Institutional Mentored Career Development Award (K12)

The Institutional Mentored Career Development Award (K12) offered by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is a discretionary grant opportunity aimed at fostering the research careers of newly trained clinicians. This funding mechanism supports institutions in developing structured career development programs that prepare early-stage clinician-scientists for successful independent research careers. The awards are institutional in nature, meaning they are granted to an eligible organization which then selects individual scholars to participate in the program. The purpose of the K12 award is to provide mentored research experiences and career development opportunities to scholars who have demonstrated a commitment to independent research careers. The program is intended to bridge the gap between postdoctoral training and the next phase of career development awards, such as K08 or K23 mechanisms, which are focused on individual candidates. The K12 initiative targets institutional environments where resources and mentorship can be optimally leveraged to enhance early-career development in the biomedical and health sciences. Awarded institutions are expected to identify and appoint qualified scholars who are in the early stages of their careers and have the potential for significant future contributions to health-related research. Scholars under this program receive comprehensive mentoring, career development support, and protected research time. The institutional program must include a defined structure of mentorship and guidance and should include plans for the transition of scholars to independent funding. Funding may support salary, research costs, and other programmatic expenses essential to the development of participating scholars. Eligible applicant organizations include a broad range of U.S.-based entities, such as public and private institutions of higher education, non-profits both with and without 501(c)(3) status, federally and non-federally recognized tribal governments and organizations, U.S. territories, regional and faith-based organizations, and foreign institutions. The program emphasizes inclusivity and encourages applications from institutions that serve underrepresented populations. The program does not require matching funds from applicants. This opportunity is currently in a forecasted stage, with key dates projected as follows: the estimated posting date is April 4, 2026, and the anticipated application due date is June 12, 2026. Awards are expected to be announced by December 26, 2026, and projects are expected to start by April 1, 2027. No pre-application requirements such as Letters of Intent or Concept Papers have been stated at this stage. Applicants will likely submit their applications through Grants.gov or NIH systems following standard procedures. While specific application components and evaluation criteria are not detailed in the forecast notice, such programs typically assess the strength of the institutional training environment, quality of the mentoring plan, and the qualifications of both the scholars and mentors involved. For questions or more information, interested parties are directed to contact the NIH Division of Biomedical Research Workforce via email at [email protected].