NIH Director's Pioneer and New Innovator Awards

NIH welcomes proposals for the 2010 NIH Director's Pioneer Awards and New Innovator Awards. Both programs are part of the NIH Roadmap for Medical Research http://nihroadmap.nih.gov and support exceptionally creative scientists who take highly innovative, potentially high-impact approaches to major challenges in biomedical or behavioral research.

Pioneer Awards provide up to $2.5 million in direct costs over 5 years and are open to scientists at any career stage. New Innovator Awards provide up to $1.5 million in direct costs over the same period and are for early stage investigators (ESI) who have not received an NIH regular research (R01) or similar NIH grant. NIH expects to make at least 7 Pioneer Awards and at least 33 New Innovator Awards in September 2010.

Women and members of groups that are underrepresented in NIH research are especially encouraged to apply.

The deadline for submitting Pioneer Award applications is October 20, 2009. See the instructions in the RFA (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-RM-09-010.html) and http://nihroadmap.nih.gov/pioneer for more information. Send any questions via email to pioneer@nih.gov.

The deadline for submitting New Innovator Award applications is October 27, 2009. See the instructions in the RFA (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-RM-09-011.html) and http://nihroadmap.nih.gov/newinnovator for more information. Send questions via email to newinnovator@nih.gov.

NIH Transformative R01 Program

The Transformative R01 (T-R01) supports exceptionally innovative, high risk, original and/or unconventional research projects that have the potential to create or overturn fundamental paradigms.

As compared to the NIH Director's Pioneer and New Innovator Programs, the primary emphasis of the Transformative R01 program is on creative ideas -projects that have the potential to transform a field of science and to provide adequate support for the work- rather than creative individuals who have proven themselves to be innovative researchers and to provide them with funds to go in a new pioneering direction.
To facilitate submission and review of the most bold, creative and high impact proposals, the T-R01 program is also piloting novel approaches to peer review and program management. The high degree of risk inherent to truly transformative research is expected and welcomed in T-R01 proposals. Transformative projects in any area of NIH interest are encouraged and are considered responsive to T-R01 funding opportunities.

A new T-R01 Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is expected to be published in late summer, or early fall.

Please check http://nihroadmap.nih.gov/T-R01 for more information about the program and upcoming funding opportunities.

John Merck Scholars Program in Biology of Developmental Disabilities in Children

The program has changed its application process, so that there is no limit to the number of applications per institution. Starting with the 2010 awards, they will request applications through a two-part, open process.

The John Merck Scholars Program (JMSP) began in 1990 to increase the awareness and understanding of the problems in neurodevelopmental disorders. It encourages and supports the research efforts of neurobiologists and cognitive scientists at the assistant professor level whose initial pursuits will contribute to the treatment of neurodevelopment disabilities. Specific areas of research interest include synapse formation and synaptic plasticity; learning and memory, and synaptic plasticity; perception, cognition and behavior; neurogenesis and pattern formation; and genetics and early development. In addition, the JMSP welcomes proposals that "investigate the possible role of environmental chemicals in the origins of developmental disabilities" or "aim to distinguish subgroups within accepted diagnostic categories through the use of sophisticated behavioral and neuroimaging tests of perception, cognition, and emotions based on concepts from modern cognitive neuroscience."

Selected scholars will receive $75k each year for a period of four years. NOTE: Twenty-five percent of this award may be used for summary salary support. More detailed information and program requirements are available on the JMSP website located at: http://www.jmfund.org/jm_scholars_program.html. The application deadline for preliminary proposals is September 15, 2009.

Department of Defense (DOD) Peer Reviewed Bone Marrow Failure Research Program (BMFRP)

This program will support innovative research focused on Bone Marrow Failure (BMF). This announcement is targeted to Assistant Professors.

The FY09 BMFRP is pleased to announce the release of the second and third of three award mechanisms, the Idea Awards and the Synergistic Idea Awards. Both Program Announcements, including full details on the intent of the award mechanisms, eligibility, submission deadlines, application instructions, etc., have been posted on the Grants.gov and CDMRP websites (http://grants.gov and http://cdmrp.army.mil/
funding/bmfrp.htm, respectively). The synopsis table for the BMFRP Concept Award is located on website: http://cdmrp.army.mil/funding/pdf/09bmfrpreftable.pdf

The BMFRP seeks applications from all areas of basic, translational, and epidemiological research related to bone marrow failure.

1) FY09 DoD Bone Marrow Failure Research Program Idea Awards support innovative ideas and high-impact approaches to bone marrow failure research to move toward the BMFRP vision of understanding and curing bone marrow failure disease. This award mechanism is designed to support new ideas, not ideas that are extensions of existing work. Proposals should have a high probability of revealing new avenues of investigation. Preliminary data, unpublished results from the laboratory of the Principal Investigator (PI) or collaborators named on this application, and/or data from the published literature, that is relevant to bone marrow failure and the proposed research project should be included. Clinical Trials will not be supported under this mechanism. Eligible applicants are at the Assistant Professor level (or equivalent). Maximum period of performance is 3 years. Maximum allowable funding is $375,000 in direct costs for the entire period of performance or a lesser period of performance, plus indirect costs in accordance with the institution's negotiated rate agreement.

2) FY09 DoD Bone Marrow Failure Research Program Synergistic Idea Awards support innovative ideas and synergistic approaches to bone marrow failure research through scientific collaborative partnerships. This award mechanism is designed to support new ideas, not ideas that are extensions of existing collaborative efforts. Collaborative partnerships must involve two Principle Investigators (PIs) who will use synergistic and complementary perspectives to address a central problem or question in bone marrow failure research. Proposals should have a high probability of revealing new avenues of investigation. Applications must clearly identify the synergy that will enable or greatly accelerate the evaluation of a single innovative hypothesis. Preliminary data, unpublished results from the laboratory of the PI or collaborators named on this application, and/or data from the published literature that is relevant to bone marrow failure and the proposed research project should be included. The Synergistic Idea Award requires that two investigators jointly design a single project. However, each partner will be recognized as a PI, submit a separate application, and receive an individual award. Multidisciplinary projects are encouraged; multi-institutional projects are allowed. Clinical Trials will not be supported under this mechanism. Eligible applicants are at the Assistant Professor level (or equivalent). Maximum period of performance is 3 years. Combined total maximum allowable funding is $750,000 in direct costs for the entire period of performance, plus indirect costs in accordance with the institution's negotiated rate agreement.

DEADLINES:

• Pre-Application (Pre-proposal) through http://cdmrp.org required and due: September 22, 2009; 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
  
• Pre-proposals (Narrative has 2 page limit for Idea Awards, a 3 page limit for Synergistic Idea Awards) will be screened and submission of full application is by invitation.
  
• Invitations from the BMRP to selected pre-applicants: no later than November 18, 2009.
  
• Application submitted through http://www.grants.gov due January 14, 2010; 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.
  
  

Return to top of Funding Opportunities