Nih Streamlines Peer Review

NIH will begin a pilot program in February to reduce the time it takes to peer-review its research grant applications. The pilot program involves investigators applying for their first major NIH grant, an R01 grant.

“This pilot program illustrates our efforts for optimizing all facets of the research review and funding process across NIH,” according to NIH Director Elias A. Zerhouni. Forty scientific review panels will be part of the study, which will give reviewers four weeks instead of the usual six to review and critique the grant applications. The evaluations will then be made available to the applicants within one week of the review panel’s discussion. This accelerated release time will apply to all new investigators, not just those in the trial.

Finally, the trial will allow new researchers to resubmit revised applications 20 days after the usual deadline in time for the next review cycle. This grace period will enable researchers to address reviewer concerns and revise their applications more than four months earlier than is currently possible.