NIA Academic Leadership Career Award (K07 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 24 321

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 24 321

The NIA Academic Leadership Career Award (K07 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed), PAR-24-321, is a National Institutes of Health grant opportunity from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) aimed at strengthening an institution's capacity in aging research and in Alzheimers Disease (AD) and Alzheimers Disease Related Dementias (ADRD). Rather than focusing primarily on generating a single set of research findings, this award is built around supporting established investigators who already have demonstrated expertise and the leadership skills needed to build, expand, or modernize research and training environments within their home institutions. The central idea is to invest in a leader who can create lasting structures that help develop investigators, stimulate new lines of inquiry, and improve the overall ecosystem for aging and AD/ADRD research.

A major feature of this K07 is its emphasis on institutional research and educational infrastructure. Awardees are expected to develop and implement activities that cultivate mentorship, career development, and research capacity, particularly in new or emerging areas of aging and AD/ADRD research. The types of supported activities are broad and can include designing or expanding courses and curricula, building research support resources, creating pilot funding programs to help launch early-stage projects, providing travel awards to connect trainees and junior faculty with the wider scientific community, hosting visiting scholars, and developing collaborative networks. In practical terms, the award supports the kind of organized programming and scaffolding that helps institutions recruit, train, and retain talent while accelerating progress in priority research areas.

This specific NOFO is designated "Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed," which sets clear boundaries on the kind of research that can be proposed. Applicants may not propose to lead an independent clinical trial, a clinical trial feasibility study, or an ancillary clinical trial as part of the award. However, participation in a clinical trial led by another investigator is allowed as part of the research experience, meaning the award can still include exposure to clinical trial environments so long as the K07 recipient is not the person directing the trial. This distinction is important for applicants who work in clinical or translational settings, because it affects how research aims and career development plans should be structured.

Eligibility is broad and includes many domestic organization types across the public, private, nonprofit, and for-profit spectrum. Eligible applicants include state, county, and local governments; 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; tribal organizations that are not federally recognized; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (outside of higher education); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and small businesses, among others. The NOFO also explicitly highlights additional eligible categories such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, tribal governments other than federally recognized, and U.S. territories or possessions.

At the same time, there are firm restrictions related to foreign involvement. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations) are not eligible to apply, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible. In other words, the applicant organization and the supported components must be based in the United States or its territories and possessions, consistent with the program's focus on building domestic institutional capacity.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary grant opportunity in the health funding area, listed under CFDA 93.866, with NIH as the agency. The opportunity was created on 2024-11-06, and the original closing date is 2027-11-12. The public listing does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards in the provided source data, so applicants typically need to consult the full NIH NOFO and related budget guidance to understand allowable costs, scope, and typical award sizes.

Overall, the program is best understood as a leadership-focused career development mechanism for established investigators who can serve as institutional catalysts. Competitive applications will usually align a clear vision for advancing aging and/or AD/ADRD research with concrete, sustainable plans for mentorship, training, and infrastructure that elevate the institution's ability to generate high-quality research and develop the next wave of investigators, while staying within the non-independent-clinical-trial limits of this particular K07 announcement.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NIA Academic Leadership Career Award (K07 Independent 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): 93.866.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-11-06.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2027-11-12.
• 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 24 321

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