NCI Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award to Promote Diversity (K23) | PAR 16 399

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 16 399

The NCI Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award to Promote Diversity (K23) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) career development grant designed to help build a more diverse workforce of patient-oriented cancer researchers. It is offered through the National Cancer Institute (NCI), specifically through the Diversity Training Branch (DTB) and the Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities (CRCHD). The central goal is to support the career development of individuals who hold a health professional doctoral degree and who come from groups that are nationally underrepresented in biomedical, clinical, behavioral, and social sciences. NCI frames this as an important workforce need, emphasizing that expanding diversity among patient-oriented researchers is essential for improving cancer research and addressing cancer-related health disparities.

This opportunity supports mentored career development, meaning the award is intended for candidates who are still building the skills, experience, and research portfolio needed to become independent investigators. The “K23” mechanism is NIH’s standard pathway for developing investigators focused on patient-oriented research, which generally involves direct interactions with human subjects and/or work with human-derived materials where the investigator’s questions are tied to patient care, clinical outcomes, or human health behavior. In practical terms, the award is meant to protect time for intensive research training and mentored research while the awardee develops expertise, publishes findings, and positions themselves for future independent funding.

Eligibility in the posted information highlights two layers: who may apply as an institution and who the award is meant to develop as a candidate. On the institutional side, a wide range of U.S.-based organizations are eligible applicants, including state, county, city, and 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; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; Native American tribal organizations that are not federally recognized tribal governments; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education when specified in the eligibility list); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other eligible entities. The announcement also calls out additional eligible applicant types that align with the diversity and capacity-building focus, including 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 (AANAPISISs). It also notes that faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions may apply.

Foreign participation is explicitly restricted. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply, and foreign components (as NIH defines them in the NIH Grants Policy Statement) are not allowed. In other words, the applicant organization and the work supported under this award must be based in the United States and structured without foreign components as part of the funded project.

The funding opportunity is categorized as a discretionary grant in the Education and Health activity category and is associated with CFDA number 93.398. The opportunity number is PAR-16-399, and the record indicates an original closing date of February 28, 2017, with a creation date of August 11, 2016. The source information does not list an award ceiling or the expected number of awards, so those details are not provided in the excerpt. Overall, the program’s intent is clear: to provide mentored, patient-oriented research career development support to underrepresented health professional doctorates, strengthening the pipeline of diverse investigators equipped to conduct high-quality clinical and patient-centered cancer research and to contribute to reducing cancer health disparities.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NCI Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award to Promote Diversity (K23)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.398.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2016-08-11.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-02-28. (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 16 399

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: