# Presentation: 265051

## Staff / Council Interventions Supporting New Investigators 

- Craig A. Jordan, Ph.D.
- Director, DEA, NIDCD

## NIDCD Efforts

_**F31**_: Initiate a predoctoral fellowship program. (2000)
_**F31 & F32**_: Conduct peer review of fellowships within NIDCD SRB and coordinate expedited review/funding. (2000)
_**R03**_**:** use the Small Grant mechanism exclusively for unestablished investigators. (1990)
_**R01**_**:**  New Investigator letters may result in funding the application with a score beyond the payline, avoiding the time and effort associated with an amended application. (2000)

## NIDCD Efforts

_**F31**_: Initiate a predoctoral fellowship program. (2000)
_**F31 & F32**_: Conduct peer review of fellowships within NIDCD SRB and coordinate expedited review/funding. (2000)
_**R03**_**:** use the Small Grant mechanism exclusively for unestablished investigators. (1990)
_**R01**_**:**  New Investigator letters may result in funding the application with a score beyond the payline, avoiding the time and effort associated with an amended application. (2000)

## NRSA for Individual Predoctoral FellowsJuly 25, 2000  (PA-00-125)

- NIAAA, _NIDCD_, NIDA, NIMH, NINDS
- Successfully completed their comprehensive examinations
- Receipt Dates:  Apr 5, Aug 5, Dec 5
- _NIDCD_
- Adds predoctoral fellowship mechanism
- Expedited review and award of pre- and postdoctoral Fs
- Goal of 4 months for submission to award 	(3.5 months for Summary Statements)

## NIDCD Fellowship Review

- Existing Review Committee (w/ Ad Hocs)
- Meeting dates in advance
- Special Emphasis Panel for conflicts
- Late mailing to reviewers
- 2nd round of CDs and assignments
- Expedited Summary Statements (staff)
- Expedited Training Board (staff)
- Expedited Pay Memos (staff)
- Customized Award processing (staff)

## Predoctoral - Actual Fellowship Timeline

| Receipt | Review | Score | Sum. St. | Train.
Brd. | CNCL | Funded |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 12/02 | 2/19/03 | 291 | 3/12/03 | 3/13/03 | 5/03 |  |
| 5/03 | 6/11/03 | 237 | 7/01/03 | 7/10/03 | 10/03 | * |
| 8/03 | 10/22/03 | 160 | 10/31/03 | 11/17/03 | 1/04 | 2/13/04 |

- *  cohort funded as soon as 8/08/03

**Predoctoral - Actual Fellowship Timeline**

## NIDCD Fellowships

|  | FY00 | FY01 | FY02 | FY03 | FY04 | FY05 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| F31 Applications (N) | NA | 23* | 56 | 64 | 96 | 104 |
| Percent Funded | NA | 65%* | 63% | 44% | 40% | 24%@ |
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| F32 Applications (N) | 42 | 38 | 42 | 48 | 61 | 93 |
| Percent Funded | 55% | 53% | 52% | 63% | 39% | 20%@ |

**NIDCD Fellowships**

- * Program initiated during FY2001
- @ Some FY2005 funding decisions still pending.
- Note: Applications are assigned to FY based on their Council dates.

## NIDCD Efforts

_**F31**_: Initiate a predoctoral fellowship program. (2000)
_**F31 & F32**_: Conduct peer review of fellowships within NIDCD SRB and coordinate expedited review/funding. (2000)
_**R03**_**:** use the Small Grant mechanism exclusively for unestablished investigators. (1990)
_**R01**_**:**  New Investigator letters may result in funding the application with a score beyond the payline, avoiding the time and effort associated with an amended application. (2000)

## NIDCD R03 Program

- Nov. 1990 – solely for New Investigator
- – $25,000 (DC); 2 years
- – Goal is to reach R01/R29 support
- Oct. 1995 – **↑** to $35,000
- Nov. 1996 – **↑** to 3 years
- June 1999 – **↑** to $50,000; modular budget
- June 2000 – add concurrent or pre-K award
- Add individual transitioning from postdoc

## The NIDCD R03 Small Grant Program

|  | FY00 | FY01 | FY02 | FY03 | FY04 | FY05* |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Applications (N) | 86 | 118 | 153 | 130 | 133 | 109 |
| Awards | 32 | 36 | 44 | 41 | 41 | 28 |
| Percent Funded | 37% | 31% | 29% | 32% | 31% | 26% |

**The NIDCD R03 Small Grant Program**
**  ****New Awards**

- * estimate

## NIDCD Efforts

_**F31**_: Initiate a predoctoral fellowship program. (2000)
_**F31 & F32**_: Conduct peer review of fellowships within NIDCD SRB and coordinate expedited review/funding. (2000)
_**R03**_**:** use the Small Grant mechanism exclusively for unestablished investigators. (1990)
_**R01**_**:**  New Investigator letters may result in funding the application with a score beyond the payline, avoiding the time and effort associated with an amended application. (2000)

## Report of the NIH Working Group on New InvestigatorsJune 4, 1997

***“******The R29 mechanisms should be abolished and replaced by an R01 application that clearly identifies on the face page ... that the applicant is a new investigator...”***
***“******The Working Group recommends that the number of awards to new investigators be made at levels no less than the numbers required to replace investigators leaving the research system...historically...about 9 %.”***

## NIH Definition

*New investigators are defined as:*** **
**principal investigator (PI) on a competing R01/R29 award who has not been a PI on any prior NIH research grant (except K01, K08, K22, K23, R03, R15, R21). **

## NIDCD Definition

*New investigators are defined as:*
**- Principal investigator (PI) on a competing R01 award who has not been a PI on any prior NIH  R01/R29.**
**- Within 10 years of terminal degree (excluding clinical training)**

## NIH Wide Efforts

**All investigators should be evaluated in a manner appropriate for the present stage in their careers.**   (PHS 398 New Investigator check box ■)
_**Approach**_**:** assessment of feasibility should be based more on rationale and training than on preliminary experimental data.
_**Investigators**_: more emphasis should be placed on training and research potential than on track record and number of publications.
_**Environment**_**:** there should be evidence that the necessary space, equipment, and time to perform the research are available.

## NIDCD EFFORTS

- Criterion for High Program Priority
- Coding and Tracking
- Protection from cuts in time or amount
- Special Council attention
- May save investigator effort of amending and delay of additional review cycle

## New Investigator Letters

- Review and coding of all New Investigator R01s
- List (scores) of all New Investigators, per Council
- Program Officers contact all New Investigators
-  Explain New Investigator process
-  3 possible recommendations
-  5 page limit
- Letters provided & Council members assigned
- Discussions at Council meeting
- Outcomes (HPP or not)

## NIDCD New Investigator R01s 

|  | Number of Applications (%) |  |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  | Reviewed | Unscored  | In Payline | Funded |
| FY00 | 66 | 27     (41) | 15     (15) | 19     (29) |
| FY01* | 71 | 28     (39) | 16     (22) | 29     (41) |
| FY02 | 68 | 31     (46) | 12     (18) | 26     (38) |
| FY03 | 70 | 29     (41) | 20     (29) | 30     (43) |
| FY04 | 84 | 47     (56) | 19     (23) | 31     (37) |
| FY05 | 86 | 43     (50) | 16     (19) |    TBD |

**NIDCD New Investigator R01s **

- * -Council letter process for New Investigators began FY01
- TBD  -To Be Determined

## Success versus NIH “new” R01s

|  | NIDCD
New Investigator R01s 
(% funded) | NIH
Type 1 RO1s 
(% funded) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| FY00 | 28.8  | 25.9 |
| FY01 | 40.8* | 25.5 |
| FY02 | 38.2 | 24.5 |
| FY03 | 42.8 | 24.1 |
| FY04 | 36.9 |  |

**Success versus NIH “new” R01s**

- * -Council letter process for New Investigators began FY01