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National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Applicants eligible for consideration as first-time R01 investigators will be paid at an extended percentile payline of the 16th percentile. NCI is allocating $10 million to support first time investigators beyond the regular R01 payline (which is at the 11th percentile) and within the extended payline. Additionally, NCI is allocating approximately $6 million to pay eligible applications beyond the 16th percentile as exceptions to the extended payline. The definition of first-time R01 investigators can be found in the NIH Guide Notice: "Change in NIH Policy of Supporting New Investigators" which can be viewed at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not97-231.html or the Application for a Public Health Service Grants (PHS-398) at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.pdf (PDF) - scroll to pages 17/18 also known as 21 of 72.
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National Eye Institute (NEI)
NEI staff is
encouraged to identify and give special consideration to new investigators in
making funding recommendations. When reviewing grants, consider:
Approach: more emphasis should be placed
on feasibility than on preliminary results
Investigator: more emphasis should be placed
on training and research potential than on track record and number of
applications
Environment: more emphasis should be placed
on evidence of institutional commitment in terms of space and time to perform
the research.
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National Heart, Lung, and Blood
Institute (NHLBI)
NHLBI is committed
to helping new investigators by maintaining a separate R01 payline for new
investigators that is 5 percentile points above the regular R01 payline for
FY 2006, as well as funding new investigators for all years requested. In
addition, applications from new investigators that are > 5 but = 10 percentile
points above the regular R01 payline may undergo an expedited administrative
review.
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National
Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)
NHGRI is very
flexible in the support of new investigators by: (1) funding applications
that might have a higher priority score than applications from established
investigators; (2) not reducing council recommended budgets beyond what is
required by the grants policy; and (3) supporting new investigators for five
years, if requested, unless specific circumstances require otherwise. Beyond
these policies, NHGRI staff is aware that the early career years and career
transitions are fraught with uncertainties, so we make special efforts to
work with trainees and young investigators. Our contacts with potential new
investigators begin with postdoctoral fellows and career development
awardees. In the initial phases of the fellowship or career award, NHGRI
staff discusses with fellows and awardees the importance of obtaining strong
mentorship, learning from peer relationships and generating quality
publications. During the last year of the award, staff counsels fellows and
awardees about the various options for furthering their research careers,
whether through a career development award or an investigator-initiated
grant. In addition, staff is always available to answer their questions about
program priorities, how to prepare a meritorious grant application, how the
peer review process works, and how to work with the NIH system.
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National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and
Alcoholism (NIAAA)
NIAAA is very much
committed to assuring that new investigators are included among those
successful in obtaining grant awards. To achieve this goal, NIAAA has
established a procedure of affording the opportunity to allow all new
investigators receiving scores within a minimum of 5 percentile points of the
pay line (or the equivalent priority score) to respond to reviewer critiques
in a letter to program officials. The responses are reviewed internally by
NIAAA staff who may make a recommendation for award to the Institute
Director. This procedure expedites the process for award for first time grant
applicants and facilitates their entry into alcohol research. This accelerated
rapid response and award procedure is in place for R01 and R21 mechanisms, as
well as at the training level for all fellowship applications.
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National
Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
NIAID encourages
new investigators to self-identify and expects less preliminary data from new
investigator applications. Further, new investigator status can help
individuals qualify to be funded through selective pay or via an R56-Bridge
award. In addition, NIAID also provides tools for new investigators such as
the NIAID Advice for New Investigators website: http://www.niaid.nih.gov/ncn/grants/plan/plan_i1.htm
and the NIAID New Applicant Checklist: http://www.niaid.nih.gov/ncn/grants/charts/checklists.htm#gnewapp
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National Institute of Arthritis and
Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
NIAMS Small
Research Grants (R03) are currently limited to new investigators. They are
specifically limited in time to 3 years and in amount to $50,000/year for
studies in categorical program areas. Small grants provide flexibility for
initiating studies that are generally for preliminary short-term projects and
are non-renewable.
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National Institute of Biomedical Imaging
and Bioengineering (NIBIB)
NIBIB sets a
payline for new investigators at 5 percentile points beyond the percentile
cut-off for other investigators.
A
criterion for “select pay”/special consideration beyond the payline is the
applicant’s status as a new or junior investigator.
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Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and
Human Development (NICHD)
NICHD maintains a
higher payline for Small Grant (R03) applications because they frequently
provide support for new PIs.
Applications
submitted by new investigators, with scores beyond the funding range, may be
examined by NICHD for potential special funding consideration. Special
consideration may include full funding of small grants or partial funding of
larger grants to allow preparation and submission of revised applications for
review.
NICHD
holds regular trainee meetings for individuals supported on Institutional
Training Grants (T32), as well as Scholar meetings for individuals supported
on Institutional Mentored Career Development Awards (K12).
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National Institute on Deafness and Other
Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
(1) NIDCD currently
reserves 20% of available dollars for the award of applications scoring beyond
the automatic payline that are designated with High Program Priority
(HPP). New Investigator status is one of the main criteria used to
justify HPP nominations and make awards with these set aside funds.
(2) R01
New Investigator applicants and mentored, junior-level Career-award
applicants (whose applications score beyond the payline) are invited to
submit letters responding to critiques in the summary statement for Advisory
Council review. These letters are individually considered by the Advisory
Council and may result in recommendations for special funding consideration,
such as the HPP.
(3)
Typically, NIDCD imposes no reductions in duration and amount (beyond the
recommendations of the initial review group) of the awards to New
Investigators. Protecting new investigators in this manner will allow
them the additional time and effort necessary to establish their research
program.
(4)
NIDCD has offered a Small Grant (R03) Program specifically designed to
support basic and clinical research of scientists who are in the early stages
of establishing an independent research career. The Small Grant Program may
be used to support individuals transitioning from postdoctoral status to
their first independent research position.
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National Institute of Dental and
Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)
NIDCR awards to new
investigators will not be subjected to institute-negotiated cost reductions.
NIDCR
is building a database to track both NRSA trainees and fellows and K award
recipients
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National Institute of Diabetes and
Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
(1) A
less stringent, by 2-percentile, pay line for funding new investigators;
(2) Grants from new investigators are generally awarded for the full length of
their recommended project period
(3) A meeting every 18 months that all of NIDDK K-awardees have the opportunity
to attend once during the course of their award to orient them to the NIH and
the grants process.
(4) NIDDK training program directors are accessible to anyone interested in
one-on-one consultations, and their availability at national meetings is
published on the NIDDK web site. NIDDK has a webpage specifically to assist New Investigators: http://www2.niddk.nih.gov/Funding/Grants/Resources_NewInvestigators.htm
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National Institute on Drug Abuse
(NIDA)
NIDA identifies new investigators; each application from a new investigator is carefully reviewed in making funding recommendations to ensure that the special circumstances of a new investigator are taken into account. NIDA Mentored K
Awardees Meeting for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year grantees;
(1) NIDA Special Populations Research Development
Seminar Series workshop;
(2) NIDA Child and Adolescent Workgroup Mentee Workshop;
(3) NIDA also provides annual grant writing workshops at
a number of conferences.
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National Institute of Environmental
Health Sciences (NIEHS)
New Investigators
are identified in post-council funding discussions by program administrators
at NIEHS, and are given preferential consideration.
NIEHS
has established the Outstanding New Environmental Health Scientist (ONES)
award, a first time R01 grant for scientists in the early, formative stage
(less than 8 years from the doctoral degree) of their career.
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National Institute of General Medical
Sciences (NIGMS)
Program
staff routinely identifies and give special consideration for funding to
applications from new PIs whose scores are slightly outside the normal
funding range. In addition, R01 grants to new investigators are awarded
for 5 years (instead of the average 4-year award) to allow new investigators
additional time to establish their research program.
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National Institute of Mental Health
(NIMH)
The NIMH is committed to supporting new investigators and facilitating the independence of emerging scientists. The Institute considers new investigator status as a priority in funding decisions, especially in the 10th-20th percentile range. We strongly encourage new investigators to contact a program officer in their area of research to receive technical assistance with their proposal prior to submission.
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National Institute of Neurological
Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
NINDS funds to
achieve success rates between 25% and 30% rather than setting a specific
payline for career development awards.
Junior/new
investigators receive special attention in the NINDS High Program Priority
process. In addition to support of new investigators being a reason to
propose someone for HPP, program clusters can put forth an additional
candidate if he/she had been an F or K awardee.
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National Institute of Nursing Research
(NINR)
NINR staff identify
new and promising investigators and discuss the potential of their
applications for support. Staff also provide telephone mentoring to new
applicants and promising applicants who are resubmitting an unsuccessful
application. NINR staff counsels applicants and potential applicants who are
not ready for the R01 to use other mechanisms that build their publication
record and provide opportunities for pilot testing.
NINR
submits names of promising applicants who fall outside the support range to
the Research Enhancement Award Program (REAP) and similar opportunities.
NINR
offers Level 1 and 2 research scientist courses. Level 1 course:
Research Training: Developing Nurse Scientists. Level 2 course: Advancing
Your R01 Into A Program of Research.
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National Library of Medicine
(NLM)
Special
consideration is given at final "payline" meeting with NLM
Director. Reviewers are briefed at each review session on NLM's policies
regarding new investigators, and applications from New Investigators (as so
judged by NLM; NIH application checkmark is not considered definitive)
are reviewed together, not interspersed with those of experienced
investigators. The priority score award cutoff is 10-15 points
more lenient than the cutoff for experienced investigators. Telephone
mentoring and review of preliminary partial drafts of research plans are
also provided.
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