NIDCD Research Career Enhancement Award for Established Investigators (K18 Independent Basic Experimental Studies with Humans Required) | PAR 21 096

FAQs: NIDCD Research Career Enhancement Award for Established Investigators (K18) - PAR-21-096

What is this funding opportunity?

This opportunity is the NIDCD Research Career Enhancement Award for Established Investigators (K18). It is an NIH grant program intended for established, successful researchers who want to broaden, strengthen, or pivot their research programs by deliberately acquiring new skills.

What is the main purpose of the K18 in this announcement?

The purpose is career enhancement rather than simply adding funds to an existing line of work. The award is meant to create a structured opportunity for an investigator to learn new techniques, approaches, or methods that open up new research directions or enable them to answer important questions in NIDCD mission areas.

Which NIH institute is associated with this opportunity?

This announcement is tied to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) and its scientific mission areas.

What are the NIDCD mission areas mentioned for this opportunity?

The mission areas described include hearing, balance, smell, taste, voice, speech, and language sciences. Projects should either already be in these domains or be redirected to address them.

What specific FOA is being described?

The announcement described is PAR-21-096.

What type of studies does PAR-21-096 specifically support?

PAR-21-096 is specifically for basic science experimental studies that involve humans and that meet the NIH definition of a clinical trial while still being considered basic research.

Why does this FOA involve a "clinical trial" if it is basic research?

Under NIH definitions, certain basic science studies with humans can meet the definition of a clinical trial if they prospectively assign participants to conditions and manipulate an independent variable while measuring biomedical or behavioral outcomes. The key is that the study remains basic science in intent: it is designed to understand fundamental mechanisms or phenomena.

What does "prospectively assign human participants" mean in the context provided?

Based on the description, it means the study assigns human participants in advance to one or more conditions as part of the experimental design, rather than observing outcomes without assignment.

What kind of experimental manipulation is expected?

The FOA describes intentional manipulation of an independent variable. Examples given include changing a stimulus, task condition, sensory input, training exposure, or experimental context, and then measuring biomedical or behavioral outcomes in people.

What is the key factor that determines whether a study is appropriate for this FOA?

The key factor is the purpose of the experiment. The work must be aimed at understanding fundamental mechanisms or phenomena, without a specific product-development or process-implementation goal driving the study.

What kinds of studies are explicitly considered a poor fit for this FOA?

Studies designed with a clear applied objective are described as needing a different, appropriate NIH funding opportunity. Examples mentioned include developing or testing an intervention, device, clinical procedure, or implementation process.

Is this FOA meant for someone who just wants more funding for an existing research line?

No. The description emphasizes that the intent is career enhancement through acquiring new skills, not simply adding more funding to an existing line of work.

Does the applicant need to lead an independent human experiment under this FOA?

Yes. The announcement draws a bright line that it is meant for applicants who will be conducting an independent basic experimental study with humans.

Can an investigator use this FOA to gain experience by joining someone else's trial?

No. Investigators who mainly want to gain experience by participating in a clinical trial or human experimental study led by someone else are directed to a companion funding opportunity where an independent clinical trial is not allowed.

What if the investigator is not planning a human experiment at all?

This FOA is described as the correct fit when the applicant is proposing to lead a prospective, experimentally manipulated, human-participant basic science study. Projects that avoid human experiments altogether are described as not belonging here.

What types of organizations are eligible to apply?

Eligibility is broad across many types of U.S.-based organizations and government entities. The description lists eligible applicants as including:

• State governments
• County governments
• City or township governments
• Special district governments
• Independent school districts
• Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education
• Private institutions of higher education
• Federally recognized Native American tribal governments
• Tribal organizations that are not federally recognized
• Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities
• Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (when not applying as an institution of higher education)
• Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status (when not applying as an institution of higher education)
• For-profit organizations other than small businesses
• Small businesses

Are certain institution types specifically highlighted as eligible?

Yes. The opportunity highlights categories commonly emphasized in NIH programs, including HBCUs, Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and AANAPISIs. It also mentions faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions.

Are foreign (non-U.S.) institutions allowed to apply as the applicant organization?

No. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and foreign institutions are not eligible to apply as the applicant organization.

Are non-domestic components of U.S. organizations eligible to apply?

No. Non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible to apply.

Can a U.S. applicant include any foreign component in the project?

Potentially, yes. The description states that foreign components may be included when allowed under NIH policy (as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement). This implies a U.S. applicant can sometimes incorporate certain international elements if they meet NIH requirements and are well-justified.

What federal program area and identifier are associated with this opportunity?

The administrative details provided describe it as a discretionary NIH grant mechanism in the health funding area with CFDA 93.173, managed under the National Institutes of Health and tied to NIDCD priorities.

When was this opportunity created and what closing date is listed?

The opportunity was created on January 19, 2021, and the listed original closing date is January 7, 2024.

Is there an award ceiling or expected number of awards stated in the provided text?

No. The text provided does not specify an award ceiling or an expected number of awards.

What should applicants do if they need details like budget structure or program expectations?

Because the provided text does not include those specifics, applicants are expected to consult the full FOA and relevant NIH policy pages for budget structure and program expectations.

What is the overall takeaway for who this FOA is best suited for?

Based on the description, PAR-21-096 supports established investigators who want to acquire new capabilities and apply them in an investigator-led, prospective, experimentally controlled human-participant basic science study that advances foundational understanding in NIDCD-relevant domains.