National Institute of
General Medical Sciences

The National Advisory General Medical Sciences (NAGMS) Council convened in person for its 186th meeting at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, September 18, 2024.

Jon R. Lorsch, Ph.D., director of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), presided as meeting chair. After an open session from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., the closed session convened from 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Council Members Attending Remotely

Natalie G. Ahn
Eric Alani, Ph.D.
Angela Byars-Winston, Ph.D.
Ron G. King, Ph.D., M.B.A.
Terri Goss Kinzy, Ph.D.
David H. Mathews, M.D., Ph.D.
Lesilee Rose, Ph.D.
Christopher W. Seymour, M.D., M.Sc.
Jeffrey Sun, Ph.D.
Wendy Young, Ph.D.

Council roster (available from NIGMS)

Ad Hoc Council Participants Attending Remotely

Sharon Amacher, Ph.D.
Professor
Department of Molecular Genetics
Ohio State University
Columbus, OH 43210

Sarah L.J. Michel, Ph.D.
Dean and Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences
University of Maryland School of Pharmacy
Baltimore, MD 21201

Early Career Investigator Ad Hoc Council Participants Attending Remotely

Jessica Kramer, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Biomedical Engineering
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT 84102

Kurt Warnhoff, Ph.D.
Associate Scientist
Principal Investigator
Pediatrics and Rare Diseases Group
Sanford Research
Sioux Falls, SD 57104

Members of the Public Attending Remotely

Not tracked because meeting was available via unrestricted NIH Videocast.

OPEN SESSION OF THE MEETING

I. Call to Order and Opening Remarks

Dr. Lorsch welcomed Council members and guests. Council members approved the minutes from the May 16, 2024, meeting.

II. Future Meeting Dates

III. Review of Confidentiality and Conflict of Interest Procedures

Dr. Lorsch explained policies and procedures regarding confidentiality and avoidance of conflict-of-interest situations to Council members.

IV. NIGMS Director’s Report (NIH Videocast @ 9:32)

Jon Lorsch Council Presentation Slides

Dr. Lorsch announced retiring and incoming Council members and NIGMS staff changes, departures, and retirements.

Dr. Lorsch discussed a recent eLife commentary he co-authored with NIH leadership on the importance of basic science research and his Feedback Loop blog post on the value of basic science research within the Institutional Development Award (IDeA) program.

He announced two outreach activities:

• On July 12, 2024, NIGMS Division of Data Integration, Modeling, and Analytics staff presented at an NIH-moderated lunch-and-learn session for congressional staff titled “IDeA States–Building Research Capacity and Expanding the Reach of NIH Funding.”
• From June 9-11, 2024, Dr. Lorsch and other NIGMS staff visited the University of Kentucky, the University of Louisville, and Kentucky State University. During the visit, they observed NIGMS-funded programs and met with Kentucky’s Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman and Cabinet for Economic Development Secretary Jeffrey Noel to learn more about the state’s small business development.

Dr. Lorsch announced upcoming NIH-wide grant application and review changes and directed applicants to an NIH webpage that outlines the changes.

Dr. Lorsch highlighted the following funding opportunities:

• B-INSPIRE (Research on Behavioral Interventions That Promote Careers in the Biomedical Research Enterprise)
• Maximizing Opportunities for Scientific and Academic Independent Careers (MOSAIC)
• Tribal Institutional Review Board Establishment and Enhancement (TIRBEE) grants (R24)
• Tribal Undergraduate to Graduate Research Training and Leadership Experiences (TURTLE) program (UE5/T32 and UE5/T34)

He announced the availability of an interactive decision tree tool that NIGMS developed to help early career investigators discern which mentored research career development award is right for them.

Dr. Lorsch announced the following notices:

• NOT-GM-24-042 increases the Maximizing Investigator’s Research Award (MIRA) budget cap for early stage investigators from $250,000 to $275,000 per year for applications submitted to the October 2024 due date and beyond.
• NOT-GM-24-054 decreases the minimum required research effort level for MIRA established and new investigators from 51% to 45%.
• NOT-GM-24-044 seeks applications focused on exploring interactions of microbes with the human-built environment or related to the technology and methods needed to explore these interactions.

Dr. Lorsch announced a form for trainees to anonymously share feedback related to NIGMS research education, training, and career development programs.

V. DISCUSSION (NIH Videocast @ 48:23)

Council discussed how best to facilitate trainee internships in the private sector, including expanding the types of companies to include more small startups in addition to larger corporations and how to provide resources to train mentors in the private sector to prepare them to host interns.

Council also discussed opportunities and challenges for sharing support and use of core facilities between academic institutions and small businesses, including issues around information security and intellectual property, and chances for pooling resources and providing training opportunities.

VI. The Small Business Program at NIGMS NIH Videocast @ 1:15:02)

Eddie Billingslea, Ph.D.

Dr. Billingslea described how Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer Research (STTR) awards are supported throughout NIH and by NIGMS. He highlighted four technology development and entrepreneurship programs supported by NIGMS:

• NIGMS Technology Development Program
• Biomedical Technology Optimization and Dissemination (BTOD) Centers
• IDeA Regional Entrepreneurship Development (I-RED) Program
• NIH Research Evaluation and Commercialization Hubs

Discussion (NIH Videocast @ 1:32:11)
Council discussed approaches to working with investigators and institutions to increase awareness of SBIR/STTR programs, demonstrating the value of an SBIR award in de-risking companies and technologies for venture capital investment, providing entrepreneurship training, and broadening the geographic distribution of SBIR/STTR funding.

VII. Concept Clearance: Reissuance of Institutional Research and Academic Career Development Award NIH Videocast @ 2:02:36)

The Institutional Research and Academic Career Development Award supports a mentored postdoctoral research experience at a research-intensive institution combined with an opportunity to develop teaching and mentoring skills at a teaching-intensive partner institution. There are no major changes to the program.

NIGMS received Council approval for the concept.

VIII. Concept Clearance: Reissuance: Bridges to the Baccalaureate Research Training Program NIH Videocast @ 2:05:44)

The Bridges to the Baccalaureate Research Training Program aims to strengthen research training environments and expand the pool of research-oriented students who transfer from an associate degree-granting institution to a baccalaureate degree-granting institution to complete a study in biomedical science-related disciplines. There are no major changes to the program.

NIGMS received Council approval for the concept.

CLOSED SESSION OF THE MEETING

This portion of the meeting was closed to the public in accordance with the determination that it was concerned with matters exempt from mandatory disclosure under sections 552b(c)(4) and 552b(c)(6), Title 5 U.S.C., and section 1009(d) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. §§ 1001-1014).

Members exited the meeting during the discussion and voting process on applications from their own institutions or other applications that presented a potential conflict of interest, real or apparent. Members signed a statement to this effect at the beginning of the meeting.

REVIEW OF APPLICATIONS

The National Institute of General Medical Sciences considered 1,397 research and training applications requesting $510,619,373 in total costs. The Council recommended 1,397applications with a total cost of $510,619,373.

ADJOURNMENT

The meeting adjourned at 3:30 p.m. on September 18, 2024.

CERTIFICATION

I hereby certify that, to my knowledge, the foregoing minutes are accurate and complete.

Jon R. Lorsch, Ph.D.
Chair
National Advisory General
Medical Sciences Council

Erica Brown, Ph.D.
Executive Secretary
National Advisory General
Medical Sciences Council