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Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives (DPCPSI) National Institutes of Health  •  U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

NIH Director’s Pioneer Award

E-mail questions to pioneer@nih.gov

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2010 Frequently Asked Questions

Note that there have been significant changes In the Pioneer Award application and review process. Please review the instructions in the RFA carefully.

A. General Questions

  1. What is the NIH Director’s Pioneer Award?
  2. What distinguishes the NIH Director’s Pioneer Award from traditional NIH programs?
  3. How does the Pioneer Award program differ from other NIH programs targeting innovative research, such as the New Innovator, Transformative R01 (T-R01), and EUREKA programs?
  4. How many awards will be made in 2010?
  5. How much time/effort must recipients devote to their Pioneer Award project?
  6. If 50% of my time is devoted to clinical and/or teaching duties, and only 50% to research, how much time/effort would I be expected to devote to Pioneer Award activities?
  7. What requirements must I fulfill during the term of the award?
  8. May two or more scientists apply as a team for the NIH Director’s Pioneer Award?
  9. From which disciplines does NIH wish to draw submissions for the NIH Director’s Pioneer Award?
  10. Will technology development be allowed or just hypothesis-driven research?
  11. I am working with a collaborator in another country. Would I be able to continue to spend some time conducting research there?
  12. Are these awards renewable?
  13. Once awarded, is this award transferable if I change institutions next year?
  14. Are women and members of underrepresented minority groups encouraged to apply?
  15. Will the Pioneer Award program be repeated in 2011?

B. Eligibility

  1. Are individuals at all stages of their careers eligible?
  2. May individuals who applied in previous years who did not receive awards apply this year?
  3. Are foreign scientists eligible?
  4. Are individuals employed by government agencies, non-academic, and/or for-profit organizations eligible?
  5. Are scientists in the NIH Intramural Program eligible?
  6. Are individuals who have other support eligible? If so, may the awardee remain as principal investigator on his/her grant(s)?
  7. I am currently a postdoctoral fellow. Am I eligible to apply for an NIH Director’s Pioneer Award?
  8. Can the same project be submitted to two programs at the same time? While my Pioneer Award application is pending, may I submit the same project for another NIH grant such as an R01? If I have an application pending, may I submit the same project for a Pioneer Award?
  9. I have an application under review in another program supporting unusually innovative research (such as the EUREKA or Transformative-R01 program). May I submit the same project to the Pioneer Award program?
  10. According to the RFA, Pioneer Awards are meant to support investigators who intend to pursue new research directions. Can you clarify what is meant by “new research direction?”

C. The Competition Process for 2010

  1. Are there significant changes from last year to the competition process?
  2. What are the dates for submission of 2010 applications and letters of reference?
  3. Can someone at NIH review my idea and let me know if it is a good fit for the Pioneer Award program?
  4. Is there a limit to the number of applications that can be submitted by an institution?
  5. What must be done before I submit an application to Grants.gov?
  6. Where can I find help registering for Grants.gov?
  7. Where can I find help in submitting my application to Grants.gov?
  8. Where can I find help in registering for the eRA Commons?
  9. Whom do I contact if I have questions about programmatic aspects of the Pioneer Awards?

D. Grants.Gov Submission Documents

  1. What format should I use for the documents submitted with my application to Grants.gov (abstract, essay, biosketch, current research support)?
  2. Does the five-page essay replace the traditional “Research Plan” (with “Specific Aims”) or is it to be submitted in addition to that section?
  3. In my essay, may I include citations (references) to key publications? If so, what is the appropriate format?
  4. In my essay, may I include figures and illustrations?
  5. In my essay, may I include links to Web sites to provide more information?
  6. The application package that I downloaded from Grants.Gov does not include budget pages. Are detailed budgets required? Where do I indicate indirect costs?
  7. Where do I submit the various required sections of the application?
  8. What should be included in the description of the investigator’s most significant research accomplishment?
  9. The Instructions in the FOA state that I have to designate a science area for my application. What is the purpose of the science area?
  10. Where do I designate the area of science for my pre-application?
  11. What are the Areas of Science?
  12. May I designate more than one area of science?
  13. I cannot determine the best fit for my Area of Science. What should I do?
  14. Will the reviewers be experts in the topic of my pre-application?
  15. May I include additional information in an appendix? I need additional space for my list of references, etc.
  16. Where should the effort commitment statement (statement confirming that if chosen to receive an award, the applicant will commit a minimum of 51% of their research efforts to Pioneer Award activities) be provided in the pre-application?
  17. If I obtain important new preliminary data that will strengthen my application after my application has been submitted, can the new data be included in the review?

E. Letters of Reference

  1. Are letters of reference required for applications this year?
  2. How do my referees submit their letters in support of my application?
  3. Will I be notified letters are submitted?
  4. How can I check the status of my letters of reference?
  5. May I ask more than three individuals to submit letters for my application?
  6. May a single letter of reference come from more than one individual?

F. 2009 Evaluation and Selection of Awardees

  1. How will awardees be selected?
  2. What criteria will be used to evaluate applications?
  3. Will I receive a summary statement or other comments?
  4. Can the decision of the panel of reviewers be appealed?
  5. When will the 2010 awardees be announced?

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A. General Questions

  1. What is the NIH Director’s Pioneer Award?
    The NIH Director’s Pioneer Award Program, an NIH Roadmap initiative established in 2004, complements NIH’s traditional, investigator-initiated grant programs by supporting individual scientists of exceptional creativity who propose pioneering approaches to major challenges in biomedical and behavioral research. The term “pioneering” is used to describe highly innovative approaches that have the potential for producing an unusually high impact. Biomedical and behavioral research is defined broadly in this program as encompassing scientific investigations in the biological, behavioral, clinical, social, physical, chemical, computational, engineering, mathematical sciences, and other relevant disciplines.
  2. What distinguishes the NIH Director’s Pioneer Award from traditional NIH programs?
    The NIH Director’s Pioneer Award Program is different in several ways. First, it is designed to support a small number of investigators of exceptional creativity who propose bold and highly innovative new research approaches that have the potential to produce a major impact on broad, important problems in biomedical and behavioral research. The award will provide up to $500,000 direct costs per year for five years. The only constraint on the research to be done with this award is that it must be relevant to the NIH mission (http://www.nih.gov/about/almanac). Second, the information required is highly abbreviated. Third, the procedure for evaluating applicants (described below) is distinct from the traditional NIH peer review process and will emphasize the individual’s potential to make seminal contributions toward solving an important biomedical or behavioral research problem, the innovativeness of the project, the significance/importance of the problem, and the likelihood that, if successful, the project will have a significant impact on this problem.
  3. How does the Pioneer Award program differ from other NIH programs targeting innovative research, such as the New Innovator, Transformative R01 (T-R01), and EUREKA programs?
      Pioneer Award New Innovator Award T-R01 EUREKA
    Eligibility
    • Open to all career stages; early and middle career particularly encouraged to apply
    • Must currently be engaged in research
    • No citizenship or residency requirements
    • Foreign (non-U.S.) institutions not eligible
    • Most recent doctoral degree (e.g., Ph.D., M.D., D.D.S., D.V.M., Pharm.D., or equivalent) or completion of medical internship and residency no earlier than 2000 and no later than the due date for applications
    • Must be a “new investigator” (never been awarded an R01 or equivalent NIH grant)
    • No citizenship or residency
    • Foreign (non-U.S.) institutions not eligible
    • Open to all career stages
    • Foreign (non-U.S.) institutions eligible
    • Open to all career stages
    • Foreign (non-U.S.) institutions eligible
    Preliminary Data Not required; may be included Not required; may be included Not required; may be included Not required; may be included
    Research plan 3–5 page essay includes response to questions about the challenge, potential impact, suitability for the Pioneer Award program; and how research qualifies as new research direction 10-page essay addresses significance and potential impact; innovativeness of approaches and how risks and challenges will be addressed; and investigator qualifications for the award 8-page limit; respond to questions about the challenge, potential impact, and appropriateness for the T-R01 program 8-page limit; respond to questions about the challenge, potential impact, appropriateness for the mechanism, and likelihood of success
    Effort Minimum of 51% (major portion) of research effort must be devoted to activities supported by the award Minimum of 25% of research effort must be devoted to activities supported by the award Effort should be commensurate with project needs, and follow general guidelines for other NIH projects of similar size, complexity, and duration Effort should be commensurate with project needs; no minimum effort
    Budget
    • No budget information submitted
    • Awards will be for up to $500,000 per year for each of five years, plus standard F&A (indirect) costs
    • No budget information submitted
    • Awards will be for up to $300,000 in direct costs each year for five years, plus standard F&A (indirect costs)
    • No limits up to maximum funds available for the program as a whole
    • No prior approvals required for budgets over $500K (DC) per year
    		 Limits on direct costs – total project $800K, and for any year $250K, plus standard F&A (indirect costs)
    Multiple PIs Only one PD/PI may be designated on the application Only one PD/PI may be designated on the application More than one PD/PI allowed More than one PD/PI allowed
  4. How many awards will be made in 2010?
    The NIH Director expects to make at least 7 awards in FY 2010, depending on the quality of applications and the availability of funds.
  5. How much time/effort must recipients devote to their Pioneer Award project?
    Awardees are expected to commit the major portion (at least 51 percent) of their research time/effort to activities supported by the Pioneer Award. Investigators should not apply if they are unable to commit this amount of effort to the project.
  6. If 50% of my time is devoted to clinical and/or teaching duties, and only 50% to research, how much time/effort would I be expected to devote to Pioneer Award activities?
    If you spend 50% of your time doing research, you would be required to devote the major portion (at least 51 percent) of your research time, or 26% of your total time, to Pioneer Award activities.
  7. What requirements must I fulfill during the term of the award?
    Although there are no stipulations on the research agenda, you will be required to submit a two to five page annual report of your activities during the year and to participate in an annual symposium in Bethesda, MD. In addition, to help the NIH evaluate this program, you may be contacted periodically for at least five years and asked to report on your latest research efforts.
  8. May two or more scientists apply as a team for the NIH Director’s Pioneer Award?
    No. Applications must come from individual investigators, not from teams of investigators. However, investigators may describe planned collaborations in their essays.
  9. From which disciplines does NIH wish to draw submissions for the NIH Director’s Pioneer Award?
    The NIH encourages applications from scientists from all disciplines, including the biological, behavioral, clinical, social, physical, chemical, computational, engineering, and mathematical sciences, who provide evidence of interest in exploring topics of relevance to the NIH mission.
  10. Will technology development be allowed or just hypothesis-driven research?
    Applications proposing hypothesis-driven research and those proposing the development of new tools and technologies are both encouraged. The focus is on impact and innovation.
  11. I am working with a collaborator in another country. Would I be able to continue to spend some time conducting research there?
    The PI of a Pioneer Award must be employed by a U.S. institution and the research must be conducted at that institution. However, there may be circumstances, such as studies involving a foreign population or a collaborative research project, in which the PI of a Pioneer Award must conduct part of the research outside the United States. This research is allowable. However, the length of any single foreign research stay should not exceed the time allowable under NIH Grants Policy for a PI to be away from his/her laboratory without appointing a temporary PI (i.e., three months). Due to the special nature of the Pioneer Award, appointment of a temporary PI is not allowable.
  12. Are these awards renewablee?
    No. These awards are intended to jump-start or redirect an individual’s research program. Awardees are expected to seek future support though traditional routes.
  13. Once awarded, is this award transferable if I change institutions next year?
    This award may be transferred to another eligible institution according to the same policies and procedures as for traditional research grants. Please note, however, that awards may not be transferred to foreign institutions.
  14. Are women and members of underrepresented minority groups encouraged to apply?
    The NIH recognizes that there are many outstanding and highly innovative women scientists, as well as outstanding scientists who are members of minority groups underrepresented in biomedical or behavioral research, and strongly encourages these individuals to apply. NIH also plans to aggressively recruit an appropriately diverse group to serve as reviewers at the various stages of the selection process.
  15. Will the Pioneer Award program be repeated in 2011?
    NIH hopes to announce the NIH Director’s Pioneer Awards program again next year if funds are available. To be notified of Pioneer Award and other NIH Roadmap news, register for the NIH Roadmap LISTSERV at http://list.nih.gov/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=nihroadmap-l&A=1.

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B. Eligibility

  1. Are individuals at all stages of their careers eligible?
    Yes, individuals at all career stages are eligible to apply. Those at early to middle stages of their careers are especially encouraged to apply.
  2. May individuals who applied in previous years who did not receive awards apply this year?
    Yes, as long as they meet the other eligibility criteria as listed in the RFA. Note that all Pioneer Award applications must be submitted as “new” applications, regardless of any previous submission to the program.
  3. Are foreign scientists eligible?
    Yes. There is no citizenship or residency requirement. However, applicants must be conducting their research and holding an independent position at a U.S. institution that is eligible to apply. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (Foreign Organizations) are not eligible to apply.
  4. Are individuals employed by government agencies, non-academic, and/or for-profit organizations eligible?
    Individuals from all organizations that can otherwise apply to the NIH for funding and are willing to abide by the terms and conditions that NIH requires are eligible for this award.
  5. Are scientists in the NIH Intramural Program eligible?
    No. Because intramural scientists may not receive extramural NIH grants, they are not eligible to apply for an NIH Director's Pioneer Award.
  6. Are individuals who have other support eligible? If so, may the awardee remain as principal investigator on his/her grant(s)?
    Individuals who have other support are eligible for this award and may continue as principal investigator on other grants. However, awardees are expected to devote at least 51 percent of their research time/effort to activities supported by the Pioneer Award. Since the NIH Director’s Pioneer Awards are expected to support distinctly new research, awards will not be made simply to enable investigators to expand research projects that are ongoing.
  7. I am currently a postdoctoral fellow. Am I eligible to apply for an NIH Director’s Pioneer Award?
    Applicants must be able to show concrete evidence for their claim of innovativeness. This could be very difficult for a postdoctoral fellow who has never conducted independent research. In addition, like all NIH grants, the NIH Director’s Pioneer Awards are made to institutions on behalf of investigators. Because most institutions will only authorize grant applications from individuals who are independent investigators, this could present an administrative barrier to applying.
  8. Can the same project be submitted to two programs at the same time? While my Pioneer Award application is pending, may I submit the same project for another NIH grant such as an R01? If I have an application pending, may I submit the same project for a Pioneer Award?
    Pioneer Awards are meant to support investigators who intend to pursue projects that are substantially different from those already being pursued in the investigator’s lab or elsewhere. Those submitting applications must address explicitly how the proposed research direction will differ from their past or current work and the reviewers will evaluate whether the Pioneer Award project is merely incremental or whether it is a "leap" ahead of the work the investigator is already doing. Investigators must also provide compelling justification for the advantage of evaluation by the Pioneer Award process rather than by the standard review process. In general, projects that are appropriate for more traditional grant mechanisms are not appropriate for Pioneer Award applications. Additionally, the general policy of the Public Health Service, which includes the NIH, does not allow multiple submissions of essentially the same proposal to any of its components.
  9. I have an application under review in another program supporting unusually innovative research (such as the EUREKA or Transformative-R01 program). May I submit the same project to the Pioneer Award program?
    No. NIH policy does not allow multiple submissions of essentially the same project.
  10. According to the RFA, Pioneer Awards are meant to support investigators who intend to pursue new research directions. Can you clarify what is meant by “new research direction?”
    A new research direction is one that is distinct from any research currently or previously conducted by the applicant or by other investigators. Successful Pioneer Award applicants are expected to propose highly innovative, and possibly risky, approaches to address or solve exceptionally important problems in biomedical or behavioral sciences. While a new research direction may have as its foundation the applicant’s prior work and expertise, it cannot simply be an obvious extension or scaling up of a research enterprise. Rather, a new research direction must reflect a fundamental new insight into the solution of a problem, which may derive from the development of exceptionally innovative approaches and/or from the posing of radically unconventional hypotheses.

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C. The Competition Process for 2010

  1. Are there significant changes from last year to the competition process?
    Yes, please read the instructions in the RFA carefully. Unlike the 2009 competition, the 2010 competition will not require pre-applications (X02). Additionally, for the 2010 competition, all applicants must arrange to have three letters of reference submitted on their behalf. There are other minor changes to the submission instructions, so please read the RFA carefully.
  2. What are the dates for submission of 2010 applications and letters of reference?
    Applications may be submitted to Grants.gov beginning September 20, 2009 and must be successfully received by Grants.gov no later than 5:00 p.m. local time (of the investigator’s institution/organization), October 20, 2009. Letters of reference must be submitted by no later than 5:00 p.m. (EST).
  3. Can someone at NIH review my idea and let me know if it is a good fit for the Pioneer Award program?
    The external review will evaluate the merit of your -application. NIH staff cannot provide comments on specific ideas or plans for individual research grant applications.
  4. Is there a limit to the number of applications that can be submitted by an institution?
    There is no limit to the number of applications that an institution can submit. However, an investigator may submit only one application.
  5. What must be done before I submit an application to Grants.gov?
    It is important that you immediately check with your sponsored research office to determine whether your institution is registered with Grants.gov. Please note that the registration process could take up to two weeks. The institution’s Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) is responsible for completing the registration process.

    If your institution is not already registered, it must first register with the Central Contractor Registry (the Credential Provider) at http://www.ccr.gov/ and then with Grants.gov at http://www.grants.gov/GetStarted.

    Both the institution and the investigator must also complete a one-time registration in the NIH eRA Commons in order to submit applications to NIH. Institutional officials are responsible for registering investigators in the eRA Commons. You should work with your AOR (also known as Signing Official in the eRA Commons) to determine your own institution’s process for registration.
  6. Where can I find help registering for Grants.gov?
    For help with the Grants.gov registration process, contact Grants.gov customer support at 1-800-518-4726 (Toll Free), Monday–Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time), or at support@grants.gov.
  7. Where can I find help in submitting my application to Grants.gov?
    For help with the technical aspects of submitting to Grants.gov, check the resources available at Grants.gov. If you need assistance, contract Grants.gov customer support at 1-800-518-4726 (Toll Free), Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time), or at support@grants.gov.
  8. Where can I find help in registering for the eRA Commons?
    Step-by-step directions for registering with eRA Commons are available at http://commons.era.nih.gov/commons/registration/registrationInstructions.jsp.

    For questions regarding the Commons registration process, contact the NIH eRA Commons help desk at phone: 301-402-7469 or 866-504-9552 (Toll Free); 301-451-5939 (TTY) business hours Monday–Friday, 7:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time).
  9. Whom do I contact if I have questions about programmatic aspects of the Pioneer Awards?
    For questions of a programmatic nature, contact Shan McCollough at (301) 594-3555 or at pioneer@nih.gov. Email inquiries are strongly preferred.

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D. Grants.Gov Submission Documents

  1. What format should I use for the documents submitted with my application to Grants.gov (abstract, essay, biosketch, current research support)?
    All documents must be in PDF format. Other formatting requirements are in the Application Guide (MS Word), Section 2.6, Format Specifications for Text (PDF) Attachments.

    For the biographical sketch, use the sample format on the Biographical Sketch Format Page (MS Word) in the Application Guide in Part I, Section 4.5.2, of the Application Guide. Omit Section C, Research Support. The biographical sketch must not exceed two pages.

    For the list of current and pending support, use the format shown in the Application Guide, Section 3.1.1.8. Applications with documents that exceed page limits will be considered non-responsive and will not be evaluated.
  2. Does the five-page essay replace the traditional “Research Plan” (with “Specific Aims”) or is it to be submitted in addition to that section?
    The five-page essay replaces the traditional “Research Plan” section required for most other NIH grant applications. The requirements for a Pioneer Award application are very different from those for most other NIH grants. Read carefully the application instructions and review criteria in the RFA.
  3. In my essay, may I include citations (references) to key publications? If so, what is the appropriate format?
    Yes, you may include citations in the essay, as long as they fit within the 3–5 page limit. The citations may be in any format.
  4. In my essay, may I include figures and illustrations?
    Yes, you may include figures and illustrations in the essay, as long as they fit within the 3–5 page limit. Note, however, that links to animations/movies are not allowed.
  5. In my essay, may I include links to Web sites to provide more information?
    No, investigators must explain their proposed research in their 3–5 page essays.
  6. The application package that I downloaded from Grants.Gov does not include budget pages. Are detailed budgets required? Where do I indicate indirect costs?
    Budgets are not required. Indirect costs will be determined at the time of award.
  7. Where do I submit the various required sections of the application?
    • Abstract – upload on Item 6, R&R Other Project Information Component form.
    • Public Health Relevancy Statement – upload on Item 7, Project Narrative, on the Other Project Information component of the application.
    • Essay – upload on Item 11 – Other Attachments on the R&R Other Project Information Component
    • Biographical sketch – upload on R&R Senior/Key Person Profile Component where indicated.
    • List of current and pending support – upload on R&R Senior/Key Person Profile Component where indicated.
    • Description of my most significant accomplishment – upload as a separate attachment on Item 11, Other Attachments, on the R&R Other Project Information Component.
    • Human/Animal Subjects Plans: If appropriate, human subjects and animal subjects plans should be uploaded as separate documents on Item 11, Other Attachments, on the R&R Other Project Information Component. (Upload one document containing the human subjects plan and a separate document containing the animal subjects plan.)

      Note: Up to four attachments may be uploaded to Item 11, Other Attachments, on the R&R Other Project Information Component as follows: 1) Essay; 2) Description of the PI’s Most Significant Research Accomplishment; and 3) if appropriate, Human Subjects Plan; and 4) if appropriate, Animal Subjects Plan. Uploading more than four attachments to this field will cause the application to be rejected.
  8. What should be included in the description of the investigator’s most significant research accomplishment?
    Attach a description of no more than one page of your single most signification publication or research accomplishment. You should describe a single accomplishment, not a summary of several accomplishments, multiple publications, or background.
  9. The Instructions in the FOA state that I have to designate a science area for my application. What is the purpose of the science area?
    The Area of Science designation is to assist in assigning applications to reviewers. To select the most appropriate science area code for your application, you should consider whether reviewers who are knowledgeable in one or another Area of Science would be most likely to appreciate the significance of the project, the innovativeness of its approaches, and its potential impact.
  10. Where do I designate the area of science for my pre-application?
    You must designate your area of science by choosing one of ten application packages in Grants.gov. After clicking “Apply for Grant Electronically,” you will be presented with a list of ten application packages, each with a separate Competition ID and Title. Each application package corresponds to one of the science areas. Download the application package that best describes your area of proposed research. You may download and submit only one of the ten application packages. The area of science (two-digit code and title of the science area) must be included at the top of the abstract page. The two-digit code for the science area will be displayed in the Competition ID Field on the transmittal sheet (first page of the application) in the Commons. We strongly encourage you to check this document to verify that your application has been submitted to the intended science area. If the application has been submitted to the wrong science area, individuals must notify program staff immediately by email to pioneer@nih.gov.
  11. What are the Areas of Science?
    • 01 Behavioral and Social Sciences
    • 02 Chemical Biology
    • 03 Clinical and Translational Research
    • 04 Epidemiology
    • 05 Immunology
    • 06 Instrumentation and Engineering
    • 07 Molecular and Cellular Biology
    • 08 Neuroscience
    • 09 Physiology and Integrative Systems
    • 10 Quantitative and Computational Biology
  12. May I designate more than one area of science?
    No. Only one area may be designated.
  13. I cannot determine the best fit for my Area of Science. What should I do?
    The Area of Science coding is used to assist in the assignment of applications to the most appropriate group of reviewers. NIH staff cannot advise you on the specific selection of an Area of Science for your project. We understand that for interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research projects, more than one Area of Science might be appropriate.
  14. Will the reviewers be experts in the topic of my pre-application?
    The reviewers for the Pioneer Award applications have been chosen for their breadth of scientific perspective, and will be able to review a broad range of applications, but will not necessarily be experts in the topic of you proposal. The description of the scientific project in the essay should be written with a level of detail appropriate for reviewers who are broadly knowledgeable but who may not be expert in the proposed area of research.
  15. May I include additional information in an appendix? I need additional space for my list of references, etc.
    All information submitted for the review of your application must be included in the allowed sections of the application, within the specified limits of space. Appendices will not be accepted. There is no place for appendix material in the application format.
  16. Where should the effort commitment statement (statement confirming that if chosen to receive an award, the applicant will commit a minimum of 51% of their research efforts to Pioneer Award activities) be provided in the application?
    The statement should be placed in the list of current and pending support.
  17. If I obtain important new preliminary data that will strengthen my application after my application has been submitted, can the new data be included in the review?
    We cannot accept any additional information. Only the information contained in the original application will be included in the review.

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E. Letters of Reference

  1. Are letters of reference required for applications this year?
    For the 2010 competition, all applicants must arrange to have three (and no more than three) letters of reference submitted on their behalf. Please see the detailed instructions in the RFA and at http://nihroadmap.nih.gov/pioneer/LettersofReferenceFormat.aspx http://nihroadmap.nih.gov/pioneer/LettersofReferenceFormat.aspx.
  2. How do my referees submit their letters in support of my application?
    Letters of reference are submitted to the NIH eRA Commons at (https://commons.era.nih.gov/commons/reference/submitRefereeInformation.jsp). Letters may be submitted beginning September 20, 2009, and must be submitted no later than :00 p.m. (EST), October 20, 2009. Instructions for referees on submitting letters are at http://nihroadmap.nih.gov/pioneer/LettersofReferenceFormat.aspx.
  3. Will I be notified when letters are submitted?
    Applicants will receive e-mail an e-mail confirmation for each letter. The confirmation will contain the name of the referee and the date and time the letter was submitted. Applicants are responsible for contacting their referees to ensure that the letters are submitted prior to the deadline.

    Applications with fewer than three letters may be considered non-responsive and may not be reviewed.
  4. How can I check the status of my letters of reference?
    The applicant and the AOR/SO may check the status of submitted letters in the Commons by clicking “Check Status” for the application. Applicants are responsible for checking the status of their letters and contacting referees to ensure that letters are submitted by the receipt deadline.
  5. May I ask more than three individuals to submit letters for my application?
    You should not request letters from more than three referees as only three letters will be accepted.
  6. May a single letter of reference come from more than one individual?
    No, each letter must be from only one referee.

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F. 2010 Review and Selection of Awardees

  1. How will awardees be selected?
    Applications that are complete and responsive will be peer reviewed by a multidisciplinary group of external reviewers. Those investigators whose submissions are judged to be the most outstanding will be invited to NIH for interviews in April, 2010. Interviews will be conducted by a panel of distinguished outside experts. The Advisory Committee to the Director (ACD), NIH, will conduct the final level of review. The Director, NIH, will make the final selection of awardees based on the results of the peer review, the recommendations of the ACD, and programmatic considerations.
  2. What criteria will be used to evaluate applications?
    The reviewers are looking for convincing evidence that the investigator will pursue a pioneering approach to an important problem of relevance to biomedical or behavioral research and compelling justification for the advantage of evaluation by the Pioneer Award process. Please see the detailed description of research criteria in Section V.2 of the RFA.
  3. Will I receive a summary statement or other comments?
    All applicants will receive summary statements with brief reviewer comments. Additionally, applicants selected for finalist interviews will receive overall impact/priority scores. No criterion scores will be provided to either finalists or non-finalists.
  4. Can the decision of the panel of reviewers be appealed?
    No. There is no appeal process.
  5. When will the 2010 awardees be announced?
    The 2010 awardees will be notified in June, 2010. New awardees are expected to attend the Pioneer Award Symposium to be held in September, 2010.

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This page last reviewed: August 20, 2009