The KUH Predoctoral to Postdoctoral Fellow Transition Award (F99/K00 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | RFA DK 18 024

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA DK 18 024

The KUH Predoctoral to Postdoctoral Fellow Transition Award (F99/K00, Clinical Trial Not Allowed) is an NIH National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) funding opportunity designed to move highly promising Ph.D. trainees into independent research careers focused on kidney, urologic, or hematologic (K, U, or H) science. Its central goal is to identify exceptional graduate students who have been recognized by their institutions as having unusually high potential, then use targeted support to both finish the doctoral dissertation and secure a strong, K, U, or H focused postdoctoral position. In practice, the award is meant to strengthen the pipeline of future investigators in these areas and to make recipients more competitive for later major NIH funding such as a K99/R00 pathway award or an R01.

The program is structured as a two-phase transition mechanism. The first phase (F99) supports the final period of predoctoral training so the student can complete the dissertation with momentum and purpose. The second phase (K00) supports the early postdoctoral period, helping stabilize what is often a high-risk career transition by providing dedicated time and resources for research and professional development. A major emphasis is bringing talented Ph.D. candidates into K, U, or H research even if their original doctoral training was in a different discipline. The FOA specifically highlights that applicants may come from a wide range of fields such as engineering, statistics, data science, imaging, biochemistry, and genetics, reflecting the program's intent to recruit cross-disciplinary scientists and channel their skills toward kidney, urologic, and hematologic problems.

Career development is a required theme throughout the award. Beyond research training, recipients are expected to engage in activities that build a foundation for long-term independence, such as developing a clearer scientific niche, strengthening grant-writing and presentation skills, building mentorship networks, and preparing for the transition to independent faculty or equivalent research positions. The underlying expectation is that, by the end of the phased award, the individual will have a stronger publication record, clearer research direction within K, U, or H science, and the professional readiness to compete successfully for subsequent NIH awards.

On clinical trials, this opportunity draws a firm boundary: applicants cannot propose to lead an independent clinical trial. However, the FOA does allow the applicant to gain research experience within a clinical trial environment when that trial is led by a sponsor or co-sponsor, meaning the fellow can participate in and learn from clinical trial research without serving as the independent trial leader.

The opportunity is issued as a discretionary grant under Funding Opportunity Number RFA-DK-18-024, associated with CFDA 93.847, and administered by the National Institutes of Health. A broad range of U.S.-based organizations are listed as eligible applicants, including public and private institutions of higher education, state and local governments, certain tribal governments and tribal organizations, independent school districts, special district governments, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status), and for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), as well as small businesses and other entities. The FOA also explicitly notes inclusion of several categories of institutions and organizations that NIH often highlights for outreach and equity, 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 (AANAPISIs), among others.

Eligibility limits related to foreign participation are also spelled out. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign institutions) are not eligible to apply, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply. At the same time, foreign components are allowed as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, which generally means certain project elements may be carried out abroad when well-justified and compliant with NIH policy, even though the applicant organization itself must be eligible and not foreign.

Finally, the FOA signals that graduate students who are already deeply engaged in K, U, or H research may be better matched to the NIDDK F31 mechanism (specifically referenced as PA-18-671), positioning the F99/K00 as particularly valuable for trainees either transitioning into K, U, or H research or seeking a structured, supported bridge from late-stage Ph.D. work into a focused postdoctoral appointment in these mission areas. The original closing date listed for this specific opportunity was 2019-11-20, and some fields such as award ceiling and expected awards are not specified in the provided source data.

• The National Institutes of Health in the food and nutrition, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "The KUH Predoctoral to Postdoctoral Fellow Transition Award (F99/K00 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.847.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2019-01-28.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2019-11-20. (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.

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