UPDATE: The video from the Interventions webinar is now available.

NIGMS has reissued its funding opportunity announcement (FOA) for Research on Interventions that Promote the Careers of Individuals in the Biomedical Research Enterprise (R01) (PAR-21-269). In line with a key mission area of the Institute—ensuring the vitality and continued productivity of the research enterprise—the FOA encourages studies on interventions aimed to enhance research-oriented individuals’ interest, motivation, persistence, and preparedness for careers in the biomedical research workforce. Potential intervention focus areas include, but are not limited to, networking and mentoring, institutional climate, harassment, and structural racism and discrimination.

The new FOA no longer includes research designed solely to inform interventions; applicants must also conduct and test an intervention. Proposals must test the effectiveness of an intervention using robust experimental designs, such as randomized control trial approaches, case controls, matched pair design, or other designs appropriate to perform rigorous research on effective interventions aiming to increase success in the biomedical research workforce.

We’re hosting a webinar for students and fellows interested in the Postdoctoral Research Associate Training (PRAT) program for the October 4, 2021, receipt date:

Tuesday, June 22, 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET

PRAT is a competitive 3-year fellowship program that prepares trainees for leadership positions in biomedical careers. Training includes a mentored laboratory research experience and intensive career and leadership development activities. PRAT fellows conduct research in laboratories in the NIH Intramural Research Program (IRP) in basic biomedical research areas within the NIGMS mission. These areas include, but are not limited to, biological chemistry, biophysics, bioinformatics, cellular and molecular biology, computational biosciences, developmental biology, genetics, immunology, neuroscience, pharmacology, physiology, and technology development.

I’m pleased to announce a new funding opportunity for a Support for Research Excellence (SuRE) U24 resource center (PAR-21-227) to broaden participation in the new SuRE R16 programs announced earlier this month, which replace the Support of Competitive Research (SCORE) program. The SuRE resource center will assist eligible institutions in building research capacity and training their professional staff and faculty.

Applicants to the SuRE resource center funding opportunity announcement are expected to have prior experience in managing multi-institutional endeavors and conducting outreach to a geographically diverse pool of applicants. Nonprofit institutions with a national reach (e.g., professional societies) are among those eligible to apply. 

We’re pleased to announce that two funding opportunities for the new Support for Research Excellence (SuRE) program, which replaces our Support of Competitive Research (SCORE) program, have been issued. SuRE R16 awards support investigator-initiated research projects in all NIH mission areas and are open to faculty at institutions that award science degrees (bachelor and/or graduate degrees), receive limited NIH research support, and serve students from groups underrepresented in biomedical research. Faculty with prior experience in leading independent research who aren’t currently program directors/principal investigators of active NIH research project grants may apply for a SuRE Award (PAR-21-169). Faculty who haven’t had any prior independent research grant support are encouraged to apply for the SuRE-First Award (PAR-21-173).

UPDATE: The video from this webinar is now available.

We’re pleased to announce the reissuance of funding opportunity announcements (FOAs) for the Undergraduate Research Training Initiative for Student Enhancement (U-RISE) (PAR-21-146) and the Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC) (PAR-21-147) T34 programs. The FOAs continue the shared goal to develop a diverse pool of undergraduates who complete their baccalaureate degree, and transition into and complete biomedical, research-focused higher degree programs (e.g., Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D.).

The first application due date for these FOAs is May 26, 2021, and the earliest start date for both programs is April 2022.

UPDATE: The video from this webinar is now available.

NIGMS is committed to increasing biomedical research capacity, including at institutions where faculty have significant teaching responsibilities. In these settings, research collaborations across institutions can be especially beneficial. Join us as we explore this topic:

Thursday, March 25, 3:00-4:00 p.m. ET

As institutions continue to work with virtual learning modalities and in honor of National Mentoring Month, we’d like to share some useful resources from the National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN). Supported by the NIH Common Fund and managed by NIGMS, the network offers free online mentoring tools and learning resources for individuals ranging from undergraduate students to faculty.

After signing up for an NRMN account through an easy, online process, you can access the network’s mentoring tools and resources, including MyNRMN. The MyNRMN platform allows you to browse and connect with other scientists, and it can match you with a mentor or mentee with similar research interests. Through video chats, instant messaging, and file sharing between mentors and mentees, you can design a mentorship program that fits your needs.  

During our Starting Your Own Lab webinar, attendees asked so many insightful questions that we ran out of time to respond to all of them. So we asked nine NIGMS early career investigators to tackle the most popular ones in short videos, which were featured on our social media. Now, you can watch the whole series on our YouTube channel.

Funding opportunity announcements (FOAs) for the Graduate Research Training Initiative for Student Enhancement (G-RISE) (PAR-21-026) and the Initiative for Maximizing Student Development (IMSD) (PAR-21-025) T32 programs have been issued. The FOAs continue the shared goal to develop a diverse pool of scientists earning Ph.D. degrees who have the skills necessary to transition successfully into careers in the biomedical research workforce.

The new G-RISE and IMSD FOAs have an application receipt date of February 26, 2021. The earliest start date for both programs is February 2022.

UPDATE: The video from the Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence webinar is now available.

If you’re planning to submit a Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) application in 2021 or 2022, it’s important that you attend our upcoming webinar:

Wednesday, November 18, 3:00-4:30 p.m. ET