Initial Outcomes for the NHLBI K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Program in Relation to Long-Standing Career Development Programs: Implications for Trainees, Mentors, and Institutions.

Abstract

Sufficient history now exists to assess the National Institutes of Health Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00), first offered in 2007 to support the career development of biomedical researchers. The success of K99 (Mentored Phase of the K99/R00) principal investigators in obtaining subsequent grant support was compared with that of principal investigators supported by the long-standing K08 (Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Award) and K23 (Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award) programs. For cardiovascular K awards initiated in fiscal years 2007 to 2009, K99 principal investigators were more successful in obtaining subsequent grant support than the other groups. Although a bibliometric analysis showed similar publication quality for all groups, the K99 group was most persistent in applying for the next grant. Possible implications of these findings for all K Award principal investigators, their mentors, and institutions are presented. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) supports a variety of career development or K awards to facilitate the careers of promising investigators through mentorship, salary support, resources, and protected research time with the broad objective of maintaining a skilled cadre of independent biomedical researchers.1 There are several K mechanisms, and each NIH Institute or Center offers those that best support its mission. Assessments of the entire K program both within2,3 and across NIH Institutes or Centers1 and external reviews by working groups of the Advisory Committee to the Director of NIH4 have shaped the overall structure and performance of K Award programs to achieve a diverse and highly productive research workforce. Recently, we have investigated outcomes for the most prevalent mentored K Awards within the portfolio of the Division of Cardiovascular Sciences (DCVS) of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). K08 (Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Award), K23 (Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development …