The NCI Predoctoral to Postdoctoral Fellow Transition Award (F99/K00) | RFA CA 19 002

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA CA 19 002

The NCI Predoctoral to Postdoctoral Fellow Transition Award (F99/K00) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant opportunity from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) designed to help exceptional graduate students move smoothly from the late stages of their PhD (or equivalent doctoral training) into a strong, cancer-focused postdoctoral position and then onward toward an independent research career. The central goal is to encourage and retain trainees who have already been identified by their institutions as having outstanding potential and a clear interest in becoming independent cancer researchers. In practical terms, the program is structured to support both the final phase of predoctoral training and the early postdoctoral period, while also emphasizing career development activities that build the skills, experiences, and professional trajectory needed for long-term success in cancer research.

This opportunity is listed as a discretionary grant under the funding activity category of education and health, with CFDA number 93.398, and it was released under Funding Opportunity Number RFA-CA-19-002. The original closing date shown for the competition is February 22, 2019, and the record notes no stated award ceiling and no specified number of expected awards in the provided source text. The opportunity was created on September 17, 2018. While the summary highlights the intent and broad structure of the F99/K00 mechanism, the full funding opportunity announcement is where applicants would find the specific budget rules, duration, allowable costs, review criteria, and the detailed requirements for transitioning from the F99 phase (predoctoral) to the K00 phase (postdoctoral career development).

Eligibility in the source data is broad across many types of U.S.-based organizations and public entities. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; and Native American tribal organizations other than federally recognized tribal governments. The eligibility list also includes nonprofits both with and without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education in those nonprofit categories), for-profit organizations other than small businesses, small businesses, and an “other” category that can apply depending on how NIH defines eligibility in the announcement.

The opportunity also explicitly names several categories of institutions and organizations as “other eligible applicants,” underscoring NCI’s interest in supporting a wide range of research and training environments. These include Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions; Asian American, Native American, and Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs); faith-based or community-based organizations; Hispanic-serving institutions; Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs); regional organizations; eligible federal agencies; and U.S. territories or possessions. These categories are important because they signal that the program is open to a diverse set of institutional contexts and may help broaden participation across different communities and geographic regions, while still focusing on the core mission of developing future independent cancer researchers.

At the same time, the announcement places clear limits on foreign involvement. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations) and non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign institutions) are explicitly stated as not eligible to apply. In addition, non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply, and foreign components (as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement) are not allowed. This means the award is intended to be carried out fully within eligible domestic organizational structures, without foreign component arrangements that NIH would classify as foreign participation under its policy definitions. For anyone considering applying, these restrictions make it especially important to review the NIH Grants Policy Statement definitions and the specific FOA language so there is no ambiguity about whether a proposed training or research plan would be considered to involve a foreign component.

Overall, the F99/K00 is aimed at strengthening the cancer research pipeline by identifying high-potential graduate students and providing a structured, supported transition into postdoctoral training, paired with purposeful career development toward independence. It is fundamentally a workforce and career-development investment by NCI, focused on helping promising trainees position themselves for long-term impact as independent investigators in cancer research, while keeping eligibility centered on U.S.-based institutions and disallowing foreign components.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "The NCI Predoctoral to Postdoctoral Fellow Transition Award (F99/K00)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.398.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2018-09-17.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2019-02-22. (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 RFA CA 19 002

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