Tackling Your K Writing Club

The Office of Pediatric Research Development is thrilled to announce the launch of the 2026 Tackling Your K Club, starting this March! We invite all Pediatrics instructors, fellows, and postdocs who are preparing to submit their NIH K awards for the June/October 2026 or February 2027 deadlines to join us.

We will kick off the program on March 11, 2026, with an engaging in-person workshop titled “Map Your K,” held in Alway M114 from 2-4 PM. Register Here!

Key Highlights of Tackling Your K Club:

Didactic Training: Participants receive comprehensive training on essential K application components, including career development plan, research strategies, and biosketches etc.
Peer-Review Feedback Sessions: Participants have a safe and supportive community to share their drafts and seek constructive feedback in structured format.
Creative Storytelling using Design Thinking principles: Participants learn storytelling techniques using tools like Journey Mapping and the Future You canvas to craft compelling narratives that engage reviewers.
Meet Key Stakeholders: Participants will have the opportunity to meet with Dr. Mary Leonard, the Department Chair, to discuss their long-term goals and seek guidance individually.
1:1 Grantsmanship Support: Participants will get Individualized assistance with proposal development and submission with Dr. Vinita Bharat, Assistant Director of Science Communication and Research Development Training, OPRD

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Dr. Vinita Bharat, Office of Pediatric Research Development.

Tackling Your K 2026

Learning Objectives

• Generate concise and clear aims that are measurable and realistic

• Communicate clearly the significance and its importance to public health

• Develop a feasible research plan

• Outline a structured personalized career plan that enables independence

• Apply grantsmanship fundamentals, including to use the review criteria to inform writing

• Shape a mentoring team invested in your success

• Assemble a tool box, i.e., templates, boiler documents to guide proposal development

Instructors

Vinita Bharat, PhD

Assistant Director of Science Communication and Research Development Training

Crystal Botham, PhD

Director of Research Development

Get to know the K Awards

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) K Awards aim to launch outstanding researchers on to productive, independent research careers. The K Award Guidebook: Your guide to launching your independent research career is a helpful resource for K Award applicants.

Types of K Awards

NIH has several different types of K Awards and this "The K Award Guidebook: Your guide to launching your independent research career" can narrow down which K Award is best for you. Also, see NIH’s Research Career Development Awards website.

Types of K Awards

K Award	Description
K01 – Mentored Research Scientist Career Development Award	For support of a postdoctoral or early career research scientists committed to research, in need of both advanced research training and additional experience.
K08 – Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Award	To provide the opportunity for promising clinician scientists with demonstrated aptitude to develop into independent investigators, or for faculty members to pursue research, and aid in filling the academic faculty gap in health profession's institutions.
K22 – Career Transition Award	To provide support to outstanding newly trained basic or clinical investigators to develop their independent research skills through a two-phase program; an initial mentored research experience, followed by a period of independent research.
K23 – Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award	To provide support for the career development of clinically trained professionals who have made a commitment to patient-oriented research, and who have the potential to develop into productive, clinical investigators.
K25 – Mentored Quantitative Research Career Development Award	To support the career development of investigators with quantitative scientific and engineering backgrounds outside of biology or medicine who have made a commitment to focus their research endeavors on basic or clinical biomedical research.
K99/R00 – Pathway to Independence Award	To support both an initial mentored research experience (K99) followed by independent research (R00) for highly qualified, postdoctoral researchers, to secure an independent research position. Award recipients are expected to compete successfully for independent R01 support during the R00 phase.

K Award Due Dates

Most K Awards are due three times a year in February, June, and October but read the relevant K Award Funding Opportunity Announcement to confirm key deadlines.

K Award Review Criteria

The NIH K Award review criteria are designed so reviewers can evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed research and career development plans in launching productive, independent research careers. Your role as an applicant is to ensure each document points towards this goal.