NINDS Child Neurologist Career Development Program (CNCDP) (K12 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

The NINDS Child Neurology Career Development Program (CNCDP) is a federal funding opportunity administered by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The program is designed as part of the NIH’s broader mission to cultivate a robust workforce of biomedical researchers capable of addressing critical neurological conditions. Specifically, this initiative targets physicians trained in child neurology and seeks to expand the relatively small pool of clinician-scientists dedicated to pediatric neurological research. The primary objective of the CNCDP is to support institutional career development programs that provide mentored research training for early-career physicians specializing in child neurology. The program emphasizes the development of independent research careers by equipping scholars with the necessary tools, structured mentorship, and protected research time. Participating institutions must design comprehensive programs that include didactic training, supervised research, and professional development activities, all aligned with the mission areas of NINDS, such as understanding neurological disorders, improving diagnostics and treatments, and advancing clinical and translational neuroscience. Funding supports a single national program administered by one or more principal investigators and an advisory committee. The award provides up to five years of funding to the selected institution to operate the program infrastructure. Within this structure, individual scholars receive up to three consecutive years of support, including salary contributions and research funding. Allowable uses of funds include scholar salaries, research supplies, travel, mentoring activities, and program administration. The program also supports annual retreats and evaluation activities. No cost sharing or matching requirement is mandated under this opportunity. Eligibility is limited to U.S.-based institutions such as higher education institutions, nonprofit organizations, and certain government entities capable of supporting a national training program. Foreign entities and foreign components are explicitly excluded. Individual scholars must be physicians specializing in child neurology who are within three years of completing their clinical training and demonstrate strong potential for independent research careers. Institutions must ensure scholars receive at least 75 percent protected time for research and provide appropriate mentorship and infrastructure. Applications must be submitted electronically through NIH-approved systems such as Grants.gov or ASSIST. The submission process requires adherence to NIH training grant application guidelines, including detailed program plans, faculty qualifications, scholar recruitment strategies, and evaluation mechanisms. Applications are evaluated through NIH peer review based on criteria such as program design, leadership, mentoring quality, institutional commitment, and potential impact on developing successful clinician-scientists. The application cycle for this funding opportunity opens June 10, 2026, with a submission deadline of July 10, 2026. Applications undergo scientific merit review in November 2026, followed by advisory council review in January 2027. The earliest anticipated start date for funded programs is April 2027. The opportunity is a reissued announcement, suggesting periodic recurrence, although specific future cycles are not explicitly stated. Program outcomes are measured by the success of scholars in securing independent research funding and establishing productive research careers. The program includes ongoing evaluation, annual reporting, and a final assessment of impact. Contact for inquiries is available through the NINDS Office of Training and Workforce Development, which provides guidance on program planning and application requirements.

Emphasize strong mentorship structure, clear scholar progression plan, and institutional commitment to protected research time; demonstrate track record of training clinician-scientists and alignment with NINDS mission