Early Career Reviewer (ECR) Program

ECR Qualifications

Early Career Reviewer (ECR) Program FAQs

General

1. What can I expect once I’ve been accepted to the ECR Program?
   1. Once accepted to the program, your profile is added to our ECR database. As scientific reviewer officers (SRO) assemble study sections, they search the ECR database for reviewers with expertise in areas relevant to the applications under review. If your expertise matches their needs, you may be invited to review.
2. What are the expectations/time commitment of an ECR participant?
   1. Once recruited to a review meeting, you will first complete a few administrative items (attend 1-hour reviewer orientation, take two self-paced online training modules on review integrity and bias awareness (30 mins each), check for conflicts of interest). Then, you will be assigned research applications to review as a primary reviewer to 7-9 applications – you will have approximately 6 weeks to evaluate and score these applications and prepare a written critique. Finally, you will participate in a 1- or 2-day meeting with the broader review committee to discuss applications and complete final scoring.
3. What guidance or training is provided to ECRs if invited to serve on a review committee?
   1. Scientific review officers (SRO) hold orientation meetings for all reviewers prior to the meeting and typically hold a specific session for ECRs and others who are new to NIH peer review. SROs are also available for questions at any point in the process. They read critiques submitted in advance of the meeting and provide feedback to reviewers to ensure that the review criteria are appropriately applied. ECRs will receive plenty of guidance!
4. When applying to the ECR program, what should I include in my CV?
   1. Including the following information on your CV will help us determine your eligibility to participate in the program:
      1. Education section, including dates of conferment
      2. Research/Faculty Positions held, include start/end dates
      3. An up-to-date bibliography/publication record
      4. Other elements that support evidence of an active, independent research program, which may include:
         1. Presentations
         2. Institutional research awards, grants, patents
         3. Teaching, mentoring, supervision of student projects
5. After I’ve been accepted into the ECR program, how long will it take to be invited to review?
   1. CSR holds three review rounds per year, with reviews occurring primarily in January/February, June/July, and September/October. Recruitment for study sections usually occurs two to three months prior to each review meeting. Depending on the match of your expertise to the needs of individual study sections, you may be invited to review very soon, or it may take some time for your expertise to be needed.
6. How can I increase my chances of reviewing?
   1. Once accepted into the program, we welcome and encourage you to directly contact the scientific review officers (SROs) for panels that fit your expertise and express your interest in serving. You can find a list of study sections here.
   2. SROs will also verify the recent scholarly activity of potential reviewers by checking for recent publications and grant submissions through NIH and institutional websites prior to recruitment. Your inclusion in a review panel will be up to the judgment of the SRO and based on the expertise needed to review the applications in hand.
7. Which review meetings recruit ECRs to participate?
   1. All standing study sections recruit 2 ECRs per meeting, with the exception of study sections reviewing R35 applications - Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award (MIRA).
   2. ECRs are not recruited to small business or fellowship panels.
   3. ECRs are recruited to some Special Emphasis Panels (SEPs) that primarily review R01 grants.
8. Can I serve more than once as an ECR?
   1. No, the demand to serve as an ECR far exceeds what we can meet. You may serve as an ECR only once.
9. Does serving as an ECR impact my ability to submit grant applications?
   1. Participating in the ECR program does not at all impact your ability to submit grants for any specific cycle.
10. How can I confirm I’m still enrolled in the ECR program?
    1. To confirm your enrollment in the ECR program, please email CSRearlyCareerReviewer@mail.nih.gov.

Eligibility

Employment & Career Stage

1. Who is eligible to apply for ECR program?
   1. ECR program focuses on early-career scientists who hold a doctoral degree (PhD, MD, MD/PhD, EdD, DVM, DDS, DO, or equivalent). However, post-doctoral fellows are not eligible for this program – applicants must have at least one year of experience as a full-time faculty member or researcher in a similar, independent role to participate. Previous faculty-level roles and employment at other institutions can count towards the 1-year requirement – there is no requirement that you are in your current role for 1 year.
2. What academic ranks are eligible to apply?
   1. The ECR Program is geared towards the following academic titles:
      1. An Assistant Professor or in an equivalent role, OR
      2. An Associate Professor with NIH Early Stage Investigator (ESI) status. ESI status is a NIH designation for early-career investigators. Additional information on ESI policies is available here.
3. I do not hold a traditional faculty role (e.g. Assistant Professor) – am I eligible to participate in the ECR Program?
   1. We do accept non-traditional faculty roles on a case-by-case basis. Eligibility is determined by demonstrated researcher independence through responsibilities and accomplishments outlined in the submitted CV. Work completed under the supervision of another PI does not typically count towards markers of researcher independence.
4. Can I participate in the ECR Program if I am employed at an institution outside of the U.S.?
   1. Applicants must be currently appointed at a U.S.-based institution. 

Research Experience & Publications 

1. What types of senior-authored publications are accepted?
   1. Eligible publications include research publications that have been published in a peer-reviewed journal – in-press publications, pre-prints are not.
   2. Eligible publications include original empirical research articles; editorials, commentaries, review articles, systematic reviews, meta analyses are not eligible towards publication counts.
2. Does the recent publication need to be from my current institution?
   1. No, there is no requirement that the recent publication be based on work performed at your current institution. 

Grant & Review History

1. Can I participate as an ECR if I have received an NIH award?
   1. Applicants must not have successfully competed for an R01 or R01-equivalent grant in the PD/PI role to participate as an ECR. R01-equivalent grants include: R35, R37, RF1, R23, R29, DP1, DP2, DP5, U01, and RL1. However, applicants may have received other non-R01 equivalent grants (such as K99 or R21) and still participate in the program.
2. Is prior NIH grant submission required to participate in the ECR program?
   1. Yes, you must have submitted at least one NIH grant application as PI/PD and received the associated summary statement. Please note that Loan Repayment Program applications do not have an associated summary statement and so they do not fulfill this requirement.
3. Do prior grant applications to other organizations or agencies fulfill the requirement?
   1. No. Only NIH grant applications are considered.
4. Are biostatisticians who are not PIs on applications eligible to participate as an ECR?
   1. Biostatisticians who have not submitted applications as a PI are typically handled on a case-by-case basis. Please email CSRearlyCareerReviewer@mail.nih.gov with your CV to discuss further.
5. I was previously accepted into the ECR program and haven’t been recruited yet, but have recently received an R01 (or R01 equivalent) award. Am I still eligible to participate?
   1. No, after receiving an R01 or R01-equivalent grant in the PD/PI role, you are no longer eligible to participate in the ECR program and will be removed from the database SROs recruit from. R01-equivalent grants include: R35, R37, RF1, R23, R29, DP1, DP2, DP5, U01, and RL1. However, you may still contact the scientific review officers who run study sections (review groups) in your field, and express your interest in serving as an ad hoc reviewer.
6. I have previously served on an NSF/VA review meeting, will this service make me ineligible for the ECR program?
   1. To be eligible for the ECR program, you must not have served on an NIH study section in any capacity other than as a mail reviewer. Serving on any other non-NIH agencies does not impact your eligibility to participate in the ECR program. 

System Troubleshooting

1. I received an error message that my NIH Commons ID was not found, I cannot proceed through the application, what now?
   1. Our system is case sensitive (typically all caps), and a username (e.g. JON.SMITH123) must be entered in place of a numerical sequence. To reset your profile, you may email CSRearlyCareerReviewer@mail.nih.gov or simply reapply the next day after the system refreshes overnight.
2. I’m unable to upload my CV to the system.
   1. First, please try to log in through an alternate browser. If you’re still unable to upload your CV, please email CSRearlyCareerReviewer@mail.nih.gov.