NIH PA · NIH · K02

PA-24-179: Independent Scientist Award (Parent K02 - Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

Reviewed by Dr. Meng ZhaoLast reviewed October 16, 2026Data refreshed October 16, 2026Editorial standards

Open for applicationsExpires May 8, 2027

The purpose of the NIH Independent Scientist Award (K02) is to foster the development of outstanding scientists and enable them to expand their potential to make significant contributions to their field of research. The K02 award provides three to five years of salary support and "protected time" for newly independent scientists who can demonstrate the need for a period of intensive research focus as a means of enhancing their research careers. Each independent scientist career award program must be tailored to meet the individual needs of the candidate.This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is designed specifically for applicants proposing research that does not involve leading an…

Full NOFO in the NIH Guide Apply on Grants.gov

NOFO number
PA-24-179
Type
PA
Activity code
K02
Primary institute
NIH
Clinical trials
Not Allowed
Posted
Apr 24, 2024
Opens
May 13, 2024
Expires
May 8, 2027

PA-24-179 due dates

No application due dates remain in the listed cycles. Dates marked * are NIH standard due dates. Check the related notices below for changes NIH made after posting.

Application due dates and review cycles for PA-24-179
Letter of Intent Due Date(s)
Not Applicable
June 12, 2024
July 12, 2024 *
September 07, 2024 *
November 2024
January 2025
April 2025
October 12, 2024
November 12, 2024 *
January 07, 2025 *
March 2025
May 2025
July 2025
February 12, 2025
March 12, 2025 *
May 07, 2025 *
July 2025
October 2025
December 2025
June 12, 2025
July 12, 2025 *
September 07, 2025 *
November 2025
January 2026

Projects funded under PA-24-179

NIH RePORTER lists 4 projects funded under PA-24-179 in FY2022–FY2026, with $889K in award dollars. Counts include each project's later non-competing years, which keep the original NOFO number.

Projects funded

4

Distinct projects, FY2022–FY2026

New awards

4

Type 1 (new project) award records

NIH funding

$889K

Award dollars under PA-24-179, FY2022–FY2026

Funding by fiscal year

Award records, new awards, and funding by fiscal year under PA-24-179
Fiscal yearAward recordsNew awardsFunding
FY202200$0
FY202300$0
FY202400$0
FY202533$443K
FY202631$446K

Institutions with the most funding

  1. Virginia Polytechnic Inst and St Univ$304K · 1 project
  2. University of Florida$298K · 1 project
  3. Washington University$144K · 1 project
  4. University of Arkansas at Fayetteville$142K · 1 project

Funding institutes

  • NIA$745K · 5
  • NIDA$144K · 1

Activity codes funded

  • K026 records

Most recent new awards

What its predecessor PA-20-174 funded

PA-24-179 reissues PA-20-174. Its funding history is the best guide to who wins under this program: 14 projects and $6.5M in FY2022–FY2026.

Projects funded

14

Distinct projects, FY2022–FY2026

New awards

11

Type 1 (new project) award records

NIH funding

$6.5M

Award dollars under PA-20-174, FY2022–FY2026

Funding by fiscal year

Award records, new awards, and funding by fiscal year under PA-20-174
Fiscal yearAward recordsNew awardsFunding
FY202263$721K
FY202394$1.2M
FY202493$1.4M
FY2025111$1.8M
FY202690$1.5M

Institutions with the most funding

  1. Brigham and Women's Hospital$773K · 1 project
  2. Univ of Maryland, College Park$724K · 1 project
  3. New York University School of Medicine$607K · 1 project
  4. University of Minnesota$606K · 1 project
  5. Massachusetts General Hospital$578K · 2 projects
  6. University of North Texas Hlth Sci Ctr$534K · 1 project
  7. UT Southwestern Medical Center$529K · 1 project
  8. Johns Hopkins University$450K · 1 project

Funding institutes

  • NIA$2.5M · 17
  • NIDA$1.8M · 15
  • NINDS$1.3M · 5
  • NIAAA$534K · 4
  • NIDCR$370K · 3

Activity codes funded

  • K0244 records

Most recent new awards

FY2026 closed on September 30, 2026, but NIH keeps posting that year's awards to RePORTER for several weeks. FY2026 figures reflect records available on October 16, 2026 and may rise slightly at the next refresh.

Participating institutes

8 NIH institutes and offices take applications under PA-24-179. Contact the program officer at the institute that fits your research before applying.

  • NIH
  • NIA · National Institute on Aging
  • NIAAA · National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
  • NIDCR · National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
  • NIDA · National Institute on Drug Abuse
  • NINDS · National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
  • ORWH
  • ODSS

Related notices

  1. Nov 24, 2025 · NOT-DE-26-013

    Notice of Rescheduled NIDCR Pre-Application and Technical Assistance Webinars on Applying for Fellowship F) Awards and Career Development K) Awards.

  2. Sep 25, 2025 · NOT-DE-26-012

    Notice of NIDCR Pre-Application and Technical Assistance Webinars on Applying for Fellowship F) Awards and Career Development K) Awards.

  3. Mar 31, 2025

    This funding opportunity was updated to align with agency priorities. Carefully reread the full funding opportunity and make any needed adjustments to your application prior to submission.

  4. Apr 4, 2024 · NOT-OD-24-084

    Overview of Grant Application and Review Changes for Due Dates on or after January 25, 2025.

  5. Aug 31, 2022 · NOT-OD-22-198

    Implementation Changes for Genomic Data Sharing Plans Included with Applications Due on or after January 25, 2023. See Notice NOT-OD-22-198.

  6. Aug 5, 2022 · NOT-OD-22-189

    Implementation Details for the NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy. See Notice NOT-OD-22-189.

Notices of Special Interest (NOSIs)

NIH has attached 4 NOSIs to PA-24-179; none are active now. A NOSI flags a topic an institute wants to fund through this NOFO.

Award terms

Application types allowed
NewRenewalResubmissionRevision The OER Glossary and the How to Apply - Application Guide provides details on these application types.
Award budget
Information
Project period
The total project period may not exceed 5 years. Other
Funds available and number of awards
The number of awards is contingent upon NIH appropriations and the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications.

Summarized from the NOFO text; the full NOFO governs eligibility, budget, and review.

Related NOFOs

  • Reissue of PA-20-174.
  • Companion NOFOs: PA-24-178, PA-24-180.

Other open NOFOs for K02

Browse all open NIH NOFOs

About this page

GotGrant gathers the NOFO, its participation and change notices, and its NOSIs from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, and counts funded projects from NIH RePORTER by the opportunity number each award was made under. Data refreshed October 16, 2026; the NIH Guide is the authoritative source. See our data methodology.

Find who wins under this NOFO

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