Rehabilitation Research Career Development Programs (K12 Clinical Trial Optional) | RFA HD 26 005

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA HD 26 005

The Rehabilitation Research Career Development Programs (K12 Clinical Trial Optional) funding opportunity (RFA-HD-26-005) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) discretionary grant designed to build a national, mentored career development and research training pipeline for junior faculty working in clinical rehabilitation. The core purpose is to develop a new, geographically diverse group of clinically trained rehabilitation researchers and help them move from early career mentored work toward independent, competitively funded research careers. In practice, this means the applicant organization proposes and runs a structured K12 program that recruits and supports "scholars" who are junior faculty with clinical training and a clear trajectory toward becoming independent investigators in rehabilitation-related research.

The program is aimed at scholars with a clinical background in medical rehabilitation. The opportunity specifically highlights fields such as physiatry (physical medicine and rehabilitation), physical therapy, occupational therapy, and related allied health professions. The emphasis is on mentored development, so the funded program is expected to provide strong research mentorship, protected time and training for scholars, and a coherent path that positions participants to compete successfully for future independent funding. The "Clinical Trial Optional" label indicates that the overall K12 program may include scholars whose research involves clinical trials, but it does not require that the program be centered on clinical trials.

Eligibility is broad across many types of U.S.-based organizations that can administer a national training and career development program. Eligible applicants include state, county, city/township, and special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; Native American tribal organizations that are not federally recognized; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; and a wide range of nonprofit organizations (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3), excluding institutions of higher education where specified). For-profit organizations (other than small businesses) and small businesses are also listed as eligible, along with other applicant types, indicating NIH is open to varied institutional models as long as the proposed program can credibly deliver high-quality mentored research training.

The announcement also calls out additional eligible institution types and community-based partners, 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, tribal governments other than federally recognized, and U.S. territories or possessions. This emphasis aligns with the stated goal of building a geographically diverse workforce and can support programs that broaden participation and strengthen rehabilitation research capacity in a wide range of settings.

At the same time, the opportunity draws clear boundaries around foreign involvement. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities are not eligible to apply, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible. In addition, foreign components as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement are not allowed. In practical terms, this means the applicant organization and the program infrastructure must be U.S.-based, and the proposed activities cannot rely on formal foreign components as part of the award.

Administratively, this is an NIH grant in the Health, Income Security and Social Services activity category and is associated with CFDA number 93.865. The opportunity was created on 2024-12-05, with an original closing date of 2025-03-19. The posted fields for award ceiling and expected awards are not specified in the provided source data, so prospective applicants would need to consult the full NIH funding announcement for budget limits, expected number of awards, allowable costs, and detailed program requirements. Overall, the opportunity is best understood as support for institutions to run a high-quality, mentored K12 career development program that recruits clinically trained junior faculty in rehabilitation, provides structured research training and mentorship, and accelerates scholars progress toward independent, externally funded research careers.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Rehabilitation Research Career Development Programs (K12 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.865.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-12-05.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-03-19. (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 HD 26 005

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