Application: K12 Career Development Program in Substance Use and Substance Use Disorder

Each applicant is required to submit a current NIH Biosketch and Other Support documents.

NIH Biosketch Template »

Download NIH Other Support Template (.doc) »

Applicant must submit a 3-5 page individual development plan (no more than 5 pages; references are not included in page count) that includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• Career goals
• Past research experience and past graduate coursework that is relevant
• Who your mentors are and why you have selected them
• Coursework you are planning to take and why
• The number of years you anticipate being on the K12 award. Note that appointments are for one year with the potential for extension with satisfactory progress. The expected amount of time a Scholar will spend in the program is two years.
• Your plans for the next 2-3 years if you do not receive the award
• How the award will change or affect your career plans

The required Research Plan should follow the standard NIH format (PHS 398). Please note the new NIH requirements for this section around Rigor and Reproducibility: https://grants.nih.gov/faqs#/rigor-and-reproducibility.htm

The Research Plan includes:

• Project Summary/Abstract (1 page limit)
• Introduction (Resubmission Only; NIH PHS 398 form is NOT required) (1 page limit)
• Specific Aims & Research Strategy (Significance, Innovation, and Approach) (5 page limit)
• Protection of Human Subjects, Inclusion of Women and Minorities, Inclusion of Children, Vertebrate Animals (3 page limit)
• Targeted/Planned Enrollment Table (1 page limit)
• Bibliography and References Cited/Progress Report Publication List (include PMCID # if applicable) and Consortium/Contractual Arrangements (No page limit)

Mentoring is a critical part of the K12 Career Development Program, and who your mentors are is very important. The K12 application requires two mentors. Applicants must identify one mentor as primary and one as secondary. Applicants must establish a relationship with the proposed mentors prior to submission of the K12 Career Development application. Please do not select mentors without prior approval.

The review of your K12 application will include a critique of your selected mentors. Reviewers will examine whether they are appropriate and suitable for your research project and career development. Please be sure that your mentors are the best suited for you and your research, and not simply meeting the minimum qualifications required of a K12 mentor. 

Mentor Selection:

• If the mentors you have selected do not already appear in the online application, please be sure they are qualified to be a mentor (see FAQ) and are willing to dedicate the time to you and this program.
• Please email the K12 Program if you would like to have a mentor approved for the K12 application. For approval, please submit the proposed mentor’s NIH Biosketch, Other Support Form, and Trainee Table documents. The application form and subsequent supporting documents cannot be submitted until a mentor has been approved and selected in the online form. All mentors will ultimately need to be approved by the Program Directors; therefore, new mentor approvals must be completed well in advance of the deadline.

Each proposed mentor must provide a letter of support, an updated NIH Biosketch, Other Support, and Trainee Tables by the application deadline. Upon submission of the online application form, an email will be automatically generated to each mentor with guidelines and instructions on how to upload the required letter. It is the responsibility of the applicant to verify that the identified mentors have received the emails. Applicants may view a confirmation of the documents that have been uploaded via the online application site.

• NIH Biosketch Template and Example
• Other Support Template (doc)
• Trainee Table Example (Table 2 and Table 8ABC)

Mentor letters must:

• Be uploaded by the mentor, not the applicant
• Include the mentor’s signature
• Be submitted on the mentor’s letterhead

Each applicant’s Department Chair or Division Chief is required to submit a letter of support describing the applicant’s potential and guaranteeing the protected time (75%) required for participation in the K12 Career Development Program. This letter of support must be uploaded by the application deadline. Upon submission of the online application form, an email will be automatically generated to the identified Department Chair or Division Chief with guidelines and instructions regarding how to upload the required letter. It is the responsibility of the applicant to verify that the Department Chair or Division Chief has received the email. The online application site provides applicants with a checklist on which they may view confirmation of the documents that have been uploaded to their application.

Letters of Recommendation from the Department Chair or Division Chief must:

• Be uploaded by the Department Chair or the Division Chief, not the applicant
• Include the Department Chair or the Division Chief’s signature
• Be submitted on letterhead

The last document uploaded will be the document reviewed. It is important for the Department Chair to understand that their letters must include a signature and be on official letterhead. The link sent to each Department Chair is unique for each applicant, and one link cannot be used to upload documents for multiple applicants.

Each applicant is required to have 2 letters of recommendation submitted by references in addition to the Department or Division Head. These letters should describe the applicant’s potential to succeed as an independent researcher. All letters of recommendation must be uploaded by the application deadline. Upon submission of the online application form, an email will be automatically generated to the identified referees with guidelines and instructions regarding how to upload the required letter. It is the responsibility of the applicant to verify that the identified referees have received the email. The online application site provides applicants with a checklist on which they may view confirmation of the documents that have been uploaded to their application.

Letters of Recommendation must:

• Be uploaded by referee, not the applicant
• Include the referee’s signature
• Be submitted on an official letterhead

The last document uploaded will be the document reviewed. It is important for referees to understand that their letters must include a signature and be on official letterhead. The link sent to each Referee is unique for each applicant, and one link cannot be used to upload documents for multiple applicants.