NIDCD Mentored Career Development Award for Postdoctorate Au.D./Ph.D. Audiologists (K01 No Independent Clinical Trials) | PAR 21 086

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 21 086

The NIDCD Mentored Career Development Award for Postdoctorate Au.D./Ph.D. Audiologists (K01) (Funding Opportunity Number PAR-21-086) is a National Institutes of Health discretionary grant opportunity aimed at helping promising audiologists with both Au.D. and Ph.D. training build the skills, track record, and mentorship foundation needed to become independent investigators. The central focus is career development through a structured, mentored postdoctoral experience that combines a rigorous research plan with a formal, well-justified training plan. The research can fall within biomedical, behavioral, or clinical sciences, as long as it aligns with the mission space of the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), meaning work relevant to hearing, balance, and related communication disorders research priorities.

A defining feature of this specific FOA is its restriction on independent clinical trials. Applicants may not propose to lead an independent clinical trial, a clinical trial feasibility study, or an ancillary study to a clinical trial as the primary investigator under this announcement. In other words, if the proposed K01 project would place the candidate in the role of the person responsible for conducting the trial (or leading an ancillary trial study), this is not the right mechanism. At the same time, the FOA does allow the candidate to gain experience on a clinical trial as part of their mentored development, as long as the trial is led by a mentor or co-mentor and the candidate is not the independent trial lead. If the candidate intends to lead a clinical trial or lead an ancillary study to an existing clinical trial, the opportunity directs them instead to apply to the companion clinical-trial-allowing FOA (referenced as PAR-21-XXX in the notice).

The overall intent is to support a comprehensive development path that increases the likelihood the applicant will transition into a productive, independent research career. In practical terms, that typically means the application is expected to clearly lay out (1) a coherent research project that produces publishable outputs and builds an identifiable research niche, and (2) a mentoring and career development program that closes key skill gaps (for example, advanced quantitative methods, experimental design, clinical research methods that do not require leading a trial, grantwriting, scientific leadership, responsible conduct of research, and other competencies needed for independence). The mentored structure is central to the award: the candidate is not simply requesting funds for a standalone project, but proposing a supervised trajectory that develops them into a competitive, NIH-funded investigator over time.

Eligibility for applicant organizations is broad and includes many common public and private research and service institutions. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city/township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3), other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); small businesses; Native American tribal governments (federally recognized); Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments); and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities. The FOA also explicitly highlights additional eligible organization types such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian 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, Indian/Native American tribal governments other than federally recognized, and U.S. territories or possessions. On the other hand, non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities are not eligible to apply, non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, and foreign components are not allowed as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

Administratively, this is an NIH grant mechanism in the Health funding activity category, tied to CFDA number 93.173, with the NIH as the agency. The FOA record lists an original closing date of 2024-01-07 and a creation date of 2020-12-08. The listing does not provide an award ceiling or expected number of awards in the provided source data, which usually means applicants should consult the full FOA text and NIH policy guidance for budget structure, allowable costs, project period expectations, and any institute-specific funding limits and paylines that may apply.

Taken together, the opportunity is best understood as a mentored, postdoctoral career launch award for Au.D./Ph.D. audiologists who want dedicated time, protected effort, and strong guidance to establish a research direction and become competitive for independent research funding, while staying within the constraint that the candidate will not lead an independent clinical trial under this particular announcement.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NIDCD Mentored Career Development Award for Postdoctorate Au.D./Ph.D. Audiologists (K01 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): 93.173.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2020-12-08.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-01-07. (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 PAR 21 086

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