Short-Term Mentored Research Career Enhancement Award to Promote Diversity (K18 No Independent Clinical Trials) | PA 21 214

Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 21 214

The Short-Term Mentored Research Career Enhancement Award to Promote Diversity (K18 No Independent Clinical Trials), Funding Opportunity Announcement PA-21-214, is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) discretionary grant in the health area (CFDA 93.172) intended to support short, focused, mentored research training experiences for faculty members from diverse backgrounds. The central purpose is to help these faculty strengthen the skills, knowledge, and track record needed to move toward independent research careers specifically in genomics. In practice, the opportunity is meant to give an established faculty member a defined period of intensive, mentored immersion in new methods, approaches, collaborations, or research environments that meaningfully expand their ability to conduct genomics research independently.

A key feature of this specific K18 announcement is its clinical trial limitation. Applicants must propose a research and career enhancement plan that does not involve leading an independent clinical trial, a clinical trial feasibility study, or an ancillary study to a clinical trial. However, the FOA does allow candidates to gain experience within a clinical trial setting as long as the clinical trial is led by the mentor or co-mentor. In other words, the award can support a candidate learning from and contributing to a trial under someone else’s leadership, but not acting as the independent trial leader themselves. This design keeps the emphasis on mentored career development and skill-building in genomics rather than placing the primary responsibility for clinical trial leadership on the candidate during the award period.

Eligibility for applicant organizations is broad and includes many government, academic, nonprofit, and private entities. Examples listed include state, county, city or township, and special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; Native American tribal governments (federally recognized) and Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments); public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and small businesses. The FOA also explicitly highlights additional eligible applicant types that align with the diversity and capacity-building goals of the program, such as 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), as well as faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, tribal governments other than federally recognized tribes, and U.S. territories or possessions.

There are also important restrictions and nuances around foreign involvement. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign institutions) are not eligible to apply as the applicant organization, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible to apply. At the same time, foreign components are allowed when they meet the NIH definition in the NIH Grants Policy Statement. Put plainly, you generally need a U.S.-based eligible applicant organization, but the project may include certain foreign components if they are justified and meet NIH policy requirements.

Overall, this opportunity is best understood as a targeted NIH career enhancement mechanism: it aims to broaden participation in genomics research by investing in short-term, mentored experiences that help diverse faculty expand their genomics expertise and competitiveness for independent research. The emphasis is on structured mentorship, practical research training, and clear professional development outcomes, with guardrails that prevent the candidate from serving as the independent leader of a clinical trial while still allowing them to learn within a mentor-led clinical trial context. The original closing date listed for this opportunity was 2023-02-12, and the FOA was created on 2021-04-01.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Short-Term Mentored Research Career Enhancement Award to Promote Diversity (K18 No Independent Clinical Trials)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.172.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2021-04-01.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-02-12. (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 PA 21 214

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