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NEI Career Transition Award (K22) (PAR-04-136) FAQs

1) What is the NEI Career Transition Award (K22) under PAR-04-136?

The NEI Career Transition Award (K22), funding opportunity number PAR-04-136, is an NIH grant administered by the National Eye Institute (NEI). It is designed to help promising vision researchers move from advanced training into independent faculty careers in the United States by supporting both mentored development and an initial period of independent faculty research.

2) What is the main purpose of this K22 opportunity?

The central goal is to bridge the difficult career gap between mentored training and full independence. The award supports outstanding individuals as they build skills, publications, and a clear research direction, and then helps them transition into a tenure-track (or equivalent) academic appointment where an independent vision research program can grow.

3) How is the award structured?

This K22 is structured as a two-phase pathway:

• Scholar Development Phase: Up to three years of mentored career development inside an NEI Intramural Research Program (IRP) laboratory.
• Faculty Transition Phase: Up to two additional years of support after the scholar is recruited to an extramural institution as an independent faculty member.

4) What happens during the Scholar Development Phase?

During the Scholar Development Phase (up to three years), the awardee conducts research within the NIH intramural environment in an NEI IRP laboratory under the guidance of an established mentor. The intent is intensive training, strengthening the publication record, and preparing to compete successfully for independent faculty positions.

5) What happens during the Faculty Transition Phase?

During the Faculty Transition Phase (up to two years), the award provides transition support after the awardee is recruited to an extramural institution as an independent faculty member. This support is meant to help establish a lab, generate early results, and stabilize the independent research program during the early faculty period.

6) What kind of career stage is this program meant for?

This program targets the stage when a vision researcher is moving from advanced mentored training into an independent faculty role. It is specifically framed as a bridge from mentored development to an independent, tenure-track (or equivalent) academic appointment.

7) Does the award require the research to be conducted in the United States?

Yes. The opportunity is oriented around training within NEI intramural laboratories and then transitioning to a U.S.-based independent faculty appointment. In addition, foreign institutions are explicitly not eligible to apply.

8) Are foreign institutions eligible to apply?

No. Foreign institutions are explicitly not eligible under this announcement.

9) Which types of organizations are eligible applicants?

Eligible applicants include:

• Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education
• Private institutions of higher education
• For-profit organizations other than small businesses

10) Is cost sharing or matching required?

No. The source information states there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.

11) What NIH institute runs this opportunity?

This K22 is run by the National Eye Institute (NEI), which is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

12) What is the role of the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) in this announcement?

The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) collaborates with NEI in supporting scholars whose work includes dietary interventions or dietary risk factors that influence diseases, disorders, or developmental processes of the visual system.

13) What kinds of research topics might align with the ODS collaboration?

Based on the description, projects that connect nutrition or supplementation to vision health may be aligned, including work involving dietary interventions or dietary risk factors related to eye disease mechanisms, prevention strategies, or visual development, as long as the aims remain grounded in rigorous vision research.

14) What is the funding activity category and CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

This is a discretionary NIH grant under the Health funding activity category and is associated with CFDA number 93.867 (Vision Research).

15) What are the key dates listed for this funding opportunity?

The opportunity was posted on December 9, 2008. The source information lists an original closing date of January 7, 2010, a current closing date shown as January 30, 2009, and an archive date of January 31, 2009.

16) Is this announcement still active?

The dates provided indicate this is an archived announcement. Anyone interested would typically treat this posting as a reference and confirm whether a current version of the K22 (or a successor NEI career transition mechanism) is open by checking the NIH Grants Guide and the official notice page.

17) Where can applicants find the full NIH Grants Guide posting for PAR-04-136?

The announcement directs applicants to the NIH Grants Guide posting at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-04-136.html

18) Who should be contacted for technical problems accessing the announcement?

For technical issues accessing the announcement, the notice routes inquiries to the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster at FBOWebmaster@OD.NIH.GOV. This contact is described as being for linking or access problems rather than scientific or programmatic fit questions.

19) Does the provided contact address handle scientific or programmatic questions?

No. The provided contact (the OER webmaster email) is identified as a general contact for technical linking or access issues, not for scientific or programmatic questions about scope or fit.

20) What is the overall career-development logic of the two phases?

The Scholar Development Phase focuses on mentored development within NEI’s intramural environment to strengthen training and publications, while the Faculty Transition Phase provides short-term stabilization support after recruitment to an extramural institution to help launch and sustain an independent vision research program during the early faculty period.