Nih Career Development (K) Awards for Social Work Faculty: Experiences and Advice from Recent Awardees

Early Career Investigator Awards from the National Institutes of Health (commonly referred to as the K series) provide recently graduated PhDs protected time to further their research training and become independent investigators. The application process and implementation of K awards differ from other grant mechanisms and require unique considerations. This roundtable will convene a group of social work faculty with current or recent K awards from NIMH, NIAAA, NIDA, and NIOSH. The five roundtable presenters will provide an overview of their successfully-funded K award training goals and research on: 1) implementation science for child and adolescent global mental health; 2) epidemiological studies of alcohol use disorder using multi-level factors from genetics to social context; 3) epidemiological and etiological study of substance use among adolescents and young adults; 4) economic and health effects of workplace stress among nurses; and 5) community mobilization intervention research with substance-using women in the sex trade. The roundtable discussion will proceed with topics ranging from the nuts and bolts in applying for a K award to leveraging a K award for the next career phase. Topics around developing a K award application will include how to identify the appropriate K award mechanism, align training goals with NIH institute priorities, develop a training plan, establish the right mentorship team, and devising an innovative and realistic research strategy. Aspects of implementing a K award will also be considered, such as balancing your training and expectations as a junior faculty member and maximizing productivity by building a research team. Finally, participants will discuss leveraging a K award for future research activities and grants and the advantages and limitations of the K series in advancing social work research and careers. In addition to their own K awards, the presenters also have experience mentoring other junior faculty and postdoctoral fellows in obtaining K awards and will share general grant writing resources and tips.