Questions and Answers Table of Contents
| As a new applicant, where should I look for advice? |
| How do I know if I qualify as a new or early-stage investigator? |
| How does NIH identify a new or early-stage investigator? |
| For a multiple PI application,
what constitutes a new
or early-stage investigator? |
| If
I submit an R01 application as a new investigator but receive
another R01, does my status change? |
| If I am a project leader on a P01 project, can I qualify as a new PI for an R01 application? |
| I was assigned to be PI for a major NIH grant after the former PI left. Other than that, I still meet the new PI definition. Would I still be considered a new PI for my first R01 application? |
| Are recipients of R29 grants who had no subsequent
R01s or other NIH grants considered new investigators? |
| If I received a grant from the National Science
Foundation, am I still considered new for NIH? |
I have an R21. Will I keep my new investigator status if I apply for a second R21? |
If I will be a PI on the subcontract part of a Small Business Innovation Research award, will I lose my new investigator status? |
| As a new investigator seeking independent funding, should I always ask for the smallest grant type? |
| Does NIAID have special programs to help new investigators who miss the R01 payline? |
| Are reviewers less critical of new investigators? |
| Should I try to impress reviewers with a lot of background information? |
| Should I try to impress reviewers by avoiding collaborators and showing I can do it all? |
| If I'm resubmitting an R01 application to CSR, may I resubmit it for the next review cycle? |
| If I resubmit my R01 application to CSR for consecutive review cycles, must I send it to the same study section that reviewed it the first time? |
| Do I apply for a research supplement the same way as a grant? |
| What kinds of fellowships and career awards does
NIAID support? |
| How can I learn about NIAID funding opportunities
and other news? |
| What if my question wasn't answered here, or I'd like to suggest a question? |
As a new applicant, where should I look for advice?
Our New Investigator Guide to NIH Funding tutorial is a good place to start. For more detailed advice and information, check out our NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.
Annotated R01 Research Plan and Summary Statement gives you an example of an outstanding application written by a new principal investigator. Find these resources on our Early-Stage Investigator Portal. NIH also offers a New Investigators page.
How do I know if I qualify as a new or early-stage investigator?
See Are You "New"? in our New Investigator Guide to NIH Funding.
How does NIH identify a new or early-stage investigator?
For an electronic application, check the box in the PHS 398 Cover Page Supplement form. For a paper application, mark the appropriate checkbox on the application Face Page.
For a multiple
PI application, what constitutes a new or early-stage investigator?
When submitting a multiple PI application, you are not "new" or early-stage unless all the other PIs also meet NIH's new investigator definition.
For
more
information,
see Take Heed -- You Might Want to Avoid a Multiple PI Application in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal. Keep in mind you can no longer
apply as a new investigator once you become a PI on a multiple PI award,
except for grant types listed on Are You "New"?
If
I submit an R01 application as a new investigator but receive another R01, does my status change?
As soon as you get your first R01,
your status changes in the NIH grants database, and you are no longer
a new investigator. If you already submitted a second application
as a new investigator, the database will automatically update your status
after your first award.
Scientific
review officers also check to see if the new investigator
status is accurate on the application since many investigators do not correctly identify
themselves.
If I am a project leader on a P01 project, can I qualify as a new PI for an R01 application?
Yes. As a project leader on a P01, you are not a PI, so you are still eligible to be a new investigator.
I was assigned to be PI for a major NIH grant after the former PI left. Other than that, I still meet the new PI definition. Would I still be considered a new PI for my first R01 application?
Yes. If you are appointed as PI but weren't listed as the PI on the original application, NIH would still consider you to be a new investigator when it's time to apply for your own R01.
Read more on the NIH definition and the exceptions at Are You "New"? in our New Investigator Guide to NIH Funding tutorial.
Are recipients of R29 grants who had
no subsequent R01s or other NIH grants considered new investigators?
No. NIH didn't include the R29
in the exception list because it considers the R29 to be an R01 equivalent. For
more information, see
Are You "New"? in our New Investigator Guide to NIH Funding tutorial.
If I received a grant
from the National Science Foundation, am I still considered new for
NIH?
Yes. Only NIH
grants affect your status as a new or early-stage investigator. For a list of award types and how they affect your new investigator status, see Are You "New"?
I have an R21. Will I keep my new investigator status if I apply for a second R21?
Yes, you would still be considered new. Many PIs take this approach. For a list of award types that affect new investigator status, see Are You "New"?
If I will be a PI on the subcontract part of a Small Business Innovation Research award, will I lose my new investigator status?
No. A subcontractor is not the official NIH PI for a grant. For more information on new PI status, go to Are You "New"?
As a new investigator seeking independent funding, should I always ask for the smallest grant type?
No. If you have sufficient preliminary data and status, you may want to start with an R01. If not, you could try for an R03 or R21 award, which would enable you to develop preliminary data for an R01.
In any case, do not choose an award type on your own. Call your program officer for help.
For more advice, go to What Award Should You Apply For? and Do You Qualify for Independent Support? in our New Investigator Guide to NIH Funding tutorial and Which Award Type Suits You Best? in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.
Does NIAID have special programs to help new investigators who miss the R01 payline?
Yes. If you are a new investigator and your oustanding R01 application misses the payline, you are more likely to be funded through an R56-Bridge award or selective pay.
For more information, see the Selective Pay SOP, the NIAID R56-Bridge Award SOP, and NIAID May Approve Special Funding in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.
Are reviewers less critical of new investigators?
In some respects, yes. In evaluating applications, peer reviewers look more
at potential than achievement. See Grant Writing for New Applicants.
Should I try to impress reviewers with a lot of background information?
No. Reviewers may know much more about a field than you. You should
not put anything in the application that's not directly relevant.
See Grant Writing for New Applicants for ideas on how to impress reviewers.
Learn how to write a Research Plan in Part 5. Research Plan of the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.
Should I try to impress reviewers by avoiding collaborators
and showing I can do it all?
No. They will be more impressed if you bring in collaborators to fill gaps
in your expertise and resources. It helps to choose a mentor or collaborators who are well known and respected since reviewers may recognize their names.
See Getting Oriented, and for training and career awards, see Before Applying, Choose a Good Sponsor. Read Decide the Involvement of Others in the NIH Grant Cycle: Application to Renewal.
If I'm resubmitting an R01 application to CSR, may I resubmit it for the next review cycle?
Yes. As a new investigator, you may resubmit for the next review cycle if you're resubmitting an R01 application for a standard submission date reviewed by CSR.
If I resubmit my R01 application to CSR for consecutive review cycles, must I send it to the same study section that reviewed it the first time?
No.
Do I apply for a research supplement the same way as a grant?
No. NIAID awards supplements to existing research grants. The grantee applies, not the person receiving the support. We offer diversity, primary caregiver, and reentry supplements. For more information,
see our Supplements main
page.
What kinds of fellowships and career awards does NIAID support?
NIAID supports training awards, fellowships, and career development awards. For more information, see our Tutorial for Training and Career Awards, Fellowships, and Supplements tutorial and the Training and Career Awards main page.
How can I learn about NIAID
funding opportunities and other news?
See How can I receive email messages from NIAID about
funding and other news? in our Finding
Help questions and answers.
What if my question wasn't answered here, or I'd like to suggest a question?
Email deaweb@niaid.nih.gov with the title of this page or its URL and your question or comment. We answer questions by email and post them here. Thanks for helping us clarify and expand our knowledge base. |
