National Institute of
Former NIGMS Director Jon Lorsch, Ph.D.
Jon R. Lorsch, Ph.D., became the director of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) in August 2013 before transitioning to the role of Deputy Director for Extramural Research (DDER) in the Office of the Director in late 2025. In this position, Lorsch oversaw the Institute's budget ($3.2 billion in FY 2023), which supports basic research that increases understanding of biological processes and lays the foundation for advances in disease diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.
NIGMS supported more than 4,800 investigators and more than 5,500 research grants in FY 2023—around 11 percent of the total number of research grants funded by NIH as a whole. Additionally, NIGMS supports around 30 percent of the NRSA trainees who receive assistance from NIH.
