Eligibility

At the time of application, the applicant must hold an MD, PhD, DO, DVM, DDS, or equivalent post-baccalaureate doctoral degree.

• Postdoctoral fellows are eligible to apply but must have attained faculty appointment by the time of award activation.
• NIH K99/R00 awardees may apply if they will be in the R00 stage of the award at time of AHA Career Development Award activation. 

The AHA will permit a Career Development Awardee to concurrently hold an NIH K award if there is no budgetary overlap. The awardee must devote at least 10% effort to the Career Development Award.

 At the time of award activation:

• An awardee must hold a faculty/staff position up to and including the rank of assistant professor (or equivalent).
• No more than five years may have elapsed since the first faculty/staff appointment (after receipt of doctoral degree) at the assistant professor level or equivalent (including, but not limited to, instructor, research assistant professor, research scientist, staff scientist, etc.). If the candidate held the title of instructor during postdoctoral fellowship or residency years due to clinical or teaching responsibilities, that period of time does not count against the eligibility period for applying for the Career Development Award. The AHA will consider interruptions of work experience due to extenuating circumstances and clinical training.
• The applicant must demonstrate that adequate time will be devoted to ensuring the successful completion of the project.

Funding Priorities

Supports highly promising healthcare and academic professionals, in the early years of one’s first professional appointment, to explore innovative questions or pilot studies that will provide preliminary data and training necessary to assure the applicant’s future success as a research scientist.

The award will develop the research skills to support and greatly enhance the awardee’s chances to obtain and retain a high-quality career position.

Additional Information

Additional considerations related to the NIH K99/R00 award mechanism:

• Holders of a K99/R00 cannot be in the K99 phase (non-permanent, training phase) and also hold an AHA Career Development Award (which requires holding of a permanent, non-trainee position). If you have a K99/R00, AHA recommends you not apply for a Career Development Award until such time as you will be converting your K award to the R00 phase.
• For those who concurrently apply for both a K99/R00 and an AHA Career Development Award and receive notification of funding for both: Both awards cannot be accepted (see above). The decision of which to accept lies with the applicant. Some might choose to remain in their fellowship and accept the K99/R00; the awardee could then apply for an AHA Career Development Award when anticipating moving to the R00 phase. Alternatively, those who desire an earlier transition to a faculty position may instead elect to accept the AHA Career Development Award.

Budgets may amount to $77,000 per year, including 10% institutional indirect costs.