Tips and tools for new and early-career researchers to navigate the NIH funding system. Presented at the Experimental Biology Conference in Orlando FL, 4/8/19. Opening panel presentation by Norbert Tavares, Ph.D., AAAS Science Policy Fellow and Program Manager at the National Cancer Institute at NIH.

1. Ask an NIH Program Officer:
Tips and Tools for New & Early-Stage Investigators
Experimental Biology 2019
4/8/19
Norbert Tavares, Ph.D.
AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow / Program Manager
Center for Strategic Scientific Initiatives (CSSI)
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
National Institutes of Health (NIH)

2. 2
NIH Grant Cycle – NIH Staff Roles
cancer.gov/grants-training/grants-process
Ensure fair and unbiased evaluation of the
scientific and technical merit of proposed research
• Manages study sections
• Prepares/issues summary statements
Ensure all required business management actions are
performed by the grantee and federal government
• Participates in budget negotiations
• Prepares/issues Notice of Awards (NoA)
Establish and oversee scientific
research portfolio
• Develop funding opportunities
• Communicate scientific
priorities with extramural
research community
• Provide scientific oversight of
funded research portfolio
Does not
• Assemble or participate in
review committee
• Make awards
http://grants.nih.gov

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Early-Stage Investigator Definition
 ESI – early-stage investigator - Investigators who are within 10 years
of their terminal degree (e.g., PhD or MD) and has not yet received a
substantial, competing NIH research grant (R01, U01, P01, R37, DP2,
or SC1.) *including multi-PI grants

4. 4
NIH Funding Trends By Career Stage
https://nexus.od.nih.gov/all/2017/08/31/data-on-trends-according-to-career-stage/

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Benefits to ESI Status
 Differential payline for ESIs – NIH institutes set a percentile “payline”
for R01 applications based on available funds and application volume.
The payline for ESI applications is typically more generous than the
regular payline for established investigators.
https://www.niddk.nih.gov/research-funding/process/apply/new-early-stage-investigators
 Peer Review – for ESI applications, peer reviewers are instructed to
focus more on the proposed approach than on the track record, and to
expect less preliminary data than would be provided by established
investigators.

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Examples of Institute Specific Benefits
 Consideration for NCI Method to Extend Research in Time (MERIT)
(R37) – ESIs who have submitted a single-PI R01 application that
received a score within the NCI payline are eligible for consideration.
Eligible investigators may obtain up to 7 years of support in an initial 5-
year award and an opportunity for an extension of up to 2 additional
years, based on NCI review of accomplishments.
https://www.cancer.gov/grants-training/grants-funding/funding-opportunities/merit
 NIGMS Maximizing Investigators' Research Award (MIRA) for ESI
(R35) - a grant to provide support the broad program of NIGMS-mission
relevant research in an ESI’s lab that falls within the mission of NIGMS,
in contract to a narrowly focused projects.
 No specific aims and the review process and review criteria emphasize
the potential impact of the work over details of the approach
https://www.nigms.nih.gov/Research/mechanisms/MIRA/Pages/default.aspx

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Hurrah! More Funding For ESI
 How are you going to take advantage of it?
 What are the other barriers to ESI?
 What do you need to know to navigate the NIH funding ecosystem?

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Types of NIH Funding
T32, T35
F30, F31
K01, K25
K22
K99 R00
F32
K02, K24
T32
Postdoctoral
Training/Clinical
Residency
Graduate/
Clinical
Training
Early
Research
Career
K22
Established
Investigator
R03, R21, R01, P01, P50R25
K12/KL2
K08, K23
DP5 DP5
DP2

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Seeking Out NIH Funding by Career Stage
https://researchtraining.nih.gov/

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Early-Stage Transition Funding
https://researchtraining.nih.gov/career/early-career

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Apply To ESI Targeted Funding Opportunities
High-Risk, High-Reward Research Program
 supports exceptionally creative scientists pursuing highly innovative
research with the potential for broad impact in biomedical or
behavioral science.
https://commonfund.nih.gov/highrisk

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Apply To ESI Targeted Funding Opportunities
NIH Director's Early Independence Award (DP5)
 Supports outstanding junior scientists with the intellect, scientific
creativity, drive, & maturity to flourish independently launch independent
research careers and bypass the traditional postdoctoral training period.
 Complete doctoral degree within the previous 12 months or expect to do
so within the following 12 months at the time of application
 Must be in non-independent research position at time of application
 Requires significant institutional support
 Preliminary data not required
 $250,000 direct costs per year for up to 5 years
 Minimum of 80% research effort in first 2 years
 3-5 Letters of reference required
https://commonfund.nih.gov/earlyindependence

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Apply To ESI Targeted Funding Opportunities
NIH Director's New Innovator Award (DP2)
 Supports exceptionally creative early career
investigators who propose innovative, high-
impact projects
 ESI only
 Single PI only
 No preliminary data required
 $1.5 million in direct costs; 5-year
 Minimum of 25% research effort
https://commonfund.nih.gov/newinnovator

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Funding: Where to find it?

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Finding Funding: Grants.gov

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Grants.gov Mobile App

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Finding Funding: grants.nih.gov – a.k.a. the NIH Guide

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NIH Has a Social Media Presence
 https://www.nih.gov/news-events/social-media-outreach

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NIH Has a Social Media Presence
 https://www.nih.gov/news-events/social-media-outreach
Follow the Funding on Twitter

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Resources for Finding Funding
 Sponsored Research Office
 Funding aggregation databases e.g. Pivot, GrantForward, JanusView, etc.
 Private non-profit foundations
 Other government agencies websites e.g. DoE, DoD, ONR, USDA, NSF,
etc.

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What Next?
 Contact a program officer (PO)
 Why?  Guidance on best fit – on the science, FOA, programs,
study sections, etc.
 Responsiveness to Request for Applications (RFA)
 Get feedback on your idea/proposal
 Avoids wasted effort
 It’s their job
 Who are POs?

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Who Are Program Officers?
Government bureaucrat? PhD/MD ScientistOR

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RePORTer - Matchmaker
https://projectreporter.nih.gov/

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RePORTer - Matchmaker
https://projectreporter.nih.gov/
- Paste in your abstract,
specific aims, keywords,
etc.
- Natural language
processing is used to
match keywords in your
abstract to similar grant
portfolios, POs, study
sections, etc.

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RePORTer - Matchmaker
https://projectreporter.nih.gov/

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RePORTER - Matchmaker
https://projectreporter.nih.gov/

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What Next?
 Contact a program officer (PO)
 When?  When you have a good idea
 Before you write the proposal
 Before submitting a proposal and after receiving your
summary statement after the review
 How?  Use the Matchmaker tool
 Email them to setup a call
 Listed at the bottom of funding announcements/RFAs
 Email them your specific aims

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When Not to Contact a PO
 For technical questions on Grants.gov or eRA commons – grants.gov
help desk
 While your proposal is being reviewed – SRO
 Notice of Award or money questions - GMO

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Grant Proposal Review

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Grant Proposal Review:
The Best Way To Learn How To Write A Good Grant Proposal.
https://public.csr.nih.gov/

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Early Career Reviewer (ECR) Program
https://public.csr.nih.gov/

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Early Career Reviewer (ECR) Program
https://public.csr.nih.gov/

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Grant Proposal Review: Selecting Study Sections

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The ART Of Finding The Right Study Section
 Assisted Referral Tool (ART)
https://art.csr.nih.gov/ART/

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The ART Of Finding The Right Study Section
 Assisted Referral Tool (ART)
https://art.csr.nih.gov/ART/
- Paste in your
abstract, specific
aims, keywords, etc.
- Natural language
processing is used
to match keywords
in your abstract to
similar study
sections.

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Assisted Referral Tool
https://art.csr.nih.gov/ART/

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Assisted Referral Tool
https://art.csr.nih.gov/ART/
- Study Section Rosters

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Assisted Referral Tool
https://art.csr.nih.gov/ART/
- Study Section SROs

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Contact Your Scientific Review Officer (SRO)
 When?  After application submission & before review is complete
 About study sections when submitting a proposal
 To volunteer to be a reviewer
 How?  Use the Assisted Referral Tool (ART)
 Search the CSR website - https://public.csr.nih.gov/
 Email to set up a time to talk

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Other Tips
 Submit your proposal to your institution early
 Understand different funding mechanisms (R, U, K, P, T, etc.)
 Read the FOA completely
 Establish a diverse mentoring team
 Promote your work
 Maintain a lab webpage, professional Twitter account, updated LinkedIn
profile, etc. with your research interests and expertise clearly stated.
 Seek out opportunities to give presentations and accept speaking
invitations when you can
 Networking

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Other Tips
 Participate in ESI training/mentoring programs e.g. ASCB’s FRED & ACT,
Keystone Fellows, NextProf, etc.
 Seek out POs prior to national meetings and arrange to meet with them
 Join supportive ESI communities that share resources e.g.
@NewPI_Slack, ECRcentral
 Share this information with other researchers, postdocs, and students

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Panel
 Christine Maric-Bilkan
NIDDK - christine.maric-bilkan@nih.gov
 Xenia Tigno
NHLBI - xenia.tigno@nih.gov
 Norbert Tavares
NCI - norbert.tavares@nih.gov
@NorbertTavares

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NIH R01-Equivalent Grants Funding Success Rates
 ~22% success rate
https://report.nih.gov/nihdatabook/category/3

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NIH Research Career Development Award (K) Success Rates
 32% success rate
https://report.nih.gov/nihdatabook/category/17