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NIH career development grants (K series)

Need assistance with NIH career development grants?

NIH career development grants (K series) are intended to provide support for trainees and early to mid-career scientists as a path toward conducting their research independently and being competitive for major grant support. 

Applicants for K series grants should follow the most current NIH SF424 guidance, as well as any specific instructions in the funding opportunity announcement (FOA). Additionally, access Duke guidance on K awards to ensure compliance with NIH requirements, including minimum effort needed. 

Also review additional NIH proposal guidance:

Note: The FOA instructions always supersede the SF424 guidance.

Support for NIH proposal development

Included below are grant writing toolkits developed by the SoM Office of Research Development and the Office of Campus Research Development (OCRD). 

Templates and examples

The School of Medicine’s Office of Research Development maintains a toolkit for standard K solicitations, updating it as needed when NIH issues Guide Notices as well as when Forms are updated (e.g., Forms G to H). ORD has also developed additional resources, including proposal development calendars, tracking sheets, and writing tips (available within the toolkit) and maintains templates for human subjects attachments as well (see Human Subjects and Clinical Trials attachments heading below). Contact SoM ORD (christine.erlien@duke.edu OR irina.mokrova@duke.edu) with any questions about these materials. The K grant examples linked below are provided by Duke’s Office of Research Mentoring and the NIH and the Facilities and Resources Repository is maintained by the Duke Office of Research Initiatives.
NIH K grants toolkit
NIH K grants Human Subjects and Clinical Trials attachments
NIH K grant examples

Explore examples of common career development grant sections. Please note that the examples are from previously awarded applications and the exact requirements and formatting may have changed.

The NIH RePORTER tool can be used to find other investigators at Duke who have been awarded a similar mechanism and may be able to provide additional examples or advice. 

Facilities and Resources Repository

Facilities and Resources Repository (access boilerplate language and contacts for facilities and resources to potentially support the project)

OCRD K Toolkits

The Office of Campus Research Development (OCRD) has toolkits to develop specific K award proposals. Each toolkit includes guidance and templates tailored to the specified opportunity. Toolkits are updated annually or as needed to conform to both NIH and program-specific requirements.

Contact OCRD (sohini.sengupta@duke.edu) if you are not seeing a K funding opportunity of interest and for which you would like a toolkit.
NIH K Award Toolkit

NIH K award toolkit provides guidance and templates to write a Parent mentored K Award proposal for the following activity codes: K01, K08, K23, and K25. Both early-stage faculty and/or postdocs could be eligible to apply for these opportunities.

Upcoming deadlines: See standard due dates for K applications

NIH K99/R00 Toolkit (standard)

NIH K99/R00 toolkit (PA-24-193, PA-24-194, PA-23-195): NIH Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00) provides guidance and templates to write a Parent K99/R00 proposal. Eligible postdocs can apply.

Upcoming deadlines: See standard due dates for K applications

NIH MOSAIC K99/R00 Toolkit

NIH MOSAIC K99/R00 toolkit (PAR-24-225, PAR-24-226, PAR-24-227): Maximizing Opportunities for Scientific and Academic Independent Careers (MOSAIC) Postdoctoral Career Transition Award to Promote Diversity (K99/R00) provides guidance and templates to write a MOSAIC K99/R00 proposal.  The MOSAIC K99/R00 is intended for eligible postdocs from underrepresented groups in the biomedical sciences.

Upcoming deadlines: See standard due dates for K applications

NIH/NCI K22 Toolkit

NIH NCI K22 toolkit (PAR-24-117): The NCI Transition Career Development Award (K22) facilitates the transition of investigators in mentored, non-independent cancer research positions to independent faculty cancer research positions. 

Note: The K22 Activity Code is usually for IC-specific K opportunities that may or may not have mentored phases. OCRD currently has one K22 toolkit. If there is another K22 opportunity you are interested in, and for which you would like a toolkit, contact OCRD. 

Upcoming deadlines: See standard due dates for K applications