Applying for an NIH K01:
Early Career Grant Opportunity Workshop
Elizabeth Bertone-Johnson, ScD
Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology
Department of Public Health
October 29, 2010
Outline
• K01 Mechanism & Deciding to Apply
• Important Component of the Application
• Review and Resubmission
The NIH K01 Mechanism
• Mentored career development awards intended
to provide “support and ‘protected time’ (three,
four, or five years) for an intensive, supervised
career development experience in the
biomedical, behavioral, or clinical sciences
leading to research independence”
• Require commitment of ≥ 75% (9 personmonths) of calendar year effort
• Level of funding varies by Institute
– Salary capped at $50,000 to $120,000 per year
– $20,000 to $50,000 per year for training activities and
research project
The NIH K01 Mechanism
• Offered by many but not all Institutes
– Some have specific focuses
– Some have diversity supplements
• Eligibility varies by Institute
• Success rates generally higher than for other
mechanisms (e.g., R01)
– 2008: 172 funded of 443 submitted (38.8%)
– 2009: 144 funded of 395 submitted (36.5%)
• K Kiosk: http://grants.nih.gov/training/careerdevelopmentawards.htm
Application Structure
• Candidate information and career development plan
– Candidate’s background, career objectives, training plan,
responsible conduct of research
• Research plan
– Follow NIH application format (Specific Aims & Research
Strategy)
• Statements of support (all mentors/consultants)
• Environment and Institutional Commitment
– Description of institutional environment, commitment to
candidate’s research development
• 3 – 5 letters of reference (not mentors)
• Budget for entire award period (modular)
12
pages
Deciding to Apply
• Talk with Program Official from target
Institute
– Make sure your research is compatible with
their funding priorities
• Some POs will review specific aims and
make suggestions
• Consider submitting to primary and
secondary institutes
Important Components
•
•
•
•
•
Justification of need for award
Mentorship team
Institutional support
Training Plan
Research Project
Justification
• Important to be clear about need for
mentorship and protected time
– New area of research?
– New methodology for research in established
area?
• Argument should strike a balance between
previous success and need for training
Mentorship Team
• Must identify mentor(s) to supervise training
activities and research project
– More than 1 is acceptable if project is multidisciplinary
– From home institution = good, but not mandatory
– Good if relationship with them is already established
• Mentors must be willing to donate substantial
time to you
– Specify their level of contact and commitment in the
application
– No salary support for mentors
• Can also include consultants to provide training
in specific minor areas
Ex: Mentors and Consultants
Areas of Expertise
Endo
Neuro
endo
Mental
Health
PMS/
PMDD
Genetic
Epi
X
X
Vitamin
D
Nut
Epi
Gyn
Epi
X
X
X
X
Biostat
Sponsor/Co-sponsors
JoAnn Manson
X
Nancy Forger *
X
Sally Powers *
X
X
Consultants
Sue Hankinson
X
Susan Johnson
Alayne Ronnenberg *
X
X
X
Walter Willett
X
Andrea Foulkes *
X
Bruce Hollis
* UMASS
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Institutional Support
• Institutional official must guarantee your
protected time for research
– Letter of support from department chair and/or
dean specifying:
• you’ll have ≥75% effort for research
• your teaching and service expectations
• how teaching needs will be covered
• If mentors or research are based at another
institution this may be especially important
Training Plan
• Probably more important than research project
• Very specific plan for getting additional training
you need
• Sample types of training activities: coursework,
short courses, workshops, professional
meetings, “supervised reading”, clinical study
• Include timeline showing what you’ll do each
year and how you’ll transition to independence
– Can include time for R01 writing
Ex: Timeline of Training Plan
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Year 5
75%
75%
75%
75%
75%
Graduate coursework
20%
20%
20%
Short courses/workshops
5%
5%
5%
2.5%
Seminars/Colloquia
2.5%
2.5%
2.5%
2.5%
2.5%
Professional Meetings
2.5%
2.5%
2.5%
2.5%
2.5%
Supervised Reading
10%
10%
5%
5%
5%
Clinical observations of patients
5%
Research Project
35%
40%
45%
50%
60%
10%
5%
All training activities
Preparation of R01 application(s)
Teaching
20%
20%
20%
20%
20%
Service
5%
5%
5%
5%
5%
Research Project
• Gives applied focus to your training
– Incorporate new skills & knowledge gained
from mentors and training activities
• Be somewhat conservative about scope of
project
Review (and Resubmission)
• Consult with a variety of people on your
specific aims
– Make sure aims are clear to colleagues who
don’t work directly in your area
• Get help with writing
– professional grant writer
• Look at successful applications
Review (and Resubmission)
• When you receive summary statement,
talk with your PO
• Be responsive to reviewers
• Get multiple perspectives on introduction
and revised grant
Questions?
ebertone@schoolph.umass.edu
577-1672