More on the Physician-Scientist Workforce

June 30, 2014

A major report on the Physician-Scientist Workforce was presented and discussed at the most recent Advisory Council to the Director (ACD) meeting. It was a highly anticipated follow-up to the Biomedical Workforce report from a couple years earlier. I want to follow-up my earlier post with a closer look at some key points presentation by the Physician-Scientist Workforce (PSW) working group.

RPPR Required for Non-SNAP Progress Reports Beginning October 17, 2014

June 30, 2014

NIH currently requires use of the fed-wide progress reporting format — known as the RPPR (Research Performance Progress Report) — to submit progress reports for Streamlined Non-competing Award Process (SNAP), fellowship, and multi-year funded awards. In April we opened the RPPR for use for all Type 5 Non-SNAP progress reports in anticipation of an October 2014 requirement for RPPR use.

Now, it’s official — all type 5 non-SNAP progress reports submitted on or after October 17, 2014 need to be submitted through the RPPR module of eRA Commons. ….

New Website for iEdison Invention Reporting Information

June 30, 2014

True or false: iEdison is the newest Apple™ light bulb.

Well, for now at least, false. iEdison – which stands for “interagency Edison” – is a system for reporting inventions resulting from federal funding. iEdison is now part of NIH’s electronic Research Administration (eRA) suite of services, and our new website helps iEdison users access information and resources related to invention reporting. ….

What is the Deadline for Resubmitting my Unfunded Application?

June 30, 2014

A resubmission application, also known as an “A1” application, requires a one-page introduction that addresses the comments from the review of the prior A0 application as well as marked changes in the text of the Research Strategy. You are permitted one resubmission of an unfunded application to address reviewer comments, and that resubmission must be submitted to an appropriate due date no longer than 37 months ….

Keep Up With Grants Administration Changes With Our New Timeline

June 30, 2014

Want to look into the future? We sure would. But in lieu of clairvoyant powers we’re trying the next best thing: a map to help navigate upcoming changes in grants administration. The grants policy page on grants.nih.gov is now home to an interactive timeline of upcoming changes in grants administration. ….

Promoting Research Integrity: Building the Foundation of Trust

June 30, 2014

Exemplifying and promoting the highest level of scientific integrity, public accountability, and social responsibility in the conduct of science are among NIH’s main goals as an agency. Research integrity is not about being flawless. It is about conducting science using honest and verifiable methods, complying with rules and regulations and adhering to professional standards. Ultimately, it is also about trust, the foundation upon which the scientific research enterprise is built. We’ve recently updated our website on research integrity, ….

From Lab Bench to Bedside: Accelerating the Commercialization of Biomedical Innovations

June 19, 2014

Tom Kalil is Deputy Director for Technology and Innovation in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). — We are delighted to announce a new collaboration between the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) to empower entrepreneurial scientists and advance the Lab-to-Market priorities set forth in the President’s Management Agenda. The Federal government invests over $130 billion on research and development (R&D) each year, and the President’s 2015 budget supports a sustained commitment to accelerate the transfer of promising Federally-funded technologies from the laboratory to the commercial marketplace.

Mentorship Matters for the Biomedical Workforce

June 6, 2014

Nature Medicine asked me to share my thoughts on the role of mentorship in the biomedical workforce, and I want to share this article with Rock Talk readers, as well.

Mentorship Matters for the Biomedical Workforce: The mentorship of early-career scientists is necessary to their individual career success and the future of the biomedical research enterprise as a whole. Recently launched NIH programs and tools aim to facilitate this important type of training. ….