THIS IS JON LORSCH DIRECTOR OF NIGMS AND I'M COMING TO YOU FROM MY HOUSE LIKE THE REST OF YOU. THIS PICTURE IS NOT MY HOUSE IN CASE YOU'RE WONDERING. WE'RE CONDUCTING THIS ENTIRELY REMOTELY AND NOT ON THE NIH CAMPUS AND WE HAD A VIRTUAL MEETING ONCE BEFORE BECAUSE OF THE HURRICANE BUT SOME OF US WERE ON SITE SO IT'S A NEW EXPERIENCE FOR ALL OF US AND WE HAVE GREAT I.T. HELP AND IF YOU HAVE ANY PROBLEMS PLEASE SEND A CHAT MESSAGE TO MATT AND HE CAN SEE WE GET YOU SOME HELP. WE'LL DO INTRODUCTIONS IN JUST A SECOND BUT LET ME START BY GIVING A LITTLE BIT OF HOW WE'RE GOING TRY TO CONDUCT THIS MEETING SINCE WE'RE ONLINE AND I'LL ASK DARREN TO SAY A FEW WORDS IN A SECOND BUT IF YOU CAN ALL STAY ON MUTE UNLESS YOUR TALKING THAT WILL HELP CONTROLLING THE BACKGROUND NOISE. I'LL LEAVE IT UP TO YOU AS TO WHETHER YOU WANT TO HAVE YOUR VIDEO UP ALL THE TIME OR JUST TALKING. IF WE START HAVING TROUBLE WITH BANDWIDTH WE'LL ASK PEOPLE TO TURN VIDEOS OFF. WE'LL SEE HOW IT GOES. IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION USE THE RAISE HAND FUNCTION IN THE PARTICIPANTS' LIST. IF YOU LOOK AT THE PARTICIANTS' LIST SCREEN THERE'S A RAISED HAND AND SEVERAL US WILL BE MONITORING THAT AND WE'LL CALL ON YOU. IF WE DON'T, YOU CAN ALSO TYPE IN THE CHAT BOX YOU HAVE A QUESTION AND WE'LL CALL ON YOU FROM THERE. DARREN, DO YOU WANT TO SAY A FEW WORDS? I HAVE MISSED ANYTHING? >> NO, I THINK YOU COVERED IT FINE, JON. LOOKS LIKE EVERYBODY'S HERE AND READY TO GO. IF PEOPLE HAVE ISSUES THEY CAN E-MAIL OR TEXT OR CHAT WITH THE NUMBER OF US. JUST STAY IN CONTACT. >> OKAY. GOOD. WE'LL START WITH INTRODUCTIONS AND I'M JON LORSCH AND WHEN I CALL ON PEOPLE IF YOU CAN SAY WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT INSTITUTION YOU'RE FROM AND GIVE A SENTENCE OR TWO ABOUT WHAT YOU DO THERE. JUDITH, I'LL START WITH YOU NEXT. >> OKAY. HERE I AM. I'LL PUT MY VIDEO ON FOR A SECOND. JUDITH GREENBERG DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF NIGMS. WELCOME, EVERYBODY. >> ERICA. >> ERICA BROWN, ARE YOU THERE? >> YES, CAN YOU NOT HEAR ME? >> I HEAR YOU NOW, YES. >> HI, THIS IS ERICA BROWN. I'M THE DIRECTOR OF THE DIVISION OF EXTRAMURAL ACTIVITIES AND THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY OF COUNCIL. >> GREAT. AND DARREN, YOU WANT TO QUICKLY INTRODUCE YOURSELF TOO? >> HI, I'M DARREN SLEJESKI THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF EXTRAMURAL ACTIVITIES. >> NOW TO COUNCIL MEMBERS. DARREN AIKENS. >> HI. WELL, GOOD MORNING, DARREN ACHENS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA SCIENCES CENTER. MY LAB WORKS ON THE FUNDAMENTAL ASPECTS OF HOW PROW -- PROTEINS ARE LOCALED AND WE DO THAT IN LOCALIZED AND WE DO THAT IN BACTERIAL SYSTEMS. >> GOOD MORNING. I'M AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SEATTLE IN THE DEPARTMENT OF GENOME SCIENCES. MY LAB USES A MODEL SYSTEM TO STUDY BASIC DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY. WE USE GENETIC, GENOMIC AND CELL BIOLOGICAL TECHNIQUES. >> THANK YOU, CELESTE. SQUIRE, ARE YOU THERE? SQUIRE BOOKER? >> I AM HERE, GOOD MORNING. SQUIRE BOOKER, PENN STATE DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY AND MEL -- MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND THE HOWARD HUGHES INSTITUTE. >> THANK YOU. ENRIQUE DE LA CRUZ. >> GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. I'M A PROFESSOR OF BIO CHEMISTRY AT YALE UNIVERSITY WHERE I ALSO HEAD ONE OF THE RESIDENTIAL COLLEGES, BRANDFORD COLLEGE THE OLDEST AND BEST. MY LAB WORKS ON THE BIO PHYSICAL PROPERTIES AND PHOSPHATE AND SIGNALLING ENZYMES. >> CONGRATULATIONS ON THE BEARD, BEARD, BEARD,EN -- ENRIQUE. >> I SHAVED THREE DAYS AGO. >> I'M A PROFESSOR OF CELL BIOLOGY AT JOHNS HOPKINS SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND WE LOOK FOR NEW TREATMENTS FOR CANCER. >> THANK YOU, PETER. GUY PATBURY. >> GOOD MORNING. I'M GUY PADBURY SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AT THE RESEARCH LABORATORY. I HAVE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE NON-CLINICAL SAFETY AND PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES AND PHARMA PHARMACOKINETIC DISCIPLINES. >> MIKE SOMERS ARE YOU THERE? >> I SHOULD BE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE COUNTY A PROFESSOR OF CHEMISTRY ANDION CHEMISTRY AND -- BIOCHEMISTRY AND INVESTIGATOR AND RUN [INDISCERNIBLE]. >> THANK YOU, MIKE. CATHY WU. >> HI. I'M A PROFESSOR IN THE COMPUTER SCIENCE DEPARTMENT AT UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE. I ALSO DIRECT OUR CENTER FOR BIOINFORMATICS AND COMPUTATIONS AND WE USE MACHINE LEARNING AND NATURAL PROCESSING FOR BIOMEDICAL KNOWLEDGE STUDIES. >> THANK YOU. AND JOHN YOUNGER. >> GOOD MORNING. I'M THE VICE PRESIDENT FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CITY SCIENCE CENTER IN PHILADELPHIA. WE ARE A 55 PLUS-YEAR-OLD BIOTECH ACCELERATOR PROGRAM THAT DOES A GRANT PROGRAM TO HELP UNIVERSITIES TRANSLATE NEW TECHNOLOGIES, INCUBATES NEW COMPANIES ONCE THEY'RE FORMED. >> CECILIA CHUNG ARE YOU THERE? >> GOOD MORNING. I'M ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY AT [INDISCERNIBLE] UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER AND PART-TIME STAFF PHYSICIAN. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND FROM MORGANTOWN DO WE HAVE LAURIE GIBSON ON THE LINE? >> GOOD MORNING. I'M LAURA. I'M THE SENIOR ASSOCIATE V.P. AND GRADUATE EDUCATION AT WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY AND OUR LAB FOCUSES ON TUMOR MICROENVIRONMENT AND SPECIFICALLY REFRACTORY AND RELAPSED LEUKEMIA AND HOW THE MICROENVIRONMENT MODULATES THERAPEUTIC RESPONSE. >> THANK YOU, LAURA. DANIEL LEE. ARE YOU THERE? >> YES, HI, I'M DANIELLE LEE THE ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR AT M.I.T. IN THE SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT AND I'M AN ECONOMIST AND STUDY R&D INVESTMENTS IN THE LIFE SCIENCES. >> TERRIFIC. THANK YOU. BRIAN MUNSKI ARE YOU THERE? >> GOOD MORNING. I'M A NEWLY-MINTED ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING AT COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY AND MY GROUP STUDIES MODELS AND QUANTIFICATION OF GENE REGULATORY PHENOMENON AT THE SINGLE CELL AND MOLECULE LEVELS. >> THANK YOU. AMY ROSENSWAG. >> I'M A PROFESSOR IN THE DEPARTMENT OF MOLECULAR BIO SCIENCES AND CHEMISTRY AT NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY. WE STUDY METAL TRANSPORTERS AND METALO ENZYME THE FOCUS ON STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY. >> MELANIE SANFORD. >> GOOD MORNING. SO I'M AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN IN THE DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY AND MY GROUP STUDIES PRIMARILY THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW WAYS TO SYNTHESIZE MOLECULES WE'RE SYNTHETIC CHEMIST. >> AND RON. >> I WORK AT THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS AND OFFICE OF RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT WHERE I'M A DIRECTOR OF GENOMIC MEDICINE. THE GOAL FOR ME IS TO BRING ON THE BEST PERSONALIZED MEDICINE FOR VETERANS NATIONWIDE. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANKS TO ALL OF YOU. WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. WE KNOW THESE ARE DIFFICULT, COMPLICATED TRYING TIMES FOR EVERYBODY BUT IT'S IMPORTANT WE TRY TO CONTINUE ON AND THINK WE'RE DOING OUR BEST VIRTUALLY OR IN REAL TIME, SOME OF YOU. THANKS FOR EVERYTHING YOU ARE DOING. WE HAVE A COUPLE THINGS WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO THE MAIN AGENDA. THE MAIN ONE IS TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE LAST MEETING. DOUGH -- DO WE HAVE DISCUSSION OR COMMENTS ON THE MINUTES? IF NOT, I WILL ASK IT APPROVE THE MINUTES. >> I MOVE TO APPROVE. >> DOES ANYBODY OPPOSE I THINK THAT'S WHAT HE'LL DO IS ASKING FOR OPPOSITION OR ABSTENTION. HEARING NONE THE MINUTES ARE APPROVED AND THE MEETING WILL MOVE ON. I'LL GIVE THE STATE OF THE INSTITUTE AS USUAL. CAN EVERYONE SEE THE SLIDES THAT MATT'S PUT UP. >> YES. >> SO AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE IN THESE DIFFICULT TIMES. I WILL JUST AS I USUALLY DO GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT IS GOING ON AT THE INSTITUTE SOME OF WHICH WILL FOCUS ON THE RESPONSE TO COVID-19 AS YOU'LL SEE IN A MINUTE. BUT OTHERS WILL BE MORE GENERAL IN NATURE. I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY AT NIGMS WHO HAS ALSO WORKED HARD TO MAKE THIS VIRTUAL COUNCIL MEETING WORK ESPECIALLY OUR I.T. GROUP AND ERIC AND DARREN WHO HAVE BEEN TIRELESS IN TRYING TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN. SO YOU HEARD INTRODUCTIONS BUT I DO WANT TO NOTE NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS JOINING COUNCIL AS SOON AS THEY'RE H.R. PAPERWORK IS PROCESSED. AMY ROSENSWAG FROM NORTHWESTERN, CHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIO SCIENCES AND MELANIE SANFORD FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN. DANIELLE LEE AS YOU HEARD FROM M.I.T. SLOANE SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT. WE'RE GRATEFUL TO ALL OF THEM FOR JOINING THE COUNCIL. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. WE HAVE A COUPLE AD HOC PARTICIPANTS WHO ARE EARLY CAREER INVESTIGATORS AND SORRY THEY COULDN'T BE HERE IN PERSON, SAYS -- CECILIA YOUNG AND I HOPE YOU'LL PARTICIPATE VERY ACTIVELY IN THE SESSION TODAY AND WILL TELL OTHERS ESPECIALLY AT THE EARLY CAREER INVESTIGATORS WHAT HAPPENS AT COUNCIL. THE REASON WE ASK TO PARTICIPATE IS TO HELP DEMYSTIFY THE COUNCIL PROCESS NOR COMMUNITY. AS USUAL, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME COMINGS AND GOINGS AT NIGMS WHICH I WANT TO MAKE YOU AWARE OF. OVER THE LAST FOUR MONTHS THE FIRST IS REASCIENCEMENT AND THOSE AT NIGMS JUST TAKING ON DIFFERENT ROLES. AS DARREN SAID TO YOU HE IS NOW THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF EXTRAMURAL ACTIVITIES MOVING WHERE HE WAS A BRANCH CHIEF AND WE'RE LUCKY TO HAVE HIM SERVE IN THIS ROLE AND ONE OF HIS ROLES AS I'M SURE YOU KNOW IS TO FACILITATE COUNCIL ACTIVITIES. AND SAILAJA KODURI STARTED AND LINDA SARDEN WORKING IN THE OFFICE OF SCIENTIFIC REVIEW HAS JOINED ERICA AND DARREN IN THE DIVISION OF EXTRAMURAL ACTIVITY WHICH IS IS INTERESTING BECAUSE THE THREE OF THEM USED TO WORK TOGETHER AT NIAID PREVIOUSLY. MY DOG HAS JUST ARRIVED ON THE SCENE SO YOU MAY HEAR SOME BARKING IN THE MIDDLE. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. SO NUMBER OF PROMOTIONS. THESE PEOPLE WERE LUCKY TO STAY AT NIGMS. MICHELLE MAGURO IS NOW A BRANCH CHIEF IN THE DIVISION OF GRANTS CAPACITY IN ADVANCEMENT AND WE HAVE KRISHAN AURORA. LIKEWISE CLAUDIA GONZALEZ HAS BECOME THE CHIEF OF THE MANAGEMENT ANALYSIS POLICY SECTION IN THE DIVISION OF MANAGEMENT AND DARLENE LEE HAS BEEN CHIEF OF THE BUSINESS POLICY AND OPERATIONS SECTION ALSO IN THE DIVISION OF MANAGEMENT. A COUPLE NEW FACES SOMEWHAT TO NIGMS ONE IS RON ATKINS WHO HAS JOINED AS A PROGRAM DIRECTOR IN GMCDB. SOME MAY REMEMBER RON BECAUSE HE WAS FOR SOME YEARS WAS AN SRO AND CSR AND HAS A BACKGROUND IN REVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY. ROBERT COYNE HAS ALSO JOINED US AS A PROGRAM DIRECT ALSO IN CMGDB AND LUCKY HAVE THEM ON THE TEAM. SO AS IS ALWAYS THE CASE WITH ALL THE COMINGS THERE'S BEEN DEPARTURES AS WELL. ANNA CALCANO TOOK A POSITION IN THE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE IN THEIR DEA SHOP. RAFI GARASPI RUNNING THE TRANSLATIONAL AWARDS AMONG OTHER THINGS HAS MOVED TO THE OFFICE OF AIDS RESEARCH. MERCEDES RUBIO IS GONE TO THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND DIVERSITY. AMANDA MELILLO TOOK A PROMOTION AND WENT BACK TO THE DENTAL INSTITUTE WHERE SHE CAME FROM AND FINALLY ALISA MACHALEK MOVED TO NIAMS. THE BRAIN INITIATIVE, THE BRAIN RESEARCH THROUGH ADVANCING NEUROTECHNICALS INITIATIVE HAS TAKEN ON A FULL-TIME DIRECTOR AND THAT'S JON NAGUI IN THE DEPARTMENT OF MOLECULAR AND CELL BIOLOGY AT BERKELEY. SO NIH I THINK IS LUCKY TO HAVE HIM ON BOARD AND HE JOINED JUST IN MARCH. SO WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF THE RESPONSES THAT HAS RELATED TO COVID-19 MOSTLY FOCUSSED ON NIGMS RESPONSES. THERE'S A LOT OF RESEARCH ACTIVITY HAPPENING NIH WIDE. YOU PROBABLY HEARD SOME OF IT. THE ACTIVE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY LOOKING AT THERAPEUTICS AND VACCINES AND ANOTHER INITIATIVES INCLUDING ONE WE'RE HEAVILY INVOLVED IN RELATED TO TESTING IN UNDER REPRESENTED AND UNDER SERVED COMMUNITY. THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF PUB LISTLY IN THOSE. EVERYONE'S BEEN WORKING HARD TO GIVE AS MUCH AS FLEXIBILITY AND SUPPORT ADMINISTRATIVELY FOR GRANTEES DURING THESE DIFFICULT TIMES. I WILL POINT YOU ALL TO THIS WEBSITE HERE WHICH IS UPDATED FAIRLY FREQUENTLY. KEEP YOUR EYE ON THAT WHERE IT LISTS EIGHT OF POLICY CHANGES AND ACTIVITIES RELATED TO COVID-19. A FEW TO HIGHLIGHT ARE THAT WE MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR GRANTEES TO PAY TRAINEES AND STAFF WHILE THEY'RE AT STAY-AT-HOME STATUS WHICH IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT NOR COMMUNITY. AS LONG AS YOUR INSTITUTION ALLOWS THAT, IT'S ALLOWED BY NIH AS WELL. WE ALSO MADE CLEAR IT WAS POSSIBLE FOR LABS TO DONATE PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT AND OTHER SUPPLIES THAT WERE PURCHASED WITH NIH FUNDS TO THE COVID-19 MEDICAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH RESPONSE. I THINK THAT WAS VERY WELL RECEIVED BY THE COMMUNITY. A VARIETY OF FLEXIBILITIES IN TERMS OF LATE APPLICATIONS BOTH NIH WIDE AND FOR NIGMS SPECIFIC APPLICATIONS. THE GUIDE NOTICES ARE THERE IN CASE YOU WANT TO LOOK AT THEM BUT WE'RE TRYING TO BE AS SUPPORTIVE AND FLEXIBLE AS POSSIBLE UNDERSTANDING IT'S DIFFICULT UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES FOR THINGS TO HAPPEN IN A NORMAL TIME COURSE. I THINK THE AREA WE'RE PROBABLY MOST CONCERNED ABOUT HERE AT NIGMS AND NIH WIDE IN TERMS OF THE RESEARCH COMMUNITY ARE EARLY-STAGE INVESTIGATORS AND EARLY CAREER INVESTIGATORS, FOR INSTANCE, K99 AWARDEES OR FELLOWSHIP AWARDEES. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO HELP US GET THE WORD OUT THAT ELIGIBILITY FOR ESI STATUS OR K99s OR FELLOWSHIPS CAN BE EXTENDED DUE TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY AND YOU JUST NEED TO ASK SO TALK TO YOUR PROGRAM OFFICER ABOUT HOW TO DO THAT. WELL BE THINKING ABOUT ISSUES SUCH AS K99 AWARDEES IF THEY HAD AN OFFER AND THE OFFER WAS PULLED OR THEY'RE HAVING DIFFICULTY GETTING A JOB BECAUSE OF THE ECONOMIC SITUATION, WHAT WE CAN DO TO POTENTIALLY HELP THEM MOVING FORWARD. A VARIETY OF PRIOR APPROVAL WAIVERS AND REPORTING EXTENSION. NIH HAS GRANTED AND GIVEN IN THE GUIDE NOTICE CITED THERE AND THAT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE. THERE'S MORE SO PLEASE GO TO THE WEBSITE IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR CONTACT YOUR PROGRAM OFFICERS. NIGMS IN PARTICULAR, WE WERE VERY QUICK TO GET OUT OF THE GATE IN TERMS OF TRYING TO SUPPORT COVID-19 RELATED RESEARCH. WE WERE ON THE FIRST NOTICE OF SPECIAL INTEREST ALONG WITH NIAID THAT CAME OUT RELATED TO COVID-19. WE ARE SUPPORTING COMPETITIVE SUPPLEMENTS FOR EXISTING GRANTS IN THE COUPLE AREAS RELATED TO COVID-19. THE FIRST IS IN INFECTIOUS DISEASE MODELING RESEARCH AND THAT INCLUDES MODELING OF ECONOMIC IMPACT INTO THE OVERALL MODELS BEING DEVELOPED AND UNDERSTANDING THE HEALTH IMPACTS THAT COULD BE BOTH FROM THE VIRUS AND ALSO FROM ECONOMIC CHANGES THAT ARE OCCURRING DUE TO THE SHUTDOWNS. WE'VE ALREADY REWARDED A NUMBER OF THOSE AND CONTINUING TO REVIEW APPLICATIONS AND CAN DO THIS ON A QUICK BASIS AND ALLOW PEOPLE TO SHIFT THEIR RESEARCH EFFORTS OR EXPAND THEIR RESEARCH EFFORTS INTO COVID-19 RELATED AREAS RELATED TO INFECTIOUS DISEASE MODELING. WE ALSO VIEWED SPIRs AND STTRs AS AREAS WHERE RAPID IMPROVEMENTS AND PROGRESS COULD BE MADE THAT COULD IMPACT THE PUBLIC HEALTH SITUATION IN A TIME FRAME THAT WAS MEANINGFUL. THERE ARE WE ARE ALSO GIVING COMPETITI COMPETITIVE SUPPLEMENT TO EXPAND OR CHANGE DIRECT TO SBIR AND STTR GRANTS FOR REPURPOSING OF DEVELOPMENT THERAPEUTICS OR DIAGNOSTICS ORIGINALLY TARGETED AT SOME OTHER INDICATION FOR INSTEAD USEFUL FOR COVID-19. THE TWO RELEVANT GUIDE NOTICES OUT OF THE NOSIS ARE SHOWN THERE. SPEAKING OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE MODELING, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE IS AWARE NIGMS IS ONE OF THE MAJOR FUNDERS OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE MODELING RESEARCH AT NIH. AND ONE OF THE MAJOR THINGS THAT WE SUPPORT IS THE MODELS OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE AGENT STUDY COORDINATION CENTER. THIS WAS JUST RECENTLY FUNDED. THERE WAS A DISCUSSION ABOUT A RETOOLING OF THIS PROGRAM ON COUNCIL OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS. THE COORDINATION CENTER WHICH IS BEING VERY ABLY LED BY THE P.I., IS TO MODEL RESEARCH NOT JUST ACROSS THE COUNTRY BUT WITH INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS. SHAY PROVIDE ACCESS TO -- THEY PROVIDE ACCESS TO DATA SETS AND TO MODELS AND ALGORITHMS AND ACTUAL CODE AND TO PARAMETERS AS WELL AS CLOUD COMPUTING SERVICES FOR THE MODELING RESEARCH COMMUNITY. THEY SERVE AS THE POINT OF CONTACT FOR PUBLIC HEALTH AGENCIES SO THERE CAN BE A SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT IN THE ACADEMIC OR OTHER RESEARCH MODELERS AND I THINK THAT'S PROVING QUITE USEFUL SO FAR AND THE NETWORK HAS BEEN GROWING RAPIDLY. THERE ARE NOW NEARLY 400 MEMBERS. THEY'RE FUND THE NIH BUT ALSO BY OTHER AGENCIES SUCH AS THE NSF, THE U.S. AGENCIES, GATES FOUNDATION, FOR EXAMPLE, AND EVEN INTERNATIONAL FUNDING ORGANIZATIONS. AS I SAID IT'S NOT JUST LIMITED TO U.S. MEMBERS BUT THEY HAVE A NUMBER OF MEMBERS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES. I THINK WE DIDN'T FULLY RECOGNIZE HOW IMPORTANT THE CENTER WOULD BE WHEN WE SET THIS UP UNTIL THE CRISIS HAPPENED BUT BOY, ARE WE GLAD THAT WE DESIGNED THIS INITIATIVE THE WAY WE DID. IF THERE'S A SINGLE HIGHLY FUNCTIONING COORDINATION CENTER TO HELP THE MOVING PARTS AND HELP THE RESEARCH COMMUNITY WORKING ON INFECTIOUS DISEASE MODELING HELP THE RESEARCH MOVE FORWARD AS QUICK AS POSSIBLE. ONE THING WE LEARNED QUICKLY IN TALKING TO WILBURT IS THERE WAS A NEED IN THE RESEARCH MODELING COMMUNITY FOR BETTER ACCESS TO DATA. THEY NEED INDIVIDUAL-LEVEL PATIENT DATA AND DATA RELATED TO POLICY. FOR INSTANCE, ONE OF THE DIFFERENT POLICIES OF DIFFERENT STATES AND DIFFERENT COUNTIES AND WHEN DID THE POLICIES GO INTO EFFECT, WHEN DID THEY CHANGE, DEMOGRAPHIC DATA AND GEOGRAPHIC DATA AND THINGS LIKE MOBILITY DATA ARE ALL THINGS IN DESPERATE NEED IN ORDER TO MOVE INFECTIOUS DISEASE MODELING LIKE COVID-19 FORWARD. THE DATA NEEDS TO BE AS CLOSE AS TO REAL TIME AS POSSIBLE AND HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH FOLKS AT NIH AND PATTY BRENNAN AT THE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE TO TRY TO FIND BETTER DATA SOURCES BUT WE ASK IF YOU HAVE IDEAS FOR HOW WE COULD GET BETTER DATA SOURCES FOR THE INFECTIOUS DISEASE MODELING RESEARCH COMMUNITY THROUGH THE COORDINATION CENTER, PLEASE LET US KNOW BECAUSE WE ARE WORKING PRETTY MUCH SEVEN DAYS A WEEK TRYING TO HELP THIS TO HELP WILBUR PAN LOUIS TO HELP MITIGATE AND UNDERSTAND THE CRISIS WE'RE IN. THE DATA I MAY REFER TO AS THE KNOWN/UNKNOWNS. THERE'S ALSO KNOWN, -- KNOWN/UNKNOWNS IN THE VIRUS AND WHY IT'S CRITICAL WE HAVE RESEARCH IN MODELING. YOU WATCH THE NEWS AND HEAR DIFFERENT MODELS THAT CONFLICT WITH EACH OTHER. IF WE CAN MODEL INFECTIOUS DISEASE PERFECTLY RIGHT NOW THAT WOULD BE GREAT BUT WE'RE CERTAINLY NOWHERE NEAR THE LEVEL WE CAN MODEL THE WEATHER, FOR EXAMPLE, THEREFORE IT'S CRITICAL WE KEEP SUPPORTING THIS RESEARCH AND ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS RESEARCH IN REAL TIME DURING AN OUTBREAK WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ANSWERS WILL BE. WE ALSO HAVE BEEN WORKING HARD TO SUPPORT OUR TRAINING COMMUNITY GIVEN NIGMS SPECIAL PLACE IN TRAINING IN THE BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH WORKFOCE. ONE THING WE DID WE LAUNCHED A SERIES OF TRAINING WEBINARS GIVEN TRAINEES ARE AT HOME, LIKE THE REST OF US, TRYING FIND WAYS TO BE PRODUCTIVE AND ADVANCE THEIR CAREERS AND SKILLS AND KOWLEDGE. WE THOUGHT WE CAN PUT TOGETHER SOME MODERATED WEBINARS WITH EXPERTS IN VARIOUS PART OF THE BIO MEDICAL RESEARCH ENTERPRISE THAT IS USEFUL TO TRAINEES WHILE THEY'RE IN THE STAY-AT-HOME PERIOD. WE HAVE SEVEN SO FAR. THEY RANGE IN TOPICS LIKE CRYO CRYO-E.M. AND VIRTUOTHER VIRTUAL TOPICS WE HAVE A SPEAKER AND HAVE A Q&A MODERATED BY ONE OF US WITH THE TRAINING COMMUNITY. IT'S BEEN FUN AND I THINK PEOPLE HAVE ENJOYED IT AND FOUND IT USEFUL. WE DO THEM LIVE BUT WE ALSO HAVE RECORDED THEM AND ARE PUTTING THEM UP ON OUR WEBSITE AND NOW ABOUT HALF OF THEM I THINK ARE AVAILABLE. YOU CAN GO AND WATCH THEM ON THE WEBSITE SHOWN THERE. WE ALSO HAVE BEEN TRYING TO LEVERAGE THE LARGE NUMBER OF RESOURCES WE FUND OR ARE AVAILABLE OURSELVES TO HELP POPLE DURING THIS VIRTUAL LEARNING ENDEAVOR WE'RE ALL EXPERIMENTING WITH. WE'RE TRYING TO DO THIS FOR THE ENTIRE GAMUT OF OUR TRAINEES FROM PRE-K THROUGH 12 THROUGH EVEN EARLY CAREER INVESTIGATORS OR EVEN LATE-CAREER INVESTIGATORS. IN TERMS OF TRAINING RESOURCES FOR UNDERGRADUATES THROUGH FACULTY, THE KINDS OF THINGS WE MADE AVAILABLE ARE OUR NEW LAB SAFETY AND TRAINING WEBSITE WHICH IS THAT CAME FROM DISCUSSIONS WITH COUNCIL LAST ROUND. WE HAVE ALL THE TRAINING MODULES FOR REPRODUCIBILITY UP AND MAKING THE COMMUNITY AWARE OF USE OF THE RESOURCES SINCE THIS ALL STARTED. WE POINTED TO I-BIOLOGY WE SUPPORT WITH THE NSF AND OTHER GROUPS WHICH HAS A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF RESOURCES BOTH ON THE VIRTUAL TEACHING AND FOR FLIP CLASSROOMS AND FOR STUDIES AT HOME FOR UNDERGRADUATES OR GRADUATE STUDENTS AND THE NATIONAL RESEARCH MENTORING NETWORK HAS ALSO BEEN PROVIDING A LOT OF RESOURCES. SOME OF WHICH COULD BE ACTUAL LIVE VIRTUAL MENTORING SYSTEM AND THE POSTDOC ACADEMY IS PROVIDING RESOURCES TO THE POST-DOC COMMUNITY DURING THIS TIME. WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT PRE-K THROUGH 12 HOW CAN WE HELP WITH EVERYBODY TRYING TO TEACH THEIR CHILDREN OR AS EDUCATORS, TEACH CLASSROOMS OR AS STUDENTS LEARN FROM HOME. WE HAVE A VARIETY OF RESOURCES WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO PUSH OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AND MAKE AVAILABLE TO A VARIETY OF MEN USE. WE HAVE A SCIENCE -- MENUS AND WE HAVE A SCIENCE COMMUNITIES PAGE AND WE HAVE PATHWAYS MAGAZINE WHICH IS NOT JUST A MAGAZINE BUT ALSO HAS STUDY GUIDES, TEACHING MATERIALS FOR THE TEACHERS, A VARIETY OF VIDEOS AND OTHER QUIZZES AND RESOURCES, GAMES, ETCETERA THAT CAN BE USED. WE HAVE A NEW PINTEREST BOARD. THEY'VE BEEN DOING A FANTASTIC JOB GETTING THE MATERIAL OUT AND USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO PUSH IT OUT AND MANAGING THE WHOLE THING AND SEPA WE HAVE TEACHING RESOURCES MAKE THOSE AVAILABLE TO THE COMMUNITY AS WELL. WE HAD A FUND FROM THE PBS STUDENT REPORTING LAB AND IT WAS A YOUNG STUDENT REPORTER SHOWN HERE, MATTIE MARKS FROM CALIFORNIA WHO INTERVIEWED WILBUR VAN LOUIS. YOU CAN FIND THAT ON YOUTUBE THERE. AND MADDIE WAS A NATURAL I THINK YOU'LL ENJOY IT AND I WILL COMMEND YOU TO LOOK AT THAT. SO MAYBE MORE GLOBALLY PULLING BACK FROM THE COVID-19 EPIDEMIC AND TALKING ABOUT LAST FISCAL YEAR THIS IS USUALLY THE COUNCIL ROUND WE TELL YOU ABOUT FUNDING TRENDS AND SO I'LL GIVE YOU AN UPDATE WHERE WE WERE IN FY19. SO THIS PLOT SHOWS A FEW THINGS. THE BLUE CIRCLES ARE P.I.s SEEKING FUNDING IN EACH OF THOSE FISCAL YEARS. WE LOOKED AT P.I.s WHO APPLIED FOR GRANTS FROM NIGMS IN THAT FISCAL YEAR OR THE PREVIOUS FOUR FISCAL YEARS AND P.I.s WE ASSUME WOULD LIKE TO BE FUNDED BY NIGMS. THE GREEN SQUARES ARE P.I.s WHO DID HAVE FUNDS FROM NIGMS AND THE TRIANGLES, THE GRAY ONES ARE THE CUMULATIVE INVESTIGATORS. THE AWARDED P.I.s WHO HAVE FUNDING BY NIGMS BY THE SEEKING ACCESS AND THE PERCENT WHO ARE FUNDED AND WANT TO BE FUNDED. THE NUMBER OF P.I.s SEEKING FUNDING GREW AND SINCE LEVELED OFF AND MAYBE GONE DOWN SLIGHTLY. DURING THAT SAME PERIOD THOUGH SINCE 2013, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO THROUGH OUR CHANGES IN PROGRAMMATIC FOCUS AND FROM ADDITIONAL FUNDING FROM CONGRESS TO CONGRESS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF P.I.s AND THAT'S LED TO AN INCREASE IN THE CUMULATIVE INVESTIGATOR RATE. OVER 40% OF THE FUNDERS FUNDED BY NIGMS ARE FUNDED BY NIGMS. THAT'S A HEARTENING TREND WE'RE SEEING. WE CAN LOOK AT THE AWARDS AND THE BLUE ARE APPLICATIONS AND WE HAVE RESEARCH PROJECT GRANTS AND THE TRIANGLES ARE THE SUCCESS RATES. THE GREEN SQUARES DIVIDE ED BY THE BLUE CIRCLES. THE SUCCESS RATE FELL FROM 2008 TO 2015 AND SINCE THEN WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO INCREASE IS AND LAST YEAR WE HAD AN OVER 13% SUCCESS RATE FOR RPGs AND THAT'S AGAIN QUIT HEARTENING AND WHERE WE'D LIKE TO KEEP IT. THAT'S A HEALTHY NUMBER. FINALLY, A GROUP WE'RE VERY FOCUSSED ON IS EARLY STAGE INVESTIGATORS. THIS IS THE NEXT GENERATION AND THE LIFE BLOOD AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING HARD TO INCREASE OUR SUPPORT FOR EARLY STAGE INVESTIGATORS. I TOLD YOU BEFORE HOW THE PROGRAM IMPROVED OUR SUPPORT FOR THAT AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON THAT BUT THIS SHOWS THE PROGRESS WE'VE MADE AND THE GROWTH IN THE NUMBER OF EARLY STAGE INVESTIGATORS THAT WE FUND PER YEAR. THESE ARE NEWLY-FUNDED EARLY STAGE INVESTIGATORS EITHER THROUGH RO16s OR R35s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s OVER A 10-YEAR ARC IS IMPRESSIVE. I THINK YOU UNDER SOLD THAT A LITTLE BIT, JON. THAT'S A BIG SHOUT OUT I THINK. >> THANK YOU FOR THAT, GUY. >> I WISH I HAD NUMBERS IN MY BUSINESS THAT LOOKED THAT GOOD. MY QUESTION OR INQUIRY I THOUGHT THE WRITE-UP OF OUR PREVIOUS STRATEGIC PLAN WAS INFORMATIVE AND STRUCK BY THE CONGRUENT OF THE WRITE-UP VERSUS WHAT I'VE SEEN IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS DURING MY TENURE. I THOUGHT THAT WAS TOGETHER NICELY. AND LOOKING AT THE FRAME FOR THE NEXT ONE, A LOT OF SIMILARITY IN TERMS OF THE STRUCTURE TO WHAT YOU HAD BUT THE PIECE THAT WAS MISSING FOR ME AND MORE A PROCEDURAL QUESTION IS WHAT THINGS REMAIN A CONSTANT SO I CAN UNDERSTAND THE STRATEGIC FOCUS AND WHAT THINGS AHAVE CHANGED YOU ARE RESPONDING TO BECAUSE I HAVE TO DEDUCE THAT RATHER THAN HAVING IT FRAMED UP FRONT TO SEE HOW THE STRATEGIC PLANS LINE UP. >> THAT'S A GREAT POINT. WE TRIED TO INDICATE THAT A LITTLE BIT IN THE DRAFT OUTLINE OF THE NEXT ONE WHERE WE SAID YOU KNOW, THIS ONE IS THE SAME AS THE PROVES OR THIS ONE'S MODIFIED. I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT THAT WE SHOULD CALL OUT SPECIFICALLY WHAT HAS CHANGED THAT NED TO BE ADDRESSED. -- NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. THAT'S AN EXCELLENT POINT. WHAT IN THE LANDSCAPE HAS CHANGED OR HASN'T CHANGED AND NEEDS CONTINUED FOCUS. I THINK THAT WOULD HELP FOCUS OUR THINKING ON EXACTLY WHAT EACH GOAL OBJECTIVE AND THEN IMPLEMENTATION TACTIC SHOULD BE. I THINK THAT'S A GREAT POINT. ANY FOLLOW-UP ON THAT? >> NO, GREAT. THANK YOU. THERE'S A QUESTION IN THE COMMENTS FROM DANIELLE. >> DANIELLE, DO YOU WANT TO ASK A QUESTION? >> SURE. I WAS CURIOUS HOW MUCH FOLLOW-UP HAS BEEN DONE IN TERMS OF WHAT HAPPENS TO THE ESIs AFTER THEY GET THEIR INITIAL GRANT. SEEMS A LOT HAS BEEN PUT ON TO LEAD PEOPLE IN THE SYSTEM AND IS THERE TRACKING THE SUCCESS RATE SUBSEQUENT TO THAT IN >> GREAT QUESTION. WE LOOKED AT THAT A FEW YEARS AGO. THIS WAS BEFORE MIRA WAS ON THE SCENE. THIS WAS JUST LOOKING AT RO1 EARLY STAGE INVESTIGATORS. IT WAS HEARTENING IN THAT ONE THING THAT CAME OUT OF THE STUDY AD STEPHON MOSK WHO LED THIS THE EARLY STAGE INVESTIGATORS WHOSE GRANTS WE REACHED FOR AND THEY WERE ON THE BUBBLE TO BE FUNDED OR NOT DID AT LEAST AS WELL IN TERMS OF THEIR RENEWAL I THINK STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER THAN PEOPLE WHO HAD SCORED MUCH BETTER THAN THEY DID ON THE INITIAL ROUND. IF THERE'S A SELECTION BIAS AND WE DECIDED TO REFUND THOSE PEOPLE BUT I THOUGHT THAT WAS AN INTERESTING OUTCOME OF THAT. NOW THAT WE'RE EXPANDING THE POOL, I THINK YOU'RE EXACTLY RIGHT. WE HAVE AN INTERESTING OPPORTUNITY IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS PROBABLY TO SEE HOW THESE PEOPLE DO AND WHETHER GIVING PEOPLE A CHANCE OR BROADENED CHANCE PAYS OFF IN FINDING MORE SUCCESSFUL INNOVATIVE SCIENCE THAN IF WE WERE JUST MORE NARROW FROM A SMALLER PROPORTION. SO ANSWER IS I THINK ESPECIALLY WITH MIRA WE DON'T KNOW YET. IT'S JUST STARTING TO GET TO THE POINT WHERE RENEWALS ARE JUST GOING TO BE HAPPENING NEXT YEAR. WE'LL HAVE TO WATCH FOR AN IF YOU YEARS AFTER THAT TO START -- A FEW YEARS AFTER THAT TO START TO GET A SENSE BUT IT'S A GREAT QUESTION. CECILIA AND LAURIE AND MELANIE. >> THE NUMBER'S IMPRESSIVE FOR THE EARLY STAGE INVESTIGATORS. FOLLOWING ON THE QUESTION, I WAS WONDERING IF RENEWALS SHOULD BE THE OUTCOME OF HOW WE EVALUATE THESE PROGRAMS. IF THERE COULD BE PLANS TO INCLUDE OTHER METRICS I THINK ARE IMPORTANT AND SHOW RESEARCH MOMENTUM LIKE NUMBER OF PAPERS AND EVEN RECOGNITION FROM LOCAL INSTITUTION, FOR EXAMPLE, PROMOTIONS AND ACHIEVEMENT. >> THE DIVISION OF DATA AND ANALYSIS AT NIGMS IS EMBARKING ON STARTING TO COLLECT THOSE METRICS ESPECIALLY FOR THE MIRA PROGRAM AND COMPARING IT TO THE 40 1 PROGRAM TO SEE RO1 TO SEE THE DIFFERENCES FOR EARLY STAGE INVESTIGATORS AND ESTABLISHED INVESTIGATORS. ALL THE METRICS YOU MENTIONED ARE ONES WELL HOCK -- LOCK AT AND IF THERE'S -- LOOK AT AND IF THERE'S OTHER IDEAS SEND THEM TO ME. THE EASY ONES THE ONES YOU SAID, CITATIONS AND PROMOTION WE CAN CAPTURE IN THE SYSTEM IN THE E.A.R. AND SOME ARE LESS TANGIBLE BUT MAYBE WE CAN FOLLOW THEM AS WELL. LAURA. >> IN TERMS OF CAUSAL ASSESSMENT YOU'LL NEED TO GET A SENSE HOW MUCH FUNDING MADE A DIFFERENCE IS THERE ANYTHING DONE IN THE GROUP TO FOLLOW APPLICANTS THAT DON'T? >> THAT'S A GOOD POINT AND MAYBE WE SHOULD DO MORE ON THAT FRONT. IT DEPENDS A LITTLE BIT ON WHETHER PEOPLE WHO APPLIED WHO WEREN'T SUCCESSFUL IF THEY GOT OTHER GRANTS IN THE NIH SYSTEM AND FOLLOW THEM DOWN THE ROAD BUT IF THEY NEVER GOT AN NIH GRANT BUT STILL AROUND SAY AN NSF GRANT AND FOLLOW THAT AND IF THEY NEVER GOT A GRANT, IT'S HARDER TO FOLLOW THEM BUT NOT IMPOSSIBLE. BUT IF THEY DISAPPEARED THEY DISAPPEARED. >> COULD IT BE TRACKED IN PUB MED. >> WE CAN SEE IF TAY -- THEY CONTINUE TO PUBLISH. THE ONES THAT DISAPPEARED COULD HAVE GONE TO INDUSTRY. THEY'RE NOT PUBLISHING IN INDUSTRY BUT THEY'RE THERE DOING PRODUCTIVE THINGS. THERE ARE WAYS TO TRY TO FOLLOW THEM. IT'S AN EXCELLENT POINT. WE SHOULD DO MORE OF THAT. LAURA. >> SOMEWHAT RELATED I WAS THINKING ABOUT PARTICULARLY THE BUBBLE GRANTS THAT WERE FUNDED AND WENT ON TO GOOD THINGS. MAYBE WE COULD USE THAT GROUP AS A WAY TO INFORM BEST PRACTICES FOR MENTORING INITIATIVES. AGAIN TO DANIELLE'S POINT WORSE PRACTICES MAY COME FROM PEOPLE WE DON'T HAVE THE CAPACITY TO TRACK BUT BOOTS ON THE GROUND COULD BE INFORMATIVE IN MENTORING AND APPROACHES MOVING FORWARD. >> I THINK THOSE ARE GREAT IDEAS. IT REMINDED ME, WE HAVE TWO GRANT PROGRAMS THAT COULD ALLOW PEOPLE TO STUDY THESE SORTS OF THINGS. ONE IS THE SCIENCE OF SCIENCE POLICY JOINED WITH NSF WITH THOSE KINDS OF QUESTIONS WOULD BE RIPE FOR STUDY AND THEN WE HAVE THE INTERVENTIONS GRANTS WHICH FOR THE MENTORING QUESTIONS YOU WERE JUST ASKING WOULD BE PERFECT PLACES TO LOOK AT THESE KINDS OF THINGS. AND WE CAN WORK ON IT TOO I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT FOR THE RESEARCH COMMUNITY TO BE ENGAGING IN SOME OF THESE THINGS TO TRY TO STUDY JUST THE QUESTIONS YOU BOTH BROUGHT UP. MELANIE. >> SO JUST FOLLOWING UP ON THIS SAME DISCUSSION. I THINK IF AGAIN REITERATING WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE SAID IMPRESSIVE INCREASE IN ESI AWARDEES. ONE THING I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT IS IT WAS CLEAR PREVIOUSLY THERE WERE WAY TOO FEW. I GUESS THIS IS A FANTASTIC INCREASE BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO INTEGRATE DISCUSSION IN WHAT IS THE TARGET. THIS IS GREAT WE'VE DOUBLED THEM BUT HOW FAR DO WE HAVE TO GO? WHERE ARE YOU TRYING TO GO? ARE WE STILL 50% OR 100% WITH WHERE YOU WANT TO BE WITH EARLY CAREER INVESTIGATOR FUNDING IS HELPFUL TO INTEGRATE IN THE DISCUSSION AND DEMOGRAPHICS TO UNDERSTAND THE INCREASE IN FUNDING DIFFERENTIALLY IMPACTING PEOPLE AT LARGE INSTITUTIONS, SMALL INSTITUTIONS, MALE, FEMALE, UNDER REPRESENTED GROUPS TO MAKE SURE THE INCREASE ISN'T DISP DISPE DISPER -- DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTING SOME GROUPS. >> WE FOLLOW THAT FOR R10 AND R35 MIRA PROGRAM. TRY TO MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT SEEING DISPARITIES IN TERMS OF WHO IS APPLYING AND FUNDING RATES. OF COURSE WE ARE TO SOME LEVEL STUCK WITH WHO APPLIES. THERE ARE STILL FOR INSTANCE, MALE/FEMALE ARE STILL NOT QUITE EQUAL THOUGH THE SUCCESS RATES ARE THE SAME FOR MEN AND WOMEN AT THESE EARLY STAGE POOLS. ONE WOULD LIKE TO SEE AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS FROM THOSE GROUPS ONE THING COUNCIL HAS INPUT ON TO TRY TO BRIDGE THE GAP IS THE MOSAIC PROGRAM TO PROMOTE DIVERSITY AND REPRESENTATION AT RESEARCH INTENSIVE INSTITUTIONS. THAT'S A GREAT POINT. IN TERMS OF WHAT THE TARGET SHOULD BE, IT'S ALSO A GREAT QUESTION. AND I WISH I COULD SAY HERE'S THE EXACT NUMBER AND WHY WE KNOW IT SO SOMEONE HAS THOUGHTS ON HOW ONE COULD CALCULATE THAT IT WOULD BE INTERESTING. CERTAINLY IT WAS TOO LOW, AS YOU SAID, AND WE'RE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. I'M CONFIDENT OF THAT. WHETHER WE'RE HIGH ENOUGH YET OR NOT, I THINK IS STILL IN QUESTION. ONE THING I OFTEN POINT OUT IS THAT BY DEFINITION THE PEOPLE APPLYING HAD ALL BEEN SELECTED AND GIVEN JOBS. SO THAT'S USUALLY AN INTENSE VETTING PROCESS INVOLVING MULTIPLE DAY INTERVIEWS AND READING OF APPLICATIONS, ETCETERA. ONE COULD SAY WELL, ALL THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN THROUGH THAT PROCESS AND BEEN SUCCESSFUL SHOULD BE GIVEN A CHANCE AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS. IT GOES TO DANIELLE'S POINT AS WELL, IF YOU DID THAT EXPERIMENT AND WERE ABLE TO DO THAT AND HAD ENOUGH A RESEARCH INSTITUTE DECIDED TO HIRE AND SAW WHAT HAPPENED HOW WALL THE OUTCOMES BE DIFFERENT IF THAN IF THE FUNDING ENVIRONMENT WERE MORE STRINGENT AND YOU COULD ONLY FUND 20% OF THOSE PEOPLE. I GUESS THAT'S THE QUESTION. HARD TO DO THE EXPERIMENT BUT MAYBE WE CAN GET INFORMATION ON IT BECAUSE WE HAD SUCH A BIG INCREASE OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS TO DANIELLE'S POINT. MAYBE OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS OR SO WE'LL GET INSIGHTS INTO THAT. >> I'M BEING VERY CYNICAL, JON. MY RESPONSE IN DOING THE EXPERIMENT IS INSTITUTIONS WOULD HIRE MORE POEM BECAUSE THEN THEY COULD BRING IN MORE COSTS. >> MAYBE CYNICAL BUT ALSO TRUE. I DON'T THINK WE HIT THAT YET AFTER THE RETURN FOR THE BUDGET DEADLINE. THAT COULD HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE. YOU'RE CORRECT. I HAVE HANDS RAISED FOR LAURA IS THAT A NEW ONE OR OLD ONE? >> IT'S A LEFT OVER. I DON'T KNOW HOW TO PUT MY HAND DOWN. >> I WANT TO FOLLOW-UP ON DANIELLE'S QUESTION, WE NEED TO LOOK WHEN YOU DO THE ANALYSIS AT WHO GOT FUNDED BUT YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT WHO APPLIED AND DIDN'T GET FUNDED TO COMPARE CAREER TRAJECTORIES AND WE'RE ACTUALLY DOING THAT ON A MICROSCALE LOOKING AT OKLAHOMA, I RUN A PROGRAM. WE'RE LOOKING AT INVESTIGATORS WHO WALK AND GET FUNDED THROUGH THE PROGRAM PILOT PROGRAM OPPOSED TO THOSE WHO APPLIED AND NOT GET FUNDED. IN OUR EARLY ANALYSIS WE'RE SEEING AN OVER 400% INCREASE IN THEIR ABILITY TO LEVERAGE NATIONAL FOUNDATION AND INDUSTRY-SPONSORED GRANTS. HAVING THAT NOT-FUNDED CON FREE THROW LINE GROUP SHOWS HOW SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE ARE WHO DO GET THE AWARDS. I THINK THAT'S A GOOD POINT DANIELLE MADE. >> THAT'S AN EXCELLENT POINT TOO AND THE DATA OUT OF OKLAHOMA I'VE SEEN BEFORE IS IMPRESSIVE. THERE WAS ANOTHER PAPER AT ONE POINT NOT LONG AGO TRYING TO MAKE THE CASE THAT NOT GETTING FUNDED PROMOTED LONG-TERM SUCCESS AND DANIELLE PROBABLY REMEMBERS THIS PAPER AS WELL. I'M NOT SURE I'M CONVINCED YET BUT THAT WAS THEIR THESIS. >> DANIELLE, YOU HAVE YOUR HAND RAISED IS THAT OLD OR NEW? >> NEW. ON BUILDING ON THE CYNICAL POINT MADE EARLIER, SINCE THE NIH FUNDED DOUBLED THERE'S BEEN A SHIFT TOWARDS MORE SOFT MONEY WITHIN DEPARTMENTS. YOU CAN IMAGINE THAT HAVING IMPACTS IN THE SENSE THAT PEOPLE AREN'T TAKING RISK WITH THEIR RESEARCH BECAUSE THEY WANT TO KEEP THEIR SALARY AND LAB AND THINGS LIKE THAT. I WONDER WHAT DISCUSSION THERE'S BEEN ABOUT UNIVERSITIES WOULD PAY ALL SOFT MONEY IF THEY COULD TO SAVE MONEY AND THAT TREND IS GOING UP OVER TIME I THINK. I'M NOT SURE ABOUT IT. THAT'S THE IMPRESSION I HAD. HAS THERE BEEN DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW WE FEEL ABOUT THAT TREND? >> LOTS OF DISCUSSION. IT'S A GREAT DISCUSSION I BRING UP THE POINT AND HAVE FAIRLY STRONG OPINIONS ABOUT IT. I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THIS STUDIED FROM AN ECONOMIC POINT OF VIEW. ONE OF THE TROUBLES WITH STUDYING IT IS GETTING THE DATA ON IT AND EVEN WE, THE NIH, DON'T HAVE THE DATA ON THE ACTUAL EXPECTATIONS ARE AT ONE INSTITUTION VERSUS ANOTHER IN TERMS OF WHAT PERCENT OF YOUR SALARY YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BRING IN FROM GRANTS AND OTHER SOURCES. THAT'S A DIFFICULTY. >> THERE'S A TERRIFIC Ph.D. STUDENT WORKING ON A PROJECT LIKE THAT AND TRYING TO INFER FROM THE METRICS DATA. >> GREAT. THAT'S WHAT WE'D LIKE TO SEE SUBMITTED TO THE BIO PROGRAM FOR SUPPORT. I THINK IT'S AN EXCELLENT QUESTION. I AGREE WITH YOU THAT ON PRIORITY ONE WOULD THINK THE HIGHER THE EXPECTATION FOR SALARY RECOVERY FROM GRANTS THE MORE DAMPING EFFECT ON RISK TAKING AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE BUT THAT'S A HYPOTHESIS GREAT TO SEE TESTED. I HAVE THE SAME SENSE FROM YOU THAT THAT HAS GROWN OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS. THE EXPECTATIONS FROM SALARY RECOVERY AND GRANTS AND GETTING THE DATA IS VERY HARD. ANECDOTALLY I CAN TELL YOU JUST IN THE TIME I'VE BEEN AT NIH I'VE SEEN INSTITUTIONS THAT USED TO BE COMPLETELY HARD MONEY CHANGE THEIR POLICIES SUCH THAT THEY NOW REQUIRE INVESTIGATORS TO TAKE SALARY OFF A GRANT THAT'S COMMENSURATE WITH WHATEVER THE PERCENT EFFORT IS ON THE GRANT. >> HYPOTHETICALLY LET'S IMAGINE THE RESEARCH GETS DONE AND IT'S THE WORST-CASE SCENARIO AND IMPACTS THE QUALITY OF RESEARCH. ARE THERE MECHANISMS IN PLACE TO PUT A DAMPER ON THAT? >> NOT AT THE MOMENT. >> LIKE WHAT KINDS OF MECHANISMS WOULD? >> THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO THE NIH DIRECTOR, THIS IS MORE THAN SEVEN OR EIGHT YEARS AGO, A REPORT RECOMMENDED THE NIH OVER A PERIOD OF 20 YEARS RAMP DOWN WHAT THEY ALLOW FOR INSTITUTION TO TAKE AND I THINK 50% IS WHAT IT WAS RAMPED UP TO BE. THAT RECEIVED A LOT OF -- THOUGH IT WAS A LONG TIME FOR 20 YEARS THAT RESOURCED -- RECEIVED STRONG PUSHBACK FROM A NUMBER OF INSTITUTIONS BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY IT AFFECTS THEIR BOTTOM LINE IF THEY HAVE TO PROVIDE MORE SALARY SUPPORT. I'VE ARGUED THAT THERE ARE WAYS NIH CAN HELP AND FUNDING EARLY STAGE INVESTIGATORS SOONER IS ONE OF THEM BECAUSE IT TAKES PRESSURE OFF THE INSTITUTION TO KEEP SUPPORTING THE FACULTY AND THE SOONER THEY GET A GRANT THE BETTER IN TERMS OF SUPPORTING RESEARCH RESOURCES, THEY'RE NATIONAL IN SCALE SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO BUY AND MAINTAIN AS MUCH EQUIPMENT AND THERE'S OTHER WAYS TOO. THOSE CONVERSATIONS HAVEN'T GONE THAT FAR YET, I'M AFRAID, IN TERMS OF UPTAKE. AND THE ECONOMIC SITUATION IS UNLIKELY TO HELP THAT, I GUESS. BUT YOU'RE RAISING A QUESTION MUCH OF INTEREST TO ME AND NIGMS. >> IF WE CAN SWITCH I'D LIKE TO CONGR CONGRATULATE YOU ON EDUCATION AND OUTREACH. I WAS IMPRESSED FOR YOUR PLANS AND METHODS COMMUNICATING NOT ONLY TO THE INVESTIGATORS AND PUBLIC IN GENERAL. I WOULD URGE THE EXPANSION OF THOSE PROGRAMS, ESPECIALLY AT A TIME NOW WHEN OUR QUOTE, LEADERSHIP, UNQUOTE IN THE WHITE HOUSE IS SO ANTI-SCIENCE. >> THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENT OUR EDUCATIONAL ROUTE REACH THE CREDIT GOES TO STEPHANIE HOLDER AND THE SHOP.OROUTE REACH THE CREDIT GOES TO STEPHANIE HOLDER AND THE SHOP.UROUTE REACH THE CREDIT GOES TO STEPHANIE HOLDER AND THE SHOP.TROUTE REACH THE CREDIT GOES TO STEPHANIE HOLDER AND THE SHOP.OUTE REACH THE CREDIT GOES TO STEPHANIE HOLDER AND THE SHOP.UTE REACH THE CREDIT GOES TO STEPHANIE HOLDER AND THE SHOP.TE REACH THE CREDIT GOES TO STEPHANIE HOLDER AND THE SHOP.E REACH THE CREDIT GOES TO STEPHANIE HOLDER AND THE SHOP.REACH THE CREDIT GOES TO STEPHANIE HOLDER AND THE SHOP. IT'S BEEN WELL RECEIVED AND HAVING AN IMPACT. ARE WE GIVING FEEDBACK ON THE DRAFT STRATEGIC PLAN? YES, WE'D LIKE TO HEAR THAT FROM YOU, PETER, AND OTHERS. >> THERE'S LOTS OF PARALLELS I KNOW YOU THOUGHT CAREFULLY ABOUT THE LANGUAGE AND I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT GOAL NUMBER ONE'S LANGUAGE IN THE PREVIOUS VERSION SAID MAXIMIZE INVESTMENTS IN INVESTIGATOR INITIATED BIO MEDICAL RESEARCH AND NOW SAYS OPTIMIZE SUPPORT FOR INVESTIGATOR INITIATED RESEARCH AND WONDERING ABOUT THE WORD CHANGE. OPTIMIZED OFTEN TAKES CONSOLIDATION, REDUCTIONS AND THINKING ABOUT THE OPTICS OF THAT WORD CHOICE THERE FOR THOSE WHO WOULD KNOW GM IS THE MAIN SOURCE OF RESEARCH FUNDING AND TO ASK IF THAT WAS INTENTIONAL OR REFLECT ON THAT. >> THAT'S A GOOD POINT. WE SHOULD THINK CAREFULLY ABOUT THAT IF THAT'S A POSSIBLE CONNOTATION BECAUSE IT WASN'T OUR INTENTION. WHEN WE WERE WRITING THE STRATEGIC PLAN BEFORE WE WERE IN A PHASE WHERE WE STILL HAD A LOT OF LEGACY PROGRAMS FROM THE BUDGET DOUBLING. AND IT WAS TAKING MONEY FROM THE POOL AND WE WERE TAKING OUT FROM THEM BY SUNSETTING THEM OR POOLING THEM OR MINIMIZING THEM OR OPTIMIZING THEM, TO YOUR POINT, TO PUT THAT MONEY BACK IN THE INVESTIGATOR-INITIATED POOL AND RO1s AND MIRAs. THAT'S WHERE MAXIMIZE CAME FROM. THE QUESTION IS, CAN WE FURTHER MAXIMIZE THE SUPPORT GIVEN WE'VE EFFECTIVELY DONE THAT AND WHY WE'RE LOOKING FOR A DIFFERENT WORD THAN WOULD CONNOTE AND IMPROVE AND MAYBE THAT'S A BETTER WORD. I TAKE YOUR POINT THAT OPTIMIZE CAN OFTEN BE A CODE WORD FOR REDUCE OR OTHERWISE MINIMIZE. >> YOU COULD OPTIMIZE YOUR OVERALL RESEARCH INVESTMENTS TO IMPROVE SOMETHING BUT WITH INVESTIGATOR INITIATED RESEARCH OPTIMIZE -- >> IT'S AN EXCELLENT POINT. I THINK WE'LL THINK MORE CAREFULLY ABOUT THE WORD. OUR INTENTION IS NOT TO REDUCE IT IF WE CAN INCREASE IT FURTHER IN AN EFFICIENT WAY WITHOUT HARMING OTHER IMPORTANT PROGRAMS THAT ALSO HELP THE INDIVIDUAL INVESTIGATORS WE'LL DO THAT. IT'S A QUESTION OF CAN WE IMPROVE THE EFFICIENCY, IMPROV THE -- IMPROVE THE OUTCOMES. EXCELLENT POINT. THIS SAY GREAT TIME TO -- IS A GREAT TIME TO GIVE US FEEDBACK ON THE STRATEGIC PLAN. >> JON, THIS IS MIKE. I'VE ALWAYS DONE THIS BUT IT COULD BE HIGHLIGHTED MORE IN THE PLAN WHICH IS YOUR EVALUATIONS. I THINK IT'S MENTIONED A LITTLE BIT BUT NOT LIKE AN OVERARCHING IT SHOULD BE A KEY PART OF EVERYTHING YOU DO AND HAS BEEN. IT COULD BE HIGHLIGHTED AND JUDITH GREENBERG ANSWERED IN THE CHAT YOU COULD COMBINE TO STIMULATE R29s FIRST GROUP AND I UNDERSTAND NOW FROM JUDITH THERE WERE REAL PROBLEMS IN GETTING PEOPLE APPLY TO THE R29s AND THAT WAS PROBABLY THE BIG LIMIT BUT DO YOU HAVE OUTCOME DATA FOR THOSE AND IF THERE'S A BIG DIFFERENCE WITH THE MIRAs ESIs IT MAY BE INTERESTING TO DO THAT COMPARISON. THOSE KINDS OF EVALUATIONS MAY BE INTERESTING. >> GOOD POINT. THE R29 SERVES AS AN INTERESTING CONTROL GROUP AND WE CAN LOOK HISTORICALLY. I AGREE WITH YOUR POINT ABOUT HIGHLIGHTING EVALUATIONS MORE. WE'LL FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THAT BETTER BECAUSE IT'S A KEY CORE VALUE WE'RE TRYING TO INSTILL IN THE INSTITUTE. BRIAN MUNSKY YOU HAD A QUESTION. DO YOU WANT TO RAISE THAT? >> I WAS ASKING ABOUT THE EXTENSION ABOUT THE K99 YOU MENTIONED IN THE PRESENTATION WHICH I THINK IS GREAT. IS THIS PRIMARILY TO THE PROJECTS OR ADDRESS MORE LONG-TERM REDUCTIONS IN HIRING AS OUR UNIVERSITY AND PRESUMABLY ALL UNIVERSITIES HAVE HIRING FREEZES GOING ON NOW. >> THERE'S TWO PIECES. ONE IS THE ELIGIBILITY. THAT'S MORE THE FORMER IS THERE'S BEEN ALL THIS LOST PRODUCTIVITY AND TIME. SOMEONE WHOSE ELIGIBILITY FOR THE K99 STATUS WAS RUNNING OUT CAN RIGHT NOW FOR IN A FEW MONTHS APPLY FORRISM TENSION -- FOR EXTENSION OF THAT STATUS SO THEY DON'T LOSE ELIGIBILITY BECAUSE OF THE LOST TIME. THAT'S THE ELIGIBILITY SIDE. IN TERMS OF THE K99s IN PARTICULAR AND FELLOWSHIPS WE'RE WORRIED WITH THE LATTER WHICH IS PEOPLE WHO EITHER MAY HAVE HAD JOB OFFERS AND HAVE NOW BEEN RETRACTED BECAUSE OF HIRING FREEZES OR HAVE DIFFICULTY GETTING A POSITION IN THE COMING YEAR OR SO. WE MAY WANT TO LOOK AT CAN WE FIND WAYS TO EXTEND THEIR K99 AWARD FOR FELLOWSHIP AWARD. THAT'S SOMETHING WE'LL LOOK AT PROBABLY ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS. IT'S DEFINITELY VERY MUCH ON OUR RADAR SCREEN. THOSE ARE THE GROUPS I AM MOST WORRIED ABOUT RIGHT NOW. PARTICULARLY THOSE POST-DOCS ABOUT TO APPLY FOR JOBS OR HAD APPLIED FOR JOBS AND NOW FIND THEMSELVES WITHOUT EYE POSITION THEY THOUGHT THEY -- A POSITION THEY THOUGHT THEY HAD, ETCETERA. IF YOU ASK ME TO MAKE A PRIORITY LIST WHO WE'RE MOST WORRIED ABOUT IN THE COMMUNITY, THAT'S NUMBER ONE. DOES THAT HELP, BRIAN? >> YES. THANK YOU. >> ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT OR COMMENTS ON THE STRATEGIC PLAN? WE WERE HOPING TO GET YOUR FEEDBACK SO WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WE'LL ALSO ASK FOR YOUR HELP IN THE WHEN THE REQUEST FOR INFORMATION COMES OUT AND HELP PUBLICIZING IT TO COLLEAGUES TO LOOK AT AND GET FEEDBACK. THE MORE COMMUNITY INPUT THE BETTER. PEOPLE HAVE GREAT IDEAS. THERE'S PROBABLY CRITICAL AREAS WE'RE MISSING WE SHOULD BE THINKING ABOUT. ANYTHING ELSE? NOT SEEING HANDS RAISED? OKAY. GREAT. THANK YOU FOR THAT GREAT DSCUSSION AND ALL THE INPUT. THAT WAS TERRIFIC. I DON'T THINK WE LOST TOO MUCH IN BEING VIRTUAL. THAT'S GREAT. NOW WE'RE MOVING ON AND WE'RE AHEAD OF SCHEDULE SO THAT'S TERRIFIC. DARREN, WOULD IT BE WORTH TAKING A 10-MINUTE BREAK FOR A BIO BREAK AND COMING BACK A LITTLE BIT BEFORE 11:00. >> I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA. I WAS THINKING THE SAME THING MYSELF. >> BECAUSE YOU HAD ALL THE COFFEE THIS MORNING. >> EXACTLY. >> WHY DON'T WE TAKE A 13-MINUTE BREAK AND COME BACK FIVE MINUTES BEFORE 11:00. THE NEXT THING WE'RE GOING TO DO IS HEAR FROM MING LEI GOING TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THE INSTITUTE IS GOING TO GO IN RESPONSE TO THE EVALUATION OF THE SCORE PROGRAM PRESENTED AT THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING. IT WAS A WORKING GROUP OF COUNCIL THAT DID THIS EVALUATION. SEVERAL COUNCIL MEMBERS WERE ON IT INCLUDING SQUIRE AND I THINK IT WAS AN EXTREMELY WELL-DONE REPORT AND USEFUL TO THE INSTITUTE AND MING'S NOW GOING TO TELL YOU HOW WE USE THE INFORMATION YOU PROVIDED TO IMPROVE THE SCORE PROGRAM. MING, TAKE IT AWAY. >> GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. I'M GOING REPORT TO YOU A PLAN TO IMPLEMENT THE SCORE EVALUATION WORKING GROUP'S RECOMMENDATIONS. SO SCORE STANDS FOR SCORE SUPPORT FOR COMPETITIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM. AND IT'S SIGNED TO INCREASE THE COMPETITIVENESS OF FACULTY BASE SERVES UNDER REPRESENTED GROUPS. UNDERSTANDING THE FOCUS OF COMPETITIVENESS, THE AWARD UTILIZES THREE FUNDING MECHANISMS TO SUPPORT INVESTIGATOR INITIATED PROJECTS AND TWO OUT OF THE THREE SC1 AND SC2 ARE TO SUPPORT AFTER WORK. THE BASIC FEATURES OF SCORE AWARDS ARE AS FOLLOWS, THE SC1 IS BASICALLY AN RO1 AWARD IN BUDGET AND DURATION FOR SENIOR INVESTIGATO INVESTIGATORS FOR ESTABLISHED INVESTIGATOR CAN BE RENEWED ONCE AND AFTER THAT ARE EXPECTED TO SECURE RO1. SC2 IS FOR NEW INVESTIGATORS AND CANNOT BE RENEWED AND AFTERWARDS GRANTEES ARE EXPECTED TO GO TO RO1 DIRECT OR SC1 AND THEN RO1. SC3 IS MORE LIKE AN R15 AWARD BUT A SMALLER BUDGET. THIS ONE CAN BE RENEWED INDEFINITELY BUT A STIPULATION FOR MEASURED SUCCESS GRANTEES ARE EXPECTED OR ENCOURAGED TO SECURE A GRANT. FOR A COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION DR. LORSCH CONVENED A WORK GROUP CO-CHAIRED BY A FORMER MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL AND AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL. THE MEMBERS OF THE WORKING GROUP INCLUDE DR. BOOKER AS WELL AS A NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS WITH VARIOUS LEVELS OF ASSOCIATION WITH THE SCORE PROGRAM THEREFORE A DIVERSE PERSPECTIVE IN THE COMMITTEE. DR. LORSCH CHARTERED THE WORKING GROUP TO FOCUS ON THE FULL QUESTIONS BASED ON THEIR ANALYSIS OF COMPREHENSIVE DATA PROVIDED BY NIGMS STAFF. THE FOUR QUESTIONS ARE VERY FOCUSSED AND STRAIGHTFORWARD. FIRST IS THE SCORE PROGRAM MEETING ITS OBJECTIVES? SECONDLY ARE THE OBJECTIVES THE RIGHT OBJECTIVES? THIRD, WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES OR DIFFICULTIES THE PROGRAM CURRENTLY FACES OR HAS BEEN FACING AND WHAT ARE THE KEY FINDINGS OR RECOMMENDATIONS. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. FINALLY, DR. ESPENSHADE REPORTED THE WORKING GROUP'S FINDING AND RECOMMENDATIONS IN JANUARY TO THE -- AT THE COUNCIL MEETINGS. HERE'S THE FINDINGS, IS THE PROGRAM MEETING ITS OBJECTIVE? THE ANSWER IS YES IN THE SENSE THAT IT ENABLED [DIGITIZING] THE QUALITY OF RESEARCH ARTICLES AND IN SUPPORTED UNDER REPRESENTED INVESTIGATORS AND SUSTAIN QUALITY LABORATORIES IN THOSE INSTITUTIONS. BUT IT IS FOLLOWING A KEY MEASURE THAT IS FOR THE INVESTIGATOR TO TRANSITION TO NON-SCORE AWARDS. ARE THE OBJECTIVES THE RIGHT ONES? RELATED TO THE ANSWERS ABOVE, WHAT ARE THE MAIN CHALLENGES OR DIFFICULTIES THE PROGRAM FACE? ONE IS THAT IT APPEARS THAT INSTITUTES MUST SUPPORT FOR THE SCORE P.I.s ARE NINADEQUATE IN INSTITUTIONS AND IN OTHER CASES, THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT FRACTION OF INSTITUTIONS LACK OF COMMITMENT TO GROW THEIR RESEARCH ENTERPRISE. ANOTHER MAJOR SHORT COMING IS THE PARTICIPATION IN THE SCORE PROGRAM IS LIMITED. THE MAJORITY OF THE GRANT ACTUALLY GOES TO THREE MAJOR UNIVERSITY SYSTEMS IN CALIFORNIA, TEXAS AND NEW YORK. SO THE RECOMMENDATIONS BY THE WORKING GROUPS ARE WHAT FOLLOWS. ONE IS THE MODIFIED PROGRAM OBJECTIVE TO CATALYZE INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT FOR THE PROGRAM. SO I'M NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH THE SPECIFIC ACTION ITEMS AND IT'S RECOMMENDED TO MODIFY PROGRAM OBJECTIVE TO EMPHASIZE AND PRIORITIZE AND INCREASE THE NUMBER OF STUDENT PARTICIPATION AND QUALITY RESEARCH. THIRD, TO REALIZE THE P.I. EXPECTATION, IN OTHER WORDS THE QUALIFYING SUCCESS SHOULD GO BEYOND SECURING RO1 AND DEFINING THE COMPETITIVENESS OF THE PROGRAM. AND REDESIGN THE MECHANISMS AND TO DEVELOP PERSPECTIVE EVALUATION PLANS TO ALIGN WITH NEW OBJECTIVES SPECIFICALLY ON THE POINT THAT ON THE STUDENT PARTICIPATION OF THE PROGRAM. FIRST I'LL HIGHLIGHT THE DEVELOPING REASONABLE CAPACITY WILL BE A NEW OBJECTIVE OF THE PROGRAM. SPECIFICALLY WE'RE GOING TO REQUIRE AN INSTITUTION PLAN FOR DEVELOPING RESEARCH CAPACITY AND RESEARCH CULTURE IN APPLICATION. SO THIS PLAN WILL COME FROM INSTITUTIONAL LEADERS INCLUDING IN APPLICATIONS. SECOND, WILL REQUIRE LETTER OF SUPPORT ALSO FROM INSTITUTION LEADERS SPECIFYING ITEMS SUCH AS RELEASE TIME, RESOURCES TO THE GRANTEES. SECOND, WE WILL ALSO HIGHLIGHT THAT STUDENT PARTICIPATION IN QUALITY RESEARCH WILL BE AN IMPORTANT OBJECTIVE AND TO ACCOMPLISH THAT WILL REQUIRE A PLAN FOR STUDENT PARTICIPATION IN APPLICATIONS AND ALSO REQUIRE A REPORT ON THE STUDENT PARTICIPATION OUTCOMES IN RENEWAL APPLICATIONS. THE THIRD POINT IS TO REVISE THE EXPECTED OUTCOMES OF GRANTEES. THE FIRST POINT, WE'RE GOING TO EXPAND THE MEASURES FOR SUCCESS INCLUDING R15, R21 AND OTHER GRANTS. SECONDLY, TO BETTER ALIGN THE REVISED OBJECTIVES, WE PROPOSE TO RENAME THE PROGRAM TO SHIFT FROM THE EMPHASIZE ON RESEARCH COMPETITIVENESS TO DEVELOPING RESEARCH EXCELLENCE IN THE P.I.s AND GRANTEE INSTITUTIONS. THE PROPOSED NEW NAME FOR THE GRANT [DIGITIZING] IS DEVELOP ACADEMIC RESEARCH EXCELLENCE OR DARE. THE FOURTH POINT IS TO RE-DESIGN THE FUNDING MECHANISMS FOR DARE. NOW WE'LL USE THE NEW NAME. FIRST ACTION ITEM IS TO ELIMINATE SA1 AS THE WORKING GROUP RECOMMENDED. SECOND, WE'RE GOING TO REPLACE SA2 WITH NEW INVESTIGATOR. MAINTAIN A K AWARD-LIKE STRUCTURE BUT MAKE IT MORE ATTRACTIVE BY INCREASING THE BUDGET TO $125,000 FOR FOUR YEARS WHICH IS MORE ALIGNED WITH THE CURRENT AWARD. WE'LL REPLACE SC3 WITH DARE FOR ESTABLISHED INVESTIGATORS TO MAKE IT MORE ATTRACTIVE OR MORE APPROPRIATE AN INCREASE BUDGET FROM THREE YEARS TO FOUR YEARS AND THIS AWARD REMAINS A RENEWAL. AND FINALLY, WE WILL DEVELOP A DARE RESEARCH CENTER WITH A SPECIFIC GOAL TO HELP BUILD CAPACITY AT ELIGIBLE INSTITUTIONS TO ENABLE THEIR PARTICIPATION IN THE PROGRAM. SO I'LL COME BACK TO THIS POINT IN THE NEXT SLIDE. AND FINALLY, WE WILL LINK THE STUDENT PARTICIPATION OUTCOME REPORT WITH NIGMS DATA COLLECTION SYSTEMS AND IT WILL ALSO COLLECT AND TRACK GRANTEE INSTITUTIONS RESEARCH CAPACITY IN THE DATA SUCH AS THEIR RESEARCH FUNDING. SO TO GET INTO DETAIL OF THE DARE RESOURCE CENTER I JUST MENTIONED, THE GOAL OF THE RESOURCE CENTER IS TO BROADEN PARTS PACE. -- PARTICIPATION. THE AWARD WILL SUPPORT THE INFRASTRUCTURE SO THAT DEDICATED TO HELP ELIGIBLE INSTITUTIONS THAT ARE CURRENTLY NOT PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM. SO THE SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES INCLUDE ONE IS C GRANTS TO ELIGIBLE INSTITUTIONS WOULD HELP ESTABLISH OR STRENGTHEN THEIR SPONSORED PROGRAM OFFICES. -- NOT C, SEED. AND COME BACK FOR INFORMATIONAL OUTREACH ACTIVITIES TO ELIGIBLE INSTITUTIONS AND THEIR FACULTIES WHO HELP THEM PARTICIPATE. AND FINALLY THE CENTER WILL COLLECT, ANALYZE AND DISSEMINATE PROGRAM-SPECIFIC INFORMATION ESPECIALLY INSTITUTION ELIGIBILITY TO HELP THEM AS MENTIONED. AND TO ENSURE MOST PREPARED ENTHUSIASTIC INSTITUTIONS AND VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES AND DARE INSTITUTIONS AS WELL AS MANAGEMENT SERVICE INSTITUTIONS TO APPLY TO COMPETE. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. SO IN SUMMARY THE KEY IMPLEMENT PLANS TO INCREASE STUDENT OBJECTIVES AND REVISE OBJECTIVES SPECIFICALLY DEVELOPING RESEARCH EXCELLENCE. THIRD, WE'RE GOING TO REDESIGN THE FUNDING MECHANISMS WITH ALL SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS BY THE WORKING GROUP AND FUND A NEW RESOURCE CENTER AND EXPAND THE PARTICIPATION BY ELIGIBLE INSTITUTIONS. I WANT TO THANK THE WORKING GROUP AND I WANT TO THANK JAKE FOR THE MASSIVE COMPREHENSIVE DATA AND THE COMMITTEE AND I TRUST THE COLLEAGUES WILL RECEIVE THE INFORMATION AND FOR RICHARD IN THE WORKING GROUP AND THEY MADE THE JOB EASY IN PUTTING TOGETHER THE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN AND MANY CONTRIBUTED TO PUTTING TOGETHER THIS PLAN. YOU CAN'T SEE FROM THE SLIDE BUT IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING JON'S AND JUDY'S FINGERPRINTS ARE ALL OVER THE PLACE. WITH THAT I'M READY TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS. >> WE HAVE QUESTIONS FROM PETER, CELESTE AND BRIAN. WE'LL GO IN THAT ORDER. LET'S START WITH PETER, CELESTE AND THEN BRIAN. >> THANKS, JON. I DON'T HAVE A QUESTION. I JUST WANT TO CONGRATULATION MING AND HIS TEAM. THESE ARE OUTSTANDING PLANS TO CAPTURE THE SPIRIT OF THE WORKING GROUP RECOMMENDATIONS. I'M EXCITED TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE NEW DARE PROGRAM. >> THANK YOU, PETER. > CELESTE. >> I NOTICED IN MY LIMITED VIEW FROM REVIEWING SUMMARY STATEMENTS THE SC1s WERE GOING NOWHERE AND WONDERED THE ESTABLISHED INVESTIGATORS ARE RECEIVING $100,000 WE ARE -- PER YEAR. >> THERE'S A NUMBER OF CONSIDERATIONS. NOW WE CALL IT DARE NEW INVESTIGATOR, RIGHT? THAT'S THE FIRST TO SUPPORT NEW INVESTIGATORS AND THEY NEED TO SET UP AND NEED MORE TIME AND FROM OUR END, WE ACTUALLY REQUIRE A HIGHER LEVEL OF DEDICATED EFFORT. AND FROM A PRACTICAL STANDPOINT WE WANT TO MAKE THIS SLIGHTLY MORE ATTRACTIVE THAN THE DARE ITSELF TO MAKE AN INCENTIVE FOR YOUNG INVESTIGATORS TO SET UP. >> BRIAN TO YOU. >> I HAVE A MULTI-PART QUESTION. WHAT IS THE MAGNITUDE OF INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT THAT'S GOING TO BE EXPECTED TO RECEIVE ONE OF THESE AWARDS? PRESUMING THE UNIVERSITIES YOU'RE LOOKING AT HAVE RELATIVELY LIMITED RESEARCH FUNDING TO PROVIDE ANY KIND OF SOFT SHARE AND IT'S GREAT TO SEE THEIR RESOURCE CENTER'S PROVIDI PROVIDING SEED GRANTS TO HELP FOSTER THAT BUT THEN WHAT ARE THE ELIGIBLE INSTITUTIONS ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENT TO RECEIVE THE SEED GRANTS FROM THE RESOURCE CENTER? >> THE ELIGIBILITY OF THE PROGRAM WILL REMAIN THE SAME. THERE ARE TWO KEY CRITERIAS. ONE IS THEIR MISSION AND TRACK RECORD SHOWS THEY'RE DEDICATED TO THE EDUCATION AND GRADUATING OF FLORIDA REPRESENTED GROUPS IN THE BIO MEDICAL SCIENCES AND THE SECOND CRITERIA IS THAT THE INSTITUTION HAS RECEIVE NO MARE THAN AT THIS POINT I THINK IT'S $6 MILLION IN RO1 RESEARCH. SO BY THAT CRITERIA A LARGE NUMBER OF INSTITUTIONS ARE ELIGIBLE WHICH ACTUALLY THE ONES THAT NEED THE SUPPORT THE MOST ARE NOT STARTS -- PARTICIPATING. WE HAVE A DIVERSE GROUP OF COLLECTIONS OF INSTITUTIONS OR HOPE TO HAVE A DIVERSE GROUP. SOME OF THOSE ARE ACTUALLY VERY RESEARCH CULTURED AND HAVE A RESEARCH STRUCTURE. THEY'RE SUPPORT ACTUALLY AND IT'S GOING TO BE A LONG PROCESS AND TO ASSURE THEY HAVE TIME CONDUCT THESE. AND WHAT SUPPORT THEY CAN PROVIDE TO INVESTIGATORS, WE'LL KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON THAT. >> WOULD THE RESOURCE CENTER SEED GRANTS BE OF SUFFICIENT MAGNITUDE SO THOSE INSTITUTIONS COULD OFFER THIS? >> AT THIS POINT THE THINKING IS SPECIFICALLY SUPPORT THE SPONSORED PROGRAM OFFICES. THE RELEASE TIME THAT WILL COME FROM THE ACTUAL GRANT. >> GREAT THANKS. MIKE SOMERS, SQUIRE, DANIELLE, CECILIA AND THEN DARREN. >> TWO COMMENTS, ONE IS RELATED TO WHAT BRIAN JUST SAID BUT LET ME START WITH MY FIRST ONE WHICH IS I THINK IT'S TERRIFIC TO PUT THE FOCUS ON THE STUDENT OUTCOMES. I THINK THAT'S A MAJOR POSITIVE PART OF WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSING. ON THE OTHER END, I DO THINK THERE'S VALUE IN HAVING INSTITUTIONS THAT HAVE LOW COST STARTED AT A COMMUNITY COLLEGE MYSELF AND WONDER IF IT MAKES SENSE TO RELEASE TEACHING TIME AND CONVERT THOSE TYPES OF INSTITUTIONS THAT ARE MORE LOCAL STUDENTS DON'T TYPICALLY HAVE TO COMMUTE TO TEACH THOSE BACK BECAUSE IT'S NOT WHAT THE INSTITUTIONS DO OR WHAT THEY'RE ABOUT. I WORRY A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT THOUGH I THINK IF SOMEBODY HAS A GRANT TO DO RESEARCH THEY OUGHT TO HAVE TIME TO DO THE RESEARCH. BUT I REALLY LOVE THE IDEA OF LOOKING AT THE STUDENT OUTCOMES. I THINK THAT'S TERRIFIC. >> OKAY. GREAT. SQUIRE. >> AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU AND YOUR STAFF FOR AN EXCELLENT JOB ON THIS. I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS THAT RELATE TO THE OUTREACH ACTIVITIES TO ELIGIBLE INSTITUTIONS. SO AGAIN WHEN WE STUDY THE PAST FOUR PARTICIPANTS WE NOTICED THERE WAS A VERY SMALL SPREAD IN THE VARIOUS INSTITUTIONS THAT PARTICIPATED. I WONDER WHETHER RESPONSIBLE PEOPLE AT THESE INSTITUTIONS ACTUAL ACTUALLY EVEN KNEW ABOUT THE PROGRAM. AND I RUN THE GRANT-WRITING WORKSHOPS THAT PEOPLE FROM THESE INSTITUTIONS ATTEND AND OUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE IS TO GET THEM TO SUBMIT A GRANT. ONCE THEY SUBMIT THEY DO WELL BUT GETTING PEOPLE TO SUBMIT IS A CHALLENGE. AT SOME OF THESE TYPES OF INSTITUTIONS THE INCENTIVE IS NOT THERE TO THE SAME EXTENT FROM AT MORE MAJOR INSTITUTIONS. AND WHAT WAS PLANNED BOTH TO INFORM PEOPLE ABOUT THE PROGRAM BECAUSE I WASN'T CLER -- CLEAR ON WHETHER A LOT OF PEOPLE AT THESE INSTITUTIONS KNEW ABOUT THE WORK PROGRAM AND DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA HOW MANY INSTITUTIONS YOU COULD BE TARGETING IN THESE OUTREACH ACTIVITIES. >> AND WHAT YOU JUST OUTLINED IS MANY OF THOSE INSTITUTIONS DON'T HAVE THE BASIC. SEED GRANT IDEA IS GREAT. YOUR - >> ONE IS WE WOULD ENCOURAGE THE RESOURCE CENTER TO HIRE TO HAVE DEDICATED STAFF TO CONDUCT THOSE INFORMATIONAL SEMINARS. IF YOU THINK ABOUT AND THE REGIONAL GRANT INFORMATION SESSIONS IT GOES AROUND THE COUNTRY EVERY YEAR AND SO WE HAVE SCALED DOWN AND HAVE MORE FOCUSSED EFFORTS TO TO THESE KINDS OF INSTITUTIONS. WE EXPECT THEM TO GO OUT TO IN THIS DAY AND AGE COMMUNICATION BUT THE PHYSICAL INTERACTION STILL MATTERS SO WE WOULD EXPECT THE RESOURCE CENTER THAT IS A FOCAL POINT OF THE ACTIVITY. THE SECOND ACTIVITY RELATED TO YOUR EARLIER POINT IS THAT THE INSTITUTION REALLY CANNOT -- DON'T HAVE THE CAPACITY TO SUBMIT A GRANT. I WOULD SAY SOMETIMES IT'S WORSE THAN THAT. EVEN IF THEY ARE AWARE THERE WAS A SCORE PROGRAM, THEY SUSPECT THEY'RE ELIGIBLE. THEY SIMPLY DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCE OR MANPOWER TO PUT TOGETHER THE NECESSARY DATA TO SAY OH, YES, WE ARE ACTUALLY ELIGIBLE TO SEE THERE IS EFFORT WORTH PURSUING. I THINK THE SUPPORT THE PROGRAM OFFICE WILL OFFER HOPEFULLY BOTH OF THOSE POINTS TO INCREASE THEIR AWARENESS, THE ABILITY TO ACT ON THE ELIGIBILITY AND ACTUALLY HAVE A PROCESS TO HELP THE FACULTIES TO SUBMIT THE GRANT. THESE ARE CRITICAL POINTS OR ACTIVITIES AND OBVIOUSLY THE INFORMATION RESOURCE CENTER WILL DEFINITELY UTILIZE THE MODERN DAY COMMUNITY OUTREACH TECHNOLOGIES TO BROADEN THE REACH. >> GREAT. ONE LAST QUESTION. WHEN ARE YOU EXPECTING TO ROLL THIS OUT WHEN WILL THE FIRST CALL FOR THIS MECHANISM BE MADE? >> YOU'LL SEE A CONCEPT CLEARANCE IN YOUR SEPTEMBER COUNCIL. >> OKAY. THANK YOU. >> GREAT, DANIELLE. >> I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS. ONE I WANTED TO ECHO, MIKE'S POINT THEY LIKE THE SCORE OUTCOME. THE STUDENT OUTCOMES AS ONE OF THE SUCCESS METRICS AND I CAN SEE THAT AS A BASIS FOR EXPANDING THE BASIS THESE GRANTS GO TO AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE OTHER SUCCESS METRIC GETTING THE INVESTIGATORS TO CONVERT THEM TO RO1s SEEMS IT'S NOT GOING WELL. HOW MUCH HAS BEEN SOURCED IS IT WHEN THEY COMPLY FOR THE RO1 OR WHEN IT'S COMPETITIVE AND THAT'S IMPORTANT TO FIGURE OUT BECAUSE AS WE EXPAND THE PROGRAM TO SCHOOLS WHO HAVE FEWER RESOURCES FOR THIS KIND OF APPARATUS I EXPECT THE RATE TO GO DOWN. AND DO WE THINK OF THE ROCH 1 AS A SUCCESS MECHANISM. >> GREAT QUESTION. WE TRIED TO LOOK INTO THAT INTO THAT PRACTICAL ISSUE OR PROBLEM. I THINK THE WORKING GROUP RECALLED THE NUMBER THAT WERE SUCCESSFUL IN TRANSITIONING TO RO1 ACTUALLY WAS EXTREMELY -- THEREFORE IT'S DIFFICULT TO HAVE -- >> I'M SORRY YOU CUT UP. YOU SID THE NUMBER TO TRANSITION TO RO1 WAS WAS BLANK -- >> EXTREMELY LOW. THEREFORE THE SAMPLE SIZE. >> IF I DON'T TRANSITION SUCCESSFULLY I MAY NOT UNDERSTAND WHY I DIDN'T TRANSITION. >> FROM THE SAMPLE SIZE, THERE ARE MANY OBSERVATIONS. PEOPLE DID NOT APPLY MANY OF THEM THE COMPETITIVENESS OF SECURING AN RO1 WAS NOT ENCOURAGING AND IN SMALLER INSTITUTIONS AS THE PROGRAM WAS DESIGNED IF A PERSON GOES THROUGH SC2 THEN TWO ROUNDS OF SC1 IS ACTUALLY A LONG TIME. AND IF A PERSON WAS SUCCESSFUL IN THOSE PROGRAMS MANY PEOPLE HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO TRANSITION TO ADMINISTRATIVE POSITIONS. YOU KNOW IF YOU'RE SUCCESSFUL AS A POTENTIAL TO COMPETE FOR AN RO1 THEN OTHER INSTITUTIONS RECRUIT THE CANDIDATE AWAY. >> THE POINT I'M TRYING TO MAKE IS THERE'S LOTS OF WAYS A PERSON CAN PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROGRAM AND HAVE SUCCESS. THEY CAN DO WELL OR GO TO RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES SO ON AND SO FORTH BUT RIGHT NOW ALL WE KNOW IS THE TRANSITION TO RO1 IS VERY SMALL. IF THAT BECOMES A SUCCESS METRIC AND DON'T COME UP WITH CLEARER SUCCESS METRICS [INDISCERNIBLE] EXPANDED PROGRAM LIKE [INDISCERNIBLE] BECAUSE THE METRIC WE'RE USING IS JUST A RARE OUTCOME AND MAYBE THERE ARE OTHER KINDS OF SUCCESS WE TRY TO BUILD IN BECAUSE I THINK IT'S LITERALLY LOOKING AT CONVERSION TO RO1 YOU OUGHT TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM TO TRY TO FIX IT OR EXPAND THE PROGRAM [INDISCERNIBLE]. >> SO BASED ON THE DATA IN HAND WE ARE SHIFTING THAT FOCUS. EXPANDING THE MATRIX TO INCLUDE OTHER GRANTS. >> I THINK THAT'S A GOOD IDEA. ALSO WE SHIFT THE FOCUS TO BUILD THE RESEARCH EXCELLENCE AND CULTURE IN INSTITUTIONS BUT YOUR POINT IS WELL TAKEN. WE'RE NOT INCLUDING RO1s OR EXCLUDING RO1s IN THE NEXT PHASE WE'LL CONTINUING MONITORING SAYING THE NEW CHANGES -- WHO KNOWS, MIGHT HAVE AN EFFECT INCREASE TO RO1 ADMINISTRATION. WE'LL WATCH FOR THAT. -- RO1 TRANSITION. WE'LL WATCH FOR THAT. >> AND THAT REMINDS ME OF THE DRUG EDUCATION PROGRAM WITH THE T-SHIRTS AND STUFF. >> YES. WE ARE AWARE OF THAT. THEIRS SOUNDS PRETTY APPEALING. IF YOU HAVE SUGGESTIONS, DEFINITELY AS BEFORE BOOKER WAS ASKING, THE CONCEPT CLEARANCE IS SEPTEMBER SO WE STILL HAVE A FEW MONTHS TO CONSIDER NEW NAMES. >> IT SOUNDS LIKE A RISKY PROGRAM. >> WE'VE HAD THAT INTERNAL DISCUSSION AS WELL SO YOUR POINTS ARE WELL TAKEN ON THE RACK ROW NIM. -- ACRONYM. MAYBE WE NEED TO REARRANGE THE LETTERS. CECILIA. >> WELL, I WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATION YOU. I THINK HE -- CONGRATULATE YOU. THE PROGRAM IS GOOD. I LIKE THE CONVERSION FROM THE PREVIOUS TO THE PROPOSED TO TRYING TO MIMIC WHAT I UNDERSTOOD ARE THE K MECHANISMS. IN THINKING ABOUT SOMETIMES HOW LONG CHANGE CAN TAKE I WANT TO ECHO DANIELLE MAKING IT -- HAVING A BROAD STATE OF OUTCOMES THAT ARE IMPORTANT. I THINK I WOULD INCLUDE SUBMISSION TO GRANTS AND I WOULD ALSO THINK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS IN TERMS OF TRANSITION. SO FOR REGULAR CASE AND MY CASE, TRANSITIONING FROM K TO R IS HARD. SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T HAPPEN A YEAR OR AT YEAR THREE OR FOUR. AND TRYING A DIFFERENT SUBMISSION AND THAT COMES USUALLY FROM HOME INSTITUTIONS THAT MAY HAVE MORE RESOURCES. I DON'T KNOW IF THERE WAS ANY THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT TO DO FOR POTENTIALLY THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE PART OF THESE PROGRAMS AND DON'T HAVE THOSE KINDS OF LOCAL RESOURCES. IF THERE'S ANYWAY TO IMPLEMENT TO ALLOW PEOPLE THAT ARE WORKING HARD AND TRYING HARD. >> GREAT QUESTION. SO WE HAVE MANY THOUGHTS ON THAT FRONT. NIGMS HAS SUPPORT. SO THIS PROGRAM IS IN THE REGIONAL CAPACIY DUTY. WE HAVE A NUMBER OF OTHER PROGRAMS FOCUSSED ON RESEARCH CAPACITY BUILDING. SO INTERNALLY WE DEFINITELY WANT TO PROMOTE AND HELP BUILD THAT KIND OF COLLABORATIONS. SO FACULTIES AT THE -- LET ME USE THE ACRONYM DARE FOR NOW, TO LEVERAGE OTHER RESOURCES THAT WE SUPPORT. ALSO TO EXPAND THAT, IF WE'RE SUCCESSFUL NIH WIDE OR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WIDE, THERE'S MANY OTHER RESOURCES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THERE'S ACTUALLY A RICH RESOURCE THAT HAVE NOT REALLY BEEN TAPPED INTO. WE ALSO CONTEMPLATE FRIDAY THE NEW PROGRAM CA -- CONTEMPLATED IF THE NEW PROGRAM CAN SUPPORT SOME INSTRUMENT CORES BUT THE CHALLENGE OF COURSE IS THE INSTITUTIONS ARE COURSE STRUCTURES HAVE THEIR OWN ELIMINATIONS. WE'RE OPEN TO EXPLORE MANY DIFFERENT WAYS TO MAKE THE RESOURCES, ESPECIALLY RESOURCES SUPPORTED BY NIH, AVAILABLE TO EARLY STAGE INVESTIGAORS. >> FINAL QUESTION WILL GO TO ENRIQUE. >> CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN. I'M THINKING ABOUT THE RESOURCE CENTER AND I BECAME AWARE MANY INSTITUTIONS DON'T HAVE A GRANTS AND CONTRACTS OFFICE. I LIKE THE SEED GRANT TO BUILD THAT. I'M WORRIED IT MAY STILL TAKE SOME TIME TO GET THE EXPERTISE AND GET THIS SET UP AND RUNNING. AND HAVE YOU CONSIDERED OR PERHAPS IT'S ACTUALLY BEEN MENTIONED ALREADY, PARTNERING UP WITH OTHER INSTITUTIONS LIKE THE BRIDGE PROGRAM OR THE UE5 WHERE A SMALLER INSTITUTION WOULD BE ABLE TO PIGGY BACK OFF A LARGER MORE ESTABLISHED INSTITUTION. I'M THINKING ABOUT YALE AND MANY COLLEGES NEARBY WHERE IF WE HAD AN INCENTIVE AS AN INSTITUTION WE'D BE ABLE TO INSTITUTE THE SMALLER INSTITUTIONS IN ADDITION TO THE SEED GRANTS. MAYBE EVEN HANDLE SOME OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE PAPERWORK FOR THEM INITIALLY UNTIL THEY GET THEIR WHEELS ROLLING. IF THAT'S EVEN POSSIBLE. OF COURSE THERE WOULD HAVE TO BE AN INCENTIVE FOR THE MORE ESTABLISHED INSTITUTIONS. >> GREAT POINT. WE'LL THINK MORE ON THAT LINE AND YOU MAY GET A CALL. >> THE QUESTION IS HOW COULD WE GET A SCHOOL LIKE YALE TO HELP A SMALLER INSTITUTION MAYBE HIRE MORE STAFF. THAT'S WHY WE WERE FAVORING PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES OR MANAGEMENT-RELATED SOCIETIES WHERE THEY'D HAVE AN INCENTIVE. BUT IT'S WORTH THINKING ABOUT. >> THAT MAY BE ENOUGH. EITHER YOU BELIEVE IN THE MISSION OR NOT AND INSTITUTIONS LIKE MY OWN CLAIM TO. SO ONE WOULD EXPECT THIS WOULD BE RECIPROCATED. STAFFING ALONE WOULD BE ADEQUATE BUT CERTAINLY THE SOCIETIES AND THE UE5s BUT THE INCENTIVES LIKE BRIDGES TO BACCALAUREATE, PEOPLE HAVE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE MISSION AND I FEEL THERE IS A GREAT DEAL OF SUPPORT FOR THIS. >> GREAT. THANK YOU ALL. THAT WAS A GREAT DISCUSSION. WE APPRECIATE YOUR INPUT AND AGAIN THANKS TO THE WORKING GROUP THAT DID SUCH A GREAT JOB ON THIS REPORT. YOU CAN SEE WE ARE REALLY ACTING UPON THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS. SO WE'LL MOVE NOW TO THE LAST PART OF THE OPEN SESSION WHICH IS THE CONCEPT CLEARANCES. WE HAVE A FEW. SO THESE ARE ALL RENEWALS OF PROGRAMS THAT ARE ALREADY UNDERWAY WITH MINOR REVISIONS. YOU'LL REMEMBER THAT ONE OF THE ROLES OF COUNCIL IS THAT IF WE WANT TO START A NEW PROGRAM OR RENEW AN OLD ONE WE NEED TO COME TO COUNCIL FOR SOME DISCUSSION TO GET FORMAL CLEARANCE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT. SO THE FIRST ONE IS THE RE-ISSUANCE OF THE UNDERGRADUATE DIVERSITY ENHANCING T34 FUND AG ANNOUNCEMENTS. SO WE HAVE AS YOU MAY RECALL, THOSE WHO ARE HERE FOR THE DISCUSSIONS WE DEFINED TWO KINDS OF INSTITUTIONS FOR UNDERGRADUATE DIVERSITY ENHANCING PROGRAMS, THEY ARE RESEARCH INTENSIVE INSTITUTIONS AND WE DEFINE THAT AS MORE THAN $7.5 MILLION PER YEAR ON AVERAGE OVER THREE YEARS OF RESEARCH PROJECT GRANTS AND THE RESEARCH ACTIVE INSTITUTIONS WHICH ARE BELOW THAT THRESHOLD. FOR THE RESEARCH INSENSITIVE INSTITUTIONS, THEY CAN APPLY FOR THE MAXIMIZING ACCESS TO RESEARCHING CAREERS OR THE PROGRAM FOR THE RESEARCH ACTIVE INSTITUTIONS THEY CAN APPLY FOR THE NEW UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH INITIATIVE AND WANT TO RE-ISSUE THE FOAs WITH MINOR REVISIONS TO DEVELOP A DIVERSE POOL OF UNDERGRADUATES WHO RECEIVE THEIR BACCALAUREATE DEMOCRATS IN AN S.T.E.M. FIELD AND TO A RESEARCH FOCUSSED HIGHER DEGREE PROGRAM SUCH AS Ph.D.'S OR MD Ph.Ds. THE MARK PROGRAM WAS EVALUATED IN 20 -- MARC PROGRAM WAS EVALUATED IN 2015. BASIC OUTCOME WAS QUITE GOOD. WHO WENT THROUGH THE MARC EOPLE - PROGRAMS IN THAT PERIOD OR BEFORE THAT PERIOD EARNED A HIGHER DEGREE RELATIVE TO BIOMEDICINE. 30% OR Ph.D.s OR M Ph.Ds. THE PROGRAM JUST STARTED SO IT'S TOO EARLY TO DO AN EVALUATION AND WITH OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING GOALS AND THAT WILL PROBABLY BE IN THE NEXT FIVE-PLUS YEARS. THE PROGRAM DIRECTORS FOR THE U-RISE CHANGES ARE MINOR ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES AND INCREASED EMPHASIS ON PROMOTING SAFETY AND TEACHING ENVIRONMENT AND TEACHING TO THE HIGHEST PRACTICES IN BIO MEDICAL RESEARCH AND LANGUAGE WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE CONSISTENT ACROSS ALL OF OUR TRAINING GRANT PROGRAMS. I'LL OPEN IT UP IF THERE'S COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ON THIS. DARREN GO AHEAD. >> I'LL CALL FOR A VOTE ON EACH OF THESE SEPARATELY. >> DARREN HAS HIS HAND RAISED AND HAS A QUESTION. >> SORRY. >> GO AHEAD. >> MY HAND WAS RAISED TO COMMENT ON THE SCORE BEFORE. >> OH, OKAY. GO AHEAD, ERICA. >> ALL RIGHT. SO AS JON MENTIONED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE OPEN SESSION WE'LL STREAMLINE OUR VOTING PROCEDURES FOR THE VIRTUAL SESSION AND JUST ASK FOR OPPOSITION TO A MOTION. I'M GOING TAKE A VOTE ON EACH OF THESE CONCEPTS SEPARATELY. SO THE FIRST IS THE MARC. I'M GOING TO MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THIS CONCEPT. ARE THERE ANY OPPOSED? YOU CAN INDICATE NO IN THE PARTICIPANT BOX OR PUT A COMMENT IN THE CHAT BOX AND WE WILL BE LOOKING FOR THAT. ARE ANY OPPOSED TO THE APPROVAL FOR MARC? OKAY. SEEING NO ONE OBJECTS, THE CONCEPT IS UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED AND SAME FOR U-RISE. I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THIS CONCEPT. ARE THERE ANY OPPOSED? OKAY. THIS CONCEPT IS ALSO UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED. >> THANKS, ERICA. WE'LL DO THE SAME FOR THE NEXT TWO. THE NEXT ONE IS A RE-ISSUANCE OF THE INITIATIVE TO SUPPORT RESEARCH AT THE INTERFACE OF THE BIOLOGICAL AND MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES. A PROGRAM GOING ON FOR SOME TIME IN COLLABORATE WITH THE NSF TO SUPPORT RESEARCH IN MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS THAT ADDRESS QUESTIONS IN BIO MEDICAL SCIENCES IN GENERAL. WE'RE NOT MAKING ANY MAJOR CHANGES TO THE PROGRAM. THE EVALUATION WAS COMPLETE IN 2020 AND SHOWED THE PROGRAM HAD IMPRESSIVE OUTCOMES IN TERMS OF BRINGING NEW PEOPLE IN TO NIH WHO NOT PREVIOUSLY HAD NIH STUNNING AND BRINGING IN EARLY STAGE INVESTIGATORS IN THE PROGRAM AND THAT'S WHAT WE WANTED TO ACHIEVE. IT'S IN THE BBCB DIVISION AND HALU K HALUK RESAT IS THE PROGRAM DIRECTOR. ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? >> CATHY HERE. I WANTED TO CONGRATULATE THIS EXCELLENT EFFORT IN SPEARHEADING THIS INTERAGENCY FUNDING INITIATIVE THAT BROADENS THE PORTFOLIO. IT'S ALSO EXTREMELY SYNERGISTIC AND INCREASE TRAINING. I WANT TO CONGRATULATE THE EFFORT. IT'S WONDERFUL. >> GREAT. BRIAN, DID YOU HAVE A COMMENT TOO? >> I WAS AGREEING WITH CATHY. NICE PROGRAM. >> GREAT, THANKS. ANYTHING ELSE? I'M NOT SEEING ANY HANDS. >> I DON'T EITHER. I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THIS CONCEPT. ARE THERE ANY OPPOSED? LOOKS LIKE THE CONCEPT IS UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED. >> GREAT. THE LAST ONE IS A RE-ISSUANCE OF THE ACADEMIC ENHANCEMENT AWARD THE R15 AREA PROGRAM. NIGMS HANDLES THIS ON BEHALF OF NIH BECAUSE OTHER INSTITUTES PARTICIPATE IN IT. YOU MAY RECALL PROBABLY TWO YEARS AGO NOW WE UNDERWENT SOME CHANGES AT THE REQUEST OF THE OFFICE OF EXTRAMURAL RESEARCH AT NIH IN THIS PROGRAM TO FOCUS ON UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH AND MAKE CLEAR WHAT THE GOALS OF THE PROGRAM ARE. THE PURPOSE IS TO SUPPORT SMALL-SCALE RESEARCH GRANTS AND INSTITUTIONS THAT DO NOT RECEIVE SUBSTANTIAL FUNDING FROM NIH ALREADY WITH AN EMPHASIS ON PROVIDING BIO MEDICAL RESEARCH EXPERIENCES PRIMARILY FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS AND ENHANCING THE RESEARCH AT THESE INSTITUTIONS. THERE'S DEFINITELY PARALLELS TO THE FORMER SCORE OR WHAT WE WANT THE SCORE PROGRAM TO BE DOING IN THE FUTURE AT THE KINDS OF INSTITUTIONS IT TARGETS. NO SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES FROM THE PREVIOUS FOAs. IT'S JUST BEEN STARTED IN THE NEW FORM. IT'S TOO EARLY TO EVALUATE AGAINST THE TRANS-NIH PROGRAM AND THEY'RE DOING A TERRIFIC JOB CHAIRING THE TRANS-NIH GROUP THAT TRIES TO COORDINATE ACROSS THE INSTITUTES. DO WE HAVE COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? NOT SEEING HANDS RAISED. >> I SAW A HAND GO UP. >> IT WAS UNDER PARTICIPANTS. I HAVE SEEN A LOT OF THESE R15s WHEN I WAS REVIEWING GRANTS THROUGH STUDY SECTION. THERE WAS A LOT OF CONFUSION ABOUT WHAT TO EMPHASIZE. SOME REVIEWERS THOUGHT THAT NO MATTER WHAT THE SCIENCE WAS IF IT REACHED OUT TO A LOT OF STUDENTS AND INTRODUCED STUDENTS TO SCIENCE IT WAS GOOD EVEN IF THE SCIENCE WAS BAD. IF THERE'S SOME WAY TO TRY TO GET ACROSS THAT MESSAGE TO THE CSR AND LET REVIEWERS KNOW SCIENCE IS THE PRIMARY GOAL THAT WOULD HELP I THINK. >> THINK WE'RE CLEAR ON THE FOA NOW THE SCIENCE HAS TO BE GOOD, QUALITY SCIENCE, THAT'S ABSOLUTELY TRUE BUT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE RO1 SCALE SCIENCE. THAT, FROM MY EXPERIENCE ON THE CSR, THAT WAS ALSO A SIGNIFICANT AREA OF CONFUSION BECAUSE THE STUDY SECTIONS WERE REVIEWING RO RO1s A LOT OF REVIEWERS WERE APPLYING THE SAME LEVEL OF EXPECTATIONS FOR OUTPUT AND IMPACT ON THE R15s. THAT'S NOT REALISTIC AS A GOAL. AGAIN, AS YOU SAID, SCIENCE HAS TO BE GOOD BUT HAS TO PROVIDE FOR UNDERGRADUATES. HO HOPEFULLY THAT WILL GET THROUGH TO THE STUDY SECTIONS. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY. I'M NOT SEEING ANYTHING. ERICA, GO AHEAD. >> I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THIS CONCEPT. ARE THERE ANY OPPOSED? OKAY. SEEING THERE ARE NO OBJECTIONS, THE CONCEPT IS UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED. >> OKAY. TERRIFIC. I THINK THAT IS THE LAST ONE. SO WITH THAT WE'VE COMPLETED THE KEY BUSINESS. I'LL POINT OUT THESE WERE ALL RENEWALS WITH MINIMAL CHANGES. SO FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN'T BEEN ON COUNCIL BEFORE, SOMETIMES THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE BUT SOMETIMES WE ALSO HAVE NEW PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR CONCEPT CLEARANCE AND AS MING SAID, THAT WILL BE COMING AT LATEST FOR THE NEW VERSION OF THE SCORE PROGRAM, WHATEVER WE END UP CALLING IT, IN THE NEXT COUNCIL. THOSE WHO WILL BE HERE THEN CAN LOOK FORWARD TO THAT. DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER THINGS PEOPLE WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS IN THE OPEN SESSION? WE HAVE A COUPLE MINUTES IF PEOPLE WOULD LIKE TO BRING ANYTHING UP. OKAY. WELL, I'M NOT SEEING ANYTHING. UNFORTUNATELY, NORMALLY WE WOULD HAVE COMMENTS FROM OUR STAKEHOLDER GROUPS HERE BUT TECHNICALLY THAT WAS DIFFICULT TO ACHIEVE IN HIS ONLINE FORMAT BUT HOPE TO DO THAT AGAIN IN THE FUTURE. SO WHAT WE'LL DO NOW IS BREAK FOR LUNCH AND IF EVERYONE COULD COME BACK BY 1:00 IN THE CLOSED SESSION BREAKOUT LINK YOU WERE SENT AND MAKE SURE YOU SIGN IN WITH YOUR NAME SO WE KNOW WHO YOU ARE, THAT WOULD BE TERRIFIC AND I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR THE GREAT WORK THEY'VE DONE AND THANK AGAIN EVERYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY FOR EVERYTHING THEY'RE DOING TO HELP DURING THIS CRISIS THAT WE'RE IN. SO THANKS