K Award Program for On-time Proposal Preparation (K-POPP)

The VP&S Office for Research hosts a NIH K Award Program that starts in the months leading up to the three deadlines. 

The NIH Career Development (K) Award Program for On-time Proposal Preparation (K-POPP) is an online, self-paced course designed to provide practical resources (i.e. checklists, timelines, consultations etc.) to ensure applicants are staying on target to meet the submission deadline. K-POPP will provide direction and strategy for assembling the application and will guide the applicant in collaborating with their mentors to develop the career development plan and research strategy.

How to Apply:

Interested VP&S junior faculty members or postdoctoral scientists/research associate scientists must apply in order to participate and gain access to course materials on the Courseworks site. The course is asynchronous and self-paced. You can ask to join at any time no matter when you plan to submit your grant. Please register here. Email [email protected] for more information.

Dates for the February 2025 K-POPP:

  • Online Course Modules:
    • For new submisisons, start at least 14 weeks before the deadline.
    • For resubmissions, start at least 16 weeks before the deadline.
  • Intro to the K Award
    • Date: Monday, November 4 from 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. via Zoom
  • Understanding the Evaluation Criteria and Constructing a Biosketch Info Session
    • Date: Monday, November 18 from 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. via Zoom
  • Building your Mentoring Team and Crafting a Candidate Section Info Session
    • Date: Monday, December 2 from 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. via Zoom
  • Articulating Significance and Innovation Info Session
    • Date: Monday, December 9 from 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. via Zoom
  • Administrative Documents Info Session Part I & Check-In
    • Date: Monday, December 16 from 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. via Zoom
  • Administrative Documents Info Session Part II & Check-In
    • Date: Monday, January 13 from 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. via Zoom

Course details:

Instructors

  • Danielle Matsushima, PhD, Director of Research and Strategic Initiatives in the VP&S Office for Research
  • Daichi Shimbo, MD, Professor of Medicine, Co-Director of the TRANSFORM in the Irving Institute, and Associate Dean of Research Career Development 
  • Yinghui Mao, PhD, Associate Professor of Pathology and Cell Biology and Assistant Dean of Graduate Affairs
  • Walter Bockting, PhD, Professor of Medical Psychology (in Psychiatry and Nursing)
  • Pam Factor-Litvak, PhD, Professor of Epidemiology and Associate Dean for Research Resources

Learning objectives: 

Participants will be able to understand the components of a NIH Career Development Award and the key elements that compose a strong application. At the end of the program, all applicants will be equipped to submit a complete application to the NIH institute of their choice.

Structure: 

K-POPP is a self-paced course hosted on Courseworks. Each element of applying to the K Award has been broken into easily understandable sections to help PIs. There wll also be weekly emails with recommended to-do list to keep participants on track.

Helpful links:

  • NIH K Kiosk: Information about the different types of NIH Career Development (K) Awards as well as a list of funding opportunity announcements (FOA) for each activity code (e.g., K01, K08, K99)
  • NIH K Award Parent Announcements: Apply to these FOAs if you are submitting an application that is not solicited by NIH.

Other educational resources:

  • K Award Info Session for Clinicians: There is a session held every year and it is good overview information for both basic scientists and clinicians considering applying for a K award.
  • New York State Psychiatric Institute K Award Course: Led by Dr. Harold Pincus (New York State Psychiatric Institute), this course meets monthly from October to February with the goal of educating and preparing applicants to submit K Award applications. For more information, please email LaKeysia Huger or call 646-774-5400.

 

Please refer to the VP&S Office for Research Grant Starter Kit for checklists, templates, examples, and helpful links.

 

Questions about K-POPP? Email the VP&S Office for Research.