Program Overview

The Maximizing Opportunities for Scientific and Academic Independent Careers (MOSAIC) program aims to bolster a cohort of early-career, independent researchers from diverse backgrounds, particularly individuals from underrepresented groups, engaged in NIH mission-aligned research. The program comprises two components: an individual career transition award for postdoctoral scholars (K99/R00) and a research education cooperative agreement (UE5) awarded to organizations. This agreement facilitates the provision of additional mentoring, networking, and professional development activities for scholars, supporting their transition to and success in independent, tenure-track or equivalent research-intensive faculty careers.

Program Goals

The primary objective of the MOSAIC Postdoctoral Career Transition Award to Promote Diversity (K99/R00) is to facilitate a smooth transition of promising postdoctoral researchers from diverse backgrounds from their mentored postdoctoral research positions to independent, tenure-track or equivalent research-intensive faculty positions. The program is designed to support postdoctoral researchers who have demonstrated meaningful contributions and proposed compelling future plans to promote broad participation in the biomedical research workforce, focusing on activities that promote inclusive, supportive, and accessible biomedical research environments. These environments aim to bolster the success of trainees and scientists from all backgrounds, including individuals from underrepresented groups.

Clinical Trial Focus

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is specifically designed to support candidates proposing to lead an independent clinical trial, a clinical trial feasibility study, or an ancillary study to an existing trial as part of their research and career development. Candidates not planning an independent clinical trial or proposing to gain research experience in a clinical trial led by another investigator must apply to companion NOFO PAR-24-225.

Key Program Considerations

The K99/R00 award is a two-phase award, offering up to 5 years of support. The initial (K99) phase provides funding for up to 2 years of mentored postdoctoral career development. The second (R00) phase, lasting up to 3 years, provides independent research support, contingent on satisfactory K99 phase progress and an approved, independent, tenure-track (or equivalent) faculty position. The two phases are designed to be continuous in time, with R00 awards generally only awarded to K99 PDs/PIs who accept independent, tenure-track (or equivalent) faculty positions by the end of the K99 award period.

The program strongly encourages applicant organizations to recruit prospective candidates from groups underrepresented on a national basis. Additionally, organizations should tailor their recruitment strategies to reflect local diversity needs, ensuring a candidate pool representative of both local and national contexts. Candidates should demonstrate meaningful contributions to promoting broad participation in the biomedical research workforce (e.g., fostering inclusive research environments) and propose well-developed plans for continuing such activities as independent investigators. Candidates who do not clearly demonstrate these contributions are not ideal recipients of this award.

To ensure the candidate’s timely transition to research independence, the K99/R00 award is intended for individuals requiring at least 12 months of mentored career development (K99 phase). Therefore, strong candidates will propose a well-defined plan for 1-2 years of substantive mentored career development that equips them to become competitive for tenure-track faculty positions and to launch robust, independent research programs. Individuals unable to provide a convincing rationale for at least one year of additional mentored career development are not ideal candidates.