NHLBI Career Transition Award for Intramural Postdoctoral Fellows and Research Trainees (K22 Clinical Trial Required)
The NHLBI Career Transition Award (K22) program supports postdoctoral fellows in transitioning research programs to external institutions with a total of five years of combined support.
Funder: National Institutes of Health
Due Dates: November 12, 2026 (Resubmission) | February 12, 2027 (New) | March 12, 2027 (Resubmission) | June 12, 2027 (New) | July 12, 2027 (Final resubmission)
Funding Amounts: Up to $249,000 annually ($747,000 total) for three extramural years, following up to two intramural years
Summary: Supports NHLBI intramural trainees transitioning to independent extramural research careers while leading a clinical trial.
Key Information: Initial applications must be submitted by the NHLBI intramural program on behalf of eligible intramural trainees.
Description
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Career Transition Award supports postdoctoral fellows and other doctoral-level researchers training in its Division of Intramural Research. It combines mentored intramural research with support for an independent research program at an extramural institution. The goal is to help newly trained basic or clinical investigators establish independent research careers and subsequently obtain research project funding, such as an R01.
This opportunity requires candidates to lead an independent clinical trial, clinical trial feasibility study, or separate ancillary clinical trial. Candidates not proposing independent trial leadership, including those gaining experience in another investigator’s trial, must use the companion opportunity, PAR-24-209. Transition to extramural support is not automatic: NHLBI reviews mentored-phase progress, the independent research plan, and the receiving institution’s commitment.
