NIDCD Research Career Enhancement Award for Established Investigators (K18 Basic Experimental Studies with Humans Required) | PAR 19 143

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 19 143

The NIDCD Research Career Enhancement Award for Established Investigators (K18) Basic Experimental Studies with Humans Required (PAR 19-143) is an NIH grant opportunity aimed at helping established, well-qualified investigators expand, refresh, or pivot their research programs by gaining new research skills. The core idea is career enhancement rather than simply funding more of the same work: applicants are expected to use the award to acquire capabilities that let them tackle new questions or enter new methodological areas that are directly relevant to NIDCD mission topics, including hearing, balance, smell, taste, voice, speech, and language sciences. In practice, this mechanism supports investigators who already have a strong track record but want dedicated time and structure to retrain, cross-train, or meaningfully redirect their work in ways that strengthen or broaden their long-term research trajectory in these fields.

This specific K18 announcement is tailored for projects that are considered both a clinical trial under NIH definitions and basic research in intent. It focuses on what NIH has described as prospective basic science studies involving human participants (as referenced in NOT-OD-18-212). The emphasis is on basic experimental studies in which human participants are prospectively assigned to different conditions and the investigator actively manipulates one or more independent variables. The outcomes measured are biomedical or behavioral outcomes in humans, but the purpose is fundamental understanding of underlying phenomena rather than development or testing of a product, intervention, or applied process. If a study is designed with a specific practical application in mind, such as developing or optimizing a device, therapy, diagnostic approach, or other product-oriented process, the announcement indicates that applicants should instead use the companion NIDCD K18 Clinical Trials Required funding opportunity rather than this basic-experimental-studies version.

The eligible applicant landscape is broad and spans many common U.S. organizational types that can receive federal assistance, including state, county, and local governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3), excluding higher education when specified); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); small businesses; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; and federally recognized Native American tribal governments, as well as other Native American tribal organizations that are not federally recognized. The opportunity also explicitly highlights additional eligible categories such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), eligible federal agencies, faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, Indian/Native American tribal governments other than federally recognized entities, and U.S. territories or possessions. At the same time, it draws clear boundaries around foreign involvement: non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply as the applicant organization. However, foreign components are allowed as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement, meaning a U.S.-based applicant organization may include certain foreign project elements when permitted and justified under NIH policy.

Administratively, this is a discretionary grant program under the NIH, with the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) as the sponsoring institute, and it falls under CFDA number 93.173 in the health funding category. The source information lists an original closing date of January 7, 2021, and does not specify an award ceiling or expected number of awards in the provided excerpt. Overall, the announcement is best read as a career-focused mechanism for experienced investigators who want to deliberately add new experimental capabilities involving human participants in basic research contexts, particularly where the work requires prospective assignment to conditions and is framed around fundamental discovery rather than near-term application or product development.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NIDCD Research Career Enhancement Award for Established Investigators (K18 Basic Experimental Studies with Humans Required)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.173.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2018-12-28.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-01-07. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• 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.

Apply for PAR 19 143

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