NIDCD Mentored Career Development Award for Postdoctorate Au.D./Ph.D. Audiologists (K01 Independent Basic Experimental Studies with Humans Required) | PAR 19 142

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 19 142

The NIDCD Mentored Career Development Award for Postdoctorate Au.D./Ph.D. Audiologists (K01; PAR-19-142) is an NIH career development grant aimed at helping promising postdoctoral audiologists (Au.D./Ph.D.) build the research skills, publication record, and mentorship support needed to become independent investigators. The program is centered on structured, mentored career development paired with a rigorous research project in areas that align with the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) mission, spanning biomedical, behavioral, and clinical sciences related to hearing and balance and other communication disorders. In practical terms, it is meant to fund a protected period where an early-career audiologist can deepen their scientific training, develop a focused research niche, and transition toward independence in health-related research.

This specific K01 announcement is tailored to applicants who will lead basic experimental studies that involve human participants and meet the NIH definition of a clinical trial while still being classified as basic research. The emphasis is on prospective, controlled experiments in humans where participants are assigned to different conditions and the investigator manipulates one or more independent variables to measure biomedical or behavioral outcomes. The goal of these studies is fundamental understanding of underlying mechanisms or phenomena rather than immediate development or testing of a product, intervention, or practice intended for direct application. If a study is designed with a clear applied objective (for example, optimizing or validating a clinical process or product), the announcement directs those applicants to use the companion "Clinical Trials Required" funding opportunity instead. This distinction matters because NIH categorizes certain human research as clinical trials even when the intent is basic science, and this FOA is explicitly the pathway for that "basic experimental studies with humans" category described in NIH guidance (NOT-OD-18-212).

Eligibility for applying is broad at the organizational level and includes many types of U.S.-based entities that can serve as the applicant institution for the candidate. Eligible applicants listed include state, county, and local governments; public and state-controlled and private institutions of higher education; independent school districts; special district governments; federally recognized tribal governments and certain other tribal organizations; public housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The announcement also highlights additional eligible organizational categories such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI), as well as faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, and U.S. territories or possessions. At the same time, it is explicit that non-U.S. (foreign) institutions are not eligible to apply as the applicant organization, and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible. However, "foreign components" as defined by NIH policy may be allowed, which generally means certain parts of the work could involve a foreign site or collaboration if properly justified and compliant with NIH policy, even though the primary applicant organization must be domestic.

From a funding classification standpoint, this is a discretionary NIH grant in the health category (CFDA 93.173). The opportunity was created on December 28, 2018, and the original closing date listed in the provided record is January 7, 2020. The award ceiling and expected number of awards are not specified in the excerpt you provided, which usually means applicants must refer to the full FOA for budget limits, salary support levels, duration, and institute-specific policies. Overall, the key takeaway is that this K01 is designed for postdoctoral audiologist scientists who need mentored time and resources to conduct rigorous, hypothesis-driven basic experimental research in humans (meeting NIH clinical trial criteria), while building a strong trajectory toward becoming independent, externally funded investigators in fields central to NIDCD.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NIDCD Mentored Career Development Award for Postdoctorate Au.D./Ph.D. Audiologists (K01 Independent 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 2020-01-07. (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 19 142

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