Clinical Trial Components of NIH Career Development Awards: Supporting the Nation's Future Trialists

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the United States will stop funding costs associated with clinical trials within career development grants (K-grants) starting in 2027. Researchers analyzed data from 1,336 grants funded in 2024-2025 and found that 61 percent were pilot, feasibility, or proof-of-concept studies, while only 4.1 percent were efficacy or effectiveness studies. Among grants with verified sample sizes (20.4 percent), the median number of participants was 60 people, with 86.4 percent of trials enrolling a maximum of 100 participants. The researchers note that clinical trials within K-grants are generally small and in early development stages. The NIH's decision to stop funding trial costs could negatively impact the career development of future scientists.