NIH released NOT-OD-26-098 which announces significant updates to its Career Development (K) Award programs designed to improve consistency across funding opportunities, reduce administrative burden, and better align program requirements with the primary goal of career development. These changes will apply to due dates on or after October 12, 2027.
Key Updates
1. Consolidation of Individual K Award Funding Opportunities
NIH is streamlining individual K award Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFOs) into a smaller set of parent NOFOs organized by program type. This change is intended to simplify the application process and improve clarity regarding eligibility, review criteria, and program requirements.
New consolidated activity codes include:
- KR1 – Mentored Research Scientist Career Development Award
- Replaces: K01, K21, K25, K32
- KC1 – Mentored Clinician Research Scientist Career Development Award
- Replaces: K08, K23, K38
- KS1 – Investigator Award to Support Mentoring of Early Career Clinician Scientists
- Replaces: K02, K07, K18, K24, K26
- KT1/R00 – NIH Career Transition to Research Independence Award
- Replaces: K99, K22
Activity codes not affected by this change: K00, K12, K43, and K76.
2. Data Management & Sharing (DMS) Plans No Longer Required
NIH will eliminate the requirement to submit a Data Management and Sharing (DMS) Plan with K award applications.
Because K awards are intended primarily to support career development rather than research projects that generate significant scientific data, NIH determined that the DMS Plan requirement is not appropriate for most K applications. This change is expected to reduce administrative burden for applicants and institutions.
3. Changes to Clinical Trial Support
To better align K awards with their career development purpose:
- NIH will discontinue K award NOFOs designated as "Independent Clinical Trial Required."
- K award funds may not be used to support the conduct of:
- Clinical trials
- Clinical trial feasibility studies
- Ancillary studies to existing clinical trials
- K awardees may continue to gain clinical trial experience through participation in trials led by a mentor or co-mentor.
- K awardees who wish to serve as PI of a clinical trial must obtain separate funding support for those activities.
Important Dates
- July 13, 2027: Existing NOFOs using affected K activity codes will expire.
- October 12, 2027: New policies take effect for applicable due dates.