Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 16 346

The NIDCD Research Career Enhancement Award for Established Investigators (K18) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant opportunity designed for established, well-supported researchers who want to substantially strengthen, broaden, or redirect their research program by gaining new skills. Rather than functioning like a traditional research project grant that mainly funds a specific set of experiments, the K18 mechanism is aimed at career enhancement: it supports proven investigators as they pursue targeted training, mentoring, or immersion in a new area so they can bring fresh approaches, methods, or perspectives back to their work. The overall scientific focus is on questions relevant to the mission areas of the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), specifically research related to hearing, balance, smell, taste, voice, speech, and language sciences.

The opportunity is listed as a discretionary grant within the NIH health funding category, under Funding Opportunity Number PAR-16-346 and CFDA number 93.173. It was originally posted with a creation date of June 28, 2016, and an original closing date of January 9, 2018, reflecting the specific application window associated with that announcement. While the provided source text does not include an award ceiling or an expected number of awards, the intent is clearly centered on enabling mid-career or senior investigators to make a meaningful pivot or expansion by acquiring capabilities they do not already have, which could include learning new techniques, entering a new interdisciplinary area, or forming new collaborations that require a period of structured skill development.

A wide range of applicant organizations are eligible. Eligible applicants include many standard U.S. entities such as state, county, city or township governments, special district governments, and independent school districts, as well as public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education. The announcement also allows applications from federally recognized Native American tribal governments and Native American tribal organizations (including those other than federally recognized tribal governments), along with public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities. Both nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status and nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status (in each case, other than institutions of higher education) are included, and for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) and small businesses are also listed as eligible, alongside an “other” category that can capture additional qualifying entities.

The opportunity also explicitly highlights additional eligible applicant types that NIH wants to encourage, including 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), and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs). It further notes eligibility for faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal government agencies, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and certain tribal governments that are not federally recognized. This broad eligibility language signals that the program is open to a wide institutional landscape, including organizations that serve populations historically underrepresented in biomedical and behavioral research.

At the same time, there are important limits regarding foreign involvement. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign institutions) 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, as defined under the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed, meaning a U.S.-based applicant can include certain foreign elements in the project when justified and consistent with NIH policy. In practical terms, this can allow an established investigator to pursue specialized training or collaboration that involves an international partner or setting, as long as the overall application is submitted by an eligible U.S. organization and the foreign component meets NIH requirements.

In plain terms, this K18 opportunity is best understood as a structured way for experienced investigators to invest in a significant skill upgrade or research redirection tied directly to NIDCD-relevant science. It supports the kind of professional and technical expansion that can open new research directions in communication disorders and sensory sciences, helping established researchers bring new methods into their labs or move into emerging areas that require deliberate, supported retraining.

  • The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NIDCD Research Career Enhancement Award for Established Investigators (K18)" and is now available to receive applicants.
  • Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.173.
  • This funding opportunity was created on 2016-06-28.
  • Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-01-09. (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 16 346

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FAQs: NIDCD Research Career Enhancement Award for Established Investigators (K18)

What is the NIDCD Research Career Enhancement Award for Established Investigators (K18)?

The K18 is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant opportunity from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) intended to support established, well-supported investigators who want to substantially strengthen, broaden, or redirect their research program by gaining new skills.

What is the main purpose of this K18 opportunity?

This mechanism is designed for career enhancement rather than funding a traditional, experiment-driven research project. It supports proven investigators pursuing targeted training, mentoring, or immersion in a new area so they can bring new approaches, methods, or perspectives back to their ongoing research programs.

How is the K18 different from a traditional NIH research project grant?

Instead of primarily supporting a defined set of research experiments, the K18 is aimed at enabling an experienced investigator to gain capabilities they do not already have. The emphasis is on structured skill development (for example, learning a new technique or entering a new interdisciplinary area) to meaningfully expand or redirect an established research program.

Who is this award intended for?

It is intended for established, well-supported researchers (often mid-career or senior investigators) who want to make a meaningful pivot or expansion by acquiring new skills through training, mentoring, or immersion in a new field or approach.

What scientific areas does NIDCD consider relevant for this K18?

The opportunity focuses on questions relevant to NIDCD mission areas, including research related to hearing, balance, smell, taste, voice, speech, and language sciences.

What kinds of career enhancement activities does this K18 support?

It supports activities such as targeted training, mentoring, or immersion in a new research area. Examples described in the opportunity include learning new techniques, entering a new interdisciplinary area, or forming new collaborations that require a period of structured skill development.

Does the opportunity specify an award ceiling or expected number of awards?

No. Based on the provided information, the source text does not include an award ceiling or an expected number of awards.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FOA) for this K18 announcement?

The Funding Opportunity Number provided is PAR-16-346.

What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The CFDA number provided is 93.173.

What funding category and grant type is this listed under?

It is listed as a discretionary grant within the NIH health funding category.

When was this opportunity created and what was the original closing date?

The creation date provided is June 28, 2016, and the original closing date provided is January 9, 2018, reflecting the specific application window associated with that announcement.

What types of U.S. government entities are eligible to apply?

Eligible applicants include state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, and independent school districts.

Are colleges and universities eligible to apply?

Yes. Both public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education are listed as eligible.

Are tribal governments and tribal organizations eligible?

Yes. Federally recognized Native American tribal governments are eligible, and Native American tribal organizations (including those other than federally recognized tribal governments) are also listed as eligible. The opportunity also notes eligibility for certain tribal governments that are not federally recognized.

Are nonprofit organizations eligible to apply?

Yes. Nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education) and nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education) are included as eligible applicants.

Are for-profit organizations and small businesses eligible?

Yes. For-profit organizations (other than small businesses) and small businesses are both listed as eligible applicant types.

Are public housing authorities eligible?

Yes. Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities are included among eligible applicants.

Does NIH encourage applications from specific institution types?

Yes. The opportunity explicitly highlights additional eligible applicant types NIH wants to encourage, including 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), and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs).

Are faith-based or community-based organizations eligible?

Yes. The opportunity notes eligibility for faith-based or community-based organizations.

Are federal government agencies eligible to apply?

Yes. Eligible federal government agencies are listed as eligible applicants.

Are U.S. territories or possessions eligible to apply?

Yes. The opportunity notes eligibility for U.S. territories or possessions.

Are non-U.S. (foreign) institutions eligible to apply as the applicant organization?

No. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign institutions) are not eligible to apply as the applicant organization.

Can a non-domestic component of a U.S. organization apply?

No. Non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible to apply.

Are foreign components allowed at all under this opportunity?

Yes. Foreign components, as defined under the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed. This means a U.S.-based applicant can include certain foreign elements when justified and consistent with NIH policy.

What does it mean in practical terms that foreign components are allowed?

In practical terms, an established investigator at an eligible U.S. organization may be able to pursue specialized training or collaboration that involves an international partner or setting, as long as the overall application is submitted by an eligible U.S. organization and the foreign component meets NIH requirements.

What is the overall intent of the program in plain terms?

It is a structured way for experienced investigators to invest in a significant skill upgrade or research redirection tied directly to NIDCD-relevant science, helping them bring new methods into their labs or move into emerging areas that require deliberate, supported retraining.

Does the opportunity allow an "other" eligibility category?

Yes. Alongside the specific eligible applicant types listed, an “other” category is included to capture additional qualifying entities.

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