NIH F33 Grants — Senior Fellowship
Reviewed by Dr. Meng ZhaoLast reviewed June 9, 2026Data refreshed June 9, 2026Editorial standards
Mid-career retraining for established investigators
Funding
Stipend + research allowance
Duration
Up to 2 years
Eligibility
Established investigators changing fields
Activity code
F33
What is the NIH F33 grant?
The F33 supports established investigators (typically 7+ years past PhD) who want extended time to learn new techniques or transition into a new research area. Use is rare compared to F31/F32.
Recent F33 awards
Few or no F33 awards appear in the most recent NIH RePORTER snapshot — some mechanisms fund in small batches or on irregular cycles. Search NIH RePORTER directly or use the grant search to check the latest records.
Decision guide
Choose F33 when
Choose F33 when you need protected retraining time outside your established research base.
Choose another mechanism when
Mid-career retraining is more commonly handled through K18 or sabbatical mechanisms.
Who applies for F33
Senior investigators changing research direction.
Compare nearby NIH grant mechanisms
Searchers often land on F33 while deciding between adjacent NIH activity codes. Compare scope, NIH staff involvement, budget scale, and applicant stage before choosing a funding opportunity.
Postdoctoral mentored research training
Career development for new investigators needing mentored training
For broad grant lookup, use the NIH grant search to find funded examples by activity code, PI, institution, and award year.
Search tips for F33
- F33 awards are rare — useful indicators of unusual mid-career pivots.