A practical guide to writing a competitive K award application

Abstract

Career Development Awards, including K-series grants from the National Institutes of Health, are often the first external award that developing surgeon-scientists will receive, and can lead to higher success rates in obtaining later independent funding. However, just like learning a new surgical technique, learning to create a competitive Career Development Award application requires good instruction and dedicated practice. This article is geared to deliver practical instruction for how to approach an initial Career Development Award application, so that aspiring surgeon-scientists will be equipped to tackle this daunting task in practice. Based on insights gleaned from published sources and the authors’ own experiences as K awardees, the discussion will cover preapplication considerations, including when to apply and how to get started, as well as specific advice for crafting well-developed components of the Career Development Award application. The objective of this article is to provide potential applicants with information and strategies to produce the highest quality, cohesive Career Development Award application possible. In sum, the authors hope that this article provides helpful insights to guide applicants toward successfully securing Career Development Award funding and establishing a solid foundation for their academic research careers.