NIDCR Predoctoral to Postdoctoral Transition Award to Promote a Diverse Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Research Workforce (F99/K00 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 24 139

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 24 139

The NIDCR Predoctoral to Postdoctoral Transition Award to Promote a Diverse Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Research Workforce (F99/K00, Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed) is an NIH grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number PAR-24-139; CFDA 93.121) designed to help outstanding graduate students move smoothly from late-stage doctoral training into a mentored postdoctoral position in dental, oral, and craniofacial (DOC) research. The core purpose is workforce development: it aims to strengthen and diversify the pipeline of researchers in DOC science by supporting individuals from diverse backgrounds, including people from groups that have been historically underrepresented in biomedical, clinical, behavioral, and social sciences. In practical terms, this program is meant to prevent the common drop-off that can happen at the transition point between finishing a PhD (or a dual-degree clinician-scientist program) and securing strong postdoctoral mentorship and research support.

The award is structured as a phased transition mechanism with two linked components. The first phase, the F99 portion, supports the final stage of the applicant's predoctoral training so they can complete key dissertation or terminal-degree milestones and be positioned competitively for the next step. The second phase, the K00 portion, supports the individual after they move into a mentored postdoctoral role, providing a more stable, structured environment to deepen research skills, publish, expand technical expertise, and build the foundation for an independent research career focused on dental, oral, and craniofacial topics. This kind of two-stage design signals that NIH and NIDCR are not only funding a project, but also deliberately investing in the researcher as they develop into an independent investigator.

A key restriction is embedded in the title: Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed. That means the award is not intended for applicants who will be leading an independent clinical trial as the primary driver of the proposed work under this mechanism. The program is fundamentally focused on research training and mentored career development rather than independent trial leadership. Applicants can typically still be involved in clinical research settings depending on NIH policy language, but the mechanism is not meant to place the trainee in charge of an independent clinical trial.

Eligibility for applicant organizations is broad and includes many standard U.S.-based research and higher education entities. Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3) types) that are not institutions of higher education. The opportunity also lists for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) and small businesses as eligible, along with an "others" category, reflecting NIH's generally wide institutional eligibility depending on the specifics of the FOA and NIH policy. The announcement also explicitly highlights additional eligible applicant types that align with the diversity and workforce mission of the program, 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), and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs). This emphasis reinforces that the program is intended to reach trainees across a broad range of institutions and communities, including those that have historically played an outsized role in educating students from underrepresented backgrounds.

The geographic and foreign involvement rules are also clearly defined. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations) are not eligible to apply as the applicant organization, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply. At the same time, foreign components are allowed as NIH defines them in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, meaning a primarily U.S.-based application can include certain well-justified, well-described foreign elements (for example, a specific collaboration, resource, or research activity conducted abroad) as long as it meets NIH requirements and is consistent with the program's scope and oversight expectations.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary grant opportunity administered by the National Institutes of Health, with the opportunity posted (creation date) on 2024-04-12. The listed original closing date is 2027-04-08, indicating a multi-year window during which applications may be accepted on specific receipt dates tied to NIH cycles. The public listing does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards in the excerpt provided, so applicants would typically look to the full FOA text and NIDCR guidance for budget structure, allowable costs, and typical award levels.

Overall, this F99/K00 mechanism is best understood as a structured bridge: it supports late-stage doctoral trainees as they finish strong and then helps them land and thrive in a mentored postdoc that keeps them moving toward research independence in dental, oral, and craniofacial science. The program's defining features are its explicit diversity-focused workforce goal, its two-phase predoctoral-to-postdoctoral design, and its training-centered scope that excludes independent clinical trial leadership under this specific announcement.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NIDCR Predoctoral to Postdoctoral Transition Award to Promote a Diverse Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Research Workforce (F99/K00 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): 93.121.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-04-12.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2027-04-08.
• 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, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.

Apply for PAR 24 139

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