WASHINGTON — The National Institutes of Health plans to restrict eligibility for a major career-development award for biomedical researchers who are in the United States on temporary visas, according to an internal NIH presentation reviewed by STAT, potentially closing one of the few federal funding routes available to international scientists seeking independent research careers.
The planned change would apply to the NIH Pathway to Independence Award, known as the K99/R00, which supports researchers during a postdoctoral phase before providing funding for up to three years as independent investigators. The presentation indicates that, for applications due on or after June 12, 2027, eligibility would be limited to U.S. citizens, permanent residents and noncitizen nationals.
Under current NIH guidance, the K99/R00 has no citizenship requirement. Non-U.S. citizens holding temporary U.S. visas can apply if their visa permits them to remain in the country long enough to complete the K99 portion of the award. NIH's published funding guidance continues to reflect that eligibility.
The planned restriction would affect researchers at a key stage of their careers. The K99/R00 is designed to help postdoctoral scientists transition to independent laboratory leadership, with the initial K99 phase followed by the R00 phase at an eligible institution.
The NIH did not immediately respond to questions about the planned change or its rationale, according to STAT. The internal presentation was prepared by a working group examining the future of NIH K awards.
The proposal comes as the Trump administration has tightened immigration and research policies affecting international scientists. A May survey of nearly 1,000 NIH-supported researchers by STAT found that 14% said immigration-policy changes had led scientists, students or postdoctoral researchers to turn down positions in their laboratories, while 13% said their labs had lost researchers to other countries because of NIH funding changes.
NIH has also changed the way it funds international collaborations. Beginning with applications due from Jan. 25, 2026, the agency replaced traditional foreign subawards with a new award structure requiring foreign components to be organized as independent subprojects. NIH said the change was intended to improve transparency, oversight and national security while maintaining international scientific collaboration.
NIH's current general guidance continues to state that foreign and domestic organizations can be eligible for research grants, depending on the funding mechanism, and that eligibility requirements vary by program.
The K99/R00 proposal has not yet taken effect. Under the internal plan, the new eligibility rules would apply to applications submitted from June 12, 2027.
