Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA NS 21 019
The Neurosurgeon Research Career Development Program (NRCDP) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) mentored career development grant opportunity designed to support a coordinated, national training program for junior neurosurgeon faculty. Its central purpose is to strengthen and expand the pipeline of neurosurgeons who can build independent research careers focused on neurological disorders, leveraging their clinical neurosurgical expertise to drive research questions that are closely tied to patient care and unmet needs in neurology and neurosurgery. The mechanism used is a K12 institutional career development award, meaning the application is submitted by an eligible organization to run a structured mentored program that will recruit, select, and support multiple early-career neurosurgeon scholars over time rather than funding a single individual applicant.
A key feature of this FOA is that it emphasizes mentored research career development for junior faculty neurosurgeons at institutions that support neurosurgical research. In practice, this implies a strong focus on creating protected time, high-quality mentorship, and a coherent training environment that helps participants transition from early faculty status into productive, competitive investigators. The overall goal is workforce development: increasing the number of neurosurgeon-investigators capable of conducting rigorous research on neurological disorders while integrating insights from surgical training and clinical experience. The title also specifies "Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed," which signals that the supported scholars are not expected to lead an independent clinical trial as the primary driver of their award-supported activities; the program is oriented toward career development and research training that does not rely on the scholar being the independent trial lead.
The opportunity is categorized as a discretionary grant under the NIH health research mission area (CFDA 93.853). The funding opportunity number is RFA-NS-21-019, and it was created on October 4, 2021, with an original closing date of December 15, 2021. While the provided source fields list an "Award Ceiling" and "Expected Awards," those values are not specified in the excerpt, so an applicant would normally need to consult the full FOA text for budget limits, project period, and anticipated number of funded programs.
Eligibility is broad across U.S.-based organizations that can credibly administer a national mentored career development program. Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations both with and without 501(c)(3) IRS status (as long as they are not themselves institutions of higher education in the nonprofit categories listed). The FOA also explicitly calls out additional eligible applicant types that NIH commonly identifies to encourage broad participation across diverse institutions, 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), and U.S. territories or possessions. At the same time, the FOA is clear that non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities are not eligible to apply, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible, reinforcing that the program leadership and supported infrastructure must be domestically based.
In summary, this NRCDP K12 FOA is essentially an NIH-supported national career development platform aimed at producing more neurosurgeon-scientists. It funds an institution-led program that provides mentored research training and career development for junior neurosurgical faculty, with the long-range objective of expanding the field's capacity to investigate and ultimately improve outcomes for neurological disorders through research informed by neurosurgical practice.Apply for RFA NS 21 019
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Neurosurgeon Research Career Development Program (NRCDP) (K12 Independent 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): 93.853.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2021-10-04.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-12-15. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, 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, Others.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Neurosurgeon Research Career Development Program (NRCDP)?
The NRCDP is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) mentored career development grant opportunity designed to support a coordinated, national training program for junior neurosurgeon faculty. The program is intended to strengthen and expand the pipeline of neurosurgeons who can develop independent research careers focused on neurological disorders.
What is the main purpose of this funding opportunity?
The central purpose is workforce development: increasing the number of neurosurgeon-investigators who can conduct rigorous research on neurological disorders. The program emphasizes using clinical neurosurgical expertise to generate research questions tied to patient care, neurology and neurosurgery unmet needs, and real-world clinical challenges.
Who is the intended participant group (who benefits from the program)?
The program is aimed at junior faculty neurosurgeons (early-career neurosurgeon faculty) who are building research careers. The supported training environment is meant to help participants transition from early faculty status to productive, competitive, independent investigators.
What type of NIH award mechanism is used for NRCDP?
This opportunity uses a K12 institutional career development award mechanism. This means NIH funds an eligible organization to run a structured, mentored program that recruits, selects, and supports multiple early-career neurosurgeon scholars over time, rather than funding a single individual applicant directly.
Does an individual neurosurgeon apply directly to NIH under this FOA?
No. Under a K12 mechanism, the application is submitted by an eligible organization that will administer the program. The institution-led program then recruits and supports multiple scholars over the project period.
What does "mentored career development" mean in the context of this FOA?
The FOA emphasizes a structured environment with high-quality mentorship, protected time, and a coherent training plan. The focus is on research career development for junior faculty neurosurgeons so they can build the skills, track record, and research direction needed to become independent investigators.
What research area focus does this program support?
The program is oriented toward research on neurological disorders, leveraging neurosurgeons' clinical and surgical experience to inform research questions and approaches closely linked to patient care and clinical needs.
What does "Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed" mean here?
The phrase indicates that supported scholars are not expected to lead an independent clinical trial as the primary driver of their award-supported activities. The program is oriented toward mentored research training and career development that does not rely on the scholar serving as the independent clinical trial lead.
What is the funding opportunity number for this FOA?
The funding opportunity number is RFA-NS-21-019.
Which NIH mission area and assistance listing (CFDA) is associated with this opportunity?
This is an NIH discretionary grant in the NIH health research mission area and is associated with CFDA 93.853.
When was this FOA created and what was the original closing date?
The FOA was created on October 4, 2021, and had an original closing date of December 15, 2021.
What kinds of organizations are eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants include U.S.-based organizations capable of administering a national mentored career development program, including public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations (with or without 501(c)(3) IRS status, in the nonprofit categories listed in the opportunity description).
Are minority-serving institutions and specific institution types explicitly included in eligibility?
Yes. The FOA explicitly calls out eligibility for institution types NIH commonly identifies to encourage broad participation, 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), and U.S. territories or possessions.
Are non-U.S. (non-domestic) organizations allowed to apply?
No. The FOA states that non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities are not eligible to apply.
Can a U.S. organization include a non-domestic component as part of the program?
No. The FOA indicates that non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, meaning the program leadership and supported infrastructure must be domestically based.
Is this program intended to be national in scope?
Yes. The NRCDP is described as a coordinated, national training program, and the K12 mechanism supports an institution-led program designed to recruit and develop multiple scholars over time.
Is the goal to fund research projects or to develop researchers?
The stated emphasis is career development and research training (workforce development). While research is part of the pathway, the long-range objective is to expand the number of neurosurgeon-scientists capable of sustaining independent research careers focused on neurological disorders.
Are award ceiling and expected number of awards provided in the excerpt?
No. The excerpt notes that "Award Ceiling" and "Expected Awards" fields exist in the source but the values are not specified. Applicants would normally need to consult the full FOA text for budget limits, project period, and the anticipated number of funded programs.
What kind of institutional environment does this FOA imply is important?
The FOA emphasizes institutions that support neurosurgical research and can provide a strong mentored career development environment, including protected time for scholars, high-quality mentorship, and a coherent training structure to support progression to independence.
In one sentence, what is NRCDP trying to accomplish?
NRCDP aims to create an NIH-supported national platform that develops more junior neurosurgeon faculty into independent neurosurgeon-investigators conducting research on neurological disorders informed by neurosurgical practice and patient-care needs.
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