NIDCD Research Career Enhancement Award for Established Investigators (K18 Clinical Trial Required)
Grant to enable established investigators to enhance or redirect their research programs in hearing, balance, smell, taste, voice, speech, and language sciences.
Funder: National Institutes of Health
Due Dates: June 9, 2025 | September 7, 2025 (AIDS) | October 8, 2025 | January 7, 2026 (AIDS) | February 9, 2026 | May 7, 2026 (AIDS) | June 8, 2026 | September 7, 2026 (AIDS) | October 8, 2026 | January 7, 2027 (AIDS) | February 8, 2027 | May 7, 2027 (AIDS)
Funding Amounts: Salary up to NIH cap plus $40,000/year for research development; project period 6–24 months; indirect costs at 8% MTDC.
Summary: Supports established investigators to acquire new research skills or redirect research in hearing, balance, smell, taste, voice, speech, and language sciences through mentored clinical trial experience.
Key Information: Clinical trial leadership is required; applicants must be established investigators (Associate Professor or above) with a record of independent research funding.
Description
This NIH opportunity, administered by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), is designed to enable established investigators to enhance or redirect their research programs by acquiring new research skills relevant to the hearing, balance, smell, taste, voice, speech, and language sciences. The program provides protected time and mentored guidance for experienced scientists to remain current with state-of-the-art techniques and to pursue new research directions, particularly through leading an independent clinical trial, feasibility study, or ancillary clinical trial.
The award is intended for established investigators (Associate Professor, Professor, or equivalent) with a strong record of independent, peer-reviewed research funding. The mentored research experience typically spans 6 to 24 months and may be undertaken at the applicant’s home institution or another institution with appropriate resources and mentorship.
Note: This funding opportunity is specifically for applicants proposing to serve as the lead investigator of an independent clinical trial. Those seeking only clinical trial research experience under another investigator should apply to companion opportunities (PAR-24-142 and PAR-24-143).
