Independent Scientist Award (Parent K02 - Independent Clinical Trial Required) | PA 18 370

Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 18 370

The NIH Independent Scientist Award (Parent K02 - Independent Clinical Trial Required), funding opportunity number PA-18-370, is a discretionary NIH grant mechanism designed to help newly independent investigators strengthen and accelerate their research careers. The central goal is career development for outstanding scientists who have already reached independence but still need a sustained period of concentrated research effort to reach the next level of impact in their field. Unlike training-focused awards for earlier-stage researchers, this K02 is meant to protect and expand the research trajectory of investigators who can show they are poised to make significant scientific contributions and would benefit from dedicated time and support to do so.

A defining feature of the K02 is that it provides three to five years of salary support tied to "protected time" for research. In practice, that means the award is intended to reduce competing professional demands so the recipient can focus intensely on research activities that build independence, productivity, and leadership. The program is explicitly flexible: each Independent Scientist career award plan is expected to be tailored to the individual candidate, reflecting their specific career stage, research direction, and professional development needs. Because this particular parent announcement is labeled "Independent Clinical Trial Required," the proposed work is expected to involve a clinical trial component, aligning the applicant's protected research time with a trial-based research agenda.

This opportunity falls under the broad NIH activity areas of education and health, and it is associated with multiple CFDA numbers (93.121, 93.273, 93.279, 93.853, and 93.866), reflecting that it may be relevant across different NIH institutes and scientific missions. While an award ceiling and expected number of awards are not specified in the provided source data, the structure is clear: the award primarily buys time and stability for an investigator to execute a focused research plan and advance as an independent scientist.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based organizations and governmental entities. Eligible applicants include state, county, city, township, and special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; Native American tribal organizations other than federally recognized tribal governments; nonprofits (both with and without 501(c)(3) status) that are not institutions of higher education; for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other eligible entities. The announcement also explicitly calls out additional eligible applicant categories such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions.

There are important limits related to foreign participation. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and non-U.S. institutions are not eligible to apply directly, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible. At the same time, "foreign components" are allowed as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, meaning a U.S. applicant organization may include certain foreign elements in the project when justified and compliant with NIH policy, even though the applicant institution itself must be domestic.

The opportunity is administered by the National Institutes of Health. The source data indicates a creation date of November 21, 2017, and lists an original closing date of January 7, 2019. Overall, this K02 announcement is best understood as a mid-career, research-protection award aimed at helping newly independent scientists consolidate momentum, expand their scientific contributions, and commit sustained effort to a clinical trial-oriented research program with a career development plan customized to the investigator.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Independent Scientist Award (Parent K02 - Independent Clinical Trial Required)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.121, 93.273, 93.279, 93.853, 93.866.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-11-21.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2019-01-07. (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 PA 18 370

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: