The US National Institute on Aging (NIA) Academic Leadership Career Award (K07) supports established investigators who want to grow aging and Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (AD/ADRD) research capacity at their own institution. Rather than funding a research project, it pays for the infrastructure that helps early career researchers into the field, from courses and pilot funding to travel awards, visiting scholars and mentoring networks.
This is a standing NIH funding opportunity (PAR-24-321) with three application rounds a year until it expires in November 2027. The next due dates are 12 October 2026 for new applications and 12 November 2026 for resubmissions, followed by 12 February 2027 (new) and 12 March 2027 (resubmissions). Applications are due by 5pm local time at the applicant organisation.
What the award funds
Awards run for up to five years. NIH contributes up to $75,000 a year towards the award holder’s salary, up to $50,000 a year for research development costs, and up to $25,000 a year for a curriculum development or research coordinator, with total direct costs capped at $150,000 a year. Indirect costs are paid at 8%.
The research development budget can support courses, seminars and workshops, curriculum development, statistical services, pilot funds and travel funds for early career investigators, a visiting scholar programme, networks of investigators or institutions, and formal or informal mentoring. Programmes can cover any area of aging research, from biology and neuroscience to social, behavioural and economic research, including frontotemporal, Lewy body and vascular dementia. NIA encourages programmes that broaden participation in research and tackle health disparities in aging and dementia.
Who can apply
This award is for senior, US-based researchers. You must be the named principal investigator on an active NIA R01 or equivalent grant, or on a sub-project of a multi-component NIA award, when you apply. You need a clinical, research or health-professional doctorate and a full-time appointment, and must commit between 25% and 50% of your time to the programme. By the time of award you must be a US citizen, non-citizen national or permanent resident.
The host must be a US organisation with a strong record in research and career development. Foreign organisations, and non-US components of US organisations, are not eligible. Independent clinical trials are not allowed under this opportunity.
How to apply
Applications go through Grants.gov using NIH ASSIST or an institutional system-to-system route, following the Career Development (K) instructions in the NIH application guide. Your institution must be registered with SAM, eRA Commons and Grants.gov, which can take six weeks or more. Because K07 awards cannot be renewed, reviewers will look for a clear plan to keep the programme going at your institution once the award ends.
If you are new to NIH funding, our guide to the NIH grants process for beginners and our piece on preparing for the NIH Simplified Review Framework are good places to start. Read the full funding opportunity on the NIH Grants website.
Visit funding web page
(https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-24-321.html)
UK DRI
Dementia Researcher
