five years of salary support and "protected time" for newly independent scientists who can demonstrate the need for a period of intensive research focus as a means of enhancing their research careers. Each independent scientist career award program must be tailored to meet the individual needs of the candidate.This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is designed specifically for applicants proposing research that does not involve leading an independent clinical trial, a clinical trial feasibility study, or a separate ancillary clinical trial. Applicants to this FOA are permitted to propose research experience in a clinical trial led by another investigator. Applicants proposing a clinical trial or an ancillary clinical trial as lead investigator, should apply to the companion FOA
Eligibility
Other Eligible Applicants include the following: Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions; Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs); Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government; Faith-based or Community-based Organizations; Hispanic-serving Institutions; Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized); Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations); Regional Organizations; Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) ; U.S. Territory or Possession; Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) are not eligible to apply.
Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply.
Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed.
Apply
View on Grants.gov → CONTACT: National Institutes of Health <grantsinfo@nih.gov>
Proposal brief SEE AN EXAMPLE →
A one-page internal memo: fit assessment, submission requirements, document scaffold, and next steps dated back from the deadline — tailored to your project idea if you add one.
Proposal shell · National Institutes of Health conventions SEE AN NIH EXAMPLE →
Funder-faithful document skeletons — National Institutes of Health's document set with section headings, page limits, reviewer guidance, and writing prompts; add a project idea to get [DRAFT] starter bullets. Download as .md for Word or Overleaf.