NINDS Faculty Development Award to Promote Diversity in Neuroscience Research (K01 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 24 228

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 24 228

The NINDS Faculty Development Award to Promote Diversity in Neuroscience Research (K01 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed), listed as PAR-24-228, is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) career development grant aimed at helping early-career neuroscience researchers from backgrounds underrepresented in biomedical research become independent investigators. It is a reissue of earlier announcements (PAR-18-490 and PAR-21-234) and is structured to provide a combination of research cost support, protected time to conduct research, and career-stage appropriate mentoring and professional development. In practical terms, the program is meant to help junior faculty build a strong research portfolio, generate publishable results, and assemble the skills and mentorship network needed to compete successfully for future independent NIH funding.

Eligibility is centered on the candidate as a junior faculty member. Applicants must have a doctoral research degree (Ph.D. or an equivalent doctoral research degree) and must be within the first three years of a tenure-track faculty appointment or an equivalent faculty position at the time they apply. The award is specifically intended for individuals who meet NIH criteria for being from backgrounds underrepresented in biomedical research, aligning the program with NINDS goals to broaden participation and representation among neuroscience research leaders. Because this is a faculty development mechanism, it is geared toward investigators who are past the trainee stage but still early enough in their faculty careers to benefit substantially from structured mentorship, protected time, and dedicated resources.

A defining feature of this particular FOA is its clinical trial restriction. Projects proposed under PAR-24-228 cannot involve the applicant leading an independent clinical trial, a clinical trial feasibility study, or an ancillary study to a clinical trial. However, the announcement does allow applicants to gain clinical trial-related experience as part of their career development plan when the clinical trial is led by a mentor or co-mentor. That means the candidate can be involved in a clinical trial setting for training purposes, but they cannot be the person directing and being responsible for an independent clinical trial as the primary leader under this K01 application.

The opportunity is classified as a discretionary grant in the health funding activity category, with CFDA number 93.853, and it is administered by NIH through NINDS. The posted original closing date is 2027-09-07, indicating a multi-year window in which applications may be accepted according to NIH receipt dates and cycles. The source listing does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards in the provided fields, which is common in some grant listings where budgets depend on NIH policy limits, negotiated scopes of work, and institute priorities.

On the institutional side, a wide range of organizations may serve as eligible applicants. These include many government entities (state, county, city/township, and special district governments), public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, independent school districts, and various nonprofit organizations (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3), excluding institutions of higher education in those nonprofit categories). For-profit organizations (other than small businesses) and small businesses are also listed as eligible, along with Native American tribal governments (federally recognized) and tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments), and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities. The FOA also highlights types of institutions that are often central to broadening participation, such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), and Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, as well as Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, and U.S. territories or possessions.

At the same time, there are important limits related to foreign involvement. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations) are explicitly not eligible to apply as the applicant organization, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible to apply. Even so, the FOA allows “foreign components” as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement, meaning certain international elements may be included when justified and compliant with NIH policy, even though the primary applicant institution must be domestic.

Overall, PAR-24-228 is best understood as a structured career launch mechanism for early-stage faculty: it is designed to buy time (protected effort), fund research activities that build independence, and formalize mentoring and professional development so that promising underrepresented investigators in neuroscience can establish themselves as competitive, independently funded researchers. The “Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed” designation narrows the scope to research that does not require the applicant to lead a clinical trial, while still leaving room for mentored exposure to clinical trial environments when that experience supports the candidate’s long-term career development.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NINDS Faculty Development Award to Promote Diversity in Neuroscience Research (K01 Independent 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 2024-06-24.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2027-09-07.
• 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 24 228

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