KK Series — Career Development

NIH K25 Grants — Mentored Quantitative Research Career Development Award

Brings quantitative scientists (engineers, physicists) into biomedical research

Funding

Salary support + research support

Duration

3–5 years

Eligibility

Quantitative scientists transitioning to biomedical research

Activity code

K25

What is the NIH K25 grant?

The K25 funds engineers, physicists, computer scientists, and other quantitative researchers who want to apply their skills to biomedical research questions and need mentored training in a biomedical context.

Recent K25 awards (last 24 months)

Live data from NIH RePORTER

79

Awards

$11,659,119

Total funding (sample)

$147,584

Average award

Sample reflects up to the most recent 500 NIH RePORTER awards with this activity code in the past 24 months. Total project count is the full RePORTER count.

Most recently awarded K25 grants

Imaging Synaptic Decline in Models of Alzheimer's Disease

Mariana Potcoava · UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO, IL · NIH

$152,277

FY 2026

Project: 5K25AG086674-03

The Impact of Problematic Smartphone Use on Behavioral and Neural Functioning

Nayoung Kim · COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES, NY · NIH

$132,300

FY 2026

Project: 1K25HD120751-01

Understanding the genomic basis of problematic alcohol use through integrative analysis of multi-omics data

Tan Hoang Nguyen · VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY, VA · NIH

$179,230

FY 2026

Project: 5K25AA030072-05

Imaging Vascular Function in Normal Aging, MCI, and Mild Dementia

Feng Xu · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY, MD · NIH

$147,486

FY 2026

Project: 5K25AG083114-03

Resolving phenotypic overlap in renal carcinoma subtypes using multi-tiered network methods

Marouen Ben Guebila · DANA-FARBER CANCER INST, MA · NIH

$167,543

FY 2026

Project: 5K25CA297149-02

Modeling SARS-CoV-2 variant emergence from immunocompromised hosts

Katherine Owens · FRED HUTCHINSON CANCER CENTER, WA · NIH

$161,946

FY 2026

Project: 1K25AI196259-01

Identification and characterization of molecular subtypes of Alzheimer's disease associated with cognitive function through cross-omics data integration

Abdallah Eteleeb · WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, MO · NIH

$148,581

FY 2026

Project: 5K25AG083057-04

Early Detection of Pancreatic Cancer with Human-in-the-Loop Deep Learning

Jiheum Park · COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES, NY · NIH

$178,610

FY 2026

Project: 5K25CA267052-04

Top NIH institutes funding K25

By total funding in the last 24 months

  1. 1.NIH79 · $11,659,119

Top funded institutions

Most K25 awards in the last 24 months

  1. 1.BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL9 awards
  2. 2.JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY5 awards
  3. 3.WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES5 awards
  4. 4.MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL5 awards
  5. 5.COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES5 awards
  6. 6.UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA4 awards

Who applies for K25

PhDs in engineering, physics, mathematics, computer science, etc., looking to transition into biomedical research.

When to choose K25

Choose K25 if your terminal degree is outside biomedical sciences and you need mentored time to learn the biomedical domain.

When NOT to choose K25

PhDs already trained in biomedical research should use K01 or K99/R00.

Search tips for K25

  • K25 PIs often anchor computational and engineering departments at AMCs.

Search NIH grants by activity code

Open NIH grant search

Find K25-funded PIs

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K25 funding trends

Open trend search

Related NIH grant types

KK01

Mentored Research Scientist Career Development Award

Career development for new investigators needing mentored training

KK99/R00

Pathway to Independence Award

Postdoc → faculty transition (mentored K99 then independent R00)