>>WELCOME, EVERYBODY, TO NIGMS
COUNCIL.
I'M JON LORSCH, DIRECTOR OF
NIGMS, AND WHAT WE'RE GOING TO
START WITH IS INTRODUCTIONS, AND
I WILL GO AROUND THE ROOM AND
CALL ON YOU EACH IN TURN.
SO NATALIE, ARE YOU THERE?
>>NATALIE IS NOT ON -- OH,
SHE'S JUST JOINING NOW.
>>OKAY.
I'LL ADMIT HER.
NATALIE, ARE YOU THERE?
>>HI.
>>COULD YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF?
>>SORRY, JON.
HI, I'M NATALIE AHN, PROFESSOR
IN THE DEPARTMENT OF
BIOCHEMISTRY AT THE UNIVERSITY
OF COLORADO BOULDER, AND MY AREA
IS SIGNAL TRANSDUCTION AND
FUNCTIONAL PROTEOMICS.
>>THANK YOU.
ANGELA BYARS-WINSTON.
>>SHE'S NOT ON YET, JON, AND
EITHER IS ANGELA DEPACE.
>>MICHAEL CHAPMAN.
I KNOW I SAW YOU THERE, MICHAEL.
>>YES.
MICHAEL CHAPMAN, CHAIR OF
BIOCHEMISTRY AT THE UNIVERSITY
OF MISSOURI.
AND I'M AN INVESTIGATOR WHO
LOOKS AT THE STRUCTURE OF
VIRUSES RELEVANT TO GENE
THERAPY.
>>GREAT.
THANK YOU, MICHAEL.
ANGELA DEPACE, I THINK IS NOT ON
YET?
>>THAT IS CORRECT.
>>KATHRYN FROMAN.
>>HI, EVERYONE, ASSISTANT
PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
DELAWARE IN THE CHEMICAL
ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT AND MY
RESEARCH IS IN AEROSOL DRUG
DELIVERY.
>>TERRIFIC.
NEIL?
>>GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE.
DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY AND
BIOCHEMISTRY, ORGANIC CHEMIST
HERE SERVING IN AN AD HOC
CAPACITY.
NICE TO SEE EVERYONE.
>>THANK YOU, NEIL.
LAURA GIBSON.
>>HI, I'M LAURA GIBSON AT WEST
VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY.
I'M THE SENIOR ASSOCIATE VICE
PRESIDENT FOR RESEARCH IN
GRADUATE EDUCATION AND I'M
PROFESSOR IN THE MICRO
DEPARTMENT, AND OUR LAB FOCUSED
ON TUMOR MICROENVIRONMENT AND
MODULATION OF THERAPEUTIC
RESPONSE.
>>GREAT.
THANK YOU, LAURA.
KLARISSA.
>>GOOD MORNING, KLARISSA
JACKSON, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AT
THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA
AT CHAPEL HILL.
I STUDY DRUG METABOLISM.
>>THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
LAURIE KILPATRICK.
>>GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE.
I'M LAURIE KILPATRICK, AD HOC
MEMBER, ASSISTANT DEAN OF
CLINICAL RESEARCH AND PROFESSOR
IN THE DEPARTMENT OF
MICROBIOLOGY, IMMUNOLOGY AND
INFLAMMATION IN THE SCHOOL OF
MEDICINE AT TEMPLE.
>>THANK YOU.
RON.
>>GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE.
I'M ON THE FACULTY AT UNIVERSITY
OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, KACK
SCHOOL OF MEDICINE.
DEPARTMENT WISE IT'S THE
TRANSLATIONAL GENOMICS
DEPARTMENT, BUT MY AREA OF FOCUS
ACTUALLY IS THE
COMMERCIALIZATION OF OUR
BIOMEDICAL PRODUCTS INTO PUBLIC
HEALTH, AND FULL DISCLOSURE ALSO
THE FORMER DEPUTY SCIENTIFIC
DIRECTOR AT THE NATIONAL HUMAN
GENOME RESEARCH INSTITUTE.
SO IT'S GOOD TO SEE ALL MY
COLLEAGUES AND FRIENDS.
>>THANK YOU, RON.
PRESIDENT KINZY, ARE YOU THERE?
>>I AM INDEED.
HI, I'M TERRI GOSS-KINZY,
DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGICAL
SCIENCES AND PRESIDENT AT
ILLINOIS STATE UNIVERSITY.
MY LAB HAS STUDIED THE
MECHANISM, REGULATION OF
TRANSLATION ELONGATION WITH A
PARTICULAR INTEREST IN FUNGAL
SYSTEMS.
>>TERRIFIC.
DANIELLE LI.
>>HI, EVERYONE.
I'M DANIELLE LI.
I'M AN ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR AT
MIT AT THE SLOAN SCHOOL OF
MANAGEMENT AND I'M AN ECONOMIST
THAT STUDIES SCIENCE.
>>TERRIFIC.
GERALD.
>>HI, I'M JERRY, MY RESEARCH IS
ON THE STEM WORKFORCE.
>>TERRIFIC.
DAVID MATHEWS.
>>HI, I'M DAVID MATHEWS AT THE
UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER.
PROFESSOR OF BIOCHEMISTRY AND
BIOPHYSICS AND IN OUR CENTER OF
RNA BIOLOGY, DEVELOPS
COMPUTATIONAL METHODS FOR
STUDYING RNA.
>>TERRIFIC.
LESLIE.
>>HI, I'M LESLIE ROSE AT
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA DAVIS,
AND I STUDY SPINDLE POSITIONING
AND POLARITY DURING ASYMMETRIC
DIVISION IN C. ELEGANS.
>>THANK YOU.
AMY.
>>HI, I'M AMY RO ROSENZWEIG,
PROFESSOR IN NORTHWESTERN
UNIVERSITY IN THE DEPARTMENTS OF
MOLECULAR BIOSCIENCES AND
CHEMISTRY.
STRUCTURAL BIOLOGIST.
>>TERRIFIC.
MELANIE?
>>HI, I'M MELANIE SANFORD.
I'M A PROFESSOR OF CHEMISTRY AT
THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AND I
AM AN ORGANIC AND K CATALYSIS
CHEMIST.
>>THANK YOU.
PAMELA.
>>GOOD MORNING.
PAMELA STACKS FROM SAN JOSÉ
STATE UNIVERSITY, WHICH IS PART
OF THE CALIFORNIA STATE
UNIVERSITY SYSTEM AND PROFESSOR
EMERITI IN THE DEPARTMENT OF
CHEMISTRY AND WORKED WITH THE
DEPARTMENT OF RESEARCH FOR MANY
YEARS DEALING WITH PIPELINE
ISSUES AND ENCOURAGING A
RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT.
>>THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I THINK JEFFREY SUN WAS NOT ABLE
TO MAKE IT.
IS THAT CORRECT, DARREN?
>>YES, THAT'S CORRECT, JON.
HE COULDN'T MAKE IT.
>>RON.
>>GOOD MORNING, FOLKS.
I'M DIRECTOR OF GENOMIC MEDICINE
IN THE OFFICE OF RESEARCH
DEVELOPMENT, DEPARTMENT OF
VETERANS AFFAIRS.
>>THANK YOU, RON.
LET'S GO BACK TO THE ANGELAS.
SO WE HAVE ANGELA BYARS-WINSTON.
>>GOOD MORNING.
ACTUALLY COMING TO YOU FROM
CHEVY CHASE ACROSS THE STREET.
ANGELA BYARS-WINSTON FROM
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON,
WHERE I AM A PROFESSOR OF
MEDICINE AND DIRECTOR OF THE
INSTITUTE FOR DIVERSITY SCIENCE
AND MY FOCUS IS ON SCIENTIFIC
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, DIVERSITY
AND EFFECTIVE MENTORSHIP IN STEM
FIELDS.
THANK YOU.
>>I COULD HAVE PICKED YOU UP ON
MY WAY TO WORK, ANGELA.
>>THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN HELPFUL.
>>AND ANGELA DEPACE.
>>HI THERE.
MY NAME IS ANGELA DEPACE,
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF SYSTEMS
BIOLOGY AT HARVARD MEDICAL
SCHOOL.
WHERE MY LAB STUDIES THE
MECHANISM AND EVOLUTION OF GENE
REGULATION IN FRUIT FLIES.
AND I ALSO SPEND A SIGNIFICANT
AMOUNT OF MY TIME THINKING ABOUT
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND
MENTORING OF STEM GRADUATE
STUDENTS AND POSTDOCTORAL
FELLOWS.
>>THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
ERICA, DO YOU WANT TO INTRODUCE
YOURSELF?
>>YES, GOOD MORNING.
HI, I'M ERICA BROWN, THE
DIRECTOR OF THE DIVISION OF
EXTRAMURAL ACTIVITIES AT NIGMS
AND THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY OF
COUNCIL.
>>GREAT.
AND DARREN, DO YOU WANT TO
INTRODUCE YOURSELF.
>>SURE.
I'M DARREN SLEDJESKI, DEPUTY
DIRECTOR OF OUR DIVISION OF
EXTRAMURAL ACTIVITIES.
I THINK MOST OF YOU KNOW ME FROM
THE NUMEROUS EMAILS I HAVE SENT
OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS, AND
THANK YOU FOR RESPONDING TO
THEM.
THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US.
WE'LL NOW ENTER SOME OF OUR
ADMINISTRATIVE DISAND THEN I
WILL GIVE AN UPDATE ON NIGMS
ACTIVITIES: I NEED TO CONFIRM
FUTURE COUNCIL MEETING DAITSZ.
THE NEXT ONE WILL BE THURSDAY,
MAY 18TH, 2023, AND NOTE THAT
WILL BE IN PERSON.
SO WE WILL HAVE ONE IN-PERSON
MEETING A YEAR AND IT WILL BE
THE MAY MEETING, AND WE'RE GOING
TO START WITH THE NEXT MEETING
IN MAY.
SO PLEASE MARK THAT ON YOUR
CALENDARS, THAT WE WILL BE
HAVING AN IN-PERSON MEETING FOR
OUR NEXT MEETING MAY 18TH.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7TH, 2023
WILL BE A VIRTUAL MEETING, AND
THEN THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1ST,
2024 WILL ALSO BE A VIRTUAL
MEETING.
ERICA, DO WE NEED TO VOTE ON
THOSE?
>>WE DO NOT.
THANK YOU.
>>OKAY.
GOOD.
NOW I WILL READ TO YOU THE
CONFIDENTIALITY AND CONFLICT OF
INTEREST PROCEDURES.
FOR YOUR EDIFICATION.
SO, CONFLICT OF INTEREST
STATEMENT.
YOU SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED A
CONFLICT OF INTEREST FORM FROM
DEA.
IT'S ALSO POSTED IN THE
ELECTRONIC COUNCIL BOOK.
PLEASE SIGN IT AS I READ THE
CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT,
AND AN ELECTRONIC SIGNATURE WILL
SUFFICE AND RETURN IT VIA EMAIL
TO LINDA.
ADVISORS AND CONSULTANTS SERVING
AS MEMBERS OF PUBLIC ADVISORY
COMMITTEES MAY NOT PARTICIPATE
IN SITUATIONS IN WHICH ANY
VIOLATION OF CONFLICT OF
INTEREST LAWS AND REGULATIONS
MAY OCCUR.
STAFF SHALL ENSURE THAT A
COMMITTEE MEMBER DOES NOT
PARTICIPATE IN AND IS NOT
PRESENT DURING THE REVIEW OF
APPLICATIONS OR PROJECTS IN
WHICH THE MEMBERS KNOWLEDGE ANY
OF THE FOLLOWING HAS A FINANCIAL
INTEREST: THE MEMBER, HIS/HER
SPOUSE, MINOR CHILD, PARTNER,
INCLUDING CLOSE PROFESSIONAL
ASSOCIATES OR AN ORGANIZATION
WITH WHICH THE MEMBER IS
CONNECTED.
IN ADDITION, CONFLICTS OF
INTEREST MAY OCCUR BECAUSE OF
OTHER PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
SUCH AS WITH RECENT STUDENTS,
COLLABORATIVES, PERSONAL FRIENDS
OR SCIENTISTS WITH WHOM THE
MEMBER HAS HAD LONG-STANDING
SCIENTIFIC OR PERSONAL
DIFFERENCES.
TO ENSURE THAT A MEMBER DOES NOT
PARTICIPATE IN THE DISCUSSION OF
NOR VOTE ON AN APPLICATION IN
WHICH HE OR SHE IS IN CONFLICT,
A WRITTEN CERTIFICATION IS
REQUIRED.
THIS STATEMENT WILL BECOME PART
OF THE MEETING FILE.
THE OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT ETHICS
HAS PROVIDED A WAIVER FOR
FEDERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE
MEMBERS EMPLOYED IN ONE
UNIVERSITY OF A STATE
MULTI-UNIVERSITY SYSTEM TO
REVIEW APPLICATIONS FROM A
SEPARATE UNIVERSITY OF THE SAME
SYSTEM, PROVIDED THE MEMBER HAS
NO CONFLICTING INSTITUTIONAL
RESPONSIBILITIES.
IN ADDITION, A FEDERAL ADVISORY
COMMITTEE MEMBER WHO IS EMPLOYED
BY A PRIVATE INSTITUTION OR AT A
PRIVATE INSTITUTION AND AT ONE
OF ITS AFFILIATES, MAY
PARTICIPATE IN THE REVIEW OF A
GRANT APPLICATION SUBMITTED BY
ANOTHER AFFILIATE OF THE PRIVATE
INSTITUTION IF HE OR SHE DOES
NOT HOLD A JOINT APPOINTMENT
WITH THE AFFILIATE THAT HAS
SUBMITTED THE APPLICATION, DOES
NOT HAVE AFFILIATE-WIDE
RESPONSIBILITIES, AND HAS A
WAIVER TO DO SO.
WE AT NIGMS KEEP TRACK OF THE
MORE EASILY IDENTIFIABLE
CONFLICTS FOR YOU.
WE RELY ON YOU TO IDENTIFY OTHER
TYPES OF CONFLICTS SUCH AS THOSE
THAT WE ARE UNLIKELY TO KNOW
ABOUT, RECENT STUDENTS, PERSONAL
FRIENDS, ET CETERA.
PLEASE DON'T HESS DATE TO LET US
KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS
ABOUT A POTENTIAL CONFLICT.
OKAY.
SO THAT IS THE CONFLICT OF
INTEREST STATEMENT.
ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT?
TERRIFIC.
IN THAT CASE, WE ARE GOING TO GO
ON TO THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT.
SO IF EVERYONE CAN TURN THEIR
CAMERAS OFF, THAT WOULD BE
GREAT.
ALL RIGHT.
AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR
ATTENDING THE MEETING AND FOR
ALL YOUR HARD WORK ON BEHALF OF
THE INSTITUTE.
I WANT TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON
SOME OF THE ACTIVITIES THAT HAVE
BEEN GOING ON SINCE OUR LAST
MEETING.
VERY SAD ANNOUNCEMENT IS THAT
LAURA GIBSON, WHO HAS BEEN SUCH
A TREMENDOUS FRIEND AND ADVISOR
TO THE INSTITUTE FOR A NUMBER OF
YEARS, WILL BE RETIRING FROM
COUNCIL.
IN FACT, IS RETIRING IN GENERAL,
SO WE WISH HER REALLY THE BEST
OF LUCK IN HER NEXT ADVENTURES,
AND THANK HER PROFUSELY FROM THE
INSTITUTE AND NIH FOR ALL THE
SERVICE SHE'S PROVIDED.
AS WAS MENTIONED DURING THE
INTRODUCTION, WE HAVE SEVERAL AD
HOC PARTICIPANTS.
MICHAEL CHAPMAN IS HERE WITH US,
AS IS NEIL GARG.
LAURIE KILPATRICK AND JERRY ARE
ALSO JOINING US AS AD HOC
PARTICIPANTS AND THEY INTRODUCED
THEMSELVES PREVIOUSLY.
AS WE HAVE DONE NOW FOR A NUMBER
OF YEARS, WE HAVE TWO EARLY
CAREER INVESTIGATOR AD HOC
PARTICIPANTS ON COUNCIL.
CATHY AND KLARISSA, WHO ARE
JOINING US, AND THE GOAL IS TO
GET THE PERSPECTIVES OF EARLY
CAREER INVESTIGATORS AS WE
DISCUSS AND DELIBERATE, AND ALSO
HAVE THEIR HELP IN TRYING TO
DISSEMINATE WHAT COUNCIL DOES
AND TRY TO DEMYSTIFY THE
ADVISORY COUNCIL PROCESS.
SO THANKS TO BOTH OF THEM FOR
AGREEING TO BE HERE.
I HAVE SOME COMINGS AND GOINGS
AT NIGMS TO ANNOUNCE TO YOU.
THE FIRST IS THAT I'M VERY
PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT WE DO
NOW HAVE A NEW DIRECTOR FOR THE
DIVISION OF GENETICS, MOLECULAR,
CELLULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL
BIOLOGY.
YOU MAY RECALL THAT WHEN DORIT
SAN FRANCISCO ZUK WAS APPOINTED
TO BE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF NIGMS
IT LEFT A WHOLE IN GDBMS.
SHAWN GAILLARD HAS BEEN SELECTED
AND APPOINTED AS NEW DIRECTOR.
SHE HAD BEEN SERVING AS ACTING
DIRECTOR FOR A YEAR.
SHE JOINED -- OR RE-JOINED, I
SHOULD SAY, NIGMS IN GMCDB AS
THE CHIEF OF THE DEVELOPMENTAL
AND CELLULAR PROCESSES BRANCH IN
2019, AND ALSO IN ADDITION TO
BEING THE BRANCH CHIEF, WAS
OVERSEEING GRANTS THAT WERE
FOCUSED ON ORGANIST MALLORY
SPONS TO ENVIRONMENTAL
STRESSORS.
PRIOR TO THAT SHE WAS AT NIAID
AND PRIOR TO THAT SHE WAS AT
NIGMS IN OUR TRAINING WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT AND DIVERSITY
DIVISION.
SHAWN EARNED A BACHELOR'S DEGREE
IN NATURAL SCIENCES WITH A
CONCENTRATION IN CHEMISTRY FROM
SPELLMAN COLLEGE, MAKING HER ONE
OF AT LEAST THREE OR FOUR NIGMS
STAFF MEMBERS WHO ARE SPELLMAN
GRADUATES, AND A PH.D. IN
BIOLOGY FROM HOWARD UNIVERSITY
AND DID POSTDOCTORAL WORK HERE
AT THE NIH.
SO WE ARE REALLY, REALLY PLEASED
TO HAVE SHAWN IN THIS NEW
LEADERSHIP POSITION, AND I KNOW
YOU WILL ALL LOOK FORWARD TO
WORKING WITH HER AS WELL.
SO NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
A NUMBER OF OTHER NEW HIRES AT
NIGMS.
THE FIRST IS A NEW POSITION, THE
SMALL BUSINESS STRATEGY
COORDINATOR, WHICH IS A NEW
POSITION THAT WE CREATED IN IN
ORDER TO HELP COORDINATE AND
OPTIMIZE THE INSTITUTE'S
STRATEGY FOR OUR SMALL BUSINESS
PROGRAMS, AND I'M REALLY PLEASED
TO ANNOUNCE THAT EDDIE
BILLINGSLEY IS THE STRATEGY
COORDINATOR FOR NIGMS.
THIS POSITION IS IN THE OFFICE
OF THE DIRECTOR AND REPORTS TO
THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE
INSTITUTE.
I'VE HAD THE PLEASURE PRIOR TO
THIS OF WORKING WITH EDDIE ON
THE UNITE INITIATIVE AND GOT TO
KNOWS HIS TREMENDOUS TALENTS SO
WE'VE BEEN VERY LUCKY TO BE ABLE
TO RECRUIT HIM HERE INTO THIS
POSITION WHERE HE'S GOING TO SET
THE STRATEGY FOR OUR SMALL
BUSINESS PROGRAMS.
WE'RE ALSO VERY LUCKY TO HAVE
JASON CHAN JOINING US AS A
SCIENTIFIC REVIEW OFFICER.
JASON COMES TO US FROM MARIAN
COLLEGE, WHERE HE WAS AN
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF BIOLOGY,
AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING
HIM HELP WITH THE VERY IMPORTANT
REVIEW ACTIVITIES DONE BY OUR
SCIENTIFIC REVIEW BRANCH.
SHANNON DOYLE HAS JOINED AS A
HEALTH POLICY ANALYST IN OUR
DIVISION OF EXTRAMURAL
ACTIVITIES WORKING WITH ERICA
BROWN AND DARREN, AND SHE COMES
TO US FROM THE NCI.
WE ALSO HAVE A NEW DEPUTY
EXECUTIVE OFFICER WITH THE
RETIREMENT OF VICKIE SUTHERS.
WE'RE VERY LUCKY TO HAVE
RECRUITED GENERAL FERL HERE TO
WORK WITH SALLY LI, OUR
EXECUTIVE OFFICER.
SHE COMES TO US FROM THE OFFICE
OF THE DIRECTOR, WHERE SHE WAS
THE DEPUTY EXECUTIVE OFFICER
THERE, SO SHE HAS TREMENDOUS
EXPERIENCE THAT IS GOING TO BE
VERY USEFUL TO THE INSTITUTE.
LESLIE NICHOLS IS A NEW GRANT
SPECIALIST.
SHE COMES TO US FROM NIDA AND
WE'RE VERY PLEASED TO HAVE HER
JOINING THE TEAM HERE AT NIGMS.
KATIE PATEL HAS JOINED AS A
HEALTH SCIENTIST DATA SCIENTIST
WITH THE DIVISION OF MODELING
AND ANALYTICS BRANCH.
KATIE COMES TO US FROM THE
OFFICE OF EXTRAMURAL RESEARCH IN
THE OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR,
WHERE SHE WAS INTEGRAL IN A
NUMBER OF VERY IMPORTANT DATA
ANALYTICS PROJECTS AND MANAGING
MUCH OF WHAT IS INSIDE OF THE
IMPACT TO DATABASE, WHICH IS THE
DATABASE OF ALL OF NIH'S GRANTS
AND APPLICATION INFORMATION SO
WE'RE VERY LUCKY TO HAVE
RECRUITED SOMEONE WITH HER
EXPERTISE AND KNOWLEDGE.
NEW PROGRAM DIRECTOR IN OUR
RESEARCH ADVANCEMENTS BRANCH IN
DIVISION OF RESEARCH CAPACITY
BUILDING, COMING FROM NIAMS,
WHERE SHE WAS A PROGRAM ANALYST.
VERY PLEASED TO HAVE HER AS
WELL.
WE HAVE ALSO RECRUITED BRIAN
KAY, WHO IS AN ECONOMIST, AND
WILL BE WORKING IN THE DATA
MODELING AND ANALYTICS BRANCH IN
OUR DIVISION OF MODELING AND
ANALYTICS, AND HE COMES TO US
FROM THE CDC AND NIOSH, WHERE HE
WAS ALSO WORKING AS AN
ECONOMIST.
SO THAT'S GOING TO BRING AN
IMPORTANT NEW DIRECTION OR
DIMENSION TO THE INSTITUTE IN
TERMS OF OUR ABILITY TO CONDUCT
EVALUATIONS AND ANALYSES OF OUR
PROGRAMS AND THE OUTCOMES OF
THOSE PROGRAMS.
WE'RE ALSO VERY PLEASED TO
ANNOUNCE THAT K CAMILLA RASHEED
HAS JOINED AS A SENIOR HEALTH
POLICY SCIENTIST IN DIMA AS
WELL, THE DATA INTEGRATION AND
DISSEMINATION BRANCH.
CAMILLA WAS WORKING PREVIOUSLY
IN THE OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR,
WHERE AS FAR AS I COULD TELL,
SHE WAS IN CHARGE OF JUST ABOUT
EVERYTHING, SO I'M NOT QUITE
SURE HOW THE NIH OFFICE OF THE
DIRECTOR IS GOING TO SURVIVE HER
LEAVING, BUT THAT'S THEIR
PROBLEM AND NOT OUR PROBLEM.
SO VERY PLEASED TO HAVE HER
JOINING US HERE.
THEN TROY ZARCONE HAS JOINED
ALSO DMA AS A DATA SCIENTIST.
PRIOR TO THIS, TROY WAS AT NIDA,
WHERE HE RAN THE OFFICE OF
EXTRAMURAL POLICY, AND HE'LL BE
WORKING -- USING HIS EXPERTISE
IN DASHBOARDING TO HELP THE
INSTITUTE FOLLOW THE OUTCOMES OF
OUR STRATEGIC PLAN AND MANY OF
OUR OTHER INTERNAL NEEDS IN
TERMS OF DASHBOARDS.
I'M ALSO VERY PLEASED TO
ANNOUNCE A PROMOTION.
THIS IS ANOTHER OF OUR STRATEGY
COORDINATOR POSITIONS WITHIN THE
OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR THAT WE
HAVE RECENTLY CREATED.
THIS ONE, THE DATA SCIENCE
STRATEGY COORDINATOR, AND VERY
PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT NATHAN
MOORE, WHO MANY OF YOU KNOW WHO
PREVIOUSLY WAS IN DMA AS A DATA
SCIENTIST, HAS MOVED INTO THAT
POSITION AND WILL BE HELPING THE
INSTITUTE SET ITS STRATEGY AND
COORDINATE DATA SCIENCE
ACTIVITY, BOTH INTERNALLY AND IN
TERMS OF OUR EXTRAMURAL
PROGRAMS.
SO IT'S GREAT TO HAVE NATE IN
THIS NEW POSITION FOR THE
INSTITUTE.
OF COURSE THERE ARE DEPARTURES
AS WELL.
AND WE'RE SAD TO SEE THESE
PEOPLE MOVE ON ALTHOUGH MANY ARE
TAKING PROMOTIONS AT OTHER
INSTITUTES.
PATRICK BROWN, WHO PREVIOUSLY
WAS IN OUR TRAINING WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT AND DIVERSITY
DIVISION HAS MOVED TO THE
NATIONAL CENTER FOR ADVANCING
TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCES.
WE WISH HIM THE BEST OF LUCK
THERE.
OF TONY CARTER, VERY
LONG-SERVING PROGRAM OFFICER IN
GMCDB, WHO MANY OF YOU KNOW,
RETIRED AND IS GOING TO BE, AS
FAR AS I CAN TELL, TRAVELING THE
WORLD, AND WE REALLY LOOK
FORWARD TO SEEING WHERE HE GOES
AND WHAT HE LEARNS THERE.
DIMITRI KREPKE, PREVIOUSLY IN
THE BBCB DIVISION ALSO
TRANSFERRED TO DIVISION FOR
ADVANCING TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCES
AND WE HOPE HE HAS A LOT OF
SUCCESS THERE.
KNOWN TO US AS RABI ALSO IN THE
B BCB DIVISION HAS MOVED ON TO
THE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF
MEDICINE.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH
HIM IN HIS ROLE THERE.
LUMI ADAMS, WHO WAS IN THE
DIVISION OF RESEARCH CAPACITY
BUILDING, HAS MOVED TO THE
NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR
NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS AND
STROKE, AND HOPEFULLY WE WILL BE
ABLE TO CONTINUE TO COLLABORATE
WITH HER IN THAT NEW ROLE.
PEGGY SCHNOR, INTEGRAL MEMBER OF
DMA, HAS RETIRED AS HAS I
MENTIONED VICK KEY SUTHERS WHO
WORKED CLOSELY WITH SALLY LI IN
THAT CAPACITY.
NOW, SOME COMINGS AND GOINGS
NIH-WIDE.
AS I THINK I REPORTED LAST TIME,
MICHAEL GOTTESMAN, THE LONG
SERVING DIRECTOR OF INTRAMURAL
RESEARCH AT NIH HA HAS RETIRED.
REPLACED BY KNEE THAT SCHOR.
SHE WILL BE LEAVING NIH'S
INTRAMURAL RESEARCH PROGRAM AND
WILL WORK TO FACILITATE
COORDINATION AND COLLABORATION
AMONG THE 24 INSTITUTES AND
CENTERS THAT HAVE INTRAMURAL
RESEARCH COMPONENTS.
SHE BRINGS A LOT OF EXPERIENCE
TO THE JOB AS AN EDUCATOR,
SCIENTIST, CLINICIAN AND
ADMINISTRATOR.
AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING
WITH HER MOSTLY THROUGH OUR
POSTDOCTORAL PROGRAM, WHICH IS
NIGMS'S ONLY INTRAMURAL
COMPONENT.
VERY PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT
FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE JONI RUTTER
HAS BEEN APPOINTED DIRECTOR OF
THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR
ADVANCING TRANSLATIONAL
SCIENCES.
SHE WAS APPOINTED IN NOVEMBER,
AND SHE HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN
SERVING AS NCATS' ACTING
DIRECTOR SINCE APRIL OF 2021.
PRIOR TO THAT SHE WAS DEPUTY
DIRECTOR OF NCATS.
SHE WILL BE OVERSEEING PORTFOLIO
OF RESEARCH ACTIVITIES FOCUSED
ON IMPROVING THE TRANSLATIONAL
PROCESS OF TURNING SCIENTIFIC
DISCOVERIES INTO HEALTH
INTERVENTIONS.
I CAN SAY HAVING WORKED CLOSELY
WITH JONI IN THINGS LIKE THE N3C
COVID DATABASE, IT HAS BEEN A
PLEASURE WORKING WITH HER AND I
THINK THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO
COLLABORATE QUITE CLOSELY WITH
HER IN THE FUTURE.
THEN OF COURSE A VERY NEW
COMPONENT OF NIH NOW HAS A HEAD,
AND THAT IS THE DIRECTOR OF
ARPA-H, RENE WEGSGREN.
SHE IS THE INAUGURAL DIRECTOR OF
ARPA-H, WHICH IS A NEWLY
ESTABLISHED ENTITY WITHIN THE
NIH ECOSYSTEM TO DRIVE
BIOMEDICAL INNOVATION TO SUPPORT
THE HEALTH OF ALL AMERICANS.
AS YOU MAY HAVE READ, ARPA-H IS
AN INDEPENDENT ENTITY WITHIN NIH
AND ITS DIRECTOR REPORTS
DIRECTLY TO THE SECRETARY OF
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AND IS
RESPONSIBLE FOR DRIVING -- SHE
WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR DRIVING
THE AGENCY'S NASCENT RESEARCH
PORTFOLIO USING ITS BUDGET AND
IS EXPECTED TO SUPPORT A BROAD
RANGE OF PROGRAMS TO TAKE ON
CHALLENGING HEALTH PROGRAMS AND
HOPEFULLY YIELD HIGH REWARD
SOLUTIONS.
SADLY SOME DEPARTURES NIH-WIDE
TO ANNOUNCE, OUR WONDERFUL
COLLEAGUE ROGER GLASS, LONG
SERVING DIRECTOR OF THE FOGARTY
INTERNATIONAL CENTER, WAS
DIRECTOR FOR 17 YEARS, LONGEST
SERVING DIRECTOR OF THE FIC IS
RETIRING.
HE REALLY WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN
BROADENING ALL OF NIH'S GLOBAL
HEALTH FOOT PRINT.
HE PARTNERED WITH MANY
INSTITUTES INCLUDING NIGMS.
HE STEPPED DOWN IN JANUARY,
EARLIER THIS MONTH, OR LAST
MONTH, BUT HE'S GOING TO
CONTINUE TO SERVE AS SENIOR
SCIENTIST EMERITUS AT THE
INSTITUTE AT FIC FOCUSING ON
BOLSTERING DIVERSITY AND EQUITY
IN THEIR PROGRAMS AND WORKING
WITH NIH LEADERSHIP TO EXPAND
ENGAGEMENT IN GLOBAL HEALTH AND
REINFORCING EXISTING
PARTNERSHIPS ABROAD.
JOHN GALLIN WHO FOR MANY YEARS
LED THE CLINICAL CENTER AND WILE
RETIRING FROM FEDERAL SERVICE IN
MARCH.
HIS CAREER SPANS 50 YEARS AT NIH
AND HE WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN
DEVELOPING THE NIH CLINICAL
CENTER'S RESEARCH PORTFOLIO AND
IN DEVELOPING PROGRAMS TO TRAIN
THE NEXT GENERATION OF CLINICAL
RESEARCHERS.
WE WILL MISS WORKING WITH JOHN.
WE HAVE HAD SEVERAL DIFFERENT
COLLABORATIONS WITH HIM, AND WE
WISH HIM THE BEST OF LUCK IN HIS
NEXT ADVENTURE.
NOW, LAST TIME I TOLD YOU OF A
COUPLE OF IMPORTANT NIGMS NAMED
LECTURES THAT WERE GOING TO
HAPPEN.
THOSE WERE THE JUDITH GREENBERG
EARLY CAREER INVESTIGATOR
LECTURE GIVEN BY CAESAR DELA
FUENTE AND THE DEWITT STETTEN
LECTURE GIVEN BY SALLY HODDER.
THOSE BOTH HAPPENED, THEY WERE
FANTASTIC, I HOPE YOU WERE ABLE
TO WATCH THEM LIVE OR WATCH THEM
AFTER ON THE VIDEOCAST SITE.
I STRONGLY RECOMMEND YOU WATCH
THEM BECAUSE THEY WERE BOTH
REALLY FANTASTIC LECTURES.
THE LINKS ARE THERE, YOU CAN
JUST GO TO THE VIDEOCAST SITE,
SEARCH FOR THEIR NAMES AND YOU
SHOULD BE ABLE TO FIND THEM
EASILY.
NOW, JUST THIS MORNING, I WAS
MADE AWARE OF AN ARTICLE THAT
WAS JUST PUBLISHED TODAY
DESCRIBING THE MOSAIC PROGRAM
AND ASBMB'S MENTORING CENTER
THEY'RE RUNNING TO SUPPORT THE
MOSAIC SCHOLARS.
IT IS A WONDERFUL ARTICLE,
REALLY WELL WRITTEN, I THINK
VERY INSIGHTFUL, AND I WOULD
STRONGLY URGE ALL FL YOU TO READ
IT.
IT SHOWS THE IMPACT THAT THE
MOSAIC PROGRAM IS HAVING.
I THINK TALKS ABOUT THE NICHE
THAT IT FILLED AND WHY A PROGRAM
SUCH AS THIS TO BRIDGE THE GAP
BETWEEN DIFFERENT CAREER STAGES
ARE SO IMPORTANT.
SO AGAIN, I COMMEND THIS ARTICLE
TO ALL OF YOUR ATTENTION.
VERY PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE TO YOU
THAT THE LEAD, THE LEADING
EQUITY AND ADVANCING DIVERSITY
MSTP MEDICAL SCIENCE TRAINING
PROGRAM FOA HAS BEEN PUBLISHED.
THE NUMBER IS SHOWN THERE.
COUNCIL OBVIOUSLY WAS
INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING US
DEVELOP THIS PROGRAM.
THIS IS A SECOND BRANCH OF THE
FAMOUS MEDICAL SCIENTIST
TRAINING PROGRAM THAT NIGMS RUNS
WHICH FUNDS DUAL DEGREE
CLINICIAN-SCIENTIST TRAINING
ACROSS THE COUNTRY, FOR
INSTANCE, MD PH.D. TRAINING,
D.O. PH.D. TRAINING, ET CETERA.
WITH THE PARTICULAR GOAL OF LEAD
MSDP IS TO SUPPORT THAT
DUAL DEGREE CLINICIAN-SCIENTIST
TRAINING WITH A GOAL OF
BROADENING THE INSTITUTIONAL AND
GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION OF THOSE
AWARDS.
THE ELIGIBILITY OF LEAD MSDP AS
YOU MAY RECALL IS LIMITED TO
HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND
UNIVERSITIES, TRIBAL COLLEGES
AND UNIVERSITIES, AND IDEA-STATE
INSTITUTIONS.
THE FIRST DUE DATE IS RAPIDLY
APPROACHING, IT'S FEBRUARY 10TH,
2023, AND HOPEFULLY WE WILL GET
AT LEAST A FEW STRONG
APPLICATIONS FOR THAT DUE DATE,
BUT WE WILL HAVE A YEARLY DUE
DATE IN JANUARY THEREAFTER.
SO WE WOULD REALLY LIKE YOUR
HELP IN SPREADING THE WORD TO
ELIGIBLE INSTITUTIONS.
UNDERSTANDABLY IT'S PROBABLY TOO
LATE FOR THIS COMING DUE DATE,
BUT INSTITUTION ALSO HAVE A YEAR
NOW TO PREPARE APPLICATIONS IF
THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO GET ONE IN
FOR THIS DUE DATE AND SO, AGAIN,
YOUR HELP SPREADING THE WORD TO
ELIGIBLE INSTITUTIONS AND
ENCOURAGING THEM TO APPLY TO
THIS FUNDING OPPORTUNITY
ANNOUNCEMENT WILL BE VERY
IMPORTANT.
I THINK THIS PROGRAM WILL MAKE A
SIGNIFICANT IMPACT IN BROADENING
THE DISTRIBUTION OF
CLINICIAN-SCIENTISTS ACROSS THE
COUNTRY, AND BROADENING THE
COMMUNITIES WHICH THEY'RE DRAWN
FROM AND WHICH THEY SERVE.
SO PLEASE, HELP US GET THE WORD
OUT ABOUT THAT.
I WANTED TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE
UPDATE ON ANOTHER PROGRAM, THE
SUPPORT FOR RESEARCH EXCELLENCE
OR SRE PROGRAM.
YOU MAY RECALL SCORE, PAM SACKS
WAS AN INTEGRAL MEMBER OF THAT
TEAM.
WE ACTUALLY ENDED THE SCORE
PROGRAM AND REPLACED IT WITH
SRE.
SO THE GOAL OF SURE IS TO
SUPPORT RESEARCH EXCELLENCE AT
AN INSTITUTION, INSTEAD OF THE
OLD GOAL OF SCORE, WHICH WAS TO
DEVELOP FACULTY CAPABLE OF
COMPETING FOR R01 GRANTS AT
THOSE INSTITUTIONS, WHICH THE
EVALUATION SHOWED WAS NOT HAVING
SUCCESS BECAUSE OF THE -- IN
PART BECAUSE OF THE BROAD
DIVERSITY OF INSTITUTION TYPES
AND NEEDS THAT THE PROGRAM WAS
TRYING TO MEET.
THE SURE PROGRAM EMPHASIZES
STUDENT PARTICIPATION IN FUNDED
RESEARCH, WHICH IS SOMETHING THE
SCORE PROGRAM DID NOT DO.
IT'S AIMING TO CATALYZE THE
DEVELOPMENT OF RESEARCH CULTURE
AT APPLICANT INSTITUTIONS, SO TO
BUILD OVERALL THE CULTURE AT THE
INSTITUTION TO SUPPORT RESEARCH.
AND A VERY IMPORTANT GOAL THAT
WE HAD IN MOVING FROM SCORE TO
SURE WAS TO BROADEN THE
PARTICIPATION BY ELIGIBLE
INSTITUTIONS NATIONWIDE.
SO JUST TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF
WHY THAT WAS IMPORTANT, ONE OF
THE THINGS THAT WAS FOUND IN THE
SCORE EVALUATION WAS THAT THERE
WAS A SORT OF DERTH OF DIVERSITY
OF INSTITUTIONS THAT WERE
PARTICIPATING, SO FOR EXAMPLE,
IN 2019, IN THE SCORE PORTFOLIO,
THERE WERE 194 AWARDS TO 48
INSTITUTIONS.
65% OF THEM IN JUST THREE
STATES, CALIFORNIA AND NEW YORK
AND TEXAS, AND ACTUALLY WHAT THE
EVALUATION FOUND WAS THAT A
MAJORITY OF THE AWARDS IN SCORE
WERE GOING TO JUST THREE
UNIVERSITY SYSTEMS, THE CAL
STATE SYSTEM, THE CUNY SYSTEM IN
NEW YORK AND UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS
SYSTEM.
AND WHILE THOSE ARE VERY
IMPORTANT AND IMPACTFUL
UNIVERSITY SYSTEMS THAT WE HOPE
TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT,
OBVIOUSLY THERE ARE MANY OTHER
NEEDY AND WORTHWHILE
INSTITUTIONS IN THE COUNTRY, AND
WE ARE HOPING TO BE ABLE TO
ADDITIONALLY SUPPORT THOSE
INSTITUTIONS BY BROADENING THE
PARTICIPATION THROUGH THE SURE
PROGRAM.
WE'VE ALREADY HAD -- I SHOULD
SAY FIRST JUST TO REMIND YOU OF
WHAT THE SURE PROGRAM LOOKS
LIKE, THERE ARE THREE DIFFERENT
COMPONENTS TO IT.
THE FIRST IS THE SURE AWARDS
THEMSELVES.
THESE ARE AWARDS WITH A NEW
ACTIVITY CODE R16, WHICH IS ONE
MORE THAN THE R15 AWARDS THAT
YOU'RE PROBABLY FAMILIAR WITH.
THAT WAS ON PURPOSE BECAUSE THEY
HAVE A LOT OF SIMILARITIES
BETWEEN THE SURE AWARDS AND THE
AREA GRANTS THAT ARE R15s.
SO THESE GRANTS ARE $100,000 PER
YEAR IN DIRECT COSTS.
THEY'RE FOR FOUR YEARS, AND THEY
ARE RENEWABLE.
WHICH IS ANOTHER DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN THE SURE PROGRAM AND THE
WAY THE SCORE PROGRAM WAS
ORIENTED.
THERE'S A SECOND VERSION OF
THOSE AWARDS TO SUPPORT FACULTY
RESEARCH WITH STUDENTS, AND
THAT'S THE SURE FIRST AWARD.
THESE ARE FOR INVESTIGATORS WHO
HAVE HAD NO PRIOR RESEARCH
FUNDING.
THEY'RE $125,000 DIRECT COSTS
PER YEAR FOR FOUR YEARS INSTEAD
OF THE 100K.
THEY'RE A LITTLE MORE BECAUSE OF
THE IDEA THAT THESE
INVESTIGATORS NEED A LITTLE MORE
SUPPORT TO GET THEIR LABS UP AND
RUNNING, YOU KNOW, BY EQUIPMENT,
BY REAGENTS, ET CETERA.
THESE AWARDS ARE NOT RENEWABLE,
BUT ONCE THEY'RE DONE WITH THEM,
THEY CAN APPLY FOR THE REGULAR
SURE GRANT, WHICH AS I MENTIONED
ARE RENEWABLE.
AND THEN THERE'S THE SURE
RESOURCE CENTER, A COOPERATIVE
AGREEMENT, A U24, AND THE GOAL
OF THAT IS TO BROADEN
PARTICIPATION BY HELPING
INSTITUTIONS BUILD THEIR
INFRASTRUCTURE, AND BY TRAINING
AND ADVISING PEOPLE AT THOSE
INSTITUTIONS ON HOW BEST TO
BUILD THEIR RESEARCH CULTURE AND
APPLY FOR SURE GRANTS.
SO IN TERMS OF BROADENING
PARTICIPATION BY ELIGIBLE
INSTITUTIONS, THAT WAS A GOAL I
MENTIONED, ONE OF THE THINGS WE
DID IN DESIGNING THE SURE
PROGRAM WAS TO ESTABLISH EASY TO
FOLLOW INSTITUTIONAL ELIGIBILITY
USING PUBLICLY AVAILABLE DATA.
THE OLD SCORE ELIGIBILITY
GUIDELINES WERE VERY COMPLICATED
AND OPAQUE, AND WE REASONED THAT
BY MAKING THEM MUCH EASIER FOR
AN INSTITUTION TO KNOW IF IT WAS
ELIGIBLE OR NOT, THAT WOULD HELP
INSTITUTIONS DECIDE THAT THEY
WOULD APPLY BECAUSE THEY KNEW
THEY WERE ELIGIBLE.
WE'VE ALSO DONE EXTENSIVE
OUTREACH ACTIVITIES, SO MING LEI
AND HIS STAFF HAVE BEEN WORKING
VERY HARD TO MAKE THE COMMUNITY
AWARE OF THIS PROGRAM.
THEY'VE DONE PREAPPLICATION
WEBINARS PRIOR TO EVERY
APPLICATION DUE DATE SO FAR.
STAFF HAVE MADE PRESENTATIONS AT
MORE THAN 20 CONFERENCES TO MAKE
PEOPLE AWARE OF THIS SURE
PROGRAM, AND THEY'VE BEEN
WORKING TO ENCOURAGE THE IDEA
INBRE AFFILIATE INSTITUTION,
WHICH ARE ALL PRIMARILY
UNDERGRADUATE INSTITUTIONS,
THOSE THAT ARE ELIGIBLE, TO
APPLY TO THE SURE PROGRAM.
AND THIS SEEMS TO BE HAVING SOME
POSITIVE EFFECTS SO FAR, SO IN
THE FIRST TWO YEARS OF SURE,
FISCAL YEARS 22 AND 23, SINCE
LAUNCHING THE PROGRAM, WE'VE HAD
60 APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED FROM
37 INSTITUTIONS THAT HAD NEVER
PARTICIPATED IN THE SCORE
PROGRAM.
SO THAT'S PRETTY IMPRESSIVE, 37
NEW INSTITUTIONS HAVE MADE
APPLICATIONS, ON AVERAGE, ABOUT
TWO APPLICATIONS PER
INSTITUTION.
FROM THE 30 APPLICATIONS
SUBMITTED IN FISCAL YEAR 22, 15
ACTUALLY WERE SUCCESSFUL, SO
THAT'S A PRETTY GOOD SUCCESS
RATE FOR THOSE INSTITUTIONS.
30 MORE WERE SUBMITTED IN FY 23,
AND OF COURSE THEY'RE UNDER
REVIEW SO WE DON'T KNOW THE
OUTCOMES THERE YET.
BUT THAT SEEMS LIKE A PRETTY
GOOD START.
WE'RE GOING TO KEEP WORKING TO
BROADEN THE PARTICIPATION AND
MAKE SURE INSTITUTIONS ARE AWARE
OF THE PROGRAM, AND ARE
ENCOURAGED TO APPLY TO IT.
THE U24 SURE RESOURCE CENTER
THAT I MENTIONED, WHICH HAS AN
OVERALL GOAL OF SUPPORTING THE
PROGRAM AND BROADENING
PARTICIPATION NATIONWIDE, WAS
AWARDED RECENTLY TO THE
UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY, WITH
BRETT SPEAR AND PAUL MURPHY AS
THE CO-PIs.
THE GOAL IS TO ESTABLISH AND
STRENGTHEN OFFICES OF SPONSORED
PROGRAMS THROUGH A SEED GRANT
PROGRAM TO INSTITUTIONS.
THAT'S, AS I'LL MENTION LATER IN
ONE OF THE CONCEPT CLEARANCES,
THAT IS A SIGNIFICANT NEED WE
SEE IN UNDERRESOURCED
INSTITUTIONS.
THEY'LL ALSO PROVIDE TRAINING
AND MENTORING TO FACULTY
INVESTIGATORS ON HOW TO WRITE
APPLICATIONS, AND ONCE THEY DO
GET APPLICATIONS, HOW TO HELP
RUN AND ADMINISTER THOSE
APPLICATIONS.
THEN THEY WILL BE CONDUCTING
NATIONWIDE OUTREACH BY THE PIs
AND REGIONAL COORDINATORS AS
WELL AS THE STEERING COMMITTEE
OF THE CENTER TO KEY
STAKEHOLDERS TO AGAIN ENCOURAGE
APPLICATION AND HELP
INSTITUTIONS APPLY FOR AND
ADMINISTER THOSE AWARDS.
THE PIs HAVE SET UP A VERY
NICE GROUP OF PEOPLE TO HELP RUN
THIS PROGRAM.
THEY HAVE IDENTIFIED THREE
REGIONAL COORDINATORS SHOWN ON
THE SLIDE.
BRITTANY SMAWRLS, UNIVERSITY OF
KENTUCKY, WILL BE HANDLING THE
NORTH AND THE EAST.
RUBY BROADWAY AT DILLARD
UNIVERSITY WILL BE WORKING WITH
THE SOUTH AND THE MIDWEST.
AND ARICA LUBIN, UC-SANTA
BARBARA WILL BE WORKING ON THE
WEST.
THEN THEY HAVE A STEERING
COMMITTEE WITH SOME FAMILIAR
FACES ON IT.
JAMES NTAMBI FROM UNIVERSITY OF
WISCONSIN IS ON THAT, CAROLYN
BOHATCH FROM UNIVERSITY OF
IDAHO, VERY FAMILIAR TO US FROM
THE IDEA PROGRAM WILL BE
PARTICIPATING, MICHELLE MARTINEZ
IS ON IT, ZHU-ZHU FROM CUNY-YORK
COLLEGE, AND REPRESENTING NIGMS,
FED BERNAL FROM RESEARCH
CAPACITY BUILDING.
SO THIS A NEW MODEL TO SEE HOW
FUNDING AN EXTERNAL CENTER CAN
HELP FACILITATE AND COORDINATE
THE ACTIVITIES OF ONE OF OUR
PROGRAMS.
AND I THINK IF THIS WORKS, IT
WILL BE ABLE TO BE TRANSLATED
INTO OTHER SITUATIONS, BOTH WITH
OUR NIGMS PROGRAMS AND PROBABLY
NIH-WIDE, BECAUSE I KNOW THIS IS
A SORT OF MODEL THAT HAS BEEN
DISCUSSED NIH-WIDE, AND I THINK
MANY ICs ARE LOOKING AT TO SEE
HOW WELL IT WORKS, AND IF IT
WORKS WELL, IT MAY WELL BE
REPLICATED.
A LITTLE BIT OF AN UPDATE ON
SOME OF THE WORK THAT DRBC HAVE
BEEN DOING TO BROADEN SUPPORT
FOR IDEA STATES VIA
PARTNERSHIPS.
SO OF COURSE YOU'RE FAMILIAR
WITH THE IDEA PROGRAM THAT NIGMS
RUNS THAT SUPPORTS RESEARCH
EXATS IT BUILDING AND
TRAINING -- CAPACITY BUILDING
AND TRAINING IN STATES THAT
HAVEN'T HISTORICALLY RECEIVED
MUCH NIH FUNDING.
ONE OF THE GOALS OF THE PROGRAM
IS TO ATTRACT ADDITIONAL SUPPORT
FROM OUTSIDE OF THE IDEA
PROGRAM, AND I THINK WE HAVE
BEEN QUITE SUCCESSFUL OVER THE
LAST FEW YEARS IN GETTING A LOT
OF INTEREST THROUGHOUT NIH IN
HOW THEY CAN LEVERAGE THE IDEA
PROGRAM TO BETTER SUPPORT THEIR
GOALS.
WITH A RECOGNITION THAT THERE'S
A LOT OF STRENGTH AND TALENT IN
THE IDEA STATES.
SO ONE SUCCESSFUL COLLABORATION
SO FAR HAS BEEN WITH THE OFFICE
OF RESEARCH ON WOMEN'S HEALTH,
ORWH, A FEW YEARS AGO IN FY 20,
WE LAUNCHED A PARTNERSHIP WITH
ORWH AND 16 NIH INSTITUTES AND
CENTERS TO PROVIDE SUPPLEMENTS
TO IDEA AWARDS FOR RESEARCH ON
WOMEN'S HEALTH.
AND IN FY 20, THERE WERE 27
APPLICATIONS, 19 AWARDS MADE.
IN FY 21, 26 APPLICATIONS AND 15
AWARDS, AND THIS YEAR WE'VE
RECEIVED ACTUALLY
42 APPLICATIONS, WITH AWARDS
PENDING.
SO SO FAR, A LOT OF POSITIVE
RESPONSE TO THIS PROGRAM, AND I
THINK IT IS STARTING TO MAKE A
SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN
CATALYZING RESEARCH ON WOMEN'S
HEALTH.
ORWH HAS NOW SORT OF STEPPED UP
EVEN FURTHER AND PLANS TO FUND
AT LEAST ONE COBRE IN WOMEN'S
HEALTH RESEARCH WHICH WILL
SIGNIFICANTLY MOVE THE NEEDLE AT
AT LEAST ONE INSTITUTION IN
TERMS OF INCREASING THEIR
CAPACITY TO CONDUCT RESEARCH ON
WOMEN'S HEALTH.
SO GREAT PARTNERSHIP WE HAVE HAD
WITH ORWH, AND ALL THESE OTHER
INSTITUTES AND CENTERS.
BUILDING ON THAT MODEL, THE
OFFICE OF DATA SCIENCE STRATEGY
AND THE NIH STRIDES INITIATIVE,
WHICH IS RUN BY THE CENTER FOR
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND IS A
PARTNERSHIP OR AN ARRANGEMENT
WITH MAJOR CLOUD SERVICE
PROVIDERS HAS DONE A NUMBER OF
DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES WITH THE
IDEA PROGRAM.
THEY HAVE BEEN PROVIDING FREE
CLOUD COMPUTING TRAINING, SO FAR
66-HOUR INTERACTIVE SESSION,
EACH FOR 15 STUDENTS IN HOW TO
USE THE CLOUD AND WORK IN THE
CLOUD.
THEY HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH US
TO CO-DEVELOP CLOUD-BASED
SELF-LEARNING TOOLS THAT WILL BE
GOING INTO A CLOUD-BASED SAND
BOX WHERE TRAINEES AND FACULTY
CAN USE THEM TO LEARN DIFFERENT
DATA SCIENCE APPROACHES FOR
BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH IN A CLOUD
ENVIRONMENT.
AND THEN AGAIN BUILDING OFF THIS
ORWH MODEL, ODSS PLANS TO FUND
AT LEAST ONE COBRE IN DATA
SCIENCE FOR BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH,
WHICH AGAIN WILL BUILD RESEARCH
CAPACITY AT AN IDEA STATE
INSTITUTION IN DATA SCIENCE.
AND I SHOULD MENTION THAT NIGMS
CERTAINLY WOULD BE INTERESTED IN
FUNDING ADDITIONAL COBREs IN
BOTH WOMEN'S HEALTH AND DATA
SCIENCE SO IT'S NOT LIMITED TO
JUST ONE.
WE HOPE TO SEE MANY GOOD
APPLICATIONS IN THOSE AREAS.
ANOTHER PROGRAM THAP I WANT
TODAY GIVE YOU A LITTLE UPDATE
ON THAT I THINK YOU'RE AWARE OF
IS THE EXCELLENCE IN DEIA
MENTORSHIP SUPPLEMENTS THAT WERE
GIVEN LAST YEAR.
THIS IS PART OF A NEW PROGRAM
SUPPORTED BY THE CHIEF OFFICER
FOR SCIENTIFIC WORKFORCE
DIVERSITY OR COSWD, AS WE CALL
IT.
THAT'S MARIE BERNARD.
HER OFFICE RECOGNIZES THAT
OUTSTANDING MENTORING AND
CONTRIBUTIONS TO ENHANCING
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION AND
ACCESSIBILITY IN BIOMEDICAL
SCIENCES IS A KEY GOAL FOR NIH,
AND THEY SET UP A PROGRAM
THROUGH WHICH PEOPLE WHO HAVE
DONE SIGNIFICANT ACTIVITIES IN
DEIA, PARTICULARLY IN MENTORING,
COULD APPLY FOR SUPPLEMENTS TO
HELP SUPPORT THOSE ACTIVITIES.
AND IN 2022, 17 NIGMS GRANTS
RECEIVED MORE THAN $3.7 MILLION
IN THIS PROGRAM IN
ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPLEMENTS.
SOME OF IT COMING FROM COSWD,
SOME OF IT COMING FROM NIGMS,
ANDAND A NUMBER OF REALLY IMPORT
ACTIVITIES WERE RECOGNIZED IN
THIS WAY AND FURTHER SUPPORTED.
APPLICATIONS FOR THE PROGRAM IN
2023 ARE DUE FEBRUARY 17TH.
YOU CAN VISIT THAT URL IF YOU'RE
INTERESTED.
THERE ARE SOME REQUIREMENTS FOR
IT.
YOUR GRANT HAS TO HAVE SOME
ASPECT OF MENTORING STATED IN IT
OR IN OTHER WAYS RECOGNIZED IN
IT ALREADY, BUT GO TO THAT
WEBSITE AND YOU'LL FIND OUT THE
REQUIREMENTS FOR APPLYING FOR
ONE OF THESE SUPPLEMENTS.
NOW A COUPLE OF THINGS I WANTED
TO TEE UP FOR DISCUSSION IN THE
Q & A IN JUST A MINUTE.
THE FIRST HAS TO DO WITH A NEW
NIH ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO THE
DIRECTOR WORKING GROUP THAT HAS
JUST BEEN ESTABLISHED, AND ITS
GOAL IS REENVISIONING THE NIH
SUPPORTED POSTDOCTORAL TRAINING
ECOSYSTEM.
SO I'M JUST GOING TO READ TO YOU
ITS CHARGE ONE BY ONE, AND WHAT
I'D LIKE TO DO IN THE DISCUSSION
SECTION, SINCE I AM A MEMBER OF
THIS WORKING GROUP, IS GET YOUR
INPUT ON THIS OVERALL AREA OF
NIH-SUPPORTED POSTDOCTORAL
TRAINING AND HOW IT MIGHT BE
REENVISIONED, AND I CAN TAKE
YOUR THOUGHTS BACK TO THIS ACD
WORKING GROUP AND HOPEFULLY
REPRESENT WHAT NIGMS COUNCIL
THINKS ABOUT THESE ISSUES.
SO THE CHARGE STARTS WITH
EVALUATING WHETHER THERE IS
EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THE
PERCEIVED DECLINE AND SHORTAGE
IN PH.D.-SEEKING POSTDOCTORAL
TRAINING POSITIONS, AND THEN TO
DOCUMENT TRENDS IN PH.D.s
CHOOSING NON-ACADEMIC
POSTGRADUATE EMPLOYMENT.
ASSESS AND CONSIDER THE FACTORS
INFLUENCING THE SCOPE AND
PERSISTENCE OF THE ISSUE,
INCLUDING COVID-19, THE ECONOMY
AND INFLATION, TRENDS IN
ACADEMIC JOB MARKET, TIME TO
PUBLISH, IMMIGRATION POLICY,
REVIEW -- FOR EXAMPLE, IN OTHER
COUNTRIES OR OTHER SYSTEMS.
CONSIDER WAYS TO INCREASE
SUPPORT AND RETENTION OF
POSTDOCTORAL TRAINEES ON KEY
ISSUES RELATED TO QUALITY OF
LIFE AND WORK/LIFE BALANCE
CONCERNS.
AND ENGAGE KEY PARTIES, BOTH
INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL TO THE
NIH, TO UNDERSTAND AND
STRENGTHEN THE U.S. POSTDOCTORAL
TRAINING SYSTEM.
SO THOSE ARE THE CHARGES.
AGAIN, WHAT I'D LIKE TO HEAR
FROM YOU IN JUST A MINUTE IN THE
DISCUSSION SESSION IS YOUR
THOUGHTS ON THIS ISSUE.
I MEAN, THIS IS BEING CALLED THE
POSTDOC CRISIS, AND WE'D LIKE TO
HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS ON IT BOTH
FOR OUR OWN INTERNAL
DELIBERATIONS ON WHAT NIGMS
MIGHT DO BUT ALSO FOR ME TO TAKE
BACK TO THIS WORKING GROUP AND
LET YOUR OPINIONS BE KNOWN.
THE OTHER ISSUE I'D LIKE TO GET
YOUR FEEDBACK ON NOW IS ONE THAT
HAS BEEN INCREASINGLY VEXING US
OVER THE LAST YEAR OR MORE,
WHICH IS HOW WE CAN IMPROVE
COMMUNICATION WITH THE RESEARCH
COMMUNITY.
AND IT IS OUR PERCEPTION AND WE
CERTAINLY DO HAVE SOME DATA, I
THINK, THAT COULD BACK THIS UP,
THAT IT IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY
DIFFICULT FOR US TO GET THE WORD
OUT ABOUT OUR PROGRAMS,
POLICIES, OUTCOMES OF OUR
PROGRAMS, DATA THAT MIGHT BE
IMPORTANT TO THE COMMUNITY, ET
CETERA, DESPITE PROBABLY
INCREASED EFFORTS ON OUR PART IN
TRYING TO DO SO.
SOCIAL MEDIA CERTAINLY WAS
THOUGHT TO BE THE WAY TO
COMMUNICATE WITH WHATEVER
COMMUNITY YOU WANTED TO
COMMUNICATE WITH, BUT WE ARE
FINDING A LOT OF CHALLENGES IN
THAT SPACE, WHICH SEEM TO BE
GROWING.
ONE BEING THAT SOCIAL MEDIA IS
RIFE WITH MISINFORMATION.
I MEAN, WE ALL KNOW THAT, THAT'S
IN THE NEWS GLOBALLY, BUT EVEN
IF YOU LOOK AT THE MICROCHASM OF
SCIENTISTS AND TRAINEES WHO ARE
INTERESTED IN NIH OR EVEN
PARTICULARLY NIGMS PROGRAMS AND
POLICIES, WE FIND A GREAT KIEL
DEALOF MISINFORMATION AND MAYBEN
OCCASIONALLY DISINFORMATION ON
OUR PROGRAMS AND THAT MAKES IT
QUITE CHALLENGING IN THIS SPACE.
SO THE QUESTION I HAVE FOR YOU
THAT I'D LIKE TO HEAR THOUGHTS
ON ARE, WHAT ARE THE MOST
EFFECTIVE WAYS FOR NIGMS TO
COMMUNICATE WITH RESEARCHERS,
WITH TRAINEES, WITH
ADMINISTRATORS, AND WITH
INSTITUTIONAL LEADERS,
RECOGNIZING THAT THE STRATEGIES
MAY DIFFER FOR EACH OF THOSE
GROUPS, AND EVEN WITHIN THOSE
GROUPS, YOU KNOW, THERE MAY BE
SUBGROUPS THAT HAVE TO BE
TARGETED IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
SO NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
THAT'S IT.
SO, IF YOU COULD TURN YOUR
CAMERAS ON, WE DO HAVE TIME FOR
SOME DISCUSSION AND I'D LIKE --
ANYTHING YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT
IS FINE, BUT THOSE TWO THINGS AT
THE END, I'D PARTICULARLY LIKE
TO HEAR COUNCIL'S THOUGHTS ON.
TERRI.
>>NOT SURPRISED I'M FIRST.
SO THIS IDEA OF COMMUNICATING IS
A REALLY CHALLENGING ONE FOR
EVERYONE, BUT AS WE'VE COME BACK
IN PERSON WITH THINGS LIKE
CONFERENCES AND AS YOU POINTED
OUT THE ARTICLE IN ASBMB ABOUT
THE MOSAIC PROGRAM IS, HOW CAN
NIH CONTINUE TO PARTNER WITH
ORGANIZATIONS THAT HELPED TO GET
THE MESSAGE OUT FOR FREE, RIGHT,
THAT DOESN'T COST YOU ANYTHING
TO DO THESE, INCLUDING
ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE
ASSOCIATION OF PUBLIC AND LAND
GRANT UNIVERSITIES, WHERE
THERE'S A VERY STRONG WORKING
GROUP OF VICE PRESIDENTS FOR
RESEARCH BUT ALSO IN PARTICULAR
FOR SURE, ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR STATE
COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES, WHICH
GETS YOU IN FRONT OF A LOT OF
THE INSTITUTIONS THAT YOU'RE
LOOKING FOR IN THAT PLACE.
THEY ALL HAVE EITHER NATIONAL
MEETINGS OR WEBINARS, AND I'M
WONDERING IF THAT IS A WAY TO
AMPLIFY THE MESSAGE.
MAYBE YOU'RE ALREADY DOING IT,
BUT THAT'S MY THOUGHT.
>>I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA,
TERRI.
WE DO DO IT WITH CERTAIN
PARTNERS, BUT I THINK WE CAN
BROADEN THAT.
I THINK YOU MAKE AN EXCELLENT
POINT THAT WE SHOULD BROADEN THE
ORGANIZATIONS WITH WHICH WE TRY
TO PARTNER.
DAVID?
>>SO I HAVE A SUGGESTION FOR
BROADENING YOUR LOOK AT WHAT YOU
CALLED THE POSTDOCTORAL CRISIS.
AND THAT IS MY PERCEPTION IS
THAT A LOT OF WHAT'S DRIVING THE
DECLINE IN POSTDOCS IS THE
EXPANSION IN THE BIOTECH
INDUSTRY, AND FROM MY
PERSPECTIVE, I SEE MY GRADUATE
STUDENTS GOING RIGHT INTO
INDUSTRY.
I THINK MAYBE THAT'S ACTUALLY A
GOOD THING, BECAUSE IT'S NOT --
IT SHORTENING THEIR TRAINING
PERIOD AND GETTING THEM RIGHT
INTO A JOB, OFTEN A JOB THAT
THEY REALLY WANT, SO I THINK YOU
NEED TO MAYBE BROADEN THE
PERSPECTIVE OF THE COMMITTEE AND
ASK WHETHER THIS IS REALLY A
CRISIS, IT SEEMS LIKE A CRISIS
IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR POSTDOCS
BUT MAYBE IT'S NOT FOR THE
TRAINEES.
>>I THINK THOSE ARE EXCELLENT
POINTS, AND THAT HAS BEEN OUR
PERCEPTION AS WELL, DAVID, THAT
ONE THING THAT HAS HAPPENED IS
THAT INDUSTRY IS INCREASINGLY
TAKING PEOPLE STRAIGHT OUT OF
GRADUATE SCHOOL INSTEAD OF
REQUIRING POSTDOCS, AND I THINK
YOUR POINT ABOUT IS THAT A
CRISIS OR IS THAT, YOU KNOW, IS
THAT GOOD, IS THAT THE MARKET
WORKING IS ONE THAT NEEDS TO BE
CONSIDERED.
I WILL JUST PUT ON THE TABLE FOR
CONSIDERATION, MAYBE GET YOUR
RESPONSE TO THIS, THAT WHEN I
HEAR FROM DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS
OR LISTEN TO THE DELIBERATIONS
OF THIS ACD WORKING GROUP, AS
YOU SAID, IT DEPENDS ON YOUR
PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT YOUR
OPINIONS ARE, IF YOU'RE A
GRADUATE STUDENT LOOKING FOR A
JOB AND THE JOB MARKETS ARE
GREAT, THAT'S NOT A CRISIS AT
ALL.
IF YOU'RE A P.I. WHO WANTS TO
GET POSTDOCS, AS YOU SAID, MAYBE
IT IS A CRISIS.
ALTHOUGH WHAT I THINK I'M
HEARING IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
PEOPLE WHO ARE USED TO HAVE BEEN
LARGE LABS WITH LOTS OF POSTDOCS
VERSUS EVERYBODY ELSE, WHERE
EVERYBODY ELSE IS NOT -- THIS IS
FOR YOUR REACTION, THIS IS MY
PERCEPTION, MOST PEOPLE I'M
HEARING FROM DON'T PERCEIVE AS
MUCH OF A CRISIS AS PEOPLE WHO
ARE USED TO HAVING 15 POSTDOCS
IN THEIR LAB WHO SUDDENLY CAN'T
GET 15 POSTDOCS.
SO AGAIN, I'M SAYING THAT TO BE
PROVOCATIVE AND HEAR YOUR
THOUGHTS, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE
EXPECTATIONS MAY BE DICTATING
WHETHER IT'S A CRISIS OR NOT,
EVEN FROM THE P.I. PERSPECTIVE.
>>I'LL JUST JUMP IN REALLY
QUICKLY AND SAY, MY LAB HAS BEEN
REALLY DRIVEN BY GRADUATE
STUDENTS.
I'VE HAD SOME REALLY TALENTED
POSTDOCS, BUT MOSTLY GRADUATE
STUDENTS.
SO FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, SEEING
THEM GO RIGHT TO INDUSTRY, WHEN
THAT'S THEIR CAREER GOAL SEEMS
LIKE A REALLY GOOD THING.
I TO HAVE THE PERCEPTION IT'S
HARDER TO GET POSTDOCS RIGHT
NOW, BUT SINCE I MOSTLY TRAIN
GRADUATE STUDENTS, THAT'S WHERE
I COME DOWN.
>>GOOD.
LAURA.
>>TO THAT ONE POINT AROUND
RETENTION AND QUALITY OF LIFE
BALANCE IN SORT OF DAY TO DAY
ISSUES WITH THE POSTDOCS, WE
REALLY HAVE CRANKED UP
INTENTIONALLY THEIR INCLUSION IN
FACULTY ONBOARDING AND MENTAL
HEALTH RESOURCE AVAILABILITY AND
JUST THAT WHOLE COMMUNITY PIECE
BECAUSE WHAT WE WERE FINDING IS
THEY FELT VERY LOST BETWEEN THE
CRACKS.
BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT GRAD
STUDENTS, THEY'RE NOT FACULTY,
AND THE RESPONSE IN A RELATIVELY
SHORT TIME TO THAT HAS BEEN VERY
POSITIVE.
I GET THAT'S WHEN YOU ALREADY
HAVE THEM.
BUT KEEPING THEM HEALTHY, HAPPY
AND PRODUCTIVE, THAT SEEMS TO
HAVE MADE A LITTLE MORE
DIFFERENCE THAN I WOULD HAVE
ANTICIPATED ACTUALLY.
SO IT WAS AN ALREADY UP AND
RUNNING PROGRAM, AND IT WAS
REALLY JUST THE WELCOMING OF
THEM TO IT, AND THEN, YOU KNOW,
POSTDOC UNIQUE PROGRAMMING AS
WELL, BUT REALLY HELPING THEM
FEEL VALUED AND INTEGRATED FROM
DAY ONE, WHEN THEY ARRIVED TO
US.
>>THAT'S FASCINATING.
THANK YOU, LAURA.
PAMELA.
>>SORT OF PIGGY BACKING ON WHAT
TERRI HAD RAISED EARLIER, IT'S A
LITTLE BIT THE ADMINISTRATIVE
APPROACH TO IMPROVING
COMMUNICATIONS AND SOME OF THE
LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE SURE
PROGRAM.
OF EXPANDING FROM AN
AREA WHERE YOU HAD THREE STATES
THAT HAD SYSTEMS WITH SHARING
BETWEEN ADMINISTRATORS AND ONE
OF THE STRIKING THINGS THAT I
LEARNED DURING THAT PROCESS IS
NOT HAVING A PARALLEL THING IN
TERMS OF THE H BCUs, AND SO
THEY ACTED AS INDIVIDUAL
INSTITUTIONS, SO ANY WAY TO GET
SORT OF THAT IN LINE, OR THE
TRIBAL UNIVERSITIES AND
COLLEGES, THE SAME KIND OF
THING.
IF SOME OF THOSE -- AND PERHAPS
SOME OF THE EMPHASIS OF THE U24
WITH REGARDS TO THE RESOURCE
CENTERS, TO HAVE THEM -- HAVE
THAT AS A PIECE OF THE PIE IN
TERMS OF COMMUNICATION MIGHT BE
HELPFUL AS WELL.
>>THAT'S A VERY GOOD POINT.
AND SHARING OF RESOURCES IN
GENERAL IS AN ISSUE THAT'S GOING
TO COME UP WHEN WE DO ONE OF THE
CONCEPT CLEARANCES, SO I THINK
HOLD THAT THOUGHT, BECAUSE I
THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT.
MICHAEL.
>>YES.
SO ECHOING DAVID, ONE, MY
PERCEPTION IS THAT IT IS A
PROBLEM FOR SMALL GROUPS AS WELL
AS BIG.
BUT THE BIGGER POINTS HERE ARE
TO EXTEND ON FROM DAVID THAT
THIS IS BAD FOR PIs BUT GREAT
FOR TRAINEES THAT THEY'VE GOT
LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES.
I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S ANY
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT DATA THAT
INDICATES THAT WE SHOULD BE
OPENING THE SPIGOT ON PH.D.
TRAINING, SO THERE'S A LARGER
POOL.
>>I THINK THAT'S PART OF, YOU
KNOW, WHAT NEEDS TO BE THOUGHT
THROUGH, AND THE INTERESTING
THING, OF COURSE, IS THAT 10
YEARS AGO, THE CONVERSATION IS
THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF THIS,
RIGHT?
IT WAS TOO MANY POSTDOCS
SPENDING TOO MUCH TIME DOING
POSTDOCS, AND WE SHOULD REDUCE
THE SPIGOT ON THE PH.D. SIDE.
I GUESS WE HAVE TWO ECONOMISTS
ON THE GROUP RIGHT NOW, SO
THINKING THROUGH, YOU KNOW, IS
IT WISE TO MAKE A CHANGE BASED
ON CURRENT ENVIRONMENT?
BECAUSE WE COULD SUDDENLY
INCREASE PH.D. PRODUCTION AND
THEN TWO YEARS LATER, THE MARKET
COULD CHANGE.
SO HOW DOES ONE THINK THROUGH
WHAT THE FUTURE IS GOING TO BE
AND WHAT YOU SHOULD DO NOW IS
ALWAYS A VEXING QUESTION WHEN
THINKING ABOUT TRAINING NUMBERS.
LESILEE.
>>HI.
I WAS GOING TO ECHO WHAT DAVE
SAID AND THEN WHAT MICHAEL JUST
SAID, BECAUSE I THOUGHT WE WERE
SUPPOSED TO BE SHUTTING DOWN THE
SPIGOT A LITTLE BIT.
THAT WE WERE TRAINING TOO MANY.
SO I THINK MAYBE IT'S A GOOD
THING.
AND THEN I WILL ALSO PUT IN MY
CURRENTLY CYNICAL VIEW, AND I
THINK THIS DOES RELATE TO
RETENTION IN SOME OF YOUR OTHER
PROGRAMS.
BUT SOME OF THE STUDENTS COMING
THROUGH AT A PLACE LIKE DAVIS
SEE THE JOB THAT I DO, AND THEY
DON'T WANT TO GO INTO ACADEMIA.
I HAVE A CURRENT STUDENT RIGHT
NOW WHO WAS GOING TO DO AN
ACADEMIC POSTDOC BUT PROBABLY GO
INTO INDUSTRY, AND AT ONE POINT,
SHE THOUGHT MAYBE SHE'D GO
ACADEMIA, AND IT'S LIKE, WE ARE
STRETCHED SO THIN WITH ALL THE
COMMITTEE WORK AND THE TEACHING
AND TRYING TO GET YOUR GRANTS
RENEWED THAT I THINK THERE'S A
LOT OF PEOPLE THAT SEE SOME OF
US, AT LEAST, AND JUST GO, I'M
GOING TO GO INTO INDUSTRY AND
HAVE A BETTER WORK/LIFE BALANCE.
AND I THINK THAT REALLY DOES
RELATE TO TRYING TO RETAIN THE
DIVERSE WORKFORCE AS WELL.
>>TO THAT POINT, YOU KNOW,
KENNY GIBBS PUBLISHED A PAPER
SEVERAL YEARS AGO LOOK BEING AT
LOOKING ATTHOSE ISSUES, SHOWINGS
DESIRE TO CONTINUE ON THE
ACADEMIC TRACK DROPPED OFF
BETWEEN GRADUATE SCHOOL AND
POSTDOC.
THAT WAS PARTICULARLY STRONG, I
THINK, FOR WOMEN AND THEN EVEN
STRONGER FOR -- AND MINORITY
GROUPS AND THEN WHEN YOU HAVE
THE INTERSECTION OF WOMEN AND
MINORITIES, THAT WAS THE
STRONGEST EFFECT.
SO THERE'S DATA TO BACK UP WHAT
YOU'RE SAYING.
YES.
JERRY.
>>YEAH, THIS IS AN INTERESTING
DISCUSSION.
I MIGHT BE PIGGY BACKING A
LITTLE BIT BUT MAYBE SOME OF THE
RESEARCH YOU'RE PLANNING ON
DOING CAN FOCUS ON THE
ACTIVITIES PERFORMED IN THE
POSTDOC COMPARED TO ACTIVITIES
THAT FOLKS -- YOU KNOW, THEIR
JOBS REQUIRE OF THEM WHEN THEY
LEAVE THE POSTDOCS.
FOR MY OWN RESEARCH, I SEE THAT
THE SALARIES VARY QUITE A BIT.
THE POSTDOCS RECEIVE VARY WITH
THE DEGREE OF TASKS AND
ACTIVITIES THAT THEY ENGAGE IN
DURING THE POSTDOC CORRELATE
WITH THE TASKS AND ACTIVITIES
THEY ENGAGE IN SUBSEQUENTLY.
THE PENALTIES CAN BE QUITE
HARSH, AND I THINK THAT'S
PROBABLY DISCOURAGING FOLKS TO
THE EXTENT FOLKS ARE DISCOURAGED
BY, YOU KNOW, LOW SALARIES AND
LONG HOURS, DISCOURAGING FOLKS
FROM PURSUING POSTDOCS AND
PRODUCING RETURNS, THINKING
ABOUT THOSE ACTIVITIES THAT THE
NIH IS PROMOTING AND FUNDING NIH
FUNDED POSTDOCS.
COMPARED TO THE ACTIVITIES THAT
THEY PERFORM AFTERWARDS IN
EMPLOYMENT.
>>I THINK THAT'S A REALLY
IMPORTANT QUESTION.
YOU KNOW, AND WE'VE BEEN ASKING
IT INTERNALLY A LOT, WHO SHOULD
BE DOING POSTDOCS AND FOR WHAT
REASON, AND IF YOU START
THINKING THAT THROUGH, THEN THAT
CAN HELP INFORM HOW MANY
POSTDOCS SHOULD THERE ACTUALLY
BE, HOW MUCH SHOULD THEY BE
GETTING PAID.
THE CURRENT SYSTEM AS I'M SURE
YOU KNOW HAS BUILT UP OVER TIME
TO A PLACE WHERE POSTDOCS ARE A
LOW PAID, YOU KNOW, CHEAP BUT
HIGHLY TRAINED WORKFORCE, AND
THAT APPEARS TO T POSSIBLY BE
COLLAPSING AS A SYSTEM, AND SO
THINKING THROUGH HOW TO REPLACE
IT IN AN EFFECTIVE MANNER THAT'S
BEST FOR THE POSTDOCS, BEST FOR
THE GRADUATE STUDENTS, WHO THEN
CHOOSE NOT TO DO POSTDOCS
BECAUSE IT'S NOT WORTH THEIR
TIME, THERE'S TOO MUCH
OPPORTUNITY COST IN DOING IT.
AND THEN -- BUT HOW DO WE STILL
MAINTAIN A PRODUCTIVE SCIENTIFIC
ENTERPRISE IN THAT REGIME, I
THINK IS THE CHALLENGING
QUESTION.
ANGELA.
>>HELLO AGAIN.
I APOLOGIZE MY CAMERA IS T IS NT
WORKING NOW.
>>HMMI, COME ON.
>>I BLAME THEM.
I WANT TO ADD JUST TWO COMMENTS
IN ADDITION TO THE RICH COMMENTS
ALREADY BEEN MADE.
ONE IS BACK TO THE ACD CHARGE
AND I HOPE THAT THEY'LL CONSIDER
A CAREER DEVELOPMENT LENS AND A
WELLNESS LENS ON WHAT THEY'RE
DOING, BECAUSE I THINK THAT IT
IS NATURAL TO THINK ABOUT THE
SUPPLY AND THE DEMAND IN
POSTDOCS EBBING AND FLOWING, BUT
I ALSO THINK WE CAN BENEFIT FROM
A LOT OF THE RESEARCH ON LINDA
PALOMI'S WORK ON VITALITY AND
WHY EARLY CAREER PEOPLE ARE
DRAWN TO PARTICULAR INDUSTRIES
OR PARTICULAR ASPECTS OF THE
WORKFORCE, AND SHE'S VERY CLEAR
ABOUT FOUR FACTORS THAT REALLY
DRIVE PEOPLE'S CHOICES TO STAY
OR LEAVE, AND THAT'S RELATION
SHIMS AND INCLUSION, VALUES
ALIGNMENT, WORK/LIFE INTEGRATION
AND INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT.
AND MOST OF THOSE FACTORS ARE
THINGS THAT OUR POSTDOCS DON'T
HAVE A LOT OF ACCESS TO FOR THE
REASONS THAT LAURA JUST
MENTIONED IN TERMS OF THEIR
NO-PERSON STATUS AS EMPLOYEES.
SO I THINK WE CAN BENEFIT FROM
SOME OF THAT RESEARCH ON
VITALITY AND JUST WANT TO DROP
THAT ON THE IDEA TABLE FOR THE
ACD AS THEY TAKE UP THEIR
CHARGE.
>>GREAT.
GREAT POINT.
REALLY GREAT POINT.
I WILL CERTAINLY BRING THAT TO
THEM BECAUSE I AGREE WITH YOU
THAT THAT'S MISSING FROM THAT
CHARGE.
AND AS YOU SAID, IT GOES TO WHAT
LAURA ACTUALLY HAS REAL WORLD
EXPERIENCE NOW WITH THE EFFECT
OF TRYING TO MITIGATE THOSE
ISSUES.
AMY.
>>A COUPLE THINGS.
FIRST OF ALL IT MAY BE GOOD FOR
OUR STUDENTS TO GO RIGHT INTO
JOBS, BUT I THINK THE POSTDOC
EXPERIENCE IS REALLY IMPORTANT
FOR SOMEONE WHO'S GOING TO GO
INTO ACADEMICS.
I MEAN, A STUDENT IS NOT READY
TO GO AND BE A PROFESSOR, THE
POSTDOC AFTER THREE YEARS, LIKE
THE CHANGES YOU SEE IN THESE
PEOPLE, THEY ARE READY TO GO
OUT, SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT
THAT WE KEEP THAT PIPELINE IF WE
NEED PEOPLE TO KEEP DOING
ACADEMIC RESEARCH AND TEACHING
OUR STUDENTS.
THE OTHER THING THAT YOU AND
JERRY, I THINK, WERE ALLUDING TO
IS THIS WHOLE BUSINESS OF THE
SALARIES AND THE PAY, LIKE,
OBVIOUSLY FROM -- THERE'S BEEN
ALL THESE PUSHES TO PAY POSTDOCS
MORE, YOU KNOW, GRAD STUDENTS
TOO WITH ALL THE UNIONIZATION,
AND I THINK IT'S -- YOU KNOW,
PEOPLE WHO ARE JUST RUNNING A
LAB WITH AN NIH GRANT OR TWO,
IT'S -- I MEAN, YOU'RE JUST
STUCK.
THERE'S NO WAY TO PAY THESE
PEOPLE OFF YOUR GRANT WHAT THEY
SHOULD BE PAID.
THEY COME IN TO THE LAB, THEY
CAN'T GET THEIR OWN FELLOWSHIP
RIGHT AWAY BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T
DONE ANYTHING YET, AND THEN
THEY'RE JUST SORT OF IN THIS
LIMBO WHERE, OKAY, THE P.I. CAN
PAY THEM FOR A YEAR BUT -- UNTIL
THEY GET A FELLOWSHIP.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE MONEY
CAN COME FROM, BUT IF WE WANT
MORE POSTDOCS, WE HAVE TO PAY
THEM MORE, BUT THE WAY THE
SYSTEM FOR FUNDING JUST A
REGULAR R35 OR R01 LAB, THERE'S
JUST NO MONEY TO PAY A POSTDOC
SALARY PLUS FRINGE, YOU KNOW,
IT'S $100,000, THAT'S HALF OF
YOUR R01 DIRECT COST SO I THINK
IT'S ALL ABOUT WHERE THE MONEY
IS COMING FROM.
>>THAT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT
CONSIDERATION HERE, WHICH IS,
YOU KNOW, I DO HEAR QUITE A BIT
OF SORT OF MAGICAL THINKING THE
WAY TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM.
THE PROBLEM OF NOT ENOUGH
POSTDOCS IS TO DOUBLE THEIR PAY.
AND DOUBLING THEIR PAY MAY BE
THE RIGHT THING TO DO FOR THE
POSTDOCS -- FOR THE PEOPLE WHO
SHOULD DO POSTDOCS, I'M NOT AT
ALL OBJECTING TO THAT, THAT MAY
BE THE RIGHT THING, BUT BECAUSE
OF HOW MATH WORKS, IF YOU DOUBLE
THEIR PAY, WE'RE GOING TO HALF
THE NUMBER OF POSTDOCS.
SO IT'S NOT GOING TO SOLVE THE
NUMERICAL PROBLEM THAT PIs ARE
FACING.
IT MAY BE THE ABSOLUTE RIGHT
THING TO DO, BUT IT WON'T
GENERATE MORE POSTDOCS BECAUSE
IT WILL HAVE THE SAME AMOUNT OF
MONEY, YOU KNOW, GOING TO HALF
THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE.
LET'S SEE.
WE'RE GOING TO RUN OUT OF TIME
SO I'M GOING TO TRY TO GO FAST.
WE'RE GOING TO GO MEL GO TO MEL.
>>I'M STRUCK ON -- RELATED TO
WHAT LAURA AND ANGELA BROUGHT UP
ON THE AMAZING JOB THE MOSAIC
PROGRAM IS DOING IN TERMS OF
PROVIDING THAT SCAFFOLDING AND
SUPPORT FOR POSTDOCS.
ONE THING THAT STRIKES ME,
IMAGINE AN AM APPLICANT WHO APD
TO THE MOSAIC PROGRAM WHO MAYBE
WAS JUST UNDER THE BAR AND,
THEREFORE, DOESN'T GET ANY OF
THAT SCAFFOLDING, MAYBE THEY
DIDN'T HAVE AS GOOD MENTORSHIP
IN WRITING A PROPOSAL OR JUST
NEEDED A LITTLE BIT MORE
SUPPORT.
SO I SEE IT, YOU KNOW, STUDENTS
APPLYING FOR THAT PROGRAM AND
OTHER PROGRAMS WHO JUST -- PART
OF THE REASON THEY CHOOSE NOT TO
PURSUE A POSTDOC IS BECAUSE THEY
GET DISCOURAGED INTEREST MAYBE
GETTING BAD REVIEWS ON AN NIH
GRANT.
I WONDER IF THERE'S SOME WAY TO
REACH OUT TO THOSE APPLICANTS
WHO ARE STILL PROMISING -- IS
THERE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
THAT WE CAN PROVIDE THEM?
YOU ALL HAVE A UNIQUE DATABASE
OF PEOPLE THAT APPLIED WEREN'T
SUCCESSFUL, IS THERE SOME WAY TO
PROVIDE SORT OF PUNCH ABOVE YOUR
WEIGHT IN TERMS OF PROVIDING
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT
EVEN IF YOU CAN'T FUND ALL OF
THE GOOD APPLICANTS THAT YOU
GET?
>>THAT'S A GREAT POINT.
WE ARE LOOKING AT WAYS TO DO
THAT.
I KNOW THE STAFF DOES A LOT OF
OUTREACH TO APPLICANTS WHO
APPLIED AND AREN'T SUCCESSFUL.
THERE'S PROGRAMS LIKE NRMN
FUNDED BY NIH THAT WE RUN THAT
HAS THAT AS ITS GOAL.
BUT I THINK THOSE ARE THINGS
THAT COULD BE EXPANDED UPON.
THAT'S A GOOD POINT.
LAURIE.
>>OKAY, I WILL BE QUICK.
TO BUILD ON WHAT TERRI SPOKE
ABOUT ON HOW TO GET YOUR MESSAGE
OUT, ONE THING THAT I FOUND WAS
VERY HELPFUL IS WHETHER FOLKS
FROM THE DIFFERENT INSTITUTES AT
NIH CAME TO MEETINGS, OUR
MEETINGS, AND REALLY SPOKE ABOUT
PROGRAMS.
YOU KNOW, THAT WERE TAILORED TO
SPECIFIC GOALS OF THE DIFFERENT
SOCIETIES.
AND I THINK THAT WAS A VERY
POWERFUL WAY TO GET YOUR MESSAGE
OUT, THAT THESE MEETING
ATTENDEES TOOK BACK TO THEIR
INSTITUTIONS.
THEN THE OTHER POINT I WANT TO
MAKE IS POSTDOCS, THEY ARE THE
FORGOTTEN SORT OF EMPLOYEE, AND
WE FOUND THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY
STARTING A POSTDOC OFFICE UP IN
THE MEDICAL SCHOOL TO -- NOT
JUST ON MAIN CAMPUS BUT IN THE
MEDICAL SCHOOL TO REALLY DEAL
WITH WORK/LIFE BALANCE ISSUES,
MENTAL HEALTH, THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND I THINK WE REALLY HAVE TO
EXPAND IT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW,
POSTDOCS ARE UNDER A LOT OF
PRESSURE, IT'S NOT AN EASY LIFE
AND YOU'RE NOT MAKING A LOT OF
MONEY, SO WE'RE TRYING TO REALLY
OFFER MORE SUPPORT.
>>GREAT.
THOSE ARE ALL EXCELLENT POINTS.
THANK YOU.
NEIL.
>>HEY, EVERYONE.
I JUST WANTED TO ECHO A FEW
POINTS AND OFFER A LITTLE BIT OF
PERSPECTIVE.
I THINK WHEN I TALK TO STUDENTS
WHO ARE GRADUATING, THESE ARE
USUALLY STUDENTS THAT ARE GOING
INTO MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY OR
PROCESS CHEMISTRY, THEY ARE
ALREADY DOING THE COST-BENEFIT
ANALYSIS OF WHAT THEIR OPTIONS
ARE, AND I THINK ESPECIALLY FOR
THE STUDENTS THAT ARE -- YOU
KNOW, LET'S JUST SAY WE'RE
TALKING ABOUT FOURTH OR FIFTH
YEAR PH.D. STUDENTS NOW, HALF OF
THEIR PH.D. HAS BEEN THROUGH THE
PANDEMIC.
AND I DO THINK THAT HAS AFFECTED
THEIR MENTALITY CONSIDERABLY.
I THINK A LOT OF THEM ARE
ALREADY FEELING BURNT OUT.
SO THEN WHEN THEY THINK ABOUT,
OKAY, SHOULD I GET A JOB WHILE
THE JOB MARKET IS HOT, IN
INDUSTRY, OR DO A POSTDOC, THINK
THE DECISION IS REALLY EASY FOR
THEM.
IT'S A NO-BRAINER RIGHT NOW.
IF THEY'RE ALREADY FEELING BURNT
OUT, THAT'S LIKE, OKAY, DO I
WANT TO DO ANOTHER TWO TO FOUR
YEARS OF EXTREME EXHAUSTION?
RELATIVELY LOW SALARY COMPARED
TO WHAT THEY WOULD MAKE IN
INDUSTRY, AND SOME OF THE
INDUSTRY SALARIES ARE EASILY TWO
TO THREE TIMES WHAT A POSTDOC
SALARY WOULD BE.
GENENTECH, THEY'RE OFFERING
GINORMOUS SALARIES RIGHT NOW
TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH SILICON
VALLEY.
SO I THINK IT'S A KNOW BRAINER.
ONE POSTDOC WHO WANTED TO GO TO
THE PUI ROUTE, HIS PUI SALARY IS
LOWER THAN HIS UCLA SALARY AS A
POSTDOC.
AND SO VERY FEW PEOPLE REALLY
HAVE IT IN THEM TO GO THAT
DISTANCE AND SAY I'M REALLY
COMMITTED TO ACADEMIA, SO MUCH
SO THAT I'M GOING TO SACRIFICE A
FEW MORE YEARS OF A POSTDOC TO
THEN HAVE A PRETTY LOW SALARY.
I THINK THAT ACADEMIC SALARY
VARIES QUITE A BIT.
QUESTION WE SEE THESE NUMBERS AR
THE PLACE WHAT WE'RE HIRING AT
UCLA, BUT STILL THOSE SALARIES
BEAT THOSE ACADEMIC SALARIES BY
A LOT.
SO MY IMPRESSION HERE IS THAT
THERE'S REALLY A LOT OF BURNOUT,
AND UNDERSTANDING STUDENT
MENTALITY, I THINK WOULD BE
IMPORTANT FOR FIGURING OUT HOW
TO MOVE FORWARD.
>>I THINK THOSE ARE GOOD
POINTS.
OF COURSE IT ALSO MAKES -- BEGS
THE QUESTION AGAIN OF THREE OR
FOUR YEARS FROM NOW, WILL THE
SITUATION BE THE SAME AS IT IS
NOW OR WILL IT CHANGE AGAIN?
ANGELA.
>>I ALSO COULD ECHO MANY
INSIGHTFUL THINGS THAT WERE
SAID, BUT I WON'T, TIME IS
SHORT.
THE TWO NEW THINGS ON MY LIST
WERE TO CONSIDER FIRST, IT'S NOT
JUST THE PH.D. PIPELINE THAT
POSTDOC TO INDUSTRY PIPELINE
THAT'S GOING TO CHANGE
RELATIVELY QUICKLY.
MY IMPRESSION FROM TALKING TO MY
COLLEAGUES IN THE BIOTECH
INDUSTRY IS INCREASINGLY THEY'RE
LOOKING TOWARDS INTERNAL
TRAINING OF MASTERS STUDENTS SO
THAT THE NUMBER OF PH.D.s
MIGHT NOT BE YOUR ONLY DIAL
HERE, AND SO THAT IT'S REALLY
IMPORTANT TO KEEP AN EYE ON THAT
TREND, BECAUSE INCREASINGLY THE
KINDS OF THINGS THAT ARE REALLY
USEFUL IN A LARGER TEAM-ORIENTED
SCIENCE CONTEXT ARE DIFFERENT
SORT OF SKILLS AND DISPOSITIONS
AND THEN INDIVIDUAL MANAGEMENT
OF A SOLO PROJECT LIKE YOU DO IN
A PH.D. OR IN A POSTDOC EVEN.
SO I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE THE
WORKING GROUP TO HAVE THOSE
CONVERSATIONS NOT JUST ABOUT
WHAT THINGS LOOK LIKE NOW, BUT
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SORT OF
PROSPECTING FORWARD IN THAT
SPACE TOO.
>>I THINK THOSE ARE GOOD
POINTS.
>>AND THE OTHER ONE ACTUALLY
IS, THERE'S SOME THINGS SORT
OF -- THERE'S AN INTERESTING
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GRADUATE
STUDENTS WHO GO IMMEDIATELY FROM
GETTING THEIR DEGREE TO A
POSITION IN INDUSTRY VERSUS A
POSTDOC, WHICH IS THAT STUDENTS
STILL NEED THEIR PH.D.
SO THAT THERE IS A DEFINED END
POINT RELATIONSHIP WITH THEIR
LAB IN TERPS OF SORT OF
EXPECTATIONS AND FULFILLMENT,
WHEREAS WITH POSTDOCS, THE TIME
FRAME CAN OFTEN BE EXTREMELY
QUICK, SO WITHOUT ANY REQUIRED
END POINT FROM THEIR HOST LAB.
SO IF SOMEBODY DOES TAKE ON A
POSTDOC BUT THEN CHOOSES TO
APPLY FOR INDUSTRY POSITIONS,
THEY CAN LEAVE QUITE QUICKLY.
>>RIGHT.
>>AND I THINK -- SO THIS IS
ANOTHER PIECE TO KEEP IN MIND
FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF BOTH
POSTDOCS AND FACULTY IN THE
SENSE THAT I THINK IT'S
DIFFERENT.
I THINK THAT CADENCE IS
DIFFERENT FOR FACULTY POSTDOC
RELATRELATIONSHIPS THAN ITS
POTENTIALLY FOR STUDENT FACULTY
RELATIONSHIPS.
AND FROM A POLICY PERSPECTIVE,
I'M HAVING TROUBLE GIVING YOU
ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE ISSUE,
BUT I THINK THAT THERE'S
PROBABLY SOME INTERESTING WAYS
TO THINK ABOUT HOW PROJECT
HANDOFF AND THINGS LIKE THIS
MIGHT WORK IN TERMS OF FUNDING,
BECAUSE IT CAN BE QUITE
DISRUPTIVE.
ALL RIGHT.
VERY LAST THING, SOMETHING WE
DON'T TALK A LOT ABOUT WITH
POSTDOCS IS NOT JUST THEIR
SALARIES BUT THEIR BENEFITS.
>>YES, ABSOLUTELY.
>>SO CLOCKING RETIREMENT FUNDS
WHEN YOU ARE DOING A POSTDOC,
THIS IS A HUGE OPPORTUNITY COST
FOR PEOPLE.
SO EVEN IF WE'RE -- ASIDE FROM
SALARY, WHICH IS A REALLY
IMPORTANT CONVERSATION, I JUST
WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ALSO THIS
SORT OF, YOU KNOW, HOME
OWNERSHIP RETIREMENT BENEFIT,
THOSE SORT OF LONG GAME
FINANCIAL INVESTMENTS THAT
PEOPLE ARE MAKING IN THE EARLY
PART OF THEIR CAREERS ARE REALLY
IMPORTANT PIECE OF THE PUZZLE
FOR THEM TOO.
>>THAT'S A REALLY GOOD POINT.
WE ARE WELL AWARE THAT BECAUSE
OF THE DIFFERENT WAYS
INSTITUTIONS CLASSIFY POSTDOCS,
THAT AT SOME INSTITUTIONS, IF
SOMEONE GETS A FELLOWSHIP, THEY
CAN SUDDENLY GO FROM EMPLOYEE
STATUS TO NOT EMPLOYEE AND LOSE
THEIR BENEFITS.
WE ARE AWARE OF IT, IT'S NOT
ENTIRELY -- IT'S NOT LARGELY IN
OUR CONTROL, BUT WE'RE LOOKING
AT IF THERE'S ANYTHING WE CAN DO
ABOUT IT.
DANIELLE.
LAST WORD.
>>OKAY.
SO I GUESS I WAS THINKING ABOUT
WHAT IT MEANS TO HAVE SORT OF
LIKE THE RIGHT NUMBER OF
POSTDOCS OR THE RIGHT NUMBER OF
GRADUATE STUDENTS.
I DON'T RUN A LAB, BUT WHEN WE
THINK ABOUT DOING GRADUATE
ADMISSIONS, ONE OF THE KEY
THINGS WE THINK ABOUT IS WE
ADMIT THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS
THAT WE THINK WE CAN
SUCCESSFULLY PLACE AND ADVISE ON
THE OUTSIDE END.
SO IN SOME WAYS THE RIGHT NUMBER
OF POSTDOCS IS THE NUMBER OF
POSTDOCS THAT WE THINK HAVE A
REASONABLE CHANCE OF GOING INTO
ACADEMIA.
ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK
DOESN'T COME OUT OF THIS
DISCUSSION IS WE'VE BEEN
COMPARING INDUSTRY VERSUS
POSTDOCS.
WORKING IN INDUSTRY IS A CAREER,
BUT BEING A POSTDOC IS NOT A
CAREER.
PEOPLE DON'T SORT OF -- IT'S NOT
LIKE -- SO TALKING ABOUT THE
SALARY AND THE BENEFITS AND THE
RETIREMENT, I DON'T THINK
POSTDOCS SORT OF DO POSTDOCS FOR
THAT SALARY.
THEY DO IT BECAUSE IT'S A
LOTTERY TICKET THAT GIVES THEM
THE CHANCE OF HAVING INDEPENDENT
RESEARCH CAREER.
AND SO IF WE PAY THEM MORE BUT
THERE'S STILL NO LIKE ABILITY TO
SORT OF THINK THAT YOU'RE GOING
TO END UP BECOMING YOUR OWN
INDEPENDENT FACULTY RESEARCHER
OR RUN YOUR OWN LAB, THE PAY IS
THE EXPECTATION OF THE SORT OF
FUTURE INDEPENDENT CAREER THAT
YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE.
SO I THINK THIS IDEA OF LET'S
MAKE SURE THEY HAVE RETIREMENT
BENEFITS, LET'S PAY THEM
$150,000 A YEAR, THAT'S NOT --
THE POSTDOC IS NOT MEANT LIKE
TO -- IT WOULD BE -- I WOULD
THINK IT WOULD PROBABLY BE
BETTER TO INCREASE THE
PROBABILITY THAT THEY ARE ABLE
TO COMPETE FOR A GOOD RESEARCH
CAREER RATHER THAN THE DIRECT
PAY PER SE.
I THINK PART OF THE THINGS THAT
MAKES A POSTDOC HARD IS THAT
YOU'RE BEING PAID SO LITTLE OR
WORK HOURS ARE HARD, AND THE
PROBABILITY OF ACTUALLY HAVING A
SUCCESSFUL CAREER IS QUITE LOW.
AND SO I THINK WHEN IT COMES TO
THINKING ABOUT THE RIGHT
NUMBERS, YOU CAN IMAGINE THE
GRAD STUDENTS, WHAT IT MEANS TO
PLACE GRAD STUDENTS IS TO PLACE
THEM INTO A GOOD POSTDOC OR INTO
INDUSTRY IN A CAREER THEY FIND
FULFILLING.
SO I CAN IMAGINE A WORLD IN
WHICH THE SPIGOT FOR GRAD
STUDENTS COULD ACTUALLY GET
TURNED UP QUITE A BIT WITH THE
UNDERSTANDING THAT A HIGHER
SHARE OF THEM ARE GOING TO GO
INTO INDUSTRY.
I THINK A LOT OF THE PREVIOUS
CONVERSATION ABOUT THERE WERE
TOO MANY GRAD STUDENTS IS
BECAUSE WE THOUGHT ALL THE GRAD
STUDENTS HAD TO BECOME POSTDOCS
SO THEY COULD BECOME PROFESSORS,
BUT IF WE THINK OF INDUSTRY AS A
SORT OF -- A MORE VIABLE CHOICE
THAT PIs DON'T MAKE THEIR
STUDENTS FEEL BAD ABOUT WANTING
AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT COULD
CHANGE LIKE -- YOU CAN IMAGINE
HAVING MORE GRADUATE STUDENTS
AND FEWER POSTDOCS BUT THE
POSTDOCS THAT GO THROUGH HAVE A
HIGHER CHANCE OF GOING INTO
FACULTY POSITIONS, BUT KIND OF
THINKING ABOUT WHAT THE OUTFLOW
IS, LIKE POSTDOCS FLOW INTO
FACULTY POSITIONS WHEREAS
GRADUATE STUDENTS CAN FLOW INTO
INDUSTRY AND POSTDOCS.
>>THOSE ARE EXCELLENT POINTS,
AND WHEN THE POSTDOC IDEA
STARTED, AT LEAST ANECDOTALLY,
PEOPLE DID POSTDOCS FOR A YEAR
OR TWO, AS YOU SAID, SO THEY
COULD THEN GET A FACULTY
POSITION.
NOW TO CHANGE SUCH THAT IT
BECAME LONGER AND LONGER
POSTDOCS, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE
BEING LOW PAID FOR A YEAR OR TWO
BUT THAT'S THE TICKET, AS YOU
SAID, TO GET A FACULTY JOB,
THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN IF YOU'RE
BEING LOW PAID FOR SIX YEARS AND
THEN MAYBE YOU HAVE TO DO A
SECOND POSTDOC AND YOU DON'T
EVEN GET A JOB.
>> -- IS THE POLICY CONCERN.
IT SAYS SOMETHING THAT, LIKE,
THE FACULTY -- THERE ARE SO FEW
FACULTY POSITIONS THAT PEOPLE
HAVE TO LINE UP FOR SIX YEARS IN
ORDER TO GET ONE, LIKE, I THINK
THAT'S THE CONSTRAINT ON SORT OF
THE DESAIABILIT DESIRABILITY OF,
NOT THE PAY AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT.
>>THAT WAS A FANTASTIC
DISCUSSION.
>>CAN I ADD ONE MORE THING TO
FOLLOW UP ON THAT POINT.
SORRY, MY HAND RAISING DOESN'T
SEEM TO WORK.
ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO, THERE WAS A
PUSH, I THOUGHT IT CAME FROM GMS
BUT I MIGHT BE WRONG, ABOUT THIS
VERY QUESTION.
THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE POST PH.D.
DON'T HAVE A CAREER TRAJECTORY
WITHIN ACADEMIA.
AND THERE WERE RECOMMENDATIONS
MADE TO TRY TO PROFESSIONALIZE
THE RESEARCH ASSOCIATE LEVEL OF
CATEGORY FROM UNIVERSITIES WHERE
THEY SEEM TO FALL BETWEEN THE
CRACKS, AND I WONDER IF THERE
WAS ANY OUTCOME OF THAT THAT WAS
EVER ANALYZED BECAUSE IT SEEMS
LIKE THAT WOULD BE VERY
PERTINENT TO THIS QUESTION.
>>SO THAT'S STILL A VIABLE
OPTION.
I MEAN, THE IDEA OF STAFF
SCIENTISTS.
BUT THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN A
POSTDOC, RIGHT?
THAT'S A -- TO DANIELLE'S POINT,
THAT'S A LONG TERM JOB
FUNCTIONING AS A HIGH LEVEL
RESEARCHER IN A LAB WHERE
PRESUMABLY YOU'RE GETTING
COMPENSATED AT A HIGH LEVEL.
>>RIGHT.
CAN I JUST ASK, WHAT IS THE
PERCEPTION OF THE CRISIS?
IS IT THAT THERE AREN'T ENOUGH
PH.D.-LEVEL RESEARCHERS IN LABS
THAT ARE FUNDED BY GMS TO CARRY
OUT THE WORK PRODUCTIVELY, OR
WHAT IS THE --
>>THE IDEA OF A CRISIS IS NOT
COMING FROM US.
WE'RE JUST HEARING WHAT THE
COMMUNITY IS SAYING.
AND TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IT.
>>YEAH.
>>BUT AGAIN, IF YOU'RE MODEL IS
YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF
VERY LOW PAID POSTDOCS DO MOST
OF THE WORK IN YOUR LAB, THAT'S
DIFFERENT THAN SAYING I'M GOING
TO RUN MY LAB WITH ONE OR TWO
VERY HIGH PAID PEOPLE WHO ARE
THERE FOR THE LONG TERM.
YOU CAN DO THE LATTER MODEL
RIGHT NOW WITH YOUR GRANT.
YOU CAN DECIDE INSTEAD OF HAVING
FOUR POSTDOCS, I'M GOING TO HAVE
TWO STAFF SCIENTISTS AND PAY
THEM AT THAT LEVEL, ASSUMING
YOUR INSTITUTION ALLOWS YOU --
HAS A POSITION LIKE THAT.
BUT AGAIN THAT'S A DECISION ON
HOW YOU WANT TO RUN YOUR LAB AND
MAKING THAT CHOICE, YEAH, AS FAR
AS I CAN SEE.
>>SO, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT TO
SAY, MY PERCEPTION IS THAT THE
LABS -- MANY OF THE LABS WHO ARE
MOST SUCCESSFUL ARE THOSE WHO
HAVE AT LEAST ONE OR TWO
LONG-TERM RESEARCH SCIENTISTS
WHO PROVIDE CONTINUITY FOR THE
LAB.
AND BARRIERS TO THAT ARE SALARY
LEVEL AND THE LIKELIHOOD THAT
THE GRANT FUNDING PERSISTS THAS
FIVE YEARS OR FOUR OR FIVE
YEARS.
SO --
>>THAT'S TRUE OF EVERYTHING,
RIGHT, WE'RE NEVER GOING TO
CREATE A SYSTEM WHERE YOUR STAFF
SCIENTIST WITH GUARANTEED SALARY
FOR YOUR ENTIRE LIFE.
NOTHING WORKS LIKE THAT, EXCEPT
MAYBE THE TENURE IN ACADEMIA.
BUT --
>>SO BASICALLY YOU'RE
RESPONDING TO THE COMPLAINTS
AMONG INVESTIGATORS THEN.
>>YES.
THAT'S RIGHT.
WE WILL CONTINUE THIS
DISCUSSION.
I THINK IT'S REALLY FASCINATING.
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR INPUT,
GREAT POINTS, AND I WILL TAKE
THESE POINTS TO THE ACD
COMMITTEE TO TRY TO MAKE THEM.
SO WE'RE NOW GOING TO MOVE ON, I
THINK DARREN IS GOING TO GIVE AN
UPDATE ON THE DATA MANAGEMENT
AND SHARING POLICY.
>>THAT IS CORRECT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, EVERYBODY.
AS JOHN MENTI JON MENTIONED IN ,
WE'RE MAKING EFFORTS TO
COMMUNICATE TO THE COMMUNITY, SO
WE WANT TO TALK A BIT ABOUT THE
NIH DATA MANAGEMENT AND SHARING
POLICY THAT WAS JUST ROLLED OUT
AND KIND OF PROVIDE YOU THE
NIGMS VISION AS WELL AS SOME
JUST DIGGING IN A LITTLE DEEPER
TO WHAT THE EXPECTATIONS WILL
BE.
IF I COULD ASK FOLKS TO TURN OFF
THEIR CAMERAS.
IT JUST MAKES THE VIDEOCAST LOOK
BETTER TOO.
SO LET ME GIVE A LITTLE
BACKGROUND THEN ABOUT THE DATA
MANAGEMENT AND SHARING POLICY.
THIS IS A NEW POLICY TO PROMOTE
THE SHARING OF SCIENTIFIC DATA.
STARTING ON JANUARY 25TH, SO
LAST WEEK, NIH GRANTEES NEED TO
SUBMIT A DATA MANAGEMENT AND
SHARING PLAN AS PART OF THEIR
GRANT APPLICATION.
THIS ONLY APPLIES TO COMPETING
APPLICATIONS.
NOW NIGMS BELIEVES IN GENERAL
MOST OF OUR GRANTEES ALREADY
MEET THE NEW POLICY
REQUIREMENTS, AND WE EXPLAIN
THIS MORE FULLY IN A FEEDBACK
LOOP POST THAT WE PUT UP A
COUPLE MONTHS AGO AS WELL AS A
LINK TO A LIST OF FAQs ON OUR
NIGMS WEBSITE.
SO REALLY THESE PLANS WILL KIND
OF FORM LACE WHAT NIGMS
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS ALREADY
DO.
MOST DMS PLANS ARE EXPECTED TO
BE CONCISE, NO MORE THAN TWO
PAGES ALTHOUGH THEY'RE NOT
PAGE-LIMITED.
NIH HAS PROVIDED AN OPTIONAL
WORD DOCUMENT TEMPLATE THAT I'LL
GO OVER A LITTLE BIT IN DETAIL
LATER ON THAT WILL HELP YOU
ORGANIZE YOUR DMS PLAN AND LET
YOU KNOW WHAT NEEDS TO BE
INCLUDED IN IT.
SO FIRST WHAT DATA DO WE THINK
NEEDS TO BE SHARED?
ANY DATA NEEDED TO VALIDATE AND
REPLICATE RESEARCH FINDINGS.
NIGMS EXPECTS THAT ITS GRANTEES
WILL MAKE DATA UNDERLYING PEER
REVIEWED PUMCATI PUBLICATIONS FE
AND ACCESSIBLE, HUMAN SUBJECTS,
PRIVACY AND CONSENT.
WE KNOW THERE ARE SOME
LIMITATIONS FOR WHAT DATA CAN BE
SHARED.
THERE ARE SOME RARE CASES WHERE
DWRGRANTEES MIGHT GENERATE HIGH
QUALITY DATA THAT WON'T BE
PUBLISHED IN A TIMELY MANNER FOR
SUCH REASONS, THESE DATASETS
SHOULD ALSO BE MADE FINDABLE AND
ACCESSIBLE.
NOW EXPECTATIONS FOR SHARING
PROPRIETARY DATA MAY DEPEND ON
THE FUNDING MECHANISM OR SOURCE.
YOU NEED TO -- YOU SHOULD
PROBABLY DISCUSS THESE TYPES OF
ISSUES WITH YOUR PROGRAM OFFICER
OR IF YOU HAVE AN SBIR/STTR,
HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THE NIH
SEED OFFICE.
THEY CAN PROVIDE MORE DETAILS
ABOUT SHARING THAT TYPE OF DATA.
SO THIS IS THE KIND OF DATA THAT
GENERALLY SHOULD NOT INCLUDE AS
FAR AS SHARING.
WE DO NOT EXPECT LABORATORY
NOTEBOOKS TO BE SHARED,
PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS, COMPLETED
CASE REPORTS, DRAFTS OF PAPERS,
PLANS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH, PEER
REVIEWS OR COMMUNICATIONS WITH
COLLEAGUES, AS WELL AS PHYSICAL
OBJECTS OR SOFTWARE CODE NOT
NEEDED TO ACCESS AND MANIPULATE
THE DATA.
SO WE'RE TAKING A HIGHER LEVEL
VIEW OF WHAT DATA IS TO BE
SHARED AND THIS IS THE TYPE OF
DATA THAT SHARING IS NOT
EXPECTED.
COMPLIANCE.
SO HOW IS NIH GOING TO OVERSEE
THIS?
KEEP IN MIND THAT THE APPROVED
DATA MANAGEMENT SHARING PLAN
WILL NOW BECOME PART OF THE TERM
AND CONDITION OF AWARD FOR ANY
GRANTS.
THAT WILL BE PART OF YOUR NOTICE
OF AWARD.
GRANTEES WILL REPORT PROGRESS ON
IMPLEMENTING APPROVED DMS PLANS
IN THEIR YEARLY RPPR OR PROGRESS
REPORT.
NIH IS WORKING NOW TO UPDATE
THOSE QUESTIONS.
AND THAT WILL BE ROLLING OUT IN
ANOTHER YEAR OR SO.
AND AS WITH ALL OF OUR GRANTS,
WE WILL REVIEW COMPLIANCE
ANNUALLY.
WHAT HAPPENS IF FOLKS ARE NOT
COMPLYING WITH THEIR DMS PLAN,
OF COURSE WE HAVE ENFORCEMENT
ACTIONS, ANYWHERE FROM JUST
SPECIAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF
AWARD TO TERMINATION OF AWARD OR
AFFECTING FUTURE FUNDING
DECISIONS.
BUT OUR ULTIMATE GOAL IS THAT
THIS SHOULD BE VERY RARE.
WE DO NOT EXPECT THIS TO BE A
BIG ISSUE WITH OUR FUNDED
SCIENTISTS, SO WE WILL NOT WORRY
ABOUT IT TOO MUCH HOPEFULLY.
SO WHAT IS ACTUALLY CHANGING?
HERE I'M GOING TO DIG DOWN A BIT
MORE INTO THE DETAILS OF THE DMS
PLAN AND WHAT IT MIGHT INCLUDE.
SO ONE THING TO KEEP IN MIND IS
THAT THE DMS PLAN WILL BE A
SINGLE PLAN THAT ADDRESSES BOTH
GENOMIC DATA SHARING AS WELL AS
THE DMS POLICY.
SO IF YOU'RE PRODUCING LOTS OF
GENOMIC DATA AND YOU'RE FALLING
UNDER THE GENOMIC DATA SHARING
POLICY, THAT'S GOING TO BE
COMBINED WITH THE DMS POLICIES.
WHEN YOU PUT TOGETHER YOUR
APPLICATION AND GET READY TO
SUBMIT, YOU'RE GOING TO SUBMIT
THE DMS PLAN UNDER A NEW FIELD
CALLED OTHER PLANS.
IN THE PAST, WE JUST HAD THE
RESOURCE SHARING PLAN SECTION,
NOW WE HAVE A SECOND SHARING
SECTION.
IT'SING IF TO BE CALLED OTHER
PLANS.
THIS OTHER PLAN SECTION IS
REQUIRED.
YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SUBMIT
YOUR APPLICATION IF YOU DO NOT
HAVE A DMS PLAN UPLOADED INTO
THIS SECTION.
ALSO YOU'RE GOING TO PROVIDE A
BRIEF SUMMARY AND ASSOCIATED
COSTS WITH PART OF YOUR BUDGET
AND BUDGET JUSTIFICATION.
THIS WILL BE PART THAT IS PEER
REVIEWED.
PEER REVIEWERS WILL SEE THIS
BRIEF SUMMARY.
FOR MOST APPLICATIONS, FOR MOST
FOAs, THEY WILL NOT SEE THE
FULL DMS PLAN.
NOW MODEL ORGANISM AND RESEARCH
TOOL SHARING PLANS ARE GOING TO
REMAIN IN THE RESOURCE SHARING
PLAN SECTION, SO AGAIN, THIS IS
GOING TO BE DIVIDED OUT IN THE
APPLICATION TWO DIFFERENT PLACES
TO UPLOAD THE APPROPRIATE PLANS.
SO AS I KIND OF ALREADY
MENTIONED, MOST DMS PLANS WILL
ONLY BE REVIEWED BY PROGRAM
STAFF.
NOT BY PEER REVIEWERS.
AND IN FACT, MOST DMS PLANS WILL
BE REMOVED FROM THE APPLICATION,
SO PEER REVIEWERS CAN'T EVEN SEE
IT.
SO THIS WILL BE SOMETHING THAT
PROGRAM STAFF IS GOING TO LOOK
AT.
IF THERE ARE LIMITATIONS ON
SHARING, YOU NEED TO TALK ABOUT
THAT OR DESCRIBE THAT IN THE DMS
PLAN.
YOU DON'T PROVIDE ALTERNATIVE
DATA SHARING PLANS.
FOR BUDGET CONSIDERATIONS, IF
YOU'RE DOING A DETAILED BUDGET,
IT SHOULD HAVE ALLOWABLE COSTS
FOR ALL DATA TYPES SO EVERYTHING
TOGETHER.
AND COMPLIANCE, I ALREADY
MENTIONED THAT, IT'S GOING TO BE
HANDLED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE
DMS POLICY AND THE ENFORCEMENT
TERMS, BUT AGAIN, THE COMPLIANCE
HOPEFULLY WILL BE VERY RARE AND
LIMITED.
SO WHAT WOULD THESE PLANS
ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE?
THE NEXT TWO SLIDES, I'M GOING
TO GO THROUGH JUST BROADLY THAT
NIH WORD DOCUMENT THAT I
MENTIONED THAT'S AVAILABLE ON
THE SHARING.NIH.GOV WEBSITE THAT
CAN HELP YOU PUT TOGETHER YOUR
DMS PLAN.
SO ELEMENT ONE HAS SIX ELEMENTS.
ELEMENT ONE IS THE TYPE OF DATA,
SO YOU HAVE TO TALK ABOUT WHAT
KIND OF DATA.
EQUALLY IMPORTANT YOU NEED TO
TALK ABOUT METADATA OR OTHER
RELEVANT DATA AND ASSOCIATED
DOCUMENTATION THAT'S GOING TO
HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE DATA.
YOU ALSO WANT TO TALK ABOUT
WHY -- YOUR RATIONALE FOR WHY
THE DATA NEEDS TO BE PRESERVED
AND SHARED.
ELEMENT TWO IS ANY RELATED TOOLS
OR SOFTWARE CODE, SO BE EXPLICIT
ABOUT HOW PEOPLE CAN -- WHAT
SOFTWARE TOOLS THAT FOLKS NEED
TO ACTUALLY DO ANY WORK WITH
YOUR DATA.
WHERE OUR HOPE IS A LOT OF THESE
TOOLS WILL, OF COURSE, BE EASILY
PUBLICLY AVAILABLE, BUT IF YOU
MAKE SOME VERY SPECIFIC TOOLS,
WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THAT TOO.
WE ALSO NEED TO KNOW FOR EL
EMTHREE WHAELEMENTTHREE WHAT KIA
STANDARDS YOU'RE GOING TO BE
USING FOR YOUR DATA.
THIS HELPS, OF COURSE, MAKING
DATASETS INTEROPERABLE, AND WE
DO NEED TO SEE THE NAMES OF THE
ACTUAL DATA STANDARD THAT YOU'RE
GOING TO BE USING.
ELEMENT FOUR, DATA PRESERVATION
AND ACCESS.
SO WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO PUT
YOUR DATA, WHAT'S THE REPOSITORY
THAT YOU'RE GOING TO USE.
I MENTIONED THAT SHARING.NIH.GOV
WEBSITE.
THEY ACTUALLY PROVIDE A LIST OF
POSSIBLE REPOSITORIES YOU CAN
USE, BUT IT'S NOT EXCLUSIVE.
IF THERE ARE OTHER REPOSITORIES
THAT ARE MORE APPROPRIATE, YOU
CAN CERTAINLY LIST THOSE.
YOU ALSO NEED TO SAY HOW THE
DATA WILL BE FINDABLE AND
IDENTIFIABLE.
HOW WILL PEOPLE ACTUALLY GET TO
YOUR DATA.
AND ALSO WHEN AND HOW LONG THE
DATA WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE, SO
IN GENERAL, IT'S NO LATER THAN
TIME ASSOCIATED PUBLICATION OR
THE END OF THE PERFORMANCE
PERIOD, BUT OF COURSE DEPENDING
ON THE ACTUAL FUNDING
ANNOUNCEMENT YOU COME INTO, THAT
COULD CHANGE, SO IT DEPENDS A
BIT ABOUT WHERE YOU APPLY FOR
THE GRANT.
AND YOU ALSO WANT TO MAKE CLEAR
HOW LONG THE DATA WILL BE
AVAILABLE.
ELEMENT FIVE, ACCESS,
DISTRIBUTION OR RE-USE
CONSIDERATIONS.
ANYTHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH WHO
CAN ACCESS THE DATA AND HOW THEY
CAN USE IT.
THIS IS MOSTLY APPROPRIATE FOR
HUMAN SUBJECTS BASED RESEARCH,
PRIVACY AND CONFIDENTIALITY, BUT
IF THERE ARE RE-USE OR ACCESS OR
CONTROLLED DISTRIBUTION, WE NEED
TO KNOW WHAT THAT IS AND WHY.
THEN FINALLY, OVERSIGHT AND DATA
OF THE PLAN, WHO AT YOUR
INSTITUTION IS PROVIDING
OVERSIGHT OF THE PLAN TO MAKE
SURE YOU'RE SHARING DATA AS YOU
SAID YOU WOULD.
SO THIS WILL BE
INSTITUTION-SPECIFIC, OF COURSE
YOUR PROGRAM OFFICER WILL ALSO
BE PROVIDING SOME OVERSIGHT OF
YOUR PLAN ONCE A YEAR.
BUDGETS.
THIS IS AN NIH POLICY WHERE WE
ACTUALLY ARE THINKING THAT
PERHAPS YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO
BUDGET FOR EXTRA COSTS.
REASONABLE COSTS ARE ALLOWED IN
THE BUDGET REQUEST.
THEY MUST ONLY BE INCURRED
DURING THE PERFORMANCE PERIOD SO
THAT IS DURING THE PERIOD OF THE
GRANT ITSELF.
THIS CAN INCLUDE THINGS LIKE
PRESERVING AND SHARING DATA
THROUGH REPOSITORIES, CURATING
THE DATA, ANY LOCAL DATA
MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS.
KEEP IN MIND OUR ASSUMPTION THAT
SINCE GRANTEES ARE ALREADY DOING
A GREAT JOB OF SHARING THEIR
DATA, ANY ADDITIONAL COSTS FOR
SHARING WILL BE VERY MINIMAL.
YOU SHOULDN'T NEED MORE MONEY IF
YOU'VE ALREADY BEEN DOING IT.
SO WE ARE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT
WHAT PEOPLE ARE REQUESTING AND
NIH IN GENERAL IS GOING TO BE
LOOKING AT THAT BECAUSE IN
ESSENCE, WE DON'T REALLY KNOW
WHAT KIND OF COSTS ARE INCURRED.
NOT INCLUDING INFRASTRUCTURE
COSTS THAT MIGHT BE INVOLVED IN
INDIRECT COSTS AND ANY COSTS
ASSOCIATED WITH ROUTINE CONDUCT
OF RESEARCH.
SO LET ME SUMMARIZE THIS BY
SAYING NIGMS GRANTEES IN GENERAL
ALREADY MEET THE DATA SHARING
REQUIREMENTS.
THIS NEW PLAN WILL FORMALIZE
WHAT OUR GRANTEES ARE ALREADY
DOING.
AND OUR STAFF, IT WILL BE
WORKING WITH GRANTEES TO
MINIMIZE THE BURDEN ON PIs,
WHILE ENSURING THE DATA
GENERATED ARE WIDELY, FAIRLY AND
APPROPRIATELY SHARED WITH THE
BROAD SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY.
NATE AND I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON
SETTING UP AT NIGMS TO TALK
ABOUT THESE ISSUES AS THEY ARISE
WITH OUR PIs.
AND TO HELP COME UP WITH A BROAD
NIGMS ANSWER TO A LOT OF
QUESTIONS I'M SURE WE'LL BE
GETTING.
SO LET ME END THERE AND I'LL
OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS.
>>GREAT.
PEOPLE CAN TURN THEIR CAMERAS
BACK ON.
DAVID.
>>SO THANKS FOR ADDRESSING
THIS.
AS AN EXTRAMURAL INVESTIGATOR,
THIS IS THE THING RIGHT NOW THAT
HAS EVERYBODY'S ATTENTION AND
THEIR CONCERN.
I WILL SAY THAT YOU MAY BE
SURPRISED TO LEARN THAT IN THE
MOLECULAR SIMULATION COMMUNITY,
THIS IS A BIT OF A CHALLENGE
BECAUSE WE GENERATE REALLY LARGE
DATASETS, AND I HAVEN'T YET
FIGURED OUT WHAT I'LL DO TO MEET
THIS REQUIREMENT.
THAT BEING SAID, IN THE PAST
WHEN PEOPLE HAVE ASKED FOR
TRAJECTORIES FOR MOLECULAR
DYNAMICS, WE'VE MADE THEM
AVAILABLE AND FOUND A WAY TO
DISTRIBUTE IT BUT THERE'S NO
SINGLE REPOSITORY THAT MAKES
THESE DISCOVERABLE.
SO THAT'S STILL A CHALLENGE FOR
US.
>>YOU KNOW, THAT'S AN EXCELLENT
POINT AND I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE
EMPHASIZED THAT MORE IN THE
TALK, THAT PARTLY THE SHARING IS
BASED ON THE SCIENTIFIC
COMMUNITY THAT WE'RE TALKING
ABOUT OR SUBCOMMUNITY, SO EACH
SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY HAS
DIFFERENT EXPECTATIONS FOR DATA
SHARING.
SO PARTLY WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE
LEARNING IS WHAT THE COMMUNITY'S
EXPECTATIONS ARE ON HOW THINGS
WILL BE SHARED.
SO WE DON'T EXPECT EVERY
SCIENTIST TO SHARE THINGS IN THE
SAME WAY, IN THAT SENSE.
>>THAT'S REALLY HELPFUL HERE.
THANK YOU.
>>OTHER QUESTIONS FOR DARREN.
OKAY.
EXCELLENT.
THANK YOU, DARREN.
I THINK WE CAN ACTUALLY PROBABLY
DO THE NEXT SECTION BEFORE -- OR
HOW DO PEOPLE FEEL?
DO YOU WANT TO DO THE NEXT
SECTION OR HAVE A BREAK FIRST?
IF YOU WANT TO HAVE A BREAK,
RAISE YOUR HAND.
OKAY.
IT LOOKS LIKE PEOPLE CAN DO THE
NEXT SECTION.
SO WE'LL GO TO THAT AND THEN
WE'LL HAVE A BREAK.
ANDREW, I THINK YOU ARE NEXT.
>>ALL RIGHT.
HOPEFULLY EVERYONE CAN HEAR ME?
THANK YOU, EVERYBODY, FOR
JOINING AND FOR GIVING ME THE
OPPORTUNITY TO TALK A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT SOME OF THE EVALUATIONS
THAT WE'VE GOT UNDERWAY AT
NIGMS, AND THEN ALSO THE REQUEST
THAT WE HAVE FOR YOU TO HELP US
IN OUR EVALUATION EFFORTS ACROSS
THE INSTITUTE.
SO I'LL GIVE KIND OF AN OVERVIEW
OF EVALUATION AT NIGMS, WHAT THE
SPECIFIC ASKS THAT WE HAVE FOR
INTEGRATING COUNCIL'S INPUT AND
THIS WORKING GROUP REQUEST INTO
THE EVALUATION PROCESS AND ALSO
A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND
INFORMATION ON TWO OF THE
BACKGROUND PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE
HOPING TO EVALUATE THROUGH THIS
MECHANISM.
SO IN TERMS OF EVALUATION
OVERALL, I'M GOING TO START WITH
KIND OF WHY IS IT THAT -- WHAT'S
SORT OF THE GOVERNMENT
MOTIVATION AROUND CONDUCTING
EVALUATIONS AND MAKING USE OF
STATISTICAL EVIDENCE FOR POLICY
MAKING, SO THERE'S A LAW THAT
WAS PASSED IN 2018, WHICH YOU
CAN SEE THE LONG NAME OF IT,
FOUNDATIONS FOR EVIDENCE-BASED
POLICY MAKING ACT, IT'S
TYPICALLY KNOWN AS THE EVIDENCE
ACT INSTEAD, THAT BASICALLY
REQUIRES AGENCIES PLAN AND
DEVELOP STATISTICAL EVIDENCE TO
SUPPORT POLICY MAKING.
SO THERE'S A LEGISLATIVE
REQUIREMENT THAT'S ACTUALLY
BEING IMPLEMENTED RIGHT NOW TO
INTEGRATE EVALUATION AND
LEARNING AGENDAS AND ALL OF
THESE OTHER THINGS INTO THE DATA
PROCESSES OF AGENCIES OVERALL.
HOWEVER, EVALUATION HAS ACTUALLY
BEEN -- EVEN BEFORE THAT
EVIDENCE ACT WAS PASSED,
EVALUATIONS HAVE BEEN SORT OF A
KEY AS WECHT OF SOME OF THE WORK
THAT WE DO AT NIGMS, AND IT WAS
INCORPORATED AS A CROSS-CUTTING
THEME OF OUR 2021 TO 2025
STRATEGIC PLAN.
SO NOT ONLY IS THERE A NARRATIVE
THAT LINKS EVALUATION ACROSS ALL
OF OUR GOALS BUT WE ALSO HAVE A
NUMBER OF METRICS AND MEASURES
AND MILESTONES FOR THE STRATEGIC
PLAN THAT INCORPORATE BOTH THE
CONDUCTING OF EVALUATIONS,
MAKING USE OF THAT INFORMATION
TO MAKE DECISIONS, AS WELL AS
PUBLICIZING THE INFORMATION IN
THE EVALUATIONS THAT WE CONDUCT.
NOW, FOR SOME OF THE
EVALUATIONS, WE DO CONVENE A
WORKING GROUP OF COUNCIL AS AN
EVALUATION PANEL, AND WE
INCORPORATE REPRESENTATION FROM
EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS TO PROVIDE
INPUT AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO
COUNCIL ON THOSE PROGRAMS BASED
ON EVALUATION DATA THAT OUR TEAM
IN DMA PULLS TOGETHER AND HELPS
SORT OF SHEPPARD THAT PROCESS.
THE RESULTS OF ALL OF THESE
EVALUATIONS ARE AVAILABLE
PUBLICLY ON THE NIGMS WEBSITE AS
PART OF OUR EFFORTS TO PROMOTE
TRANSPARENCY IN THE WORK THAT
WE'RE DOING AND WHAT INFORMATION
IS BEING USED TO HELP INFORM
DECISIONS AT THE INSTITUTE.
THAT INCLUDES BOTH THE
EVALUATION REPORTS, THE LESSONS
LEARNED THAT WE GET FROM THE
REPORTS THEMSELVES, AND THEN
ALSO FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES SUCH
AS THE MATERIALS THAT YOU HEARD
FROM JOHN EARLI -- FROM JON ABOT
EARLIER TODAY AS THE SURE AND
SCORE PROGRAMS AS AN EXAMPLE OF
THAT AND YOU CAN SEE THAT ON OUR
WEBSITE.
SO I'M GOING TO FOCUS NOW ON
SORT OF THE ASK OF US TO HELP
GET INPUT FROM WORKING GROUPS OF
COUNCIL TO CONDUCT SOME OF THE
EVALUATIONS WE HAVE UPCOMING.
THE WORKING GROUPS THAT WE
IMPANEL GENERALLY COMPRISE
EXTRAMURAL REPRESENTATIVES THAT
HAVE EXPERIENCE RELATED TO THE
PROGRAMS BEING EVALUATED.
THEY INCLUDE AT LEAST ONE MEMBER
OF COUNCIL AND THE PROCESS BY
WHICH WE DO THIS IS OBVIOUSLY
WE'RE COMING TO YOU TO REQUEST
THE IMPANELING OF OUR WORKING
GROUP.
OUR TEAMS WITHIN NIGMS WILL THEN
START WORKING ON TRYING TO BUILD
SORT OF THE IDEA OF WHAT
COMPRISES THAT LEVEL OF
EXPERIENCE, EXPERTISE, AND
DIVERSITY OF OPINION ON THE
PANEL TO BE ABLE TO FORMULATE
IT.
SO THAT'S NOT EXPLICITLY
SOMETHING THAT COUNCIL HAS TO
SORT OF DO AS PART OF THE JOB.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN
HANDLE WITH INPUT.
THE PANELS THEMSELVES FOCUS ON
FOUR OVERARCHING QUESTIONS.
AND THOSE ARE, HAS THE PROGRAM
BEING EVALUATED -- THESE ARE
TRUE OF ALL OF OUR EVALUATIONS
THAT HAVE PANELS, SO THESE ARE
SORT OF THE OVERARCHING
QUESTIONS THAT EVERYONE'S ASKED
WITH SOME OF THE SPECIFICS OF
THEM BEING MORE TAILORED TO THE
GOALS OF AN INDIVIDUAL PROGRAM
OR THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF
CONTEXTS IN WHICH THE EVALUATION
IS TAKING PLACE.
SO THE FOUR QUESTIONS ARE, HAS
THE PROGRAM BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN
MEETING ITS STATED OBJECTIVES,
ARE THE STATE OF OBJECTIVES
APPROPRIATE FOR THE PROGRAM AND
ITS INTENDED IMPACTS?
CAN CERTAIN AREAS OF THE PROGRAM
BE OPTIMIZED, IMPROVED OR
STRENGTHENED?
AND THEN KIND OF TO WRAP
EVERYTHING UP TOGETHER, WHAT KEY
FINDINGS AND POTENTIAL
RECOMMENDATIRECOMMENDATIONS CANE
ABOUT THE PROGRAMS?
YOU'LL NOTICE THESE ARE KIND OF
FORMULATED AND BINARY YES/NO
QUESTIONS.
GENERALLY SPEAKING, WHEN THE
REPORTS COME OUT AND WHEN THE
INFORMATION IS LOOKED AT BY THE
PANEL, A MORE NUANCED PICTURE OF
WHAT'S ACTUALLY GOING ON AND
MORE DETAILS ABOUT WHAT THAT
MEANS AS OPPOSED TO JUST THE
YES/NO ANSWER IS GENERALLY WHAT
ENDS UP COMING OUT OF THESE
DISCUSSIONS.
THE DIVISION OF DATA INTEGRATION
MODELING AND ANALYTICS STAFF
OFTEN -- THAT WE PROVIDE DATA TO
THE WORKING GROUP TO AID IN
THESE DISCUSSIONS.
WE'VE BEEN DOING A LOT OF WORK
LOOKING AT SOME OF THIS
INFORMATION TO HELP PREPARE FOR
THE ASK SO THAT THAT WAY WE HAVE
MATERIALS THAT CAN BE USED TO
HELP PROMOTE THAT DISCUSSION AND
TO HELP MAKE THE WORK OF THE
WORKING GROUP EASIER IN THAT
REGARD.
THE WORKING GROUP THEN WILL
REPORT FINDINGS AND
RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE LARGER
OPEN COUNCIL OF NIGMS, AND THERE
HAVE BEEN A COUPLE CASES IN THE
PAST WHERE YOU MAY HAVE SEEN
SOME COUNCIL PRESENTATIONS WHERE
THAT'S BEEN A REPORT OUT.
THE MOST RECENT ONE, I BELIEVE,
WAS FOR THE NARCH PROGRAM.
WE PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION
PUBLICLY AFTER THAT OPEN SESSION
AND AFTER THE INPUT FROM THE
LARGER COUNCIL ON WHAT THE
WORKING GROUP HAS FOUND.
AND NOW -- SO THAT'S KIND OF
TALKING ABOUT THE OVERVIEW.
I'M GOING TO TRANSITION TO THE
TWO PROGRAMS WE'RE GOING TO BE
REQUESTING THE IMPANELING OF
WORKING GROUPS FOR.
THE FIRST PROGRAM WHICH IS
CALLED THE BRIDGES TO THE
BACCALAUREATE PROGRAM IS HOUSED
WITHIN OUR TRAINING WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT AND DIVERSITY
DIVISION.
AND THE B2B PROGRAM SUPPORTS
STUDENTS IN BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES
WHO ARE PLANNING A TRANSFER FROM
COMMUNITY COLLEGE TO
BACHELOR'S DEGREE INSTITUTIONS.
ONE OF THE CURRENT GOALS IS TO
ACTUALLY THEN COMPLETE THE
FOUR-YEAR DEGREE.
THESE PROGRAMS INCLUDE
PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN THOSE
TWO-YEAR ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE
GRANTING INSTITUTIONS OR
COMMUNITY COLLEGES AND THE FOUR
YEARS BACHELOR'S DEGREE
INSTITUTIONS.
PARTICIPATING INSTITUTIONS WORK
TOWARDS DEVELOPING AND EXPANDING
ACTIVITIES THAT ENHANCE THAT
PROGRAM'S ABILITIES TO SUPPORT
THOSE TRANSITIONS FOR COMMUNITY
COLLEGE STUDENTS AND THEN ALSO
TO ENHANCE THE COMPETITIVENESS
OF SCIENCE GRADUATES FOR FUTURE
CAREERS.
AND THEN THE LAST NOTE, ON THIS
ONE, PARTICIPATING INSTITUTIONS
ARE ASKED TO CONDUCT SELF
ASSESSMENTS OF RATES OF
ENROLLMENT, TRANSFER RESEARCH
EDUCATION EXPERIENCES AND
GRADUATION OF STUDENTS FROM
DIFFERENT GROUPS RELATIVE TO
THEIR OWN INSTITUTIONAL
BASELINE, SO A LOT OF THE
INFORMATION THAT'S PROVIDED IS
RELATED TO THOSE TYPES OF
OUTCOMES FOR THAT PROGRAM.
THE OTHER PROGRAM THAT WE'RE
HOPING TO EVALUATE AND
INCORPORATE A WORKING GROUP OF
COUNCIL IS THE IDEA NETWORK OF
BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH EXCELLENCE.
SO THE INBRE PROGRAM PROVIDES
STATEWIDE NETWORKS FOR THE
DEVELOP M, COORDINATION AND
SHARING OF RESEARCH RESOURCES
AND EXPERTISE.
IT IS PART OF THE OVERARCHING
INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT AWARD
PROGRAM THAT'S MANAGED BY NIGMS,
AND IT'S ONE OF THREE OF THE
LARGER COMPONENTS OF THAT
OVERARCHING PROGRAM.
SO THE FOCUS HERE IS ON BUILDING
THOSE NETWORKS AS OPPOSED TO
OTHER PROGRAMS WHICH MAY FOCUS
ON CERTAIN CENTERS OF BIOMEDICAL
RESEARCH EXCELLENCE OR ON
CLINICAL TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH.
NEXT, SO EACH IDEA STATE
CURRENTLY HAS ONE INBRE AWARD
WITH THE IDEA THAT THAT COVERS
THE ENTIRE STATE'S NETWORK.
THOSE GRANTS CAN INCLUDE
ADMINISTRATIVE, DATA SCIENCE AND
RESEARCH CORES ALONG WITH
DEVELOPMENTAL RESEARCH PROJECT
AND STUDENT RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
PROGRAMS, SO THERE'S A LARGE
SWATH OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF
ACTIVITIES THAT THESE PROGRAMS
CAN CONDUCT AS PART OF THE
NETWORK BUILDING AND CAPACITY
BUILDING ACTIVITY.
THE NETWORKS THEMSELVES INCLUDE
PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN RESEARCH
INTENSIVE INSTITUTIONS AND ALSO
PRIMARILY UNDERGRADUATE
INSTITUTIONS, COMMUNITY
COLLEGES, AND TRIBALLY
CONTROLLED COLLEGES AND
UNIVERSITIES.
SO THIS NETWORK IS DESIGNED TO
COVER A LARGE SWATH OF SORT OF
THE EDUCATIONAL AND RESEARCH
ECOSYSTEM IN THOSE STATES.
SO THAT'S KIND OF AN OVERVIEW OF
BOTH OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WE ARE
HOPING TO HAVE -- OR THAT WE'RE
HOPING TO EVALUATE OVER THE
COURSE OF THE NEXT YEAR.
AND I THINK THAT THAT'S THE END
OF MY SLIDE DECK, SO IF THERE
ARE ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS OR
THOUGHTS, I WELCOME THEM.
>>SO AGAIN THE GOAL HERE IS
THAT WE NEED COUNCIL'S APPROVAL
TO IMPANEL THESE TWO WORKING
GROUPS, BUT CERTAINLY IF YOU
HAVE ANY INPUT AT THIS STAGE,
WE'LL TAKE A VOTE IN A MINUTE,
BUT IF YOU HAVE ANY INPUT AT
THIS STAGE, WE'D LOVE TO HEAR
IT.
DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THERE'S INPUT,
SO ERICA?
>>OKAY.
SO THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE'RE
VOTING, SO I'LL SET SOME OF THE
GROUND RULES HERE.
SO TO KEEP THE VOTING PROCEDURES
AS STREAMLINED IN THIS VIRTUAL
ENVIRONMENT FOR THOSE OF WHO YOU
HAVE BEEN WITH US BEFORE, YOU'LL
KNOW THAT I WILL CALL FOR A
MOTION AND THEN ASK FOR ANY
OPPOSITION TO THE MOTION.
THAT'S JUST EASIER TO MANAGE
VIRTUALLY.
AND WHAT YOU'LL DO IS YOU'LL
RAISE YOUR HAND, USING THE RAISE
HAND FEATURE IN ZOOM.
IF YOU OBJECT TO THE MOTION.
SO FIRST WE WILL CONSIDER THE
BRIDGES TO THE BACCALAUREATE
PROGRAM.
I MOVE WE APPROVE THIS PLAN FOR
THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A WORKING
GROUP.
ARE ANY OPPOSED?
PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND USING THE
ZOOM FEATURE.
OKAY.
LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE UNANIMOUS
APPROVAL FOR THAT.
AND THEN FOR THE INBR EVIDENT, I
MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THIS PLAN
FOR ESTABLISHMENT OF A WORKING
GROUP.
ARE ANY OPPOSED?
OKAY, APPROVAL FOR THAT AS WELL.
THANK YOU.
>>SO OF COURSE THIS MEANS THAT
SOME OF YOU WILL BE ASKED TO BE
ON THESE WORKING GROUPS.
SO HOPEFULLY THAT WAS CLEAR TO
YOU IN ADVANCE, BUT -- IF NOT,
YOU NOW KNOW.
SO WE HAVE SOMEHOW MANAGED TO
GET RIGHT BACK ON TIME, SO WE'RE
NOW GOING TO TAKE A 10-MINUTE
BREAK.
IF YOU CAN COME BACK AT 11:25,
WE WILL DO THE CONCEPT
CLEARANCES AND ASSOCIATED
DISCUSSION.
SO SEE YOU AT 11:25.
AS A REMINDER, IF WE WANT TO
REISSUE AN EXISTING PROGRAM OR
START A NEW PROGRAM, WE NEED TO
DISCUSS IT WITH COUNCIL, GET
YOUR FEEDBACK, AND THEN GET YOUR
FORMAL APPROVAL TO PROCEED WITH
THAT.
SO WE'RE GOING TO SEE TWO
DIFFERENT FLAVORS OF CONCEPT
CLEARANCES HERE.
THE FIRST WHICH WE'LL DO FAIRLY
QUICKLY WILL BE PROGRAMS WE
ALREADY HAVE RUNNING AND THAT WE
ARE JUST REISSUING WITH LITTLE
TO NO CHANGES TO THE PROGRAMS.
SO WE'LL GO THROUGH THOSE.
THEN WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A
COMPLETELY NEW PROGRAM THAT YOU
WILL -- WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE A
LITTLE MORE DISCUSSION ABOUT,
AND THEN WE'LL ASK AGAIN FOR
APPROVAL OF THAT ONE.
SO WITHOUT ANY FURTHER ADO, NEXT
SLIDE, PLEASE.
THE FIRST TWO PROGRAMS, WHICH
AGAIN WE ARE HOPING TO REISSUE
WITH NO SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES ARE
THE PREDOCTORAL DIVERSITY
ENHASMENT PROGRAMS, G-RISE AND
IMSD.
THE PURPOSE IS TO DEVELOP A
DIVERSE POOL OF SCIENTISTS
EARNING EARNING PH.D.s WHO HAVEE
SKILLS TO SUCCESSFULLY
TRANSITION INTO CAREERS INTO THE
BIOWORKFORCE.
TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT
EFFECTIVE EVIDENCE AND FORMED
APPROACHES TO BIOLOGICAL
GRADUATE TRAINING AND MENTORING
THAT KEEP PACE WITH THE RAPID
EVOLUTION OF THE BIOMEDICAL
RESEARCH ENTERPRISE.
AND WE ACTUALLY HAD A DISCUSSION
EARLIER ABOUT SOME OF THAT
EVOLUTION IN TERMS OF THE
POSTDOCTORAL LANDSCAPE.
NIGMS EXPECTS THAT THE PROPOSED
RESEARCH TRAINING PROGRAMS WILL
INCORPORATE DIDACTIC ELEMENTS,
RESEARCH, MENTORING AND CAREER
DEVELOPMENT TO PREPARE TRAINEES
FOR CAREERS THAT WILL HAVE A
SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE
HEALTH-RELATED RESEARCH NEEDS OF
THE COUNTRY.
THE REASON THERE ARE TWO
PROGRAMS THAT ARE BOTH DOING THE
SAME THING IS THAT THEY ARE
TARGETING DIFFERENT INSTITUTION
TYPES.
AND THE ELIGIBILITY IS BASED ON
THE AMOUNT OF NIH RESEARCH
PROJECT GRANT FUNDING THAT THE
INSTITUTION HAS GOTTEN EACH YEAR
OVER THE LAST THREE FISCAL
YEARS.
SO FOR INSTITUTIONS THAT AVERAGE
LESS THAN 7 1/2 MILLION DOLLARS
IN RESEARCH PROJECT GRANT
FUNDING FROM NIH OVER THOSE
THREE YEARS, THOSE ARE
INSTITUTIONS THAT WE DESIGNATE
AS RESEARCH-ACTIVE INSTITUTIONS,
AND THEY ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THE
G-RISE PROGRAM, THE GRADUATE
RESEARCH TRAINING INITIATIVE FOR
STUDENT DEVELOPMENT.
FOR STUDENT ENHANCEMENT.
SORRY.
FOR INSTITUTIONS THAT HAVE HAD
GREATER THAN $7.5 MILLION IN RPG
FUNDING OVER THE THREE YEARS ON
AVERAGE, THOSE ARE INSTITUTIONS
WE CALL RESEARCH-INTENSIVE, AND
THEY'RE ELIGIBLE FOR THE
INITIATIVE FOR MAXIMIZING
STUDENT DEVELOPMENT, IMSD.
WE'RE PLANNING TO REISSUE THOSE
PROGRAMS WITH NO SUBSTANTIAL
CHANGES.
I'LL JUST REMIND YOU THAT G-RISE
IS TRANSITIONING -- AND IMSD ARE
TRANSITIONING TO T-32s.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT
THAT PROGRAM?
THEN I NEED TO TAKE A VOTE, OR
ERICA, YOU NEED TO TAKE A VOTE.
>>RIGHT.
SO I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THESE
CONCEPTS FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENT
AS A FOA.
ANYONE OPPOSED?
AGAIN, YOU RAISE YOUR HANDS
USING THE ZOOM FEATURE.
THE MOTION IS UNANIMOUSLY
APPROVED.
>>EXCELLENT.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
THE NEXT ONE IS THE NIGMS HUMAN
GENETIC CELERY SUPPOSITORY,
HGCR.
THIS IS A LONGSTANDING
NIGMS-FUNDED REPOSITORY, THE
PURPOSE OF WHICH IS TO SUPPORT A
REPOSITORY THAT ACQUIRES CELL
SAMPLES FROM BOTH HEALTHY
INDIVIDUALS AS WELL AS THOSE
AFFECTED BY YES NE TICK
DISORDERS, AND ALSO FROM
DISTINCT POPULATIONS.
THE REPOSITORY WILL MAINTAIN THE
CURRENT COLLECTION OF CELL
CULTURES AND DNA SAMPLES,
ACQUIRE, CHARACTERIZE AND EXPAND
HIGH QUALITY CELL SAMPLES,
DISTRIBUTE CELL LINES AND DNA
ISOLATED FROM THEM TO QUALIFIED
BIOMEDICAL RESEARCHERS, AND
PROVIDE ADDITIONAL CUSTOM
SERVICES AS REQUESTED BY THE
SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY AND
INDICATED BY SCIENTIFIC
DEVELOPMENTS.
NO SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES ARE
PLANNED TO THIS FOA.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS A
LONGSTANDING RESOURCE THAT IS
QUITE ROBUSTLY UTILIZED BY BOTH
THE ACADEMIC RESEARCH COMMUNITY
AS WELL AS INDUSTRY.
FOR THEIR RESEARCH NEEDS.
ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT?
OKAY, ERICA.
>>I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THIS
CONCEPT FOR FURTHER FOA
DEVELOPMENT.
ARE ANY OPPOSED?
THE MOTION IS UNANIMOUSLY
APPROVED.
>>OKAY.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
NOW THE NEXT THREE CONCEPTS ARE
FOR PROGRAMS THAT ARE
COLLABORATIONS WITH THE NATIONAL
SCIENCE FOUNDATION.
AND I WANT TO JUST GIVE YOU A
LITTLE OVERVIEW OF HOW OUR
COLLABORATIONS WITH THE NSF
WORK.
THE WAY THEY WORK IS NSF PUTS
OUT WHAT THEY CALL SOLICITATION,
WHAT WE CALL OUR FOA, FOR
APPLICATIONS.
THEY'RE SUBMITTED TO THE NSF.
WE HIGHLIGHT THEM IN AN NIH
GUIDE NOTICE, SO THERE'S ALSO AN
NIH NOTICE OF THIS PROGRAM THAT
POINTS TO THE NSF SOLICITATION.
THE NSF REVIEWS THE APPLICATIONS
IN COLLABORATION WITH NIGMS OR
IN SOME CASES OTHER NIH
SCIENTIFIC REVIEW OFFICERS.
AFTER THE REVIEW, AN NIH SCORE
AND SUMMARY STATEMENT IS
GENERATED BY NIGMS REVIEW
OFFICERS.
SO THERE'S BOTH AN NSF VERSION
AND NIH VERSION.
PROGRAM OFFICERS FROM BOTH
AGENCIES THEN ASSESS THE
REVIEWED APPLICATIONS AND DECIDE
WHICH ONES ARE OF INTEREST TO
NSF VERSUS TO NIH.
APPLICATIONS OF INTEREST TO
NIGMS THEN COME TO YOU TO
UNDERGO COUNCIL REVIEW IN THE
CLOSED SESSION, AND THEN WE MAKE
FUNDING CONSIDERATIONS FOR THOSE
TOGETHER WITH THE REGULAR NIH
R01 GRANTS THAT COME TO NIGMS.
SO THAT'S HOW THESE PROGRAMS ARE
SET UP.
THE FIRST ONE IS THE NEW VERSION
OF WHAT WAS CALLED SCISIPBIO,
NOW A SCIENCE OF SCIENCE
APPROACH TO ANALYZING AND
INNOVATING THE BIOMEDICAL
RESEARCH ENTERPRISE FOR SOS:BIO.
HAVE TO SAY, DON'T LOVE THE
ACRONYM SOS, BUT I WASN'T THE
ONE WHO CAME UP WITH IT.
AND WE'LL JUST HAVE TO GO WITH
IT.
THE PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM IS TO
DEVELOP A PORTFOLIO OF HIGH
QUALITY RESEARCH TO SUPPORT
RESEARCH AND ANAL SIZ OF ANALYSE
IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF THE
BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH ENTERPRISE
IN EFFORTS TO FOSTER A DIVERSE
INNOVATIVE PRODUCTIVE AND
EFFICIENT SCIENTIFIC WORKFORCE
FROM WHICH FUTURE RESEARCH
DISCOVERIES AND SCIENTIFIC
LEADERS WILL EMERGE.
AS I MENTIONED, THIS USED TO BE
CALLED SCISIPBIO.
THE NAME HAS BEEN UPDATED TO
ALIGN WITH THE BROADER NAME OF
THE DISCOVERY COMMUNICATION
IMPACT PROGRAM, SO THEY HAVE
THEIR BROADER PROGRAM, THIS IS A
SUBPROGRAM OF THAT.
WE DON'T PLAN OTHER THAN THE
NAME CHANGE ANY SUBSTANTIAL
CHANGES TO THIS PROGRAM.
THIS IS A PROGRAM THAT I THINK
THERE'S QUITE A LOT OF INTEREST
GOVERNMENT-WIDE AS KIND OF THE
OVERALL CONCEPT OF META SCIENCE
GROWS, AND ANDREW MENTIONED THE
EVIDENCE ACT, FOR EXAMPLE, AND I
THINK THIS REALLY IN SOME WAYS
FITS QUITE WELL WITH THE GOALS
OF THE EVIDENCE ACT OF REALLY
INTERROGATING GOVERNMENT
PROGRAMS TO ASSESS HOW WELL
THEY'RE ACTUALLY FUNCTIONING AND
THEN USING THAT INFORMATION TO
MAKE CHANGES TO THEM AS
NECESSARY.
ERICA.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON
THAT PROGRAM?
>>OKAY.
I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THIS
CONCEPT FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENT
AS AN FOA.
ARE ANY OPPOSED?
THE MOTION IS UNANIMOUSLY
APPROVED.
>>THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO THE NEXT ONE IS ANOTHER
LONG-STANDING -- THIS IS
ACTUALLY EVEN LONGER STANDING
COLLABORATION WITH THE NSF, AND
THIS IS WITH THEIR DIVISION OF
MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES AND IT'S
THE JOINT DMS NIGMS INITIATIVE
TO SUPPORT RESEARCH AT THE
INTERFACE OF THE BIOLOGICAL AND
MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES, ALSO
CALLED THE BIOMATH PROGRAM.
THIS SUPPORTS FUNDAMENTAL
RESEARCH IN MATHEMATICS AND
STATISTICS TO ADDRESS QUESTIONS
IN THE BIOLOGICAL AND BIOMEDICAL
SCIENCES.
IT ENHANCES COLLABORATION
BETWEEN THE MATHEMATICAL SIGH
INS COMMUNITY AND THE BIOMEDICAL
RESEARCH COMMUNITY.
IT ENCOURAGES NEW COLLABORATIONS
AND INNOVATIVE ACTIVITY BY
EXISTING COLLABORATIVE TEAMS,
AND NIGMS'S HOPE IS THAT WHAT
THIS WILL DO FOR US IS TO BRING
MATHEMATICIANS AND STATISTICIANS
INTO THE NIH FUNDING ECOSYSTEM,
PEOPLE WHO OTHERWISE PROBABLY
WOULD NOT HAVE THOUGHT TO APPLY
OR KNOWN HOW TO APPLY TO NIH FOR
FUNDING.
WE HAVE NO SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES
TO THIS AS WELL.
ARE THERE ANY THOUGHT OR
QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS?
OKAY.
ERICA?
>>I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THIS
CONCEPT FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENT
AS AN FOA.
ARE ANY OPPOSED?
THE MOTION IS UNANIMOUSLY
APPROVED.
>>OKAY.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
AND THEN THE LAST COLLABORATION
WITH NSF IS THE RESEARCH
COLLABORATORY FOR STRUCTURAL
BIOINFORMATICS, OTHERWISE KNOWN
AS THE PROTEIN DATA BANK, THE
PBD.
PROBABLY MOST OF YOU ARE
FAMILIAR WITH THE PBD.
THE PURPOSE IS TO SERVE AS THE
PRIMARY INTERNATIONAL REPOSITORY
FOR EXPERIMENTALLY DETERMINING
MACRO PLEK NAR DATA.
THE RESEARCH ALSO SUPPORTS
EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES AND
PUBLIC OUTREACH RELATED TO
STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY.
THIS IS A PARTNERSHIP AS I SAID
WITH NSF, BUT ALSO NCI, NIAID,
AND THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY,
THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
PROVIDES SUPPORT ALONG WITH
NIGMS FOR THE PROGRAM.
NO SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES ARE
PROPOSED.
I THINK THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS
PARTICULAR PROGRAM IS
UNDERSCORED BY THE DISCUSSION WE
WERE HAVING OF THE DATA
MANAGEMENT AND SHARING PLANS.
THIS IS A DEFINED REPOSITORY
USING CLEAR STANDARDS THAT THE
COMMUNITY CAN USE TO PUT THEIR
STRUCTURAL DATA AND ALLOW
SHARING OF THOSE DATA IN A VERY
WELL ORGANIZED WAY.
ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PDB?
OKAY.
ERICA?
>>I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THIS
CONCEPT FOR NIGMS COLLABORATION
IN THIS PROGRAM.
ARE ANY OPPOSED?
OKAY.
WE'RE UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED
AGAIN.
>>NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO THAT IS THAT.
THEN WE'RE NOW GOING TO
TRANSITION TO A NEW PROGRAM.
AND THIS PROGRAM -- CAN I HAVE
THE NEXT SLIDE SET, PLEASE.
THIS IS ANOTHER ONE OF THE UNITE
INITIATIVES.
DO WE HAVE THE SLIDES FOR THIS?
THANK YOU, DAVIDED.
DAVID.
SO THIS IS ANOTHER ONE OF THE
UNITE INITIATIVES, AN NIH WIDE
INITIATIVE DESIGNED TO ADDRESS
STRUCTURAL RACISM WITHIN THE
BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH WORKFORCE.
IT HAS A NUMBER OF COMPONENTS.
ONE OF THEM IS THE UNITE E
COMMITTEE, WHICH IS FOCUSED ON
THE EXTRAMURAL ECOSYSTEM.
AND I AM ONE OF THE CO-CHAIRS OF
THAT COMMITTEE.
YOU HAVE SEEN SEVERAL CONCEPT
CLEARANCES FOR UNITE INITIATIVES
IN THE PAST FEW ROUNDS.
AND THIS IS ANOTHER ONE, WHICH
IS TARGETED AT RESEARCH CAPACITY
BUILDING TO ENHANCE DIVERSITY OF
THE NIH-FUNDED WORKFORCE.
SO THE UNITE E COMMITTEE TACKLED
FOUR SPECIFIC AREAS TH.
THE THIRD WAS INEQUITIES AT THE
NIH IN TERMS OF OUR POLICIES AND
PROCEDURES.
AND THE FOURTH IS RESEARCH
RESOURCES AND CAPACITY AT
MINORITY SERVING INSTITUTIONS.
AND THAT IS THE SPECIFIC DOMAIN
THAT THIS PARTICULAR INITIATIVE
AIMS TO ADDRESS.
SO BUILDING RESEARCH CAPACITY.
THIS IS SOMETHING NIGMS HAS A
CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF
EXPERIENCE IN.
WE HAVE AN ENTIRE DIVISION OF
RESEARCH CAPACITY BUILDING SO
BOTH AT NIGMS, ELSEWHERE AT NIH
AND THROUGH OTHER PROGRAMS
FUNDED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
AND PRIVATE FOUNDATIONS, A FAIR
AMOUNT OF UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT
IS REQUIRED FOR BUILDING
RESEARCH CAPACITY HAS BEEN
DEVELOPED.
SO THIS IS CLEARLY A
MULTIFACTORIAL PROCESS AND
REQUIRES A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT
INTERRELATED AND
INTERFUNCTIONING THINGS TO
HAPPEN.
THERE NEEDS TO BE A COMMITMENT
TO DEVELOPING THE RESEARCH
CULTURE AT THE INSTITUTION,
THERE NEEDS TO BE A COMMITMENT
TO DEVELOPING RESEARCH
EXPERTISE, THE FACILITIES,
EQUIPMENT, SUPPLIES, AND FINDING
APPROPRIATE FUNDING
OPPORTUNITIES AND PROVIDING
APPROPRIATE INSTITUTIONAL
SUPPORT.
IN ADDITION TO THOSE THINGS,
THERE HAS TO BE SUFFICIENT
FACULTY AND STAFF TIME DEDICATED
TO RESEARCH IN ORDER TO SUSTAIN
A RESEARCH ENTERPRISE IN AN
INSTITUTION.
THERE HAS TO BE ATTENTION PAID
TO DEVELOPING THE GRANT-WRITING
SKILLS OF THE FACULTY AND
STUDENTS AT THE INSTITUTION.
AND VERY IMPORTANTLY, THERE HAS
TO BE A SPONSORED PROGRAMS
ADMINISTRATION FUNCTION THAT
OPERATES WITHIN THE INSTITUTION.
AND THIS IS SOMETHING I REALLY
WANT TO EMPHASIZE BECAUSE WE
HAVE BEEN INCREASINGLY MADE
AWARE OF THIS AS A PAIN POINT
FOR INSTITUTIONS THAT ARE TRYING
TO BUILD THEIR RESEARCH
CAPACITY, THAT THEY EITHER HAVE
NO SPONSORED PROGRAMS
ADMINISTRATION OFFICE
WHATSOEVER, OR THEY HAVE A VERY
LIMITED ONE, AND YOU KNOW,
PROBABLY EVERYONE ON COUNCIL'S
INSTITUTIONS HAVE VERY ROBUST
SPONSORED PROGRAMS
ADMINISTRATIONS OFFICES THAT DO
MUCH OF THE WORK WHEN YOU ARE
SUBMITTING A GRANT, WHEN YOU ARE
ADMINISTERING THE GRANTS THAT
YOU RECEIVE.
BUT JUST TRY TO IMAGINE WHAT IT
WOULD BE LIKE TO BE A FACULTY
MEMBER AT AN INSTITUTION THAT
HAD NO SPONSORED PROGRAMS IN THE
ADMINISTRATION OFFICE, HOW WOULD
YOU APPLY FOR A GRANT?
YOU'D HAVE TO DO ALL THAT WORK
YOURSELF OR BEG SOMEBODY TO HELP
YOU DO IT.
AND THAT WOULD OBVIOUSLY BE A
HUGE DETRIMENT TO YOUR ABILITY
TO APPLY FOR AND GET AND OPERATE
GRANTS.
SO ALL THESE ELEMENTS REQUIRE
MONEY AND TIME TO ESTABLISH OR
GROW, AND IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT,
INSTITUTIONAL RESOURCES
TYPICALLY IN ACADEMIA ARRIVE
FROM SEVERAL SOURCES, THE FIRST
BEING TUITION, THE SECOND BEING
DONORS AND PHILANTHROPY, WHICH
LEADS TO ENDOWMENTS THAT ALREADY
EXIST, AND THOSE ENDOWMENTS
GENERATE INCOME.
AND THEN INDIRECT COSTS FROM
GRANTS THAT THE INSTITUTION
RECEIVES.
IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT FOR
INSTITUTIONS THAT ARE
UNDERRESOURCED AND HAVE VERY LOW
RESEARCH CAPACITY AT THE MOMENT,
IN MANY CASES, THEY DERIVE ALL
OF THEIR OPERATING BUDGET FROM
TUITION.
THAT IS OBVIOUSLY VERY DIFFICULT
TO THEN USE -- TO FIND THE FUNDS
TO GROW THE THINGS IN THE BULLET
ABOVE.
IT'S ALSO BEEN OBSERVED THAT
IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO, IN A
SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, GROW
RESEARCH CAPACITY, AND A
SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME IS
REQUIRED TO REALLY MAKE A CHANGE
IN THE RESEARCH CAPACITY OF AN
INSTITUTION.
SOME STUDIES HAVE SAID 11 YEARS
IS NEEDED TO MAKE A SIGNIFICANT
IMPACT ON RESEARCH CAPACITY.
SO THAT'S A BENCHMARK TO THINK
ABOUT.
A DECADE IS WHAT IT TAKES TO
REALLY CHANGE AN INSTITUTION'S
ABILITY TO SUPPORT AND CONDUCT
RESEARCH.
SO LESSONS LEARNED FROM PREVIOUS
PROGRAMS AT NIGMS AND ELSEWHERE.
MAINTAINING CAPACITY AFTER A
SINGLE ROUND OF GRANT FUNDING IS
A CHALLENGE.
THAT GOES TO THAT POINT ABOUT IT
TAKES BASICALLY A DECADE TO MAKE
A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE.
FOUR OR FIVE-YEAR GRANT IS
REALLY NOT ENOUGH TO MAKE
LANGEVIN LMAKE LONGLASTING CHAND
SUS AT THE NAS IS REQUIRED.
IN ORDER TO GET THE CAPACITY TO
GET THE GRANTS, WHICH ARE THEN
GOING TO HELP SUPPORT THIS
RESEARCH CAPACITY THROUGH THINGS
LIKE INDIRECT COSTS, TIME IS
REQUIRED.
MANY INSTITUTIONS, AND THIS IS
NOT JUST SPECIFIC TO
UNDERRESOURCED OR MINORITY
SERVING INSTITUTIONS BUT WE'RE
HEARING THIS EVEN FROM VERY WELL
RESOURCED INSTITUTIONS, THAT
THEY HAVE A HARD TIME THESE DAYS
HIRING, TRAINING AND RETAINING
SPONSORED PROGRAMS AND RESEARCH
DEVELOPMENT PERSONNEL.
IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, THIS IS A
FAIRLY SPECIALIZED FUNCTION.
NIGMS, WE HAVE A HUGE EXTREMELY
TALENTED GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO
SPEND THEIR TIME ON GRANTS
ADMINISTRATION, AND MAKE IT
POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO GET GRANTS
AND THEN ADMINISTER THEM
APPROPRIATELY.
INSTITUTIONS NEED TO HAVE A
RECIPROCAL GROUP OF PEOPLE WITH
THAT SAME KIND OF EXPERTISE
DOING IT ON THEIR END FOR THE
SYSTEM TO FUNCTION, AND IF THEY
DON'T HAVE IT ON THEIR END, IT'S
VERY DIFFICULTMENT AND WE'RE
HEARING MORE AND MORE THAT IT'S
HARD FOR INSTITUTIONS TO FIND
AND RETAIN THOSE KINDS OF PEOPLE
AND CERTAINLY IT'S EVEN HARDER
FOR INSTITUTIONS THAT ARE
STARTING FROM A BASELINE CLOSE
TO ZERO.
NOW, A REALLY IMPORTANT CONCEPT,
AND THIS CAME UP IN OUR PREVIOUS
DISCUSSIONS EARLIER, IS THAT NOT
ALL INSTITUTIONS ARE EVER GOING
TO BE FUNCTIONING AT THE LEVEL
OF A RESEARCH-INTENSIVE
INSTITUTION IN TERMS OF THEIR
RESEARCH CAPACITY, BUT THAT
DOESN'T MEAN THAT BEING ABLE TO
SUSTAIN SOME SIGNIFICANT
RESEARCH EFFORT WOULDN'T REALLY
BE BENEFICIAL TO THE INSTITUTION
AND ITS STUDENTS.
BUT WE DO NEED TO RECOGNIZE THAT
THERE ARE MANY INSTITUTIONS THAT
ARE JUST -- YOU KNOW, THEY'RE
NOT GOING TO HAVE THE NUMBER OF
GRANTS THAT WILL MAKE IT
POSSIBLE OR NECESSARY FOR THEM
TO HAVE THEIR OWN SIGNIFICANT
OFFICE OF SPONSORED PROGRAMS TO
ADMINISTER THOSE GRANTS.
SO WE DO NEED TO THINK ABOUT
OTHER MODELS AND THIS CAME UP
EARLIER OF, FOR INSTANCE,
SHARING OF ADMINISTRATIVE
RESOURCES AND IT WOULD BE
INTERESTING TO TALK ABOUT
WHETHER THAT'S FEASIBLE OR NOT.
CAN MULTIPLE INSTITUTIONS BE IN
A REGION OR EVEN VIRTUALLY SHARE
THE EXPERTISE NEEDED TO MAINTAIN
A SPONSORED PROGRAMS OFFICE
AMONGST A GROUP OF INSTITUTIONS.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
SOME INSTITUTIONS NEED
ADDITIONAL SUPPORT BEYOND JUST
THAT SPONSORED PROGRAMS
DEVELOPMENT PIECE.
THAT'S OBVIOUSLY A CRITICAL
PIECE.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE THAT, IT'S
PRETTY HARD TO APPLY FOR AND
OPERATE GRANTS, BUT THERE ARE
OTHER ISSUES IN BUILDING
RESEARCH CAPACITY, OF COURSE.
SO THINGS LIKE PROVIDING PILOT
RESEARCH FUNDING, SO THAT
FACULTY CAN GET SOME PRELIMINARY
DATA SO THAT THEY HAVE A CHANCE
OF ACTUALLY GETTING A GRANT AND
THEY CAN GET THEIR LABS UP AND
RUNNING.
AND ANOTHER ISSUE RELATED TO
THAT IS THE TIME THAT IS
REQUIRED OF MANY FACULTY TO
TEACH.
SOME INSTITUTIONS REQUIRE 100%
OF THE FACULTY TIME BE DEDICATED
TO TEACHING, AND OF COURSE THAT
MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE AT LEAST
DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR TO GET
ANY PRELIMINARY DATA, WRITE
GRANTS, MENTOR STUDENTS IN YOUR
LAB, ET CETERA.
AND SO FINDING WAYS TO BALANCE
THAT AND TO REASONABLY REDUCE
TEACHES LOADS WITHOUT, OF
COURSE, DAMAGING THE TEACHING
MISSION OF THE INSTITUTION
UNNECESSARILY ARE THINGS WE ALSO
NEED TO THINK ABOUT IN THIS
PROGRAM.
SO KIND OF SUMMARIZING ALL OF
THESE CONSIDERATIONS, RESEARCH
CAPACITY IS REALLY A CONTINUUM,
ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE, THESE
ARE THE RESEARCH-INTENSIVE
INSTITUTIONS, THEY HAVE THE
HIGHEST CAPACITY, THEY'RE LARGE
INSTITUTIONS, THEY HAVE LARGE
NUMBERS OF BIOMEDICAL GRADUATE
STUDENTS AND POSTDOCS THAT WE
WERE DISCUSSING BEFORE.
THEY TEND TO HAVE LOWER TEACHING
LOADS.
SOME OF THEM HAVE NO TEACHING
LOADS AT ALL.
THE OTHER SIDE ARE THE LOWEST
RESEARCH CAPACITY INSTITUTIONS.
THEY'RE OFTEN SMALL
INSTITUTIONS, THEY SOMETIMES
HAVE NO -- OFTEN HAVE NO
BIOMEDICAL GRADUATE STUDENTS OR
POSTDOCS.
THEY TEND TO HAVE VERY HIGH
TEACHING LOADS.
THE LARGE RESEARCH INTENSIVE
INSTITUTIONS AS I MENTIONED HAVE
LARGE EXPERT SPONSORED PROGRAMS
ADMINISTRATION OFFICE.
THE LOWEST RESEARCH CAPACITY
INSTITUTIONS HAVE SMALL OR NO
SPONSORED PROGRAMS
ADMINISTRATION OFFICES.
THE HIGH RESOURCE INSTITUTIONS
HAVE LOTS OF EXTRAMURAL FUNDING.
THEY OFTEN HAVE VERY LARGE
ENDOWMENTS.
THE OPPOSITE IS TRUE OF THE LOW
RESEARCH CAPACITY INSTITUTIONS.
SO WHAT WE ARE PROPOSING TO
START THROUGH THE UNITE
INITIATIVE, THIS WOULD BE A
TRANS-NIH INITIATIVE MANAGED BY
NIGMS, IS A DIVERSITY-ENHANCING
RESEARCH CAPACITY BUILDING
PROGRAM.
IT WILL BE INTENDED FOR
INSTITUTIONS WITH LIMITED
CAPACITY, WITH FACULTY AND/OR
STUDENTS WHO WILL ENHANCE THE
DIVERSITY OF THE BIOMEDICAL
RESEARCH WORKFORCE.
THE INSTITUTIONS WILL PROPOSE
PLANS TO ADVANCE ALONG THE
CONTINUUM AT A REALISTIC PACE,
AND TO A REALISTIC END POINT.
I THINK IT IS TOTALLY
UNREASONABLE TO THINK THAT EVERY
INSTITUTION SHOULD BE TRYING TO
BECOME, YOU KNOW, A
RESEARCH-INTENSIVE INSTITUTION.
THAT'S NOT REASONABLE AND IT'S
ALSO NOT REALLY WARRANTED.
BUT MOST INSTITUTIONS COULD
BENEFIT FROM HAVING SOME
SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF RESEARCH
BEING CONDUCTED BY THEIR FACULTY
WITH THEIR STUDENTS.
WE INTEND TO FUND RESEARCH,
PILOT PROJECTS, THE DEVELOPMENT
OF THE RESEARCH ITSELF, AS WELL
AS THE DEVELOPMENT OR
ENHANCEMENT OF SPONSORED
PROGRAMS CAPACITY BUILDING
COMPONENTS.
AND SO THERE WILL BE KIND OF TWO
PARTS TO THIS.
AND APPLICANT INSTITUTIONS COULD
APPLY FOR ONE, THE OTHER OR
BOTH.
THEY COULD EITHER APPLY FOR THE
RESEARCH SIDE OF THINGS, WHICH
WILL REQUIRE A POOL OF
BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH FACULTY AT
THE INSTITUTION WHO ARE
INTERESTED IN TRYING TO INCREASE
THEIR ABILITY TO CONDUCT
BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH.
THEY WOULD PROVIDE THINGS LIKE
PILOT RESEARCH FUNDING AS I
MENTIONED, SO THAT THEY COULD
GET PRELIMINARY DATA.
IT WOULD ALSO PROVIDE FUNDS TO
ALLOW RESEARCH CULTURE
ENHANCEMENT, SO FOR INSTANCE,
BRINGING IN SPEAKERS, MAYBE
BRINGING IN CONSULTANTS, MAYBE
HOSTING MEETINGS, ET CETERA.
AND THEN THE OTHER PART OF IT
WOULD BE THE DEVELOPMENT OF THAT
SPONSORED PROGRAMS PIECE.
SO ALLOWING INSTITUTIONS TO GET
SOME CAPITAL TO BEGIN HIRING
PERSONNEL, AND TRAINING THOSE
PERSONNEL AND SPONSORED PROGRAMS
ADMINISTRATION.
IT WOULD ALLOW THEM TO EITHER
ACQUIRE THEIR OWN OR PERHAPS BUY
INTO EXISTING ELECTRONIC
MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS SO THAT THEY
COULD MANAGE APPLICATIONS AND
MANAGE AWARDS.
AND THEN WE WERE ALSO THINKING
IT MIGHT ALSO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO
ENHANCE OR PROMOTE THE
DEVELOPMENT OFFICES ABILITY TO
RAISE FUNDS FOR RESEARCH, WHICH
IS A MAJOR DISPARITY AMONG
INSTITUTIONS, IS HOW MUCH
ENDOWMENT FUNDS THEY HAVE IN
THEIR ABILITY TO RAISE
PHILANTHROPY TO SUPPORT THEIR
RESEARCH ENDEAVORS.
AS I MENTIONED, I THINK WE WOULD
CERTAINLY ENCOURAGE PARTNERSHIPS
AMONG INSTITUTIONS, FOR EXAMPLE,
TO SHARE SPONSORED PROGRAM
FUNCTIONS, RECOGNIZING THAT MANY
INSTITUTIONS WILL NOT HAVE
ENOUGH VOLUME OF APPLICATIONS OR
GRANTS TO MERIT HAVING THEIR OWN
SPONSORED PROGRAMS OFFICE.
SO WITH THAT, WE CAN TAKE THE
SLIDES DOWN AND GET YOUR
FEEDBACK ON THIS AND THEN
HOPEFULLY MOVE TO A VOTE.
TERRI.
>>SO AS SOMEONE WHO RAN A
SPONSORED RESEARCH OFFICE AT TWO
UNIVERSITIES AND HAS BEEN
FOLLOWING IT, THIS IDEA OF
SHARING, I THINK, IS REALLY
IMPORTANT.
BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE SEEING NOW IS
A LOT OF SPONSORED RESEARCH,
PEOPLE ARE WORKING REMOTELY.
>>INTERESTING.
>>YOU HEAR A LOT OF STORIES
ABOUT PEOPLE POACHING FROM ONE
UNIVERSITY TO ANOTHER RIGHT NOW,
AND SO WHILE THAT'S BAD IN SOME
WAYS AND COULD BE REALLY
CHALLENGING FOR THESE
INSTITUTIONS THAT ARE TRYING TO
BUILD IT, YOU COULD UTILIZE THAT
AS A STRENGTH, I THINK IT COULD
BE REALLY HELPFUL IN OUR NEW
ENVIRONMENT.
>>YEAH, AND EVEN HERE AT NIGMS,
MOST OF OUR GRANTS
ADMINISTRATION STAFF ARE NOW
WORKING REMOTELY.
SO I THINK THAT MODEL IS VERY
APPEALING AND ONE OF THE SILVER
LININGS OF WHAT WE LEARNED IN
THE PANDEMIC.
TERRI, DO YOU THINK THAT SHARING
OF A SPONSORED PROGRAMS GROUP
AMONG MULTIPLE INSTITUTIONS
WOULD WORK?
IT SEEMS LIKE THE ONLY VIABLE
WAY FOR SOME OF THESE
INSTITUTIONS BUT ARE THERE GOING
TO BE BARRIERS IN TERMS OF
ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUES, FOR
EXAMPLE?
>>SO I'D SAY THAT THERE IS SOME
VALUE IN THE CONTACTS YOU GET
WITH PEOPLE, AND SO HAVING
LEADERSHIP THAT MAKES SURE THAT
YOU'RE LISTENING TO WHAT THE
FACULTY THAT ARE SUBMITTING THIS
RESEARCH NEEDS ARE IMPORTANT.
I THINK THERE'S ALSO A CULTURAL
CHALLENGE.
THE BENEFIT IS WE'VE ALWAYS SAID
THIS EVEN WITHIN A LARGE
INSTITUTION, WHAT WE CALL
SERVICE CENTER MODEL GIVES YOU
BACKUP.
IF YOU'RE A SMALL INSTITUTION --
VERSUS WHEN YOU HAVE A LARGER
GROUP, EVERYBODY HAS A PRIMARY
AND A SECOND DREKD HOPEFULLY,
AND THOSE RELATIONSHIPS ARE
BUILT ALONG THE WAY.
IT'S ABOUT BUILDING THE
RELATIONSHIPS TO START IT.
BECAUSE THE REAL -- IN MY
EXPERIENCE, JUST ONE PERSON'S
EXPERIENCE, IS THE HANDS-ON
PRE-AWARD OFFICERS AND POST
AWARD OFFICERS WHO ARE EQUALLY
IMPORTANT IN HELPING PEOPLE
UNDERSTAND HOW TO SPEND THEIR
RESOURCES, THEY'RE THE ONES ON
THE FRONT LINE, AND IF YOU BUILD
THOSE RELATIONSHIPS, IT WILL
WORK.
THAT'S THE KEY.
IN MY EXPERIENCE AT TWO
INSTITUTIONS.
>>THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT
POINT.
I THINK YOUR POINT ABOUT, ONE,
BEING A VERY META STABLE NUMBER
IS ALSO IMPORTANT.
IF YOU HAVE ONE PROGRAM
ADMINISTRATION OFFICER AND THAT
PERSON LEAVES, YOU NOW HAVE
ZERO, RIGHT?
PAMELA.
>>THIS IS VERY EXCITING.
I THINK THE TIMING IS ALSO VERY
GOOD.
IT WOULD BE INTERESTING IF DMA
COULD PROVIDE SOME INFORMATION
ABOUT THE INFLUX OF NEW FACULTY
AND THE NUMBER OF DIFFERENT
INSTITUTIONS.
I'M JUST AWARE WITHIN THE
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY
SYSTEM, WE GO THROUGH WAVES AND
IT DOES APPEAR TO BE GOOD TIMING
IN TERMS OF NEW FACULTY COMING
ON BOARD.
BUT IN ADDITION, WE HAVE A
REALLY ROBUST COMMUNITY COLLEGE
COHORT, AND THERE'S BEEN SOME
VERY GOOD PARTNERSHIPS LIKE THE
B2B IN TERMS OF STRENGTHENING
THOSE RELATIONSHIPS, BUT THOSE
INSTITUTIONS IN PARTICULAR ARE
AT A STAGE WHERE SOME OF THEM
ARE GETTING INVOLVED IN OSP AND
SOME OF THEM ARE SORT OF
RELIANT.
AND IT FEELS A LITTLE BIT LIKE
WE COULD DO SOME COST SAVING, SO
THAT WE OPTIMIZE WHAT WE'RE
DOING HERE, SO SOME -- SO MAYBE
HAVING SOME REGIONAL
RELATIONSHIPS COULD BE QUITE
POSITIVE, INCLUDING THE PUIs
INTERACTING OR RESEARCH
INSTITUTION, INTENSIVE
INSTITUTIONS WORKING WITH THE
COMMUNITY COLLEGES TO PROVIDE
SOME OF THOSE RESOURCES.
MY ONLY HESITATION WITH REGARDS
TO THAT IS HOW IT ENDS UP
BRINGING UP CAPACITY OTHER THAN
THE OSP OFFICE ITSELF, BECAUSE
THE ISSUES AROUND INDIRECT COSTS
AND WHICH INSTITUTION BENEFITS
TO WHAT EXTENT SEEMS TO BE
IMPORTANT.
BUT REALLY EXCITING DEVELOPMENTS
HERE.
>>THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR THAT INPUT.
LAW YA.
LAURA.>>THE ONLY THING THAT'S N
HARDER HERE RECENTLY THAN HIRING
POSTDOCS HAS BEEN HIRING AMAZING
PRE AND POST-AWARD PARTNERS.
SO I THINK THAT THE REALITY, I
THINK OF THEM AND I REMIND OUR
PIs, THESE ARE OUR COLLEAGUES.
THESE ARE SUCH VALUABLE PEOPLE
TO OUR DAY TO DAY SUCCESS, AND
WE TOUCHED ON THE FACT THAT THE
EXPECTATION ALMOST, NOT THE
EXCEPTION, IS THAT THEY WILL
LIKELY WANT TO WORK REMOTELY,
AND SO THAT MAKES THE SHARING
EASIER IN A LOT OF WAYS.
AND THIS SOUNDS DOWN IN THE
WEEDS, BUT WE'VE HIT IT TWICE SO
I'M JUST SHARING IT PROACTIVELY
FOR WHEN PEOPLE STRUCTURE THIS.
THE BENEFITS COORDINATION HAS
TRIPPED US UP WHEN WE'RE TRYING
TO HAVE SOMEONE LIVE IN
CALIFORNIA, FOR EXAMPLE, AND
WORK FOR US IN MORGANTOWN IN
TERMS OF INSURANCE AND IT IS A
VERY SAVVY WORKFORCE, AND THEY
WILL COME TO THESE GROUPS, I
IMAGINE, WITH THAT QUESTION FROM
THE ONSET.
HOW DOES THIS REALLY -- HOW IS
IT REALLY GOING TO FUNCTION IS
JUST ONE THING FOR THE PIs OF
THESE EXCITING AWARDS TO
CONSIDER BUILDING IN THERE
SOMEHOW, BECAUSE IT'S NOT SIMPLE
AND IT HARD TO FIX DOWNSTREAM.
>>THAT'S A FASCINATING POINT.
>>I THOUGHT I'D THROW THAT OUT
THERE BECAUSE WE'VE LOST TWO
WONDERFULLY QUALIFIED PEOPLE
THAT WE JUST COULDN'T MAKE IT
WORK BECAUSE OF THOSE KINDS OF
DETAILS.
THE OTHER THING I WONDER, IT
WOULD BE COOL IF SOMEONE AT A
WELL ESTABLISHED ROBUST
UNIVERSITY MAYBE COULD SERVE AS
A MENTOR OR PIVOT POINT INSTEAD
OF EXPECTING TWO GROUPS OF
SIMILAR CAPACITY TO COME
TOGETHER WHEN THEY WOULDN'T HAVE
THE SHARED EXPERIENCE OF
SOMEBODY PRE AND POST OSP GURU,
SOMEBODY ELSE TO BE A MENTOR TO
THEM WOULD BE, I THINK, FUN.
>>WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE IDEA
OF FUNDING, SAY, A CENTER WHO
WOULD HAVE PEOPLE VERY
EXPERIENCED THAT WOULD THEN ACT
AS MENTORS AND CONSULTANTS TO
THESE NAY SANT NASCENT OSPs, BEE
YOU'RE RIGHT, IF YOU DON'T HAVE
THE EXPERTISE, YOU DON'T HAVE
THE EXPERTISE, SO YOU NEED
SOMEBODY TO HELP GUIDE THEM TO
DEVELOP THAT EXPERTISE.
>>AND I THINK JUST IMAGINING
WHAT PIs WILL WANT OR NEED IS
VERY DIFFERENT.
IF YOU'VE SEEN IT AND DONE IT.
BECAUSE YOU COULD JUST SAVE A
LOT OF TIME MAYBE, TIME AND
ENERGY.
I THINK A FABULOUS MENTOR CAN
ALWAYS BE IMPACTFUL.
THAT'S ALL.
>>THAT'S A REALLY GOOD POINT AS
WELL.
THANK YOU, LAURA.
MICHAEL.
I THINK YOU'RE STILL MUTED,
MICHAEL.
>>SPINNING OFF WHAT TE WHAT TED
YOU REFERRED TO, IT'S BAD WHEN
YOU GET DOWN TO ZERO IN A
REAWARD OR POST AWARD, BUT ALSO
CONSIDER IT'S THEN DIFFICULT TO
TRAIN ANYBODY TO FULFILL THAT
FUNCTION.
>>RIGHT.
>>THERE HAS TO BE REDUNDANCY
BUILT IN.
SO THERE'S A QUORUM THAT'S
NEEDED FOR THIS TO BE
FUNCTIONAL.
I'M GUESSING, SMARTER PEOPLE
THAN I WHO HAVE THOUGHT THIS
THROUGH, BUT I'M THINKING THAT
IT'S BEYOND THE GRANTS
MANAGEMENT, THAT YOU'VE GOT
TO HAVE PEOPLE THAT CAN DO
COMPLIANCE.
>>YES.
>>CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
-- UCAC, ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
AND SAFETY.
SO SO WH WHAT ARE THE -- HAVE PE
STUDIED THE MINIMAL SIZE STAFF
THAT ACTUALLY ALLOWS TO BE
FUNCTIONAL?
I'M GUESSING YOU'RE LOOKING AT
10 OR MORE PEOPLE.
>>EXCELLENT QUESTION, MICHAEL.
THOSE OTHER FUNCTIONS THAT ARE
NECESSARY TO SUPPORT A RESEARCH
PROGRAM AS WELL, AND WHAT'S THE
MINIMAL NUMBER.
>>AND SO I'M THINKING PROBABLY
YOU WANT TO BUILD IN A REALLY
STRONG INCENTIVE FOR PEOPLE TO
EITHER PROPOSE CONSORTIA OR
PERHAPS TO CONSIDER THAT SMALLER
INSTITUTIONS COULD SUBCONTRACT
THESE SERVICES FROM A RESEARCH
INTENSIVE INSTITUTION.
BUT SOME WAY TO GET OFF THE
GROUND THAT REQUIRES A SMALLER
INVESTMENT.
>>I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT, AND IF
YOU JUST THINK ABOUT THE NUMBER
OF INSTITUTIONS, YOU KNOW, WE'D
LIKE TO HELP THE MAXIMUM NUMBER
AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE
TO SET UP A GROUP OF 10 PEOPLE
AT A NUMBER OF VERY LARGE
INSTITUTIONS BUT IF WE COULD
HAVE ECONOMIES OF SCALE AND
SHARING, YOU COULD HAVE A
MULTIPLICATIVE EFFECT.
IT'S A REALLY GOOD POINT.
ANY OTHER THOUGHTS?
ERICA.
GO AHEAD, WE HAVE TIME.
>>SORRY, JUST ONE OTHER ISSUE.
I WAS REALLY STRUCK BY THE
STUDIES THAT YOU WERE TALKING
ABOUT THAT SAID THAT TOOK ABOUT
11 YEARS TO GET TO THAT SORT OF
THRESHOLD, AND ONE OF THE THINGS
WE'VE BEEN FOCUSING A LOT ON IS
THE OSP ANGLE, BUT THERE'S ALSO
THE SORT OF CULTURAL CHANGES,
BOTH IN TERMS OF THE FACULTY BUT
ALSO THE ADMINISTRATIVE OUTLOOK.
AND TO ENSURE THE KIND OF MESS
SAJ THAT WE'RE SENDING IS THE
IMPORTANCE OF FACULTY DOING
RESEARCH WITH STUDENTS THAT
ENHANCES THE STUDENTS' ABILITY
TO CONTINUE ON IN THESE FIELDS.
>>RIGHT.
>>AS OPPOSED TO THE IDEA, OH,
THE FACULTY ARE BEING DISTRACTED
AWAY FROM THEIR PRIMARY MISSION
OF TEACHING, AND TO BUILD
RESEARCH INTO A TEACHING KIND OF
ADMINISTRATION.
SO THAT MOTION OF CHANGING THE
OLDER FACULTY WHO ARE USED TO DO
ITING THE OLD WAY, THE
ADMINISTRATORS USED TO DOING IT
THE OLD WAY, THERE IS THAT KIND
OF CULTURAL CHANGE THAT NEEDS TO
BE SORT OF FACTORED IN AS WELL.
>>AND I THINK IN SOME
INSTITUTIONS, THAT'S GOING TO BE
HUGE.
THE EXPERIENCE OF THE IDEA
PROGRAM WITH THE INBRE NETWORKS,
ANDREW TALKED ABOUT THEM, BUT
THERE'S A CENTRAL RESEARCH
INTENSIVE INSTITUTION THAT'S THE
HUB AND THEN ALL THE PUIs IN
THE STATE ARE THE SPOKES.
THE
GOAL WAS TO BUILD THE RESEARCH
CAPACITY IN THE PUIs FOR THE
STUDENTS SO THAT THEY WOULD BE
BUILDING THIS PIPELINE OF
STUDENTS INTERESTED IN
BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH.
AN EXPERIENCE THERE WAS THAT
SOME INSTITUTIONS IMMEDIATELY
JUMPED ON AND SAID YES, WE WANT
TO DO THIS, BUT OTHER
INSTITUTIONS WERE VERY RELUCTANT
FOR THE REASONS YOU SAID THAT
THEY WANTED THEIR FACULTY
TEACHING AND THEY DID NOT SEE
THE VALUE OF HAVING THEM
DISTRACTED BY DOING RESEARCH.
FRED TAYLOR, MING LEI'S
PREDECESSOR TOLD ME IT TOOK A
LOT OF WORK TO CONVINCE
PRESIDENTS AND DEANS AT THOSE
INSTITUTIONS, PROVOSTS, THAT IT
WOULD ACTUALLY BENEFIT THE
EDUCATIONAL MISSION OF THE
INSTITUTION TO HAVE THE FACULTY
DOING RESEARCH WITH THE STUDENTS
BECAUSE THAT WAS AN EDUCATIONAL,
YOU KNOW, COMPONENT.
AND -- BUT HE DID SAY THAT AFTER
SOME TIME, WHEN THEY STARTED
SEEING WHAT WAS HAPPENING, MOST
OF THEM CAME AROUND AND REALIZED
THAT WAS THE THING THEY REALLY
SHOULD BE DOING.
BUT YOU'RE RIGHT, FROM WHAT FRED
TOLD ME, THE CULTURAL BARRIER AT
MANY INSTITUTIONS WAS VERY
LARGE.
SO WE'LL DEFINITELY HAVE TO
ADJUST THAT.
ANGELA.
>>I WONDER IF THERE'S A
LEARNING OPPORTUNITY TO IDENTIFY
WHAT CULTURAL DIFFERENCES THERE
ARE BETWEEN A TEACHING
INSTITUTION AND A RESEARCH-HEAVY
INSTITUTION THAT COULD
RESIPICACOULDRECIPROCALLY GO THO
HELP INSTITUTIONS THAT MAYBE
HAVE DEPRIORITIZED TEACHING AND
EDUCATION PIECES TO SORT OF
UNDERSTAND WHAT DISPOSITIONS ARE
AT WORK IN BOTH OF THOSE PLACES.
AND THEN ALSO TO UNDERSTAND
INFRASTRUCTURELY WHAT MIGHT BE
IN WORK AT BOTH OF THOSE PLACES.
BECAUSE I WOULD HATE TO SEE
EVERYTHING EVOLVING TO A
RESEARCH-INTENSIVE CULTURE AT
THE EXPENSE OF REALLY THOUGHTFUL
TEACHING BEING AT THE EPICENTER
OF A MISSION.
SO I WONDER IF IT'S POSSIBLE TO
ENGAGE THOSE CONVERSATIONS IN A
SORT OF SPIRIT OF RECIPROCAL
LEARNING AND SCIENCE OF SCIENCE
ABOUT THE CULTURE OF THINGS THAT
WE DO IN HIGHER ED.
>>I THINK THAT'S A GREAT POINT.
PART OF THE PHILOSOPHY OF OUR
ARACTA PROGRAM IS THAT, IS THAT
THE RESEARCH INTENSIVE PARTNER
CAN LEARN A LOT FROM THE
EDUCATION-INTENSIVE PARTNER
ABOUT THE EDUCATION MISSION THAT
THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE, AND
HOW TO CO CONDUCT IT.
BUT I THINK WE CAN EXPAND THAT
AND THIS MAY BE A PLACE TO DO
IT.
TERRI.
>>I THINK I'M GOING TO SOUND
LIKE WHAT I TALKED ABOUT LAST
TIME, BUT I DO THINK THAT SORT
OF RESEARCH, THERE ARE
ORGANIZATIONS FULLY DEDICATED
100% TO RESEARCH ADMINISTRATION,
THE SOCIETY FOR RESEARCH
ADMINISTRATORS, THE COGR MEETING
THAT HAPPENS IN
WASHINGTON, D.C., AND I KNOW NIH
IS ALWAYS THERE, SHARING
INFORMATION, AND THEN THERE'S A
COUPLE OTHERS.
I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF
REALLY GOOD EXPERTS OUT THERE
THAT WOULD PROBABLY JUMP AT THE
CHANCE TO SHARE SOME OF THEIR
DATA.
>>OH, INTERESTING.
OKAY.
THAT'S A GREAT SUGGESTION.
ANOTHER QUESTION CAME UP WAS
WHETHER OR NOT RESEARCH
INTENSIVE INSTITUTION, I THINK
MICHAEL BROUGHT THIS UP, YOU
KNOW, MIGHT BE WILLING TO HELP
SOME OF THE -- ACTUALLY HELP
WITH THE FUNCTIONS FOR SOME OF
THE RESOURCE INSTITUTIONS BUT
THE INCENTIVES THERE ARE
SOMETHING I THINK WE WOULD NEED
TO FIGURE OUT, HOW DO YOU
INCENTIVIZE THE RESEARCH
INTENSIVE INSTITUTIONS TO
ACTUALLY DO THAT.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY
THOUGHTS, BUT TERRI?
>>I CAN TELL YOU WITHIN
RESEARCH ADMINISTRATION ONE
PLACE WHERE THAT FREQUENTLY
ALREADY HAPPENS IS IN THE AREA
OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY.
>>INTERESTING.
>>AND IN THE AREA OF
ENTREPRENEURSHIP.
BECAUSE THAT IS AN EVEN SMALLER
PORTION AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF
EXAMPLES INCLUDING AT MY CURRENT
INSTITUTION WHERE YOU WORK WITH
A LARGER INSTITUTION SORT OF ON
A PER-CASE BASIS, BECAUSE THAT
INFRASTRUCTURE IS EVEN MORE
EXPENSIVE, RIGHT, AND EVEN A
RELATIVELY LARGE INSTITUTION MAY
HAVE ONE PERSON, SO I THINK
THERE'S SOME REALLY GOOD
EXAMPLES THERE AS WELL.
>>OKAY.
THAT MIGHT BE A GOOD MODEL TO
LOOK AT.
KLARISSA.
>>HI.
THIS HAS BEEN A REALLY
INTERESTING DISCUSSION.
SO AS AN EARLY CAREER
INVESTIGATOR, FACULTY MEMBER,
WHO'S BEEN AT BOTH KINDS OF
INSTITUTIONS.
I'M INTRIGUED BY THIS
DISCUSSION.
AND I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S
OPPORTUNITY TO INFUSE FACULTY IN
THE CULTURE AT A PREDOMINANTLY
TEACHING INSTITUTION M KOLLING
FROM RESEARCH INTENSIVE
INSTITUTIONS, WHICH IS KIND OF
THE MODEL OF THE INSTITUTION I
WAS AT, WHICH WAS PREDOMINANTLY
TEACHING.
TO BUILD THE INFRASTRUCTURE,
THEY NEEDED PEOPLE LIKE MY
DEPARTMENT CHAIR WHO CAME IN TO
KIND OF, YOU KNOW, AFFECT THE
CULTURE, TO LEAD THIS KIND OF
RESEARCH PROGRAM.
AND IT GOES THE OTHER WAY TOO.
FACULTY WHO HAVE BEEN AT
TEACHING INSTITUTIONS GOING TO
RESEARCH-INTENSIVE.
SO I JUST WONDER IF THERE'S SOME
THOUGHT ABOUT THE PERSONNEL WHO
IMPACT THE CULTURE TO MAKE THIS
A REALITY.
>>SO IN THE MODEL YOU'RE SAYING
YOUR DEPARTMENT CHAIR HAD COME
FROM A RESEARCH INTENSIVE
INSTITUTION, THAT WOULD BE AN
IDEAL SITUATION, RIGHT, TO HAVE
HAPPEN.
INTERESTING TO THINK ABOUT HOW
WE COULD SOMEHOW INCENTIVIZE
THOSE SORT OF MOVES.
I ALSO WONDER ABOUT SHORTER TERM
THINGS.
COULD YOU HAVE A PROGRAM OR SOME
WAY THAT FACULTY FROM RESEARCH
INTENSIVE INSTITUTIONS MIGHT DO
A SABBATICAL AT THE
TEACHING-INTENSIVE INSTITUTION
WITH PART OF THE BENEFIT BEING
BUILD THAT CONNECTION AND,
THEREFORE, STUDENTS MIGHT, YOU
KNOW, GO TO GRADUATE SCHOOL IN
THE RESEARCH INTENSIVE
INSTITUTION.
BUT THAT'S A VERY INTERESTING
THING TO THINK , I THINK.
I THINK HOW TO GET THAT
CROSS-POLLINATION GOING.
>>YEAH, THANK YOU.
AND TO ANGELA'S COMMENT, I THINK
THERE'S LIKE BENEFIT IN BOTH
DIRECTIONS.
>>ABSOLUTELY.
YEAH.
MICHAEL.
>>SO TWO POINTS.
ONE ON INCENTIVIZING THE --
INSTITUTION TO HELP.
COULD YOU HAVE A SYSTEM OF
SUBCONTRACTS AND ALLOW THE
SMALLER INSTITUTION TO SHOP
AMONG LARGER INSTITUTIONS WHO
WILL PROVIDE THE SERVICES, AND I
WOULD SAY BOTH DIRECT SERVICES
BUT ALSO TRAINING, PERSONNEL
TRAINING.
SO THAT MIGHT BE A MECHANISM
THAT NIH COULD INCENTIVIZE THIS.
THE OTHER POINT IS QUITE
DIFFERENT, AND IT'S FOLLOWING
THE EX-H EXHORTATION TO MAKE SUE
THAT RESEARCH IS PART OF OUR
EDUCATION.
AND THE PRESSURE THAT MANY OF US
FACE TO DO GOOD TEACHING
SERVICES.
AND A REMINDER THAT EVEN IN THE
RESEARCH-INTENSIVE UNIVERSITIES,
IT'S NOW FAIRLY TYPICAL FOR THE
FINANCES TO HAVE CHANGED, A
DECADE AGO, 23RD CAME FROM THE
STATE AND A THIRD FROM STUDENTS.
THAT'S REVERSED.
IN MANY STATE INSTITUTION, IT'S
NOW TWO THIRDS OF THE FACULTY
SALARIES ULTIMATELY COMING FROM
TUITION.
AND SO THOSE RESEARCH EFFORTS,
WE HAVE TO JUSTIFY IN TERMS OF A
BENEFIT TO UNDERGRADUATE
STUDENTS.
SO THIS IS A GRADATION THAT GOES
RIGHT ACROSS THE SPAN, BUT I
THINK MANY, MANY INSTITUTIONS
ARE HAVING TO THINK IN THIS WAY.
>>I THINK THAT'S RIGHT,
ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
SO THANK YOU FOR THOSE POINTS.
ANY OTHER THOUGHTS, QUESTIONS?
IT'S BEEN A GREAT DISCUSSION.
I THINK WE'RE GOING TO TAKE ALL
THIS BACK, THIS WILL BE
EXTREMELY USEFUL IN WORKING OUT
THE DETAILS OF THIS PROGRAM, BUT
IT DOES SOUND FROM WHAT I'M
HEARING THAT THERE'S ENTHUSIASM
FOR IT.
SO ERICA?
>>I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THIS
CONCEPT FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENT
AS A FOA.
ARE ANY OPPOSED?
THE MOTION IS UNANIMOUSLY
APPROVED.
>>TERRIFIC.
AND I PARTICULARLY WANT TO
RECOGNIZE SIDELLA BLATCH, WHO
REALLY HAS LED THIS EFFORT AND
BEEN DEVELOPING THIS CONCEPT, SO
SHE WILL BE TAKING THE LEAD ON
WORKING THIS OUT TO AN ACTUAL
PROGRAM.
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH.
THAT WAS A TERRIFIC DISCUSSION
AND WE GOT A LOT DONE.
ARE THERE OTHER ISSUES THAT YOU
WOULD LIKE TO BRING UP, EITHER
FOR FUTURE DISCUSSION OR FOR
DISCUSSION NOW?
OKAY.
NOT HEARING ANY, I THINK THAT
THAT CONCLUDES OUR BUSINESS.
IN THE OPEN SESSION.