July 24, 2014
ere on the blog we discuss many different aspects of NIH’s research program – policies, funding trends, workforce issues. A few weeks ago, while I was preparing to give the opening talk at the NIH Regional Seminar on Program Funding and Grants Administration, I realized some Rock Talk readers might be interested in learning more about how these topics fit into the big picture of NIH. So, I asked my colleagues to tape this talk, “NIH: The View from 10,000 Feet”, so I could share it with you on the blog ….
July 11, 2014
A question that I hear often from investigators is: are my chances of funding increased or decreased by submitting a multi-PI application? It was seven years ago that NIH implemented the Multiple Principal Investigator Policy to encourage interdisciplinary and team approaches to biomedical research, and give scientists the option to apply with their peers and allow for equal credit for leadership of the research program. While the single-PI model works well, and continues to be the model for most of NIH’s research grants, the multi-PI option recognizes that as health research grows in scale and complexity, scientific teams may better reflect the intellectual and scientific leadership within a given grant application. So, let’s look at some data on how multi-PI applications fare in comparison to single-PI applications. ….
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.
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. ….
June 4, 2014
I’ll be at the June Advisory Council to the Director (ACD) meeting this Thursday and Friday. Several updates and reports from ACD working groups are on the agenda. Two working groups will be presenting reports on the topics they were charged to explore. ….
May 22, 2014
We’re set for a major change in how you portray your body of work when applying for NIH funds. With strong support from NIH leadership, we will be rolling out a new biosketch format. The new NIH biosketch emphasizes your accomplishments instead of just a list of publications, which, as previously discussed, we questioned as the best way to showcase your scientific contributions. ….
May 16, 2014
You likely saw the recent Nature policy article, in which NIH Director Francis Collins and NIH Office of Research on Women’s Health Director Janine Clayton discussed ways that NIH is addressing sex differences in research. As our understanding of science evolves, so do our policies that govern research. This commentary cites several studies that highlight the need to further consider sex differences in preclinical research and describes how NIH will enact new policies to expand the consideration of sex differences in research studies using animal models and cells. The article generated quite a buzz in the community, and I wanted to take this opportunity to explain the roll out of our implementation plan. ….
April 29, 2014
The strength of the biomedical research enterprise depends on new researchers becoming independent NIH-funded researchers, bringing fresh ideas and perspectives for solving scientific questions. As we have discussed here and in other venues, we are keenly aware that the long training period, aging of the biomedical workforce, and the fiscally challenging times all impact the ability of individuals to move from training positions into independent research positions. ….
April 22, 2014
One of my favorite opportunities to meet face-to-face with the extramural research community each year is at the NIH Regional Seminar on Program Funding and Grants Administration. If you or someone you know is new to working with NIH – or maybe just in need of a brush up on NIH funding and related topics – consider joining me June 26-27 in Baltimore, MD for the 2014 NIH Regional Seminar. ….
April 17, 2014
We have had much discussion on this blog about NIH’s resubmission policy (most often referred to as the NIH A2 policy). I have also heard from many of you in a variety of forums, expressing serious concerns about the impact of NIH’s resubmission policy on applicants during these times of tight funding. We’ve listened to your concerns, and we are making changes. ….
0 Comments