NIH Announces $285 Million In New High-Risk, High-Reward Research Grants - Forbes

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced on Tuesday, October 4 that it is awarding 103 new research grants, totaling about $285 million, over the next five years as part of its High-Risk, High-Reward Research program.

The High-Risk, High-Reward Research program oversees four award categories, two of which are specifically aimed at researchers in the early stages of their careers.

The NIH Director’s Pioneer Award, established in 2004, challenges investigators at all career levels to pursue new research directions and develop groundbreaking, high-impact approaches to a broad area of biomedical, behavioral, or social science.

The NIH Director’s New Innovator Award, established in 2007, supports unusually innovative research from early career investigators who are within 10 years of their final degree or clinical residency and have not yet received an NIH R01 or equivalent grant

The NIH Director’s Early Independence Award, established in 2011, provides an opportunity to support exceptional junior scientists who have recently received their doctoral degree or completed their medical residency to skip traditional post-doctoral training and move immediately into independent research positions