New NIH Policy Supports New Investigator Transition to Independence
New and early stage investigators are essential to the vitality of health-related
research. For this reason, the NIH will begin explicitly to encourage the
transition of early career investigators to research independence. While it
is clear that identification and special consideration of applications submitted
by new investigators has protected the flow of previously unfunded investigators
into the NIH PI pool, there have been few incentives to encourage early transition
to independence. Many new investigators have spent many years in predoctoral
and postdoctoral training.
Accordingly, the NIH has issued a new policy to adopt more broadly the approach
used by the NIH
Director’s New Innovator Award. Under this policy, the NIH will identify
those new investigators who are within 10 years of completing their terminal
research degree or within 10 years of the end of medical residency. Those
individuals will be called Early Stage Investigators and their career status
will be considered at the time of review and award. For a full description
of the new policy and an implementation schedule, please see the corresponding Guide Notice.
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