Want to Get a Career Development Award? Start Early
Authors: Huang Li‐Shin , Carlson Drew E. , Wang Wayne C. , Scott Jane D. 
Published: November 2023

A career development award is a mechanism that facilitates a postdoctoral fellow transitioning from a mentored into an independent investigator. The purpose of this abstract is to provide a few tips, by the authors, to those who are interested in an independent research career in academia in acquiring such an award: 1. Start/plan early; 2. Read announcements carefully; 3. Follow instructions (when preparing a proposal); 4. Work with your mentor(s); 5. Assemble an advisory team (optional but recommended); 6. Get critiques; and 7. Proofread every section of your proposal prior to submission.

Start early to make yourself a highly qualified candidate. The ultimate assessment of your candidacy is your productivity in the form of peer‐reviewed publications. Both quality and quantity of your publications are taken into consideration. Prior records of predoctoral and/or postdoctoral fellowships, although not applicable to all, are considered favorably as qualifications for applicants. The second step is to read the criteria set for a specific career development award. The basics about an award are found in the grant announcements and NIH web postings. Understanding the information from these resources will facilitate conversations with NIH staff who can then help with any specific concerns or unusual situations. Check out eligibility requirements early in your postdoctoral training. For example, applicants are not eligible to apply for the K99/R00 (Pathway to Independence) Award if they have more than 4 years of postdoctoral research training at the time of submission (or resubmission). Thus, be sure to set milestones for yourself when you start your postdoctoral training.

The next step is to prepare the proposal. You'll be surprised that the key to a good proposal lies in your ability to follow the guidelines and recommendations set by the funding agency. Font size and page limit are strictly enforced. Don't waste your energy attempting to circumvent these rules. Instead, use the time to come up with a well‐written research plan, which is feasible (supported by preliminary data), significant, innovative and most importantly distinguishable from your mentor's research direction. Unlike “regular” research awards (e.g., R01), the sections for “Mentors,” “Career Development Plan,” and “Environment & Institutional Commitment to the Candidate” are weighed heavily in the final scoring of the proposal. Thus, you will need to work with your mentor(s) to prepare a detailed career development plan; assemble an advisory team to assist/monitor your research progress; and present a strong institutional support for your proposal. It's critical to plan ahead and set appropriate deadlines for yourself so there is enough time to solicit critiques from your colleagues and then revise the proposal accordingly afterwards. Finally, a sloppily written grant is viewed poorly. So, take the time to proofread every section of the proposal before submission. In summary, start early from the beginning of your postdoc training to build up your qualifications and to formulate a plan so you will have sufficient time to prepare a competitive proposal for funding.

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