Special Rules Apply for

New Investigators (NI) &

Early Stage Investigators (ESI)

New Investigators and Early Stage Investigators DefinedNew Investigator (NI) - An NIH research grant Program

Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) who has not yet competed successfully for a substantial, competing NIH research grant. 

Early Stage Investigator (ESI) - An individual who is classified as a New or First-Time Investigator and is within 10 years of completing his/her terminal research degree or is within 10 years of completing medical residency (or the equivalent). 

http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-08-121.html

New Investigator and Early Stage Investigator PoliciesEffective Feb 5, 2009 review cycles beginning for May 2009 The NIH will support applications from NIs at success

rates comparable to those for new applications submitted by established investigators.

To ensure consideration, all NIs will need to update their eRA Commons profiles.

Beginning with the traditional R01 grant applications received for the February 5, 2009 submission dates, NIH will identify grant applications from ESIs, and where possible, these applications will be clustered for review. http://grants.nih.gov/grants/new_investigators/resources.htm

FUNDING RATES OF FIRST-TIME AND PREVIOUSLY FUNDED

R01-EQUIVALENT INVESTIGATORS SUBMITTING NEW APPLICATIONS

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007Fiscal Year

Fu

nd

ing

Ra

te

First-Time InvestigatorsPreviously Funded Investigators

Getting Started1. What Award Mechanism is best for me?

2. Which Institute is best for me?

What Award Mechanism is right for me?Investigator Initiated or respond to a Program Announcement

(PA), Request for Award (RFA) or Request for Proposal (RFP)R01 or another award mechanism?

Other alternatives: R03 Small Research Grant R21 Exploratory Research Grant

Mentored K awards: http://grants1.nih.gov/training/careerdevelopmentawards.htm

DP2 - NIH Director's New Innovator Award Program New Investigator website resources for details:

http://grants.nih.gov/grants/new_investigators/resources.htm

Consult the New and Early Stage Investigator Website: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/new_investigators/index.htm

Advantages in applying for the R01Eligible for:

Higher payline – funding cutoff point for grant applications set at the beginning of a fiscal year

Clustered in reviewR56 eligibility if you are close to the paylineEligible for Selective Pay from some institutesUp to 5 years of funding

How is New Investigator(NI) Status lost?

Once you receive an award in which you are:1. PI on a R01 or U Mechanism2. Co-PI on a R01 or U Mechanism3. PD of a Core/ Project on a P Award

Note: Recovery Challenge Grants and Grand Opportunity Grants support is short (two years) and you lose your NI status if you receive any of these awards

DP2: NIH Director’s New Innovator Award Program

A roadmap initiative award for junior scientists who must qualify as New Investigator according to NIH definition

Does not allow for multiple investigatorsPA Number RFA-RM-09-003Expires May 28, 2009

Which Institute is best for me?Review Council-approved concepts

http://www.nih.gov/icd/ Check the initiative list to see advertised areas of high

priority http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/index.html or http://www.nih.gov/icd/

Call a program officer for your area of scienceAssess what is already funded to unearth gaps in your

field using the CRISP funded grants database http://report.nih.gov/crisp/CRISPQuery.aspx

Use a funding database like SPIN http://rdhs.utmb.edu to search for programs and opportunities matching your research interests and/or sign up for an alert service. Contact Research Services Office of Research Education for assistance in identifying funding opportunities (x69431).

NIHApplying for Funding

Grant writing is a learned skill Writing manuscripts that get published in peer

reviewed journals is a learned skill.Writing grant applications, is also a learned skills.

Grantsmanship is a full time job….Knowing the Science is not enough!

Common Problems with ApplicationsOverly ambitious

Lack of innovation

Lack of linkage to human health problem

Lack of focused/mechanistic hypothesis

Lack of focused aims that will prove and only prove the hypothesis

Common Problems with Applications

Unfocused research plan that does not test feasibility

Questionable reasoning in approach

Lack of experimental detail

Lack of experience with methods

What to do…..Start early!

Learn to move from lab experiments to the big picture.

Learn to think in terms of hypotheses to test and how to test them….even in everyday lab work.

Develop a specific niche research area of your own…you need to be known as an expert in a specific area…think long term not just one application.

What to do…..Focus on specific aims page.

Think salesmanship = grantsmanship.

Get help reviewing drafts and working through the entire process ( Mentor and Granting Organization).

Start Planning Early!!!!!Planning Schedule…..

21

Build a Grant Writing Timeline

D-DAYD-DAY SUBMISSION DEADLINE

T – 6 moT – 6 mo Specific Aims: drafted and reviewed

T – 4 moT – 4 mo Background: drafted

T – 3 moT – 3 mo Methods: drafted

T – 2 moT – 2 mo Prelim studies: completed and written up

T – 1 moT – 1 mo Draft to internal reviewers

T – 14 dT – 14 d Final draft

T – 10 dT – 10 d Final to Sponsored Programs

Prepare for applying:Take the NIH online Tutorials: New Investigator

Guide to NIH Funding http://www.niaid.nih.gov/ncn/grants/new/default.htm

Contact OSP (x69400) to find out about procedures and timelines for electronic application.

See Pre-Award Toolkit and Proposal Help on the Research Services website for UTMB contacts, procedures, and sample language: http://research.utmb.edu

4/03/2009