The purpose of the Mentored Clinical Scientist Development Award is to support individual candidates with a clinical doctoral degree (e.g., M.D.) or equivalent, to become well-trained laboratory-based cancer researchers. The K08 supports up to five years of combined didactic and mentored research experiences for candidates to acquire the methodological and theoretical research skills needed to become an independent scientist. The mentor should be recognized as an accomplished investigator in the proposed research and should have a track record of success in training independent investigators. Planning, direction, and execution of the program are the responsibility of the candidate and his/her mentor on behalf of the applicant institution. The K08 award is not renewable.

The candidate must be a citizen of the United States, or a non-citizen national, or must have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence and possess an Alien Registration Receipt Card (1-151 or 1-551) or some other verification of legal admission as a permanent resident at the time of the award. Foreign nationals and individuals on temporary or student visas are not eligible.

NCI establishes the upper limits of $75,000 for salary support per year plus fringe benefits, and $30,000 research development expenses such as tuition and fees, supplies, equipment, and technical personnel, travel to research meetings or training, and statistical and computational services. Candidates must be able to commit a minimum of 75% full-time professional effort to the conduct of research and research career development. NCI does not permit grant-related income (i.e., fees) from clinical practice, professional consultation, or other comparable activities to be retained by the career award participant.

UPDATE: The K08 salary is now capped for competing awards issued after January 1, 2009, at $100,000 per year for a 75% effort (9 person-months) commitment. Please see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-CA-09-022.html for further salary details.

Program Announcement

New Electronic PA required for February 12, 2009, Grant Submission: PA-09-042 Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Award (K08) ¹

This replaces PA-06-512 Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Award (K08) ²