Lasker Clinical Research Scholar's Program (Si2/R00 Clinical Trial Optional)

The Lasker Clinical Research Scholar's Program is a National Institutes of Health funding opportunity administered through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The program supports exceptional clinical researchers in the early stages of independent careers and is intended to reduce barriers that can slow the development of independent clinical and translational investigators. The program creates a bridge between the NIH Intramural Research Program and the extramural research community. Eligible candidates include physicians, dentists, and nurses with qualifying clinical doctoral degrees and a professional license to practice clinically in the United States. Applicants are generally expected to have completed or be completing a post-residency clinical fellowship and to have sufficient patient-oriented research experience for a tenure-track level appointment. Tenured applicants are not eligible. Applicants do not have to be U.S. citizens or permanent residents, although selected Scholars must maintain appropriate visa or residency status throughout the program. The program operates in two phases. During the first, or Si2 intramural, phase, successful applicants are appointed as independent tenure-track investigators within an NIH Institute or Center and become full-time NIH employees. The initial intramural research period is five years, with the possibility of a two-year extension and additional case-by-case extensions when approved by NIH. The Intramural Research Program provides research space, research expenses, full salary, Federal employee benefits, and other independent resources. Scholars develop independent research programs and undergo formal review by panels of senior extramural investigators every two to four years. Successful completion of the intramural phase can lead either to continued NIH intramural employment and possible progression toward tenured senior investigator status or to the extramural R00 phase. For the R00 phase, Scholars who successfully complete at least five years in the intramural program may receive up to three years of support to continue their research as independent clinician scientists at an eligible extramural institution. Transition requires an appropriate full-time tenure-track or tenured position and successful NIH programmatic review of progress during the intramural phase. R00 applicants may request direct costs of up to $499,000 per year, including salaries, fringe benefits, and research costs. Indirect costs are reimbursed at the extramural sponsoring institution's applicable indirect cost rate. Intramural budgets are negotiated with the sponsoring NIH Institute or Center. The opportunity does not require cost sharing or matching. NIH anticipates making up to five awards in each program cycle. Eligible organizational applicants include public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status, small businesses, other for-profit organizations, state and local governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, federally and non-federally recognized tribal governments, eligible Federal agencies, U.S. territories or possessions, independent school districts, public and Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations, faith-based or community-based organizations, and regional organizations. Individuals may also apply independently of a current organization. Non-U.S. organizations and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, and foreign components are not allowed. Organizational applicants must maintain the required SAM, UEI, eRA Commons, and Grants.gov registrations. PDs and PIs must have an eRA Commons account and a valid ORCID linked to their eRA Commons profile. Applications must follow the Research instructions in the NIH How to Apply Application Guide together with the program-specific requirements in the notice. Applications may be prepared and submitted through NIH ASSIST, an institutional system-to-system solution, or Grants.gov Workspace, with submission status tracked through eRA Commons. Required research content includes Specific Aims and a Research Strategy addressing significance, innovation, approach, and measurable go/no-go milestones for the intramural phase. Applicants must describe needed research resources and environmental features, provide applicable human subjects and clinical trial information, follow resource-sharing requirements, and comply with applicable appendix restrictions. Four letters of reference are required and must be received by the applicable application deadline; applications missing required reference letters will not be reviewed. Applicants are strongly encouraged to discuss proposed research with NIH before submission to confirm programmatic interest. Peer review emphasizes both the applicant's accomplishments and potential and the quality of the proposed research. Reviewers consider overall impact as well as significance, investigators, innovation, approach, and environment. Additional considerations apply to clinical trials, human subjects protections, inclusion, vertebrate animals, biohazards, resource sharing, authentication of key resources, and the reasonableness of the budget and period of support. Applications are evaluated for scientific and technical merit by an appropriate Scientific Review Group, and selected candidates may subsequently be invited to the NIH campus for an employment interview. Funding decisions also consider availability of funds and relevance to program priorities. The published application deadlines are November 6, 2026, July 9, 2027, and July 7, 2028, with applications due by 5:00 PM local time of the applicant organization. The earliest submission date is October 6, 2026, and the opportunity expires July 8, 2028. Corresponding earliest start dates are July 2027, April 2028, and April 2029. Program inquiries may be directed to the Lasker Scholar Program Administrator at Laskergrants@mail.nih.gov, with additional scientific contacts available for participating NIH Institutes and Centers. Application submission assistance is available through the eRA Service Desk and Grants.gov Support Center. For Scholars transitioning to the R00 phase, the R00 application should be submitted by the R00 grantee organization no later than two months before the proposed activation date and must include updated institutional, budget, research, progress, resource, and applicable compliance materials. The R00 application is reviewed by extramural program staff of the awarding NIH component for completeness and program appropriateness. Recipients in multi-year R00 awards are subject to NIH progress and financial reporting requirements, including annual Research Performance Progress Reports and applicable final closeout reporting.

Discuss the proposed research with NIH before submission to confirm programmatic interest. Emphasize the applicant's accomplishments and potential as an early-career independent clinical investigator as well as the scientific merit of the research. Present strong significance, innovation, approach, and measurable go/no-go milestones with a prospective timeline. Clearly identify the resources, subject populations, collaborations, and equipment needed for both phases. Ensure all four reference letters are submitted by the deadline because applications missing them will not be reviewed. Submit early enough to identify and correct electronic submission errors before the deadline.