Funding Opportunity Number: PAR-24-212
Deadlines: October 12, 2024, November 12, 2024, February 12, 2025, March 12, 2025
Description
The overall goal of the NIH Research Career Development program is to help ensure that a diverse pool of highly trained scientists is available in appropriate scientific disciplines to address the Nation’s biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research needs. NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs) support a variety of mentored and non-mentored career development award programs designed to foster the transition of new investigators to research independence and to support established investigators in achieving specific objectives. Candidates should review the different career development (K) award programs to determine the best program to support their goals. More information about Career programs may be found at the NIH Research Training and Career Development website.
Background Information
The NIH recognizes a unique and compelling need to promote diversity in the biomedical, behavioral and clinical sciences research workforce. There are many benefits that flow from a diverse NIH-supported scientific workforce, including: fostering scientific innovation, enhancing global competitiveness, contributing to robust learning environments, improving the quality of the researchers, advancing the likelihood that underserved or health disparity populations participate in, and benefit from health research, and enhancing public trust. The purpose of the NINDS Alzheimer’s Disease-Related Dementias (ADRD) Advanced Postdoctoral Career Transition Award to Promote Diversity (K99/R00) program is to support a cohort of new and talented, independent investigators from diverse backgrounds, including those from groups underrepresented in biomedical and behavioral sciences (e.g. see NOT-OD-20-031, Notice of NIH’s Interest in Diversity), conducting ADRD research. Institutions are encouraged to recruit potential candidates from diverse backgrounds to participate in the program, including those from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, persons with disabilities, and those from disadvantaged backgrounds. For more information, see Notice of NIH’s Interest in Diversity, NOT-OD-20-031.
Purpose
The specific purpose of this NOFO is to assist eligible postdoctoral researchers from diverse backgrounds, including those from underrepresented groups, with their transition to tenure-track or equivalent faculty positions and establishment of independent research programs in the field of ADRD. The NINDS ADRD K99/R00 program is intended to foster the development of creative, independent researchers that will be competitive for subsequent independent funding and that will help advance the mission of the NIH in ADRD research areas in particular. It is expected that the proposed research be rigorously designed, executed, analyzed, and interpreted (https://grants.nih.gov/policy/reproducibility/index.htm.
Applications appropriate for this NOFO may propose biomedical research across the spectrum of ADRD, including FTD, VCID, LBD and MED or mixed dementias, especially those mixed with cerebrovascular disease or Lewy bodies. The pre-symptomatic, early symptomatic, and dementia stages of these diseases and syndromes can be addressed. Applications may include, but are not limited to, the following research areas:
- Basic and clinical studies to advance understanding of the biological mechanisms, both at the molecular, cellular and/or systems levels, that underlie ADRD
- Basic and clinical studies to advance understanding of the similarities and differences in biological mechanisms and pathology between ADRD and/or other neurodegenerative disorders and beyond
- Translational/preclinical studies to determine the scientific premise of potential therapeutic targets and investigational therapies of ADRD
- Clinical studies to refine diagnoses of ADRD, develop biomarkers, or advance understanding of the clinical sequelae of ADRD
- Clinical research on health equities in ADRD
For more information, please see the opportunity webpage.