Overview

The NIH Director’s Pioneer Award Program is a unique aspect of the NIH Roadmap for Medical Research, a high-risk research initiative of Research Teams of the Future. Pioneer Awards are designed to support individual scientists of exceptional creativity who propose pioneering – and possibly transforming approaches - to major challenges in biomedical and behavioral research. The term “pioneering” is used to describe highly innovative approaches that have the potential to produce an unusually high impact on a broad area of biomedical or behavioral research, and the term “award” is used to mean a grant for conducting research, rather than a reward for past achievements. To be considered pioneering, the proposed research must reflect ideas substantially different from those already being pursued in the investigator’s laboratory or elsewhere. Biomedical and behavioral research is defined broadly in this announcement as encompassing scientific investigations in the biological, behavioral, clinical, social, physical, chemical, computational, engineering, and mathematical sciences. This RFA (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-RM-08-013.html) announces a fifth competition for approximately 5–10 new awards of $500,000 in direct costs per year for five years that will be made in Fiscal Year 2008. Awardees are required to commit the major portion (at least 51%) of their research effort to activities supported by the Pioneer Award. Individuals who are unable to meet this requirement should not apply.

Background

The NIH's success depends on the creativity of investigator-initiated research, much of it supported by the R01 grant mechanism. Many scientists who participated in the development of the NIH Roadmap, however, expressed the view that additional means might be necessary to identify scientists with ideas that have the potential for high impact, but may be too novel, span too diverse a range of disciplines, or be at a stage too early to fare well in the traditional peer review process. A group of distinguished outside consultants proposed that NIH implement a completely new program to encourage highly innovative biomedical and behavioral research with the great potential to lead to significant advances in human health. This program would complement NIH’s traditional, investigator-initiated grant programs. Pioneer Awards are designed to support highly creative and pioneering people who propose exceptionally innovative approaches with the potential for high impact on a significant biomedical or behavioral research problem.

First announced in Fiscal Year 2004, nine awards were made in September 2004, 13 awards each were made in 2005 and 2006, and 12 awards were made in 2007.

Eligibility

This initiative is to support investigators who intend to pursue pioneering research directions that are distinct from those currently or previously conducted in their laboratories or elsewhere. The research proposed need not be in a conventional biomedical or behavioral discipline. If the applicant’s experience is in non-biological areas, however, he/she must demonstrate a commitment to exploring topics of biomedical or behavioral relevance. Awardees are required to commit the major portion (at least 51%) of their research effort to activities supported by the Pioneer Award. Investigators at all career levels are eligible, and those at early to middle stages of their careers and women and members of groups underrepresented in biomedical or behavioral research are especially encouraged to apply.

There are no citizenship or residency requirements. However, investigators at non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities (foreign organizations) are not eligible to apply.

Application Process

Detailed application instructions are in the RFA (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-RM-08-013.html). The application process has been modified from that used in previous years. Applications are submitted to Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov). In addition, applicants must arrange to have three (and no more than three) letters of reference submitted on their behalf at https://commons.era.nih.gov/commons/reference/submitRefereeInformation.jsp. Instructions for referees for submitting letters are in the RFA and on the Pioneer Web site at http://nihroadmap.nih.gov/pioneer/LettersofReferenceFormat.aspx. Please also see the Frequently Asked Questions at http://nihroadmap.nih.gov/pioneer/faq.aspx.

The application may be submitted beginning December 16, 2007, and must be successfully received by Grants.gov no later than 5:00 p.m. local time (of the applicant institution/organization) on January 16, 2008.

The letters of reference may be submitted beginning December 18, 2007, and must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time) on January 16, 2008.

Selection Process

Applications that are complete and responsive to the RFA will be evaluated electronically by a multidisciplinary group of outside experts. Those candidates that are identified as the most outstanding will be invited to NIH for interviews in July 2008. Interviews will be conducted by a panel of distinguished outside experts. The Advisory Committee to the Director (ACD), NIH, will conduct the final level of review. The Director, NIH, will make the final selection of awardees based on the evaluations by the outside experts, the recommendations of the ACD, and programmatic considerations. Final selections will be announced, and awards made, by the end of September 2008.

Review Criteria

Applications will be evaluated based on the likelihood that the applicant will pursue a pioneering approach to a problem of relevance to biomedical or behavioral research, the absence of alternative funding to pursue this direction, and compelling justification for the advantage of evaluation by the Pioneer Award process rather than by the standard peer review process. In particular, reviewers will evaluate:

• The scientific problem to be addressed: The biomedical or behavioral significance/importance of the problem; the likelihood that, if successful, the project will have a significant impact on this problem; and the innovativeness of the project.
• The investigator: Evidence for the investigator’s claim of innovativeness/creativity (innovation density) and the demonstrated ability of the investigator to devote at least 51% of his/her effort on to activities supported by the Pioneer Award.
• The suitability for Pioneer Award mechanism: Evidence that the proposed project is of sufficient risk/impact to make it more suitable for a Pioneer Award than for the traditional NIH grant mechanism and that it is distinct from other research previously or currently conducted by the investigator.

Special Requirements

Pioneer Award recipients are expected to participate in an annual symposium on the NIH campus. This symposium will allow awardees to share their ideas, progress, and experience with each other, the research community, and NIH staff.

Individuals who apply should be aware that they may be contacted at a later time to provide NIH with a limited amount of follow-up information. Because the Pioneer Award program is a pilot program, NIH believes that contacting participants is important for evaluating the Pioneer Award program and its outcomes.

Inquiries

For more information about the Pioneer Award program, see the Frequently Asked Questions at http://nihroadmap.nih.gov/pioneer/faq.aspx, or e-mail your questions to pioneer@nih.gov.

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