NIH Director's New Innovator Award

NIH Director's New Innovator Award is a prestigious award given by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) aimed at supporting early career researchers who propose innovative and high-impact projects. Established in 2007, the award is part of the NIH Common Fund's High-Risk, High-Reward Research program, which encourages exploratory research with the potential to lead to breakthroughs in biomedical and behavioral research.

Overview

The NIH Director's New Innovator Award is designed to support unusually innovative research from early career investigators who are within 10 years of their final degree or clinical residency and have not yet received a substantial NIH independent research grant. The award is intended to give recipients the freedom to pursue creative and pioneering research ideas without the constraints of traditional grant funding.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the award, applicants must meet specific criteria including:

• Holding a doctoral degree (Ph.D., M.D., D.D.S., D.M.D., D.V.M., or equivalent).
• Being within 10 years of completing their terminal research degree or medical residency.
• Not having previously received a substantial NIH independent research award.

Funding

The award provides up to $1.5 million in direct costs over a period of 5 years. This funding is intended to support early-stage investigators in establishing a research program and making significant contributions to their field.

Application Process

The application process for the NIH Director's New Innovator Award involves submitting a detailed research proposal that outlines the innovative nature of the project, its potential impact on biomedical or behavioral research, and the approach the investigator plans to take. The review process emphasizes the innovativeness of the proposal and the potential of the investigator over preliminary data or detailed experimental plans.

Selection Criteria

Applications are evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Significance and potential impact of the proposed project.
• Innovativeness of the approach.
• Capability of the investigator to conduct groundbreaking research.
• Quality of the research environment.

Recipients

Recipients of the NIH Director's New Innovator Award are a diverse group of early-stage investigators from various disciplines and institutions across the United States. These researchers have proposed bold and innovative research projects that have the potential to substantially advance their fields.

Impact

The NIH Director's New Innovator Award has had a significant impact on the biomedical and behavioral research landscape by enabling early career scientists to pursue ambitious projects. The award has facilitated discoveries and advancements that may not have been possible through traditional funding mechanisms, thereby contributing to the NIH's mission of enhancing health, lengthening life, and reducing illness and disability.