WELCOME, EVERYBODY, TO THE
NIGMS COUNCIL FOR SEPTEMBER.
I'M JON LORSCH, DIRECTOR OF
NIGMS.
IT'S MY PLEASURE TO HAVE YOU ALL
HERE JOINING US TODAY VIRTUALLY.
WE'LL START WITH INTRODUCTIONS.
IF I COULD ASK THE COUNCIL
MEMBERS TO TURN THEIR CAMERAS ON
DURING THE INTRODUCTIONS, ALSO
WHEN WE HAVE DISCUSSIONS, THAT
WOULD BE GREAT.
IF DURING PRESENTATIONS YOU
COULD TURN YOUR CAMERAS OFF IT
MAKES IT EASIER FOR THE
VIDEOCAST TO SEE THE SLIDES AND
THE SPEAKER.
SO, WE'LL GO THROUGH THE ROSTER
AS IT APPEARS ON THE WEBSITE.
AND IF YOU COULD JUST SAY WHO
YOU ARE, ONE SENTENCE ABOUT WHAT
YOU DO, THAT WOULD BE TERRIFIC.
SO WE'LL START WITH NATALIE.
>> GOOD MORNING, NATALIE AHN,
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO AT
BOULDER, DEPARTMENT OF
BIOCHEMISTRY, MY AREA IS SIGNAL
TRANSDUCTION AND PROTEOMICS.
>> ERIC DISHMAN ALANI.
>> DEPARTMENT OF MOLECULAR
DEPARTMENT THE CORNELL ITHACA,
MY LAB STUDIES ROLES OF DNA
MISMATCH REPAIR PROTEINS,
MEIOTIC CROSSING OVER.
>> THANK YOU.
SHARON AMACHER.
>> I'M UNDER THE WEATHER, I'M
GOING TO KEEP MY CAMERA OFF.
>> THAT'S OKAY.
>> I'M PROFESSOR AND VICE CHAIR
OF MOLECULAR GENETICS, THE OHIO
STATE UNIVERSITY, I WORK ON
DEVELOPMENTAL GENETICS, MUSCLE
DEVELOPMENT AND DISEASE, USING
THE ZEBRAFISH MODEL.
>> ANGELA BYAR WINSTON,
UNIVERSITY OF
MADISON, I CHAIR THE INSTITUTE
FOR DIVERSITY SCIENCE.
>> RON KING?
>> GOOD MORNING, I'M AT
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA, SCHOOL OF MEDICINE,
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSLATIONAL
GENOMICS, MY AREA IS TECHNOLOGY
TRANSLATION AND
COMMERCIALIZATION.
>> GREAT.
TERRY GOSS KINZY.
>> PROFESSOR EMERITA AT RUTGERS,
RESEARCH INTEREST IS TRANSLATION
ELONGATION IS EUKARYOTIC
SYSTEMS.
>> JESSICA KRAMER?
>> I BELIEVE WE'RE STILL WITTING
FOR JESSICA TO JOIN US.
>> OKAY.
WE'LL COME BACK TO HER.
DAVID MATTHEWS.
>> GOOD MORNING, PROFESSOR OF
BIOCHEMISTRY AND BIOPHYSICS,
UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER, CENTER
FOR RNA BIOLOGY, MY GROUP
STUDIES RNA USING COMPUTATIONAL
METHODS.
>> GREAT.
SARAH MICHEL.
>> PROFESSOR IN SCHOOL OF
PHARMACY, UNIVERSITY OF
MARYLAND, DEPARTMENT OF
PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES, ALSO
DEAN OF THE SCHOOL OF PHARMACY,
AND MY RESEARCH IS ON SIGNALING
AND FINGER PROTEINS AND
REGULATORY PROTEINS.
>> LESLIE ROSE.
>> I'M HAVING TROUBLE WITH MY
CAMERA.
I'M LESLIE, I AM A PROFESSOR IN
THE DEPARTMENT OF MOLECULAR AND
CELLULAR BIOLOGY, UC-DAVIS, AND
I WORK ON ASYMMETRIC DIVISION
USING MODEL ORGANISM C. ELEGANS.
>> CHRISTOPHER SEYMOUR.
>> INTENSIVE AND PROFESSOR AT
UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH,
RESEARCH IS ALL THINGS SEPSIS.
>> GREAT.
JEFFREY SUN.
>> PROFESSOR OF HIGHER EDUCATION
AND LAW, I'M THE OUTLIER HERE.
AND I'M ALSO ASSOCIATE DEAN OF
RESEARCH AND INNOVATION COLLEGE
OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN
DEVELOPMENT.
MY AREA IS CIVIL RIGHTS, CIVIL
LIBERTIES, AS WELL AS WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT.
>> GREAT.
THANK YOU.
KURT WARNHOFF, ASSOCIATE
SCIENTIST, STANFORD RESEARCH IN
SIOUX FALLS, USING C. ELEGANS.
>> WENDY YOUNG.
>> FORMER SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT
OF DRUG DISCOVERY AT GENENTECH,
ADVISOR OF GOOGLE VENTURES, GOOD
TO SEE EVERYONE.
>> GREAT TO SEE YOU.
THANKS FOR GETTING UP SO EARLY.
ERICA BROWN.
>> GOOD MORNING, I'M ERICA
BROWN, DIRECTOR OF THE DIVISION
OF EXTRAMURAL ACTIVITY AT NIGMS,
EXECUTIVE SECRETARY OF COUNCIL.
>> DORIT?
>> DORIT ZUK, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF
NIGMS.
>> THANK YOU ALL AGAIN FOR
JOINING US.
IS JESSICA KRAMER HERE NOW?
>> NO, SHE'S NOT YET.
WAIT, ACTUALLY -- IT LOOKS LIKE
SHE MAY HAVE JUST JOINED.
>> ALL RIGHT.
WE'LL GIVE THAT A SECOND.
>> YEAH.
>> HI THERE.
>> WANT TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF?
>> SORRY, JUST GOT CONNECTED.
YEAH, JESSICA KRAMER, UNIVERSITY
OF UTAH, DEPARTMENT OF
BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING AND HAPPY
TO BE AD HOC MEMBER FOR THE
FIRST TIME.
>> WELCOME.
GREAT.
SO WITH THAT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO
DO IS READ THE CONFLICT OF
INTEREST STATEMENT WHICH I'M
SURE WILL BRING JOY TO ALL OF
YOUR HEARTS.
BUT WE HAVE TO DO IT.
SO, YOU SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED THE
CONFLICT OF INTEREST FORM FROM
OUR DEA, IT'S ALSO POSTED IN THE
ELECTRONIC COUNCIL BOOK.
IF YOU HAVEN'T DONE SO ALREADY
PLEASE SIGN IT AS I READ THE
STATEMENT.
ELECTRONIC SIGNATURE WILL
SUFFICE.
RETURN IT VIA E-MAIL TO LINDA.
ADVISORS AND CONSULTANTS MAY NOT
PARTICIPATE IN SITUATIONS IN
WHICH ANY VIOLATION OF CONFLICT
OF INTEREST LAWS AND REGULATIONS
MAY OCCUR.
STAFF WILL ENSURE THAT A
COMMITTEE MEMBER DOES NOT
PARTICIPATE IN AND IS NOT
PRESENT DURING REVIEW OF
APPLICATIONS OR PROJECTS IN
WHICH TO THE MEMBER'S KNOWLEDGE
ANY OF THE FOLLOWING HAS A
FINANCIAL INTEREST.
MEMBER, THEIR 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,
COLLABORATORS, PERMANENT
FRIENDS, SCIENTISTS, WITH WHOM
THE MEMBER HAS HAD LONGSTANDING
SCIENTIFIC OR PERSONAL
DIFFERENCES.
TO ENSURE THAT A MEMBER DOES NOT
PARTICIPATE IN THE DISCUSSION
NOR VOTE ON AN APPLICATION IN
WHICH THEY ARE 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 INSTITUTE AND AFFILIATE
MAY PARTICIPATE IN REVIEW OF A
GRANT APPLICATION SUBMITTED BY
ANOTHER AFFILIATE OF THE PRIVATE
INSTITUTION IF THEY DO NOT HOLD
A JOINT APPOINTMENT WITH THE
AFFILIATE THAT HAS SUBMITTED THE
APPLICATION, DO NOT HAVE
AFFILIATE-WIDE RESPONSE AND HAVE
A WAIVER TO DO SO.
WE AT NIGMS KEEP TACK OF EASILY
IDENTIFIABLE CONFLICTS FOR YOU,
WE RELY ON YOU TO IDENTIFY
OTHERS SUCH AS THOSE WE ARE
UNLIKELY TO KNOW ABOUT, RECENT
STUDENTS, PERSONAL FRIENDS, ET
CETERA.
PLEASE DON'T HESITATE TO LET US
KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS
ABOUT A POTENTIAL CONFLICT.
OKAY.
SO, NEXT WE WILL GO TO
CONSIDERATION OF THE MINUTES
FROM THE PREVIOUS MEETING.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY AMENDMENTS
OR OTHER CONCERNS ABOUT THE
MINUTES FROM THE LAST MEETING?
OKAY.
HEARING NONE, I WILL ASSUME
UNANIMOUS CONSENT.
WE ALSO NEED TO CONFIRM FUTURE
COUNCIL MEETING DATES.
SO IF YOU COULD MAKE NOTE OF
THIS.
THE NEXT THREE COUNCIL DATES
WILL BE THURSDAY FEBRUARY 6,
2025, A VIRTUAL MEETING; AND
THURSDAY, MAY 22, 2025 WILL BE
AN IN-PERSON MEETING SO REMEMBER
MAY IS OUR IN-PERSON MEETING;
AND THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11,
2025, WILL ALSO BE A VIRTUAL
MEETING.
ARE THERE ANY OBJECTIONS TO
THAT?
OKAY.
HEARING NONE, I WILL ASSUME
UNANIMOUS CONSENT ON THAT AS
WELL.
WITH THAT, THEN, WE'LL
TRANSITION TO THE DIRECTOR'S
REPORT.
SO, KAREN, IF I COULD HAVE THE
SLIDES PLEASE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
AGAIN, WELCOME TO EVERYONE.
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE ON COUNCIL
AND ALL THE STAFF WHO WORKED SO
HARD TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
COUNCIL IS A VERY IMPORTANT PART
OF OUR FUNDING DECISION CYCLES
AND PROGRAMMATIC DEVELOPMENT
CYCLES.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
SO, JUST INTRODUCING NEW REGULAR
COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO HAVE JOINED
THE GROUP, YOU HEARD FROM CHRIS
SEYMOUR A MOMENT AGO, NOW A
REGULAR MEMBER ON OUR COUNCIL.
DON WARNE ALSO HAS JOINED AS A
REGULAR MEMBER, HE UNFORTUNATELY
COULDN'T MAKE IT TODAY.
A PROVOST FELLOW IN INDIGENOUS
HEALTH POLICY, CO-DIRECTOR IN
CENTER FOR INDIGENOUS HEALTH,
AND PROFESSOR AT JOHNS HOPKINS
BLOOMBERG SCHOOL OF PUBLIC
HEALTH.
SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING HIM
ON THE GROUP IN THE FUTURE.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
WE ALSO HAVE LEYTE WINFIELD FROM
SPELLMAN COLLEGE, PROFESSOR IN
THE DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY AND
BIOCHEMISTRY THERE, CHAIR OF THE
DIVISION OF NATURAL SCIENCES AND
MATHEMATICS, SHE UNFORTUNATELY
ALSO COULD NOT JOIN US TODAY.
BUT SHE'S NOW ALSO A REGULAR
MEMBER OF OUR COUNCIL.
WE UNFORTUNATELY OF COURSE
STRATEGIC NEW MEMBERS JOIN,
EXISTING MEMBERS ROTATE OFF.
AN LAST BYARS-WINSTON AND ANGELA
DEPACE BOTH ROTATING OFF, WE'RE
GRATEFUL FOR THEIR SERVICE,
ANGELA BYARS-WINSTON IS HERE
TODAY.
WENDY YOUNG IS ALSO ROTATING
OFF, GRATEFUL FOR HER SERVICE
AND HER PERSPECTIVE FROM THE
PRIVATE SECTOR WHICH WE ALWAYS
FIND VERY USEFUL.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
WE HAVE SEVERAL AD HOC
PARTICIPANTS AS YOU HEARD,
SHARON AMACHER AND SARAH MICHEL
ARE JOINING US, PROVIDING
EXPERTISE AND INSIGHTS THIS
COUNCIL ROUND.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
AND AS WE DO EVERY WOUND WE HAVE
TWO EARLY CAREER INVESTIGATOR AD
HOC PARTICIPANTS, JESSICA AND
KURT, WHO YOU MET A MINUTE AGO.
WE DO THIS BOTH TO GET
PERSPECTIVE OF EARLY CAREER
INVESTIGATORS, WHICH WE FIND
EXTREMELY USEFUL TO HAVE ON
COUNCIL, AND ALSO TO GET THEIR
HELP IN DISSEMINATING
INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT TAKES
PLACE ON COUNCIL.
MOST PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT
TAKES PLACE DURING THE STUDY
SECTIONS, BUT WHAT TAKES PLACE
ON COUNCIL TENDS TO BE A BIT
MORE MYSTERIOUS AND WE FIND IT
USEFUL TO HAVE EARLY CAREER
INVESTIGATORS ROTATE AND TAKE
THEIR ADVICE AND TAKE THAT
INFORMATION BACK TO THEIR PEERS.
WE'RE GRATEFUL THEY ARE HERE
TODAY.
AT NIGMS THERE HAVE BEEN
PERSONNEL CHANGES TAKING PLACE,
ALBERTA BOAH JOINED US AS GRANTS
MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST, FROM THE
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CHILD
HEALTH AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT.
A FAMILIAR FACE REJOINED US,
ANISSA BROWN NOW CHIEF OF OUR
POSTDOCTORAL EARLY CAREER AND
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BRANCH
WITHIN THE DIVISION OF TRAINING
AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
SHE WAS NIDCR, DENTAL AND
CRANIOFACIAL INSTITUTE PRIOR TO
THIS, BUT PRIOR TO THAT SHE WAS
A PROGRAM OFFICER, SO WE'RE
DELIGHTED TO HAVE ANISSA
REJOINING AND COMING HOME.
ELIZABETH ELDRIDGE, MANAGEMENT
ANALYST, EXECUTIVE OFFICE,
PREVIOUSLY AT DEFENSE LOGISTICS
AGENCY.
WELCOME TO HER.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
ANGELA GAIOTTI JOINED AS GRANTS
MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST,
PREVIOUSLY WAS AT CHILDREN'S
NATIONAL HOSPITAL RESEARCH
INSTITUTE.
WELCOME TO ANGELINA, I SAID
ANGELA, HAS JOINED US.
AVANTII IYER GRANTS MANAGEMENT
SPECIALIST, PREVIOUSLY AN
INTERN, PREVIOUS TO THAT AT
NINDS, THE NEUROLOGICAL AND
STROKE INSTITUTE.
CHRISTINA KENOSKY JOINED AS
BUDGET ANALYST, ALSO WAS
PREVIOUSLY NIH MANAGEMENT INTERN
AND PRIOR TO THAT WAS AT THE NIH
CLINICAL CENTER.
SO SHE HAS EXPERTISE IN BUDGETS
AND CLINICAL CENTER SHE WAS IN
THEIR MICROBIOLOGY, CLINICAL
MICROBIOLOGY LAB, ALSO HAS
EXPERTISE IN PATHOGENIC FUNGI,
SO A GOOD USEFUL SET OF SKILLS
FOR US.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
LINDA MacARTHUR JOINED US AS
A PROGRAM OFFICER IN GENETICS
MECHANISMS BRANCH, DIVISION OF
GENETICS AND MOLECULAR,
CELLULAR, DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY,
PREVIOUSLY WAS AT CSR.
CARINE NORMIL JOINED AS GRANTS
MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST,
PREVIOUSLY AT NIAID.
AND MICHAEL TRUONG, PATHWAYS
STUDENT IN I.T. IN OUR
INFORMATION RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
BRANCH, THE PATHWAYS PROGRAM IS
A GREAT PROGRAM THAT ALLOWS
COLLEGE STUDENTS TO WORK PART
TIME IN THE GOVERNMENT AND GAIN
EXPERIENCE IN WORKING IN A
GOVERNMENT SETTING.
SO WELCOME TO MICHAEL.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
SANGITA SINHA JOINED US AS A
PROGRAM OFFICER IN THE
BIOMEDICAL TECHNOLOGY BRANCH,
BBCB, PREVIOUSLY ON FACULTY AT
NORTH DAKOTA STATE.
FENGLIAN XU JOINED US AS PROGRAM
OFFICER, GMCBB, PREVIOUSLY ON
THE FACULTY AT ST. LOUIS
UNIVERSITY.
WELCOME TO BOTH OF THEM.
AND ONE PROMOTION TO LET YOU
KNOW ABOUT, SAMMY KATTA PROMOTED
TO SENIOR HEALTH SCIENCE POLICY
ANALYST, DATA INTEGRATION AND
DISSEMINATION BRANCH, DIVISION
OF DATA INTEGRATION MODELING AND
ANALYTICS, CONGRATULATIONS,
SAMMY, ON THAT PROMOTION.
VERY WELL DESERVED.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
JUST LIKE COUNCIL, AS WE GAIN
NEW PERSONNEL THEN SOME
PERSONNEL LEAVE.
UNFORTUNATELY I HAVE TO REPORT
SOME DEPARTURES.
ANDREA CULHANE HAS MOVED TO
NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE TO
TAKE A PROMOTION, WE'LL MISS HER
GREATLY BUT WE CONGRATULATE HER
ON HER NEW PROMOTION AND THE NEW
THINGS SHE'S GOING TO LEARN AND
BE ABLE TO DO AT THE NATIONAL
LIBRARY OF MEDICINE.
CHRISSY SHAW, PROGRAM ANALYST,
MANAGED THE PRATT PROGRAM, HAS
LEFT NIGMS TO MOVE TO NATIONAL
CANCER INSTITUTE AND PURSUE NEAR
CAREER DIRECTIONS, WE'RE EXCITED
FOR HER NEW OPPORTUNITIES.
MICHAEL BENDER IN GENETIC
MECHANISM BRANCH RETIRED TO
PURSUE OTHER INTERESTS SUCH AS
BIRD WATCHING.
MICHAEL IS ENJOYING THAT
ALREADY.
AND I JUST POINT OUT THAT
MICHAEL IS MY PROGRAM OFFICER,
WHEN I WAS ON THE OUTSIDE AS A
FACULTY MEMBER.
SO PARTICULAR PASSING OF THE
TORCH HERE FOR ME AS WELL TO SEE
MICHAEL RETIRE.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
EVENTS I WOULD LIKE YOUR HELP
MAKING PEOPLE AWARE OF,
SPREADING THE WORD ABOUT, FIRST
IS THE ANNUAL JUDITH GREENBERG
EARLY CAREER INVESTIGATOR
LECTURE, THIS IS GOING TO BE
GIVEN BY SAAD BHAML A, TALKING
ABOUT CELLS THAT MOVE WITHOUT
ATP AND LIFESAVING TOOLS THAT
COST PENNIES, RESEARCH IS
CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE,
EVERYONE WILL ENJOY THE TALK,
IT'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF FUN I
THINK.
THAT WILL BE OCTOBER 7 FROM 1 TO
2 P.M. EASTERN TIME.
YOU CAN ATTEND IN PERSON IF
YOU'RE ON THE NIH CAMPUS, YOU
CAN WATCH ONLINE ON THE NIH
VIDEOCAST, AND WILL ALSO BE
RECORDED.
INFORMATION ON THE WEBSITE, HELP
US SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THAT.
THE OTHER ANNUAL LECTURE NIGMS
SUPPORTS IS DEWITT STETTEN
JUNIOR LECTURE, THIS YEAR SUDHA
CHAKRAPANI FROM CASE WESTERN,
MOLECULAR MECHANISMS UNDERLYING
GLYCINERGIC NEUROTRANSMISSION,
THAT WILL BE AN EXTREMELY
EXCITING LECTURE, TAKING PLACE
NOVEMBER 20 FROM 2 TO 3 EASTERN
TIME.
YOU CAN COME IN PERSON, WATCH
ONLINE, EITHER IN REAL TIME OR
LATER BECAUSE IT WILL BE
RECORDED AS WELL.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
A COUPLE RECENT PUBLICATIONS I
WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE AWARE
OF, YOU CAN SPREAD THE WORD AS
WELL.
I PUBLISHED WITH LARRY TABAK,
NIH PRINCIPAL DEPUTY DIRECTOR,
AND MONICA BERTAGNOLLI, THE
DIRECTOR OF NIH, A COMMENTARY IN
A JOURNAL eLIFE LAST WEEK,
WEEK BEFORE THAT I GUESS, ABOUT
THE IMPORTANCE OF BASIC RESEARCH
IN NIH PORTFOLIO, AND I THINK
REAFFIRMING THAT IMPORTANCE AND
ALSO MAYBE PROVIDING SOME
INSIGHTS INTO WHY BASIC RESEARCH
IS SO IMPORTANT TO SUPPORTING
CLINICAL AND OTHER APPLIED
ADVANCES, SO I HOPE YOU'LL TAKE
A LOOK AT THAT.
IT'S QUITE SHORT, I HOPE YOU MAY
PASS IT ALONG TO OTHERS AS WELL.
THEN BUILDING OFF OF THAT, WE
PUT UP A FEEDBACK LOOP POST THAT
I AUTHORED ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE
OF BASIC SCIENCE PARTICULARLY IN
IDeA STATES, AND MY PERCEPTION
THAT MAYBE TRANSLATIONAL
RESEARCH HAS TAKEN TOO MUCH
PREDOMINANCE IN THE IDeA
STATES AND THEY NEED TO FOCUS A
LITTLE BIT MORE ON ALSO
SUPPORTING BASIC RESEARCH IN
ORDER TO ROUND OUT THEIR
PORTFOLIOS.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE THAT TOO.
THAT'S UP ON OUR FEEDBACK LOOP
SITE, AND THE LINK IS THERE.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
WE'VE HAD A COUPLE INTERACTIONS
WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS, BOTH THE
U.S. CONGRESS AS WELL AS STATE
OFFICIALS, SO THE FIRST WAS THAT
STAFF FROM OUR DIVISION OF DATA
INTEGRATION MODELING AND
ANALYTICS, RICHARD ARAGON AND
STAFF, DAVID AND OTHERS,
PRESENTED TO A GROUP OF
CONGRESSIONAL STAFF AT A LUNCH
AND LEARN SESSION THAT NIH HOLDS
MONTHLY, IN THIS CASE ABOUT THE
IDeA PROGRAM, BUILDING
RESEARCH CAPACITY AND EXPANDING
THE REACH OF NIH FUNDING.
THAT PRESENTATION WENT EXTREMELY
WELL, VERY WELL RECEIVED.
AND THERE WERE A NUMBER OF
FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS AND
INQUIRIES FROM THE CONGRESSIONAL
STAFF WHO WERE THERE IN THEIR
OFFICES.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
AND THEN IN JUNE, I TOOK A TRIP
TO KENTUCKY ALONG WITH EDDIE
BILLINGSLEY AND CHRISTIAN AURORA
FROM NIGMS, AND WE FIRST WENT TO
THE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY IN
THE MORNING, JUNE 10, ALONG WITH
MONICA BERTAGNOLLI, NIH
DIRECTOR, TARA SCHWETZ FROM
OFFICE OF DIRECTOR, DEPUTY
DIRECTOR OF NIH, AND THE
DIRECTOR OF NCATS, JONI RUTTER,
AND HAD A GREAT MEETING THERE,
HEARD ABOUT PROGRAMS GOING ON,
HOW NIGMS FUNDING IN PARTICULAR
IS IMPORTANT FOR THE WORK THAT
UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY IS DOING.
I'LL GIVE THEM A PARTICULAR CALL
OUT, THE UNIVERSITY HAS SEVERAL
GRANTS THAT ALLOW IT TO SUPPORT
THE DEVELOPMENT OF RESEARCH
CAPACITY AT UNDERRESOURCED
INSTITUTIONS IN KENTUCKY AND
THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.
IT'S AN ALTRUISTIC THING THEY
ARE DOING AND INVESTING IN,
SUPPORTING THAT BUILDING OF
RESEARCH CAPACITY ACROSS THE
COUNTRY, AND GREAT TO SEE A
UNIVERSITY LEANING IN IN THAT
WAY, NOT ELSE INLY DIRECTLY IN
THEIR OWN INTEREST BUT IN THE
INTEREST OF COUNTRY.
I THANK THEM FOR THAT WORK.
WE TRAVELED TO THE STATE
CAPITOL, WHERE WE MET WITH
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR JACQUELINE
COLEMAN AND CABINET SECRETARY
FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT JEFFREY
NOEL TO TALK ABOUT THE WORK THAT
KENTUCKY HAS DONE IN DEVELOPING
AND SUPPORTING SMALL BUSINESSES
IN THE STATE.
THEY HAVE BEEN A LEADER AMONGST
THE IDeA STATES, IN THAT
REALM.
WE WENT THERE IN PARTICULAR TO
LEARN ABOUT WHAT'S THE SPECIAL
SAUCE THAT KENTUCKY HAS BEEN
ABLE TO USE TO GROW THEIR SMALL
BUSINESS PARTICULARLY IN THE
BIOTECH SECTOR, AND WE GOT SOME
GREAT IDEAS.
WE LEARNED ABOUT CONSISTENCY OF
STATE INVESTMENT, IMPORTANCE OF
COUPLING STATE INVESTMENT TO
FEDERAL AND OTHER INVESTMENTS,
AND THAT INVESTMENT HAS CROSSED
ADMINISTRATION, CROSSED PARTIES
IN THE STATE, SOMETHING
CONSISTENT OVER A COUPLE
DECADES.
THE RESULTS OF THAT ARE QUITE
CLEAR, SOMETHING I THINK OTHER
STATES AND INSTITUTIONS COULD
USE AS A MODEL.
WE WENT TO KENTUCKY STATE, ALSO
IN FRANKFURT, THE STATE CAPITAL.
IT'S A HISTORICALLY BLACK
UNIVERSITY.
AND WE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT THE
OPPORTUNITIES THAT A SCHOOL LIKE
KENTUCKY STATE OFFERS IN TERMS
OF GROWING THE NIH PORTFOLIO,
MEETING DIFFERENT CHALLENGES,
GETTING NEW INSIGHTS, NEW IDEAS,
BOTH PARTICULARLY FOR KENTUCKY
STATE AND ALSO FOR OTHER
INSTITUTIONS LIKE IT IN IDeA
STATES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND
OTHER STATES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
THAT WAS AN EXTREMELY USEFUL
VISIT.
I THINK THERE'S A LOT THAT WE
CAN DO TO LEVERAGE IDeA AND
OTHER NIGMS ASSETS TO REALLY,
YOU KNOW, MEET THE OPPORTUNITIES
THAT SCHOOLS LIKE KENTUCKY STATE
PROVIDE AND HELP THEM OVERCOME
SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THEY FACE
IN MEETING THEIR FULL POTENTIAL.
AND THEN WE SPENT THE NEXT DAY
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE
WHERE WE LEARNED WHAT THEY ARE
DOING WITH IDeA AND OTHER
NIGMS ASSETS, RUN FOR INSTANCE
THE ENBRAY PROGRAMS, WITH THE
UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY AND SMALL
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT WORK,
EXCITING TO SEE WHAT'S GOING ON,
WHAT UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE IS
DOING FOR KENTUCKY WITH ALL THE
INSTITUTIONS IT HAS.
SO THAT WAS A GREAT VISIT.
AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO MAKING
SIMILAR VISITS IN THE NEXT
COUPLE YEARS TO OTHER STATES.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE'S
AWARE OF THE CHANGES HAPPENING
IN GRANT APPLICATIONS AND REVIEW
PROCESS NIH-WIDE.
I'VE MENTIONED SOME OF THESE AT
PREVIOUS MEETINGS BUT I WANT TO
PULL THEM TOGETHER HERE SINCE
THEY ARE JUST ABOUT TO ACTUALLY
TAKE EFFECT.
FOR DUE DATES ON OR AFTER
JANUARY 25, 2025, THERE ARE SOME
MAJOR CHANGES HAPPENING TO
SEVERAL IMPORTANT GRANT TYPES
THAT YOU NEED TO BE AWARE OF.
THE FIRST IS THE SIMPLIFIED
REVIEW FRAMEWORK THAT'S GOING TO
BE TRUE FOR MOST RESEARCH
PROJECT GRANTS.
PARTICULARLY THINGS LIKE THE R01
AND THAT WILL BE CHANGES BOTH TO
THE INSTRUCTIONS BUT IN
PARTICULAR TO THE REVIEW, HOW
THOSE ARE REVIEWED.
THE GOAL OF THAT, THE PROGRAM,
IS BOTH REDUCE ADMINISTRATIVE
BURDEN FOR APPLICANTS AND
REVIEWERS AND ALSO TO REDUCE
BIASES THAT ARE POTENTIAL IN
REVIEW PROCESS PARTICULARLY IN
TERMS OF INSTITUTIONAL AND
REPUTATIONAL BIASES, SO THAT
WILL BE COMING SOON.
THERE ARE GOING TO BE MAJOR
REVISIONS TO THE INDIVIDUAL
FELLOWSHIP APPLICATION AND
REVIEW PROCESS.
I DESCRIBED THOSE A COUPLE
COUNCIL ROUNDS AGO.
BUT THOSE WILL SUBSTANTIALLY
CHANGE HOW FELLOWSHIP
APPLICATIONS WORK, WHAT'S ASKED
FOR, HOW THE REVIEW PROCESS
WORKS.
AGAIN, THAT WAS TARGETED LARGELY
ON MAKING SURE THAT POTENTIAL
BIASES IN THE PROCESS ARE
REDUCED, LIKE INSTITUTIONAL
BIASES, AND ALSO THE RIGHT
THINGS ARE BEING EVALUATED.
THOSE ARE FELLOWSHIPS, NOT
RESEARCH GRANTS, AND NEEDED TO
BE MADE CLEAR THESE WERE FOR,
YOU KNOW, FELLOWSHIP, MENTORED
FELLOWSHIP PURPOSES, AND THOSE
THINGS NEEDED TO BE EVALUATED
APPROPRIATELY.
AND THEN FINALLY, IN TERMS OF
BIG MECHANISMS, THE
INSTITUTIONAL TRAINING GRANT
APPLICATIONS, SO CALLED PARENTS,
ARE BEING REVISED.
THEY ARE GOING TO LOOK MORE
SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU HAVE SEEN IN
THE NIGMS TRAINING GRANT
APPLICATIONS, NO COINCIDENCE, WE
WERE PILOTING LANGUAGE THAT WAS
SUPPOSED TO BE USED NIH-WIDE IN
OUR TRAINING GRANTS AND THAT'S
NOW FINALLY HAPPENING.
I SHOULD SAY ALL THREE OF THESE
CHANGES TO THE RPGs, TO THE
FELLOWSHIPS, TO THE TRAINING
GRANTS, HAVE A SIGNIFICANT NIGMS
IN
INPUT.
I WAS THE CO-CHAIR WITH NONI
BYRNES WITH CSR FOR THE GROUP
THAT DEVELOPED THE SIMPLIFIED
REVIEW FRAMEWORK.
ALISON GAMMIE WAS THE ENGINE
THAT DROVE CHANGES IN FELLOWSHIP
APPLICATION REVIEW PROCESS,
KENNY GIBBS WAS THE ENGINE WHO
DROVE THE CHANGES IN THE
INSTITUTIONAL TRAINING GRANT
APPLICATIONS.
SO THEY DID A TREMENDOUS --
KENNY AND ALISON DID A
TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK, GREAT
TO SEE THAT COMING TO FRUITION,
A POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT FOR
TRAINING COMMUNITIES AND
RESEARCH COMMUNITIES WITH THE
CHANGES TO THE RESEARCH PROJECT
GRANT APPLICATIONS.
THERE ARE GOING TO BE CHANGES
AND UPDATES, REFERENCE LETTER
GUIDANCE, NO FORMS COMING OUT,
FORMS I, AGAIN FOR JANUARY 25
DUE DATE AND AFTER.
THEN FOR DUE DATES ON OR AFTER
MAY 25, 2025, THERE ARE GOING TO
BE COMMON FORMS FOR BIOGRAPHICAL
SKETCH AND PENDING AND OTHER
SUPPORT.
THAT'S COMING TOO.
THAT'S A LOT.
WE COULDN'T DESCRIBE ALL THE
CHANGES BECAUSE THEY ARE FAIRLY
STRAININGS, SO NIH HAS PUT
TOGETHER A CENTRALIZED WEB PAGE
TO LOOK AT EACH OF THOSE
INDIVIDUAL THINGS I JUST TALKED
ABOUT AND SEE WHAT THE SPECIFIC
CHANGES ARE.
I ADVISE YOU TO DO THAT.
THEY ARE FAIRLY SUBSTANTIAL AND
THEY WILL REQUIRE RETHINKING HOW
YOU WRITE OR YOUR STUDENTS WRITE
APPLICATIONS.
AND THIS WILL BE CONTINUALLY
UPDATED WITH NOTICES AND
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES MOVING
FORWARD.
SO GO TO THAT WEB PAGE, POINT
OTHER PEOPLE TO IT, MAKE SURE
EVERYBODY KNOWS ABOUT THESE
CHANGES.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
SO SOME FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
FROM NIGMS THAT I WANT TO MAKE
YOU AWARE OF, MAKE SURE YOU'RE
AWARE OF.
FIRST IS A PROGRAM THAT EXISTED,
NOW RENAMED, B-INSPIRE, WHICH
STANDS FOR RESEARCH ON
BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS THAT
PROMOTE CAREERS IN THE
BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH ENTERPRISE.
I WILL GIVE STAFF AN A FOR
EFFORT IN COMING UP WITH THAT
ACRONYM FOR THOSE WORDS, BUT
THAT'S WHAT THE PROGRAM IS.
PLEASED CALLED RESEARCH ON
INTERVENTIONS THAT PROMOTE
CAREERS OF INDIVIDUALS IN THE
BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH ENTERPRISE,
SUPPORTS WORK THAT TEST
BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS TO
ENHANCE INTEREST OR MOTIVATION,
PERSISTENCE OR PREPAREDNESS OF
PEOPLE FOR CAREERS IN BIOMEDICAL
RESEARCH WORK FORCE AT VARYING
STAGES OF THAT DEVELOPMENT
PROCESS.
FIRST APPLICATION DUE DATE FOR
THE NEW VERSION IS OCTOBER 17,
AND YOU CAN FIND MORE
INFORMATION ON THE FEEDBACK LOOP
POST THAT'S LISTED THERE.
AND WE'D LIKE TO SEE MORE
APPLICATIONS IN THIS SPACE, SO
PLEASE, SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT
THIS.
WE HISTORICALLY HAVEN'T GOTTEN
AS MANY AS WE WOULD LIKE IN THIS
PROGRAM.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE
SHOULD BE A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT
THERE WORKING IN THESE AREAS WHO
COULD DO REALLY EXCELLENT WORK
WITH THIS SUPPORT SO PLEASE LET
PEOPLE KNOW.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
THEN WE HAVE REISSUED THE
MAXIMIZING OPPORTUNITIES FOR
SCIENTIFIC AND ACADEMIC
INDEPENDENT CAREERS FUNDING
OPPORTUNITIES, THE MOSAIC
PROGRAM.
REMINDER, THIS IS A TWO-PART
PROGRAM, THERE'S A K99/R00 PART,
WHICH GOES TO SCHOLARS, TO
SUPPORT THEIR TIMELY TRANSITION
FROM MENTORED POSTDOCTORAL
RESEARCH POSITIONS TO RESEARCH
INTENSIVE FACULTY POSITIONS WITH
FOCUS ON DIVERSIFYING THE
RESEARCH INTENSIVE FACULTY BASE
IN THE COUNTRY.
THE DUE DATE FOR
NON-AIDS-RELATED APPLICATIONS OR
NEW APPLICATIONS IS OCTOBER 12,
THERE'S STILL TIME TO APPLY.
PLEAS MAKE POSTDOCS WHO WOULD BE
APPROPRIATE AWARE OF IT.
THIS PROGRAM HAS TAKEN OFF LIKE
A ROCKET.
IT'S REALLY FANTASTIC TO SEE HOW
IT'S GOING, HOW OTHER INSTITUTES
AND CENTERS ARE LEANING IN,
FUNDING SCHOLARS.
IT'S A TRANS-NIH PROGRAM.
AT THIS POINT THAT WE MANAGE.
AND THE SCHOLARS ARE GOING ON TO
GET FANTASTIC FACULTY POSITIONS,
SO REALLY CAN'T SAY ENOUGH GOOD
ABOUT HOW WELL THIS PROGRAM IS
WORKING SO FAR.
THE SECOND PART OF IT,
COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS, UE5s,
THESE SUPPORT ORGANIZATION ALSO
TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL
EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES FOR
COHORTS OF THE SCHOLARS, BASED
ON THEIR SCIENTIFIC INTERESTS.
SO, THEY GIVE THEM PROFESSIONAL
SKILLS DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES,
ADDITIONAL MENTORING, HELP THEM
DEVELOP PROFESSIONAL NETWORKS SO
THEY CAN BOTH SUCCEED IN THEIR
POSTDOC, GET A FACULTY POSITION,
AND THEN SUCCEED IN THAT FACULTY
POSITION.
SO THE NEXT APPLICATION DUE DATE
FOR THIS IS COMING UP, IT'S
SEPTEMBER 26th.
I THINK WE NEED A FEW ADDITIONAL
AREAS SUCH AS NEUROSCIENCE TO BE
REPRESENTED IN THESE
ORGANIZATIONS.
SO, PLEASE, AGAIN, SPREAD THE
WORD ABOUT THAT OPPORTUNITY.
I THINK THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT
HAVE HAD THESE AND RUNNING THEM
HAVE BEEN DOING A TERRIFIC JOB.
I THINK THEY HAVE BEEN REALLY
FINDING IT EXTREMELY REWARDING,
AND SO HOPEFULLY A FEW OTHER
ORGANIZATIONS WILL ALSO FOLLOW
SUIT AND EXPAND THE
CONSTELLATION OF GROUPS WE HAVE
DOING THAT.
AND YOU CAN SEE MORE DETAILS ON
THIS FEEDBACK LOOP POST HERE.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
GOING ALONG WITH THESE K AWARDS,
ONE THING, YOU KNOW, ANYONE WHO
HAS APPLIED FOR, LOOKED AT K
AWARDS AT NIH, WILL KNOW THERE
ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENT KINDS.
NIGMS DOESN'T SUPPORT ALL THE
DIFFERENT KINDS, WE DO STILL
SUPPORT A FAIR NUMBER OF
DIFFERENT KINDS.
THE QUESTION THAT APPLICANT OR
POTENTIAL APPLICANT COULD EASILY
ASK, WHICH ONE IS THE RIGHT RUN
FOR -- ONE FOR ME TO APPLY FOR?
WE'VE DEVELOPED A DECISION TREE,
MENTORED RESEARCH CAREER
DEVELOPMENT AWARD DECISION TREE
ON OUR WEBSITE, ASKING SOME
QUESTIONS, AND HELPS THEM FIGURE
OUT WHICH OF THE DIFFERENT K
AWARDS IS THE RIGHT ONE FOR THEM
TO APPLY TO.
SO IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO IS
THINKING ABOUT APPLYING FOR K
AWARDS PLEASE POINT THEM TO THIS
RESOURCE AND IT SHOULD HELP GET
THEM TO THE RIGHT KIND OF K
AWARD FOR THEM TO PURSUE.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
A COUPLE NEW FUNDING
OPPORTUNITIES IN ADDITION TO THE
ONES I JUST TOLD YOU ABOUT.
THE FIRST, BOTH TARGETED TOWARDS
SUPPORTING TRIBAL HEALTH
RESEARCH, CONDUCTED BY TRIBES
AND TRIBAL ORGANIZATIONS.
THE FIRST IS THE TRIBAL
INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD
ESTABLISHMENT AND ENHANCEMENT
GRANTS PROGRAM, TIRBEE,
SOMETHING WE DISCUSSED WITH
COUNCIL, YOU MAY RECALL, AS A
CONCEPT CLEARANCE.
THESE GRANTS WILL SUPPORT THE
CREATION OF NEW IRBs, NEW
TRIBAL IRBs, FOR ENHANCEMENT
OF EXISTING TRIBAL TO FUNCTION
MORE EFFICIENTLY OR EXPAND
CAPACITY, FUNDING NOTICE NUMBER
THERE.
THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT NEED WE
HEARD ABOUT, THEREFORE WE'RE
TRYING TO FILL THAT WITH THIS
PROGRAM.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
THE SECOND PROGRAM, SET OF
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES, IS TRIBAL
UNDERGRADUATE TO GRADUATE
RESEARCH TRAINING AND LEADERSHIP
EXPERIENCES, OR TURTLE.
THIS IS TWO FUNDING
OPPORTUNITIES, ONE TARGETED FOR
UNDERGRADUATES, THE SECOND TO
SUPPORT GRADUATE STUDENTS.
THESE ARE PHASED AWARDS THAT
WILL ALLOW TRIBES OR TRIBAL
ORGANIZATIONS TO DEVELOP IN THE
FIRST PHASE, UE 5 PHASE,
IMPLEMENT INSTITUTIONAL TRAINING
GRANTS THAT WILL SUPPORT
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS, T3 4, OR
GRADUATE STUDENTS, THAT'S THE
T32.
THERE WILL BE FUNDING SUPPORT
FOR A COUPLE YEARS IN THE UE5
FOR TRIBES OR TRIBAL
ORGANIZATIONS TO BUILD THE
INFRASTRUCTURE THEY NEED TO RUN
A TRAINING GRANT, THEN
TRANSITION INTO T 34 PHASE OR
T32 FOR GRADUATE SUPPORT AND
PROVIDE STIPENDS, TUITION
REMISSION, OTHER SORTS OF
BENEFITS, HEALTH BENEFITS, ET
CETERA, FOR TRAINEES WHO ARE
EITHER PURSUING UNDERGRADUATE
DEGREES AND IT COULD BE AT ONE
INSTITUTION, MULTIPLE
INSTITUTIONS, OR GRADUATE
DEGREES, THE ORGANIZATIONS WILL
ALSO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL
SERVICES, MENTORING, YOU KNOW,
SKILL DEVELOPMENT, THINGS LIKE
THAT, SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU HEARD
ABOUT FOR THE MOSAIC CENTERS TO
THE TRAINEES.
SO, THERE WILL BE A WEBINAR FOR
POTENTIAL APPLICANTS TO LEARN
MORE ABOUT THESE PROGRAMS, TO
ASK QUESTIONS, THAT WILL BE
OCTOBER 21 AT 3:30 EASTERN TIME.
THERE'S A NOTICE ABOUT THAT
WEBINAR THAT TELLS PEOPLE HOW
THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, REGISTER AND
ATTEND THE WEBINAR.
PLEASE MAKE PEOPLE AWARE OF
THAT.
GOING TO THESE WEBINARS IS
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO
UNDERSTAND THE PROGRAM AND THEN
TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN APPLYING FOR
IT.
BOTH OF THESE PROGRAMS WERE
STARTED IN RESPONSE TO THE
NATIVE AMERICAN RESEARCH CENTERS
FOR HEALTH, NARCH PROGRAM
EVALUATION PROGRAM AND TRIBAL
CONSULTATION A FEW YEARS AGO.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THEM
BASICALLY EVER SINCE THEN.
AND IT'S JUST WONDERFUL TO SEE
THEM COMING OUT NOW.
WHAT WE NEED NOW IS A ROBUST SET
OF APPLICATIONS FROM TRIBES AND
TRIBAL ORGANIZATIONS SO WE CAN
REALLY BRING THIS RESEARCH
CONDUCTED BY TRIBES AND TRIBAL
ORGANIZATION ALSO AND THE
TRAINING TO SUPPORT THAT
RESEARCH TO A NEW LEVEL.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
RELATED TO THAT, WE HAVE A
TEMPORARY NIGMS LEADERSHIP
OPPORTUNITY I WANTED TO MAKE YOU
AWARE OF.
WE'RE LOOKING FOR AN INDIVIDUAL
WITH EXPERIENCE IN TRIBAL HEALTH
RESEARCH, IN CAPACITY BUILDING
IN TRIBES AND TRIBAL
ORGANIZATIONS, IN WORKING
CLOSELY WITH TRIBES AND TRIBAL
ORGANIZATIONS TO DO A TWO-YEAR
DETAIL AT NIGMS AS OUR TRIBAL
HEALTH RESEARCH TRAJECTORY
COORDINATOR.
SO WHAT THIS PERSON WOULD DO,
WORK TO ENHANCE OUR INTERACTIONS
WITH TRIBES AND TRIBAL
ORGANIZATIONS, ALSO TO ENSURE
ALIGNMENT OF OUR PROGRAMS AND
STRATEGIES WITH COMMUNITY NEEDS.
THE WAY THIS WOULD WORK, THE
PERSON WOULD STILL BE AN
EMPLOYEE AT THEIR HOME
INSTITUTION, OR ORGANIZATION.
BUT NIGMS WOULD REIMBURSE
THROUGH INTERGOVERNMENTAL
PERSONNEL ACT, IPA.
NSF USES THIS A LOT TO SUPPORT
ITS PROGRAM OFFICER POSITIONS,
SO-CALLED ROTATORS, THOSE ARE
IPA POSITIONS.
SO, WE NEED YOUR HELP GETTING
THE WORD OUT ABOUT THIS
OPPORTUNITY.
PLEASE HELP US PUBLICIZE IT.
IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED, KNOWS
OF SOMEONE INTERESTED, PLEASE
HAVE THEM CONTACT DORIT.
HER E-MAIL IS THERE.
WE HOPE TO GET SOME OUTSTANDING
APPLICATIONS AND FIND SOMEONE
WHO WOULD BE GREAT FOR THIS
POSITION.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
A FEW UPDATES ON MIRA, BOTH
RELATE TO PREVIOUS COUNCIL
DISCUSSIONS.
WE RECENTLY ISSUED A NOTICE THAT
INCREASES BUDGET CAP FOR
EARLY-STAGE INVESTIGATORS
APPLYING TO MIRA FROM $250,000
DIRECT COST PER YEAR TO $275,000
DIRECT COSTS PER YEAR, EFFECTIVE
FOR APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED IN
OCTOBER OF 2024 AND BEYOND.
AND THIS WILL, WE HOPE, HELP
OFFSET INFLATIONARY COST
INCREASES THAT HAVE OCCURRED
RECENTLY.
WE KNOW IT'S NOT MAYBE THE FULL
COST OF THOSE INFLATIONARY
ADJUSTMENTS, BUT I THINK IT WILL
MAKE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT.
AND TO LEARN MORE ABOUT IT,
THERE'S A NOTICE THAT WE PUT
OUT, THE NUMBER IS SHOWN THERE.
WE ALSO JUST RECENTLY ISSUED A
NOTICE DECREASING THE PERCENT
RESEARCH EFFORT REQUIREMENTS FOR
ESTABLISHED INVESTIGATOR MIRA
FROM 51% TO 45%, AND THAT'S
EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY.
THIS, AGAIN, CAME FROM DIRECTLY
FROM DISCUSSIONS AT COUNCIL.
IN FACT AT OUR LAST COUNCIL
ROUND, AND IT'S GEARED TOWARDS
ENABLING ESTABLISHED
INVESTIGATORS WITH MIRAs TO
ALSO APPLY FOR OTHER NIGMS
GRANTS SUCH AS PIONEER AWARDS
THAT REQUIRE AT LEAST 50%
RESEARCH EFFORT WHICH THEY WERE
PREVENTED FROM DOING WHEN IT WAS
51% REQUIREMENT.
THAT NOTICE IS SHOWN HERE AS
WELL, IF YOU WANT MORE
INFORMATION.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
WE ALSO PUBLISHED A NOTICE
MAKING THE COMMUNITY AWARE OF A
SCIENTIFIC AREA THAT NIGMS IS
INTERESTED IN RECEIVING
APPLICATION, NOT ONE WE MAYBE
HAVE CALLED OUT BEFORE.
BUT THE COMMUNITY EXPRESSED THE
CONCERN THAT THERE WAS REALLY NO
HOME FOR APPLICATIONS IN THIS
AREA, AND WE LOOKED AT IT,
REALIZED IT WAS RELEVANT TO OUR
PORTFOLIO AND WANTED TO MAKE IT
CLEAR WE WERE VERY HAPPY TO
RECEIVE APPLICATIONS IN THIS
AREA.
AND THE AREA IS MICROBIAL
INTERACTIONS WITH THE BUILT
ENVIRONMENT, SO THE BUILT
ENVIRONMENT WOULD BE ANYTHING,
ANY STRUCTURE THAT IS MAN-MADE,
THAT, YOU KNOW, WE GO INTO,
REGARDLESS OF THE MATERIALS IT'S
MADE OF.
SO IT COULD BE MADE OUT OF WOOD,
A NATURAL MATERIAL.
IT COULD BE MADE OUT OF PLASTIC,
THAT'S A MAN-MADE MATERIAL.
BUT ANYTHING THAT WE GO IN AND
INTERACT WITH, THAT'S THE BUILT
ENVIRONMENT.
WE'RE PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN
STUDIES TO ELUCIDATE FUNDAMENTAL
PRINCIPLES GOVERNING MICROBIAL
INTERACTIONS, SO INTERACTION
BETWEEN VIRUSES OR BACTERIA OR
PROTISTS OR FUNGI, HOW THEY
INTERACT, RELEASED, AVAILABLE
POTENTIALLY TO INFECT HUMANS.
AND HOW THEY REMAIN VIABLE OR
DON'T REMAIN VIABLE ON OR IN
SOLIDS, LIQUIDS, GASES,
ASSOCIATED WITH THE BUILT
ENVIRONMENT.
SO THESE ARE ALL VERY
FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS.
THINGS WE DON'T KNOW VERY MUCH
ABOUT, AND I THINK PROBABLY
DURING THE COVID PANDEMIC YOU
PROBABLY HAD QUESTIONS RELATED
TO THIS AND REALIZED THAT THERE
SIMPLY IS NOT A VERY GOOD
UNDERSTANDING HOW THESE THINGS
ARE GOVERNED, WHAT THE
FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES
UNDERLYING THEM ARE.
WE'RE ALSO INTERESTED IN
TECHNOLOGY AND METHODS
DEVELOPMENT, THAT WOULD ENABLE
THESE STUDIES.
AND ALL OF THIS APPLIES TO ALL
OF OUR RESEARCH PROGRAMS.
COULD BE A MIRA APPLICATION,
COULD BE TEAM SCIENCE RM1, COULD
BE APPLICATION TO A TECHNOLOGY
DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.
THIS MIGHT BE PARTICULARLY
EXCITING AS A TEAM SCIENCE
PROJECT, SUPPORTED BY OUR
RM1s, WHERE PEOPLE FROM
MULTIPLE FIELDS GET TOGETHER,
TRYING TO ANSWER THESE
FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW
DIFFERENT KINDS OF MICROBES
INTERACT WITH SURFACES, STAY
VIABLE OR DON'T, AND CAN BE
RELEASED.
THE NOTICE IS THERE FOR MORE
INFORMATION.
SPREAD THE WORD THIS IS AN AREA
WE'D LIKE TO SEE APPLICATIONS
IN.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
WE ALSO HAD TWO RECENT REQUESTS
FOR INFORMATION.
ONE IS STILL ACTIVE, THE OTHER
CLOSED RECENTLY, A LITTLE WHILE
AGO.
FIRST IS EXPANDING TECHNOLOGY
FOCUS OF NATIONAL AND REGIONAL
RESOURCES PROGRAM, AND
BIOMEDICAL TECHNOLOGY
OPTIMIZATION AND DISSEMINATION
CENTERS PROGRAM.
THIS BUILDS OFF COUNCIL
DISCUSSION WE HAD RECENTLY.
THE OVERALL QUESTION WE'RE
TRYING TO GET INFORMATION
RELATED TO IS WHAT TECHNOLOGY
SHOULD BE IN THIS PROGRAM, SO
WHAT MATURE TECHNOLOGIES WOULD
BE USEFUL AND IMPACTFUL IF ADDED
TO NATIONAL AND REGIONAL
RESOURCES PROGRAM SO THEY COULD
BE USED BY RESEARCHERS ACROSS
THE COUNTRY WITH HOPEFULLY
SIGNIFICANT ECONOMIES OF SCALE
PROVIDED.
AND WHAT NASCENT TECHNOLOGIES
WOULD BE VERY USEFUL IF A
BIOMEDICAL TECHNOLOGY
OPTIMIZATION AND DISSEMINATION
CENTER WERE FUNDED TO HARDEN,
OPTIMIZE, DISSEMINATE TO THE
COMMUNITY FOR USE.
THE NOTICE IS SHOWN THERE, TELLS
YOU HOW TO ANSWER THIS REQUEST
FOR INFORMATION, AND THAT'S
STILL OPEN.
IT'S OPEN UNTIL THE END OF THIS
MONTH, SO PLEASE SPREAD THE
WORD, ANSWER YOURSELF IF YOU
HAVE THOUGHTS ON THIS, WE REALLY
DO WANT TO HEAR WHAT
TECHNOLOGIES ARE MISSING FROM
THESE PROGRAMS THAT WOULD BE
USEFUL FOR THE COMMUNITY.
AND THEN AS WE'VE DISCUSSED IN A
PREVIOUS COUNCIL ROUND, WE'RE
CONDUCTING AN EVALUATION OF OUR
SYNCHROTRON RESOURCES FOR THE
STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY PROGRAM, WE
ISSUED A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
SEEKING INPUT ON UTILITY,
OPTIMIZATION, FUTURE NEEDS FOR
THE SYNCHROTRON RESOURCES, THE
NOTICE IS THERE BUT IT DID CLOSE
IN JUNE AND HAS NOW BEEN
ANALYZED, AND THAT INFORMATION
WILL BE DISSEMINATED AT SOME
POINT TO THE COMMUNITY SO YOU
CAN SEE WHAT WAS SAID BUT ALSO
IS BEING USED IN THE EVALUATION
PROCESS.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
RELATED TO GETTING FEEDBACK,
SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN CONCERNED
ABOUT FOR SOME TIME IS IT'S
DIFFICULT FOR US TO GET FEEDBACK
FROM THE TRAINEES THAT WE
SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, THROUGH OUR
TRAINING GRANTS, FELLOWSHIPS, ET
CETERA.
WE WANTED TO PROVIDE A MECHANISM
FOR THEM TO GIVE US FEEDBACK.
SO AS A STARTING POINT FOR THAT,
WE HAVE DESIGNED AN ANONYMOUS
FORM ON OUR WEBSITE THAT ALLOWS
THAT KIND OF FEEDBACK FROM
TRAINEES SUPPORTED OR IN SOME
WAY RELATED TO NIGMS PROGRAMS.
THE LINK IS SHOWN, THERE MORE
DETAILS ON THE FEEDBACK LOOP
POST.
HELP US DISSEMINATE, IT COULD BE
FOR CONCERNS, SOMETHING
INNOVATIVE THAT COULD BE TESTED,
ANYTHING TRAINEES ARE THINKING
ABOUT THAT WOULD BE GOOD FOR US
TO KNOW, WE'RE VERY HAPPY TO
HEAR ABOUT.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
AS ALWAYS, PLEASE FOLLOW US IN
DIFFERENT WAYS.
THE MAIN ONE IS SIGN UP FOR
NIGMS FEEDBACK LOOM, A GENERAL
FORM, ALSO A TRAINEE LIST WITH
MORE TRAINEE-SPECIFIC
INFORMATION.
WE HAVE THE BIOMEDICAL BEAT BLOG
WHICH IS GEARED TOWARDS THE
GENERAL PUBLIC, TALKS ABOUT
WHAT'S GOING ON IN RESEARCH
PROGRAMS, FIELDS OF STUDY, HOW
THEY ARE IMPORTANT AND
INTERESTING.
MEDIA COVERAGE, A SITE YOU CAN
LOOK AT THERE.
AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, SOCIAL
MEDIA PLATFORMS THAT WE ARE ON
ARE LINKED IN, THE ONE WITH THE
CAMERA, WHATEVER THATS IS, WHEE
WE PUT OUR BEAUTIFUL PICTURES,
AND YouTube WHERE OUR
RECORDED WEBINARS GO AND PEOPLE
CAN WATCH THOSE LATER.
SO, DO CONNECT WITH US, HOWEVER
YOU DO THAT.
SPREAD THE WORD, GET OTHERS TO
CONNECT.
ANYONE INTERESTED IN NIGMS
SHOULD BE SIGNED UP FOR THE
FEEDBACK LOOP POST SO MAKE
PEOPLE AWARE OF THAT.
AND NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
SO NOW WE'LL TRANSITION INTO A
DISCUSSION PORTION OF THE
MEETING.
ANYTHING THAT I JUST TALKED
ABOUT, HAPPY TO DISCUSS.
ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO TALK
ABOUT, HAPPY TO DISCUSS.
BUT WE FOUND IT USEFUL TO PUT
OUT A COUPLE QUESTIONS TO KIND
OF CATALYZE THE DISCUSSION.
THESE TWO FORESHADOW WHAT EDDIE
BILLINGSLEY IS GOING TO TALK
ABOUT IN A MINUTE, ALTHOUGH HE
WON'T ADDRESS THESE SPECIFIC
THINGS BUT THEY ARE RELATED.
I WAS CURIOUS TO GET INPUT ON
THESE TWO THINGS.
HOW CAN WE PROMOTE PRODUCTIVE
INTERACTIONS BETWEEN THE PRIVATE
SECTOR AND NIGMS-SUPPORTED
TRAINING PROGRAMS?
I THINK THERE'S PROBABLY LOTS OF
REASONS WHY THIS WOULD BE
BENEFICIAL.
BUT FOR INSTANCE TO PROVIDE
INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES FOR
STUDENTS, MORE AND MORE STUDENTS
ARE GOING INTO THE PRIVATE
SECTOR, SOME STRAIGHT OUT OF
GRAD SCHOOL THESE DAYS AND
HAVING INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
WOULD BE USEFUL FOR THEM AND
ALSO FOR POTENTIAL EMPLOYERS TO
GET A FIRST LOOK AT PEOPLE.
ALSO COULD BE VALUABLE FOR INPUT
ON CURRICULA.
BOTH BECAUSE AS I SAID MANY
STUDENTS ARE GOING INTO
INDUSTRY, HAVING CURRICULA
DESIGNED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY
ARE ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF
THOSE POTENTIAL EMPLOYERS I
THINK IS VERY IMPORTANT BUT ALSO
BECAUSE TEACHING, I'VE TALKED
ABOUT THIS BEFORE, TEACHING TO
SORT OF INDUSTRY BEST PRACTICES
RAISES THE LEVEL FOR EVERYBODY.
SO FOR THINGS LIKE SAFETY, IF
YOU'RE TEACHING TO INDUSTRY
EXPECTATIONS FOR SAFETY, THAT'S
RAISING THE LEVEL FOR EVERYBODY.
THAT'S JUST FOR THE GOOD.
SAME FOR THINGS LIKE LAB
PRACTICES, GOOD LABORATORY
PRACTICES, RECORD KEEPING,
THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
SO, HOW TO BUILD CURRICULA THAT
MEET ACADEMIC NEEDS AND INDUSTRY
NEEDS, ALSO RAISE ALL SHIPS TO
THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE LEVEL I
THINK COULD BE VERY USEFUL.
PROVIDING OUTSIDE MENTORS FOR
TRAINEES WOULD ALSO BE SOMETHING
IMPORTANT IN THIS KIND OF
ENGAGEMENT.
SO, WHAT ARE THE OPPORTUNITIES
BESIDES THOSE THAT YOU SEE?
WHAT ARE THE BARRIERS?
HOW CAN WE DO IT BETTER?
RELATEDLY ARE THERE
OPPORTUNITIES FOR SHARING CORE
FACILITIES BETWEEN ACADEMIC
INSTITUTIONS, AND CORE
EQUIPMENT, WE SUPPORT THROUGH
PROGRAMS LIKE IDeA, PURCHASE
LOTS OF EQUIPMENT FOR
INSTITUTION US THROUGH S10s,
BUT THERE DOES SEEM TO BE A
PROBLEM IN MANY INSTITUTIONS IN
BEING ABLE TO CONTINUE DO FUND
THOSE CORE FACILITIES, IF YOU
TALK TO A VICE PRESIDENT FOR
RESEARCH, HOW DO THEY MAINTAIN
SUSTAINABILITY OF THEIR CORE
FACILITIES AND HIGH END
INSTRUMENTS, AND SO IT SEEMED
LIKE THERE WAS POTENTIAL FOR
WIN-WIN-WIN SITUATION, WHERE
MAYBE INSTITUTIONS COULD OPEN UP
THEIR CORE FACILITIES TO SMALL
BUSINESSES, SMALL BUSINESSES
WOULD GET ACCESS TO HIGH-END
INSTRUMENTATION AND FACILITIES
AND EXPERTISE THEY WOULDN'T HAVE
TO PURCHASE THOSE THINGS FOR
THEMSELVES.
THAT WOULD CREATE A NEW INCOME
STREAM TO SUPPORT THOSE CORE
FACILITIES.
THIS IS A GOOD IDEA.
WHAT ARE THE BEARERS?
WHAT MIGHT BE THE BENEFITS?
CURIOUS TO HEAR WHAT YOU SAY.
WITH THAT I THINK WE CAN BRING
OUR CAMERAS BACK ON, TAKE DOWN
THE SLIDES, AND OPEN UP FOR
QUESTIONS.
IF PEOPLE COULD TURN THEIR
CAMERAS ON, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
AND HAPPY TO TAKE QUESTIONS.
TERRI?
>> GOOD MORNING.
SO SOMEONE WHO ONCE RAN A CORE
FACILITY, ONCE WAS A VICE
PRESIDENT FOR RESEARCH, IT'S A
FANTASTIC IDEA TO GET AS MANY
PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE TO USE THE
CORE FACILITY.
THERE ARE DEFINITELY CHALLENGES
AND OPPORTUNITIES.
ONE CHALLENGE IS THE
CONFIDENTIALITY THAT NEEDS TO BE
MAINTAINED FROM COMPANIES AND IF
YOUR RESEARCH OFFICE HAS A
STANDING DOCUMENT,
NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT, THAT
CAN BE EASILY EXECUTED, THAT CAN
GET RID OF ONE OF THE BARRIERS
WHICH IS THE CONCERN ABOUT THE
INFORMATION LEAKING IN SOME WAY,
NOT THAT IT HAPPENS, IT'S JUST A
PROTECTION.
AND THAT IS OFTEN A CHALLENGE
THAT IS -- THERE ARE STANDARD
FORMS THAT CAN BE DEVELOPED
THERE.
A SECOND ONE IS HOW YOU KNOW
ABOUT CORE FACILITIES.
ONE OF THE CHALLENGES IS HOW TO
GET THE INFORMATION OUT, SO TO
ME WHO ARE THE PEOPLE THAT CAN
HELP THE SMALL BUSINESSES KNOW
WHAT CORE FACILITIES ARE.
ONE IS IF YOU KNOW WHERE NOT
JUST THE UNIVERSITY ASSOCIATED
INCUBATORS ARE BUT THERE ARE
PRIVATE SMALL BUSINESS
INCUBATORS, YOU CAN ESTABLISH
THOSE CONNECTIONS, AS NEW
COMPANIES COME IN IT'S AN
AUTOMATIC PART OF THE
INFORMATION THAT'S AVAILABLE.
SOME OF THESE THERE'S A REALLY
GOOD PRIVATE START-UP FACILITY,
I'LL GET THE NAME TO YOU,
OUTSIDE OF ANN ARBOR, THEY
SUPPORT H.R., FINANCES FOR SMALL
COMPANIES, THEY HAVE THEIR OWN
SERVICE CENTER IF YOU COULD MAKE
PAYMENTS EASIER, THAT'S PART OF
THE PROBLEM WITH UNIVERSITIES
ABOUT INVOICING, THESE ARE TWO
PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD THINGS
THAT WOULD HELP.
>> THAT'S GREAT INPUT.
ERIC?
>> OH, JUST A QUICK THING.
I'VE NOTICED MORE AND MORE OF
OUR STUDENTS ARE DOING --
GRADUATE STUDENTS ARE DOING
INTERNSHIPS OVER SUMMERS BUT
ALMOST ALL AT REALLY LARGE
CORPORATIONS.
SORT OF THE FANCIER PLACES LIKE
THE ONES IN CALIFORNIA.
AND SO I WAS LOOKING AT THE SBIR
INFORMATION THAT WAS SENT TO US,
I'M WONDERING IF YOU COULD
IMAGINE KIND OF AN INTERESTING
MIX, MAYBE THIS ALREADY HAPPENS
AND I DON'T KNOW, IF THE SBIRs
HAVE FUNDS AVAILABLE, PARTS OF
THE PROGRAM TO ENCOURAGE
GRADUATE STUDENTS TO DO
INTERNSHIPS IN SMALLER
COMPANIES.
THAT COULD BE A REALLY
INTERESTING CONNECTION THAT
BRINGS THEM INTO
ENTREPRENEURSHIP, BECAUSE IF
THEY ARE IN A SMALL COMPANY THEY
WILL LEARN A LOT THAT DOESN'T
HAPPEN IN A BIG COMPANY.
>> , YEAH HUGELY RICH AREA,
EDDIE WILL HAVE MORE TO SAY
ABOUT THAT, INCLUDING SMALL
BUSINESS GRANTEES CAN GET
DIVERSITY SUPPLEMENTS FROM NIH,
SO THAT'S ONE WAY TO SUPPORT A
STUDENT DOING THAT KIND OF
SUMMER INTERNSHIP.
RON?
>> YEAH, DOVETAILED TO WHAT ERIC
SAYS, AND THAT IS, YEAH, EVEN
FROM FROM OUR OWN PERSONAL
EXPERIENCE, AT LEAST WITH MY
STUDENTS, LIKE MAYBE AN
N-of-1 BUT I HAVE A VERY LARGE
NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT HAVE
BEEN GOING TO OVER THE LAST
SEVEN YEARS SO WE'RE PROBABLY
WELL OVER 300 AND SOME ODD
STUDENTS, OKAY?
SO AND ONE OF THE INTERESTS, A
REALLY STRONG INTEREST, THAT WE
HAVE EVERY SINGLE SEMESTER IS
OUR STUDENTS WHO WANT TO
ACTUALLY -- WHO ACTUALLY WANT
THESE INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
BUT STRUGGLE WITH TRYING TO
IDENTIFY THEM, ON THE COMPANY
SIDE.
MOST OF OUR INTERNSHIPS, WHEN WE
DO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY LIKE
ERIC SAYS WITH A LARGE COMPANY,
WE HAVE LIKE AMGEN,
RELATIONSHIPS WITH AMGEN AND
THAT TYPE OF THINGS BUT EVEN
THOSE CAN BE LIMITED IN THE
NUMBER OF SLOTS THAT WOULD BE
AVAILABLE.
SO, ADDING IN SMALL, YOU KNOW,
START-UP-ORIENTED COMPANIES IF
THEY HAVE THE SORT OF FINANCIAL
SUPPORT FOR THE STUDENTS,
BECAUSE THEY CAN BARELY AFFORD
THEIR RENT, YOU KNOW, LET ALONE
BRINGING ON PERSONNEL, BUT MANY
OF THEM WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THAT
OPPORTUNITY, IF IT WERE
SUPPORTED, SAY, THROUGH SBIR,
STTR PROGRAMS.
I THINK I HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF
OTHER THOUGHTS BUT I'M GOING TO
WAIT TILL EDDIE GIVES HIS
PRESENTATION AND STUFF AND I'LL
BE CHIMING IN LATER TO GIVE
OTHER FOLKS A CHANCE TO SPEAK.
>> GREAT.
THAT'S VERY USEFUL IMPORTANT
FEEDBACK.
EDDIE MAY MENTION MORE, BUT THE
NIH SEED OFFICE, THE OVERALL
UMBRELLA FOR THE SBIR PROGRAMS,
HAS A SITE THAT EDDIE WAS
INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING TO
DEVELOP THAT TRIES TO BE A
MATCHMAKER BETWEEN SMALL
BUSINESSES AND PEOPLE WHO MIGHT
BE INTERESTED IN FOR INSTANCE
DIVERSITY SUPPLEMENT TO WORK FOR
A PERIOD OF TIME AS AN INTERN,
AT THOSE COMPANIES.
EDDIE CAN GIVE UPDATE ON THAT
BUT THAT WAS A STARTING POINT
BUT THERE'S MORE OPPORTUNITY
THERE TO DO THAT KIND OF
MATCH-MAKING THAT YOU'RE SAYING.
>> YEAH, LIKE I THINK SO.
ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE LIKE IN
OUR CASE MAYBE IT'S A LITTLE
UNIQUE IN THE FACT WE ACTUALLY
HAVE COURSES, IN FACT OUR
COURSES ARE IN THE GRADUATE
SCHOOL, IN THE MEDICAL SCHOOL,
PhD, master's students, all
the allied health professions,
who are in these types of
entrepreneurship and
commercialization courses.
AND, YOU KNOW, SO IT MAKES IT
EASIER, EASIER CATCHMENT FOR
SMALL -- YOU KNOW, OTHER
INSTITUTIONS MAY NOT HAVE A
SPECIFIC COURSE OR ANYTHING LIKE
THAT.
SO IT WOULD BE A LITTLE MORE
DIFFICULT BUT THERE ARE ENOUGH I
THINK OF US JUST, YOU KNOW, IN
OUR VARIOUS AREAS THAT COULD
POPULATE THIS.
I KNOW THERE'S HUGE AMOUNT OF
INTEREST.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
I'VE SEEN THE SAME THING.
ANGELA?
>> YEAH, THANK YOU.
I WANT TO RAISE THE MATTER OF
HOW DO WE SUPPORT THESE
COLLABORATIONS BETWEEN NIH AND
SMALL BUSINESSES, OTHER
INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES, AND
MAINTAIN QUALITY MENTORSHIP.
I AM REALLY EXCITED HOW NIGMS
HAS BEEN AT THE FOREFRONT AT NIH
PUSHING ON EVIDENCE-BASED
MENTORSHIP TRAINING AND
EDUCATION FOR THOSE WHO WORK
WITH OUR TRAINEES, AND WE DON'T
SEE THAT IN INDUSTRY.
I'M SPEAKING AS A MOTHER OF A
COLLEGE STUDENT WHO IS A STEM
MAJOR AT FLORIDA A & M
UNIVERSITY, SHE HAS WONDERFUL
INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES, EVERY
TIME SHE TALKS, I WANT TO PULL
MY HAIR, OH MY GOSH, THERE WAS
NO MENTOR TRAINING, THERE JUST
KIND OF SUPPORTING THESE
STUDENTS AND MISS.
I HAVE A QUESTION TO THROW OUT
TO THE GROUP WHAT ARE SOME
THOUGHTS ABOUT HOW TO
INCENTIVIZE GOOD MENTORSHIP
PREPARATION WHEN WE HAVE THESE
PARTNERSHIPS AND INDUSTRY, HAS
ANYONE SEEN THAT WORK?
I'VE BEEN TRYING TO DO SOME
THINGS WITH OUR LOCAL
PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES HERE IN
MADISON AREA, WHEN THEY HAVE
THESE NEW MENTORSHIPS,
OPPORTUNITIES, OFFERING
MENTORSHIP EDUCATION FOR FREE
BEFORE THEY TAKE STUDENTS OR
HAVE ROTATIONS BUT HAVE ANY
OTHER FOLK ON THE CALL SEEN A
GOOD EXAMPLE OR MODEL HOW TO
MAKE SURE WE HAVE GOOD QUALITY
PREPARED MENTORS IN THESE
INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS?
>> BEFORE WE OPEN, HAVE THEY
BEEN RECEPTIVE FREE MENTORSHIP,
DID THEY JUMP ON BOARD?
>> FREE-NINETY-NINE FITS IN MOST
BUDGETS, THEY WORK WITH PROMEBA,
BRISTOL MYERS SQUIBB AND EPIC,
THE HEALTH CARE SOFTWARE PROGRAM
HERE LOCALLY, VERY EXCITED, WE
GIVE VIRTUAL MENTORSHIP
PREPARATION, SOMETHING THEY
HADN'T THOUGHT OF, A LOT OF
THESE EFFORTS ESPECIALLY IN
DIVERSIFYING FOR THE SUMMER,
AFTER THE RACIAL RECKONING,
HOPED FOR THE BEST BUT NO
THOUGHT HOW TO PREPARE TO BE
EFFECTIVE.
I WOULD IMAGINE THEY WOULD BE
WILLING TO PAY BUT WHAT DOES
THAT LOOK LIKE TO SCALE UP IF
THERE'S A PARTNERSHIP WITH NIGMS
AND PRIVATE INDUSTRY.
>> ANY RESPONSES TO THAT?
I THINK IT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
SARAH?
>> THAT'S REALLY INTERESTING,
ANGELA, HOW YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT
MENTORS BECAUSE WE HAVE A
MASTER'S PROGRAM IN
PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES
SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE STUDENTS
SPENT SIX MONTHS DOING A
BIOPHARMACEUTICAL INTERNSHIP.
WE'RE IN BALTIMORE
ASTRAZENECA WAS A PARTNER.
THEY ARE ASSIGNED A MENTOR IN
THE DEPARTMENT, PHARMACEUTICAL
SCIENCES DEPARTMENT, WE HAD
CHECK-INS, DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW,
THINGS THEY HAVE TO REPORT, THEY
HAVE TO SORT OF DESIGN THEIR
PROJECT, WRITE A PAPER AND SO
FORTH.
WE HAVE THE TALENT WITH THE
MENTOR SOMETIMES, SOMETIMES THEY
ARE TERRIFIC, OTHER TIMES THE
STUDENT IS -- INTERESTED IN WAYS
TO DEVELOP THAT.
>> CO-MENTORS.
>> THE CO-MENTOR IS RECEPTIVE.
WE LIKE THE MENTORS TO BE AT THE
SITE TO HAVE MORE AUTONOMY I
THINK.
>> IS THAT CO-MENTORING, HAS IT
EVER LED TO SOME KIND OF
COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE TWO
MENTORS?
>> YOU KNOW, NOT YET.
THIS IS ONLY THREE YEARS IN,
THIS PROGRAM.
WE HAVE A BIOPARK NEXT TO THE
CAMPUS, A GREAT CONNECTION.
WE HAVE TO DO AN MOU WITH EACH,
A LOT OF LEGAL AGREEMENTS.
ASTRAZENECA HAS UMBRELLA MOU.
THEY HAVE HIRED A LOT OF OUR
STUDENTS, WE'VE HAD A GREAT
PIPELINE, PROBABLY 50% OF OUR
STUDENTS END UP GETTING HIRED.
THEY ARE KEEN TO HIRE MASTER'S
LEVEL STUDENTS.
>> GREAT.
TERRI?
>> ANGELA, I'VE GIVE YOU AN
EXAMPLE UNIVERSITY OF
WISCONSIN-MADISON, WHEN MY
DAUGHTER DID AN INTERNSHIP IN
THE SUMMER, A ONE-CREDIT COURSE,
ONE THING THEY DISCOVERED IS --
WELL, ONE, KEEPING TRACK OF
STUDENTS, ALSO HELPING STUDENTS
KNOW HOW TO BE MENTORED AND HOW
TO BE, YOU KNOW, SORT OF WHAT'S
EXPECTED AND SO I DON'T KNOW HOW
THAT WOULD WORK FOR A GRADUATE
STUDENT BUT CONCEPTUALLY IT WAS
EXTREMELY HELPFUL BECAUSE WHEN
YOU'RE GOING OUT ON YOUR FIRST
INTERNSHIP AND MANY OF OUR
STUDENTS WOULDN'T HAVE THEN THEM
AS UNDERGRADUATES, GAVE THEM THE
FRAMEWORK HOW TO MAKE THIS WORK.
AND WHAT TO EXPECT AND HOW TO
UNDERSTAND AND UNDERSTAND THINGS
LIKE WHAT'S CONFIDENTIAL AND
THINGS LIKE THAT.
IT WAS SUPER WELL RECEIVED.
>> I'LL JUST ADD SUPER QUICK,
NATALIE IS NEXT IN THE QUEUE, TO
YOUR POINT, I HELPED CREATE
CURRICULUM, CALLED ENTERING
RESEARCH, THAT'S A LOW BAR WAY
TO HOW WE GET OUR MENTEES AND
TRAINEES AT LEAST BUILT UP TO
KNOW HOW TO OPTIMIZE MENTORING
RELATIONSHIPS.
SO WE'RE PUSHING, I SAY WE, THE
CENTER FOR IMPROVEMENT OF
MENTORS EXPERIENCES AND RESEARCH
AT UW PUSHING FOR CURRICULA TO
COME OUT, ENTER RESEARCH TO
PREPARE TRAINEES ACROSS CAREER
STAGES, EARLY CAREER FACULTY AS
WELL, AND ENTERING MENTORING
WHICH IS PREPARE THOSE WHO ARE
DOING THE MENTORING.
>> NATALIE?
>> OUR DEPARTMENT RUNS TWO CORE
FACILITIES, CryoEM AND MASS
SPECTROMETRY, BOTH HAVE OPEN
SUBMISSIONS FROM LOCAL BIOTECH
SO THEY USE THE CORES HEAVILY
AND THAT'S BEEN REALLY GOOD IN
TERMS OF RAISING REVENUE.
ON THE FLIP SLIDE, WHAT WE FOUND
IS THAT COMPANIES THAT WE
EXPERIENCED THIS IN BOTH CORE
FACILITIES, COMPANIES GET TO
KNOW STAFF MEMBERS WELL, POACH
THEM, OFFER THEM AT LEAST 50%
MORE THAN THEY ARE MAKING AT OUR
ACADEMIC LEVEL SO WE'VE
BASICALLY HAD TO RAISE THE
SALARIES OF PEOPLE WHO ARE STAFF
MEMBERS IN THE CORE, AND THAT'S
REALLY OFFSET THE BENEFITS FROM
THE INCREASED REVENUE FROM THE
COMPANIES.
YOU KNOW, WE STILL FEEL THAT IT
IS, YOU KNOW, IMPORTANT TO
MAINTAIN GOOD RELATIONS WITH
LOCAL BIOTECH BUT IT HASN'T
REALLY REMEDIED OUR NEED TO
SUPPLEMENT THE RUNNING OF THE
OPERATIONS OF THE CORE FROM THE
DEPARTMENTS.
>> THAT IS INTERESTING.
THERE'S A DOWN SIDE TO
EVERYTHING, RIGHT?
WENDY, THIS IS RELEVANT TO YOUR
EXPERIENCE.
DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS?
>> LOTS OF THINGS GOING AROUND
MY HEAD.
FOR THE CORE FACILITIES, A LOT
OF BIOTECHS ABSOLUTELY USE THEM
HEAVILY, AND I'VE HEARD SO MANY
CONVERSATIONS, PROS AND CONS,
TRYING TO THINK OF SOMETHING
HELPFUL HERE.
WHEN PEOPLE COME IN THEY DON'T
USUALLY -- WELL, SOMETIMES THEY
DON'T USE THE CORE RESPECTFULLY.
AND SO THAT BECOMES A TRAINING
ISSUE, AND THERE'S A LITTLE BIT
OF BACK AND FORTH WITH HOW TO
USE IT RESPECTFULLY.
I ACTUALLY THINK, TO NATALIE'S
POINT, SOME CENTERS COULD CHARGE
MORE.
THEY ARE REASONABLY PRICED,
BECAUSE BIOTECHS CAN'T BUY AN
NMR, CAN'T BUY PROTEOMICS, A LOT
OF EQUIPMENT, SO POTENTIALLY
RAISE THE PRICE IS ONE THING.
ON THE OTHER TOPIC ABOUT
MENTORING, WHILE I WAS AT PHARMA
GENOTECH, WE BROUGHT IN LOTS OF
INTERNS, HONESTLY THIS WHOLE
CONVERSATION IS ENLIGHTENING
BECAUSE I NEVER -- FIRST I
THOUGHT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT
MENTORING THE MENTORS, THEN I
REALIZED WE'RE TALKING ABOUT
MENTORING THE MENTEES.
I THINK THAT MENTORING THE
MENTORS IS -- UNLESS I MISSED
SOMETHING, IS A TERRIFIC WAY TO
GO, HOW DO YOU MAKE BETTER
MENTORS FOR THE MENTEES?
AND I DON'T WANT TO TAKE UP LOTS
OF TIME BUT THERE ARE PROGRAMS
AND LITERATURE SET UP FOR THAT,
THAT I'VE SEEN HANDED OUT AT OUR
INSTITUTION.
>> YEAH, I THINK IT WAS BOTH,
ACTUALLY MENTORING THE MENTEES,
AND MENTORING THE MENTORS TO BE
BETTER MENTORS OF THE MENTEES,
YEAH.
I THINK SHARON WAS TRYING TO
RAISE HER HAND.
SO SHARON?
>> HI.
THANKS.
I ACTUALLY DID FIND IT FINALLY.
I JUST WANTED TO -- I KNOW WE'RE
TO ADDRESS THE IDEA ABOUT
CURRICULA OR INTERNSHIP
OPPORTUNITIES, ONE THING THAT
WE'RE TRYING TO DO AT OHIO STATE
WE HAVE A BURGEONING BIOTECH
FIELD RIGHT NOW, IS COLLABORATE
WITH THEM TO FIND OUT WHAT
SKILLS THEY NEED STUDENTS AT ALL
LEVELS SORT OF UNDERGRAD AND
GRADUATE LEVELS, AND WE'RE
PUTTING TOGETHER CERTIFICATE
PROGRAMS, SO GROUPS OF COURSES
THEN WHERE -- AND I THINK THE
IDEA THERE IS IT BENEFITS THE
COMPANIES BECAUSE THEY ARE
GETTING STUDENTS TRAINED IN THE
SKILLS THAT THEY WANT, IT'S NOT
A WHOLE MAJOR BUT IT BENEFITS
THE INSTITUTIONS, AT LEAST THEY
HAVE INTEREST IN FOLKS WHO WANT
TO TAKE THOSE CERTIFICATE
PROGRAMS.
SO THAT'S BEEN ONE AREA LIKE A
BIOTECHNOLOGY CERTIFICATE, FOR
EXAMPLE, THAT WE'RE PUTTING
TOGETHER.
ANOTHER PLACE I'VE SEEN A LOT OF
SUCCESS BECAUSE I THINK A LOT OF
OUR GRADUATE STUDENTS CAN'T TAKE
A WHOLE SUMMER TO DO AN
INTERNSHIP, WE'VE HAD SORT OF
MORE LIKE WHERE THE COMPANIES
ACTUALLY INVITE PEOPLE TO COME
FOR A DAY TO SHOWCASE HERE IS
WHAT IT'S LIKE TO WORK HERE IS,
SO THAT IT'S MORE OF THIS IS
WHAT YOU WOULD NEED TO WORK
HERE, THIS IS THE KIND OF
SCIENCE YOU WOULD DO, WE CALL
THEM IMMERSION DAYS, THOSE HAVE
BEEN PRETTY SUCCESSFUL.
>> YEAH, GREAT.
AND THE CERTIFICATE WAS FOR
GRADUATE STUDENTS OR UNDERGRADS?
>> REALLY COULD BE ANY LEVEL.
YOU KNOW, THEY ARE OFFERING
THEM, THERE'S MULTIPLE
CERTIFICATES BUT, YEAH, BOTH
UNDERGRAD AND GRADUATES.
>> LESILEE?
>> WE HAVE SOMETHING SIMILAR,
CALLED DESIGNATED ENTITIES, AND
BASICALLY IT'S A SET OF COURSES
IN A CERTAIN AREA, IT'S AN EXTRA
CERTIFICATE TYPE THING ON YOUR
Ph.D. DEGREE.
SO THIS IS FOR PhD students,
but I will say it is -- it's
much improved by money, because
there is a training grant in
biotechnology that actually has
a director and they fund a whole
series of seminars, once a week,
throughout the year where they
bring in industry people and,
you know, have something from
the venture business office come
in and all that type of thing.
THAT'S PART OF LEARNING ABOUT
DIFFERENT AVENUES.
SO IT'S A GREAT PROGRAM, BUT IT
DOES TAKE RESOURCES.
>> THAT'S AN NIGMS PROGRAM, THE
T32, WE'RE LOOKING HOW TO
IMPROVE FURTHER WITH AN INTERNAL
ASSESSMENT.
OTHER TOPICS PEOPLE WOULD LIKE
TO BRING UP?
A FEW MORE MINUTES BEFORE WE
TAKE A BREAK.
ANYTHING THAT YOU'RE HEARING
FROM OUR COLLEAGUES OR THINKING
ABOUT?
TERRI?
>> I WANTED TO FOLLOW UP,
EXCITED ABOUT THE SIMPLIFIED
REVIEW FRAMEWORK, FELLOWSHIP
REVIEW PROCESS AND LETTERS, BUT
LIKE EVERYTHING, WE HAVE TO NOW
RETRAIN PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN
WRITING LETTERS OF
RECOMMENDATION FOR 30, 40 YEARS,
REVIEWING GRANTS.
ARE THERE ELEMENTS OF THE
STRATEGY TO SORT OF HELP
PEOPLE -- I MEAN THERE'S A LOT
OF INFORMATION OUT THERE, PEOPLE
MAY OR MAY NOT GO TO IT BUT IS
THERE STRATEGY HOW TO HELP
PEOPLE ADOPT THESE BEST
PRACTICES?
>> YEAH, THERE'S A LOT OF
COMMUNICATION THAT IS TRYING TO
HAPPEN.
I KNOW THAT ALISON FOR INSTANCE
DID OR IS ABOUT TO PARTICIPATE
IN A MAJOR WEBINAR FOR THE
FELLOWSHIPS, MAYBE SHE HAS
SOMETHING, SHE TURNED HER CAMERA
ON SO WE'LL GIVE HER A CHANCE TO
SAY SOMETHING.
YOU KNOW, COMMUNICATION TENDS TO
BE ONE OF OUR HARDEST THINGS, WE
TRY EVERY WAY WE CAN THINK OF,
STILL SEEMS LIKE A LARGE NUMBER
OF PEOPLE DIDN'T HEAR THE
MESSAGE.
SO ANY HELP YOU COULD GIVE US
AND JUST TELLING PEOPLE THEY
SHOULD GO TO THE WEBSITE,
WEBINARS, WOULD BE USEFUL.
ALISON, DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO
ADD?
>> JON, YOU DID A GREAT JOB.
WE HAVE A WEBINAR TOMORROW
POSTED SO PEOPLE CAN VIEW IT
LATER.
THERE'S A LOT OF MESSAGING.
I THINK JUST TAKING THE NIGMS
CHANGES AS AN EXAMPLE, FUNDING
ANNOUNCEMENTS AND REVIEW
CRITERIA, IT TAKES A FEW ROUNDS
FOR PEOPLE TO CALIBRATE AND
RECALIBRATE, BUT IT'S ALWAYS
HEARTENING TO SEE HOW QUICKLY
PEOPLE ABSORB THE CHANGES AND
REALLY REFOCUS.
AND JUST IN TERMS OF THE
FELLOWSHIPS IN PARTICULAR, IT'S
REALLY ABOUT, AS JOHN MENTIONED,
GETTING AWAY FROM THE MENTALITY
THAT THIS IS A RESEARCH PROJECT
GRANT.
THIS IS A TRAINING EXPERIENCE.
THE RESEARCH IS PART OF THAT
TRAINING EXPERIENCE.
BUT IT SHOULDN'T BE THE ONLY
MEASURE OF A GOOD OR BAD
FELLOWSHIP, SO WE'RE TRYING TO
REORIENT MENTORS, REFEREES,
REVIEWERS.
YOU KNOW, GETTING AWAY FROM
INSTITUTIONAL BIASES OR SPONSOR
BIASES THAT ARE BUILT INTO THIS
SYSTEM SO IT WILL TAKE A MINUTE
BUT WE'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK.
PARTICULARLY WHEN YOU HAVE IT
EMBEDDED IN REVIEW CRITERIA.
>> IS THIS A PLACE YOU CAN USE
YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH
SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES TO HAVE
THEM PUT OUT TO MEMBERSHIP?
>> ABSOLUTELY, YEAH.
EVERY WAY WE CAN, ABSOLUTELY.
AND WE'RE RESPONSIVE TO FEEDBACK
FROM THE COMMUNITY IF THEY FEEL
THEY NEED MORE WEBINARS OR
TRAINING, SO ANYTHING THAT YOU
CAN PASS ALONG TO US WHERE WE
CAN BE MORE HELPFUL, WE'RE OPEN.
OPEN TO YOUR SUGGESTIONS.
>> ALL RIGHT.
LOOKS LIKE WE'RE ABOUT AT TIME.
THANKS FOR THAT VERY ROBUST AND
INTERESTING DISCUSSION.
WE'LL TAKE A 15-MINUTE BREAK
NOW.
WE'LL COME BACK AT 11, AND EDDIE
WILL GIVE A PRESENTATION AND
LEAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE
SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS AT NIGMS
SPECIFICALLY.
SO SEE YOU AT 11.
NOW WE'RE GOING TO GO TO EDDIE
BILLINGSLEA, THERE'S EDDIE, I
SEE HIM, WHO IS GOING TO GIVE A
PRESENTATION ABOUT NIGMS SMALL
BUSINESS PROGRAMS.
TAKE IT AWAY, EDDIE.
>> THANK YOU, JOHN.
GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE.
I'M EDDIE BILLINGSLEA, I'M THE
SMALL BUSINESS STRATEGY
COORDINATOR HERE AT NIGMS, I'LL
TALK TO YOU THIS MORNING ABOUT
SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM HERE.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
SO, TO ORIENT YOU TO THE
PRESENTATION I'M GOING TO
PROVIDE A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF
SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM, TOUCH ON
PROGRAM AT NIGMS, WHICH INCLUDES
THINKING ABOUT PIPELINE PROGRAMS
TO THE SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM,
AND JUST A COUPLE SUCCESS
STORIES AND IDENTIFY
OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE SMALL
BUSINESS PROGRAM.
LASTLY, SOME TOPICS FOR
DISCUSSION FOR YOU ALL TO
PONDER.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
TO PROVIDE A BRIEF OVERVIEW,
BUSINESS PROGRAM IS CALLED
AMERICA'S SEED FOUND POWERED BY
THE SMALL BUSINESS
ADMINISTRATION.
THE PROGRAM IS ACTUALLY TWO
PROGRAMS.
ONE IS THE SMALL BUSINESS
INNOVATION RESEARCH OR SBIR
AWARD, THE OTHER IS THE SMALL
BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER
RESEARCH, STTR AWARDS.
THESE AWARDS PROVIDE FUNDING TO
INVESTIGATORS AT SMALL COMPANIES
TO ALLOW THEM TO DE-RISK
TECHNOLOGY THAT'S BEEN DEVELOPED
TO MAKE THAT TECHNOLOGY THEN
MORE APPEALING TO LATER-STAGE
INVESTORS.
A COUPLE OF THE MAJOR POINTS OF
THE PROGRAM IS THAT IT BASICALLY
TAKES RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY
THAT'S BEEN DEVELOPED THROUGH
FEDERAL FUNDING AND ACADEMIC
LABS AND BRINGS IT TO THE MARKET
BY WAY OF PRIVATE COMPANIES.
ADDITIONALLY, IT SEEKS TO FOSTER
AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION IN
ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND INNOVATION
BY WOMEN AND MEMBERS OF SOCIALLY
ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED
GROUPS.
THE TWO PROGRAMS ARE LARGELY
SIMILAR WITH THE EXCEPTION BEING
THAT FOR STTR AWARDS, THERE HAS
TO BE AN ACADEMIC RESEARCH
PARTNER THAT DOES AT LEAST A
THIRD OF THE WORK DESCRIBED IN
THE PROPOSAL.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
SO FOR BOTH SBIR AND STTR
AWARDS, THEY COME IN TWO
FLAVORS.
ONE, A PHASE 1, WHICH IS USED TO
ESTABLISH FEASIBILITY OF A
PARTICULAR TECHNOLOGY.
AND THEN PHASE 2 IS -- COMES
AFTER WHEN THE TECHNOLOGY HAS
BEEN ESTABLISHED, AND MORE
RESEARCH IS REQUIRED TO MOVE IT
UP TOWARDS SCALE.
THERE ARE A COUPLE VARIANTS TO
THESE AWARDS.
THERE'S A DIRECT TO PHASE 2 FOR
SBIR ONLY, THAT PROVIDES FUNDING
FOR THOSE TECHNOLOGIES WHERE
FEASIBILITY HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED
PREVIOUSLY BUT HAD NOT BEEN
ESTABLISHED THROUGH A RELATED
PHASE I.
THEN WE HAVE WHAT'S CALLED THE
FAST TRACK, WHICH ALLOWS A
COMPANY TO APPLY FOR BOTH THE
PHASE I AND PHASE II IN THE SAME
APPLICATION, THUS REDUCING THE
LAG BETWEEN THE PHASE I AWARD
AND PHASE II AS TRANSITION PHAE
I TO PHASE II IS DONE BY
ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
THE SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM SBIR
AND STTR ARE CONGRESSIONALLY
MANDATED SET-ASIDES, THAT
SET-ASIDE IS A PERCENTAGE OF AN
INSTITUTE OR AGENCY'S BUDGET.
SO, FOR FY 24, THE SET-ASIDE
AMOUNT WAS 3.65% OF THE BUDGET.
SO IN NIGMS' CASE THAT'S $106
MILLION.
OF THAT $106 MILLION, 3.2% WENT
TO SBIR PROGRAM, OR ABOUT $93
MILLION, AND REMAINING ROUGHLY
HALF PERCENT WENT TO STTR
PROGRAM, OR ABOUT $13 MILLION.
THEN AMONG THAT 106 MILLION I
MENTIONED, WE'RE ALLOWED TO USE
3% OF THAT, TOWARDS
ADMINISTRATIVE PURPOSES.
SO THAT FUNDING CAN BE USED
TOWARDS TRAINING, EDUCATING
ENTREPRENEURS, CONDUCTING
OUTREACH, AND OTHER RELATED
TASKS.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
SO, THE CENTRALIZED ENTREPRENEUR
OFFICE HERE AT NIH IS THE SMALL
BUSINESS EDUCATION
ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT,
SEED OFFICE.
THEY OVERSEE THE SMALL BUSINESS
POLICY AT HHS.
BUT NIH IS THE LARGEST COMPONENT
OF HHS THAT FUNDS SMALL BUSINESS
RESEARCH.
AND SEED FOCUSES PRIMARILY ON
INTERPRETATION OF CONGRESSIONAL
OR SBA POLICY, DEVELOPING
PROGRAMMING, WHICH I'LL DESCRIBE
A COUPLE PROGRAMS LATER IN THE
PRESENTATION, AND PROVIDED
TRAINING TO DEVELOP
ENTREPRENEURS.
SEED IS ALSO NIGMS' PARTNER IN
THE NIH-WIDE COMMERCIALIZATION
HUBS PROGRAM.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
SO, NOW I'LL MOVE A BIT INTO
TALKING ABOUT THE SMALL BUSINESS
PROGRAM AT NIGMS BEGINNING WITH,
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE, SOME OF THE
MAJOR RESEARCH AREAS THAT HAVE
BEEN FUNDED.
AND SO WHAT YOU SEE HERE IS THE
RESULT OF AN ANALYSIS THAT WAS
CONDUCTED A FEW YEARS AGO,
LOOKING AT THE APPLICATIONS OF
SMALL BUSINESS -- EXCUSE ME,
SBIR AND STTR-FUNDED
APPLICATIONS FROM FISCAL 2016
THROUGH FISCAL 2020.
AND AS YOU SEE HERE, THESE ARE
THE MAJOR RESEARCH AREAS THAT
WERE INTENDED TO BE FUNDING,
DURING THAT TIME PERIOD, WHICH
LARGELY ALIGNED WITH MANY OF THE
RESEARCH AREAS THAT NIGMS
CURRENTLY SUPPORTS.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
SO, I WANT TO TOUCH ON A COUPLE
PROGRAMS THAT WE BELIEVE SERVE
AS PATHWAYS TO THE SBIR PROGRAM.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
THE FIRST IS THE TECHNOLOGY
DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM WHICH
SUPPORTS TECHNOLOGICAL
INNOVATIONS TO ADVANCE
BIOLOGICAL RESEARCH, AND A FEW
EXAMPLES ARE THE DEVICE,
ALGORITHMS, MOLECULAR BIOLOGICAL
TOOLS, TWO MECHANISMS ASSOCIATED
WITH THE TDP, FIRST IS R21,
ESTABLISHING PROOF-OF-CONCEPT
BEFORE TECHNOLOGY AND R01
FURTHER VALIDATES THOSE
TECHNOLOGIES.
AND SO CURRENTLY, WE HAVE --
WE'RE USING THE TDP R01
RECIPIENTS INFORMING THEM OF A
PROGRAM THAT WE BELIEVE WILL
HELP DETERMINE IF THEY WANT TO
GO THE ENTREPRENEUR ROUTE OR
NOT, AND I'LL DISCUSS THAT LATER
IN THE PRESENTATION.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
THE OTHER IS THE BIOMEDICAL
TECHNOLOGY OPTIMIZATION AND
DISSEMINATION CENTERS.
THESE CENTERS ARE FOCUSED ON
OPTIMIZATION OF LATE-STAGE
TECHNOLOGIES, AND THEN SHARE IN
THOSE TECHNOLOGIES WITH THE
BROADER BIOMEDICAL COMMUNITY.
SIMILAR TO THE TDP, SOME OF THE
TECHNOLOGIES OF INTEREST ARE
INCLUDED HERE, AND WE THINK THIS
COULD ALSO BE ANOTHER METHOD FOR
IDENTIFYING TECHNOLOGIES THAT
MAY HAVE COMMERCIAL APPLICATION.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
THE NEXT PROGRAM IS THE IDeA
REGIONAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP
DEVELOPMENT OR I-RED PROGRAM.
THIS IS A PROGRAM THAT'S FOCUSED
PRIMARILY ON DEVELOPING PRODUCTS
AND ENTREPRENEUR EDUCATION.
EACH OF THE MAJOR IDeA STATE
REGIONS HAS A HUB, ONE IN NEW
MEXICO FOR THE WESTERN REGION,
ONE IN KANSAS FOR THE CENTRAL
REGION, IN KENTUCKY, THE HUB IS
IN KENTUCKY FOR SOUTHEAST
REGION, AND THEN IN DELAWARE FOR
THE NORTHEAST REGION.
ADDITIONALLY, THOSE HUBS ALSO
ARE TASKED WITH ENHANCING
ENTREPRENEURIAL KNOWLEDGE AN
SKILLS OF THE FACULTY AND
STUDENTS, PROVIDING HANDS-ON
TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES, ALSO
STRENGTHENING TECH TRANSFER
PROGRAMS.
BECAUSE ITS PRIMARY FOCUS IS
DEVELOPING EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT,
IT USES FUNDS FROM THE STTR
PROGRAM.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
THE NEXT PROGRAM IS THE RESEARCH
EVALUATION AND COMMERCIALIZATION
HUBS PROGRAM, OR REACH.
THIS IS A PHASE 0 HUBS PROGRAM
NOW NIGMS HAS SHEPHERDED.
THE PURPOSE OF THIS PROGRAM IS
TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL
TECHNOLOGIES FROM THE LAB, AND
ONCE THOSE TECHNOLOGIES ARE
IDENTIFIED, PROVIDE PILOT
FUNDING FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF
THOSE TECHNOLOGIES WITH EXPERT
FEEDBACK AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT
EXPERTISE TO KEEP THOSE -- KEEP
TECHNOLOGY ON SCHEDULE FOR
DEVELOPMENT.
ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE HUB,
THE HOPE IS THAT PROMISING
TECHNOLOGY THAT CAN BE
DISSEMINATED POTENTIALLY
COMMERCIALIZED WHERE THE P.I. IS
NOW WELL-POSITIONED, OF COURSE
AFTER THEY ESTABLISH A COMPANY,
TO THEN COMPETE FOR SBIR OR STTR
FUNDING, OR FROM FUNDING FROM
OTHER SOURCES.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
SO, THE REACH PROGRAM ORIGINALLY
STARTED IN 2015, A SECOND COHORT
WAS LAUNCHED IN 2019.
AND WITH -- AMONG THE EIGHT HUBS
THAT WERE FUNDED ACROSS THOSE
TWO COHORTS, 435 PRODUCTS WERE
FUNDED, 125 START-UPS BEGAN,
THEY RECEIVED OVER $2 BILLION IN
FOLLOW-ON FUNDING, OVER 3,000
INVESTIGATORS WERE TRAINED.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
THE LATEST COHORT WHICH WAS
FUNDED AT THE END OF FISCAL 2023
INCLUDED FIVE NEW SITES, AND
THESE SITES ARE GEOGRAPHICALLY
DISPERSED ACROSS THE COUNTRY,
AND THEY HAVE A PRESENCE OF
IDeA STATES, LARGELY THROUGH
ROCKY MOUNTAIN REACH AND THERE'S
SOME IDeA STATE INVOLVEMENT IN
THE MID-SOUTH REACH HUBS WITH
THE IDEA WE WOULD THEN GET SOME
SBIR/STTR APPLICATIONS FROM
THESE SITES.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
I WANT TO TURN TO A COUPLE
SUCCESS STORIES FOR THE SMALL
BUSINESS PROGRAM.
NEXT SLIDE.
THE FIRST IS REAL Seq
BIOSCIENCES, WHICH IS FOCUSED ON
DEVELOPING RNA-BASED
DIAGNOSTICS.
THEY RECEIVED PHASE II FUNDING
FROM NIGMS, CURRENTLY RAISING $2
MILLION SEED FUND, AND THOSE
FUNDS THEY RAISE WILL BE USED TO
ACCELERATE THE DEVELOPMENT OF
THEIR PLATFORM TECHNOLOGY.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
AND THE NEXT COMPANY IS
PRENOSIS, FOCUSING ON A.I. TO
ENABLE PRECISION MEDICINE AND
ACUTE CARE, RECEIVED TWO PHASE
II GRANTS AND FDA GRANTED
AUTHORIZATION FOR SEPSIS
ALGORITHM.
EVISAGENERAL IS, ON A USING A.I.
AND ML TO ACCELERATE DISCOVERY
OF NOVEL THEY ARE PUT IS,
RECEIVED PHASE I AND II AWARDS,
RAISED SERIES B INVESTMENT ROUND
TO SCALE COMMERCIAL OFFERINGS.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
NEXT SLIDE.
SO NOW I WANT TO TALK ABOUT
CHALLENGES WE EXPERIENCED WITHIN
THE SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM.
P.I.s CAN DEVELOP THESE NEW
TECHNOLOGIES AND MAY NOT
UNDERSTAND THE COMMERCIAL APPEAL
OF THOSE TECHNOLOGIES.
AND ACTUALLY P.I.s MAY NOT
EVEN HAVE ACCESS TO RESOURCES
FOR THAT UNDERSTAND FOR
INNOVATIONS THAT HAVE COME OUT
IN THEIR LABS.
THE FOLLOWING OPPORTUNITIES WE
THINK WILL WELL POSITION THOSE
P.I.s TO AT LEAST EDUCATE THEM
A BIT MORE IN DOING TRANSLATION
TO COMMERCIALIZATION OF THEIR
TECHNOLOGIES.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
SO THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY IS
CALMED CONCEPT OF CLINICIAN TO
COMMERCIALIZING INNOVATION,
C3i MANAGED BY NIBIB, C3i
PILOT, IT'S A WEB-BASED, MEANING
IT'S VIRTUAL PROGRAM, THAT
ALLOWS A COMPANY TO PARTICIPATE
WHERE IT TEACHES INNOVATORS HOW
TO ASSESS COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL
OF THEIR TECHNOLOGIES.
WE USE THIS TYPICALLY AS A
SCREENER FOR THOSE INVESTIGATORS
THAT HAVE HAD PREVIOUSLY A TDP
R01 WITH THE IDEA THAT IF THEY
WANT TO GO FURTHER AND DEVELOP A
COMPANY, THEN WE WOULD SUGGEST
THEY APPLY TO C3i, IF NOT THEN
THEY CAN THINK OF OTHER WAYS IN
WHICH TO BENEFIT FROM THE
DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR TECHNOLOGY.
AS I MENTIONED C3i, THE NEXT
PROGRAM IS A MORE IN-DEPTH
ENTREPRENEUR TRAINING.
AS I MENTIONED HERE, IT'S
CURRENTLY OPEN TO THE R01 TECH
DEVELOPMENT P.I.s, BUT WE CAN
CERTAINLY CONSIDER EXPANDING
THAT.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
THE NEXT OPPORTUNITY IS THE NIH
ENTREPRENEURSHIP BOOT CAMP.
THIS IS A NEW PROGRAM RELATIVELY
NEW, PROVIDES ENTREPRENEUR
TRAINING TO ACADEMICS AS WELL AS
SMALL BUSINESS INVESTIGATORS.
AND THIS PROGRAM IS SPECIFICALLY
FOR ENTREPRENEURS OR ACADEMICS
THAT HAVE NOT RECEIVED A SMALL
BUSINESS AWARD PREVIOUSLY.
THIS IS AN 8-WEEK PROGRAM,
ACTUALLY THE NEXT CYCLE WILL BE
OPEN, IT WILL BE KICKING OFF
ACTUALLY NEXT WEEK, SEPTEMBER
26.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
THE LAST OPPORTUNITY I'D LIKE TO
HIGHLIGHT IS THE NIH
BIO-ENTREPRENEURSHIP CAPSTONE
PROGRAM SPONSORED BY THE SEED
OFFICE THAT PROVIDES TRAINING
AROUND SMALL BUSINESS
ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND INNOVATION
CONCEPTS.
THIS PROGRAM TARGETS STUDENTS,
POSTDOCS, EARLY FACULTY.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE ANY
PREVIOUS ENTREPRENEURIAL
EXPERIENCE TO PARTICIPATE.
THE PROGRAM IS BROKEN IN THREE
STAGES, INTRODUCTION TO
COMMERCIALIZATION
ENTREPRENEURSHIP, THE SECOND
STAGE IS TRAINING ON PRODUCT
DEVELOPMENT WHERE THEN THE
PARTICIPANTS CAN COME TOGETHER
IN SMALL GROUPS TO THINK ABOUT
DEVELOPING A PRODUCT.
AND THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN
SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE GO TO
THE BIOCONVENTION IN JUNE TO
THEN GIVE A PITCH OF THE
CONCEPT, TECHNOLOGY THAT THEY'VE
DEVELOPED.
AND I'VE INCLUDED THE NOTICE FOR
THIS PROGRAM, PREVIOUS ROUND OF
THE PROGRAM.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
LASTLY, I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT
SOME TOPICS OF DISCUSSION FOR
YOUR CONSIDERATION.
WE'RE SEEKING YOUR ADVICE TO SEE
ABOUT INCREASING HOW WE MIGHT
INCREASE THE NUMBER AND
COMPETITIVENESS OF APPLICATIONS,
AND ALSO HOW WE MIGHT GO ABOUT
INCREASING OR ENHANCING OUR
OUTREACH EFFORTS.
THE OTHER QUESTION IS, YOU KNOW,
BEYOND WHAT I'VE DESCRIBED HERE
IN THIS PRESENTATION, OF
OPPORTUNITIES WE SHOULD CONSIDER
FOR TRAINING IN BIOMEDICAL
ENTREPRENEURSHIP.
LASTLY, ARE THERE OTHER TOPICS
THAT WEREN'T COVERED PREVIOUSLY
THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS THINK MIGHT
BE HELPFUL TO INCLUDE AS WE'RE
PROMOTING THE SMALL BUSINESS
PROGRAM AT NIGMS.
AND WITH THAT I WILL STOP AND
OPEN THE FLOOR FOR DISCUSSION.
>> ALL RIGHT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, EDDIE.
WE'LL GIVE PEOPLE A MINUTE TO
GET ORGANIZED AND TURN THEIR
CAMERAS ON SO WE NOW HAVE TIME
FOR DISCUSSION.
MAYBE WE CAN GET THE FULL PANEL
VIEW.
GO AHEAD AND RAISE YOUR HAND IF
YOU HAVE QUESTIONS FOR EDDIE.
RON TURNED HIS MIC ON.
GO AHEAD, RON.
>> WELL, THANKS.
I WAS FIDDLING TRYING TO RAISE
MY HAND HERE.
YEAH, WELL, A COUPLE QUESTIONS.
SO, EDDIE, HOW DO YOU -- IN THE
C3i PROGRAM, THROUGH NIBIB,
GOOD CHOICE, BY THE WAY, I THINK
FOR THE INSTITUTE FOR A VARIETY
OF REASONS, TO DO SOMETHING LIKE
THIS.
BUT OPEN, YOU SAY TO R01
RECIPIENTS, SO HOW DO THEY
ENGAGE THE -- LIKE THE
APPLICANT, HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN,
TO GET INTO THE PROGRAM, OR
PARTICIPATE?
>> YEAH, SO WHAT WE DO IS I WORK
WITH MY COLLEAGUES HERE TO
IDENTIFY ALL OF THE R01
RECIPIENTS, CURRENT, PAST, AND
WE JUST SEND OUT AN E-MAIL TO
INFORM THEM THAT THIS
OPPORTUNITY IS COMING UP, SEND
THEM THE LINK.
IT'S A BRIEF APPLICATION THAT
THEY HAVE TO SUBMIT SO WE TRY TO
NOW BEGIN OUR CAMPAIGN OF
ADVERTISING AT LEAST A MONTH OR
TWO OUT FROM WHEN THE PROGRAM
BEGINS ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS,
JUST TO PUT IT ON THEIR RADAR,
GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO THINK
ABOUT.
THAT'S TYPICALLY HOW WE GO ABOUT
AT LEAST INFORMING THAT
POPULATION THIS OPPORTUNITY
EXISTS.
>> OKAY, BECAUSE THE OTHER --
THE OTHER -- ANOTHER AVENUE, OF
COURSE, EACH OF THESE
INSTITUTIONS THAT HAVE THESE R01
RECIPIENTS MOST LIKELY HAVE TECH
TRANSFER OFFICE OR SOMEONE
RESPONSIBLE FOR TECH TRANSFER AT
THE INSTITUTION SO THAT WOULD
PROBABLY BE ONE OF YOUR BEST OR
GREATER ADVOCATES, AMBASSADORS,
YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THEY ARE
INTERACTING TYPICALLY WITH THESE
LABS AT ONE LEVEL OR ANOTHER.
AND SO THAT MAY BE A WAY TO
LEVERAGE SOME OF YOUR OUTREACH
TO SOME OF THE ORGANIZATIONS.
AND SO THEN THE OTHER QUESTION
THAT I HAVE, WELL, ACTUALLY I'LL
MAKE ONE COMMENT BEFORE I
FORGET, AND THAT IS TO -- I
THINK YOU HAVE A WEALTH OF
EXPERTISE AVAILABLE TO YOU,
WHETHER YOU KNOW IT OR NOT.
BOTH HERE, HERE ON THIS COUNCIL,
AND ALSO I THINK THROUGHOUT THE
NIH, I CAN THINK OF MANY FOLKS
WITH LIKE EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE
IN DEALING WITH, LIKE MYSELF, ON
BOTH SIDES OF THAT COIN.
I'VE BEEN ON THE RECIPIENT SIDE,
I'VE BEEN ON, YOU KNOW, THE
ACADEMIC SIDE, ALL OF THAT.
AND THE GOVERNMENT AS WELL.
AND SO PLEASE, PLEASE PLEASE, I
KNOW WE GET COUNCIL MEMBERS,
SORT OF NO ONE WANTS TO INTERACT
WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS IN SOME
OFFICIAL CAPACITY, BUT I REALLY
WANT TO EXTEND THE OPPORTUNITY
TO TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE, I'LL
SPEAK MORE MYSELF, TAKE FULL VAC
OF ME.
>> OKAY.
>> ANYTHING I CAN HELP YOU WITH,
OR GIVE YOU INPUT OR ANYTHING
THAT YOU WOULD LIKE, I WOULD
EXTEND THAT INVITATION FOR
MYSELF.
AND DON'T BE SHY.
YOU KNOW, AND THERE'S NO
QUESTIONS THAT ARE TOO DUMB OR
ANYTHING.
I MAY GIVE A DUMB ANSWER BUT
NOT -- SO PLEASE TAKE ADVANTAGE
OF THAT BECAUSE THERE'S SOME
REALLY GREAT PEOPLE.
AND THEN NIBIB, BRUCE, BRUCE
TROMBERG OVER AT NIBIB, WE
WORKED TOGETHER QUITE A BIT OVER
THE YEARS AND HAVE EXTENSIVE
EXPERIENCE, FROM UC-IRVINE, ALL
OF THAT, THERE'S A LOT OF
INFORMATION WE CAN SHARE WITH
YOU, I DON'T WANT TO TAKE UP ALL
THE TIME HERE TO DO IT BUT, YOU
KNOW, LET'S MAKE SURE YOU -- IF
I DON'T HEAR FROM YOU IN A
WHILE, I'M GOING TO COME LOOKING
FOR YOU.
I'LL PUT IT THAT WAY.
>> OKAY.
>> I THINK WE CAN BE HELPFUL.
>> I DID WANT TO TOUCH ON
SOMETHING YOU ASKED EARLIER,
JUST QUICKLY.
SO WE DO HAVE, YOU KNOW,
DIVERSITY SUPPLEMENT, APIs,
JON MENTIONED, THAT ALLOWS, YOU
KNOW, FOLKS TO KIND OF FIND
PEOPLE THAT THEY COULD GO AND DO
AN INTERNSHIP WITH.
THE OTHER THING RECENTLY
LAUNCHED THAT WAS AN OUTGROWTH
OF UNITE WAS THE TRANSITION
AWARD.
SO, SMALL BUSINESS TRANSITION
AWARD FOR THOSE THAT WANT TO
TRANSITION FROM ACADEMIA TO THE
SMALL BUSINESS WORLD TO BE AN
INENT INVESTIGATOR IN THAT --
INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATORS IN
THAT SPACE.
LIKE THE DIVERSITY SUPPLEMENT
THAT HAS A STRONG MENTORING
COMPONENT, WE'LL SEE HOW IT
WORKS OUT, THE FIRST DUE DATE
WAS SEPTEMBER 5, BUT THERE'S
SUPPOSED TO BE A STRONG
MENTORING COMPONENT, ACTUALLY
WITH BOTH OF THOSE PROGRAMS.
>> OKAY.
EXCELLENT.
>> ERIC?
>> THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR A REALLY NICE
PRESENTATION.
I HAD SORT OF A NEED TO BE
EDUCATED KIND OF QUESTION SO I'M
CURIOUS HOW MANY SORT OF
ACADEMIC START-UPS GO THROUGH
THE VC ROUTE, VENTURE CAPITAL
ROUTE, VERSUS SBIR AND IS THERE
A DIFFERENCE IN SORT OF SUCCESS
RATE, YOU MIGHT SAY, GOING
THROUGH, YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO
ATTRACT VENTURE CAPITAL VERSUS
TRYING TO START A COMPANY
THROUGH A SMALLER GRANT-TYPE
PROGRAM LIKE THE SBIR?
I'M JUST CURIOUS HOW THE SUCCESS
RATES COMPARE.
>> WELL, I MEAN, JUST OVERALL,
THE PROGRAM, YOU KNOW, IS A
$1.3 BILLION PROGRAM ANNUALLY
THAT NIH FUNDS IN TERMS OF SMALL
BUSINESS.
IN MY UNDERSTANDING, THROUGH,
YOU KNOW, DISCUSSIONS IN THE
COMMUNITY, IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT,
YOU KNOW, HAVING THE SMALL
BUSINESS, YOU KNOW, SBIR, STTR
AWARD, ESPECIALLY WHAT ITS
PURPOSE BEING TO DE-RISK
TECHNOLOGY, AND THERE ARE AWARDS
ALSO.
THERE'S A COMMERCIALIZATION
READINESS PILOT PROGRAM, PHASE
2B AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT IT
DOES MAKE THOSE COMPANIES A BIT
MORE ATTRACTIVE TO V C, WHEN
THEY'VE HAD THAT SMALL BUSINESS
AWARD BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT
ELIMINATES A LOT OF RISK, RIGHT?
I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S STILL
RISK BUT JUST NOT AS MUCH AS IF,
YOU KNOW, I'M A BRAND-NEW
COMPANY, NEVER HAVING THAT TYPE
OF AWARD, AND TRYING TO, YOU
KNOW, PITCH TO VCs.
>> I HAVE A VC HERE.
>> I APPRECIATED THE
PRESENTATION, THANK YOU.
I LEARNED SOME THINGS LISTENING
AS WELL.
AND WHAT ERIC JUST ASKED, I WAS
GOING TO COMMENT ON TOO.
I AGREE WITH YOU.
WHEN TEAMS, SMALL COMPANIES, WIN
THESE SBIRs THEY DO GET MORE
ATTENTION BY VENTURE FIRMS,
SOMEBODY DID HOMEWORK FOR THEM,
REVIEWED IT, GAVE IT A GOOD
RATING.
THEY ARE APPRECIATED.
THE FINANCIAL SITUATION RECENTLY
HAS BEEN A ROLLER COASTER IN
VENTURE, ALL-TIME LOW OF FUNDING
IN 2023 FOR A WHOLE BUNCH OF
REASONS.
I WOULD GET YOU GET MORE
APPLICATIONS FOR THESE SBIR --
THAT WAS ONE CURIOSITY QUESTION
I HAD.
WHAT PERCENTAGE ARE FUNDED OF
HOW MANY COMPARED TO HOW MANY
APPLY?
>> SO OVERALL IT'S ABOUT 31%.
>> WOW.
>> YEAH.
>> AND I WOULD SAY THAT RANGES
MAYBE FROM 27% UP TO 44%.
>> YEAH, SO THAT'S NICE.
TWO THOUGHTS I HAD LISTENING TO
YOU.
JUST IDEAS TO LIFT UP THE WHOLE
SITUATION.
ONE WAS, IN YOUR ENTREPRENEURIAL
PROGRAMS CLASSES, BOOT CAMPS, DO
YOU TEACH HOW TO GIVE A GOOD
PITCH DECK TO VCs?
>> THERE IS SOME OF THAT.
BUT THERE ALSO -- THAT WORK IS
LARGELY SUPPORTED BY THE
ENTREPRENEURS IN RESIDENCE
PROGRAM THROUGH SEED, SO THEY
WILL IDENTIFY COMPANIES,
ESPECIALLY COMPANIES, SO THERE'S
ANOTHER PROGRAM THAT THEY
SUPPORT, WHICH IS CALLED THE
COMPANY SHOWCASE.
AND THIS PROGRAM IS, YOU KNOW,
TAKES COMPANIES IN THE NIH
PORTFOLIO, THAT HAVE BEEN
IDENTIFIED AS BEING, YOU KNOW,
RELATIVELY CLOSER TO
COMMERCIALIZATION, AND WE'LL
MATCH THEM UP WITH CONFERENCES
THAT THEY CAN THEN GO AND PITCH
TO INVESTIGATORS, OR, EXCUSE ME,
V Cs, ANGELS, AND SO FORTH.
ENTREPRENEURS IN RESIDENCE WILL
WORK WITH THEM TO COACH THEM TO
THEIR PITCH DECK.
>> OKAY.
>> SO THEY, YOU KNOW, RUN
THROUGH IT A NUMBER OF TIMES, AS
MANY TIMES TYPICALLY AS THE
COMPANY NEEDS JUST TO MAKE SURE
IT'S SHORED UP, HITTING KEY
POINTS, TOUCHING ON KEY METRICS
THAT, YOU KNOW, INVESTORS WOULD
BE MOST INTERESTED IN TO BE ABLE
TO EVALUATE THE DEAL OR
POTENTIALLY ENTER A DEAL.
>> THAT'S SUCH A MISSING -- A
GAP.
I SEE SO MANY COMPANIES WITH
GOOD IDEAS AND REALLY BAD
PITCHES.
THEY DON'T JUST -- JUST DON'T
MOVE FORWARD.
THE OTHER THOUGHT I HAD WAS JUST
AT SOME UNIVERSITIES NOW, THE
STUDENTS ARE ORGANIZING
ENTREPRENEURIAL CLUBS.
LIKE I HELPED START ONE AT
PRINCETON, AND IT'S REALLY TAKEN
OFF, AND THEY TRAVEL AROUND THE
COUNTRY, THEY GIVE PITCHES TO,
YOU KNOW, PHARMA, A PROJECT
THAT'S AT THEIR UNIVERSITY TO
TRY TO JUST GET EXPERIENCE
PITCHING AND SEEING WHAT GOES ON
IN THE REAL WORLD.
AND THEN I'VE INTRODUCED, YOU
KNOW, THE PRINCETON PROGRAM TO
BERKELEY, TO STANFORD, HEY, YOU
KNOW, MEET THESE FOLKS AND THEY
TAUGHT THE OTHER SCHOOLS HOW TO
SET UP SUCH A PROGRAM.
MY THOUGHT WAS THERE'S SOMETHING
YOU COULD DO HERE TO HELP
LEVERAGE AND SPREAD THE WORD
THAT WAY AND GET STUDENTS TO
HELP STUDENTS, IT'S PRETTY
POWERFUL.
>> YEAH, NO, I'D LIKE TO TALK
MORE ABOUT THAT BECAUSE I CAN
SEE MAYBE SOME SYNERGY BETWEEN
SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND THE
STUDENTS THAT PARTICIPATE IN THE
BIOMEDICAL T32 AS ANOTHER AVENUE
TO, YOU KNOW, EDUCATE THEM ON
THE WHOLE KIND OF INVESTMENT
PROCESS.
>> AND THE LAST THING I WANT TO
SHARE IS THAT IT SEEMS LIKE MOST
OF THE -- I DON'T KNOW WHERE
MOST SBIRs GO BUT MOST PITCHES
FROM VENTURE COME FROM THE EAST
COAST AND WEST COAST.
THERE'S A WHOLE MIDDLE OF THE
COUNTRY THAT SEEMS TO BE LEFT
OUT.
I RECENTLY WENT TO AN EVENT IN
ONE OF THE MIDDLE STATES, AND IT
WAS AMAZING, SOME OF THE STUFF I
HEARD.
AND HOW TO GET THOSE PEOPLE MORE
ACCESS TO VENTURE AND TO
OPPORTUNITIES HERE.
>> YEAH, WELL, I MEAN, THINK
THAT'S THE WONDERFUL THING ABOUT
THIS COHORT, REACH, BECAUSE IT
IS NOT LOCALIZED, YOU KNOW, TO
THE COAST.
I GUESS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF
THE ONE AT UNIVERSITY OF
MARYLAND.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THE ONE AT
UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA, YOU KNOW,
FOCUSES ON A LOT OF IDeA
STATES, IN THE WESTERN REGION.
MISSISSIPPI AND KENTUCKY, YOU
KNOW, ARE INVOLVED IN MID-SOUTH
REACH.
TEXAS, YOU KNOW, IS, GULF COAST
CONSORTIUM ALL ABOUT THE STATE
OF TEXAS.
SO I THINK WE'RE REACHING OUT.
AND THIS COHORT HAD TO HAVE A
SUSTAINABILITY PLAN SO ONCE THE
FUNDING ENDED THAT THESE HUBS
CAN CONTINUE TO OPERATE, WHICH I
THINK IS DIFFERENT FROM THE
OTHER TWO EARLIER COHORTS WHICH,
YOU KNOW, COVERS EMBARK, THEY
COVER SOME OF THE MIDDLE OF THE
COUNTRY.
BUT YEAH.
>> IF I COULD JUST ADD, THE
I-RED PROGRAM THAT EDDIE
MENTIONED FOR THE IDEA STATES,
IT IS THOSE STATES, RIGHT?
BUT WE'RE STARTING TO THINK
ABOUT WHAT THE NEXT INCARNATION
OF THAT PROGRAM WILL LOOK LIKE.
SO, WENDY AND RON AS WELL, IF
YOU HAVE IDEAS FOR HOW WE CAN
BETTER POSITION, YOU KNOW, THE
MIDDLE OF THE COUNTRY BASICALLY
FOR WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT,
VENTURE CAPITAL,
ENTREPRENEURSHIP, ET CETERA,
PLEASE LET US KNOW.
WE HAVE A BIG OPPORTUNITY TO
LEVERAGE OTHER PROGRAMS, AS
EDDIE SAID, TO TRY TO ACCOMPLISH
THAT GOAL.
TERRI?
>> THANKS SO MUCH, EDDIE.
THAT'S REALLY INTERESTING AND
INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT.
AND I THINK AS WE HAVE MORE
STUDENTS THAT ARE SO INTERESTED
IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP, THE PEOPLE
DOING IT AT ONE OF THE
UNIVERSITIES I'VE BEEN AT, WHICH
WAS IN MICHIGAN, WHICH IS IN THE
MIDDLE OF THE COUNTRY BUT NOT AN
IDeA STATE, THE NUMBER OF
STUDENTS THAT DID CERTIFICATE OF
ENTREPRENEURSHIP WAS THE LARGEST
NUMBER FROM THE COLLEGE OF
ENGINEERING, NOT FROM THE
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS.
SO, I'M HOPEFUL WE'LL HAVE
GENERATIONS OF INVESTIGATORS OF
THE FUTURE THAT HAVE TAKEN THAT
PATH.
WITH THAT SAID, TWO POINTS.
ONE IS, I HAVE TO REMEMBER
MINNESOTA, WISCONSIN, OHIO ARE
NOT IDeA STATES BUT ARE IN THE
REGION.
HAVING BEEN IN MICHIGAN, THERE
IS NOT AS MUCH VENTURE CAPITAL
THERE FOR SOME REASON THAT WE
HAVE TO THINK -- THERE'S SOME
BUT NOT AS MUCH.
THERE ARE SOME REALLY GOOD
PEOPLE THAT MIGHT BE WORTH
TALKING TO, I CAN GIVE THE NAME
OF A GUY THAT WORKS OUT OF
DETROIT, EDDIE, HE'S AN AWESOME
HUMAN BEING THAT VENTURE CAPITAL
HAS A LOT OF THOUGHTS, THAT
MIGHT HELP WITH THE MID-STATE
THING THAT WENDY TALKED ABOUT,
REALLY TRUE.
THE OTHER THING I'M CURIOUS
ABOUT IS BECAUSE NIGMS IS THE
HOME OF FABULOUS BASIC SCIENCE,
THE BEST IN THE NIH.
THERE'S GOT TO BE A LOT OF
OVERLAP WITH NSF, IN TERMS OF
PORTFOLIO.
I WAS ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT
HAVE NSF AND NIH FUNDING.
THE I-CORPS PROGRAM IS ALSO A
LONG-RUNNING AND I THINK A LOT
OF PEOPLE THINK OF THAT PROGRAM,
FIRST, I'M CURIOUS HOW, IF YOU
SEE INTERFACE WITH THAT PROGRAM,
I KNOW NIH AND NSF WORK
TOGETHER, OR DO YOU SEE THEM AS
BEING DIFFERENT OR ARE THERE
OPPORTUNITIES YOU CAN INTERENTER
THAT.
NSF, I-CORPS, THAT MIGHT BE
BETTER SUITED TO GET INTO NIGMS?
THANKS.
>> THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.
WE CAN TAP INTO TRAINEES FROM
I-CORPS, NIH HAS A VERSION,
CURRENTLY BEING REVAMPED BECAUSE
TRADITIONALLY THE NIH VERSION OF
I-CORPS YOU HAD TO HAVE A SMALL
BUSINESS AWARD.
NOW IT'S CHANGING WHERE YOU
DON'T HAVE TO, MORE ADOPTED THE
NSF MODEL WHERE, YOU KNOW, YOU
DON'T HAVE TO HAVE AN AWARD YET
BUT IT HELPS YOU TO KIND OF
ORIENT YOU TO, YOU KNOW, SMALL
BUSINESS INNOVATION SO YOU CAN
BE MORE SUCCESSFUL, YOU KNOW,
THE HOPE IS MORE SUCCESSFUL WHEN
YOU DO APPLY FOR AN AWARD.
>> THANKS.
I WOULD ECHO WHAT RON SAID THAT
COUNCIL IS HERE TO HELP OUTSIDE
OF THESE MEETINGS SO IF WE CAN
MAKE SOME OF THESE CONNECTIONS I
WANT TO TOTALLY SUPPORT WHAT RON
SAID.
>> I APPRECIATE IT.
>> RON?
>> YEAH, DEFINITELY.
THE QUESTION I HAVE IS, AND I
DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE THE
ANSWER FOR THIS, BUT WHAT IS THE
CULTURE LIKE?
YOU HAVE R01 RECIPIENTS, YOU
KNOW, THERE'S KIND OF AN
UNSPOKEN OR MAYBE IT IS SPOKEN
SORT OF ALMOST ELITISM BETWEEN
YOUR HARD CORE ACADEMICIAN AND
START-UP ENTREPRENEUR ACADEMIC,
IF YOU WILL.
OFTENTIMES IN THE R01 GROUP, YOU
FIND INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE LIKE,
LOOK, I'M A RESEARCH SCIENTIST.
I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THOSE
GREEDY BUSINESS PEOPLE TRYING
TO, YOU KNOW, EXPLOIT MY WORK
FOR PROFIT, YOU KNOW.
A LOT OF THAT IS OF COURSE OUT
OF IGNORANCE, SO EDUCATION
OBVIOUSLY IS KEY.
AND I HERDED INDICATION IN A LOT
OF YOUR PRESENTATION WHICH I
THINK IS GREAT.
BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT LIKE THE
APPLICANTS COMING IN, DO YOU
THINK, IS THERE -- YOU KNOW, IS
THERE A LARGE DEMAND OF FOLKS
THAT ARE SEEKING THIS OUT?
DO YOU HAVE A KIND OF SENSE OF
THAT?
>> WELL, WHAT I WILL SAY IS
THAT, YOU KNOW, WE PROBABLY GET
ABOUT THE SAME NUMBER OF
APPLICATIONS EACH ROUND, SO
MAYBE 100, 120 APPLICATIONS EACH
ROUND.
MANY -- WE MAY FUND, YOU KNOW,
UPWARDS OF, YOU KNOW, 40 OR SO.
SO, YOU KNOW, BUT AGAIN, I THINK
IT'S REALLY TRYING TO PUSH OUT
WHAT NIGMS IS ABOUT, WHAT WE
SUPPORT, WHAT DIFFERENTIATES US
FROM THE OTHER DISEASE AGNOSTIC
INSTITUTES AND CENTERS AT NIH.
AND REALLY MAKING THAT CASE TO,
YOU KNOW, HERE WE ARE, IF YOU
HAVE A TECHNOLOGY SPACE, YOU
KNOW, WE HAVE FUNDING.
SO I WANT TO DO A BETTER JOB OF
THAT.
MAKING THAT CASE, GIVING THAT
NARRATIVE, TELLING THAT STORY.
>> GO AHEAD, RON.
>> THAT WAS ONE THING BEE DID
LEARN IN KENTUCKY WAS THAT THERE
WERE COMPANIES THAT DEFINITELY
COULD HAVE APPLIED TO NIGMS FOR
THEIR WORK, BUT INSTEAD TARGETED
TO A DISEASE INSTITUTE THINKING
THAT WAS A BETTER STRATEGY, AND
WE HAD A MUCH BETTER SUCCESS
RATE SO THEY REALLY SHOULD HAVE
COME TO US.
SO THAT EDUCATION PIECE I THINK
IS KEY.
>> WELL, THAT'S HELPFUL FOR ME
TO KNOW BECAUSE PART OF OUR
CURRICULUM IN OUR COURSE IS THE
SBIR, ACTUALLY FEDERAL FUNDING
IN GENERAL BUT SBIR/STTR
SPECIFICALLY, SO I'LL MAKE SURE,
YOU KNOW, THAT THEY ARE AWARE OF
THAT.
AND BUT I DO THINK THERE'S
PROBABLY A LOT MORE INTEREST,
THOSE OUT THERE, THAN WHAT YOU
MAY BE SEEING IN YOUR APPLICANT
POOL.
AND I THINK IT'S STILL,
REMEMBER, STILL EARLY DAYS.
IT WILL TAKE A WHILE FOR, YOU
KNOW -- SUCCESS GREEDS SUCCESS.
PEOPLE SEE OTHER PEOPLE BEING
SUCCESSFUL, YOU KNOW, SO IT'S
GOING TO TAKE A WHILE BUT I
APPLAUD ALL OF WHAT YOU'RE
DOING.
AGAIN, I'LL REEMPHASIZE, TAKE
ADVANTAGE OF WHAT YOU HAVE HERE
ON THE COUNCIL.
>> OH, I'LL BE IN TOUCH FOR
SURE.
>> NATALIE HAS A QUESTION ABOUT
THE REACH HUBS, DO YOU WANT TO
ASK THAT, NATALIE?
>> SURE, I WAS LOOKING FOR WHERE
COLORODANS COULD GO, AND BECAUSE
I SEE MONTANA COVERS THE
NORTHERN PART OF THE ROCKY
MOUNTAIN REGION BUT NOT NEW
MEXICO OR COLORADO OR UTAH.
>> SO THEY USED TO BE, IN I
BELIEVE THE SECOND COHORT OF
REACH, THERE WAS A HUB OUT OF
THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO.
>> YEAH, I FOUND TOO WHILE WE
WERE TALKING, LOOKS LIKE IT'S
CENTERED AT ANSCHUTZ, THAT'S THE
MEDICAL SCHOOL BUT DOESN'T
INCLUDE OTHER UNIVERSITY OF
COLORADO CAMPUSES LIKE BOULDER.
WAS THAT THE INTENTION?
WHEN IT'S SUSTAINED, IT IS
SUSTAINED VERY, VERY, VERY
LOCALLY?
>> WELL, SO, I GUESS LET ME BACK
UP AND GIVE MORE HISTORY.
THE PREVIOUS TWO REACH HUB
PROGRAMS WERE MANAGED OUT OF
NHLBI, AND CAME TO US IN 2023.
SO, FOR THAT, THIS COHORT NOW,
THAT IS THE FOCUS, THAT THEY --
YOU KNOW, THEY DEFINED THEIR
CATCHMENT AREAS, SO AS I
MENTIONED IN THE GULF COAST
CONSORTIUM ALL OF THE STATE OF
TEXAS, WHEREAS THE ONE AT
UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA IS, YOU
KNOW, THOSE STATES, WYOMING,
MONTANA, ALASKA, THOSE STATES.
SO THEY CAN DEFINE IT BUT, YES,
IT IS SUPPOSED TO SUSTAIN
WHATEVER THAT CATCHMENT AREA
THEY HAVE ALREADY IDENTIFIED AND
REACH OUT AND TARGET
INSTITUTIONS IN THOSE REGIONS TO
IDENTIFY TECHNOLOGIES.
SO NOT SUPPOSED TO STAY LOCAL TO
THE HUB OR PRIMARY INSTITUTION
BUT SHOULD SEEK INNOVATIONS FROM
ALL THEIR REGIONAL PARTNERS.
ONE OF THE MAIN TENETS OF THE
PROGRAM IS REGIONAL ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT.
SO, THAT'S WHY THEY HAVE TO SEEK
THESE TECHNOLOGIES NOT ONLY FROM
THEIR INSTITUTION BUT
INSTITUTIONS IN THEIR AREAS.
>> RIGHT.
SO ANYWAY, I'M JUST GOING TO
THROW OUT THAT MAYBE THE
SUSTAINED PART OF IT, THE
SUCCESS IN ACTUALLY SUSTAINING,
YOU KNOW, OUTREACH TO A WIDER
GROUP MAY BE LIMITED BECAUSE THE
FENDING IS ENDED.
>> DAVID MATTHEWS.
>> I HAVE A QUICK THOUGHT ABOUT
OUTREACH AND ESPECIALLY
COMMUNICATING SUCCESS RATES.
THAT IS TO USE THE FEEDBACK
LOOP.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THE
INSTITUTE DOES WHICH IS REALLY
HELPFUL DEMYSTIFYING FUNDING IS
PUBLISHING THE R01 AND MIRA
SUCCESS RATES, AS A FUNCTION OF
THE SCORE.
AND I THINK DOING THAT FOR SBIR
AND STTR AND PUTTING THAT IN
FEEDBACK LOOP I THINK MIGHT
GENERATE MORE ENTHUSIASM AND
HELP DEMYSTIFY, YOU KNOW, HOW
THESE DECISIONS ARE MADE.
>> APPRECIATE THE SUGGESTION.
>> ERIC?
>> A QUICK THING.
I'M JUST WONDERING DOES THE
DECISION TREE EXIST FOR THE
VARIOUS SORT OF SBIR PROGRAMS
ACROSS THE INSTITUTES BECAUSE I
COULD IMAGINE THAT WOULD BE VERY
POWERFUL WAY FOR SMALL
BUSINESSES TO IDENTIFY THE
INSTITUTE THAT WOULD MATCH THEM
THE BEST.
>> THERE'S NOT ONE THAT I KNOW
OF.
BUT THAT MAY BE SOMETHING, YOU
KNOW, THAT I CAN BRING BACK TO
SEED, YOU KNOW, TO BRING UP FOR
DISCUSSION.
ESPECIALLY LIKE I SAID AMONG
THOSE THAT LIKE NLM OR NCATS AND
NIBIB, YOU KNOW, THAT DON'T
FOCUS ON DISEASES SPECIFICALLY.
SO, YOU KNOW, HELPING
INVESTIGATOR DISCERN WHICH PLACE
MIGHT BE MOST APPROPRIATE FOR
THEIR TECHNOLOGY, YOU KNOW.
>> I'M CURIOUS, SARAH MICHELE,
HAS YOUR DEPARTMENT ENGAGED WITH
THE REACH HUB IN BALTIMORE, HAVE
YOU EVEN HEARD OF IT?
>> GOOD QUESTION.
I READ THE PRE-WORK FOR THIS AND
I ACTUALLY REACHED OUT TO
SOMEONE, ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR
RESEARCH, AND I SAID WE'VE HAD A
COUPLE FOLKS APPLY FOR SOME SEED
FUNDING BUT HE HASN'T HEARD
ANYTHING YET.
SO I THINK THERE PROBABLY COULD
BE MORE VISIBILITY IN MY SCHOOL
BUT THERE'S SOME AWARENESS FROM
WHAT I UNDERSTAND.
>> I THINK THAT'S BEEN A GENERAL
CHALLENGE FOR THE EYE OF I-RED
PROGRAM AS WELL, WE THINK THAT
BECAUSE THEIR JOBS TAKE CARE OF
A WHOLE REGION THAT EVERYBODY
KNOWS ABOUT IT BUT I DISCOVERED
IN THE PREVIOUS ITERATION OF
I-RED, THAT WAS NOT TRUE, FROM
NATALIES COMMENTS SOUNDS LIKE
SHE WAS UNAWARE OF THE REACH HUB
AT THEIR SISTER UNIVERSITY.
SO THAT MAY BE A CHALLENGE WE
NEED TO WORK ON MORE BOTH FOR
REACH AND FOR I-RED, IS HOW DO
WE REALLY MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE
KNOW ABOUT THEM, WHO SHOULD KNOW
ABOUT THEM.
YEAH.
BEFORE WE END, ONE QUESTION FOR
THE GROUP IN GENERAL.
RON, YOUR POINT BROUGHT THIS UP
TO ME.
IS THERE A PROFESSIONAL
ORGANIZATION THAT REPRESENTS
TECH TRANSFER PROFESSIONALS AT
UNIVERSITIES?
THAT COULD BE VERY USEFUL FOR
US, YOU KNOW, IN THE WAY YOU
WERE THINKING.
>> YES, THERE IS.
AUTUMN, ASSOCIATION OF
UNIVERSITY TECHNOLOGY MANAGERS.
>> MANAGERS, YEAH.
>> THAT MIGHT BE A GOOD PARTNER
FOR US GETTING THE WORD OUT ON
SOME OF THESE THINGS.
WENDY?
>> DURING THIS DISCUSSION I
THOUGHT ABOUT TECH TRANSFERS
OFFICES AS ONE OF THE BIGGEST
PAIN POINTS IN MOVING TECHNOLOGY
INTO INDUSTRY, AND THE
TURNAROUND, IT'S SO PAINFUL.
A PUSH-PULL THAT GOES BACK AND
FORTH, SOMEHOW THE SYSTEM NEEDS
TO BE OPTIMIZED TO MAKE IT
WIN-WIN BECAUSE IT'S -- AT SOME
UNIVERSITIES IT'S BROKEN
>> I REMEMBER HEARING A PERSON
ON THE INDUSTRY SIDE ONCE SAY,
WELL, 100% OF ZERO IS STILL
ZERO.
ONE THING WE LEARNED IN
KENTUCKY, THEY HAVE A PROGRAM
THAT'S APPEALING, WE'LL THINK
HOW TO DO SOMETHING LIKE IT,
WHICH GETS AT A POINT ALSO A
PROBLEM WITH TECHNOLOGY
TRANSFERS, A LOT OF SMALLER
UNIVERSITIES, YOU KNOW, OR
COLLEGES REALLY DON'T HAVE ONE.
SO IF SOMEONE THERE DEVELOPS A
TECHNOLOGY THAT COULD BE
COMPLETELY LOST BECAUSE THEY
HAVE NO RECOURSE HOW TO PATENT,
HOW TO GET IT OUT.
KENTUCKY AS PART OF THEIR
ORIGINAL REACH HUB STARTED A
PROGRAM WHERE I THINK THE FIRST
THE REGION, NOW THE STATES TAKE
IT OVER, WILL ACTUALLY SUPPORT
THE TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER PART OF
INNOVATIONS THAT TOOK PLACE IN
SCHOOLS THAT DON'T HAVE THEIR
OWN TECH TRANSFER OFFICES.
I THINK THE WAY IT WORKS THEY
GET SOME CUT OF WHATEVER HAPPENS
IN THE END.
BUT SEEMED LIKE A GREAT MODEL
WHERE THERE'S A LOT OF LOST, YOU
KNOW, INNOVATIONS AND IDEAS
RIGHT NOW, AND IF WE COULD ALLOW
SOME OF THOSE TO GET TO MARKET
THROUGH A PROGRAM LIKE THAT IT
COULD BE A SIGNIFICANT WIN.
THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE WE'LL BE
THINKING ABOUT.
ANYTHING ELSE?
TERRIFIC DISCUSSION.
EDDIE, THANK YOU SO MUCH, FOR
THE PRESENTATION.
REALLY TERRIFIC.
AND THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR
INPUT.
EDDIE IS DEFINITELY GOING TO BE
CONNECTING WITH SOME OF YOU ON
COUNCIL TO FOLLOW UP WITH THIS.
>> FOR SURE.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME.
>> ALL RIGHT.
THE LAST PLANNED ORDER OF
BUSINESS IS WE HAVE A COUPLE
CONCEPT EXPERIENCES.
THANK YOU, KAREN.
REMINDER, FOR US TO EITHER START
A NEW PROGRAM OR TO REISSUE AN
EXISTING PROGRAM, WE NEED TO GET
COUNCIL TO FORMALLY APPROVE
THAT.
SO WE PRESENT IT TO COUNCIL AND
HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR
DISCUSSION AND FEEDBACK.
AND THEN WE TAKE A FORMAL VOTE,
WE'RE REQUIRED TO DO THAT.
IN CASES WHERE WE'RE REISSUING A
PROGRAM, AND THERE'S NO MAJOR
CHANGES, WE JUST DO A VERY SHORT
PRESENTATION ON ON EACH AND TAKE
A VOTE.
THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TODAY FOR
YOU, JUST TWO REISSUANCES OF
LONGSTANDING PROGRAMS WITHOUT
MAJOR CHANGES.
THAT'S WHAT I'LL GO THROUGH NOW.
ERICA WILL CALL FOR A VOTE AFTER
EACH PRESENTATION WHICH WILL BE
VERY BRIEF.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
SO, THE FIRST ONE IS THE
INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH AND
ACADEMIC CAREER DEVELOPMENT,
IRACDA PROGRAM.
THIS IS A LONGSTANDING PROGRAM
THAT PROVIDES INSTITUTIONAL
SUPPORT FOR MENTORED
POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH
EXPERIENCES AT A RESEARCH
INTENSIVE INSTITUTION COMBINED
WITH OPPORTUNITIES FOR THOSE
POSTDOCS TO DEVELOP THEIR
TEACHING AND MENTORING SKILLS AT
A PARTNER TEACHING INTENSIVE
INSTITUTION THAT HAS A DIVERSE
STUDENT POPULATION.
THE GOALS OF THE PROGRAM ARE
SHOWN HERE, TO DEVELOP
WELL-TRAINED CADRE OF
WELL-TRAINED BIOMEDICAL
SCIENTISTS WHO CAN DO RESEARCH
AND ARE EXCELLENT IN TEACHING
AND MENTORING.
THE PROGRAMS HAVE TO BENEFIT
TEACHING-INTENSIVE PARTNER IN
ADDITION TO THE
RESEARCH-INTENSIVE INSTITUTION
IN A VARIETY OF WAYS, PART OF
WHICH THEY PROVIDE POSTDOCS WHO
COME IN AND ACTUALLY TEACH
COURSES, MENTORED BY A FACULTY
MEMBER USUALLY, SO THEY PROVIDE
SOME, YOU KNOW, ACTUAL TEACHING
RELIEF FOR THE FACULTY.
THEY BRING UNDERSTANDING OF
CUTTING-EDGE RESEARCH AND
TECHNIQUES TO THE INSTITUTION,
ET CETERA.
WE EXPECT THE PARTNERSHIP
BETWEEN THE RESEARCH INTENSIVE
INSTITUTION AND THE
TEACHING-INTENSIVE INSTITUTION,
THE TEACHING-INTENSIVE
INSTITUTIONS TO HAVE A
HISTORICAL OR DEMONSTRATED
COMMITMENT TO EDUCATING STUDENTS
FROM GROUPS UNDERREPRESENTED IN
BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH, THAT'S THAT
DIVERSITY COMPONENT OF THE
TEACHING-INTENSIVE INSTITUTION.
WE AREN'T AS I SAID MAKING MAJOR
CHANGES, JUST ASKING FOR
PERMISSION TO REISSUE IT.
WE DID EVALUATE THIS PROGRAM.
SO A FEW YEARS AGO, AND THE
OUTCOMES WERE REALLY QUITE
IMPRESSIVE IN TERMS OF THE
PERCENTAGE OF PARTICIPANTS WHO
WENT ON TO CAREERS IN ACADEMICS,
PARTICULARLY AT TEACHING
ORIENTED INSTITUTIONS.
SO, ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS,
QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT ONE?
UNMUTE YOURSELF AND SAY IT IF
YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR
QUESTIONS.
I'M NOT HEARING ANYTHING.
ERICA?
>> JUST ONE HOUSEKEEPING MENTION
HERE IS THAT TO KEEP VOTING
PROCEDURE STREAMLINED IN THIS
VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT, I'LL CALL
FOR THE MOTION AND THEN ASK IF
THERE'S ANY OPPOSITION TO THE
MOTION, YOU CAN RAISE YOUR HAND
IN TEAMS RAISE-HAND FEATURE.
FOR THOSE STRUGGLING WITH THAT
FEATURE TODAY SEND ME A COMMENT
OR YELL OUT IF YOU'RE OPPOSED TO
THE MOTION.
SO FOR IRACDA I MOVE WE APPROVE
THE CONCEPT FOR FURTHER
DEVELOPMENT AS A FUNDING
OPPORTUNITY.
ANY OPPOSED?
OKAY, THE MOTION IS UNANIMOUSLY
APPROVED.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
SO THE SECOND PROGRAM IS THE
BRIDGES TO BACCALAUREATE, B2B
RESEARCH TRAINING PROGRAM.
THE PURPOSE IS TO PROMOTE BROAD
PARTICIPATION IN BIOMEDICAL
RESEARCH WORKFORCE BY
STRENGTHENING RESEARCH TRAINING
ENVIRONMENTS, EXPANDING THE POOL
OF RESEARCH-ORIENTED STUDENTS
WHO TRANSFER FROM AN ASSOCIATE
OR TWO-YEAR DEGREE-GRANTING
INSTITUTION TO FOUR-YEAR
BACCALAUREATE DEGREE-GRANTING
INSTITUTION AND COMPLETE
BACCALAUREATE DEGREES IN
DISCIPLINES RELATED TO
BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES.
IT'S ANOTHER PARTNER PROGRAM, SO
AT LEAST ONE PARTNER MUST BE AN
INSTITUTION THAT OFFERS
ASSOCIATE DEGREES, AS THE
HIGHEST STEM DEGREE.
COMMUNITY COLLEGES, FOR EXAMPLE.
AND THE OTHER PARTNER MUST BE A
BACCALAUREATE-GRANTING
INSTITUTION IN BIOMEDICALLY
RELEVANT STEM FIELDS.
WE EXPECT THAT ON COMPLETION OF
THE B2B PROGRAM TRAINEES WILL BE
WELL POSITIONED TO PURSUE
RESEARCH ORIENTED MEDICAL HIGHER
DEGREE PROGRAM SUCH AS PhDs
OR ENTER CAREERS IN THE
BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH WORKFORCE.
AGAIN, WE DON'T PROPOSE MAJOR
CHANGES.
WE'VE LOOKED AT OUTCOMES OF THIS
PROGRAM.
I WOULD SAY THEY ARE CLOSE TO
SPECTACULAR, IN MY OPINION.
THIS PROGRAM REALLY IS A GREAT
PROGRAM.
I THINK WE TALKED LAST TIME HOW
WE CAN SORT OF MAYBE EXPAND THE
CONCEPT TO INCLUDE TRAINING FOR
PEOPLE GOING INTO BIOTECH
INDUSTRY, FOR EXAMPLE, RELATED
TO PREVIOUS DISCUSSION, BUT THIS
PROGRAM I THINK IS WORKING
EXTREMELY WELL.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR
COMMENTS ABOUT BRIDGES TO THE
BACCALAUREATE?
ALL RIGHT.
ERICA?
>> NATALIE HAS A HAND UP.
>> OH.
>> I DON'T HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT
B2B BUT THE INSTITUTIONAL
RESEARCH CAREER DEVELOPMENT.
IS THE GOAL TO DIRECT MORE
RESEARCH-TRAINED FACULTY TO
PRIMARILY TEACHING CAREER?
>> THAT IS ONE OF THE GOALS OF
IT, YES, TO GET PEOPLE WHO ARE
WELL TRAINED IN CONDUCTING
BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH INTO
INSTITUTIONS THAT ALSO FOCUS ON
THE TEACHING ASPECT.
>> SO OUR EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN
WHEN A STUDENT KNOWS THEY DON'T
WANT TO CONTINUE IN RESEARCH BUT
WOULD RATHER GO TOWARDS THE
TEACHING DIRECTION, THEY KNOW IT
BY THE END OF THEIR GRADUATE
WORK.
AND THEN THEY BEGIN LOOKING FOR
POSITIONS IN, YOU KNOW, PLACES
THAT ARE FAIRLY COMPETITIVE.
MAYBE THE PLACE TO BE TARGETING
THIS IS MAYBE A LITTLE EARLIER
BECAUSE WHEN SOMEBODY GOES INTO
RESEARCH, IT SEEMS TO ME YOU
GET -- THERE MIGHT BE PUSHBACK
FROM THE P.I. AND SO ON, IN
TERMS OF WHETHER THE STUDENT
CAN -- OR THE POSTDOC TRAINEE
CAN SORT OF LIKE COVER THEIR
RESEARCH AND THEIR TEACHING AT
THE SAME TIME.
>> THAT'S PART OF THE REASON FOR
IRACDA, THAT PROGRAM, THEY DO
75% RESEARCH, 25% TEACHING PART.
AND OF COURSE THEY ARE BEING
SUPPORTED, RIGHT?
THEY GET STIPENDS, ET CETERA,
WHILE DOING THIS SO THAT MAKES
IT I GUESS LESS ONEROUS OR OF
CONCERN FOR THE P.I. BECAUSE
THEY ARE NOT PAYING THE PERSON
DURING THAT TIME.
SO THAT'S PART OF THE REASON TO
HAVE THE PROGRAM.
THE OTHER THING TO RECOGNIZE IS
THAT THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, A FAIR
NUMBER OF PRIMARILY
UNDERGRADUATE INSTITUTIONS THAT
REALLY EXPECT PEOPLE APPLYING TO
FACULTY POSITIONS TO HAVE DONE
ACADEMIC POSTDOCS, BECAUSE THEY
ALSO WANT THEM TO MAINTAIN SOME
RESEARCH PROGRAM.
YOU KNOW, SO THAT'S ANOTHER
ASPECT FOR WHY IRACDA IS
ORIENTED THE WAY IT IS.
>> I SEE.
OKAY.
>> OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?
OKAY.
ERICA, GO AHEAD.
>> OKAY.
FOR BRIDGES TO THE BACCALAUREATE
PROGRAM, I MOVE WE APPROVE THIS
CONCEPT FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENT
AS A FUNDING OPPORTUNITY.
ANY OPPOSED?
THE MOTION IS UNANIMOUSLY
APPROVED.
>> AWESOME.
THANK YOU.
TAKE DOWN THE SLIDES PLEASE,
KAREN.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER TOPICS
PEOPLE WOULD LIKE TO BRING UP?
OF FOR DISCUSSION?
LY
OBVIOUSLY WE'VE HAD A ROW ROBUT
SERIES OF DISCUSSIONS.
NOT SEEING ANY, THAT
CONCLUDES -- OH, SORRY.
>> YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SURE THIS
IS THE RIGHT VENUE TO PRESENT
THIS.
BUT WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT THE
PIPELINE AT THE COLLEGE LEVEL.
I THINK WE'RE GOING TO START TO
SEE AS WE SEE POLITICAL
LANDSCAPE CHANGE WITH
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION POLICIES, AS
WELL AS OTHER STATE POLICIES
BEING ADOPTED, THAT WE'RE ALSO
PUTTING SOME BARRIERS TO PEOPLE
TO GET TO COLLEGE, AND I'M
WONDERING IF THERE'S ANY
PROGRAMMING OR ANYTHING WE COULD
EVENTUALLY CONSIDER THAT WOULD
HELP REALLY LOOKING AT
UNDERSERVED AND UNDERREPRESENTED
POPULATIONS, MAYBE IT'S HELPING
SOME TEACHERS WHO ARE, SAY
SCIENCE OR MATH TEACHERS, AT THE
K-12 LEVEL WHO CAN MAYBE COME
INTO A SUMMER PROGRAM OR MAYBE
BE SOME KIND OF LAB PARTICIPANT
OR -- NOT PARTICIPANT, I SHOULD
SAY LAB RESEARCHER, WITH OTHER
PROFESSORS OR OTHER THINGS.
I'M TRYING FIGURE OUT HOW DO WE
HELP THAT PIPELINE WHEN WE KNOW
THERE ARE COUNTERVAILING FORCES
OCCURRING?
>> WE DO HAVE SUCH PROGRAMS.
THAT'S THE GOOD NEWS.
WE HAVE THE SCIENCE EDUCATION
PARTNERSHIP AWARDS, CEPA
PROGRAM, WHICH SUPPORTS PRE-K
THROUGH 12 AS WELL AS PUBLIC
OUTREACH INNOVATEIVE PROGRAMS,
THAT ARE DESIGNED TO GET
STUDENTS INTERESTED IN CAREERS
IN BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH.
WITH A FOCUS ON EXPANDING
DIVERSITY OF THE RESEARCH
ENTERPRISE.
THAT'S A PROGRAM DEFINITELY TO
TAKE A LOOK AT, EXACTLY WHAT
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
IT ALSO HAS THE POSSIBILITY OF
DOING EXACTLY WHAT YOU SAID
HAVING TEACHERS COME IN FOR
TRAINING AND SOME OF THE
PROGRAMS DO THAT.
THERE'S ONE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
UTAH THAT TRAINS I THINK HIGH
SCHOOL TEACHERS IN GENETICS AND
GENOMICS TO ADD THAT INTO THEIR
CURRICULA.
SO THAT'S ONE EXAMPLE WHERE
TEACHERS ARE BEING SUPPORTED TO
EXPAND THEIR SCIENTIFIC
KNOWLEDGE BASE.
IT ALSO SUPPORTS THINGS LIKE
MUSEUM SHOWS, SCIENCE MUSEUMS,
SCIENCE CENTERS, AND OTHER
PUBLIC OUTREACH ACTIVITY.
THAT'S ONE BIG ONE.
RECENTLY EXPANDED THAT.
WE EXPANDED SO THAT OTHER
INSTITUTES CAN FINANCE GRANTS
AND SAW SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN
AWARDS WE COULD FUND WHICH MEANS
RENEED MORE APPLICATIONS, THERE
USED TO BE A ONE GRANT PER
INSTITUTION CAP.
THAT'S LIFTED SO INSTITUTIONS
CAN HAVE MORE THAN, YOU KNOW,
SEPA AWARD AS LONG AS THEY ARE
DISTINCT.
YOU'RE THE PERFECT PERSON TO GET
THE WORTH OUT WILL SEPA.
I'D LIKE TO SEE MORE FROM
KENTUCKY, FOR EXAMPLE.
WE TALKED TO SOME PEOPLE THERE
ABOUT IT BUT I THINK GREAT
OPPORTUNITIES THERE TO DO MORE
IN THAT SPACE.
THE OTHER ONE I'LL JUST MENTION
IS THE DIVERSITY SUPPLEMENTS
WHICH WE'VE ALREADY TALKED
ABOUT.
IF SOMEONE HAS AN NIH RESEARCH
GRANT, THEY CAN APPLY FOR
DIVERSITY SUPPLEMENT TO SUPPORT
A STUDENT, SAY, WORK IN THEIR
LAB FOR A SUMMER, AND THAT CAN
GO ALL THE WAY DOWN TO HIGH
SCHOOL.
SO HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS CAN BE
SUPPORTED TO DO SUMMER WORK IN A
P.I.'S LACK. -- LAB.
WHEN I WAS A P.I. I TWO HIGH
SCHOOL STUDENTS WORK TWO SUMMERS
IN MY LAB USING A DIVERSITY
SUPPLEMENT.
IT'S A GREAT PROGRAM.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> GOOD.
PERFECT.
ANYTHING ELSE?
ALL RIGHT.
LOOKS LIKE WE DID IT.
WE GOT TO EXACTLY 12 NOON, LUNCH
TIME FOR THOSE OF US ON THIS
COAST, I GUESS BREAKFAST FOR
THOSE ON THE OTHER COAST, TIME
FOR A SNACK IN YOU'RE IN THE
MIDDLE OF THE COUNTRY, I GUESS.
THANK YOU.
THIS CONCLUDES THE OPEN SESSION
OF OUR COUNCIL.