Neurosurgeon Research Career Development Program (NRCDP) (K12) | RFA NS 17 010

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA NS 17 010

The Neurosurgeon Research Career Development Program (NRCDP) (K12) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) mentored career development grant opportunity designed to sustain a national program that helps junior neurosurgeon faculty become independent, research-focused investigators. It supports institutions in building and running a structured, mentored research career development pipeline for early-career neurosurgeons, with an emphasis on leveraging their clinical and surgical training to pursue research that advances understanding and treatment of neurological disorders. In practical terms, the program is meant to grow the number of neurosurgeons who can successfully develop rigorous research careers while remaining grounded in neurosurgical practice and the clinical realities of neurological disease.

This opportunity is offered as a discretionary grant under the NIH health research umbrella (CFDA 93.853) and is identified as RFA-NS-17-010. The announcement was created on March 30, 2017, with an original application closing date of May 30, 2017. The program anticipated making a single award (ExpectedAwards: 1). While an award ceiling is not specified in the provided source data, the intent is clearly to fund one national, coordinating institutional program rather than multiple smaller projects, reflecting the K12 mechanism’s focus on institutional career development infrastructure and mentored scholar support.

Eligibility is broad across U.S.-based organizations that can administer a national mentored career development effort and that are positioned to support neurosurgical research training. Eligible applicants include a wide range of governmental entities (state, county, city or township, special district governments), eligible federal agencies, and educational institutions (public/state-controlled and private institutions of higher education, including independent school districts in the eligibility list). It also includes Native American tribal governments (federally recognized) and Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments), as well as public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities. The announcement also allows nonprofit organizations both with and without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), and small businesses, plus an "Others" category that can cover additional eligible domestic entities consistent with NIH policy and the FOA.

The FOA explicitly highlights inclusion of institution types that often fall under broader NIH diversity and capacity-building eligibility language, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions. This underscores that the program is not limited to traditional academic medical centers alone, as long as the applicant organization can credibly support mentored neurosurgical research career development and meet NIH administrative and scientific requirements.

Foreign participation is restricted. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities, including foreign organizations and foreign institutions, are not eligible to apply. In addition, non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, and foreign components (as NIH defines them in the NIH Grants Policy Statement) are not allowed. In other words, the applicant organization and the supported program activities must be fully domestic, reinforcing that this K12 is intended to build U.S.-based neurosurgeon investigator capacity through U.S. institutional environments and mentorship structures.

Overall, the NRCDP (K12) is best understood as an institutional training and career development platform, not a single research project grant. The core aim is to maintain and extend a national mentored pathway that helps junior neurosurgeon faculty gain the protected time, guidance, and research development structure needed to establish themselves as investigators focused on neurological disorders. The program’s emphasis on mentored development and the expansion of the neurosurgeon-scientist workforce reflects NIH’s broader priority of strengthening clinician-investigator pipelines in highly specialized fields where clinical demands can otherwise limit early-career research growth.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Neurosurgeon Research Career Development Program (NRCDP) (K12)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.853.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-03-30.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-05-30. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• 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 NS 17 010

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: