NIDCR Dual Degree Dentist Scientist Predoctoral to Postdoctoral Transition Award (F99/K00 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 21 108

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 21 108

The NIDCR Dual Degree Dentist Scientist Predoctoral to Postdoctoral Transition Award (F99/K00; Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed) is a National Institutes of Health grant opportunity designed to help build the pipeline of dentist-scientists by supporting students in integrated dual-degree dental and PhD programs (DDS/DMD-PhD) as they move from the end of their predoctoral training into a mentored postdoctoral research position. The program is structured as a two-phase transition award: the F99 phase supports the trainee while they complete the remaining portions of their dual-degree predoctoral training, and the K00 phase provides support as they shift into a postdoctoral appointment focused on dental, oral, and craniofacial research. The main idea is to provide sustained funding, structured mentorship, and a clear pathway across a career transition that is often difficult to navigate, with the expectation that recipients will be well-positioned to continue into productive research careers as dentist-scientists.

A key feature of this funding opportunity is the emphasis on mentorship and career development across both phases. It is meant for outstanding dual-degree trainees who are nearing the transition point between student status and postdoctoral training, and it aims to keep research momentum going rather than allowing progress to stall during the switch in roles, institutions, or training environments. The award supports a mentored research trajectory in areas aligned with NIDCRs mission, broadly covering dental, oral, and craniofacial science, and it is intended to strengthen the recipients long-term competitiveness for subsequent independent research funding and faculty-level research positions.

The clinical trial policy is specific: applicants are not allowed to propose to lead an independent clinical trial under this FOA. However, they may propose gaining research experience in a clinical trial as long as the trial is led by a sponsor or co-sponsor, meaning the fellow is participating and training within the context of a larger trial rather than being the person responsible for directing it. This distinction matters for applicants whose work touches clinical research, because it shapes what kinds of aims and responsibilities can be proposed while still fitting within the FOA rules.

Eligibility is geared toward U.S.-based organizations and includes a broad range of applicant organization types such as public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (including both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3) nonprofits that are not institutions of higher education), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), and small businesses, along with other eligible entities as defined by NIH. The FOA also explicitly highlights certain institution types as other eligible applicants, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs). At the same time, non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities are not eligible to apply, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible; foreign components, as NIH defines them in its Grants Policy Statement, are allowed, which typically means limited, well-justified parts of the project may occur outside the U.S. under the rules NIH sets for foreign components.

Administrative details from the posting include the funding opportunity title and number (PAR-21-108), the agency (National Institutes of Health, specifically NIDCR), the funding instrument type (grant), and the activity category (health), with CFDA number 93.121. The original closing date listed is 2024-01-07, and the opportunity was created on 2021-01-14. Award ceiling and expected award counts are not specified in the provided source data, so applicants usually need to consult the full FOA and NIH budget guidance to understand allowable costs, duration limits for each phase, and how budgets are structured for the F99 and K00 segments.

Overall, this opportunity is best understood as a structured bridge for DDS/DMD-PhD trainees who are committed to research careers in dental, oral, and craniofacial science, providing continuity of support and mentorship from the final stretch of predoctoral training into a mentored postdoctoral stage, while keeping the applicant in a training role rather than in charge of an independent clinical trial.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NIDCR Dual Degree Dentist Scientist Predoctoral to Postdoctoral Transition Award (F99/K00 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.121.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2021-01-14.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-01-07. (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, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.

Apply for PAR 21 108

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