NEI Institutional Mentored Physician Scientist Award (K12 Clinical Trial Optional) | PAR 23 197

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 23 197

The NEI Institutional Mentored Physician Scientist Award (K12 Clinical Trial Optional), PAR-23-197, is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity from the National Eye Institute (NEI) designed to help institutions build strong, structured career development programs for clinically trained vision scientists. The central goal is to expand and strengthen the pipeline of clinician-investigators in vision research by supporting mentored research experiences that position participating clinicians to become independent researchers. Rather than funding a single individual directly, this K12 mechanism funds an institutional program that selects and supports multiple early-career clinician “Scholars” through a defined mentoring, training, and research plan.

A key feature of this NOFO is its flexibility around clinical trials. The program can appoint Scholars who (1) plan to lead an independent clinical trial, (2) plan to conduct an ancillary clinical trial tied to another study, or (3) want to gain meaningful clinical trial experience by working within a trial led by another investigator as part of their broader research and career development activities. However, the clinical trial scope is deliberately limited: Scholars supported under this K12 are restricted to minimal risk clinical trials only. NEI adopts the NIH definition of minimal risk, meaning the probability and magnitude of harm or discomfort anticipated in the research are not greater than what people ordinarily encounter in daily life or during routine physical or psychological exams or tests. If an institution is considering including human subjects or clinical trial components, NEI strongly encourages early consultation with NEI program staff to confirm fit and ensure the correct funding pathway is being used.

The opportunity places a clear emphasis on building inclusive training environments and broadening participation in the vision research workforce. Institutions are highly encouraged to recruit program leaders (PIs/PDs), mentors, and Scholars from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups and to include individuals with disabilities, consistent with NIH diversity guidance referenced in NOT-OD-22-019. This signals that applicant institutions should think intentionally about recruitment strategies, mentorship structures, and program design elements that support equitable access and success for historically underrepresented groups in biomedical research careers.

Eligibility is broad on the institutional side, reflecting the K12’s focus on building training capacity across many organizational types. Eligible applicants include public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (including 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3) organizations), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), small businesses, and a range of government entities (state, county, city/township, special districts), as well as certain tribal governments and tribal organizations. The NOFO also highlights additional eligible categories such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), along with faith-based or community-based organizations and U.S. territories or possessions. At the same time, it draws firm boundaries around foreign involvement: non-U.S. (non-domestic) entities are not eligible to apply, non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, and foreign components (as defined by NIH policy) are not allowed under this announcement.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary grant in the health category, listed under CFDA 93.867. The opportunity was created on June 12, 2023, and the listed closing date is June 9, 2026. While the provided source text does not specify an award ceiling or expected number of awards, the program’s intent is clear: NEI is looking for institutional proposals that are creative, innovative, and well-structured, with strong mentorship and career development plans that will reliably move clinically trained vision researchers toward independent, competitive research careers, while keeping any clinical trial activities within the minimal-risk boundary and aligned with NIH clinical trial definitions.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NEI Institutional Mentored Physician Scientist Award (K12 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.867.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-06-12.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-06-09. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, 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, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.

Apply for PAR 23 197

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