UPDATE: The deadline to respond to this RFI has been extended to October 15. See NOT-GM-24-059 for details.

NIGMS supports National and Regional Resources (NRRs) that provide biomedical researchers with access to mature technologies and Biomedical Technology Optimization and Dissemination (BTOD) Centers that optimize and disseminate late-stage technologies for the research community to use. The NRR-associated mature technologies are ready for researchers’ immediate use without further development. By contrast, the late-stage technologies supported by BTOD Centers require optimization prior to dissemination to the biomedical research community.

NIGMS supports a variety of structural biology research resources, including those funded through the Mature Synchrotron Resources (MSR) program. We’re currently evaluating the MSR program to inform future directions about the structure and operations of the program. As part of this evaluation, we’re seeking input from the extramural community (e.g., principal investigators and key personnel of MSR awards, resource staff, the user community, members of relevant advisory boards, and any other interested parties) on their experiences with and/or opinions on NIGMS-supported synchrotron resources.

NIGMS supports individuals and institutions that foster research training and a strong and diverse biomedical research workforce through a variety of programs at the undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral levels. We’re seeking input from trainees (undergraduates, graduate students, postdoctoral scientists), biomedical faculty, and research education program participants (e.g., postbaccalaureates), on initiatives that can help us improve research training, career progression, or the educational environment. NIGMS is especially interested in hearing about trainee-initiated activities—particularly from the trainees themselves—in NIGMS-funded training programs, including U-RISE, MARC, BUILD, PREP, G-RISE, IMSD, Bridges to the Baccalaureate, Bridges to the Doctorate, IRACDA, MOSAIC, basic biomedical T32, and MSTP.

The NIH Common Fund’s Transformative High Resolution Cryo-Electron Microscopy (cryo-EM) program is requesting input from the community in identifying challenges in screening samples for high resolution cryo-EM, an essential step required for data collection at the National Centers for Cryo-EM. We welcome responses from researchers interested in cryo-EM, including those who have not previously worked in the field.

For more details, see the Request for Information (RFI): Screening for High Resolution Cryo-Electron Microscopy (NOT-RM-21-012). Please respond to the email address in the RFI by February 26.

UPDATE: The deadline for responding to the request for information has been extended to July 31.

As I described in my last post, we recently released a progress and outcomes report highlighting the work we’ve done to meet the goals and objectives of the NIGMS 2015-2020 strategic plan.

We’re now beginning development of a new strategic plan that will describe NIGMS’ overarching goals, strategic objectives, and implementation tactics in support of the Institute’s mission over the next 5 years.

NIGMS, the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, and the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science seek input on approaches to apply high-resolution (sub-nanometer to micrometer) bioimaging technologies to samples ranging from atoms to cells. Input is requested on the specific needs of the biomedical research community to match existing technical approaches and instrumentation to significant biological questions, and on prioritizing the development of novel bioimaging technologies that might be in demand for potential biological and medical applications.

NIGMS wants to advance our understanding of sepsis in order to accelerate improved diagnosis and treatment strategies. Based on the recommendations of our National Advisory General Medical Sciences Council Working Group on Sepsis, we intend to continue our support of fundamental discovery and mechanistic science relevant to sepsis. We recently identified the Institute’s specific priorities for sepsis research in an NIH Guide notice (NOT-GM-19-054). Additionally, the Working Group recommended that NIGMS encourage the use of human clinical materials to facilitate more rapid progress toward better identification, staging, and endotyping of the disease.

Continuing our longstanding commitment to train the next generation of biomedical scientists and support the careers of students and postdoctoral scientists from diverse backgrounds, for example groups underrepresented in biomedical research, we sought input from the community through a request for information (RFI) on strategies to enhance successful postdoctoral career transitions to promote faculty diversity, specifically in research-intensive institutions. The RFI was open May 24 to July 20, 2018, and received a total of 89 unique responses from stakeholders including postdoctoral scientists, faculty members, and professional societies.

Although NIGMS is not the only source of federal funding for sepsis research, the Institute supports a substantial portfolio of research that includes both fundamental and clinical studies, from the molecular to the organismal, that emphasizes the host's response rather than causative factors such as infection or injury. In an effort to more rapidly move NIGMS’ sepsis research program and its translation forward, we’ve issued a Request for Information (RFI) to obtain feedback, comments, novel ideas, and strategies that address the challenges and opportunities in sepsis research to accelerate advances in detection of and treatment for this condition.

NIGMS has a longstanding commitment to train the next generation of biomedical scientists and support the training of students from diverse backgrounds, including groups underrepresented in biomedical research, through fellowships, career development grants, and institutional training and student development programs. These programs, and other efforts, have contributed to a substantial increase in the talent pool of well-trained biomedical Ph.D.s from historically underrepresented racial and ethnic groups. However, increasing evidence shows that transitions of these talented scientists from postdoctoral training into independent faculty positions at research-intensive institutions is a key point at which they exit the NIH-funded research workforce. Similarly, women have earned a majority of biomedical Ph.D.s since 2008 but approximately one-third of NIH-funded principal investigators are women.

We have undertaken a number of efforts to facilitate the career transitions of postdoctoral scientists from diverse groups into the professoriate including Institutional Research and Academic Career Development Awards and research supplements to promote diversity in health-related research and re-entry into biomedical research careers. Additionally, we administer the NIH Common Fund’s National Research Mentoring Network, a nationwide consortium of biomedical professionals and institutions collaborating to provide biomedical trainees from all backgrounds and at all levels with evidence-based mentorship and professional development programs. While these efforts have supported the development of highly-trained biomedical scientists who have the necessary knowledge and skills to pursue independent biomedical research careers, we need additional strategies to promote transitions to independent faculty positions at research-intensive institutions.