K/CDA Proposal Review Process

The purpose of this page is to announce a new process for review of mentored career development grant (e.g., NIH K Award, VA Career Development Award, or similar private foundation awards) proposals in the department. This new process is intended to address two deficiencies in our current K and CDA procedures:

  1. K and CDA awards are paths to faculty positions with no assessment of suitability for a faculty position because successful applicants are granted a waiver of the usual requirement for a search.
  2. We have no way to ensure that we do not submit non-viable proposals that reflect poorly on UCSF and are an inefficient use of administrative and financial resources.
     

Overview of new process

The new process consists of two reviews. First is a review of suitability for faculty appointment and the second is a review of proposal viability. The faculty suitability review takes place at least five months before expected grant proposal submission and the proposal viability review occurs at least three months before expected grant proposal submission. Procedures for these two reviews are outlined in the tables below. This new process is in addition to and does not replace the mandatory Research Management Services (RMS) pre-award submission review process which occurs in parallel and complementary to this one.

This process is effective for the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences as of March 1, 2021.

Step 1: Review of candidate’s suitability for faculty appointment

FACULTY SUITABILITY REVIEW
Timeline Documents must be submitted no fewer than five months prior to K/CDA award proposal submission deadline.
Documents required CV, brief proposal overview that includes list of training goals and mentors, proposed means of financial support, and space utilization for first five years of faculty appointment.
Download application form
Process Applicant submits required documents to respective deputy vice chair for research. Applicants will be notified of whether they may proceed with the proposal process within five weeks.
Criteria for success
  1. First author publications and some publications relevant to the area of the proposal
  2. Mentor expertise in the area of the proposal
  3. Mentor expression of unreserved commitment
  4. Adequate funds committed
  5. Viable space plan


Step 2: Review of proposal viability

PROPOSAL VIABILITY REVIEW
Timeline Documents must be submitted no fewer than three months prior to K/CDA award proposal submission.
Documents required Specific aims and brief summary of training plan
Process Applicant submits required documents to respective deputy vice chair for research. Applicants will be notified of whether they may proceed with the proposal process within five weeks.
Download application form
Criteria for success
  1. Proposal meets minimum standards for writing quality
  2. Aims meets minimum standards for scientific integrity
  3. Training plan meets minimum standards for rationality and utility


Please contact your deputy vice chair for research with questions about this process or other career development awards. Contact Vice Chair for Research Andrew Krystal, MD, MS, about late submissions to this process.