The National Institutes of Health (NIH) invites applications for the Stimulating Access to Research in Residency Transition Scholar (StARRTS) program under the K38 Career Development award. This funding opportunity, primarily managed by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and supported by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and National Cancer Institute (NCI), seeks to support clinician-investigators transitioning from residency-based research in the StARR R38 program to further career development and research in clinical fellowship or early career faculty roles. The goal of the StARRTS K38 award is to provide mentored research training and professional development, facilitating the transition to independent research careers for these clinician-scientists. As K38 recipients, or Transition Scholars, awardees will gain additional research experience in basic, clinical, or translational research within NIH-supported institutions and are encouraged to prepare for competitive NIH-funded individual research awards.

This FOA is designed for candidates who have completed 12 to 24 months of the NIH StARR R38 program, with plans for continued research and career development at the same or a new institution. Eligible research must align with the NIH institute that sponsored the StARR R38 program and fall within specific NIH research domains. For example, NHLBI focuses on heart, lung, blood, and sleep conditions; NIA prioritizes aging research; NIAID supports infectious diseases and immunology; and NCI facilitates cancer-related research. Notably, this award does not support independent clinical trials, though Transition Scholars may participate in trials led by a mentor. The program duration is up to two years, with $60,000 annually toward salary and up to $20,000 per year for research-related expenses.

Eligible applicants are clinicians, including MDs, DDSs, and DVMs, who have successfully participated in an NIH StARR R38 program and are now in clinical fellowship or early career faculty positions. Faculty must have less than 40 months of experience at the time of application. Participating institutions include higher education institutions, nonprofits, state and local governments, and federally recognized Native American tribal organizations. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, nationals, or legal residents. The applicant institution must demonstrate a supportive research environment and qualified mentorship in the relevant field, as each applicant must have a primary mentor with expertise in the research area, as well as additional mentors if necessary. The institution must also offer protected time for the Transition Scholar to devote at least 75% effort for fellows or 50% for early-career faculty to their research and career development activities.

Submission requirements include detailed descriptions of research activities, career development plans, mentor support, and institutional commitment to the applicant’s growth as a clinician-scientist. Applicants must submit nomination letters from their StARR R38 program director and their primary mentor. For fellows, a letter from the clinical fellowship director confirming alignment of the fellowship program with subspecialty certification eligibility is required. Applications must include a Data Management and Sharing Plan and comply with NIH policies on human subjects research.

Applications are due annually on October 13 through 2024, and NIH requires submissions by 5:00 p.m. local time. NIH strongly encourages early submission to address potential errors before deadlines. Following submission, applications undergo NIH scientific review, with funding decisions based on scientific merit, funding availability, and alignment with program priorities. Institutions must also maintain updated registrations with NIH’s eRA Commons, Grants.gov, and SAM, and must ensure compliance with all NIH application instructions and submission policies.