NHLBI Career Transition Award for Intramural Postdoctoral Fellows and Research Trainees (K22 Clinical Trial Required) | PAR 24 211

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 24 211

The NHLBI Career Transition Award for Intramural Postdoctoral Fellows and Research Trainees (K22, Clinical Trial Required) is a National Institutes of Health grant opportunity designed to help outstanding postdoctoral fellows and research trainees currently working within the NHLBI Division of Intramural Research move into independent, tenure-track (or equivalent) research careers at extramural institutions. The core idea is to provide a structured runway from mentored training inside NHLBI to launching an independent research program outside NIH, with dedicated funding that follows the investigator through that transition if key milestones are met.

The award is organized into two connected phases totaling up to five years of support. The first phase is a mentored intramural period of up to two years, carried out within NHLBI intramural laboratories. During this time, the awardee is expected to build a strong foundation for independence by advancing a defined research program, producing clear evidence of progress (such as publications, preliminary data, and scientific milestones), and preparing to compete for and secure an independent position. The second phase is an extramural period of three years, conducted at an eligible U.S.-based institution, where the awardee continues and expands the research program as an independent investigator. Because this specific K22 is labeled "Clinical Trial Required," the supported research is expected to include a clinical trial component consistent with NIH definitions and requirements, meaning applicants should be prepared for the added expectations around trial design, oversight, and reporting.

A critical feature of this program is that the move from the intramural phase to the extramural phase is not automatic. NHLBI makes a transition decision based on a formal progress review that examines the success of the candidate's work during the mentored intramural period and evaluates the proposed research plan to be implemented at the extramural institution. In practical terms, the awardee must demonstrate strong scientific productivity and readiness for independence, and must present a credible, well-supported plan for the next stage of research once they relocate. Only after NHLBI approves this transition does the extramural funding phase begin.

In terms of who can apply and where the award can be hosted, the opportunity lists a wide range of eligible applicant organizations for the extramural phase, including public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), small businesses, and multiple levels of government entities (state, county, city/township, special districts), among others. It also explicitly highlights additional eligible applicants such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions, along with faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions. At the same time, the announcement is clear that non-U.S. entities are not eligible to apply, non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, and foreign components are not allowed under NIH policy, meaning the extramural phase must be anchored in the United States without foreign components as defined by NIH.

Administratively, this is a discretionary grant opportunity run by the National Institutes of Health, with the NHLBI as the sponsoring institute, and it falls under the health funding activity category. The opportunity number is PAR 24-211, and it is associated with CFDA numbers 93.233 and 93.837 through 93.840, reflecting NHLBI and NIH assistance listings tied to heart, lung, blood, sleep, and related research areas. The listing shows an original closing date of July 12, 2027. While an award ceiling is not specified in the provided source text, the defining structure is the two-year intramural mentored phase plus the three-year extramural independent phase, with continuation contingent on NHLBI approval after progress review.

Overall, this K22 mechanism is meant for a very specific pipeline: intramural NHLBI postdoctoral researchers who are ready to step into independence but benefit from a funded, milestone-based bridge to an external faculty-level or equivalent role. The program emphasizes both demonstrated progress during the NHLBI mentored period and a strong, executable research plan for the extramural setting, with the added expectation that the research will involve a clinical trial consistent with NIH requirements.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NHLBI Career Transition Award for Intramural Postdoctoral Fellows and Research Trainees (K22 Clinical Trial Required)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.233, 93.837, 93.838, 93.839, 93.840.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-07-15.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2027-07-12.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.

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