Skip to main content

Funding Opportunity: Winter 2026 NCI Pathway to Independence Award for Early-Stage Postdoctoral Researchers (K99/R00)

Posted by on Friday, October 17, 2025 in Announcements .

The purpose of the NCI Pathway to Independence Award for Early-Stage Postdoctoral Researchers (K99/R00) program is to increase and maintain a strong cohort of new and talented, NCI-supported, independent investigators. This program is designed for postdoctoral fellows with research and/or clinical doctoral degrees who do not require an extended period of mentored research training beyond their doctoral degrees. The objective of this award is to facilitate a timely transition of these fellows from their mentored, postdoctoral research positions to independent tenure-track (or equivalent) faculty positions. The program will provide independent NCI research support during this transition to help awardees to launch competitive, independent research careers.

To apply, visit the Winter 2026 NCI Pathway to Independence Award for Early-Stage Postdoctoral Researchers (K99/R00) LSO competition page

Learn more about the NCI Pathway to Independence Award for Early-Stage Postdoctoral Researchers (K99/R00) program.

  • Internal Deadline: November 11, 2025
  • Sponsor Deadline: February 17, 2026
  • Award Amount: Up to 5 years of support in two phases. In the mentored phase, the award covers up to $100,000 per year toward the salary of the career award recipient, and up to$30,000 per year toward research development costs. The total cost for the independent phase (R00) may not exceed $249,000 per year.
  • Nomination Slots: 4 VU Nominees (1 nominee per scientific area)
  • Eligibility Note:
    • Individuals must be in mentored, postdoctoral training positions to be eligible to apply
    • Researchers in the scientific areas of cancer control, cancer prevention and cancer data sciences are especially encouraged to apply.
  • Disciplines: Biological/Biomedical/Physical Sciences/Engineering/Math

Tags:

VIEW MORE EVENTS >