Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Award (Parent K08 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Prepare for impactful research careers with the NIH Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Awards program (K08), supporting individuals with clinical doctoral degrees for intense research training.
Funder: National Institutes of Health
Due Dates: November 12, 2026 (Resubmission/revision) | February 12, 2027 (New applications) | March 12, 2027 (Resubmission/revision) | May 8, 2027 (Opportunity closes)
Funding Amounts: Salary, fringe benefits, and research/career development support for 3–5 years; IC-specific support levels
Summary: Supports mentored biomedical, behavioral, and translational research career development for clinical doctorate holders pursuing research independence.
Key Information: Candidates generally must devote at least 75% of full-time professional effort to career development; independent clinical trials are not allowed.
Description
The NIH K08 program provides salary and research support, including protected time, for individuals with clinical doctoral degrees to develop independent research careers. Awards support intensive, supervised biomedical or behavioral research, including translational research applying basic discoveries to the diagnosis, management, and prevention of human disease. Training can combine didactic study with mentored research or emphasize supervised research for candidates with substantial prior preparation.
This opportunity does not support candidates leading independent clinical trials, clinical trial feasibility studies, or ancillary clinical trials. Candidates may gain experience in trials led by a mentor or co-mentor. Research must fit a participating NIH Institute or Center’s mission and requirements; nonparticipating Institutes and Centers will not consider applications.
