Grant opportunity
Academic Career Excellence (ACE) Award (K32 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
NIH career development funding to support eligible early-career researchers through the Academic Career Excellence K32 mechanism; independent clinical trials are not allowed.
- Funder
- National Institutes of Health
- Deadline
- Jul 12, 2029
- Award
- NIH K32 career award; see NOFO for salary and research support
- Applicant
- Early-career researchers
- Discipline
- Health & Biomedical Sciences
- Region
- United States & Canada
- Posted
- May 27, 2026
Call summary
Overview
The NIH Academic Career Excellence Award is a K32 career development opportunity for early-career researchers, with independent clinical trials not allowed under this announcement.
Who can apply
- Applicant institutions and candidates must meet NIH K32 eligibility, citizenship, appointment and career-stage rules.
- Applicants should verify participating NIH institutes, receipt dates and application instructions in the NOFO.
What it supports
- Career development and mentored research training.
- Biomedical and health-related research areas covered by participating NIH institutes.
Funding and duration
Salary, research support, project period and allowable costs are governed by the NIH NOFO.
Application deadline
Jul 12, 2029
How to apply
Use the official NIH/Grants.gov NOFO and submit through the NIH application systems by the applicable receipt date before the final 12 July 2029 expiration.
Call details
This NIH K32 opportunity supports academic career development for eligible candidates while excluding independent clinical trials. Applicants should review the full NOFO for participating institutes, required mentoring arrangements, application components, review criteria, due dates and award administration details.
Applicant institutions and candidates must meet NIH K32 eligibility, citizenship, appointment and career-stage rules.
Applicants should verify participating NIH institutes, receipt dates and application instructions in the NOFO.
Career development and mentored research training.
Biomedical and health-related research areas covered by participating NIH institutes.
Salary, research support, project period and allowable costs are governed by the NIH NOFO.
Application deadline: Jul 12, 2029.
Confirm the exact deadline time, time zone, and submission route on the official call page.
Plan internal approvals, partner confirmations, budgets, letters, and portal submission before the final deadline.
Use the official NIH/Grants.gov NOFO and submit through the NIH application systems by the applicable receipt date before the final 12 July 2029 expiration.
Before submitting, check required documents, eligible costs, attachments, page limits, institutional approvals, and whether the opportunity uses an expression of interest, full proposal, registration, or nomination stage.