The National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases

NIH offers Resources for New Investigators. Some of the NIH Institutes have also created outstanding resources for new investigators. Be sure to look at the NIAID All About Grants Tutorials and the NIGMS Tips for New Investigators. NIAID also offers an Annotated R01 Grant Application which is an example of an outstanding application written by a new PI.

Finally, your NIDDK Program Officer is an excellent source of advice about funding opportunities. Go to the NIDDK page for your scientific area of interest to find contact information.

For an electronic application, check the box in the PHS 398 Cover Page Supplement form. For a paper application, mark the checkbox on the application face page. Staff also uses the New PI Definition to identify those that have neglected to indicate their status.

As a new PI applicant seeking independent funding, is it better to apply for a small grant, like an R21?

No. The R21 is intended to support innovative, high pay-off, paradigm-shifting projects. It is not a small grant or miniature R01. Not many new investigators will have R21-appropriate research, because they will generally be focused on establishing their laboratories with less risky research. Please look at the NIDDK R21 page for a more detailed discussion. In general, a new independent investigator should apply for the R01 regular research project grant. You may submit an R01 applicaton on any topic relevant to the NIH, and NIDDK has several relevant funding opportunities for R01s.

What does it mean when my application is unscored?
Due to a heavy work load, study section reviewers may choose to place meritorious applications into the lower half of applications, which are then not scored or discussed at the study section meeting. An unscored application may in fact be an exciting proposal that is not quite ready for prime time, but once revised in response to reviewer comments would stand a better chance of success. In other cases, a grant may simply not be sufficiently interesting or novel, and it will be extremely difficult to make revisions that would catapult it into the fundable range. New investigators should contact their program director (contact information is found on the summary statement, or check NIDDK scientific areas of interest to find the right staff) to help decide if an unscored application should be revised, and to get advice on how best to do so.

How soon can I revise and resubmit my application?
Some study sections have piloted a program whereby new investigator applications receive their summary statements within a very short time following review, and can be immediately revised and resubmitted for special receipt dates only a few weeks later (see NOD-06-013). Whereas this immediate resubmission is appropriate for those grants that need only improved writing or inclusion of missing detail, it may not be the most efficient path to success for those where additional preliminary data or reagents are needed to address the reviewers’ concerns. New investigators should contact their program director (contact information is found on the summary statement, or check NIDDK scientific areas of interest to find the right staff) to help decide when to resubmit a revised grant.

What does NIDDK do when a new PI applicants misses the R01 payline?
NIDDK has a payline that is two percentile points more generous for new PIs. In addition, if a new investigator’s R01 application is within 10 percentile points of the payline, it will receive enhanced second-level review for a reduced budget R01 or for a High Priority, Short-Term Project Award (R56). Your NIDDK Program Officer can also provide guidance and feedback about the review, which might help you as you prepare to revise your grant.

What kinds of fellowships and career awards does NIDDK support?

NIDDK supports many kinds of training awards, fellowships, and career development awards. For more information, see Training and Career Development.