Peer review should fairly evaluate proposals from all scientists, regardless of their career stage or discipline, and avoid bias toward more conservative and proven approaches at the expense of innovation and originality. This can be accomplished by achieving the following:

• Funding the Best Science Earlier. To ensure that the largest number of high-quality and meritorious applications receive funding earlier and to improve system efficiency, NIH will enhance success rates of new and resubmitted applications by decreasing the number of allowed grant application resubmissions (amendments) from two to one.
• Early Stage and New Investigator Policies. NIH recently announced new policies modifying the NIH New Investigator Policy to identify Early Stage Investigators (ESIs) and establishing goals to encourage funding for New Investigators and ESIs.
• Clustering Applications in Review. In 2009, NIH began clustering new investigator applications (including ESIs) for review, where possible. Clinical research applications were also clustered where possible.

Related Policies – Resubmissions

• NIH Guide Notice NOT-OD-09-016 - Clarification on New NIH Policy on Resubmission (Amended) Applications (Nov 2008)
• NIH Guide Notice NOT-OD-09-003 - New NIH Policy on Resubmission (Amended) Applications (Dec 2008)
  
  

Related Policies – New and Early Stage Investigators

• New and Early Stage Investigator Policies
• NIH Guide Notice NOT-OD-08-121 - Encouraging Early Transition to Research Independence: Modifying the NIH New Investigator Policy to Identify Early Stage Investigators
• NIH Guide Notice NOT-OD-09-013 - Revised New and Early Stage Investigator Policies
• NIH Guide Notice NOT-OD-09-021 - Implementing the Early Stage Investigator Policy: Updating eRA Commons Profiles to Include Degree and Residency Completion Dates
• NIH Guide Notice NOT-OD-09-034 - Early Stage Investigator Policies: Requesting an Extension of the ESI Period

Baseline Data – Resubmissions

• Report: 2007-2008 Peer Review Self-Study (02/29/2008) - (PDF - 1.6 MB) - Baseline data related to resubmissions is located on page 33, figure 8.
• Competing R01-Equivalent Awards, by Amendment Status FY 1998-2007 (PDF - 75 KB)
• A2s and All Competing RPG Applications FY 1998-2007 (PDF - 67 KB)
• Number of Unsolicited Type 1 R01 Applications and Awards by Amendment Status (PDF - 65 KB)
• Funding of Type 1 R01 Application, by Version 1998 (pre-doubling) and 2004-2006 (PowerPoint - 271 KB)

Baseline Data – New and Early Stage Investigators

• Data on New Investigators
• History of Commitment to New Investigators