Due to administrative changes to funding opportunity processing and delays in approvals at the NIH, the FY2026 Early Independence Award Funding Opportunity will not go forward. Importantly, the Early Independence Award initiative is still active, current award recipients are continuing their work, and new funding opportunities are anticipated for FY2027. For additional details, please consult the program page: https://commonfund.nih.gov/earlyindependence
Past webinar:
NIH program and review staff discussed funding opportunity RFA-RM-24-005 and answered questions about the application and review process during a pre-application interactive Q&A webinar held on June 26, 2024. A video recording of the webinar and the slide presentation are available.
Download slides of webinar presentations
Instructions for electronic submission: To apply for the NIH Director's Early Independence Award, please submit the materials requested below to this link no later than June 2, 2025, at 11:59 PM.
Budget: $250,000/year in direct costs for five years
Number of Applications: 2 applications per institution (does not involve Ithaca)
Program Description:
The NIH Director's Early Independence Award supports exceptional junior investigators who wish to pursue independent research soon after completion of their terminal doctoral degree or post-graduate clinical training, thereby forgoing the traditional post-doctoral training period and accelerating their entry into an independent research career. Applications in all topics relevant to the broad mission of NIH are welcome, including, but not limited to, topics in the behavioral, social, biomedical, applied, and formal sciences and topics that may involve basic, translational, or clinical research.
DP5 is a research grant, not a mentored career grant.
Selection criteria:
- Institutional Commitment: The institutional commitment is a key focus of the review. The reviewers want to ensure the PI will receive the resources & support needed to successfully complete the project & begin a productive, independent research program.
- PI's Qualifications: The PI must demonstrate the skills, readiness, & ability to begin a successful independent research program.
- Significance & Innovativeness of Research: The proposed project must address a significant scientific problem with an innovative idea & approach.
See past FOA for details.
Eligibility
Eligibility & Requirements:
- Degree receipt date: Must complete terminal doctoral degree or post-graduate clinical training (including residency and fellowship periods) between May 1, 2024, and September 30, 2026 (ANTICIPATED). Must be in a non-independent research position by the time of application.
- At the time of award, the PD/PI must have received a PhD, MD degree or equivalent or must certify that all degree requirements have been met and that the receipt date of the degree will be before September 30, 2026 (ANTICIPATED).
- Post-doctoral experience: Must not have served as a post-doctoral fellow for more than 12 months, following a previous, non-terminal doctoral degree.
- Level of effort: In the first and second years of the project period applicants must commit to a minimum level of effort of 80% (9.6 months) towards the Early Independence Award project. In years 3-5 of project, awardees may reduce their effort on the Early Independence Award project, but still must maintain 80% effort of general independent research each year.
- Non-independence at Time of Application: Eligible individuals must be in a non-independent research position (defined functionally rather than by position title) by the time of application. Eligible individuals must have all the following characteristics:
- The PD/PI's current research agenda is set through concurrence with mentors.
- The PD/PI's research is funded primarily through support from other investigators.
- The PD/PI does not have any space assigned directly by the institution for the conduct of his/her research.
- The PD/PI, according to institutional policy, cannot apply for an NIH R01 grant without a special waiver or exemption from the institution.
- Though PDs/PIs must not be functionally independent at the time of application submission, they may become functionally independent prior to time of award and still retain eligibility for the award.
- PD/PIs may apply for a research career development (K) award and DP5 at the same time, but they may not hold both concurrently.
- Independent Research Position: An independent research position at a host institution is required, and the PD/PI must be able to begin independent research by the project start date. The position need not be permanent or tenure-track and may be contingent upon receipt of the Early Independence Award.
- Career Awards: PD/PIs may apply for a research career development (K) award and DP5 at the same time, but they may not hold both concurrently.
- Site Visit: NIH staff will conduct a one-time site visit at the end of the first year to assess the PD/PI's progress and to ensure they are receiving the institutional resources and support outlined in the application.
- There is no U.S. citizenship requirement.
For more details, please consult https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-RM-24-005.html
Application Requirements
WCM is limited to submitting two applications for this program. Due to this limit an internal selection process will be conducted. Submissions should contain the following information. Chairpersons/Division Heads may submit no more than two nominations from their department/division.
Note: Chairs/Division Heads submitting more than one nomination must send a comparative statement to researchdean@med.cornell.edu commenting on the relative strengths and weaknesses of the two nominees.
- Letter of Intent including the following information:
- Descriptive title of proposed activity
- Name, address, and telephone number of the Applicant
- Names of other key personnel
- Participating institution(s)
- Number and title of this funding opportunity
- Letter of nomination from the Department Chair/Division Chief (2 pages). The letter must:
- Highlight the applicant's scientific accomplishments to date. Provide a detailed description of the applicant’s qualifications (skills, maturity, intellect, scientific creativity, and drive) needed to bypass the traditional postdoctoral training period to launch an independent research career.
- Include a confirmation that all degree requirements will be met and that the receipt date of the degree (as will appear on the transcript) will be before September 30, 2025.
- Certify that the Applicant will be eligible to conduct independent research at the institution at the time of the project start date.
Include a description about the Institutional Commitment. Confirm the applicant will receive the resources & support needed to successfully complete the project & begin a productive, independent research program.
Research Plan (max 2 pages). Include: Specific aims, and Description of the proposed work and summary of past research, including evidence of exceptional creativity and productivity. The project must address a significant scientific problem with innovative ideas and approach.
- Other project information (1-2 pages). Please include descriptions of:
- The position to which the Early Independence investigator will be appointed .
- The institutional resources commitment to the Early Independence investigator. Matching funds are not required; however, an appropriate level of institutional support (lab space, administrative support) is expected.
- The institutional career development commitment to the Early Independence investigator (plan for ensuring scientific independence, plan for integrating the candidate into institutional activities, mentoring structure)
- Applicant's Biosketch.
Instructions for Electronic Submission of Nominations:
Submit the above items here no later than June 2, 2025, at 11:59 pm in the order listed in one PDF file using this naming convention: PI last name-first initial_DP52026.pdf (Example: Smith-J_DP52026.pdf). Margins should be at least one inch and font size not less than 11 point
Example: Smith-J_DP52026.pdf
Past Recipients
- Alzheimer's Disease
- Anesthesiology
- Basic Science
- Biochemistry/Biophysics
- Cancer
- Cardiovascular
- Clinical Science
- Community Health
- Dermatology
- Diabetes
- Drug Development
- Endocrinology
- Genetics
- GI
- Healthcare Policy
- Hematology
- Hepatology
- HIV
- Immunology
- Medical Education Research
- Medicine
- Microbiology
- Molecular Biology/Cell Biology
- Nephrology
- Neuroscience
- Nursing/PA/Allied Professions
- Obstetrics/Gynecology
- Ophthalmology
- Orthopedic
- Pathology
- Pediatrics
- Pharmacology
- Physiology
- Precision Medicine
- Psychiatry
- Psychology/Behavioral Science
- Pulmonology
- Radiology
- Regeneration
- Surgery
- Translational Science
- Urology
- MD Students
- New Investigator
- PhD Students
- Postdoc/Residents/Fellows