# Presentation: 153956

## INFORMATION ON FIRST-TIME INVESTIGATORS

**Notes:**
First time investigators are defined as individuals who have not received a major NIH competing research grant award prior to applying for or receiving a competing NIH R01 equivalent (R01, R23, R29, R37) award.
Major research grants are defined as any competing research grant with the exception of R03, R15, R21 or a mentored research career award.

## NUMBER OF FIRST TIME AND EXPERIENCED INVESTIGATORS ON COMPETING AND NON-COMPETING RESEARCH PROJECT GRANTSFY 1998-2007

**NUMBER OF FIRST TIME AND EXPERIENCED INVESTIGATORS ON COMPETING AND NON-COMPETING RESEARCH PROJECT GRANTS****FY 1998-2007**

**Notes:**
This chart shows the growth in the number of principal investigators serving on research project grants.  The bottom (gray) part of each bar shows the number of experienced investigators serving on noncompeting RPGs.  The middle section reflects experienced investigators receiving competing awards.  Note.  Some investigators may have received both competing and noncompeting awards, and could be in two categories.

## NUMBER OF COMPETING RESEARCH PROJECT GRANTS TO FIRST TIME AND ESTABLISHED INVESTIGATORSFY 1988-2007

**NUMBER OF COMPETING RESEARCH PROJECT GRANTS TO FIRST TIME AND ESTABLISHED INVESTIGATORS****FY 1988-2007**

**Notes:**
The term “Research projects” was first used in FY 1978.  Data for years earlier than FY 1978 are estimations based on the activity codes in use at that time.
RPG includes R00, R01, R23, R29, R37, DP1, DP2,  P01, P42, PN1, R03, R15, R21, R22, R23, R33, R34, R35, R36, R37, R55, R56, RL1, RL2, RL5, RL9, UC1, UC7, U01, U34, U54 and U19 mechanisms.  It excludes awards made by the National Library of Medicine prior to FY 2007 and awards made by the Fogarty International Center, the National Institute of Nursing Research and the National Center for Research Resources for earlier years.
NIH awarded over 10,000 competing research projects in FYs 2003, 2004 and 2007.  The decreased levels in FYs 2005 and 2006 were the product of the increased commitments generated by the FY 1998 – 2003 growth of NIH, and the relatively flat budget.

## NUMBER OF COMPETING AND NON-COMPETING RESEARCH PROJECT GRANTS TO FIRST TIME AND EXPERIENCED INVESTIGATORSFY 1998-2007

**NUMBER OF COMPETING AND NON-COMPETING RESEARCH PROJECT GRANTS TO FIRST TIME AND EXPERIENCED INVESTIGATORS****FY 1998-2007**

**Notes:**
The number of NIH research projects awarded has grown from 10,989 in FY 1970 to a peak of 37,401 in FY 2004 before dropping to 37,050 in FY 2007.

First time RPG investigators – people who had never received an NIH competing research project award – accounted for 2,800 awards in FY 2007, a drop from the high of 2,905 in FY 2003.
The curious spike in FY 1976 is due to the Transition Quarter.  The federal government adjusted the start of the fiscal year from July 1 to October 1,  starting in FY 1977, creating a 15 month  “year” in 1976.  

## NUMBER OF FIRST TIME AND EXPERIENCED INVESTIGATORS ON COMPETING AND NON-COMPETING R01-EQUIVALENT GRANTS*FY 1998-2007

*** R01-Equivalent Grants include R01, R23, R29, and R37 mechanisms when in use**

**NUMBER OF FIRST TIME AND EXPERIENCED INVESTIGATORS ON COMPETING AND NON-COMPETING R01-EQUIVALENT GRANTS*****FY 1998-2007**

**Notes:**
First time R01 Equivalent awardees are defined as individuals who are receiving a competing R01 equivalent (R01, R23, R29, R37) award without any prior competing NIH research grants (any research activity except R03, R15, R21, mentored research career award).

Since FY 1980, 26.8% of investigators funded for R01 equivalent awards were first timers.  The percentage of funded competing R01 awardees who were funded for the first time has ranged from 23.6% (FY 2004) to a high of 33.4% (FY 1980).  The FY 2006 level is 24% and the FY 2007 level is 26.2%.

## FIRST TIME INVESTIGATORS AS A PERCENTAGE OF ALL COMPETING AWARDEESFY 1998-2007

**FIRST TIME INVESTIGATORS AS A PERCENTAGE OF ALL COMPETING AWARDEES****FY 1998-2007**

**Notes:**
About one quarter of competing R01 equivalent awardees are first time investigators.  This has stayed steady since the early 1990s.  The percentage of RPG investigators without prior competing support  is generally higher, 28 – 30%.

## PERCENTAGE OF COMPETING GRANTS TO                                          FIRST TIME INVESTIGATORSFY 1998-2007

**PERCENTAGE OF COMPETING GRANTS TO                                          FIRST TIME INVESTIGATORS****FY 1998-2007**

**Notes:**
The percentage of awards going to first time investigators is slightly lower then the percentage of first investigators.  Experienced investigators are more likely to have multiple awards than first time investigators.  The percentages of competing awards going to first time investigators have been steady, (22-23 percent for R01, 26 – 27% for RPG)

## NUMBER OF COMPETING R01-EQUIVALENT* AWARDS TO FIRST TIME AND ESTABLISHED INVESTIGATORSFY 1998-2007

*** R01-Equivalent Grants include R01, R23, R29, and R37 mechanisms when in use**

**NUMBER OF COMPETING R01-EQUIVALENT* AWARDS TO ****FIRST TIME AND ESTABLISHED INVESTIGATORS****FY 1998-2007**

**Notes:**
NIH awarded 1,633 competing R01 awards to first time investigators in FY 2007.  This reflects a drop in the number of first time investigators since FY 2003 (the end of the period of doubling), when 1,724 awards were made.  

## COMPETING AND NON-COMPETING R01-EQUIVALENT GRANTS* TO FIRST TIME AND EXPERIENCED INVESTIGATORSFY 1998-2007

*** R01-Equivalent Grants include R01, R23, R29, and R37 mechanisms when in use**

**COMPETING AND NON-COMPETING R01-EQUIVALENT GRANTS* TO FIRST TIME AND EXPERIENCED INVESTIGATORS****FY 1998-2007**

**Notes:**
First time R01 Equivalent awardees are defined as individuals who are receiving a competing R01 equivalent (R01, R23, R29, R37) award without any prior competing NIH research grants (any research activity except R03, R15, R21, mentored research career award).
The number of first time R01 equivalent investigators, since FY 1980, has ranged from 1,261 (FY 1993) to a high of 1,708 (FY 1985).  In FY 2007, 1,596 investigators were considered first time R01 equivalent awardees.
NIH has awarded R01 grants throughout its history.  The R23 (Young Investigator Program) was first used in FY 1971.  The last competing award was made in FY 1986.  At that time, many of the R23 applications were converted to R29’s (First Independent Research Support and Transition Award – FIRST).  Competing R29 awards were made from FYs 1986 to 2001.
The R37 (Method to Extend Research In Time – MERIT) was first used in FY 1986.  These are normally conversions from successful R01 awards made to experienced investigators.

## NUMBER OF FIRST TIME AND ESTABLISHED INVESTIGATORS RECEIVING COMPETING RESEARCH PROJECT GRANTSFY 1998-2007

**NUMBER OF FIRST TIME AND ESTABLISHED INVESTIGATORS RECEIVING COMPETING RESEARCH PROJECT GRANTS****FY 1998-2007**

**Notes:**
The percent of first time investigators of all competing awardees for the last decade has stayed just above 25% for research projects and just below 25% for R01 equivalent awardees.  The number of first time awardees varies with the total number of competing awardees in either class.

## NUMBER OF FIRST TIME INVESTIGATORS USING THE INDICATED RESEARCH PROJECT GRANTSFY 1998-2007

**NUMBER OF FIRST TIME INVESTIGATORS USING THE ****INDICATED RESEARCH PROJECT GRANTS****FY 1998-2007**

**Notes:**
Two activities, R23 and R29, were established for first time investigators to enter the research project grant community.  The R23 (Young Investigator Program) was used from FY 1971 to 1987, and was replaced by the R29 (First Independent Research Support and Transition – FIRST) which was used from FY 1986 to 2001.  R01 has continued to be the most significant entry path for investigators.  
Activity code used for first time RPG competing awardees in FY 2007
Activity	Number of investigators     Percent of All First Time
   R01		1,248		  46.4%
   R21		  735		  27.3
   R03		   465		  17.3
  Total RPG		2,689		100.0

## NUMBER OF FIRST TIME AND ESTABLISHED INVESTIGATORS RECEIVING COMPETING R01-EQUIVALENT AWARDSFY 1998-2007

**NUMBER OF FIRST TIME AND ESTABLISHED INVESTIGATORS RECEIVING COMPETING R01-EQUIVALENT AWARDS****FY 1998-2007**

**Notes:**
The percent of first time investigators of all competing awardees for the last decade has stayed just above 25% for research projects and just below 25% for R01 equivalent awardees.  The number of first time awardees varies with the total number of competing awardees in either class.

## PERCENTAGE OF FIRST TIME INVESTIGATORS USING THE INDICATED RESEARCH PROJECT GRANTSFY 1998-2007

**PERCENTAGE OF FIRST TIME INVESTIGATORS USING THE INDICATED RESEARCH PROJECT GRANTS****FY 1998-2007**

**Notes:**
Two activities, R23 and R29, were established for first time investigators to enter the research project grant community.  The R23 (Young Investigator Program) was used from FY 1971 to 1987, and was replaced by the R29 (First Independent Research Support and Transition – FIRST) which was used from FY 1986 to 2001.  R01 has continued to be the most significant entry path for investigators.  
Activity code used for first time RPG competing awardees in FY 2007
Activity	Number of investigators     Percent of All First Time
   R01		1,248		  46.4%
   R21		   735		  27.3
   R03		   465		  17.3
  Total RPG		2,689		100.0

## INDEX

| SLIDE TITLE | SLIDE NUMBER |
| --- | --- |
| NUMBER OF FIRST TIME AND EXPERIENCED INVESTIGATORS ON COMPETING AND NON-COMPETING RESEARCH PROJECT GRANTS FY 1998-2007 | 2 |
| NUMBER OF COMPETING RESEARCH PROJECT GRANTS TO FIRST TIME AND ESTABLISHED INVESTIGATORS FY 1988-2007 | 3 |
| NUMBER OF COMPETING AND NON-COMPETING RESEARCH PROJECT GRANTS TO FIRST TIME AND EXPERIENCED INVESTIGATORS FY 1998-2007 | 4 |
| NUMBER OF FIRST TIME AND EXPERIENCED INVESTIGATORS ON COMPETING AND NON-COMPETING R01-EQUIVALENT GRANTS* FY 1998-2007 | 5 |
| FIRST TIME INVESTIGATORS AS A PERCENTAGE OF ALL COMPETING AWARDEES FY 1998-2007 | 6 |
| PERCENTAGE OF COMPETING GRANTS TO FIRST TIME INVESTIGATORS FY 1998-2007 | 7 |
| NUMBER OF COMPETING R01-EQUIVALENT* AWARDS TO FIRST TIME AND ESTABLISHED INVESTIGATORS FY 1998-2007 | 8 |
| COMPETING AND NON-COMPETING R01-EQUIVALENT GRANTS* TO FIRST TIME AND EXPERIENCED INVESTIGATORS
FY 1998-2007 | 9 |
| NUMBER OF FIRST TIME AND ESTABLISHED INVESTIGATORS RECEIVING COMPETING RESEARCH PROJECT GRANTSFY 1998-2007 | 10 |
| NUMBER OF FIRST TIME INVESTIGATORS USING THE INDICATED RESEARCH PROJECT GRANTS FY 1998-2007 | 11 |
| NUMBER OF FIRST TIME AND ESTABLISHED INVESTIGATORS RECEIVING COMPETING R01-EQUIVALENT AWARDS 
FY 1998-2007 | 12 |
| PERCENTAGE OF FIRST TIME INVESTIGATORS USING THE INDICATED RESEARCH PROJECT GRANTS FY 1998-2007 | 13 |