Jon Lorsch

Director, NIGMS

Maximizing Investigators’ Research Awards: An experiment to promote a more

productive, efficient and sustainable biomedical research enterprise

• Enable the development of the best trained, most innovative and productive biomedical research workforce possible.

• Promote fundamental research on living systems to lay the foundation for advances in disease diagnosis, treatment and prevention.

NIGMS Mission

3

• Use data collection, analysis and evaluation to drive all decision-making

• Focus on outcomes in training and workforce development programs

• Ensure diversity in the Institute’s research portfolio: topics, approaches, regions, investigators

• Renew and reinvigorate commitment to investigator-initiated, question-driven research

Some Key Goals for NIGMS

• Increase the stability of funding to enhance investigators’ willingness to take on ambitious scientific projects and to approach problems creatively.

Funding Research Programs instead of Individual Projects

• Increase the stability of funding to enhance investigators’ willingness to take on ambitious scientific projects and to approach problems creatively.

• Increase flexibility for investigators to follow important new research directions as opportunities arise.

Funding Research Programs instead of Individual Projects

• Increase the stability of funding to enhance investigators’ willingness to take on ambitious scientific projects and to approach problems creatively.

• Increase flexibility for investigators to follow important new research directions as opportunities arise.

• Improve the distribution of funding among investigators to increase overall scientific productivity and the chances for important breakthroughs.

Funding Research Programs instead of Individual Projects

• Increase the stability of funding to enhance investigators’ willingness to take on ambitious scientific projects and to approach problems creatively.

• Increase flexibility for investigators to follow important new research directions as opportunities arise.

• Improve the distribution of funding among investigators to increase overall scientific productivity and the chances for important breakthroughs.

• Reduce the time spent by researchers writing grant applications, allowing them to spend more time conducting research.

Funding Research Programs instead of Individual Projects

• Increase the stability of funding to enhance investigators’ willingness to take on ambitious scientific projects and to approach problems creatively.

• Increase flexibility for investigators to follow important new research directions as opportunities arise.

• Improve the distribution of funding among investigators to increase overall scientific productivity and the chances for important breakthroughs.

• Reduce the time spent by researchers writing grant applications, allowing them to spend more time conducting research.

• Reduce the time spent on reviewing grant applications.

Funding Research Programs instead of Individual Projects

• One NIGMS research grant per PI

• Bigger and longer (5 years) than current R01 averages

• Direct cost range from $150-$750K

• Not tied to specific aims

• Review based on overall research ideas and track record

• Budget could be modulated based on competing review in order to avoid abrupt termination of research groups

• Separate panels and modified review considerations for early-stage investigators

Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award (MIRA)

• One NIGMS research grant per PI

• Bigger and longer (5 years) than current R01 averages

• Direct cost range from $150-$750K

• Not tied to specific aims

• Review based on overall research ideas and track record

• Budget could be modulated based on competing review in order to avoid abrupt termination of research groups

• Separate panels and modified review considerations for early-stage investigators

Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award (MIRA)

• One NIGMS research grant per PI

• Bigger and longer (5 years) than current R01 averages

• Direct cost range from $150-$750K

• Not tied to specific aims

• Review based on overall research ideas and track record

• Budget could be modulated based on competing review in order to avoid abrupt termination of research groups

• Separate panels and modified review considerations for early-stage investigators

Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award (MIRA)

• One NIGMS research grant per PI

• Bigger and longer (5 years) than current R01 averages

• Direct cost range from $150-$750K

• Not tied to specific aims

• Review based on overall research ideas and track record

• Budget could be modulated based on competing review in order to avoid abrupt termination of research groups

• Separate panels and modified review considerations for early-stage investigators

Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award (MIRA)

• One NIGMS research grant per PI

• Bigger and longer (5 years) than current R01 averages

• Direct cost range from $150-$750K

• Not tied to specific aims

• Review based on overall research ideas and track record

• Budget could be modulated based on competing review in order to avoid abrupt termination of research groups

• Separate panels and modified review considerations for early-stage investigators

Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award (MIRA)

• One NIGMS research grant per PI

• Bigger and longer (5 years) than current R01 averages

• Direct cost range from $150-$750K

• Not tied to specific aims

• Review based on overall research ideas and track record

• Budget could be modulated based on competing review in order to avoid abrupt termination of research groups

• Separate panels and modified review considerations for early-stage investigators

Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award (MIRA)

• One NIGMS research grant per PI

• Bigger and longer (5 years) than current R01 averages

• Direct cost range from $150-$750K

• Not tied to specific aims

• Review based on overall research ideas and track record

• Budget could be modulated based on competing review in order to avoid abrupt termination of research groups

• Separate panels and modified review considerations for early-stage investigators

Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award (MIRA)

• Not targeted specifically at high-risk, high-potential-reward research

What MIRA is not

If it works, MIRA could support any investigator studying questions related to NIGMS’ mission

• Not targeted specifically at a perceived highly elite group of investigators

• Not targeted specifically at high-risk, high-potential-reward research

What MIRA is not

http://loop.nigms.nih.gov/

• Not yet finalized

If it works, MIRA could support any investigator studying questions related to NIGMS’ mission

• Not targeted specifically at a perceived highly elite group of investigators

• Not targeted specifically at high-risk, high-potential-reward research

What MIRA is not

Total Postiive Negative Neither0

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Positive

Most responses to the MIRA RFI were supportive

• The best funded labs will not get enough money

• The best funded labs will get even more money

Top concerns:

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Most responses to the MIRA RFI were supportive

• Need to generate a moderate number of applications to test the MIRA application and review concepts.

• Pilot phase with limited eligibility expected to be neutral with respect to RPG budget.

• Applications from NIGMS established PIs with over a certain direct cost threshold from NIGMS.

• Applications from ESIs.

• Plans are for separate FOAs, review panels, and review criteria for established PIs and ESIs.

• Review during pilot managed by NIGMS Office of Scientific Review

• Award of MIRA to coincide with relinquishment of current NIGMS support

Implementation Plan

• Need to generate a moderate number of applications to test the MIRA application and review concepts.

• Pilot phase with limited eligibility expected to be neutral with respect to RPG budget.

• Applications from NIGMS established PIs with over a certain direct cost threshold from NIGMS.

• Applications from ESIs.

• Plans are for separate FOAs, review panels, and review criteria for established PIs and ESIs.

• Review during pilot managed by NIGMS Office of Scientific Review

• Award of MIRA to coincide with relinquishment of current NIGMS support

Implementation Plan

• Need to generate a moderate number of applications to test the MIRA application and review concepts.

• Pilot phase with limited eligibility expected to be neutral with respect to RPG budget.

• Applications from NIGMS established PIs with over a certain direct cost threshold from NIGMS.

• Applications from ESIs.

• Plans are for separate FOAs, review panels, and review criteria for established PIs and ESIs.

• Review during pilot managed by NIGMS Office of Scientific Review

• Award of MIRA to coincide with relinquishment of current NIGMS support

Implementation Plan

• Need to generate a moderate number of applications to test the MIRA application and review concepts.

• Pilot phase with limited eligibility expected to be neutral with respect to RPG budget.

• Applications from NIGMS established PIs with over a certain direct cost threshold from NIGMS.

• Applications from ESIs.

• Plans are for separate FOAs, review panels, and review criteria for established PIs and ESIs.

• Review during pilot managed by NIGMS Office of Scientific Review

• Award of MIRA to coincide with relinquishment of current NIGMS support

Implementation Plan

• Need to generate a moderate number of applications to test the MIRA application and review concepts.

• Pilot phase with limited eligibility expected to be neutral with respect to RPG budget.

• Applications from NIGMS established PIs with over a certain direct cost threshold from NIGMS.

• Applications from ESIs.

• Plans are for separate FOAs, review panels, and review criteria for established PIs and ESIs.

• Review during pilot managed by NIGMS Office of Scientific Review

• Award of MIRA to coincide with relinquishment of current NIGMS support

Implementation Plan

• Need to generate a moderate number of applications to test the MIRA application and review concepts.

• Pilot phase with limited eligibility expected to be neutral with respect to RPG budget.

• Applications from NIGMS established PIs with over a certain direct cost threshold from NIGMS.

• Applications from ESIs.

• Plans are for separate FOAs, review panels, and review criteria for established PIs and ESIs.

• Review during pilot managed by NIGMS Office of Scientific Review

• Award of MIRA to coincide with relinquishment of current NIGMS support

Implementation Plan

• Need to generate a moderate number of applications to test the MIRA application and review concepts.

• Pilot phase with limited eligibility expected to be neutral with respect to RPG budget.

• Applications from NIGMS established PIs with over a certain direct cost threshold from NIGMS.

• Applications from ESIs.

• Plans are for separate FOAs, review panels, and review criteria for established PIs and ESIs.

• Review during pilot managed by NIGMS Office of Scientific Review

• Award of MIRA to coincide with relinquishment of current NIGMS support

Implementation Plan

We are at a crossroads

Questions or Comments?