Career Transition Award for NINDS Intramural Clinician-Scientists (K22 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 18 711

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 18 711

The Career Transition Award for NINDS Intramural Clinician-Scientists (K22, Clinical Trial Not Allowed) is a National Institutes of Health funding opportunity run through the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). Its main purpose is to help promising early-career investigators move from a mentored, NIH intramural research environment into a stable, independent faculty position at an outside (extramural) academic institution. In practical terms, it is meant to bridge a common career gap: clinicians who have strong research potential and intramural NIH training often need a structured pathway, protected time, and resources to successfully launch an independent lab or research program while also maintaining clinical responsibilities.

This K22 uses a two-phase structure. The first phase takes place while the recipient is in an intramural appointment at the NIH, where the investigator continues to develop scientific expertise, publish, refine research direction, and build a foundation for independence. The second phase provides support after the investigator transitions to an extramural institution, typically an academic medical center or university setting, where they begin operating as an independent faculty member. The overall design is intended to reduce the risk of losing momentum during the move from a mentored environment into an independent role, and to help awardees compete successfully for major independent research funding later on (for example, R-level grants), while continuing clinically relevant work.

A defining feature of this specific NINDS K22 is its targeted audience: NINDS intramural neurologist-scientists and neurosurgeon-scientists. The program is explicitly tailored for clinician-scientists who need to balance clinical activity with independent research. That means the award is not just about training in a general sense; it is structured to support the kind of career trajectory typical for academic neurologists and neurosurgeons, where establishing a research program must coexist with ongoing patient care, clinical duties, and the professional expectations of a medical faculty role.

As indicated by the "Clinical Trial Not Allowed" designation, applicants cannot propose an independent clinical trial as part of the supported research plan under this FOA. In NIH terms, that generally means the project cannot include the awardee leading a study that prospectively assigns human participants to interventions to evaluate health-related outcomes. The intent is to keep the K22 focused on building independence through research that does not rely on running a clinical trial as the central activity, which often requires different infrastructure, regulatory oversight, and timelines than what a career transition award is designed to support.

Eligibility is also restricted in ways that reflect NIH policy and the goal of supporting U.S.-based career transitions. The opportunity lists eligible applicants as public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, consistent with extramural academic environments where clinician-scientists commonly take faculty roles. At the same time, the FOA clearly excludes non-U.S. (foreign) institutions from applying, and it also excludes non-domestic components of U.S. organizations. Additionally, foreign components, as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are not allowed. Put simply, the award is meant to support a transition into a U.S.-based extramural institution without a foreign organizational component driving the work. Applicants are expected to consult the full funding opportunity announcement for detailed eligibility rules, including any additional requirements tied to intramural NIH status, timing of transition, and the type of faculty appointment anticipated.

Administratively, the opportunity is a discretionary NIH grant (funding instrument: grant) in the health area, associated with CFDA number 93.853, and it was created on March 15, 2018. The original closing date listed is July 12, 2021, which indicates the application window for that posting has passed; anyone interested would need to check whether a reissued or related FOA is currently active. The listing does not provide an award ceiling or expected number of awards in the provided source data, so those specifics would need to be confirmed in the full announcement or related NIH documentation.

Overall, this NINDS K22 is best understood as a structured launchpad for intramural NINDS clinician-scientists, giving them a supported runway to move into independent academic appointments, establish a research identity and program, and remain engaged in clinical practice, all while following NIH rules that exclude clinical trials and restrict foreign involvement.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Career Transition Award for NINDS Intramural Clinician-Scientists (K22 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.853.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2018-03-15.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-07-12. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.

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