NIMH Career Transition Award for Tenure-Track Intramural Investigators (K22 No Independent Clinical Trials) | PAR 21 239

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 21 239

The NIMH Career Transition Award for Tenure-Track Intramural Investigators (K22 No Independent Clinical Trials) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity (PAR-21-239) that supports NIMH intramural investigators who are ready to move from NIMH's Division of Intramural Research Programs (DIRP) into a fully independent, tenure-track (or equivalent) faculty role in the extramural research community. It is a reissue of an earlier announcement (PAR-18-755) and is structured as a career transition mechanism meant to help strong, productive intramural scientists maintain momentum as they establish independent research programs outside of NIMH. The focus is squarely on investigators with a demonstrated record of high-quality, mental health-relevant research and clear potential to lead an independent line of inquiry as a faculty member.

A key feature of this announcement is the "No Independent Clinical Trials" restriction. In practical terms, the K22 application under this specific notice is not intended to support an applicant to run their own independent clinical trial as the main activity of the award. Depending on NIH policy definitions, applicants may still be able to propose certain types of clinical research that do not meet the definition of an independent clinical trial, but the award is not designed for a transition plan centered on leading a new clinical trial. The intent is to support the transition to independence through a research program that aligns with NIMH priorities while fitting within the non-independent-clinical-trial framework described in NIH guidance.

The program is issued as a discretionary grant under the NIH health funding activity area, with CFDA number 93.242. While the award ceiling and expected number of awards are not specified in the provided summary, the purpose is clear: to provide resources that make it easier for an NIMH intramural tenure-track investigator to secure an external faculty position and successfully launch an independent lab or research group in an extramural institution. These types of transition awards commonly emphasize evidence of research productivity, a compelling and feasible independent research plan, and a strong rationale for how the award will bridge the move from intramural support to a sustainable extramural funding trajectory.

Eligibility is broad on the institutional side, reflecting the range of organizations that can receive NIH grants. Eligible applicants include public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), small businesses, and multiple levels of government such as state, county, city or township governments, and special district governments. Independent school districts and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities are also listed. Tribal entities are explicitly included both as federally recognized Native American tribal governments and as tribal organizations or governments that are not federally recognized. The opportunity also highlights categories of institutions often associated with serving historically underrepresented communities, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI). Faith-based or community-based organizations and eligible federal agencies are also mentioned, along with U.S. territories or possessions, signaling that a wide set of U.S.-based organizations can potentially serve as the applicant institution for the extramural phase of the transition.

Foreign participation is limited in the way NIH commonly structures it. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and non-U.S. institutions are not eligible to apply as the applicant organization, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply. However, foreign components are allowed when they meet the NIH Grants Policy Statement definition, meaning an otherwise eligible U.S. applicant organization can include a foreign component in the project when it is well-justified and meets NIH requirements. This distinction matters for investigators whose research benefits from international collaborations, datasets, field sites, or specialized methods located outside the United States, while still keeping the award anchored in a U.S.-based extramural institution.

Administratively, the sponsoring agency is the National Institutes of Health, and the original closing date listed in the source data is 2024-09-07. The creation date for this funding opportunity record is 2021-07-08. Overall, the K22 described here is best understood as a targeted NIMH pipeline award: it is meant to help proven intramural tenure-track researchers translate their intramural success into independent extramural faculty careers, while keeping the proposed work within the "no independent clinical trials" boundary and within NIH's institutional eligibility rules for domestic applicants.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NIMH Career Transition Award for Tenure-Track Intramural Investigators (K22 No Independent Clinical Trials)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.242.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2021-07-08.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-09-07. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.

Apply for PAR 21 239

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