NIH Director highlights programs for emerging scientists

NIH Director highlights programs for emerging scientists

In his third "desk-to-desk" newsletter, Dr. Elias Zerhouni, Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), highlighted the importance of "preserv[ing] the ability of young scientists with fresh ideas to enter the competitive world of NIH funding.” Concerns include increasing length of time to complete the PhD, longer postdoctoral training periods, and the rising age of those receiving their first appointment as assistant professor coupled with rising age at time of receiving the first R01 award. Zerhouni points to a variety of efforts initiated by NIH to address these issues and improve the lot of new scientists.

NIH Pathway to Independence Awards. The intent of this new career development mechanism, known as the K99/R00, is to bridge the "most vulnerable time in the career path." NIH expects to make 150-200 awards each year. The award (http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/new_investigators/index.htm) features an initial 1-2 year mentored phase which allows investigators to complete their supervised research work, publish results, and search for an independent research position. The second, independent phase, in years 3-5, provides awardees who secure an assistant professorship, or equivalent position, significant research support to allow them to establish their own research program and successfully apply for an NIH Investigator-Initiated (R01) grant. During the full five-year period, the NIH will provide almost $400 million in support of the program. All NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs) are participating in this award program

Additional IC-Specific Efforts. Individual Institutes and Centers have taken additional steps to encourage and support promising new scientists. For example, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) has established a higher R01 payline for new investigators and gives new investigators funding for all years requested. In addition, applications from new investigators that are between 5 to 10 percentile points above the regular R01 payline may take advantage of an expedited administrative review. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) has a pilot project to test a new-investigators R01 program based on experience rather than preliminary data (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-ES-06-007.html). This pilot program includes financial support above normal R01 levels for equipment, resource development and career enhancement activities, and recommends the establishment of an advisory committee to provide comprehensive faculty development for the new investigator.

The Center for Scientific Review Pilot. Another pilot project involves a new peer-review work flow system that allows new investigators to receive their critique promptly and allows them to re-apply within five months instead of the typical nine months. The Center for Scientific Review Pilot will allow new investigators to revise a grant application that missed the funding cut-off and to submit that revision for the next review cycle. The findings from this pilot will become available during fiscal year 2007. Based on the results, NIH may extend and expand the program.

In the Fall newsletter, the NIH Director reviews the new-investigator check box on the application face page, highlights the importance of recruiting and retaining women in science, including reference to a new National Academies of Science report, Beyond Bias and Barriers: Fulfilling the Dream of Women in Academic Science and Engineering (http://www.nationalacademies.org/morenews/20060918.html), and mentions the Director’s Pioneer Awards. In closing, Dr. Zerhouni encourages readers to visit the NIH Research Results for the Public site (http://www.nih.gov/about/researchresultsforthepublic/index.htm) and to share any comments directly with him at zerhounidirect@nih.gov.

Source: From the desk of the NIH Director – Fall 2006 Newsletter, http://www.nih.gov/about/director/newsletter/Fall2006.htm