CSR’s primary role is to handle the receipt and review of ~ 75% of the grant applications that NIH receives. NIH separates the review process from funding decisions.
For Reviewers
Reviewers are critical to our mission to see that NIH grant applications receive, fair, independent, expert, and timely scientific reviews. We appreciate the generosity with which reviewers give their time.
News & Policy
The latest news and policy updates from CSR. Read about our outreach programs and publications.
Study Sections
Applications are reviewed in study sections (Scientific Review Group, SRG). Review Branches (RBs) are clusters of study sections based on scientific discipline.
Review Panels & Dates
Applications are reviewed in study sections (Scientific Review Group, SRG). Review Branches (RBs) are clusters of study sections based on scientific discipline.
After receiving his Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Illinois, where he worked in the area of solid state NMR of membrane proteins, Dr. Bowers worked on the development of fast chemical shift imaging techniques and non-invasive magnetic resonance-based assays for liver graft viability.He…
Dr. Joseph Rudolph serves as Chief of the Neurotechnology and Vision Review Branch (NV RB).Dr. Rudolph earned his Ph.D. in pharmacology from the University of Florida, where he studied the effects of chronic ethanol exposure on NMDA receptor pharmacology and physiology. He first came to the NIH…
Dr. Jeanne McCaffery received her Ph.D. in clinical and health psychology with a focus on cardiovascular behavioral medicine from the University of Pittsburgh. Prior to joining the NIH, she served as assistant and associate professor at the Centers for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine and the…
The ECR program aims to:
Help early career scientists become more competitive for R01 funding by giving them first-hand experience with the review process
Enrich the existing pool of reviewers through increased recruitment of groups traditionally underrepresented on panels such as women,…
Dr. Maria DeBernardi is an Assistant Director in the Division of Receipt and Referral (DRR) at the Center for Scientific Review (CSR).
Prior to this position, she served as Scientific Review Officer in the Interdisciplinary Molecular Sciences and Training review group for seven years. Her primary…
Mr. Chuck Dunn is an associate director within the CSR Office of Communications and Outreach. He develops and executes communication and outreach strategies in support of CSR’s goals and objectives. Chuck oversees outreach on social media, serves as CSR’s legislative liaison, and represents CSR on…
Dr. Abigail Haydon received her PhD and MPH in maternal and child health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, with concentrations in demography and developmental science. After leaving UNC, she completed a postdoctoral fellowship at NICHD through the AAAS Science and Technology…
Dr. Atul Sahai. received a Ph.D. degree in biochemistry from Howard University. He was an associate professor in the Department of Medicine at Northwestern University, Chicago, before joining the NIH. The major focus of his research involved delineating the role of chronic local hypoxia in renal/…
Dr. Kirk Dineley received his Ph.D. and post-doctoral training at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, where his research focused on the role of metals in neurodegeneration. He subsequently served in faculty and administrative positions at several…
Dr. Neerja Kaushik-Basu received her Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular biology from Bombay University. Her postdoctoral training at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, McGill University, Canada focused on structure-function…
Dr. Zack Howard received a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of South Carolina. Her research there focused on the molecular and structural chemistry of complement component eight. Before coming to the NIH, Dr. Howard conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Texas, M.D. Anderson…
Dr. Pat Manos earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Wayne State University, and a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of California, Riverside. She completed her post-doctoral work in neurochemistry at UCLA focused on brain energy metabolism in the developing brain. Prior to joining…
Dr. Rhoda Moise earned a Ph.D. in prevention science and community health from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and a T32 postdoctoral fellowship at Temple University’s NCI-designated Fox Chase Cancer Center. She later served as faculty at the University of Miami in the Department…
Dr. Sara Hargrave received her Ph.D. in behavioral neuroscience from Purdue University, studying the neurobiology of feeding behavior and the impact of diet on blood-brain barrier integrity. She received post-doctoral training at American University, where she studied the effects of diet and drug…
Dr. Shinako Takada received her Ph.D. in basic medical science from the University of Tokyo in Japan, where she studied mechanisms of hepatitis B virus-induced hepatocarcinogenesis. Her post-doctoral research in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of California, Berkeley…
Mr. Lamont Williams is an Associate Director within the Office of Communications and Outreach at CSR. He has more than 25 years of experience leading and managing communications, publishing activities, media relations, and promotional efforts for a variety of organizations in the biomedical field.…
Why is the NIH definition of a clinical trial so broad?
What is the difference between clinical research and a clinical trial?
Does the primary outcome of a study need to be a health-related outcome in order for a study to be considered a clinical trial?
Why is the NIH definition of a…
Dr. Alexander Yakovlev obtained his Ph.D. degree in neuroscience from the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences. Prior to coming to NIH, Dr. Yakovlev was an associate professor in the Department of Neuroscience at Georgetown University Medical Center. At Georgetown he served as a member of the Center…
Dr. Jessica Bellinger received her Ph.D. in health services policy and management from the University of South Carolina, Arnold School of Public Health. Before joining NIH, she was a social scientist at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, where she directed projects examining…
Dr. Todd E. White earned his Ph.D. in neuroscience from the University of Florida and completed his postdoctoral training at Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM). Prior to joining the NIH, he was a research biologist at the Atlanta VA Health Care System and an assistant professor at MSM. Dr. White's…
Using the ECR Application and Vetting System (EAVS) you can enroll or update your information. ECRs remain in the program until they no longer meet the criteria. For example, if you have been accepted into the program but receive an R01, you will be removed from our database of ECRs even if you…
Dr. Eileen Moore received a M.S. in psychology and a Ph.D. in behavioral neuroscience from Binghamton University, State University of New York. During this time, she also obtained training in addiction neuroscience at Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis. She next completed…
Dr. Nywana Sizemore received her Ph.D. from Case Western Reserve University for her work on the interactions of human papillomavirus and epidermal growth factor signaling in human ectocervical epithelial cells. Her postdoctoral work focused on the role of growth factor signaling in Ras-mediated…
Dr. David E. Pollio received his Ph.D. in social work and psychology from the University of Michigan. He came to CSR after serving as a distinguished professor, chairing the department of social work at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Prior to that he was the Hill Crest Foundation Endowed…
Dr. Elia Ortenberg serves as Chief of the Social and Community Influences Across the Lifecourse Review Branch (SCIL RB).Dr. Elia Kwee Ortenberg (formerly: Femia) received her Ph.D. in human development and family studies from the Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA. Before coming to…