NIH K99/R00 grants: recently funded projects and award sizes

Project length

Up to 2 years mentored (K99) and up to 3 years independent (R00)

Who applies

Postdoctoral researchers with no more than 4 years of postdoctoral experience at the due date

Key sections

Candidate information, mentor statements, research strategy, letters of reference

Budget

Salary and research support set by the notice and the funding institute

Limits change between notices: the notice you apply to is what counts.

• OpenPA-24-194

  NIH Pathway to Independence Award (Parent K99/R00 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

  Deadline May 7, 2027

• OpenPA-24-193

  NIH Pathway to Independence Award (Parent K99/R00 Independent Clinical Trial Required)

  Deadline May 7, 2027

• OpenPAR-25-313

  NCI Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00 Clinical Trial Required)

  Deadline Oct 14, 2027

• OpenPAR-25-135

  NCI Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

  Deadline Oct 14, 2027

• OpenPAR-25-333

  NIDCR Dual Degree Dentist Scientist Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

  Deadline May 7, 2028

• Defining how Bacterial-Sensing Caspases Regulate RNA Metabolism and Immunity

  Christopher Bourne · University of Pennsylvania, PA · NIAID · $147K · Sep 18, 2026

  AND ABSTRACT The innate immune system serves as the first line of defense against pathogenic infections, but many gaps in our knowledge of innate immune signaling pathways remain. Gram-negative bacteria, like Salmonella or E. coli contain lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in their cell walls that can induce septic shock and…

• Leveraging Nurses to Improve Care for Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome

  Sarah Irene Leonard · New York University School of Medicine, NY · NINR · $134K · Sep 18, 2026

  Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) is a debilitating autonomic nervous system disorder defined by a sustained heart rate increase upon standing, accompanied by orthostatic intolerance symptoms such as lightheadedness, palpitations, presyncope/syncope, and dyspnea. POTS causes symptoms spanning multiple…

• Investigating the relationship between totipotency and epigenetic reprogramming during the formation of induced pluripotent stem cells

  Estefania Sanchez Vasquez · University of California Santa Cruz, CA · NIGMS · $125K · Sep 17, 2026

  Somatic reprogramming is an inefficient protocol to convert adult cells into embryonic-like cells called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). This inefficiency is caused by molecular roadblocks that prime only a small proportion of successful intermediate fates to undergo proper epigenetic reprogramming and form…

• Leveraging Ambulatory Technology to Assess Cognitive-Affective Processes in Suicidal Ideation Among High-Risk Adolescents

  Yeonsoo Park · Massachusetts General Hospital, MA · NIMH · $129K · Sep 17, 2026

  Suicide is the second leading cause of death among adolescents, and its rates have doubled since 2000. The period immediately following discharge from inpatient care is especially perilous, with a marked increase in suicide risk observed during this time. However, our ability to accurately predict suicide and…

• Improving lung cancer screening outcomes: Using implementation science to guide a stigma-informed reminder intervention

  Erin Hirsch · University of Colorado Denver, CO · NCI · $123K · Sep 17, 2026

  Despite strides in treatment advances, lung cancer persists as the number one cause of cancer mortality in the US. When diagnosed at an early stage, lung cancer is potentially curable with more effective treatment options available leading to reduced mortality and improved quality of life. Lung cancer screening (LCS)…

• Developing GFRA2 as an optimal immunotherapeutic target for neuroblastoma and Ewing sarcoma

  Amber Hamilton · Children'S Hosp of Philadelphia, PA · NCI · $109K · Sep 17, 2026

  Cancer immunotherapies have shown curative potential in specific subsets of adult/childhood cancers. Immunotherapy target heterogeneity and loss of antigen expression remain major obstacles to cures across cancers. Our long term goal is to improve patient outcomes through proteogenomic-based development of targeted…

• Developing and Piloting a Multilevel Intervention to Address Nutritional Needs in the Outpatient Oncology Setting

  Leah Puklin · Yale University, CT · NCI · $168K · Sep 17, 2026

  Nutrition impact symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, and dysphagia, are commonly reported among patients undergoing active cancer treatment. These symptoms can impair nutrient intake, digestion, and absorption profoundly impacting nutritional status, leading to malnutrition, muscle loss, and unintentional weight loss.…

• Operationalizing malaria genomic markers as sentinel indicators of intervention impact

  Anne Martin · University of California, San Francisco, CA · NIAID · $144K · Sep 17, 2026

  PROJECT ABSTRACT My main goal is to become an independent scientist using genomic outcomes to study the interplay of pathogen genetics and transmission and its influence on public health. My primary mentor Dr. Bryan Greenhouse has an outstanding track record of mentorship and complementary expertise to help me achieve…

• Regulation of mitochondrial function by O-GlcNAcylation in progressive heart failure

  Karthi Sreedevi · Virginia Polytechnic Inst and St Univ, VA · NHLBI · $163K · Sep 17, 2026

  Heart Failure (HF) is a life-threatening progressive disease affecting over 64 million people worldwide. The most important and least understood aspect of HF is the interplay between adaptive and maladaptive responses of the heart to pathological stressors. The overt cardiac dysfunction occurs when adaptive mechanisms…

• Regulation of Hierarchical Cell Fate Decisions in Craniofacial Development

  Eric Paulissen · University of Southern California, CA · NIDCR · $120K · Sep 17, 2026

  The vertebrate jaw joint is a complex structure commonly affected in disease. It consists of multiple types of cells derived from cranial neural crest cell (CNCC) mesenchyme. During development, a series of cartilages and intramembranous bones establish an initial pre-pattern for the jaw skeleton. As development…

• The Role of Nav1.3 in Maladaptive Plasticity of Mouse and Human Nociceptors

  John Smith Del Rosario · Washington University, MO · NINDS · $131K · Sep 17, 2026

  Nociceptors from the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) mediate the transduction of noxious stimuli to alert us to tissue damage. In the context of injury, reports have shown that nociceptors become sensitized and hyperexcitable, indicating the presence of maladaptive intrinsic changes in excitability that might contribute to…

• Defining how mitochondrial metabolites reprogram cellular metabolism to control tumor growth

  Mushtaq Nengroo · Northwestern University, IL · NCI · $99K · Sep 17, 2026

  Renal cell carcinomas (RCC) harboring succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) mutations represent an aggressive subset with poor outcomes and no targeted therapies. Despite clear genetic drivers, how mitochondria-derived metabolites reprogram biosynthesis and dictate drug response remains undefined. We found that SDH loss…

• Age-Related Immunometabolic Dysregulation in Periodontitis Resolution

  Leticia Andrea Rojas Cortez · State University of New York at Buffalo, NY · NIDCR · $162K · Sep 17, 2026

  Periodontal disease is a chronic inflammatory condition and a leading cause of tooth loss, with disease severity and impaired treatment outcomes increasing with age. Successful periodontal therapy depends on effective inflammation resolution, an active biological process required to restore tissue homeostasis. Aging…

• Genome-Wide Prediction and Functional Validation of Neomorphic Frameshift Variants in GC-Rich Regions

  Jung Wan Mok · Baylor College of Medicine, TX · NINDS · $117K · Sep 17, 2026

  Project Abstract Frameshift variants have historically been classified as loss-of-function alleles. However, my preliminary data indicate that frameshift variants occurring in GC-rich regions have a higher chance of producing extended neo-peptides with toxic gain-of-function properties. In Aim 1, I will dissect the…

• Mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2-Mediated Disruption of Trophoblast Dynamics

  Deepak Kumar · Pennsylvania State Univ Hershey Med Ctr, PA · NICHD · $125K · Sep 17, 2026

  Infections with SARS-CoV-2 during pregnancy adversely affect placental physiology, increasing health risks for the mother and fetus. SARS-CoV-2 can infect maternal and fetal cells in the placenta, however, there is a significant gap in understanding specifically how SARS-CoV-2 infection impacts placental homeostasis…

1. 1Stanford University, CA34
2. 2University of California, San Francisco, CA25
3. 3University of Pennsylvania, PA16
4. 4Yale University, CT16
5. 5Johns Hopkins University, MD15
6. 6Massachusetts General Hospital, MA15
7. 7Columbia University Health Sciences, NY14
8. 8University of California, San Diego, CA12
9. 9Washington University, MO12
10. 10Harvard Medical School, MA11

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