The NIH wants YOU!

The NIH is seeking comments regarding NIH’s support of the biomedical and behavioral research, including peer review, with the goal of examining the current system to optimize its efficiency and effectiveness. The NIH is especially interested in creative suggestions, even if they involve radical changes to the current approach. Responses will be accepted until August 17, 2007 online or via e-mail (PeerReviewRFI@mail.nih.gov). I hope that all of you reading this - whether you are a grant recipient, a student or a taxpayer - will offer advice to Uncle Sam.

I made this post as part of a pyramid meme initiated by Writedit and sent to me by DrugMonkey, both individuals who know more about the nitty-gritty of NIH grants than myself. If you blog and want to tag yourself to write about this, here are 4 rules:

1. Include in your post the links to the NIH RFI and the comments page.

2. Include the list of six topics the NIH wants information about.

1. Challenges of NIH System of Research Support
   Please describe any specific challenges presented by NIH’s support of biomedical and behavioral research such as the current array of grant mechanisms, number of grants awarded per investigator, and the duration of grants.
2. Challenges of NIH Peer Review Process
   Please describe any specific challenges presented by the current peer review process at NIH.
3. Solutions to Challenges
   Please concisely describe specific approaches or concepts that would address any of the above challenges, even if it involves a radical change to the current approach.
4. Core Values of NIH Peer Review Process
   Please describe the core values of NIH peer review that must be maintained or enhanced.
5. Peer Review Criteria and Scoring
   Are the appropriate criteria and scoring procedures being used by NIH to evaluate applications during peer review? If not, are there changes in either that you would recommend?
6. Career Pathways
   Is the current peer review process for investigators at specific stages in their career appropriate? If not, what changes would you recommend?

3. Comment on one or more of these issues.

4. Decide who the next seven vectors will be for this meme.

I decided to forward this request to 7 other bloggers. The lucky winners here are:

The Daily Transcript
King of the Nerds
The Scientific Activist
Pimm
Science to Life
SeattleJew
Neurotopia

Check their sites to learn more about other folks' ideas, but most importantly, comment to the NIH!