Transition to Independent Environmental Health Research (TIEHR) Career Award (K01 Clinical Trial Required) | PAR 21 171

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 21 171

The Transition to Independent Environmental Health Research (TIEHR) Career Award (K01 Clinical Trial Required), Funding Opportunity Number PAR-21-171, is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) career development grant designed as a three-year "bridge" program for newly independent faculty who are building a long-term research career in environmental health sciences. The central goal is to help early-stage, faculty-level investigators strengthen their research direction, expand skills and leadership capacity, and generate the kind of results and track record that position them to compete successfully for independent environmental health research funding by the end of the award period. In practice, the program is meant to push scholars from the early transition stage into clear scientific independence, demonstrated through tangible progress toward securing subsequent research grants in environmental health.

A defining feature of this particular FOA is that it is the K01 version that requires a clinical trial component, meaning applicants are expected to propose and lead an independent clinical trial as part of the career development plan. NIH also allows closely related trial formats under this announcement, including a feasibility study or an ancillary study that is tied to an existing clinical trial, as long as the applicant is positioned as the lead investigator for the proposed work. The intent is not only to provide structured career development support, but to ensure the candidate gains real experience conceiving, managing, and executing human-subjects research that fits NIH's definition of a clinical trial, within the environmental health sciences space. This typically implies the applicant will need to present a well-justified trial question, a realistic operational plan, appropriate oversight and safety considerations, and a career development strategy that explains how the trial work will accelerate the investigator's independence.

Eligible applicant organizations include a broad mix of U.S.-based institutions and nonprofits: public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations both with and without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they otherwise meet eligibility requirements). The FOA also explicitly highlights several categories of institutions as other eligible applicants, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), and eligible agencies of the federal government. At the same time, the announcement makes clear that non-U.S. entities (foreign institutions) cannot apply, and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply. However, foreign components are allowed when they meet the NIH Grants Policy Statement definition, which generally means discrete elements of the project may be performed outside the U.S. if they are well-justified and compliant with NIH policy.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary grant funding mechanism under NIH, with a funding activity category that spans environment and health, and it is associated with CFDA number 93.113. The opportunity was created on March 15, 2021, and the original closing date listed in the provided details is April 18, 2023. The summary information provided does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards, so applicants typically need to consult the full FOA and related NIH institute guidance for budget structure, allowable costs, and any institute-specific caps or expectations. Overall, the opportunity is aimed at strengthening a newly independent environmental health scientist's trajectory by combining structured career development with hands-on leadership of a clinical trial, feasibility trial, or ancillary clinical trial study, culminating in readiness to win future independent research support.

• The National Institutes of Health in the environment, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Transition to Independent Environmental Health Research (TIEHR) Career Award (K01 Clinical Trial Required)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.113.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2021-03-15.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-04-18. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Others.

Apply for PAR 21 171

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: