Before applying for an NIAID research career development (K) award, review the levels of support, funding periods, and effort requirements to ensure that the award will meet your needs. Other NIH institutes or centers may offer different levels of support.
Get more detail on any award type mentioned below through the NIAID Research Career Development (K) Awards main page.
What Do Career Development Awards Pay For?
All NIAID K awards include fringe benefits. Awards provide the following:
- Maximum salary
- $75,000 for K01, K25, and both K99/R00s
- $100,000 for K08 and K23; for K24s, salary is based on full-time institutional salary up to the current NIH Salary Cap multiplied by the percentage of effort plus fringe benefits
- Maximum research support
- $20,000 for K25
- $25,000 for K01 and both K99s
- $50,000 for K08, K23, and K24
- Direct costs
- K22s provide $150,000 in the first year and $100,000 in the second year. Up to $50,000 of the award can be devoted to the principal investigator's salary each year. The rest can be spent for research and other allowable costs.
What Is the Funding Duration?
Research career development funding provides support for the following durations:
- K01, K08, K23, K24, K25—Three to five years. Junior applicants generally get five years of support; more senior-level applicants, three years.
- K22—Two years.
- K99s—NIAID awards up to two years.
- R00s—NIAID awards up to two years.
Are K Awards Renewable?
Except for K24s, K awards are not renewable. NIAID expects K awardees to move on to independent research support, such as an R01.
Therefore, for competing research applications, NIH policy allows award recipients in the last two years of their support period to hold concurrent support from their K award and a competing Research Project grant (e.g., R01, R03).
You can renew a K24 award once if you continue to have independent peer-reviewed, patient-oriented research support when you submit the competing renewal application. Also, you may apply for a renewal even if you were promoted to full professor during your initial award.
If you request a renewal, you must meet the original award's remaining requirements.
Contact AITrainingHelpDesk@mail.nih.gov to discuss your eligibility for a renewal.
What Minimum Effort Requirements Apply?
K01, K08, K22, K23, K25, and Parent K99 awards all require at least 75 percent effort (nine person months) of the professional time devoted to the funded K award. Although you can use the other three person months (or 25 percent) for clinical and other duties, non-federal funds must pay for that time.
The NIAID Physician-Scientist K99/R00 requires at least 50 percent effort (or six person months) devoted to the K award.
The K24 requires levels of effort between 25 and 50 percent (or three to six person months) professional time devoted to the funded K award.
The percent effort spent on all K awards is expected to be full-time effort that’s supported by NIAID through the K award, and you are typically expected to have a full-time appointment at the organization applying for the grant. You can meet the effort requirement with your full-time position while simultaneously holding another position part-time.
Learn more about Percent Effort and Concurrent Salary Support for Research Career Development (K) Awards.
For details, see the Career Development Grants SOP.
More Information
Learn more on the NIAID Research Career Development (K) Awards main page.
Email your questions to AITrainingHelpDesk@mail.nih.gov.
She can also advise you on your eligibility for a particular K program and whether your proposed research aligns with NIAID if you send her your NIH-formatted biosketch and Specific Aims page. Learn more at Create Biosketches and Draft Specific Aims.