More Early Stage Investigators Supported in FY 2021

July 18, 2022

Last summer, we reported that in fiscal year 2020 NIH supported 1,412 early-stage investigators (ESIs) as first-time Principal Investigators on R01-equivalent awards. This all-time high was seen after several years of steady growth in the number of ESIs supported since implementing NIH’s Next Generation Researchers Initiative five years ago. Today, we take a look specifically at how ESIs and other targeted groups fared last fiscal year.

Introducing Ericka Boone, the New Director of the Biomedical Research Workforce Division

June 30, 2022

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Ericka Boone as the new director of the Division of Biomedical Research Workforce (DBRW) in the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER), and I am thrilled she agreed to take on this role, given her background, interest, passions, and work ethic. Read on to learn more about Ericka.

Another Look at Applications Submitted During the Pandemic (Part 5): A Focus on Career Stage

June 28, 2022

In earlier posts, we looked at the distributions of gender and race of designated principal investigators (PIs) of R01 and RPG applications submitted before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Here we extend on our prior analyses by presenting R01-equivalent application data on PI characteristics of Early Stage Investigators (ESIs).

A Reflection on Impact

May 26, 2022

It’s worth reflecting that it has been more than two years since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Let’s look back to the months of early to mid-2020 when the nation (and the rest of the world) faced a “novel” coronavirus, one which we knew could be fatal and for which there was little knowledge about how it spreads and no known effective treatment, limited diagnostic tests, and no vaccine. How did NIH make fast and meaningful contributions to respond to the pandemic?

Congress Strengthens NIH’s Ability To Address Harassment in NIH-funded Activities

May 10, 2022

The recently passed Consolidated Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2022 includes “Section 239,” which is a milestone in our efforts to ensure safe working conditions for people engaged in NIH-supported research. The law requires NIH grant recipients to notify us when their senior key personnel are removed from their position or are otherwise disciplined due to concerns about harassment, bullying, retaliation, or hostile working conditions. This is a major step in our continued effort to change the culture of harassment in biomedical science.