The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has announced the new Next Generation Researchers Initiative to enhance funding to early-stage and mid-career investigators and to help balance, stabilize and strengthen the biomedical research enterprise. According to the recently launched Next Generation Researchers Initiative webpage, NIH will:
- Further extend the payline for R01 equivalent applications from early stage investigators, with an aim of funding most applications that score in the top 25 percent;
- Take steps to provide additional support for mid-career investigators who are within 10 years of receiving their first R01 equivalent award;
- Place greater emphasis on current NIH funding programs aimed at early-stage and mid-career investigators;
- Track the impact of NIH Institute and Center funding decisions for early-stage and mid-career investigators with fundable scores, to ensure this new strategy is effectively implemented; and
- Encourage the development and testing of metrics that can be used to assess the impact of NIH grant support on scientific progress.
According to the Next Generation Researchers Initiative webpage, the total cost for these measures will begin at $210 million in the first year and increase to approximately $1.1 billion per year after five years (pending availability of funds). These funds will be derived from each Institute and Center rearranging priorities in other categories.
To learn more, visit the Next Generation Researchers Initiative webpage.