Mentored Career Enhancement Awards to Build Cross-Disciplinary Knowledge and Skills for Comparative Studies of Human and Nonhuman Primate Species with Differing Life Spans (K18 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | RFA AG 25 028

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA AG 25 028

The NIH funding opportunity RFA-AG-25-028, titled "Mentored Career Enhancement Awards to Build Cross-Disciplinary Knowledge and Skills for Comparative Studies of Human and Nonhuman Primate Species with Differing Life Spans (K18 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)," supports experienced, already-independent investigators who want to significantly broaden their expertise into a new discipline so they can lead future research comparing why life spans differ across humans and nonhuman primate species. The central idea is career enhancement through mentored, cross-disciplinary training that meaningfully expands an investigator's scientific toolkit and network, positioning them to develop more integrative, comparative studies of primate aging and longevity.

This is a mentored career enhancement award (K18 mechanism) aimed at investigators who are established in one area but need structured training and mentorship to move into a substantially different field relevant to comparative primate research and aging. The program is explicitly designed to help investigators either augment or partially redirect their research program by building expertise outside their home discipline, and to stimulate new collaborations with research communities they do not typically engage. In practice, that means an applicant might be strong in one domain (for example, human aging epidemiology or molecular genetics) and propose a mentored plan to gain deep competence in another domain (for example, primatology, evolutionary biology, or comparative biology of aging), with the goal of integrating these approaches into future comparative studies of longevity.

The NOFO highlights several priority areas for cross-training and collaboration. These include comparative biology of aging, evolutionary genetics, evolutionary biology, anthropology, primatology, and human longevity studies. The emphasis is not on incremental skill-building within the applicant's current specialty, but on real cross-disciplinary movement into an area that is meaningfully different from their existing training and track record. The expectation is that, by the end of the award period, the investigator will be better prepared to lead comparative research programs examining biological, evolutionary, genetic, and environmental contributors to differences in life span across primate species, including humans.

Eligibility is geared toward senior investigators rather than early-career faculty. Applicants must hold the academic rank of associate professor or full professor, or an equivalent position in a non-academic research setting. Organizational eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based institutions and organizations, such as public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (including 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), small businesses, and multiple levels of government entities (state, county, city/township, and special district governments), as well as independent school districts and certain housing authorities. The opportunity also explicitly includes institution types such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribal colleges and universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander-serving institutions (AANAPISIs), along with faith-based or community-based organizations and eligible federal agencies.

Foreign eligibility is restricted in a way that is typical for many NIH opportunities. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations) 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 by the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed. In practical terms, the applicant institution must be U.S.-based, but the project can include certain forms of international collaboration or work conducted through an allowable foreign component when properly justified and compliant with NIH policy.

Administratively, the opportunity is offered by the National Institutes of Health, falls under the health funding activity category, and is associated with CFDA number 93.866. The listed original application due date is 2024-11-01. The NOFO is labeled "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," which means applicants should not propose a clinical trial as part of the K18 activities. The focus is on training, mentorship, and research career enhancement leading to comparative studies, rather than running interventional clinical trials under this award.

Overall, this K18 is meant to create a bridge for senior investigators to step outside their usual disciplinary lane, gain rigorous mentored training in another relevant field, and build durable cross-field collaborations. The expected payoff is a stronger pipeline of leaders capable of designing and directing sophisticated comparative studies across human and nonhuman primate species, ultimately advancing understanding of why life spans vary and what that can reveal about aging and longevity.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Mentored Career Enhancement Awards to Build Cross-Disciplinary Knowledge and Skills for Comparative Studies of Human and Nonhuman Primate Species with Differing Life Spans (K18 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 2024-07-03.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-11-01. (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 RFA AG 25 028

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