Mentored Quantitative Research Development Award (Parent K25 Independent Clinical Trial Required) | PA 24 190

Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 24 190

The Mentored Quantitative Research Development Award (K25), titled here as the Parent K25 Independent Clinical Trial Required (PA 24-190), is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) career development grant meant to pull talented quantitative scientists and engineers into research that directly relates to human health and disease. The central idea is that many people trained in fields like mathematics, statistics, economics, computer science, imaging science, informatics, physics, chemistry, or engineering have strong technical skills but have not yet centered their work on NIH-relevant biomedical or behavioral questions. This program is built to help those investigators pivot into health-focused research by giving them structured mentoring, formal study as needed, and sustained time to build a new trajectory that combines their quantitative expertise with biomedical impact.

A defining feature of this particular K25 announcement is that it is intended for applicants who will lead an independent clinical trial as part of their career development plan. That includes serving as the lead investigator for a full clinical trial, running a clinical trial feasibility study, or conducting an ancillary clinical trial that is separate but connected to an existing trial framework. In other words, the applicant is not just learning clinical trial methods on someone else s study; they are expected to be in charge of their own trial-related effort as a key component of the proposed research and training. If an applicant does not plan to lead an independent clinical trial, or if they simply want experience by participating in a trial led by another investigator, NIH directs them to apply under a companion K25 funding opportunity that matches that situation instead.

The K25 mechanism is fundamentally a mentored, protected-time award. It supports a period of supervised research and career development so the recipient can gain the biomedical knowledge, clinical research exposure, and domain-specific understanding needed to translate quantitative methods into meaningful health applications. The program is especially suited to people who are already productive professionals in quantitative disciplines and now want to redirect or expand their work into NIH mission areas, with mentorship and an intentional development plan to bridge any gaps in clinical, biological, or patient-oriented research experience.

Eligibility is broad on the organizational side and includes many common U.S. applicant types such as public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (including those with and without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations other than small businesses, small businesses, and multiple levels of government (state, county, city or township, special districts), as well as independent school districts and public housing authorities or Indian housing authorities. The announcement also highlights additional eligible applicant organizations, 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 (AANAPISIs), along with faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, and certain tribal governments and tribal organizations.

There are important geographic and foreign involvement rules. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations) are not eligible to apply as the applicant organization, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible to apply. However, foreign components are allowed when they meet the NIH definition in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, meaning a U.S. applicant can include an approved foreign component in the project under NIH rules even though a foreign organization cannot be the direct applicant.

Administratively, this is a discretionary grant program managed by NIH, and it spans multiple health-related CFDA (Assistance Listing) numbers because different NIH Institutes and Centers may participate. The listed original closing date runs through May 7, 2027, indicating a multi-year window during which applications can be submitted according to NIH receipt dates and cycles. The opportunity listing does not provide an award ceiling or expected number of awards in the summary data provided, which is common for NIH FOAs where budgets and award counts depend on Institute participation, available appropriations, and application quality in a given cycle.

Overall, PA 24-190 is best understood as a career pivot and acceleration program for quantitatively trained researchers who want to become independent, NIH-relevant investigators while being mentored, protected in effort, and specifically positioned to design and lead a clinical trial or closely related trial activity as a core part of their development plan.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, environment, food and nutrition, health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Mentored Quantitative Research Development Award (Parent K25 Independent Clinical Trial Required)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.113, 93.173, 93.233, 93.273, 93.279, 93.286, 93.310, 93.313, 93.398, 93.837, 93.838, 93.839, 93.840, 93.847, 93.865, 93.866.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-04-23.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2027-05-07.
• 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 PA 24 190

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