Perhaps in an attempt to reverse previously identified declines in research funding awarded to younger scientists (see here and here), the National Institutes of Health recently announced a plan to focus more on early and midcareer researchers in making funding decisions. More information about the change can be found in recent postings in Science and in the Wall Street Journal. (Note that the Wall Street Journal article may be behind a paywall; please call IRB Blog Headquarters at paalediths@uams.edu if you need help accessing it.)
The aim of the Next Generations Researchers Initiative is to “bolster NIH funding support for the next generation of researchers” to help rebalance the biomedical workforce, according to a statement from NIH Director Francis S. Collins, MD, PhD. More detailed information about the initiative is available on the Next Generation Researchers Initiative website.