PA-22-232
AHRQ Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Award (K08)
Summary
AHRQ Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Award (K08)
STATUS: EXPIRED (March 17, 2026). Limited case-by-case submissions may be accepted; contact eRA Service Desk.
Research Focus
This award supports intensive mentored career development in health services research for clinician-scientists holding doctoral degrees (MD, DDS, DO, DVM, PharmD, or equivalent clinical doctorates). The program funds a 3–5 year protected research period combining didactic training and supervised research to help early-career researchers launch independent careers and become competitive for R01 funding.
Research must address AHRQ's core mission: producing evidence to make healthcare safer, higher-quality, more accessible, equitable, and affordable. Eligible topics span healthcare organization, delivery, financing, utilization, patient and provider behavior, outcomes, effectiveness, cost, and disparities reduction. Applicants are encouraged to focus on AHRQ priority populations (underserved and vulnerable groups), health equity, and disease prevention. Research must be U.S.-based; international health projects are not accepted. Consultation with AHRQ scientific contacts before submission is strongly encouraged.
At a Glance
- Who can apply: Individuals with clinical doctoral degrees (MD, DDS, DMD, DO, DC, OD, ND, DVM, PharmD, PhD in clinical disciplines) at eligible institutions.
- Funding & project length: Up to $90,000/year direct costs for salary + research expenses; 3–5 year project period.
- Award mechanism: Mentored career development grant (K08).
- Key dates: First standard due date October 12, 2022 (now expired); merit review ~4 months after receipt; earliest start ~4 months after review.
- Best fit for: Clinician-scientists transitioning to health services research careers, focusing on healthcare delivery, quality improvement, equity, and outcomes in U.S. settings.
Key Facts
Deadline
Sat, February 13, 2027
Posted
Tue, August 9, 2022
Award / Year (direct costs)
$90,000
Max Total
$450,000
Max Duration
5 years
Keywords
Research Areas
Gotchas (5)
This NOFO has expired as of March 17, 2026; applications may only be accepted on case-by-case basis for limited period after expiration
100%
Source Text
“This notice has expired. For NIH, in limited situations, applications may be accepted on a case-by-case basis for a short period after expiration to accommodate NIH late or continuous submission policies. Contact the eRA Service Desk for any submission issues.”
Research must focus on U.S. health care delivery; international health care research projects will not be accepted
95%
Source Text
“Candidates must conduct mentored K08 research projects which focus on health care delivery in the United States. AHRQ will not accept international health care research projects.”
AHRQ page limits for Research Strategy may differ from NIH standard limits; applicants must follow AHRQ-specific guidance in this NOFO rather than general NIH Application Guide
95%
Source Text
“Also note that AHRQ may have different page limits than NIH for the application Research Strategy, which can be found within each individual NOFO.”
Mandatory pre-submission consultation with AHRQ scientific/research contact is strongly encouraged to ensure responsiveness to priorities
85%
Source Text
“Special Note: To ensure that applications are responsive to AHRQ's priorities as well as NOFO requirements, consultation with AHRQ scientific/research contact prior to application submission is encouraged. See Section VIII. Other Information for award authorities and regulations.”
Institutional salary supplementation is allowed only up to the candidate's institutional base salary and cannot come from Federal funds unless specifically authorized by the source program
90%
Source Text
“However, supplementation may not be from Federal funds unless specifically authorized by the Federal program from which such funds are derived.”