How do I find out what countries are classified as LMIC?
LMICs are defined by the
World Bank Country Classification system according to Gross National Income (GNI) per capita as low-income, lower-middle-income, and upper-middle-income.
Additional country restrictions are in place for the K43 mechanism. See
Country Eligibility for Fogarty International Training Grants and
Notice of Change in Country Eligibility for Fogarty International Training Grants (NOT-TW-12-011) in determining which LMICs are eligible. This change in country eligibility applies to this NOFO.
I am an LMIC citizen. Am I eligible for the Fogarty Emerging Global Leader Award (K43)?
Yes. Only LMIC citizens are eligible. The applicant must also hold an academic junior faculty position or research scientist appointment at the LMIC applicant institution and must have been in this position for at least one year at the time the application is submitted. The precise start date in the qualifying position should be stated in the biosketch and in the candidate's background section.
I am an LMIC citizen also holding dual U.S. citizenship or permanent resident status. Am I eligible for the Fogarty Emerging Global Leader Award (K43)?
No. U.S. citizens and individuals who are permanent residents of the U.S. are not eligible but may apply for the
International Research Scientist Development Award (IRSDA) (K01).
Are U.S. institutions eligible to apply to this Fogarty Emerging Global Leader Award (K43)?
No. Only eligible LMIC institutions may apply.
I am an LMIC citizen holding a primary position at a U.S. institution. Am I eligible for Fogarty Emerging Global Leader Award?
No. The applicant institution must be an LMIC institution and the candidate must hold an academic junior faculty position or research scientist appointment at the LMIC applicant institution and must have been in this position for at least one year at the time the application is submitted.
What is considered a junior faculty position for this NOFO?
Junior faculty are defined as those who hold entry to mid-level academic or research scientist positions, including but not limited to instructors, lecturers, and assistant professors. Usually these are institutionally funded positions, not grant supported positions.
I have independent research funding. Am I eligible for the Fogarty Emerging Global Leader award?
It depends. One of the primary objectives of the mentored K awards is to provide the training necessary for candidates to become independent investigators. Research independence is typically defined as having obtained an R01 or equivalent major grant.
Individuals who are or have been the PD/PI (including Multiple PD/PI) of a multi-year R01- equivalent independent research grant from an external research funding (not just the NIH) organization and awarded by the application due date are not eligible.
Individuals who are or have been the PD/PI (including Multiple PDs/PIs) on exploratory/developmental grants -- like the NIH's Small Grant (R03) and Exploratory/Developmental Grant (R21) -- remain eligible.
See NOFOs for additional details. Prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the FIC Scientific/Research contact prior to preparing an application to discuss their eligibility.
Is there a degree requirement for this NOFO?
Candidates must hold at least a master's degree that required a research thesis. Candidates with Ph.D. research training are preferred. M.D. researchers (or equivalent) are eligible. Note that candidates must hold an academic junior faculty position or research scientist appointment supported by an LMIC institution.
Is there an age limit to apply for a K43, and must I be within a certain number of years of finishing my degree?
No. There are no limits for either. However, the candidate must hold an academic junior faculty position or research scientist appointment support by an LMIC institution and must have been in this position for at least one year at the time the application is submitted.
If I do not meet the eligibility requirements for Fogarty Emerging Global Leader Award or the International Research Scientist Development Award (IRSDA), are there other career awards that I can apply for?
You may be eligible for other NIH career development awards offered through other NIH Institutes and Centers. Please visit the
Research Career Development page for information on other NIH Career Development Awards. Note that for most NIH K awards, eligibility is limited to U.S. citizens and permanent residents.
Can the applicant institution submit more than one application?
Applicant organizations may submit more than one application, provided that each application is scientifically distinct.
May an individual candidate apply for two Ks simultaneously?
No. NIH allows you to have only one career development application pending peer review at any time. That means you may not apply for two career development grants simultaneously or apply for a career development award while another career development application awaits review.
In the latter case, you have to wait until the review is complete or withdraw the first application before you can submit your next one.
Where can I find more information about the program?
Interested individuals should carefully review the Notice of Funding Opportunity which contains details about eligibility, instructions for submitting an application, and details about the review process and review criteria.
Also see the
Emerging Global Leader Award program page, which includes a list of recent awards.
Are there any restrictions on research topics?
As stated in the NOFO, Fogarty has no restrictions on research topics. However, the topic should be relevant to the priority health needs of the LMIC. The interests of participating funding partners are noted in the NOFO.
What is the effort required on this award?
Candidates are required to commit a minimum of 75% of full-time professional effort (i.e., a minimum of 9 person-months or 30 hours per week) to their career development and research training. Candidates may engage in other duties as part of the remaining full-time professional effort not covered by this award, as long as such duties do not interfere with or detract from the proposed activities.
What does "nine person month minimum effort" mean?
The award requires a minimum of 75% effort or a minimum of 30 hours per week time commitment.
How many mentors are required?
Applicants are required to have
two primary mentors: one primary mentor at the LMIC applicant institution and one primary mentor at the collaborating U.S. institution. However, additional mentors may be included to form a “mentoring team.” The Primary LMIC mentor should hold his/her primary appointment at the LMIC applicant institution.
All key personnel listed on the application (including applicant, primary mentors, co-mentors, etc.) are required to have eRA Commons Usernames (NOT-OD-21-109).
As stated in the NOFO, both the primary US and primary LMIC mentor must insert "Other" or "Other Professional" in the Project Role field, and enter "Mentor" in the Other Project Role Category field.
When listing other individuals with a substantive role in the project, clearly label roles to distinguish "Co-Mentor," "Consultant," "Collaborator," etc.
For funded Emerging Global Leader Awards, both primary mentors must submit separate mentor statements with the annual progress report.
Can the LMIC primary mentor be a U.S. citizen?
The LMIC primary mentor must hold a primary appointment at the LMIC applicant institution and should not be a U.S. citizen who holds a joint appointment at the LMIC institution. The institutional affiliations of the mentors should be clear from the biosketches, mentor support letters, and institutional letters.
Can the K43 award support advanced degrees?
The K43 is not intended to support extensive coursework for the purpose of obtaining an advanced degree. Recipients may enroll in some advanced scientific specialty classes that are part of a PhD track provided those courses are relevant to the research and career development of the individual.
Can I propose a mentoring team?
Yes. Provided that the requirement for two primary mentors (one U.S. and one LMIC mentor) is met, candidates may propose a mentoring team to contribute additional appropriate expertise. Additional mentors can be from other LMIC or non-U.S. high income countries.
Can I spend time at the collaborating U.S. institution or at other sites?
Although the research activities should take place primarily in the LMIC, the candidate may propose activities at the collaborating U.S. institution or at other sites as appropriate and justified. The candidate may budget for such travel as part of the research developments costs. The candidate is responsible for ensuring that all travel and visa requirements are met
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How much support can I get through the grant?
Salary: The total salary requested must be based on a full-time staff appointment at the LMIC institution and must be consistent both with the established salary structure at the LMIC institution and with salaries actually provided by the institution from its own funds to other staff members of equivalent qualifications, rank, and responsibilities in the department concerned. Confirmation of LMIC institutional salary may be required prior to the issuance of an award. The NIH will contribute up to $100,000 per year toward the salary of the career award recipient.
Other Program-Related Expenses: The NIH will contribute up to $40,000 per year toward the research development costs of the award recipient. Funds may be used for the expenses described in the NOFO.
Do I need to prepare an annual budget?
Yes. As described in the SF424 application instructions, the budget should be presented by budget period. You must complete a separate detailed budget for each budget period requested. You should not submit the budget as a single budget that combines costs from all years in the project period.
Can mentors receive salary on this award?
No. Salary for mentors, secretarial and administrative assistants, etc. is not allowed.
Can I pay for a technician on a career award?
Yes. These expenses are allowed from the research development support costs.
What are the allowable costs for the research development funds?
Allowable costs are detailed in the NOFO and these costs should be described in the budget justification.
How many years of support will be covered?
Applicants can request three, four or five years of support.
What indirect cost rate should be used in preparing the budget?
For foreign institutions, the NIH provides limited F&A costs (8% of total direct costs less equipment) to help support the costs of compliance with NIH requirements.
How many awards will be issued each year?
The total number of awards will depend upon the quality and merit of applications received and contingent upon availability of funds.
Can I propose a clinical trial?
NIH requires all applications involving one or more clinical trials to be submitted through a NOFO specifically designed for clinical trials. Applicants proposing independent clinical trials must apply to
PAR-24-295). As stated in Section II of
PAR-24-296, independent clinical trials are not allowed. Applicants to PAR-24-296 may propose to gain experience in a or clinical trial led by a mentor co-mentor as part of their research career development. Learn how to determine if your
human subjects research study meet the NIH definition of a clinical trial.
Is the candidate or one of the mentors considered the PI on the application?
The candidate is the PI.
Where can I find instructions and guidance for submitting an application?
It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the
SF424 (R&R) Application Guide (note the gray call-out boxes with additional program-specific instructions), except where instructed to do otherwise (in this NOFO or in a Notice from the
NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts). Applications that do not comply with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review. Be aware that the instructions in the NOFO supersede those found in the SF424 application guide.
Also see the
Annotated Forms for tips on how to fill in the SF424 forms.
What is the timeframe for submission of applications?
The application can be submitted any time between the “Open Date” and the ‘Application Due Date” noted in the NOFO. Applicants and their institutions should familiarize themselves with the requirements of electronic submission through grants.gov, including registration of the applicant and the institution through NIH Commons. The registration process can take several weeks and applications cannot be submitted before all registrations are completed.
It is strongly suggested that you submit your application electronically a few days BEFORE the actual deadline. Remember, you must check for error messages to your email address after submission to Grants.gov AND subsequently when the application is transferred automatically to eRA Commons (error messages go to your eRA Commons Account). You must correct any Grants.gov and eRA-identified errors BEFORE the submission deadline or your application will NOT be accepted by NIH. Verify that your application is viewable in your eRA Commons account. If you cannot view the application in eRA Commons, NIH has not yet accepted it! Do not wait until the last day. References letters must be submitted by the application deadline in order for the application to be considered. See the
NIH Policy for Late Application Submission (NOT-OD-15-039) for more information.
Check your application for common errors before you submit. See "Important Writing Tips."
Should I submit a letter of intent?
FIC strongly encourages submission of letters of intent. Letters of intent should be submitted via email as noted in the NOFO. Although a letter of intent is not required, is not binding, and does not enter into the review of a subsequent application, the information that it contains allows NIH staff to estimate the potential review workload and plan the review. The specific information that should be included in the Letter of Intent is listed in Section IV.2 of the NOFO.
Who submits my reference letters to the eRA Commons?
Reference letters are different from Mentor Statements. Reference letters are required. People writing your reference letters submit them to the
eRA Commons. As the applicant, you can check the status of letters, but you may not read them since they are confidential. The letters should be from individuals not directly involved in the application.
For further details, including information you should give to those writing your reference letters, read the supplemental instructions for K awards in part 7 of the
SF 424 Application Guide.
Individuals submitting letters of reference do not need to have an eRA Commons account but must have the applicant’s eRA Commons username and other information detailed in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide Supplemental Instructions for Individual Career Development Award (CDA) series applications.
Will NIH accept paper applications for this NOFO?
No. The NIH requires electronic applications in response to this NOFO and it is critical that applicants complete all required registrations well in advance of the application deadline as the registration process can take several weeks or longer.
Do I need to have an eRA Commons Username?
Yes. Failure to register in the Commons and to include a valid PD/PI Commons Username in the credential field will prevent the successful submission of an electronic application to NIH. For additional information, see the
eRA Commons Registration FAQs.
Do my mentors need to have eRA Commons Usernames?
Yes. The applicant, primary mentors, and any others listed as key personnel are required to have eRA Commons Usernames (NOT-OD-21-109).
Do I list my mentors as Key Personnel?
Yes. As stated in the NOFO, both the primary US and primary LMIC mentor must insert "Other" or "Other Professional" in the Project Role field, and enter "Mentor" in the Other Project Role Category field.
When listing other individuals with a substantive role in the project, clearly label roles to distinguish "Co-Mentor", "Consultant", "Collaborator", etc.
The NOFO states that applicants must have and maintain a System for Award Management (SAM) registration. Where can I find more information about this?
The submitting institution and the PI are required to register in order to submit an application using the online systems. Applicants must have a valid Dun and Bradstreet Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number in order to begin each of the following registrations:
Find detailed instructions about this multiple step registration process on the NIH Grants & Funding
Organization Registrations page.
If I am proposing any activities at a U.S. institution, do I include the U.S. institution as a performance site?
Yes. The applicant institution and collaborating institutions, including the collaborating U.S. institution, if proposed, must be listed as performance sites.
If I am proposing any activities at a U.S. institution, where do I include information about the U.S. institutional environment?
Provide information about the U.S. institutional environment in the Facilities & Other Resources section, which must describe the resources available at each site. This should describe how the necessary facilities and other resources will be made available for career enhancement as well as the research proposed, including opportunities for intellectual interactions, relevant courses offered, journal clubs, seminars, and presentations.
Is the Candidates Plan to Provide Mentoring section required for this NOFO?
No. Do not include this section.
Where can I find clarification of page limits for application form sections?
The page limits for most sections are listed by Activity Code in the
Table of Page Limits. Follow the page limits for Individual Career Development Award applications (K) applications. Note that NOFO instructions supersede instructions found in the general application guide. Do not use the Appendix or any other sections to circumvent page limits. Follow all instructions for the Appendix as described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.
How should I allocate the 12 pages for Candidate Information and Goals for Career Development and Research Strategy in the application?
As explained in the
SF424 instructions, the total number of pages for the Candidate Section (Candidate’s Background, Career Goals and Objectives, and Candidates Plan for Career Development/Training Activities During Award Period) and the Research Plan Section
combined may not exceed 12 pages.
You can allocate the space however you think best portrays your background, career objectives, and training plan. All of these sections are scored by reviewers and will be taken into consideration in the overall Impact/Priority Score.
The general strategy is to explain your background and training plan in the context of your overall career goals and the research project itself. The training plan is very important. It should add to what you have learned already during past research experiences and prepare you for an independent research career. The Research Strategy is important too, obviously. It must be of high quality scientifically and within your capabilities, as acquired either in the past or as part of the mentored training plan. Do not propose any experiments in areas with which you and your mentors have no documented experience.
What you need to include in all of these sections is described in Section K.410 of the SF424 instructions. The Program Announcement includes under "Review Considerations" lists of items the reviewers will specifically evaluate. Be sure you provide information relevant to each of these items.
The page limits for Plans and Statements of Mentors and Co-Mentors and for Letters of Support from Collaborators, Contributors, and Consultants are each 6 pages. Is this really the limit? Can I put letters in the Appendix?
The SF424 instructions state the following: Letters from the mentor(s), co-mentor(s), consultant(s), advisory committee members (if applicable), and contributor(s) documenting their role and willingness to participate in the project must be included in this section of the application. Do not place these letters in the Appendix.
The instructions do not offer any flexibility with respect to the six-page limit for this section. Letters on letterhead take up considerably more space than needed to describe the roles and commitments of the mentors or collaborators. However, reviewers tend to expect letterhead from mentors and other key participants. For a two- to three-mentor application, six pages may be enough to describe the training, resources, and commitments. If there are more individuals associated with the project, the applicant should include letters on letterhead from the mentors and any other collaborators who are absolutely essential to the training plan. Other less important collaborators may summarize what they intend to provide in terms of expertise, resources, or time in the personal statement section of the biosketches. Another alternative is to place any letters that might be considered resources under Facilities and Other Resources. Statements and letters of collaboration should absolutely not be included in the Appendix. The instructions are clear about this, and the application may be rejected or withdrawn later if applicants take that route.
See the NIH notice:
Updated Appendix Policy Eliminates Clinical Trial-Related Materials for NIH/AHRQ/NIOSH Applications Submitted to Due Dates on or After January 25, 2018.
Where can I find guidance related to the required Data Management and Sharing Plan?
The NIH’s
Data Management and Sharing (DMS) policy applies to
K01 and K43 applications. Under the DMS policy, NIH expects that investigators and institutions: Plan and budget for the managing and sharing of data; Submit a DMS plan for review when applying for funding; and Comply with the approved DMS plan. More information is
https://sharing.nih.gov, including guidance for writing and submitting a DMS plan.
To which NIH Institute, Center or Office will my application be assigned?
Upon receipt, applications are assigned to the Fogarty International Center. Applicants should not request assignment to any other NIH component.
When will review results be sent to applicants?
Scores can be accessed from the PI's NIH eRA Commons account 1-2 days after the review. The NIH summary statement with the critiques of the initial peer reviewers will be available in the NIH eRA Commons (in the account of the PI, linked to the application number) approximately four to six weeks after the review meeting. The review will be held in March of each year. The results of the review will be presented to the FIC Advisory Board in May and the earliest date for funding decisions would be in July.
If my initial application is unsuccessful, can I reapply?
Yes, you can. Please see the
NIH/AHRQ Application Submission/Resubmission Policy and resubmission guidance at
https://grants.nih.gov/grants-process/submit/submission-policies/resubmission-applications.