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Simpler Grants

No. PA-24-178 · National Institutes of Health

Open

Independent Scientist Award (Parent K02 - Independent Clinical Trial Required)

Dealbreakers No cost share required Audit: not stated Reimbursement-only: not stated
Award range
Not specified
Expected awards
Not specified
Application deadline
May 7, 2027
Posted
Apr 24, 2024
Last verified
5 days ago

At a glance

No plain-language summary yet for this grant — the official description below is the best source.

What it funds

  • Education
  • Health
  • Training, Fellowship & Career Development
  • Researchers & Scholars
  • Biomedical & Disease Research
Official description from grants.gov

The purpose of the NIH Independent Scientist Award (K02) is to foster the development of outstanding scientists and enable them to expand their potential to make significant contributions to their field of research. The K02 award provides three to five years of salary support and "protected time" for newly independent scientists who can demonstrate the need for a period of intensive research focus as a means of enhancing their research careers. Each independent scientist career award program must be tailored to meet the individual needs of the candidate.This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is designed specifically for applicants proposing to serve as the lead investigator of an independent clinical trial, a clinical trial feasibility study, or a separate ancillary clinical trial, as part of their research and career development. Applicants not planning an independent clinical trial, or proposing to gain research experience in a clinical trial led by another investigator, must apply to companion FOA

Who can apply

  • City or township governments
  • County governments
  • For-profit organizations other than small businesses
  • Independent school districts
  • Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
  • Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized)
  • Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (other than higher education)
  • Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status (other than higher education)
  • Others
  • Private institutions of higher education
  • Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
  • Public housing authorities / Indian housing authorities
  • Small businesses
  • Special district governments
  • State governments
Geographic restriction None found in the announcement — likely nationwide
Set-aside Set aside or prioritized for: Faith-based organization; HBCU; HSI; Tribal college (TCU)
“Hispanic-serving Institutions; Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); Faith-based or Community-based Organizations; Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs)” — From the announcement

Program history

USASpending.gov

Assistance listing 93.273 · Alcohol Research Programs

Real awards this federal program has made — the whole assistance listing (93.273), not just this notice.

Fiscal year Awards Median award Middle half
FY 2026 (so far) 100 $308,491 $157,932 – $601,291
FY 2025 175 $440,566 $194,934 – $1,114,948
FY 2024 237 $420,927 $153,632 – $1,110,810
FY 2023 327 $619,032 $350,328 – $1,806,361
FY 2022 314 $897,120 $369,477 – $2,547,224
FY 2021 274

Dollar figures are based on the 1,000 most recent awards we store, not all 1,427 — award counts are complete.

Who wins it Higher education (1,103), Nonprofit (187), Business (75) of 1,427 awards — categories can overlap.
Top states CA (118) · NC (58) · NY (57) · PA (41) · TX (40)
Largest recent awards
  1. THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY $36,249,682 · FY 2022
  2. THE TRUSTEES OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK $9,079,530 · FY 2022
  3. BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA $6,335,676 · FY 2023
  4. VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY $5,361,769 · FY 2024
  5. LOHOCLA RESEARCH CORP $5,128,513 · FY 2022

Source: USASpending.gov · refreshed Aug 6, 2026

Assistance listing 93.279 · Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs

Real awards this federal program has made — the whole assistance listing (93.279), not just this notice.

Fiscal year Awards Median award Middle half
FY 2026 (so far) 428 $422,523 $183,034 – $700,682
FY 2025 588 $709,054 $348,214 – $1,489,059
FY 2024 714
FY 2023 724
FY 2022 740
FY 2021 606

Dollar figures are based on the 1,000 most recent awards we store, not all 3,800 — award counts are complete.

Who wins it Higher education (2,743), Nonprofit (534), Business (366) of 3,800 awards — categories can overlap.
Top states CA (130) · MA (90) · NY (86) · PA (72) · MD (56)
Largest recent awards
  1. FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY $7,372,834 · FY 2025
  2. BETH ISRAEL DEACONESS MEDICAL CENTER, INC. $7,081,684 · FY 2025
  3. UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON $7,003,822 · FY 2025
  4. REACX PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. $6,900,000 · FY 2025
  5. WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE $6,889,914 · FY 2025

Source: USASpending.gov · refreshed Aug 18, 2026

Assistance listing 93.310 · Trans-NIH Research Support

Real awards this federal program has made — the whole assistance listing (93.310), not just this notice.

Fiscal year Awards Median award Middle half
FY 2026 (so far) 115 $582,838 $418,649 – $860,735
FY 2025 401 $786,876 $385,000 – $1,467,198
FY 2024 455 $1,174,898 $558,715 – $2,057,532
FY 2023 643 $1,437,358 $1,200,000 – $2,578,153
FY 2022 666
FY 2021 689

Dollar figures are based on the 1,000 most recent awards we store, not all 2,969 — award counts are complete.

Who wins it Higher education (2,212), Nonprofit (582), Business (34) of 2,969 awards — categories can overlap.
Top states CA (153) · MA (103) · NY (93) · PA (63) · MI (21)
Largest recent awards
  1. THE TRUSTEES OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK $34,424,926 · FY 2023
  2. THE GENERAL HOSPITAL CORPORATION $33,014,143 · FY 2023
  3. MAYO CLINIC JACKSONVILLE (A NONPROFIT CORPORATION) $17,574,818 · FY 2024
  4. TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA, THE $16,308,508 · FY 2025
  5. UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS MEDICAL CENTER RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC. $14,064,599 · FY 2025

Source: USASpending.gov · refreshed Aug 18, 2026

Assistance listing 93.313 · NIH Office of Research on Women's Health

Real awards this federal program has made — the whole assistance listing (93.313), not just this notice.

No grants-family awards recorded for this program since FY 2021 — it may be new, renamed, or not yet reported to USASpending.

Source: USASpending.gov · refreshed Aug 30, 2026

Assistance listing 93.853 · Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders

Real awards this federal program has made — the whole assistance listing (93.853), not just this notice.

Fiscal year Awards Median award Middle half
FY 2026 (so far) 654 $405,461 $120,825 – $587,738
FY 2025 923 $491,085 $157,949 – $1,077,840
FY 2024 1,031
FY 2023 1,194
FY 2022 1,228
FY 2021 1,132

Dollar figures are based on the 1,000 most recent awards we store, not all 6,162 — award counts are complete.

Who wins it Higher education (4,669), Nonprofit (990), Business (259) of 6,162 awards — categories can overlap.
Top states CA (153) · NY (99) · MA (93) · PA (74) · TX (39)
Largest recent awards
  1. THE LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY $5,747,701 · FY 2025
  2. YALE UNIV $4,888,497 · FY 2025
  3. MAYO CLINIC $3,746,535 · FY 2026
  4. REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO, THE $3,153,019 · FY 2025
  5. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES $3,109,857 · FY 2025

Source: USASpending.gov · refreshed Aug 23, 2026

Assistance listing 93.866 · Aging Research

Real awards this federal program has made — the whole assistance listing (93.866), not just this notice.

Fiscal year Awards Median award Middle half
FY 2026 (so far) 795 $493,972 $248,999 – $713,195
FY 2025 1,033 $643,089 $467,538 – $1,733,010
FY 2024 1,560
FY 2023 1,539
FY 2022 1,715
FY 2021 1,595

Dollar figures are based on the 1,000 most recent awards we store, not all 8,237 — award counts are complete.

Who wins it Higher education (6,015), Nonprofit (1,370), Business (538) of 8,237 awards — categories can overlap.
Top states CA (153) · NY (110) · MA (100) · TX (57) · PA (41)
Largest recent awards
  1. REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN $15,345,206 · FY 2026
  2. UNIVERSITY OF UTAH $10,793,501 · FY 2025
  3. THE TRUSTEES OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK $10,223,348 · FY 2026
  4. SUTTER BAY HOSPITALS $9,466,491 · FY 2025
  5. TUFTS MEDICAL CENTER PARENT, INC. $8,296,115 · FY 2026

Source: USASpending.gov · refreshed Aug 23, 2026