Limited Competition: Mentored Research Career Development Program Award in Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) Program (K12 Clinical Trial Optional) | PAR 25 196

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 25 196

The Limited Competition: Mentored Research Career Development Program Award in the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) Program (K12 Clinical Trial Optional) is an NIH grant opportunity administered by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS). It supports Institutional Research Career Development (K12) programs housed within the CTSA ecosystem, with the core goal of strengthening the pipeline of clinical and translational science investigators. In practical terms, this funding is meant to help eligible institutions build or enhance structured, mentored career development programs that move participants toward research independence and long-term impact in clinical and translational research.

The program is centered on developing a strong and heterogeneous (meaning broadly diverse in background, discipline, and perspective) pool of advanced postdoctoral fellows and junior faculty scholars who have clearly committed to independent careers in clinical and translational science. The emphasis is on scholars who are at a later postdoctoral stage or early faculty stage and who are positioned to transition into, or are already in, tenure-track or equivalent roles. A key theme of the opportunity is timely career advancement: institutions are encouraged to design programs that do more than provide training in theory, and instead deliver active mentorship, professional development, and research experiences that accelerate participants toward independence, productivity, and sustained engagement in research over the long term.

NCATS is explicitly encouraging creativity and innovation in how institutions design these K12 programs. That typically implies programs should go beyond standard seminar series and mentoring committees and instead propose thoughtful, modern approaches to career development in translational science, such as structured mentoring frameworks, team science exposure, interdisciplinary methods training, and career readiness support that reflects the realities of today’s research environment. Another notable feature is that the program’s vision for continued engagement in research is not limited to academic careers; it also recognizes that clinical and translational scientists may build impactful research trajectories across sectors, including academia, industry, nonprofit organizations, and government. The underlying message is that the career development model should prepare scholars for a range of credible research-intensive career paths where translational science skills are essential.

This is a discretionary grant opportunity (funding instrument type: Grant) under the NIH umbrella, categorized under Health, with CFDA number 93.350. The opportunity number is PAR-25-196, and the funding opportunity title indicates it is a “limited competition,” which generally means eligibility may be restricted to a defined set of institutions or circumstances (often tied to existing CTSA program participation). The listed eligible applicant type in the provided data is Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, aligning with the institutional nature of K12 mechanisms, which fund a program at the institutional level rather than individual applicants applying directly for their own career award.

Eligibility rules related to non-U.S. involvement are clearly defined. Foreign organizations (non-domestic, non-U.S. entities) are not eligible to apply, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible to apply. However, “foreign components,” as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed. This usually means that while the applicant institution must be U.S.-based and eligible, certain project activities, collaborations, or elements that meet NIH’s definition of a foreign component may be permissible if they are well-justified and compliant with NIH policy.

Administratively, the opportunity was created on December 10, 2024, and the original closing date listed is September 28, 2027. The provided source data does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards, indicating those details may either vary by year, depend on appropriations, or be specified in the full NOFO text rather than the summary fields shown here. Overall, the opportunity is best understood as a mechanism for eligible CTSA-linked institutions to propose robust, mentored, institution-wide career development programs that prepare promising postdoctoral and junior faculty researchers to become independent, productive clinical and translational scientists with durable careers across multiple research sectors.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Limited Competition: Mentored Research Career Development Program Award in Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) 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): 93.350.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-12-10.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2027-09-28.
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.

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