Lasker Clinical Research Scholars Program (Si2/R00 Clinical Trial Optional)
Deadline: August 30, 2024
5 pm
Amount: For the intramural phase, scholars will be supported by intramural funds provided by the NIH Institute/Center in which they are conducting their research. Budget details for the intramural phase will be negotiated with the sponsoring Institute/Center. Salary will be consistent with that offered scientists in similar, intramural NIH positions.
For the extramural phase (R00) applicants can request direct costs of up to $499,000 per year. This amount includes salaries, fringe benefits, and research costs.
Indirect costs will be reimbursed at the extramural sponsoring institution's indirect cost rate.
Purpose
This is a career development program to foster the development of early stage, independent clinical investigators. The NIH funds research and research training at extramural institutions, as well as within the NIH Intramural Research Program (IRP) to support the development of clinical treatments for disease and to improve human health. However, these efforts can be hindered by barriers to clinical and translational research. Such barriers include limited research time for clinical investigators, increases in the length of time to independent careers, and access to hospital facilities and patient enrollments.
To address those barriers, the NIH has created the Lasker Clinical Research Scholars (Lasker Scholars) program that will offer applicants the opportunity to compete for a unique combination of intramural and extramural resources for clinical research. The program will support a small number of clinical researchers in the early stages of their independent careers to promote their development as fully independent scientists. The program combines a period of research experience as a tenure-track Investigator in the IRP with additional years of independent financial support, either within the IRP or at an extramural research institution. The Scholar must meet the conditions described below, including fulfilling milestones and an agreement with IRP, in order to receive the additional years of funding.
The program honors the contributions of Mary and Albert Lasker to the NIH and to the overall biomedical community.
The Lasker Scholars program aims to support successful candidates in two phases. Applicants will respond to this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for an initial period of support through a position in the NIH IRP. Selected scholars who successfully complete the initial phase and internal review, and who meet the criteria described below, will be able to either remain within the IRP or receive up to 3 years of extramural grant funding in the second phase.
First Phase: The first phase will support scholars in the IRP for up to 5 years, with the possibility of an extension for an additional 2 years. NIH may grant additional extensions, as needed, on a case by case basis. Successful applicants for the Lasker Scholars Program will be appointed as independent tenure-track investigators within an NIH Institute or Center, a process that includes being hired as a full-time employee at the NIH and completing the procedures required of new Federal government employees. As Federal employees, Lasker Scholars will be subject to certain regulations and policies that will govern their relationships with outside organizations. Nonetheless, in certain cases, Lasker Scholars may be able to maintain relationships with their previous institution. The IRP will provide space, research expenses, full salary, and Federal employee benefits. Scholars will develop independent research activities over the course of their stay in the IRP and will be formally reviewed by a panel of senior extramural investigators every 2-4 years to evaluate their research progress. More information about the IRP can be found at http://irp.nih.gov/
Second Phase: Upon successfully completing the initial IRP phase of the program, the Lasker Scholar will be eligible for two options in the second phase:
Option 1. Remain in the IRP with continued intramural funding and progression to tenured senior investigator status, if consistent with formal reviews and assessments. Retention in the IRP will be dependent on the development of a mutual agreement between the Scholar and the IRP. Tenure at the NIH requires evaluation and approval by the NIH Deputy Director for Intramural Research.
Option 2. Scholars who successfully complete at least five years in the first phase of the program will be considered for up to 3 years of support to continue their research as independent clinician scientists at an extramural institution. This support is contingent upon obtaining an appropriate full-time tenure-track or tenured extramural position at an eligible institution, and the successful NIH programmatic review of the scholar's progress during the intramural phase of the award. Scholars who choose to leave the Lasker program before completing 5 years of research in the IRP will not be eligible for the Lasker Scholars Grant but may be eligible to compete for other extramural NIH research grants as announced in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts.
More Info: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-24-202.html