Category: Training/Fellowships/Career Development

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Give Input on Training Activities Relevant to Data Reproducibility

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Data reproducibility is getting a lot of attention in the scientific community, and NIH is among those seeking to address the issue. At NIGMS, one area we’re focusing on is the needs and opportunities for training in areas relevant to improving data reproducibility in biomedical research. We just issued a request for information to gather input on activities that already exist or are planned as well as on crucial needs that an NIGMS program should address.

I strongly encourage you and your colleagues to submit comments by the February 28 deadline (no longer available). The information will assist us in shaping a program of small grants to support the design and development of exportable training modules tailored for graduate students, postdoctoral students and beginning investigators.

UPDATE: NIGMS and additional NIH components have issued the Training Modules to Enhance Data Reproducibility (R25) funding opportunity announcement. The application deadline is November 20.

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NIGMS Training, Workforce Development, and Diversity Division Director Clif Poodry Retires

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Clifton Poodry, Ph.D.Clifton “Clif” Poodry, Ph.D., director of the NIGMS Division of Training, Workforce Development, and Diversity, retired earlier this month. Although he’s left federal service, Clif is continuing to pursue his long-held interest in improving science education as a senior fellow at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Throughout his nearly 20 years at NIGMS, Clif championed—and in many cases, led—activities to build the biomedical research workforce of the future. This included initiatives for training and mentoring students from groups that are underrepresented in biomedical and behavioral research and advising on NIH-wide programs, such as the newly announced Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity program.

Clif has long been committed to using scientific approaches to understand interventions that promote interest in and pursuit of research careers. He consistently encouraged staff and colleagues to read the scientific literature on training and workforce diversity in order to develop a better understanding of biomedical workforce issues and challenges so that we could create and/or modify programs accordingly.

Clif’s long and distinguished career includes time as a biology professor, department chair, associate vice-chancellor for student affairs, and NIGMS grantee at the University of California, Santa Cruz. In the early 1980s, he served a 2-year stint at the National Science Foundation, where he helped create a program that later became a model for the NIH diversity supplement program.

Clif is a great and natural mentor who has touched the lives of numerous students and colleagues across the country, as well as those of us here at NIGMS and NIH. Many of those he mentored have gone on to positions in academia, government and the private sector.

Clif has had a huge impact in many areas, including the education and training of students from underrepresented groups, and we look forward to building on his legacy.

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Funding Opportunities: Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies, Common Fund Opportunities, Career Development Awards

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You may be interested in these recent funding opportunity announcements (FOAs):

Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative

The first funding opportunities for the BRAIN Initiative, a large-scale effort aimed at revolutionizing our understanding of the human brain, are now available. To view the FOAs, visit http://braininitiative.nih.gov/funding_active.htm.

Common Fund Opportunities

The NIH Common Fund has issued FOAs under both the Single Cell Analysis and the Enhancing the Diversity of the NIH-Funded Workforce programs. A Webinar for potential applicants to the diversity FOAs will be held in January.

Career Development (K) Awards

K awards help transition new investigators to research independence.

  • NIH Pathway to Independence Award (Parent K99/R00)
    (PA-14-042)

    Purpose: Help postdoctoral researchers complete mentored training and transition to an independent, tenure-track or equivalent faculty positions and launch a competitive, independent research careers


  • Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Award (Parent K08)
    (PA-14-046)

    Purpose: Provide individuals with clinical doctoral degrees with intensive, supervised career development experiences in biomedical and behavioral research, including translational research


  • Mentored Quantitative Research Development Award (Parent K25)
    (PA-14-048)

    Purpose: Attract individuals with quantitative and engineering backgrounds to bring their expertise and skills to address NIH-relevant research questions


  • Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award (Parent K23)
    (PA-14-049)

    Purpose: Support individuals with a clinical doctoral degree who have made a commitment to focus their research endeavors on patient-oriented research


Application due dates: Standard dates apply.
NIGMS contact: Michael Sesma, 301-594-3900.

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T32 Application Changes

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NIH has issued a new parent announcement for the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Institutional Research Training Grant (T32) that incorporates many of the “mandatory special requirements” previously in an NIGMS T32 predoctoral grant application. As a result, eligible institutions applying for an NIGMS training grant with a due date on and after January 25, 2014, will no longer need to include this material as a separate section at the end of the background section but should instead address each of these requirements throughout the document.

Changes in the new T32 announcement are based on recommendations of the Biomedical Workforce Working Group of the Advisory Committee to the Director, NIH. As stated in a related NIH Guide notice, T32 programs are now encouraged to make available career development advising as well as learning opportunities so that trainees obtain a working knowledge of various potential career directions and of the steps required to transition successfully to their next career stage.

NIGMS-funded predoctoral training programs should provide support for trainees in their early years (e.g., years 1-3) to prepare them for subsequent, more differentiated research and for a variety of research careers. NIGMS predoctoral T32 programs are not intended to support students in the dissertation/independent phase of their doctoral research training.

Each NIGMS T32 application must clearly:

  • State the objectives of the proposed program and how they are distinct from or relate to other training programs at the same institution.
  • Identify the faculty involved, describe their roles and responsibilities, and indicate whether they participate in other training programs at the same institution.
  • Demonstrate access to a pool of highly promising scholars, including those who are underrepresented in the biomedical and behavioral sciences and individuals with disabilities.

In addition, NIGMS strongly encourages its programs to develop mathematical fluency among all trainees by integrating quantitative biology and/or advanced statistical approaches. NIGMS also expects funded training programs to evolve in response to changes in the field of science and to respond effectively to student needs and outcomes. The Institute is always interested in innovative approaches to training that will prepare a strong and diverse biomedical and behavioral research workforce for the 21st century.

For more details, see our predoctoral T32 training grant Web page, which includes a link to slides on NIGMS predoctoral training program guidelines for 2014 (no longer available), as well as our postdoctoral T32 information. Prospective applicants are welcome to contact me or one of my colleagues who manage training grants with questions, comments or suggestions.

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Funding Opportunities: Support of Competitive Research Program; Modeling the Scientific Workforce; Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence

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You may be interested in these recent funding opportunity announcements (FOAs):

Support of Competitive Research (SCORE) Program, which offers three funding opportunities based on career level that are designed to increase the research competitiveness of faculty at minority-serving institutions and institutions with a historical mission of training students from backgrounds underrepresented in biomedical research

  • SC1 Research Advancement Award
    (PAR-14-019)

Purpose: Conduct high-quality research and increase research competitiveness by progressively enhancing the pace and productivity of projects
Career level: Advanced formative stage

  • SC2 Pilot Project Award
    (PAR-14-017)

Purpose: Test a new idea or gather preliminary data to establish a new line of research
Career level: Early academic career

  • SC3 Research Continuance Award
    (PAR-14-018)

Purpose: Continue engaging in meritorious biomedical or behavioral research projects of limited scope in a given biomedical or behavioral area within the NIH mission
Career level: Intermediate stage

Application due dates: January 25, 2014; May 25, 2014; January 25, 2015; May 25, 2015; January 25, 2016; May 25, 2016
NIGMS contact: Hinda Zlotnik, 301-594-3900

Modeling the Scientific Workforce (U01)
(RFA-GM-14-011)

Purpose: Develop computational models and systems approaches to better understand the underlying dynamics that produce successful scientists, to examine strategies for increasing the diversity of the scientific workforce, to identify factors that influence participation in scientific training and questions in need of research, and to guide the collection and analysis of data used to develop these models
Letter of intent due date: January 4, 2014
Application due date: February 4, 2014
NIGMS contact: Michael Sesma, 301-594-3900

Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (P20)
(PAR-14-035)

Purpose: Establish a thematic, multidisciplinary center in an IDeA-eligible state and enhance the ability of investigators to compete independently for NIH or other external peer-reviewed support
Application due dates: February 26, 2014; January 28, 2015; January 28, 2016
NIGMS contact: Yanping Liu, 301-594-3900

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Funding Opportunities: AREA; Support for Scientific Meetings; Systems Biology Centers; Bridges to the Doctorate

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You may be interested in these recent funding opportunity announcements (FOAs):

Academic Research Enhancement Award (Parent R15)
(PA-13-313)

Purpose: Conduct small-scale research projects that expose students to meritorious research and strengthen the research environment of the AREA- or R15-eligible applicant institution
Application due date: Standard dates apply
NIGMS contact: Jean Chin, 301-594-2485

NIH Support for Conferences and Scientific Meetings (Parent R13/U13)
(PA-13-347)

Purpose: Coordinate high-quality scientific conferences that are relevant to the scientific mission of NIGMS and other participating NIH components
Application due date: Standard dates apply
NIGMS contact: Ann Hagan, 301-594-4499

NIGMS National Centers for Systems Biology (P50)
(PAR-13-351)

Purpose: Promote pioneering research, research training, education and outreach programs focused on systems-level inquiries of biomedical phenomena within the NIGMS mission
Letter of intent due date: 30 days prior to the application due date
Application due dates: October 23, 2013; October 23, 2014
NIGMS contacts: Paul Brazhnik and Peter Lyster, 301-451-6446

Bridges to the Doctorate (R25)
(PAR-13-341)

Purpose: Promote partnerships/consortia between colleges or universities granting a terminal master’s degree and institutions that offer the doctorate degree, with the goal of increasing the pool of master’s degree students from underrepresented backgrounds who pursue research careers in the biomedical and behavioral sciences and who are trained and available to participate in NIH-funded research
Application due dates: November 1, 2013; September 25, 2014; September 25, 2015
NIGMS contact: Michelle R.J. Hamlet, 301-594-3900

The Bridges to the Doctorate Web site offers additional details about the program, including FAQs and application resources.

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Funding Opportunities: Bridges to the Baccalaureate; Common Fund Awards; Legacy Community-Wide Scientific Resources; Research Centers in Injury and Peri-Operative Sciences

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You may be interested in these recent funding opportunity announcements (FOAs):

Bridges to Baccalaureate Program (R25)
(PAR-13-333)

Purpose: Promote partnerships/consortia between community colleges or other 2-year post-secondary educational institutions granting the associate degree and colleges or universities that offer the baccalaureate degree, with the goal of increasing the pool of community college students from underrepresented backgrounds who pursue research careers in the biomedical and behavioral sciences and who will be available to participate in NIH-funded research
Application due dates: October 18, 2013; September 25, 2014; September 25, 2015
NIGMS contact: Michelle R.J. Hamlet, 301-594-3900

NIH Director’s Pioneer Award Program (DP1)
(RFA-RM-13-006)

Purpose: Support exceptionally creative individual scientists at any career stage who propose pioneering, and possibly transforming, approaches to major challenges that have the potential for unusually high impact on a broad area of biomedical or behavioral research
Application due dates: October 18, 2013; October 10, 2014; October 9, 2015
NIH contact: Ravi Basavappa, 301-435-7204

NIH Director’s New Innovator Award Program (DP2)
(RFA-RM-13-007)

Purpose: Support exceptionally creative early stage investigators who propose bold and highly innovative new research approaches that have the potential for major impact on broad, important problems in biomedical and behavioral research
Application due dates: October 25, 2013; October, 17, 2014; October 16, 2015
NIH contact: Ravi Basavappa, 301-435-7204

Limited Pilot for NIGMS Legacy Community-Wide Scientific Resources (R24)
(PAR-13-324)

Purpose: Maintain existing NIGMS research resources that demonstrate a high value to a community of NIGMS-supported researchers and that are no longer eligible for support under their original initiatives
Letter of intent due date: 30 days before the application due date
Application due dates: October 15, 2013; October 15, 2014; October 15, 2015
NIGMS contact: Mary Ann Wu, 301-435-0787

Research Centers in Injury and Peri-Operative Sciences (P50)
(PAR-13-291)

Purpose: Improve understanding at all levels of the biological processes invoked after traumatic or burn injury, or in critically ill patients, including pertinent aspects of wound healing; and foster translational research, bringing basic scientific observations and principles into the clinical arena and using clinical observations to generate or validate mechanistic hypotheses
Letter of intent due date: 6 weeks before the standard due date
Application due date: Standard dates apply
NIGMS contact: Scott Somers, 301-594-3827

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Encouraging the Use of Individual Development Plans

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Strategic Plan for Biomedical and Behavioral Research TrainingMany of the themes in our strategic plan for research training have been echoed by the Biomedical Workforce Working Group of the Advisory Committee to the Director, NIH. Among these is the use of individual development plans (IDPs) to facilitate career development discussions and planning between mentees and mentors. I’m delighted to share some progress on this front.

A recent NIH Guide notice encourages institutions to:

  • Develop an institutional policy requiring an IDP for every graduate student and postdoctoral scientist supported by any NIH grant, and
  • Describe the use of those IDPs in the Research Performance Progress Report for projects reporting student and/or postdoc researchers.

For more details, read this blog post from NIH’s Sally Rockey.

The Blueprint for Implementation of our training strategic plan provides links to resources for developing IDPs, including AAAS’s myIDP Web site. Another source of useful tips is a presentation on “Facilitating Career Development through Individual Development Plans” given by Philip Clifford of the Medical College of Wisconsin at our recent Training, Workforce Development, and Diversity Program Directors’ meeting.

IDPs are a valuable tool to help graduate students and postdocs identify their career goals and what they need to accomplish to achieve those goals. They are one part of the changing conversations about preparing trainees for the broader landscape of exciting biomedical careers.

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Funding Opportunities: Research and Academic Career Development Awards; International Cooperative Biodiversity Groups; Program Project Grants; Instrument Development for Biomedical Applications

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You may be interested in these recent funding opportunity announcements (FOAs):

Institutional Research and Academic Career Development Awards (IRACDA) (K12)
(PAR-13-290)

Purpose: Develop a diverse group of highly trained biomedical and behavioral scientists through support of a traditional mentored postdoctoral research experience at a research-intensive institution combined with an opportunity to develop academic skills, including teaching, through workshops and mentored teaching assignments at a partner institution
Application due dates: October 2, 2013; September 24, 2014; September 24, 2015
NIGMS contact: Shiva P. Singh, 301-594-3900

Limited Competition: International Cooperative Biodiversity Groups (U19)
(RFA-TW-13-001)

Purpose: Address the interdependence of natural products exploration for potential applications in health, with investments in research capacity that support sustainable use of these resources, the knowledge to conserve them, and equitable partnership frameworks among research organizations in the United States and low- and middle-income countries
Letter of intent due date: October 20, 2013
Application due date: November 20, 2013
NIGMS contact: Barbara Gerratana, 301-594-3827

Support of NIGMS Program Project Grants (P01)
(PAR-13-280)

Purpose: Conduct research that aims to solve a significant biological question within the NIGMS mission through collaborations with outstanding scientists working on different aspects of a similar problem
Application due date: Standard dates apply
NIGMS contacts:
Cell Biology and Biophysics, Catherine Lewis, 301-594-0828
Genetics and Developmental Biology, Judith H. Greenberg, 301-594-0943
Pharmacology, Physiology and Biological Chemistry, Michael Rogers, 301-594-3827
Biotechnology, Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Susan Gregurick, 301-451-6446

Instrument Development for Biomedical Applications (R21)
(RFA-GM-14-014)

Purpose: Develop new or improved instrumentation with broad applicability to biomedical research
Application due date: October 10, 2013
NIGMS contact: Fred K. Friedman, 301-435-0775

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Chemical Biology Career Workshop Builds Model for Similar Efforts

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CBI Career Development Conference Program CoverAn action recommended in our strategic plan for biomedical and behavioral research training and by a working group of the Advisory Committee to the Director, NIH, is providing graduate students with a greater awareness of their career options. An inaugural career development conference that we co-sponsored and that was recently highlighted in a Chemical & Engineering News article may lead to the development of a sustainable workshop model to inform graduate students about and help them prepare for a range of scientific careers.

Organized by the directors of chemistry-biology interface graduate training programs at 10 Midwestern institutions, the 3-day event took place in June on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus. It brought together nearly 100 graduate students and 30 career mentors with jobs in academia, government and the private sector, including in nontraditional areas such as consulting, patent law and communicating science to the public.

A significant portion of the meeting consisted of structured discussion and presentations organized around different job opportunities. The meeting also included activities that let students improve their communication skills by explaining their research clearly and concisely to various audiences. Other career sessions focused on entrepreneurship and acquiring a postdoctoral position.

Early in the group discussions, students considering careers outside academia shared their concerns about the job market and about whether their graduate research training might potentially narrow their employment opportunities.  By the end of the meeting, however, most had the sense that their graduate training would actually open up new opportunities.  The group discussions also enhanced the mentors’ knowledge of various career paths and raised their awareness of the students’ career development needs.

A formal evaluation of the meeting’s usefulness and effectiveness is under way, and the organizers are experimenting with a variety of novel approaches to ensure sustainability for the conference by rotating venues, sharing organizational responsibilities and developing consistent sponsorships.