# Presentation: 920427

## New Investigators CommitteeUpdate

**New Investigators Committee****Update**

**Story Landis, Ph.D., Director, NINDS**
**Norka Ruiz Bravo, Ph.D., Deputy Director, OER **
**December 1, 2005**

## First Major Independent Research Support Occurs at an Ever-Later Age 

- For more information, see  _[http://grants.nih.gov/grants/20040712_New_Investigator_Talk.ppt](http://grants.nih.gov/grants/20040712_New_Investigator_Talk.ppt)_

**   **

- Average Age of Initial Type 1 R01/R23/R29 Award for Different Degrees Held

**44**

**38**

**42**

**37**

**40**

- 35

- 36

- 37

- 38

- 39

- 40

- 41

- 42

- 43

- 44

- 45

- 1980

- 1981

- 1982

- 1983

- 1984

- 1985

- 1986

- 1987

- 1988

- 1989

- 1990

- 1991

- 1992

- 1993

- 1994

- 1995

- 1996

- 1997

- 1998

- 1999

- 2000

- 2001

- 2002

- 2003

- Fiscal Year

- Average age

**M.D.-Ph.D.**

**M.D.**

**Ph.D.**

## Percentage of New Investigators in Competing R01 Awards Continues to Decrease FY 1962 - FY 2003

**R**

**2**

** ****= 0.71**

**0%**

**10%**

**20%**

**30%**

**40%**

**50%**

**60%**

**70%**

**80%**

**90%**

**100%**

**1963**

**1967**

**1971**

**1975**

**1979**

**1983**

**1987**

**1991**

**1995**

**1999**

**2003**

**Established Investigator**

**New Investigator**

**Percentage of New Investigators in Competing R01 Awards Continues to Decrease** FY 1962 - FY 2003

## NIH New Investigators Committee

- _Committee Charge_

- Develop a list of action items that have the potential to:
- Increase and maintain a healthy cohort of new and talented, NIH-supported, independent investigators.
- Facilitate an investigator’s ability to receive their first R01 award earlier in their research career.

## NIH New Investigators Committee

- _Resources for discussion items:_

- NIH Postdoctoral Meeting Summary and Recommendations (2003)
- National Postdoctoral Association White Paper (2003)

- NRC Report, *Bridges to Independence: Fostering the Independence of New Investigators in Biomedical Research *(2005)

- NRC Report, *Advancing the Nation’s Health Needs: NIH Research Training Programs* (2005)

- The National Academies Guide, *Enhancing the Postdoctoral Experience for Scientists and Engineers *(2000)

## Value of and need for:
Consistent NIH definitions for “predocs,” “postdocs,” and “new or first-time investigator”
Processes and systems to identify, enumerate, and track predocs and postdocs 
NIH-recommended “best practices” for predoc and postdoc research training
Encouraging research institutions to offer postdoctoral scientists training in laboratory and project management, grant writing, and mentoring

- Consistent NIH definitions for “predocs,” “postdocs,” and “new or first-time investigator”
- Processes and systems to identify, enumerate, and track predocs and postdocs
- NIH-recommended “best practices” for predoc and postdoc research training
- Encouraging research institutions to offer postdoctoral scientists training in laboratory and project management, grant writing, and mentoring

**NIH New Investigators Committee Discussion Topics**

## NIH New Investigators Committee Discussion Topics

- _Value of and need for:_
- Additional formalized training opportunities for non-U.S. citizens
- Standardized career transition award program
- Consistent and expanded use of IC-specific funding strategies

## New Career Transition Program    

- The Committee recommends that NIH develop and implement a standardized career transition award program to promote the initiation of an independent research career.

- Career Transition Program:
- Five years of support
- Phase I provides 1-2 years of mentored support for advanced fellows
- Phase II provides 3 years of independent research support contingent upon securing an independent research position and administrative review

## Examples of Current IC Practices to Foster New Investigator Independence

- New Investigators receive special attention at Council as high program priority or equivalent.
- Increased payline for scored R01 applications from New Investigators.
- No imposed reductions in duration and amount of awards (beyond the recommendations of the initial review group) for New Investigators.
- Fund applications to achieve a designated success rate rather than setting a specific payline for New Investigators applying for R01s.
- R01 New Investigators whose applications score below the payline can submit 5-page letters responding to critiques in the summary statement for Advisory Council review.  If these letters respond satisfactorily to the concerns raised by the study sections, the Council can decide to fund these applications, avoiding the need for resubmission.
**	**_**http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/new_investigators/index.htm**_

## Where Are We Now?

- Dr. Zerhouni and IC Directors have agreed that supporting New Investigators is a top priority
- New Investigators Committee presented:
- Preliminary recommendations to the IC Directors at the Budget Retreat in May
- Final recommendations to the Steering Committee in November
- Steering Committee is currently considering these recommendations

## NIH New Investigators 

- _Pilot programs in place_
- Compressing review cycles for new investigators
- New independent investigator R01 program

## Committee Enthusiastically Endorses the NIEHS Outstanding New Environmental Scientist Award (ONES) R01 Pilot Program

- R01 program intended for first-time R01 applicants.
- Individuals with faculty appointments which are tenure track or equivalent and who have fewer than eight years of postdoctoral experience are eligible to apply.
- Applicants are expected to devote at least 50% time and effort to the award.
- Award can be up to 5 years and up to $400,000 in direct costs in the first and second years and up to $275,000 in years 3-5.
- The Principal Investigator is strongly encouraged to name an external advisory committee.
- Only one application per school or college within a university will be accepted.
- The review will stress the feasibility of the techniques and experimental design if there are limited preliminary results.
- NIEHS intends to commit $3.6 million in total costs in FY2006 to fund ~ 6 awards.

**Committee Enthusiastically Endorses the NIEHS Outstanding New Environmental Scientist Award (ONES) R01 Pilot Program**

## NIH Is Committed to Providing a Bridge to Research Independence for New Investigators

**Research Independence**

**NIH Is Committed to Providing a Bridge to Research Independence for New Investigators**

- Institute and Center Practices

- Career Transition Awards

**R01**

- Mentored Career Development Awards

- Training

- Awards

- Individual

- and
- Institutional

- NRSA