National Institute of
General Medical Sciences

The purpose of the Maximizing Opportunities for Scientific and Academic Independent Careers (MOSAIC) program is to support a cohort of early career, independent investigators from diverse backgrounds, for example individuals from underrepresented groups, conducting research in NIH mission areas. The program has two components: an individual career transition award for postdoctoral scholars (K99/R00) and a research education cooperative agreement (UE5) awarded to organizations to provide these scholars with additional mentoring, networking and professional development activities to support their transition to and success in independent, tenure-track or equivalent research-intensive faculty careers.

Anyone who meets the eligibility criteria specified in the NOFO can apply.

• By the time of award, the individual must be a citizen or a non-citizen national of the United States or have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence (i.e., possess a currently valid Permanent Resident Card USCIS Form I-551, or other legal verification of such status).
• Candidates for the K99/R00 award must have a clinical or research doctorate (including PhD, MD, DO, DC, ND, DDS, DMD, DVM, ScD, DNS, PharmD or equivalent doctoral degrees). Clinicians (including those with MD, DDS, DVM and other licensed health professionals) in a clinical faculty position that denotes independence in clinical responsibilities but not in research may also be eligible for the K99/R00 award.
• Individuals must be in mentored, postdoctoral training positions to be eligible to apply to the K99/R00 program. If the candidate achieves independence (that is, any faculty or non-mentored research position) before a K99 award is made, neither the K99 award nor the R00 award will be issued.
• K99/R00 candidates must have no more than 4 years of postdoctoral research experience as of the relevant application due date regardless of whether it is a New or Resubmission application. Only time dedicated to research activities counts toward the 4-year limit.
  • Consistent with the NIH Extension Policy for Early-Stage Investigator Status (ESI), NIH will approve an extension of one year for childbirth within the 4-year K99 eligibility window. Candidates who will be PD/PIs on a K99 application must provide the child’s date of birth in the extension request justification submitted to IC program officials and/or scientific/research contacts listed in the NOFO at least 12 weeks before submitting an application.
  • Parental, medical, or other well-justified leave for personal or family situations is not included in the 4-year eligibility limit, nor is clinical training with no research involvement (for example, full-time residency training).
  • Part-time postdoctoral research training, related to personal or family situations or occurring during a research residency or fellowship, will be prorated accordingly.
  • In addition, time spent conducting postgraduate clinical training that does not involve research is not considered as part of the 4-year research training eligibility limit.

Please refer to the NIH Extension Policy for Eligibility Window for Pathway to Independence Awards (K99/R00).

Individuals are NOT eligible if they:

• Have currently or previously held an independent research faculty or tenure-track faculty position, or its equivalent, in academia, industry or elsewhere; or
• Have more than 4 years of related postdoctoral research training at the time of initial application or resubmission; or
• Have been an independent PD/PI on NIH research grants (e.g. R01, R03, R21), NIH career development awards (e.g., K01, K07, K08, K23, K25), or other peer-reviewed NIH or non-NIH research grants over $100,000 direct costs per year, or Project Leaders on sub-projects of program project (P01) or center (P50) grants or the equivalent

Consistent with existing NIH practice and applicable law:

• An applicant organization may not use the race, ethnicity, or sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, or transgender status) of a prospective K99 candidate as an eligibility criteria.
• NIH does not use the race, ethnicity, or sex of a candidate to establish program eligibility, as part of the application review process, or as a factor in making funding decisions.

For the purpose of this announcement, organizations are encouraged to recruit prospective candidates from groups underrepresented on the national basis. In addition, because underrepresentation can vary from setting to setting, organizations should design a recruitment strategy to foster a diverse candidate pool based on the organization’s local context as well as national needs.

In addition to the strong research plan and a plan to foster independence, there are a few additional items to consider for prospective candidates:

• The program is designed to support postdoctoral researchers who have demonstrated meaningful contributions and proposed compelling future plans to promote broad participation in the biomedical research workforce, such as activities that promote inclusive, supportive, and accessible biomedical research environments that support the success of trainees and scientists from all backgrounds, including individuals from underrepresented groups. Appropriate to the career stage, candidates should have demonstrated meaningful contributions toward promoting broad participation in the biomedical research and propose well-developed plans for how those activities will be continued as an independent investigator. Candidates whose statements are weak in this area are not the intended recipients of this award.
• The K99/R00 award is intended for individuals who require at least 12 months of mentored career development (K99 phase) before transitioning to the R00 award phase of the program. Consequently, the strongest candidates will require and propose a well-conceived plan for 1-2 years of substantive mentored career development that will help them become competitive candidates for tenure-track faculty positions and prepare them to launch robust, independent research programs. An individual who cannot provide a compelling rationale for at least one year of additional mentored career development at the time of award is not a strong candidate for this award.

No. One difference from the Parent K99/R00 Announcement is that MOSAIC awards are limited to US citizens and permanent residents. From the NOFO: “By the time of award, the individual must be a citizen or a non-citizen national of the United States or have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence (i.e., possess a currently valid Permanent Resident Card USCIS Form I-551, or other legal verification of such status).”

No. DACA recipients are not eligible for the MOSAIC K99, as DACA does not confer lawful permanent resident status or a path to citizenship. For NOFOs that do not have a citizenship requirement, such as the parent K99, DACA recipients would be eligible to apply.

Generally, the 4-year period begins when an applicant has completed all requirements to satisfy their doctoral degree (e.g., completed their dissertation defense).

All time spent in postdoctoral research training counts toward K99 eligibility.

Thus, time spent in a Ph.D. advisor's lab as a postdoctoral researcher after completing degree requirements typically counts toward the 4-year limit.

Yes. Consistent with the NIH Extension Policy for Early-Stage Investigator Status (ESI), NIH will approve an extension of one year for childbirth within the 4-year K99 eligibility window.

Only time dedicated to research activities counts toward the 4-year limit.

• Consistent with the NIH Extension Policy for Early Stage Investigator Status (ESI), NIH will approve an extension of one year for childbirth within the 4-year K99 eligibility window. Candidates who will be PD/PIs on a K99 application must provide the child’s date of birth in the extension request justification submitted to IC program officials and/or scientific/research contacts listed in the NOFO at least 12 weeks before submitting an application.
• Parental, medical, or other well-justified leave for personal or family situations is not included in the 4-year eligibility limit, nor is clinical training with no research involvement (for example, full-time residency training).
• Part-time postdoctoral research training, related to personal or family situations or occurring during a research residency or fellowship, will be prorated accordingly.
• In addition, time spent conducting postgraduate clinical training that does not involve research is not considered as part of the 4-year research training eligibility limit.

Please refer to NIH Extension Policy for Eligibility Window for Pathway to Independence Awards (K99/R00) and see NIH FAQs on K99 Extensions.

Applicants seeking an extension of the 4-year eligibility window must contact a Scientific/Research Contact at least 12 weeks before submitting the application.

Generally, it is good to provide information about your training in a table format (date, description, percent effort in lab) to help NIH effectively evaluate the request and the length of the extension. A sample format is below:

NIH no longer provides automatic extensions for COVID-19 related training disruptions.

Applicants seeking an extension of the 4-year eligibility window must contact a Scientific/Research Contact at least 12 weeks before submitting the application.

In a cover letter with the application, the investigator should include an explanation of the special circumstances of their career training that warrants consideration for an exception from the 4-year limit.

Both the MOSAIC K99/R00 award and parent K99/R00 provide up to five years of support in two phases:

• The initial (K99) phase provides support for up to 2 years of mentored postdoctoral career development.
• The second (R00) phase provides up to 3 years of independent research support, which is contingent on satisfactory progress during the K99 phase and an approved, independent, tenure-track (or equivalent) faculty position.

MOSAIC K99/R00 scholars are part of organized scientific cohorts and participate in mentoring, networking, and professional development activities coordinated by MOSAIC Organizational Research Education Awardees (UE5).

As with all K99/R00 awardees, MOSAIC scholars propose rigorous research and career development activities—and their mentors provide tailored career development plans—as part of their applications. Additionally, MOSAIC scholars have demonstrated meaningful contributions toward promoting broad participation in the biomedical research workforce (for example, furthering inclusive, supportive, and accessible biomedical research environments), and proposed well-developed plans for how those activities will be continued as an independent investigator.

Per the NOFO, candidates are strongly encouraged to apply no later than the third year of their postdoctoral training to ensure awardees receive maximum benefit from both the K99 phase of the award, and to facilitate a timely transition to independence. However, candidates can apply at any time during their eligibility window, as long as the time frame is well justified.

NIH encourages applicants to apply as early as possible to facilitate their career transitions. Because the program aims to support the career development of scholars early in their postdoctoral training, candidates who have not yet published a first-author manuscript during their postdoctoral training, but whose previous and current studies and future plans are likely to support a successful independent research career are encouraged to apply.

If you are concerned about publication record, there are a few options to consider:

• Peer review panels typically recognize preprints as real markers of productivity. These can be included in the application if the preprint is posted prior to application submission (see NOT-OD-19-083).
• The Scientific Review Officer will reach out about ~30 days before the review meeting to allow you to update the application with information including manuscripts accepted for publication since application submission.
• The Career Development plan can include a specific and credible plan to enhance your publication record.
• Note the biosketch instructions: If you wish to explain factors that affected your past productivity, such as family care responsibilities, illness, disability, or military service, you may address them in the "A. Personal Statement" section.

The MOSAIC K99 application follows the page limits of other K awards (see: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/how-to-apply-application-guide/format-and-write/page-limits.htm#car). The one exception, the Description of Institutional Environment has a two-page maximum. Applicants should disregard the following warning message "The Description of Institutional Environment attachment on the PHS 398 Career Development Award Supplemental Form is limited to 1 page." This NOFO permits 2 pages for this attachment.

Biosketch instructions are available here: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms/biosketch.htm. Please use the Non-Fellowship Biosketch.

Yes, the NIH Data Management and Sharing policy applies to all research that generates scientific data, including, K99 awards.

Be sure to follow all instructions in the SF424 Application Guide, "Other Plans" Section, including addressing all Elements of a Data Management and Sharing Plan.

Current MOSAIC UE5 Awardees are the:

• American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB)
• American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB)
• American Society for Microbiology (ASM)
  
• Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)
• Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB)

NIH staff (i.e., MOSAIC K99/R00 program officers) assign scholars based on a range of factors including the type of research they are conducting as well as the capacity for the UE5 awardees to serve additional scholars.

All UE5 awardees provide comparable and high-quality professional development activities.

In the “Candidate’s Plan for Career Development/Training Activities During Award Period,” candidates should Identify one of the organizations the candidate would like to be affiliated with, and explain the reasons for the affiliation.

Typical UE5 Assignments for MOSAIC K99/R00 Scholars based on scientific disciplines include:

• American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB): Chemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology, structural biology
• American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB): Cell biology, developmental biology, basic neuroscience
• American Society for Microbiology (ASM): Microbiology and immunology
• Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC): Minority health, health disparities, clinically related studies, population health, social and behavioral science, medical technology
• Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB): Aging biology, human physiology, endocrine biology, basic neuroscience

Yes. MOSAIC K99/R00 applications must include:

• Statement on Activities to Promote Broad Participation in Biomedical Research Workforce (Required; 1-page maximum – applications lacking this will not be reviewed): The application must include a statement from the candidate (i.e., the postdoctoral researcher) describing (a) past and present activities, and (b) future plans as a faculty member to promote broad participation in the biomedical workforce, that is those activities that further and foster inclusive, supportive, and accessible biomedical research environments that support trainees and scientists from all backgrounds, including individuals from underrepresented groups.

Highlight activities relevant to addressing underrepresentation within the biomedical research workforce within the United States and territories. Examples can include, but are not limited to:

• Outreach activities to foster awareness of biomedical research training opportunities for potential trainees from all backgrounds.
• Contributions to targeted recruitment activities (such as those to individuals from underrepresented groups) intended to diversify applicant pools for training programs.
• Mentoring or leadership activities in relevant programs or organizations meant to create and sustain inclusive biomedical research and research training environments for scientists and trainees from diverse backgrounds.

Highlight the impact of past and present activities.

For future plans as a faculty member, describe activities that go beyond those considered a regular part of an individual's academic duties (for example, mentoring the trainees who are in the faculty member’s research group).

Describe planned activities during the career award to develop or enhance skills in working effectively with researchers and trainees from a wide variety of backgrounds.

As applicable, candidates may discuss how aspects of their personal background and lived experiences have motivated their pursuit of the activities or informed their plans to promote broad participation in biomedical research.

Applications lacking this attachment will be considered incomplete and will not be reviewed.

• Note: MOSAIC K99 applications do not require the Description of Candidate's Contribution to Program Goals attachment and should not include it.

No. The NIH will not accept duplicate or highly overlapping applications under review at the same time. An individual may not have two or more competing NIH career development applications pending review concurrently. In addition, NIH will not accept:

• A new (A0) application that is submitted before issuance of the summary statement from the review of an overlapping new (A0) or resubmission (A1) application.
• A resubmission (A1) application that is submitted before issuance of the summary statement from the review of the previous new (A0) application.
• An application that has substantial overlap with another application pending appeal of initial peer review (see NOT-OD-11-101)

Anyone who meets the eligibility criteria specified in the NOFO can apply. Previous application to the Parent K99/R00 does not impact your ability to apply for the MOSAIC K99/R00 program. Note, as you are applying for a new notice of funding opportunity, this would be considered a new application, not a resubmission (or A1).

Please consult the Tables of IC-Specific Information, Requirements, and Staff Contacts and email the relevant Scientific Contact with a specific aims page and biosketch to assess appropriateness of the proposal.

• PAR-24-225: MOSAIC K99/R00 - Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed
• PAR-24-226: MOSAIC K99/R00 - Independent Clinical Trial Required
• PAR-24-227: MOSAIC K99/R00 - Independent Basic Experimental Studies with Humans Required (BESH)

If you're a postdoc interested in the MOSAIC program, but your research falls within the mission of an NIH Institute that is not participating in the program (i.e., NCI), we encourage you to reach out to Dr. Kenneth Gibbs and Dr. Kalynda Gonzales Stokes to discuss your options.

MOSAIC K99/R00 applications will be reviewed by review panels organized by the Review Branches of participating ICs. Some Institutes and Centers use standing study sections to review their K awards, while others organize special emphasis panels. The name and contact information for the scientific review official (SRO) assigned to each application will be posted in the eRA Commons once the assignment has been made, and any review related questions can be directed to the assigned SRO.

MOSAIC K99/R00 applications use Standard Due Dates. A table summarizing this information is presented below.

Yes. The Scientific Review Officers of participating ICs will ensure that reviewers have the relevant expertise to review the application, bearing in mind that MOSAIC is intended to support a broad program of research and the breadth of research areas that are encompassed by the missions of participating ICs.

Rosters will be available 15 days before the study section meeting.

The review criteria are the same (Candidate, Career Development Plan/Career Goals and Objectives, Research Plan, Mentors, Environment & Institutional Commitment). In some cases, the wording has been modified to enhance clarity and ensure the candidate's record is evaluated relative to their years of experience. Additionally, there are review criteria to assess the activities to promote broad participation in the biomedical research workforce, and intentions to participate in the MOSAIC UE5 activities.

Yes. Appeals are allowed for PARs. For more information on appeals, see NOT-OD-11-064. Before beginning the appeals process, the applicant is strongly advised to speak with the program director responsible for the application. 

Yes, if you still meet the requirements stated in the eligibility criteria of the NOFO, including having no more than 4 years of postdoctoral research experience at the time of the Resubmission application.

As a reminder, the NIH will not accept duplicate or highly overlapping applications under review at the same time. Per the NIH resubmission policy, once your application has been reviewed, you must wait for the summary statement to be issued before you resubmit that application or submit any other application with substantial scientific overlap.

The summary statements for MOSAIC applications will be made available to the Advisory Councils of participating Institutes and Centers in the same way as for other applications.

Participating IC will notify applicants when to submit Just-in-Time information. This information will be requested for all applications under consideration for funding, but the request is not meant to imply a guarantee of funding the application.

Each IC will make funding decisions consistent with their priorities and missions.

For NIGMS, staff will carefully consider the study section and advisory council recommendations, including the scores and language in the summary statement, and Just-in-Time information. As with all funding decisions, NIGMS uses a multifactorial process that also considers the breadth of the Institute's research portfolio.

Investigators who contact Program staff will be provided feedback in the usual way on the reviews and their prospects for receiving a MOSAIC K99/R00 award. As always, staff cannot make any definitive statements until the plan to make an award is approved at an appropriate level. The Notice of Award is the only official notice of a government commitment to fund an NIH award.

Yes!

For the K99 Phase:

• NIH provides Administrative Supplements to Promote Research Continuity and Retention of NIH Mentored Career Development (K) Award Recipients and Scholars (see: https://orwh.od.nih.gov/career-development-education/research-continuity-retention-supplements). The overarching goal of this program is to enhance the retention of investigators facing critical life events (e.g., childbirth, health related career disruptions, etc.) who are transitioning from mentored career development awards to research independence and to minimize departures from biomedical research workforce. Please contact your K99 Award Program officer for more details.

For the R00 Phase:

• NIH provides Administrative Supplement for Continuity of Biomedical and Behavioral Research Among First-Time Recipients of NIH Research Project Grant Awards (see: https://orwh.od.nih.gov/career-development-education/research-continuity-retention-supplements).
• R00 awards are eligible for Research Supplements to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research.
• R00 awards may be eligible for other supplements.

For more information on any of these supplement opportunities, please reach out to your program officer.

To activate the independent phase of the grant, individuals must have:

• Been offered and accepted a tenure-track, full-time assistant professor position (or equivalent) by the end of the K99 project period.
• Made adequate progress in the K99 phase.

Note: Transition from the mentored phase to the independent phase is intended to be continuous in time and, except in unusual, extenuating circumstances, the awarding NIH Institute/Center will not extend the K99 phase beyond the 2-year limit. ICs may, at their discretion, make exceptions to this time limitation when individuals have been invited for faculty job interviews but final decisions have not yet been made by the potential R00 institution or, rarely, because of unusual, extenuating circumstances.

Each participating NIH Institute and Center has its own process. Contact the program officer and grants management official for the K99 award to discuss the transition process and timeline. General instructions are found in "Section VI. Award Administration Information" of the MOSAIC K99/R00 Notice of Funding Opportunity (see "Transition to the Independent Phase").

Candidates are required to devote no less than 75% of their full-time, 12-month professional effort to research (i.e., full-time for 9 person-months). That said, the required 9 person-months of research effort need not be devoted exclusively to the R00-supported research. Per the NOFO, the sponsoring institution must document that protected research time will be guaranteed (minimum of 9 person-months or 75% of the candidate's full time professional effort) at least for the duration of the R00 award.

The total cost for the R00 may not exceed $249,000 per year. This amount includes salary, fringe benefits, research costs, and applicable indirect costs. Indirect costs vary by institution and will impact the direct costs drawn from the grant.

Example:
If the indirect cost rate is 50%, then the maximum direct costs are $166,000.

$249,000 (Total Costs) = $166,000 (Direct Costs) + $83,000 (Indirect costs, or 50% of the direct costs)

Yes.

The following types of organizations are eligible:

• Higher education institutions are eligible to apply
• Nonprofits Other Than Institutions of Higher Education (such as scientific societies)

Awardee organizations must provide career development and mentoring activities aligned with and appropriate for the disciplinary backgrounds of scholars supported through the MOSAIC K99/R00 program. Areas of programmatic need will be indicated through Notices of Special interest (NOSIs) released annually by NIH. Applications that do not address the program areas of need specified in the NOSI will be considered non-responsive and will not be reviewed.

Applications are especially encouraged from organizations with:

• A demonstrated commitment to promoting broad participation in the biomedical research workforce, for example, encouraging the inclusion of individuals from underrepresented groups
• An established record of providing professional skills development, mentoring and networking activities for postdoctoral researchers
• Experience serving to enhance scientific communication and networking among scientists conducting research
• The resources to support the proposed program, e.g., the provision of adequate staff, facilities, and educational capacity

Applicants must be able to provide well-designed and appropriate mentoring, skills building, networking and professional development in one or more of the following scientific areas of program priority:

• Cell biology
• Biochemistry, molecular biology, and biophysics
• Neuroscience related to basic, clinical and translational research, mental health and addiction
• Basic, clinical and translational physiology and pathophysiology of multiple human organ systems
• Population health studies, including health promotion, minority health and health disparities

Applications that can broadly cover more than one of the areas above are also encouraged.

For more, see NOSI for the September 2024 receipt date is NOT-GM-24-025.

Yes. Multiple organizations can partner for a MOSAIC UE5 application, with one organization serving as Primary Performance Site Location. If multiple organizations partner for an UE5 application, follow all instructions for Consortium/Contractual Arrangements in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

Yes. Current MOSAIC UE5 Awardees are the:

• American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB)
• The American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB)
• The American Society for Microbiology (ASM)
• The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)
• Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB)