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Frequently Asked Questions
Policy-Related
Application Process/Review Related
Policy/Post Award
1. I do not have an NIH research grant, but do have independent research support
from other sources. Am I still eligible to apply for a K24?
The NCI has a special policy that applies to the independent, patient-oriented
research support required for the K24 award. All candidates must have
independent research support in patient-oriented research as either NIH awards
or awards equivalent to NIH peer-reviewed support. Industry support does not
fulfill this requirement. For general eligibility criteria for the K24 grant
mechanism, see the Program Announcement:
PA-04-107 MIDCAREER INVESTIGATOR AWARD IN PATIENT-ORIENTED RESEARCH (K24).
2. Should I apply for a K24 award if I have just completed a 5-year individual
mentored career development award and have independent research support?
If you are just starting in an independent research career, you are not likely
to have sufficient experience to mentor junior investigators. Also, your
application is not likely to meet the intent of the K24 award and, if this is
obvious, it could be returned to you by NCI staff without review. Without a
strong track record of independent research and mentoring, it is unlikely that
your application would receive an enthusiastic peer review and be competitive
for funding.
3. I am a Principal Investigator (PI) on a subproject of a cooperative agreement
research grant (U01) awarded to our institution. Is this considered independent
support?
It depends on whether the U01 is considered as a single project R01 grant or as
a multi-project Program Project Grant or P01. If the U01 resembles an R01 in
size and complexity, a subproject would not be regarded as independent support.
But if you are a leader of a subproject on a U01, which is similar to a P01
subproject and which is peer-reviewed as a freestanding project, then this
subproject is clearly equivalent to an R01 and would be considered your
independent support. These kinds of interpretations are difficult to make; if
you are unsure of your independent support, contact the NCI (see
NCI Staff Contacts).
4. I have an established record of independently funded research, but do not have
a track record in mentoring. Should I apply for a K24 award at this time?
No. Eligibility criteria for this award state "Candidates must have a track
record of mentoring junior investigators." The best course to take is to
develop a mentoring track record and then apply.
5. As part of the mentoring component of the K24, am I allowed to mentor
individuals at another institution?
This could be done, but the arrangements would have to be very carefully worked
out to ensure that the trainee can function off-site and benefit from your
funded research environment.
6. Since human subjects are to be involved in my K24 program and I currently have
Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval for my ongoing research, do I still
need IRB approval for this award?
You will be required to obtain IRB approval for any NEW research that is being
proposed involving human subjects. Ongoing research with prior IRB approval
does not need additional approval.
If the study deals with human subjects, you must answer all parts of item 4 on
the face page of the
PHS 398 Form (Revised 9/2004) application. NIH requires
documentation of Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval at the time of
award. The application should also address the points concerning Gender and
Minority Inclusion and Inclusion of Children as Participants, OR provide
sufficient information/justification for exemptions. This information can be
found in the Human Subjects Research section of the instructions for preparing
a PHS 398 Form (Revised 9/2004) application.
If the study involves a clinical trial, you will need to include an abbreviated
data and safety-monitoring plan showing that the sponsoring institution does
have an operational mechanism for data and safety monitoring of clinical
trials.
Without the proper information on Gender and Minority Inclusion, Inclusion of
Children, an award cannot be made. If an application is fundable, the NCI must
be provided with the human subject IRB certification before an award can be
made; and, where appropriate, a detailed data and safety monitoring plan.
7. I am planning to submit a K24 application, but will be moving to another
institution. Should I submit the application now, or should I wait until I make
the move to the new institution?
You should wait until you move to the new institution before submitting an
application. Moving the application from one institution to another would
require a statement from the new institution guaranteeing your protected time.
If reviewers know you are going to move, this would complicate their evaluation
of the application.
8. How strong must the statement of institutional commitment be with regard to
the percent effort that will be protected during K24 support?
It is important that the institution provide a very specific plan for reducing
your current duties and providing you with the protected time for conducting
your research and mentoring new scientists. Peer reviewers will want to know
how others will accommodate your previous duties. Letters of support for this
plan from key people who must support it in the institution are also important
to include with your application.
9. Where do I send my K24 application?
All grant applications are sent to one address that is cited in the
PHS 398 Form (Revised 9/2004) application kit. The Center for Scientific Review (CSR)
receives all applications and distributes them to the appropriate institutes
and centers. The institutes and centers operate and manage the peer review
groups that review your application for scientific merit.
10. At the time of the application, do I have to provide a list of the
individuals I plan to mentor?
While you are not required to provide specific names of trainees in the
application, providing the names at the time of the application may increase
the enthusiasm of the reviewers for your application. In any case, you should
provide information about the pool of candidates for mentoring, the types of
individuals you would be looking for, and the probable assignments of these
individuals on patient-oriented research projects.
11. If I receive additional independent support prior to the review of my K24
application, should I provide the NCI with this information?
Yes. You should contact the Scientific Review Administrator in the NCI, who is
responsible for organizing and managing the review of you application, and
arrange a time and method for providing this information. This kind of
information can only strengthen the peer reviewers' enthusiasm for the
application.
12. What happens if I am not able to maintain independent research support during
the tenure of the award?
The NCI K24 requires that you have independent, patient-oriented research at
the time of the award that meets its special policy requirements (see the
K24 Program Announcement). If you lose this support, you will have one
year to regain it. Otherwise, your K24 grant will be terminated. Without stable
support you can neither expand nor refine your own research or provide a
suitable funded environment for training new clinical scientists in
patient-oriented research.
13. Can a K24 be awarded for less than 5 years?
Yes. The peer review committee determines the length of the award. However, we
recommend that everyone submit an application for five years of support. It
would be highly unusual for a review committee to perceive a problem that would
result in a reduction of the grant period to less than five years.
14. If I have a K24 award and I would like to ask for post award changes, how do
I go about this?
You must contact the NCI Grants Administration official to determine the
appropriate procedures to use in making a request for post award changes in
your grant. This also applies to any of your needs that require a prior
approval from the NCI. In general, you will have to make a request that is
signed by you and a business official of your institution. After receiving the
request, the Grants Administration official will consult with the NCI
scientific program staff as necessary to determine whether the request can be
approved.
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