Eligibility Requirements

At the time of award, Atlanta Pediatric Scholars must:

• Be employed by Emory University.
• Devote a minimum effort of 9 person-months (75% effort) to research during the K12 appointment.
• Be a United States citizen or a non-citizen national or have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence.
• Be a pediatrician holding an MD or DO degree.
• Have completed postgraduate pediatrics residency training; subspecialty training completion is not required as scholars may be appointed to the K12 program in the final research year of subspecialty fellowship training, provided the fellowship provides basic science training within the scope of this K12 program.
• Be no more than 4 years after attaining subspeciality board eligibility.
• Identify an approved mentor(s) with extensive research experience and extramural funding to help support the scholar’s research.
• Hold “New Investigator” status and not be or have been a PI on an R01, R29, U01/U10, subproject of a Program Project (P01), Center (P50, P60, U54) grant, or individual mentored or non-mentored career development award (e.g., K01, K02, K08, K22, K23, K24, K25, K99). Individuals who are or were PIs on NIH Small Grants (i.e., R03s) or Exploratory/Developmental Grants (i.e., R21s) may be eligible providing they meet the other eligibility requirements. Individuals who received Pediatric Scientist Development Program (PSDP) K12 funds are eligible for this program, subject to the 6-year limitation on mentored K support described below.
• Not have six years combined support through the K12 and other NICHD mentored career development award programs.
• Not accept or hold any other PHS award that duplicates the provisions of this career award. However, Scholars may compete for individual mentored career development awards (e.g., K01, K08, K23, K25, K99) provided they meet the eligibility requirements of those programs. Scholars may not hold concurrent K awards.
• Have written approval and support from their division chief for release from clinical time equal to 75% effort.

Application Guidelines

The guidelines for the K12 Atlanta Pediatric Scholars Program grant application are:

1) Eligible Topics: Applicants may pose research questions and projects focused on laboratory-based, basic science projects in areas related to child health. See the “Research Topics Supported” and the "K12 Scholars" information on the "For Faculty" page for more details and relevant examples.

2) PI Effort: Applicants must dedicate 75% of their professional effort towards research activities associated with this award during the time of the award. 

3) Budget: 

• Total budget not to exceed $125,000 annually
  • $100,000 allocated to salary and fringe to support the Scholar’s 75% dedicated research effort. Salary and fringe expenses that exceed $100,000 must be cost shared from internal funding sources.
  • $25,000 to support research expenses and career development activities of the Scholar.
• Must use the required budget template and contact Kim Caroline, Pre-Award Research Administration Director (kcaroli@emory.edu), for budget assistance at least three weeks before the submission deadline.

4) Duration: 

• Funding will be for a one year period with a possible extension to a second year. Extension to a second year is contingent on (1) the demonstration of satisfactory progress as assessed by the K12 Executive Committee, and (2) successful competitive renewal of the parent institutional grant.
• An annual progress report will be required 2 months prior to each budget year end date. 

5) Mentor(s): 

• Candidates must name a primary sponsor/mentor, who together with the candidate is responsible for the planning, direction, and execution of the program.
• The mentor should be recognized as an accomplished investigator in the proposed area of research and have a track record of success in extramural funding and in training similar investigators.
• There should be evidence that the mentor has an interest and commitment towards the scholar. Examples include but are not limited to shared space arrangements, previous monetary support & co-authored publications.
• A co-mentor and other collaborators can be named, but are not mandatory.

6) Plans for Extramural Funding: K12 Scholars are encouraged and expected to apply for independent research grant support during the period of K12 support (e.g., K08, R01). Funding goals should be outlined in the application including timing of and type of NIH or equivalent independent support that will be sought. This can either be a resubmission of a previously reviewed but unfunded application or a new application. 

7) Institutional Support: The division director or departmental chairman of each applicant for this K12 grant will be specifically involved in approving the K12 grant application, confirming 75% protected research time for the applicant and divisional cost share of any salary and fringe expenses that exceed the $100,000 provided by the grant, and ensuring that the extramural grant application is submitted as proposed in the K12 grant application. 

8) Deadlines:

• Required Letter of Intent (LOI): Submit via Infoready by August 15, 2025 - Include your name, your mentor's name(s), project title, and a current CV or biosketch to ensure eligibility. While the LOI is not binding, it is required before submitting a full application.
• Full Application: Due September 29, 2054 at 5:00 p.m.

Scored Review Criteria

1) A Cover Page/Letter with the title of the application, the applicant’s name, department and division, address, and the name and application date of the extramural agency to which the extramural application will be submitted. This letter must be signed by the applicant, the applicant’s mentor(s) and the applicant’s division director indicating institutional support for the application and acceptance of the terms of the grant, including confirmation that 75% effort will be dedicated to research.

2) Biosketches (5 pages maximum each) – from the PI and mentor(s) following the current NIH format.

3) Other Support – Required from the proposed mentor(s). Please note, as described above, the mentor must have sufficient research funding in order for the application to be competitive for this program. More information on NIH's Other Support requirements are available here. 

4) Budget and Budget Justification

• Total budget not to exceed $125,000 annually
  • $100,000 allocated to salary and fringe to support the Scholar’s 75% dedicated research effort. Salary and fringe expenses that exceed $100,000 must be cost shared from internal funding sources.
  • ​$25,000 to support research expenses and career development activities of the Scholar.
• Must use the required budget template and contact Kim Caroline, Pre-Award Research Administration Director (kcaroli@emory.edu), for budget assistance at least three weeks before the submission deadline.

Other budgetary notes:

• Allowable research expenses from the $25,000 allotment may include:
  • Research expenses such as supplies, equipment and technical personnel, including expenses generated in the laboratories of the established investigators who serve as mentors
  • Travel to attend the annual Scholars meeting
  • Travel to receive training or attend scientific meetings
  • Tuition, fees, or books
  • Technical support for data analysis and statistical or computer services
  • Items that may NOT be supported within the $25,000 support category include: mentor salary support; direct support of the laboratories, travel, and research projects of the investigators serving as mentors beyond those expenses directly attributable to the scholar's project
• The budget justification should state that the proposed mentor has sufficient independent support to cover the costs of the proposed project in excess of the allowable budget of this award.
• Proposals do not need to be routed for institutional signoff, but candidates should work with their RAS Pre-Award contacts for assistance in creating the budget.

5) Other Supporting Documentation:

• Project Abstract (limit 1 page)
• Project Narrative (2-3 sentences)
• Institutional Environment Section (limit 1 page)

6) Specific Aims of the Proposed Research (limit 1 page)

​7) Candidate Information Section describing the candidate’s background, career goals and objectives, career development/training activities during the award period and the training in responsible conduct in research. (recommend 4 pages maximum)*

8) Research Strategy including Significance, Innovation and Approach of the proposed research (recommend 8 pages maximum) including preliminary data. References should be included at the end of this section, but are not included in the page limit.*

*NOTE: The Candidate Information Section and the Research Strategy section together must not exceed 12 pages (white space at the end of each section is not counted). If the text exceeds 12 pages for these two sections, your application will be returned without review.

9) Statement(s) by the Mentor/Co-Mentor and any other key contributors important to the scholar's research career success. (limit 6 pages)

10) Vertebrate Animals Section (if applicable) - The Vertebrate Animals Section is a standalone document and must include enough procedural details for evaluation even if these details are included elsewhere in the grant application, publications, IACUC protocol, or institutional SOPs/guidelines. The details should include:

• A general experimental timeline for animals from start until euthanasia.
• For ALL procedures on a live animal: frequency and duration of procedures, identification of and routes of administration of substances, experimental endpoints, and monitoring parameters and monitoring frequency.
• Examples of the types of procedures that may be described include:
  • Behavioral tests
  • Blood collection
  • Surgical procedures
  • Administration of substances
  • Tumor induction
  • Post-irradiation procedures

11) Response to Prior Reviews - If the research project has previously been submitted for consideration to an institutional K mechanism (including this K12 opportunity) or for extramural funding, the applicant should include a copy of the critique from the prior submission and within a 1 page limit, indicate how the criticisms will be addressed by the new work funded by this K12 grant submission.

12) Letters of Suport - Letters of support can be used to reinforce attributes of the proposed work, team of investigators, mentorship and institutional resources/leadership. They can also be used to highlight a contribution of a research resource or material that is unique and/or essential to the successful completion of the proposed research. Letters of support are not required.

13) Submission must be completed by the deadlines stated in this Request for Applications. 

These sections are to be fashioned after the NIH K application requirements and must adhere to all formatting requirements. Detailed instructions can be found within the SF 424 application guide under the supplemental instructions for CDA’s found at this link: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/how-to-apply-application-guide/forms-e/career-forms-e.pdf