Please see the full solicitation for complete information about the funding opportunity. Below is a summary assembled by the Research & Innovation Office (RIO).

Program Summary

The purpose of the NCI Predoctoral to Postdoctoral Fellow Transition Award (F99/K00) is to encourage and retain outstanding graduate students recognized by their institutions for their high potential and strong interest in pursuing careers as independent cancer researchers. The award will facilitate the transition of talented graduate students into successful cancer research postdoctoral appointments and provide opportunities for career development activities relevant to their long-term career goals of becoming independent cancer researchers.

This program does not allow applicants to propose to lead an independent clinical trial, but does allow applicants to propose research experience in a clinical trial led by a sponsor or co-sponsor.

The F99/K00 award is intended for individuals who require 1-2 years to complete their Ph.D. dissertation research training (F99 phase) before transitioning to mentored postdoctoral research training (K00 phase). Consequently, applicants are expected to propose an individualized research training plan for the next 1-2 years of dissertation research training and a plan for 3-4 years of mentored postdoctoral research and career development activities that will prepare them for independent cancer-focused research careers.

The F99/K00 award is meant to provide up to 6 years of support in two phases. The initial (F99) phase will provide support for 1-2 years of dissertation research (final experiments, dissertation preparation, and selection of a postdoctoral mentor). The second (K00) phase will provide up to 4 years of mentored postdoctoral research and career development support, contingent upon successful completion of the doctoral degree requirements and securing a cancer-focused postdoctoral position at a new institution. The two award phases are intended to be continuous in time but a gap of up to 3 months between the two phases will be allowed. However, the F99 phase of the award may not continue beyond the completion of all doctoral degree requirements (i.e., the date of acceptance and approval of the PhD thesis by the institution and not when the degree is conferred). A K00 award will only be made to a PD/PI who has successfully completed the F99-supported training, provided NCI with a strong research and career development plan, and started a cancer-focused postdoctoral appointment.

Deadlines

CU Internal Deadline: 11:59pm MST October 14, 2024

Sponsor Application Deadline: 5:00pm MST November 19, 2024

Internal Application Requirements (all in PDF format)

  • Sponsor Information (1 page maximum): Sponsor name, title, and department/unit.
  • Applicant Background & Goals for Fellowship Training (2 pages maximum): Please include the following elements: a description of how past research experiences and F99/K00 plans contribute to achieving the long-term career goal, training goals and objectives and how the award will enable them, and activities planned under the award.
  • Research Training Plan (2 pages maximum): For both the dissertation research project (F99 phase) and the postdoctoral research direction (K00 phase), please
    • (a) describe significance (overview of scientific question being addressed/investigated and potential impact; and
    • (b) describe the approach.
      • For the F99 phase, the approach section should include a project report on dissertation research (approach, outcomes, methodologies) and a proposal for the work to be completed (experimental design, anticipated results, potential problems and follow-up studies).
      • For the K00 phase, the approach section should provide a general description of how the research will be conducted (approach, methodologies, anticipated results, challenges (and how to address)).
  • Budget Overview (1 page maximum): A basic budget outlining project costs is sufficient; detailed OCG budgets are not required.

To access the online application, visit:

Eligibility

Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s) (PD(s)/PI(s)) is invited to work with their organization to develop an application for support. Individuals from diverse backgrounds, including underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, individuals with disabilities, and women are always encouraged to apply for NIH support.

The applicant must have a baccalaureate degree and be currently enrolled as a graduate student in the third or fourth year of a mentored PhD or equivalent research degree program (e.g., DrPH, ScD) in the biomedical, behavioral, or clinical sciences at a domestic institution. F99 eligibility is determined from the date of enrollment as a graduate student at the PhD institution and includes the time spent to earn a MS degree unless there was a major change in research area and a change in research mentor. The applicant must be at the dissertation research stage of training at the time of award, and must show evidence of high academic performance in the sciences and commitment to a career as an independent cancer research scientist.

F99 recipients are required to pursue their research training on a full-time basis, normally defined as 40 hours per week or as specified by the sponsoring institution in accordance with its own policies.

K00 recipients are required to have a full-time appointment at the applicant institution, and to commit a minimum of 9 person months (75%) of their full-time appointment at the applicant institution to their career development and mentored research. K00 recipients may engage in other duties (e.g., other research, training, clinical and teaching activities) as part of the remaining 25% effort not covered by the award, as long as such duties do not interfere with or detract from the proposed career development program.

Before submitting the application, the applicant must identify an F99 sponsor(s) who will supervise the proposed dissertation research training experience. The primary sponsor should be an active investigator in the area of the proposed research training and be committed both to the applicant’s research training and to direct supervision of the applicant's research. The primary sponsor must document the availability of sufficient research funds and facilities for high-quality research training. Applicants may identify more than one sponsor, i.e., a team of sponsors, if this is deemed advantageous for providing expert advice in all aspects of the research and training program. When there is a sponsor team, one individual must be identified as the primary sponsor who will coordinate the applicant’s training program. The applicant must work with the sponsor(s) in preparing the application

Limited Submission Guidelines

Each institution is eligible to submit one application per due date.

Award Information

Stipends (F99 phase) are the same as for the F31 fellows.

Salaries (K00 phase): NCI will contribute up to $65,000 in the first year, $69,000 for the second year, $72,000 for the third year, and $76,000 for a fourth year, plus fringe benefits.

Review Criteria

The internal evaluation process will follow NIH’s review .