NCI Pathway to Independence Award for Early-Stage Postdoctoral Researchers (K99/R00 - Independent Basic Experimental Studies with Humans Required)
The NCI Pathway to Independence Award supports early-stage postdoctoral researchers transitioning to independent faculty positions, providing research support for cancer-related studies involving human participants.
Funder: National Institutes of Health
Due Dates: May 24, 2026 (Full application) | May 25, 2026 (NOFO Expiration) | June 15, 2026 | October 14, 2026 | February 17, 2026
Funding Amounts: Up to $100,000/year salary + $30,000/year research development (K99 phase, up to 2 years); up to $249,000/year total costs (R00 phase, up to 3 years); max 5 years total support.
Summary: Supports early-stage postdoctoral researchers in basic experimental studies with humans to transition to independent, tenure-track research careers in cancer research.
Key Information: Applicants must have ≤2 years postdoctoral experience and propose NIH-defined basic experimental studies involving humans.
Description
This funding opportunity supports early-stage postdoctoral researchers aiming to transition to independent, tenure-track (or equivalent) faculty positions in cancer research. The program is specifically for those conducting basic experimental studies with humans—studies that prospectively assign human participants to experimental conditions to understand fundamental phenomena, meeting both NIH clinical trial and basic research definitions.
The award consists of two phases:
- K99 (Mentored phase): Up to 2 years of mentored postdoctoral research and career development.
- R00 (Independent phase): Up to 3 years of independent research support, contingent on securing an independent faculty position.
The program is designed to accelerate the transition of promising postdoctoral researchers to independent research careers, particularly in cancer control, cancer prevention, cancer data sciences, and related areas.
