How is the NIH Roadmap different from other NIH activities?
The NIH Roadmap builds on the phenomenal progress in biomedical research achieved, in part, through the recent doubling of the NIH budget. It reflects a shift to adaptive management of the NIH portfolio—an approach that will enable rapid responses to emerging needs and opportunities that do not fit clearly within the mission of a single or small group of Institutes and Centers. A unique aspect of the NIH Roadmap is the NIH Director’s Pioneer Awards that will enable highly talented, ingenious scientists to pursue “high risk-high reward” research. The review process for this new grant mechanism will emphasize the creativity and scientific potential of the person, rather than the project, thus providing a new way of supporting individuals who show the most promise for making seminal contributions to medical research.
