NIH Supports 106 Grants Featuring High-Risk, High-Return Research



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Press release

Tuesday, October 5, 2021

The National Institutes of Health has awarded 106 grants to support highly innovative and widely impacting biomedical or behavioral research by exceptionally creative scientists under the Common Fund’s high-risk, high-return research program. Research supported this year includes understanding how long-term memory might be encoded in the form of DNA folded in our neurons, extracting data from unconventional sources to reveal the social determinants of suicide, l ‘establishing new paradigms for addressing the functional consequences of health disparities in drug development, and examining the impact of high school and college athlete injuries on long-term health. The 106 scholarships total approximately $ 329 million over five years, pending availability of funds.

The high-risk, high-yield research program catalyzes scientific discovery by supporting highly innovative research proposals which, due to their inherent risk, may have difficulty in the traditional peer review process despite their potential to transformation. Applicants to the program are encouraged to think outside the box and pursue innovative ideas in any area of ​​research relevant to the NIH’s mission to advance knowledge and improve health.

“The science put forth by this cohort is exceptionally new and creative and is sure to push the boundaries of what is known,” said NIH Director Francis S. Collins, MD, Ph.D. visionaries come from a wide range of career stages and show that revolutionary science can occur at any career level if the right opportunity is given. “

The High Risk, High Return Research Program is part of the NIH Pool Fund, which oversees programs that pursue major opportunities and gaps in the research enterprise that are of great importance to NIH and require attention. collaboration within the agency for success. The High-Risk, High-Reward Research program manages the following four scholarships, including two scholarships aimed specifically at supporting early-career researchers:

  • The NIH Director’s Pioneer Award, created in 2004, invites researchers at all career levels to pursue new directions of research and develop groundbreaking, high-impact approaches in a broad field of biomedical, behavioral or social sciences.
  • The NIH Director’s New Innovator Award, established in 2007, supports unusually innovative research by early career investigators who are within 10 years of completing their final degree or clinical residency and who have not yet received a project grant. NIH research or equivalent grant.
  • The NIH Director’s Transformative Research Award, created in 2009, promotes transversal and interdisciplinary approaches and is open to individuals and teams of researchers who propose research that may create or challenge existing paradigms.
  • The NIH Director’s Early Independence Award, established in 2011, provides the opportunity to support outstanding junior scientists who have recently obtained their doctorate or completed medical residency to bypass traditional post-doctoral training and immediately advance to independent research positions. .

The addition of two areas of special interest was unique this year:

  • Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) – The Common Fund and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) have partnered to support the acceleration of cutting-edge science in ALS (ALS)2) as an opportunity to support ALS research through several transformative research grants, including one with the support of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS). The initiative aims to dramatically advance the understanding of what triggers and causes the rapid progression of ALS.
  • COVID-19 – Due to the public health emergency, the Transformative Research Award and the Early Independence Award have provided additional funding opportunities for COVID-19 related research on prevention, preparedness or the response to the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus using funds provided by the CARES Act.

The NIH has awarded 10 Pioneer Awards, 64 New Innovator Awards, 19 Transformative Research Awards (10 General Awards, four ALS-related, and five COVID-19-related), and 13 Early Independence Awards for 2021. Funding for the awards comes from NIH Common Fund, NIGMS, National Institute of Mental Health and NINDS.

About the NIH Pooled Fund: The NIH Common Fund encourages collaboration and supports a series of exceptionally high impact trans-NIH programs. Common Fund programs are managed by the Office of Strategic Coordination of the Program Coordination, Planning and Strategic Initiatives Division of the Office of the Director, NIH, in partnership with NIH institutes, centers and offices. Further information is available on the Mutual Fund’s website: https://commonfund.nih.gov.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH):The NIH, the national agency for medical research, comprises 27 institutes and centers and is part of the US Department of Health and Human Services. The NIH is the principal federal agency that conducts and supports basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and studies the causes, treatments, and cures for common and rare diseases. For more information about the NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

NIH… Transforming Discovery into Health®

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