Investigators

New and Early Stage Investigator

Researchers planning to apply for an early stage investigator award can access resources for planning, preparing, and submitting grants by visiting our Grant Resources page. Researchers can also visit the official NIH page on New and Early Stage Investigator Policies(link is external and opens in a new window).The policies of the NIH and other funding agencies reflect their commitment to supporting the research career development of new and early stage researchers. These include special funding consideration for new investigators and funding opportunities available specifically to new and early stage investigators.

New Investigators

Anyone who has not yet been awarded (as Principal Investigator) an NIH R01 Grant is considered a “New Investigator(link is external and opens in a new window).”

NOTE: You ARE still considered a New Investigator even if you have received any of the following awards: R00, R03, R15, R2, R25, R90, RL9, RL5, R34, R36, R41, R43, R55, R56 SC2, SC3, an F award, a Career Development (K) award, a Loan Repayment contract (L30, L32, L40, L50, L60) or a training grant (9T32, T34, T35, T90, D43), G07, G08, G11, G13, G20, R13, S10, S15, S21, S22.

Again, having received one of these awards does not affect your New Investigator status.

Early Stage Investigators

An “Early Stage Investigator(link is external and opens in a new window)” (ESI) is an individual who has completed within the past ten years terminal research degree or medical residency. According to the NIH, “Applications from ESIs will be given special consideration during peer review and at the time of funding. Peer reviewers will be instructed to focus more on the proposed approach than on the track record, and to expect less preliminary data than would be provided by an established investigator.”

In order to establish ESI status, you may have to remove and re-enter your current degree information in your NIH Sponsored eRA (Electronic Research Administration) Commons profile. Find further instructions on establishing Early Investigator status(link is external and opens in a new window).

Additional Information from NIH about New and Early Stage Investigators

Researchers must ensure that their eRA Commons profiles are updated in order to be correctly identified as New or Early Stage Investigators. Please review the NIH Notice on Updating eRA Commons Profiles(link is external and opens in a new window) to Include Degree and Residency Completion Dates.
In some cases, extension of one’s ESI period are granted (e.g., family care responsibilities; extended periods of clinical training; extended periods of additional, non-degree research training; and disability or illness)
Find more information(link is external and opens in a new window) about requesting an extension of the ESI period.
Access the Form for Requesting an Extension in the Early Stage Investigator (ESI) Period(link is external and opens in a new window).

Please visit the NIH website page on Frequently Asked Questions(link is external and opens in a new window) about NIH New and Early Stage Investigator Policies.

NIH Early Career Awards

The NIH offers a number of different Career Development (K) Awards. For a complete list, please visit the NIH K-Kiosk website(link is external and opens in a new window). A partial listing of awards appears below:

Find more information(link is external and opens in a new window) on Career Development Awards.

NIH “K Kiosk”

The NIH K-Kiosk website(link is external and opens in a new window) offers important K-award related information and resources, including:

Career Award Wizard(link is external and opens in a new window): Helps determine which award may be right for you
Comparison of K Awards across Institutes & Centers(link is external and opens in a new window)

K-Related Data from the NIH RePORT Website

Find K-Award related data from the NIH RePORT website by taking the following steps:

Find additional data, charts, and graphs on (K)-Awards by visiting the NIH’s Data Book pages(link is external and opens in a new window).

K-related Guidance Material

The Mailman Research Resources (R2) Office has created K-related guidance material to assist new and early stage investigators identify appropriate K-Awards and to begin planning for writing and submission. Users can access these documents below:

K-Award Classes and Workshops

Researchers are encouraged to take advantage of the following resources:

New York State Psychiatric Institute K-Award Course

Dr. Harold A. Pincus (New York State Psychiatric Institute) offers a monthly K-Awards seminar held at the New Psychiatric Institute building, 1051 Riverside Drive. For more information about this course, please email Heather Janson(link sends e-mail) or call 212-543-5400.

Please visit Dr. Pincus's K-Award website to learn more about this course.

Note: Users must access the website from a Columbia University or New York State Psychiatric Institute computer.

Mailman School K-Award Workshop

The K-Award Workshop is designed to introduce junior faculty members at the Mailman School to the K-Award mechanisms and to help them plan and organize their applications. In addition to holding these periodic workshops, the R2 Office meets individually with junior faculty members who are submitting K-Award applications. Please contact the R2 Office for more information.

Other Agency Early Career Awards

Additional Program Information and Data

Key NSF Contacts(link is external and opens in a new window)
Estimated Number of Awards: 425 per year
Anticipated Funding Amount: $80M per year for new awards. This amount is approximate and subject to availability of funds. Funding for CAREER awards is contained within program allocations. The minimum CAREER award, including indirect costs, will total $400,000 for its 5-year duration with the following exception: proposers to the Biological Sciences Directorate (BIO) must submit budget requests for a minimum of $500,000 for the 5-year duration.
The R2 Office has prepared a summary of the NSF CAREER Awards(link is external and opens in a new window).

Agency for Healthcare Research (AHRQ) K Awards

AHRQ offers the several Career Development Awards, including:(link is external and opens in a new window)

Mentored Clinical Scientist Development Awards (K08)(link is external and opens in a new window): Support for the development of outstanding clinician research scientists who are committed to a career in health services research, with a focus on development as an independent scientist.

More information can be found on AHRQ’s Training and Education Funding Opportunities(link is external and opens in a new window) page under “Post-doctoral Individual Level Grants.”