NCI Pathway to Independence Award for Early-Stage Postdoctoral Researchers (K99/R00 - Independent Clinical Trial Required)
NCI Pathway to Independence Award for Early-Stage Postdoctoral Researchers (K99/R00) program supports independent investigators transitioning from postdoctoral research positions, offering NCI research support for launching competitive research careers, with a focus on cancer control, prevention, and data sciences; candidates proposing independent clinical trials apply here.
Funder: National Institutes of Health
Due Dates: June 16, 2025 (New/Renewal/Resubmission/Revision) | October 14, 2025 (New/Renewal/Resubmission/Revision) | February 17, 2026 (New/Renewal/Resubmission/Revision) | June 15, 2026 (New/Renewal/Resubmission/Revision) | October 14, 2026 (New/Renewal/Resubmission/Revision)
Funding Amounts: K99 phase: up to $100,000/year salary + $30,000/year research costs (up to 2 years); R00 phase: up to $249,000/year total costs (up to 3 years); max 5 years total.
Summary: Supports early-stage postdocs in cancer research to transition rapidly to independent, tenure-track positions by leading an independent clinical trial.
Key Information: Applicants must propose to lead an independent clinical trial; institutional nomination is required and each institution may submit only one application per scientific area per due date.
Description
This opportunity, offered by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) at NIH, is designed to help early-stage postdoctoral researchers in cancer-related fields transition quickly to independent, tenure-track (or equivalent) faculty positions. The award is specifically for candidates who propose to serve as the lead investigator of an independent clinical trial, a clinical trial feasibility study, or a separate ancillary clinical trial as part of their research and career development.
The program is particularly aimed at postdocs in cancer control, cancer prevention, and cancer data sciences, but is open to other cancer research areas as well. The award consists of two phases: a mentored K99 phase (up to 2 years) and an independent R00 phase (up to 3 years), providing both salary and research support during the transition to independence.
