Maximizing Opportunities for Scientific and Academic Independent Careers (MOSAIC) Postdoctoral Career Transition Award to Promote Diversity (K99/R00 - Independent Clinical Trial Required) | PAR 24 226

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 24 226

The Maximizing Opportunities for Scientific and Academic Independent Careers (MOSAIC) Postdoctoral Career Transition Award to Promote Diversity (K99/R00 - Independent Clinical Trial Required) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity designed to help promising postdoctoral researchers from diverse backgrounds move into long-term, research-intensive faculty careers. The main goal is to build a supportive cohort of early-career scientists, particularly including individuals from underrepresented groups, and to strengthen their path to becoming independent investigators working in areas aligned with the NIH mission. This opportunity is structured to do more than fund research; it also intentionally builds mentoring, networking, and professional development around each scholar so they are positioned to compete successfully for tenure-track or equivalent independent roles.

A defining feature of this program is its two-part MOSAIC structure. First, there is the individual career transition award (the K99/R00 mechanism) aimed at postdoctoral scholars. The K99 phase typically supports the final stage of mentored postdoctoral training, helping the candidate complete key research and career development milestones while still under mentorship. The award then transitions to the R00 phase, which supports the scholar after they secure an independent, tenure-track (or equivalent) faculty position, providing resources to launch an independent research program. Second, MOSAIC is paired with a separate research education cooperative agreement (UE5) that is awarded to organizations. Those UE5-funded organizations provide participating K99/R00 scholars with additional cohort-based support, such as structured mentorship, networking opportunities, and professional development activities that are meant to strengthen career readiness and persistence in academic research careers. In other words, the program is designed to combine individual funding with a broader community and training infrastructure that supports scholars through a critical career transition.

This specific announcement emphasizes that an independent clinical trial is required, meaning applicants should expect that the proposed work involves leading a clinical trial as part of the research plan and that the application must be prepared in line with NIH expectations for clinical trial leadership, oversight, and reporting. The opportunity is identified as a discretionary grant program administered by the NIH, and it spans multiple NIH-related assistance listing areas (CFDA numbers are provided in the notice), reflecting that it can align with a wide range of biomedical and behavioral research mission areas.

Eligibility for applicant organizations is broad and includes many domestic entity types commonly eligible for NIH grants. Eligible applicants include state, county, city or township governments, special district governments, and independent school districts, along with public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education. The eligibility list also includes federally recognized Native American tribal governments, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, and Native American tribal organizations that are not federally recognized tribal governments. Nonprofit organizations are eligible whether or not they have 501(c)(3) status, as are for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) and small businesses, as well as other categories identified by NIH. The announcement also calls out additional eligible applicant types that reflect MOSAICs diversity and capacity-building goals, 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), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions.

At the same time, the opportunity places clear limits on foreign participation at the applicant level. 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 to apply. However, the notice states that foreign components are allowed as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, which generally means that while the applicant organization must be eligible and domestic under this announcement, certain well-justified elements of the project may be carried out in collaboration with foreign institutions or in foreign locations when consistent with NIH policy and when clearly necessary for the science.

The opportunity is published under Funding Opportunity Number PAR-24-226 and is offered by the National Institutes of Health. The posting indicates an original closing date of September 7, 2027, suggesting a multi-year window during which applications may be submitted according to the schedule and receipt dates described in the full announcement. Some standard fields in the summarized data (such as award ceiling and expected number of awards) are not specified in the provided text, so applicants typically need to consult the full NIH funding opportunity announcement and related institute guidance for budget structure, duration limits, and other detailed requirements tied to the K99/R00 mechanism and clinical trial expectations.

Overall, MOSAIC K99/R00 is built for postdoctoral researchers who are ready to take the next step toward independence and who would benefit from both financial support and a structured, cohort-based ecosystem of mentoring and professional development. Its design recognizes that career transitions in academia can be a major bottleneck for talented scientists, and it tries to address that challenge by pairing an individual award with an organized support network intended to increase successful transitions into research-intensive faculty careers.

• 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 "Maximizing Opportunities for Scientific and Academic Independent Careers (MOSAIC) Postdoctoral Career Transition Award to Promote Diversity (K99/R00 - 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, 93.172, 93.173, 93.213, 93.233, 93.242, 93.273, 93.279, 93.286, 93.313, 93.361, 93.837, 93.838, 93.839, 93.840, 93.847, 93.853, 93.865, 93.866, 93.879.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-07-23.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2027-09-07.
• 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 PAR 24 226

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