Hello everyone! I’ve written this article to share valuable tips and strategies that worked for me during my application process for the K99/R00 award (NIDCR). I hope these insights help you navigate your own journey toward securing this grant.
What is the K99/R00 Grant?
The K99/R00, officially known as the NIH Pathway to Independence Award, is designed to help postdoctoral researchers transition to independent academic positions. It provides funding in two phases:
- K99 Phase (Mentored): This phase lasts up to two years and supports the researcher as they continue to develop their skills under the guidance of a mentor. During this phase, recipients receive a $75-100K/year salary and $25K/year funds for research.
- R00 Phase (Independent): Once the researcher secures a tenure-track position, they move to the R00 phase, which provides $249K/year funding for your research for 3-5 years.
Who Can Apply? To be eligible, you must meet the following criteria:
- Postdoctoral Fellow: You must hold a PhD (or equivalent) and have less than four years of postdoctoral research experience at the time of application submission.
- Citizenship: US citizens, permanent residents, and non-US citizens with a visa that allows them to remain in the US during the K99 phase are eligible.
- Career Stage: You must not hold a tenure-track faculty position at the time of application and must transition to an independent position after the K99 phase.
- Previous NIH Funding: You must not have received an NIH R01 or equivalent independent investigator-level grant. Certain NIH career development awards (e.g., K01, K07, K08) are also disqualifying, except if they were used to earn a PhD or equivalent degree.
Different NIH institutes may have specific eligibility criteria, so it's essential to check the guidelines for the institute you're applying to.
Which NIH Institute Should You Apply To? While the K99/R00 is competitive across the board, the level of competition varies depending on the specific NIH institute or center (IC).
- Most Competitive (High Demand): NIAID, NINDS, NCI, NHLBI, NIMH (success rates ≈15%)
- Moderately Competitive: NIDDK, NIGMS, NIA, NICHD (success rates ≈ 20-30%)
- Less Competitive (Narrower Scope): NIAAA, NIDA, NIEHS, NEI, NIDCR (success rates ≈20-30%)
- Least Competitive: NCCIH
The competitiveness is influenced by factors such as current research trends, emerging areas of interest, NIH priorities, and institute budgets. Success rates can fluctuate based on these factors and the quality of submitted applications.
The NIDCR Dentist Scientist Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00) For dentist-scientists, there are specific requirements for the NIDCR K99/R00:
- Eligibility: Applicants must hold both a DDS/DMD and a PhD and must be within four years of completing their latest degree. Resubmissions must also comply with this requirement.
- K99 Phase: Offers a salary of $100K/year.
- R00 Phase: Candidates can request a 5-year R00 phase if they are participating in part-time clinical dental specialty training (25% of their time). This extends the total grant period to seven years (two years for the K99 phase and five years for the R00 phase). Salary during the R00 phase depends on the offer letter for the tenure-track position.
To receive a 5-year R00 award, applicants must meet the following conditions:
- The 5-year project period must be requested in the original application.
- The sponsoring institution must describe the dental specialty program and provide assurances that the candidate will spend up to 25% of their professional effort on clinical training.
- The institution must verify that tuition costs will be provided in-kind, and clinical training must begin by the third year of the R00 phase.
Candidates who do not pursue clinical training are limited to three years of R00 support.
How is the application evaluated?
As part of the scientific peer review, only those applications deemed to have the highest scientific and technical merit (the top half) will:
- Be discussed and assigned an overall impact score.
- Receive a written critique.
Individually Scored Sections: Each section is evaluated for strengths and weaknesses and assigned a score from 1 to 5, with 1 being the best. Depending on the institute, fundable applications usually are scored below 30 (the best score possible is 10).
- Candidate: strengths are a story of seeding funding, a track record of NIH support (R90, F award), productivity (publications), professional awards, and a clear commitment to a long-term scientific career.
- Career Development Plan/Career Goals & Objectives: Positive feedback emphasized a well-defined timeline of career goals, the availability of comprehensive career development resources at my institution, including interdisciplinary courses that I mentioned in detail, and several opportunities to gain teaching experience.
- Research Plan: Strengths included addressing a significant knowledge gap, developing and characterization of a novel model, including sample size and power calculations, and robust preliminary data. Weaknesses noted in my application were a lack of details on bioinformatics and unclear plans for using both male and female animals. (I addressed all concerns in a rebuttal letter before the council review).
- Mentor(s), Co-Mentor(s), Consultant(s), Collaborator(s): Reviewers appreciated that my primary mentor has a strong publication record, that my co-mentors offer expertise in distinct areas from my primary mentor, and that I have a diverse advisory board (5 members).
- Environment & Institutional Commitment: Positives included clear institutional support for my research and a solid commitment to my mentored research training.
Key Tips for a Successful Grant Application:
- Start Early: Begin preparing as soon as possible during your postdoctoral training. Familiarize yourself with the funding program and review the latest funding opportunity announcements. It’s beneficial to examine both successful and unsuccessful applications to understand what works. Reach out to past awardees in your institution; they can guide you through the internal submission process. Some institutions may also have an archive of previous applications for reference.
- Engage Your Mentor: Have a clear, honest conversation with your mentor about your plan to apply. Understand their strengths and any potential limitations. If your primary mentor lacks extensive R01 funding history or hasn't previously mentored K99/R00 recipients, consider adding co-mentors to strengthen your training plan and provide additional expertise.
- Develop Independent Research: Your research should distinguish itself from your PI's work, demonstrating your path toward scientific independence. Think ahead about your future research directions, leveraging your current skills to branch out and explore novel ideas.
- Timing is Critical: Aim to apply around your second year of postdoctoral research. This gives you time to revise and resubmit if necessary before the four-year postdoc deadline. Early submission increases your chances of refining your application.
- Craft a Strong Specific Aims Page: The specific aims page is the cornerstone of your application. It should be clear, concise, and easy to read, highlighting the knowledge gap your research addresses, its innovation, and significance. Solicit feedback from diverse individuals, including those outside your field, to ensure clarity and impact.
- Preliminary Data: Depending on the institute you are applying to, significant preliminary data might be required to show that you’re capable of executing the proposed research. Apply for seed grants or small internal grants to fund and develop independent projects, showcasing your ability to lead a research initiative.
- Presentation Matters: Ensure your proposal is well-organized, visually appealing, and easy to navigate. Avoid overwhelming readers with dense or cluttered text. Use clear charts, experimental designs, and diagrams that make your work easier to follow. Remember that only a portion of applications get fully reviewed, and a polished, visually accessible proposal can make a strong first impression.
- Detailed Training Plan: Your application should demonstrate a comprehensive training plan. Detail the new techniques and skills you’ll develop and explain how you’ll refine existing ones. Highlight opportunities for additional professional development through courses and workshops, such as grant writing or leadership seminars, available at your institution.
My K99/R00 Application Timeline
08/2020 Graduated from PhD. Postdoctoral R90 Fellowship began*
04/2021 Institutional Pilot Grant awarded. **
12/2021 Put together preliminary data. ***
01/2022 Started preparing aims page/ contacted advisors (Advisory board).
03/2022 Meeting with program officer and mentors (one principal and two co-mentors).
04/2022 Prepared research strategy. Communication with mentors.
05/2022 Communicated back and forth with OSP#.
05/2022 Submitted all documents to OSP for submission.
06/2022 Proposal Receipt Date (ERA Commons).
06/2022 Scientific Review Group Completed.
10/2022 Scored received (my score was 18).
01/2023 Council Review Completed.
04/2023 Pending Administrative Review.
07/2023 Award notice date.
* Institutional T90/R90 Postdoctoral Fellowship: T90 trainees must be U.S. citizen or permanent residents, and R90 trainees must be non-U.S. citizens.
** Institutional Pilot grant: My institution allows postdocs to apply for small seeding grants to explore independent ideas. This was critical for me since it funded my preliminary data.
*** Preliminary Data: It took time and effort to get data on a subject different from what I did during my PhD. I think starting early was beneficial in this regard.
# Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP).
Elements of the K99/R00 Application
1. Specifics Aims Page [The most important page!] (1 Page)
2. Candidate Information and training plan (with Gantt chart). (4 pages)
3. Research Strategy. (4 pages)
4. Training in Responsible Conduct of Research Statement. (1 Page)
5. Letter of support from Mentors. (2-3 pages each).
6. Letter of support from advisors. (1 page).
7. Description of institutional environment. (1 page).
8. Institutional Commitment Letter. (1 Page).
9. Vertebrate animals use. (2 pages)
10. Data Sharing plan. (1/2 page).
11. Authentication of Key Biological Resources and/or Chemical Resources. (1 page)
12. Project summary. (500 words)
13. Project narrative. (3 sentences)
15. Facilities and other resources (list provided by institutional SOP). (2 pages)
16. Equipment (list provided by institutional SOP) (7 pages)
17. Biosketch (personal, mentors, and advisors). (3-4 pages/each)
18. Budget Justification (for the $25,000 per year for K99-phase only). (2 pages).
19. Cover letter including Referees (in my case, three referees).
If you have any specific questions, please feel free to contact me via email at [email protected].
DMSc AGE student at Harvard School of Dental Medicine
6 个月Thank you Carla!
NIH/NIDCR K99 Postdoctoral Fellow, The ADA Forsyth Institute
6 个月very comprehensive summary, thanks for sharing, Carla!