Recompetition of the Pediatric Scientist Development Program (PSDP) (K12 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | RFA HD 22 006

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA HD 22 006

The Recompetition of the Pediatric Scientist Development Program (PSDP) (K12 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) career development grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is issued under Funding Opportunity Number RFA-HD-22-006 and falls under the K12 institutional career development mechanism, focused specifically on strengthening the pipeline of pediatric physician-scientists. Unlike many K12 programs that are run primarily within a single university or medical center, this program is designed as a national network that connects a broad pool of pediatric trainees with an equally broad, high-performing network of established research mentors across institutions. The overall goal is to accelerate the transition of promising pediatricians into independent, academically based research careers.

A central purpose of the PSDP is to identify pediatricians who have completed their clinical training and show strong research potential, then actively match them with mentors who have proven records in both scientific productivity and trainee development. In practical terms, the program is expected to function as a structured, competitive national career development platform that recruits and selects scholars, aligns each scholar with appropriate mentorship, and provides an organized framework of support to help those scholars build the skills, publication record, preliminary data, and grant-readiness needed for research independence. Because the FOA explicitly states “Clinical Trial Not Allowed,” the program’s supported research and training activities cannot include leading independent clinical trials as part of the award’s scope, which typically signals a focus on career development and research preparation activities that do not involve running clinical trials under this mechanism.

Another major expectation is that the funded program will develop and apply clear guidelines for mentoring and career development. This includes setting standards for what good mentorship looks like, how scholar progress is tracked, what competencies scholars should achieve, and how the program helps participants navigate the transition from mentored training to independent investigator status. The emphasis is on deliberate, measurable career development practices that improve the likelihood that pediatric clinician-researchers will obtain independent funding and secure long-term academic research positions.

From an administrative and funding standpoint, this is a discretionary grant in the Health, Income Security and Social Services activity category, listed under CFDA number 93.865. The opportunity anticipated a single award (Expected Awards: 1), meaning one applicant organization would operate the national PSDP network for the project period. The award ceiling is listed as $1,400,000, indicating the maximum anticipated funding level for the award under the FOA’s terms. The opportunity was created on March 22, 2021, with an original application closing date of July 29, 2021.

Eligibility is broad and includes public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (including those with and without 501(c)(3) status, other than institutions of higher education), and certain Native American tribal governments and tribal organizations. The listing also includes an “Others” category with a note to consult the FOA’s additional eligibility information for details, which is typical when NIH wants to allow participation by certain entities that do not fit neatly into standard categories but still meet program intent and administrative requirements.

In summary, this FOA supports a single nationally organized K12 program intended to cultivate the next generation of pediatric physician-scientists by pairing carefully selected, post-clinical-training pediatricians with accomplished research mentors, implementing rigorous mentoring and career development standards, and helping scholars move efficiently toward independent academic research careers, while operating within a scope that does not allow clinical trials under this award.

• The Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health in the health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Recompetition of the Pediatric Scientist Development Program (PSDP) (K12 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.865.
• This funding opportunity was created on Mar 22, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 29, 2021. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,400,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for RFA HD 22 006

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