Funding for Early Stage Investigators: Needs and Opportunities - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Funding for Early Stage Investigators: Needs and Opportunities - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Funding for Early Stage Investigators: Needs and Opportunities February 2009 NIGMS The Need for Support for Early Stage Investigators Early stage investigators require substantial funding to launch their independent careers and make


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SLIDE 1

February 2009

Funding for Early Stage Investigators: Needs and Opportunities

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SLIDE 2

NIGMS

February 2009

The Need for Support for Early Stage Investigators

Early stage investigators require substantial

funding to launch their independent careers and make exciting contributions to science

Many standard peer review processes tend to

be conservative, favoring a high likelihood of success over innovation

Substantial preliminary results are often needed

for a successful application

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NIGMS

February 2009

30 40 50 60 70

2008 1980

1980 1990 2000 2008 Median Age Year All PIs New PIs

Fraction of PI Pool 0.1

Age of PI

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NIGMS

February 2009

The NIH Director’s New Innovator Award

Designed to encourage and support early stage

investigators (within 10 years of doctorate) to do innovative research

Launched February 2007 14 awards budgeted

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NIGMS

February 2009

The NIH Director’s New Innovator Award

>2000 applications received in 2007! 30 awards funded in a range of biomedical research

areas in 2007

31 awards funded in 2008 Competition for 2009 ongoing

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NIGMS

February 2009

The NIH Director’s New Innovator Award

Letter to Science Magazine

“Unfortunately…Dr. Jeremy Berg perpetuates the myth that “early career types are historically the

  • nes who come up with the most innovative

ideas”…The available empirical evidence suggests that middle-aged scientists are more apt… to make revolutionary discoveries.”

  • K. Brad Wray, State University of New York
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NIGMS

February 2009

The NIH Director’s New Innovator Award

Data from Wray’s references Key scientists from Thomas Kuhn’s “The

Structure of Scientific Revolutions: Average age 37.4 years

Collection of Nobel Laureates:

Average age 38.7 years

New Innovators: Average age 37!

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SLIDE 8

NIGMS

February 2009

Other Early Stage Investigator Programs

NSF CAREER Award Program DOD Young Investigator Programs DOE Outstanding Junior Investigator

Programs

NASA New Investigator Program