The National Institutes of Health (NIH), a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the nation’s medical research agency — making important discoveries that improve health and save lives.
The goal of the NCI Pathway to Independence Award for Early-Stage Postdoctoral Researchers (K99/R00) program is to encourage and maintain a strong cohort of new and talented, NCI-supported, independent investigators. This initiative is particularly aimed at postdoctoral fellows with research and/or clinical doctoral degrees who are poised to transition from mentored positions to independent tenure-track (or equivalent) faculty roles without needing extensive mentored research training beyond their doctorate. The program emphasizes the facilitation of a smooth and timely move from postdoctoral research positions to independent research careers, offering NCI research support during this critical transition. It targets researchers in the fields of cancer control, prevention, and data sciences, supporting those intending to lead an independent clinical trial, a clinical trial feasibility study, or an ancillary clinical trial, with a separate track for those not planning an independent clinical trial.