Is the Crisis in Clinical Research Being Effectively Addressed?

• Published in: Journal of investigative medicine 2006-01, Vol.54 (1), p.10-12
• Main Authors: Byrns, Patricia J., Orringer, Eugene P.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 21st century; Biomedical Research - education; Biomedical Research - trends; Career Choice; Career development planning; Funding; Grants; Humans; Laboratories; Research Personnel - education; Research Personnel - trends; Science; Scientists
• ISSN: 1081-5589; 1708-8267
• DOI: 10.2310/6650.2005.X0002

The infrastructure support committed to the training of the next generation of patient-oriented researchers has never been better. Because of the apparent decline in the number of physician-scientists, the "Nathan Committee" was established in the mid-1990s and its membership was asked to identify the problems faced by this particular group of young people and then to propose novel and creative solutions designed to address them. 7 These novel ideas, which are designed to increase the rate at which young people achieve independent funding via an NHLBI research grant, include (1) pay-line increases by 5 percentile points for individuals who are applying for first-time research grants and for K awards; (2) expedited review for resubmissions by these first-time applicants who miss this "new investigator" pay-line by an additional 5 percentile points; (3) full-term funding for these new investigators; and (4) support for a new NIH proposal designed to establish a standardized career transition program that would begin with a phase I mentored K-series award and then be followed by a phase II R-series award.