National Institute of
General Medical Sciences

The National Advisory General Medical Sciences (NAGMS) Council convened remotely for its 184th meeting at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, February 1, 2024.

Jon R. Lorsch, Ph.D., director of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), presided as meeting chair. After an open session from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., the closed session convened from 12:45 p.m. to 3:34 p.m.

Council Members Attending Remotely

Natalie Ahn, Ph.D.
Eric Alani, Ph.D.
Angela Byars-Winston, Ph.D.
Ron G. King, Ph.D., M.B.A.
Terri Goss Kinzy, Ph.D.
David H. Mathews, M.D., Ph.D.
Lesilee Rose, Ph.D.
Pamela Stacks, Ph.D.
Wendy Young, Ph.D.

Ronald M. Przygodzki, M.D.

Ad Hoc Council Participants Attending Remotely

L. Andrew Lee, Ph.D.
Chief Scientific Officer
Integrated Micro-Chromatography Systems, Inc.
Irmo, SC 29063

Christopher W. Seymour, M.D., M.Sc.
Associate Professor
Departments of Critical Care Medicine, Emergency Medicine, and Clinical Translational Science
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Pittsburgh, PA 15261

JoAnn Trejo, Ph.D., M.B.A.
Professor

Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine
Assistant Vice Chancellor, Health Sciences Faculty Affairs
University of California, San Diego
La Jolla, CA 92093

Early Career Investigator Ad Hoc Council Participants Attending Remotely

Amanda A. Amodeo, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Biological Sciences
Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH 03755

Zhana Duren, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Center for Human Genetics, Department of Genetics and Biochemistry
Core Faculty, Biomedical Data Science and Informatics
Clemson University
Greenwood, SC 29646

Council roster (available from NIGMS)

Members of the Public Attending Remotely

Not tracked because meeting was available via unrestricted NIH videocast.

OPEN SESSION OF THE MEETING

I. Call to Order and Opening Remarks

Dr. Lorsch welcomed Council members and guests. Council members approved the minutes from the September 7, 2023, meeting.

II. Future Meeting Dates

III. Review of Confidentiality and Conflict of Interest Procedures

Dr. Lorsch explained policies and procedures regarding confidentiality and avoidance of conflict-of-interest situations to Council members.

IV. NIGMS Director’s Report (NIH Videocast @ 9:30)

Jon Lorsch Council Presentation Slides

Dr. Lorsch announced retiring and incoming Council members, NIGMS staff changes, and new members of NIH leadership.

Two upcoming lectures were highlighted: the Judith H. Greenberg Early Career Investigator Lecture on September 27, 2023, and the DeWitt Stetten Jr. Lecture on November 8, 2023.

He shared two new NIGMS web resources: the "Which Grant Is Right for Me?"decision tree to help investigators conducting research within the NIGMS mission determine a potential fit to NIGMS programs, and a series of Feedback Loop blog posts on grant basics that outlines NIGMS research priorities, funding opportunities, and the grant application process for new applicants.

Dr. Lorsch announced the following funding opportunities:

• The new Advancing Research Careers (ARC) Program (F99/K00 and UE5)
• The Native American Research Centers for Health (NARCH) Planning Grants (R34)
• Research Supplements to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research (expanded program eligibility to include Support for Research Excellence (SuRE), Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE), Institutional Development Award (IDeA) Networks for Clinical and Translational Research (IDeA-CTR), IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE), and Native American Research Centers for Health (NARCH) grantees)
• Administrative Supplements for Building Cloud-Based Learning Modules .

Dr. Lorsch provided updates on the NIGMS Maximizing Investigators' Research Award (MIRA) program and efforts to expand it within NIGMS. In 2023, MIRA represented 54 percent of the NIGMS R01-equivalent awardee pool. Dr. Lorsch also provided an update on MIRA early stage investigator (ESI) grants, which increased threefold from 2013-2023. Eighty-eight percent of the ESIs who received grants in fiscal year 2023 were MIRAs.

V. NIGMS Support of Women’s Health Research NIH Videocast @ 30:51)

In follow-up to a question from Council, Dr. Lorsch provided examples of ways NIGMS supports women’s health research, including through the IDeA program via INBRE, COBRE, and CTR hubs or networks. NIGMS is also partnering with NIH’s Office of Research on Women’s Health to promote women’s health research in IDeA states, and has supported the development of training modules on how to appropriately integrate sex as a biological variable across the spectrum of biomedical research.

VI. DISCUSSION

Council members discussed unmet medical needs in women’s health, including better representation of women in clinical trials and the importance of sex as a biological variable in research. Council members also discussed the dual role of artificial intelligence in biomedical research grantsmanship and rigor, and the strategic goal of MIRAs comprising 60 percent of R01-equivalent awards at NIGMS.

VII. Response to the Evaluation of the NIGMS IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) Program NIH Videocast @ 1:11:25)

Michele McGuirl, Ph.D.

At the September 2023 NIGMS Council meeting, the INBRE evaluation working group presented their findings and recommendations [PDF]. Dr. McGuirl presented NIGMS’ response, including:

• Recognizing the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the program
• Enhancing the biomedical workforce, including broadening institution types
• Expanding communication practices, including supporting/capturing virtual meetings
• Developing research-based courses, encouraging innovation and integration of research into curricula, and capturing courses as outputs
• Examining qualitative impacts of INBRE

VIII. Plan for the Evaluation Working Group: Mature Synchrotron Resources Program NIH Videocast @ 1:25:00)

Jon Lorsch, Ph.D

As part of its overall evaluation strategy, NIGMS requested approval to create a working group of Council to evaluate the P30 Mature Synchrotron Resources program. The P30 program provides the biomedical research community access to advanced synchrotron-based technologies. Resources are located across the country and give investigators the use of a broad array of technologies and techniques for structural and dynamic studies of biological macromolecules, cells, and tissues.

NIGMS received Council approval to create the working group.

IX. CONCEPT CLEARANCES: Reissuance of Technology Development Programs NIH Videocast @ 1:30:49)

The Technology Development Research for Establishing Feasibility and Proof of Concept (R21) program supports proof-of-concept, high-risk, and potentially high-reward, investigations of technology feasibility with the potential to benefit a broad range of biomedical research. The Focused Technology Research and Development (R01) program supports advances in current state-of-the-art technologies through prototype refinement and validation. There are no substantial changes to either program.

NIGMS received Council approval to reissue both funding opportunities.

CLOSED SESSION OF THE MEETING

This portion of the meeting was closed to the public in accordance with the determination that it was concerned with matters exempt from mandatory disclosure under sections 552b(c)(4) and 552b(c)(6), Title 5 U.S.C., and section 1009(d) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. §§ 1001-1014).

Members exited the meeting during the discussion and voting process on applications from their own institutions or other applications that presented a potential conflict of interest, real or apparent. Members signed a statement to this effect at the beginning of the meeting.

REVIEW OF APPLICATIONS

The National Institute of General Medical Sciences considered 1,482 research and training applications requesting $647,242,291 in total costs. The Council recommended 1,482 applications with a total cost of $647,242,291.

ADJOURNMENT

The meeting adjourned at 3:54 p.m. on February 1, 2024.

CERTIFICATION

I hereby certify that, to my knowledge, the foregoing minutes are accurate and complete.

Jon R. Lorsch, Ph.D.
Chair
National Advisory General
Medical Sciences Council

Erica Brown, Ph.D.
Executive Secretary
National Advisory General
Medical Sciences Council