Career Development
(K) Awards - Overview
Harold Alan Pincus, MD
Professor and Vice Chair, Department of Psychiatry
College of Physicians and Surgeons
Associate Director, Irving Institute for Clinical and Translational Research
Columbia University
Director of Quality and Outcomes Research
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
Presentation Topics
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Housekeeping and expectations
Explanation of K Award
Preparation for K Award application
Application process and format
Review process and format
Other resources and support
Take-away points
Housekeeping and Expectations
• Attendance of each seminar is key
• Sharing of work helps you and others
• Reminder email with materials, follow-up
email with notes
• Plan for Mock Review
• K Award Seminar website*
(rfmh.nyspi.org/kad) has materials, notes,
resources, and syllabus
*Access is restricted to computers on NYSPI and Columbia networks (such computers
have an IP address that start with 156.111, or 156.145, or 192.168…….)
Schedule
Date/Time/Location
Topic
Presenter
K Award NIH Cycle I Submission Deadline: Tuesday, June 12th
Monday, June 30th
11am – 12pm
Location: Room 3002
Overview
Harold Pincus
Monday, July 28th
11am – 12pm
Location: 6th Floor Boardroom
Reviewer’s Panel
Panelists:
To be determined
Monday, August 25th
11am – 12pm
Location: 6th Floor Boardroom
Career Plan
Jonathan Posner and Greg Tau
Personal Statement
Kim Fader
Monday, September 22nd
11am – 12pm
Location: Room 3001
K Award NIH Cycle II Submission Deadline: Friday, October 12th
Monday, October 20th
11am – 12pm
Location: Room 3001
Monday, November 24th
11am – 12pm
Location: 6th Floor Boardroom
Monday, December 22nd
11am – 12pm
Location: 6th Floor Boardroom
Early-Mid January
Research Plan
Jill Harkavy-Friedman
Administrative Process
Janelle Greenhill , Amanda Katz, and Jaime
Rubin
Funded Applicants’ Panel
Mock Review
Panelists:
To be determined
Seminar Participants
and Reviewers
K Award NIH Cycle III Submission Deadline: Tuesday, February 12th
What is a K Award?
Career Development (K)
Award
• Provides predominantly salary support
– Specified salary levels (e.g. NIDDK: $90K, NCI: $100K)
• Minimum requirements for the amount of effort that must
be devoted to research career development (e.g. 75%,
some exceptions to 50%)
• 3-5 years
– Some types of awards are renewable (usually not the mentored
awards)
• Individual must be a US citizen/permanent resident
• Reduce effort to 50% in last 2 years if PI of NIH research
grant
Adapted from Jaime S. Rubin, PhD (Sponsored Projects: Planning &
Organizing a Fellowship or Career Development Proposal)
K Awardee
National Institute of Environmental Health
Sciences Training Directors Meeting
November 3, 2010
7
Explanation of “K Award”
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K01
K02
K05
K07
K08
K12
K18
K22
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K23
K24
K25
K26
K30
K99/R00
KL2
http://nexus.od.nih.gov/all/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/k_awards_32.jpg
For More Information:
NIH Career Development Awards Website
http://grants.nih.gov/training/careerdevelopmentawards.htm
How do I prepare for a K
Award application?
Choose a Topic
• What topic inspires you?
• How has your life led to this topic?
– K Award is a scientific autobiography
– “vision quest”
Adapted from Greg Seigle, PhD, and Chip Reynolds, MD (Med Ed Mentoring - Kountdown to K)
K Visioning Exercise
1. In 10 – 15 years, I want to be the world expert in…..
2. In 4 – 5 years, the first major grant to put me on the road
towards becoming a world expert, would look like...
3. The knowledge, skills, and training I would need to
successfully conduct the major grant are…
4. The preliminary project(s) that would provide initial data
and help convince a review committee of the major
project’s feasibility and of my own capacities is/are…
Create a Timeline
• Do you have the time (at least seven
months) and schedule to invest in
submitting an application?
– Prepare = 2 months
– Write = 3 months
– Revise = 2 months
• Which K Award due date and timeline is
ideal?
Adapted from Greg Seigle, PhD, and Chip Reynolds, MD (Med Ed Mentoring - Kountdown to K)
NIH K Award Due Dates
Application
Stage
Cycle I
Cycle II
Cycle III
Due Date (for
February 12th
June 12th
October 12th
Scientific Merit June – July
Review
Advisory
August or
Council
October*
Review
October –
November
January
February –
March
May
Earliest
Project Start
Date
April
July
new applications)
September or
December*
*Advisory Council Round for Cycle I applications may be August or October, and their earliest project
start date may be September or December respectively.
Find a Mentor
• A mentor is someone:
– You respect
– Can help you become an independent
scientist
– Is well known in the field
– Has a good track record of mentorship
– Is geographically desirable
– Will write you an outstanding letter of
recommendation
Adapted from Greg Seigle, PhD, and Chip Reynolds, MD (Med Ed Mentoring - Kountdown to K)
Mentoring Skills Model
MENTEE
SPECIFIC
SKILLS
SHARED CORE
SKILLS
Acquiring
Mentors
Learning
Quickly
Showing
Initiative
Listening
Actively
Identifying Goals
& Current Reality
Building Trust
Following
Through
Encouraging
Sense of Humor
Managing
the
Relationship
National Institute of Environmental
Health Sciences Training Directors
Meeting
November 3, 2010
MENTOR
SPECIFIC
SKILLS
Inspiring
Providing
Corrective
Feedback
Managing
Risks
Opening
Doors
Instructing/
Developing
Capabilities
Mentoring Skills
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Listening actively
Identifying goals and current reality
Building trust
Encouraging
Sense of humor
Inspiring
Providing corrective feedback
Managing risks
Opening doors
Instructing/developing capabilities
Constructive Questioning
National Institute of Environmental Health
Sciences Training Directors Meeting
November 3, 2010
21
Mentee Skills
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Acquiring mentors
Learning quickly
Showing initiative
Following through
Managing the relationship
Listening actively
Identifying goals and current reality
Building trust
Encouraging
Sense of humor
National Institute of Environmental
Health Sciences Training Directors
Meeting
November 3, 2010
22
Brainstorm and Consider
• Who will be on your team (at least 1 – 2
internal consultants) that can assist you
with translational research?
• What will be the size and budget of your
research project?
• How will you deal with the stress?!
• Applying for a federal grant is a marathon,
not a sprint
Adapted from Greg Seigle, PhD, and Chip Reynolds, MD (Med Ed Mentoring - Kountdown to K)
What is the application
process and format?
Application Process
and Format
• For applications due on or after 1/25/10
• Re-structured format
– Match new peer review process/criteria
• Shortened length (25 down to 12 pages)
– Reduce administrative burden
– Focus on scientific essentials
• One re-submission allowed
– Previously allowed two re-submissions
• Dates of submission are February 12th, June 12th, October 12th
• Overall process from submission to review to funding can be 8 to 24
months
• NEW: NIH has transitioned to electronic application forms packages
(Forms-C). K Awards with due dates after 1/25/14 will likely only have
these forms listed but in the case that there are two forms packages
available applicants should only use the most recent
Application Components
Page Limits
Section of Application
(if different from FOA,
FOA supersedes)
Introduction to Resubmission or Revision Application (when applicable)
1
Specific Aims
1
First three items of Candidate Information (Candidate's Background,
Career Goals and Objectives, and Career Development/Training
Activities During Award Period and Research Strategy)
12 pages (for all sections combined)
Training in the Responsible Conduct of Research
1
Mentoring Plan (Include only when required by the specific FOA, e.g.,
K24 and K05)
6
Plans and Statements of Mentor and Co-mentor(s)
6
Letters of Support from Collaborators, Contributors, and Consultants
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Description of Institutional Environment
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Institutional Commitment to Candidate’s Research Career Development
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Biographical Sketch
4
To do list:
• Look at others’ (funded) applications
and get their advice
• Review award guidance and
instructions
• Familiarize yourself with review
process
For More Information:
Peer Review Policies & Practices
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/peer/peer.htm
NIH – Writing Your Application:
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/writing_application.htm
SF424 Application and Electronic
Submission Information:
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/424/index.htm
What is the review process and
format?
K Review Criteria…
• Overall Impact/Priority Score
• Scored Review Criteria (Core):
1.Candidate
2.Career Development Plan
3.Research Plan
4.Mentor(s)/Consultant(s)/Collaborator(s)
5.Environment and Institutional Commitment
• Additional Review Criteria
• Additional Review Considerations
Scoring System
• 9-point scoring scale
– 1 (exceptional) to 9 (poor)
– Whole numbers
– Assigned reviewers announce scores and
rationale
– Previous system was 1.0 – 5.0, with
increments of .1
Scoring System Descriptions
Scoring System Descriptions
Score
Descriptor
Additional Guidance on Strengths/Weaknesses
1
Exceptional
Exceptionally strong with essentially no weaknesses
2
Outstanding
Extremely strong with negligible weaknesses
3
Excellent
Very strong with only some minor weaknesses
4
Very Good
Strong but with numerous minor weaknesses
5
Good
Strong but with at least one moderate weakness
6
Satisfactory
Some strengths but also some moderate weaknesses
7
Fair
Some strengths but with at least one major weakness
8
Marginal
A few strengths and a few major weaknesses
9
Poor
Very few strengths and numerous major weaknesses
Minor Weakness: An easily addressable weakness that does not substantially lessen impact
Moderate Weakness: A weakness that lessens impact
Major Weakness: A weakness that severely limits impact
For More Information:
Peer Review Policies & Practices
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/peer/peer.htm
Definitions of Criteria and
Considerations for K Critiques
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/peer/critiques/k.htm
Guidelines and Templates for Reviewers
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/peer/reviewer_guidelines.htm
Other Useful Websites
and Resources
• www.nigms.nih.gov/Research/Application/
Tips.htm
• www.4researchers.org/
• http://grantscourse.columbia.edu/
• www.nimh.nih.gov/researchfunding/training/index.shtml
Other Useful Websites
and Resources
• Sumandea C, Balke C: Funding Opportunities
for Investigators in the Early Stages of Career
Development. Circulation 2009; 119:1320-1327
• Research for Mental Hygiene (RFMH) –
administrative advice
• NIH/Foundation Program Officer
• Your mentor
• NYSPI/CUMC networks
• Us and K Award Seminar website
Other (Non-NIH) Career Support
• Columbia, NYP, Gerstner, ECRIP
• Foundations: RWJ (Health and Society
Scholars, Minority/Academic faculty); W.T.
Grant Foundation; Pew; Howard Hughes;
NARSAD
• Professional Societies: APA, ACNP, SBP
Take-Away Points
• Start early
• Be focused
• Gather a team of people who can help you go where you want to
go
• Work with your team to construct application
• Take advantage of mentoring
• Manage your time and resources wisely
• Read instructions
• Never assume that reviewers “will know what you mean”
• Refer to literature thoroughly and thoughtfully
• Explicitly state the rationale of the proposed investigation
• Include well-designed tables and figures
• Present an organized, lucid write-up
Adapted from Greg Seigle, PhD, and Chip Reynolds, MD (Med Ed Mentoring - Kountdown to K) and from Jaime
S. Rubin, PhD (Sponsored Projects: Planning & Organizing a Fellowship or Career Development Proposal)
Schedule
Date/Time/Location
Topic
Presenter
K Award NIH Cycle I Submission Deadline: Tuesday, June 12th
Monday, June 30th
11am – 12pm
Location: Room 3002
Overview
Harold Pincus
Monday, July 28th
11am – 12pm
Location: 6th Floor Boardroom
Reviewer’s Panel
Panelists:
To be determined
Monday, August 25th
11am – 12pm
Location: 6th Floor Boardroom
Career Plan
Jonathan Posner and Greg Tau
Personal Statement
Kim Fader
Monday, September 22nd
11am – 12pm
Location: Room 3001
K Award NIH Cycle II Submission Deadline: Friday, October 12th
Monday, October 20th
11am – 12pm
Location: Room 3001
Monday, November 24th
11am – 12pm
Location: 6th Floor Boardroom
Monday, December 22nd
11am – 12pm
Location: 6th Floor Boardroom
Early-Mid January
Research Plan
Jill Harkavy-Friedman
Administrative Process
Janelle Greenhill , Amanda Katz, and Jaime
Rubin
Funded Applicants’ Panel
Mock Review
Panelists:
To be determined
Seminar Participants
and Reviewers
K Award NIH Cycle III Submission Deadline: Tuesday, February 12th
Questions???