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.
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…
Dr. Seyhan Boyoglu-Barnum earned her Ph.D. from Alabama State University and completed postdoctoral training at Emory University, specializing in RSV vaccine development. Dr. Boyoglu-Barnum contributed to the MERS outbreak response at the CDC’s Division of Viral Diseases and joined the NIH Vaccine…
Dr. Zheng Li received her Ph.D. in organic chemistry at Fudan University in China and had her postdoctoral training in radiochemistry at the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, NIH. She then took a faculty position at Houston Methodist Hospital, where she built the…
Avoid These Pitfalls in the Submission Process
Failing to appreciate that submission is a multi-step process
Submitting your application at the last minute
Not using the right application form
Not paying close attention to the instructions
Submitting an incomplete application
Overstuffing…
Dr. Karine Jegalian received her Ph.D. in biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she used molecular biology techniques to study the evolution of gene pairs on the mammalian X and Y chromosomes. She worked as a science writer for the National Human Genome Research Institute…
Dr. Lauren Penney is an anthropologist and implementation scientist. She received a Ph.D. in medical anthropology from the University of Arizona, where she also conducted post-doctoral research on the Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster with funding from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and,…
Dr. Lisa Lewis received her Ph.D. in microbiology from the State University of New York at Buffalo, where her work focused on microbial iron acquisition systems. She completed postdoctoral training at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in gene regulation and microbial genomics. Prior…
Dr. Marcus Ferrone received his PharmD. degree in nuclear medicine/pharmacy from the University of Tennessee after completing his undergraduate and graduate studies in synthetic organometallic chemistry at Emory University. Dr. Ferrone completed his clinical residency at Columbus Regional Medical…
Dr. Methode Bacanamwo received his Master of Science degree from Clemson University and his doctoral degree in biochemistry from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Following post-doctoral trainings at the Universities of Arkansas and Missouri, he joined the faculty at the Morehouse…
Dr. Natalia Komissarova spent more than 15 years at the intramural program of the NIH; prior to that, she worked in the Public Health Research Institute, New York. She received her Ph.D. in molecular biology from the Institute of Molecular Genetics and Moscow State University (Russia). Dr.…
Dr. Richard Schneiderman received his Ph.D. in immunology from The University of Illinois, Chicago, where he studied cellular and molecular mechanisms regulating immunoglobulin A expression and function. He completed postdoctoral training in retroviral biology and gene therapy initially at Genetic…
Dr. Altaf Dar received his Ph.D. in molecular biology from Friedrich-Schiller University, Jena, Germany. Following postdoctoral training at Vanderbilt University and University of California, San Francisco, he joined California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC). Dr. Dar worked as an Associate Professor…
Dr. Christopher Payne received his Ph.D. in cell and developmental biology at the Oregon Health and Science University, where he studied the mechanisms regulating cytoskeletal and membrane dynamics during mammalian fertilization. Following postdoctoral training at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer…
Dr. Sung-Wook Jang received his Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Biology from University of Wisconsin-Madison with his interest in Schwann cell myelination whose defects are known to be associated with many human diseases including Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. Subsequently, Dr. Jang had postdoctoral…
Dr. Andersen received her Ph.D. in behavioral neuroscience from the State University of New York at Binghamton. She furthered her training at Harvard Medical School, becoming a faculty member in the Department of Psychiatry and directing her laboratory for nearly 30 years. Dr. Andersen studied how…
Dr. Wei-Qin Zhao serves as Chief of the Aging and Neurodegeneration Review Branch (AN RB).
Dr. Wei-Qin Zhao received her medical training from Sun Yat-sen University of Medical Sciences in China, and a Ph.D. in neurobiology from LaTrobe University in Australia. She worked as a postdoctoral fellow…
Dr. Yanming Bi received her Ph.D. in bone biology from Case Western University, School of Medicine. Her graduate work on orthopaedic implant loosening received the William Harris Award for outstanding research related to the hip and the Kappa Delta Award for excellence in orthopaedic research.…
Which applications qualify for the Continuous Submission program?
Who is eligible for Continuous Submission?
Does this opportunity apply to new applications only?
How are applications with multiple Program Directors/Principal Investigators (PDs/PIs) handled?
What is the last date I can submit…
Dr. Xie earned his Ph.D. in cell biology from the University of Dundee, Scotland. He completed his postdoctoral training in dermatology and cancer biology at the University of California at San Francisco. His research focused on hedgehog signaling in human disorders particularly skin cancer,…
Dr. Latha Malaiyandi received her Ph.D. in pharmacology from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, where her dissertation investigated the role of toxic heavy metals in neuronal injury models. She joined the biology faculty at Francis Marion University, a small liberal arts institution…
Dr. Maqsood Wani serves as Chief of the Cell and Developmental Biology Review Branch (CDB RB).
Dr. Maqsood Wani received his Ph.D. at the Ohio State University and did his postdoctoral work at the University of Cincinnati where he was also a new investigator in Program of Excellence in Molecular…
Dr. Maria Cardenas-Corona joined CSR following her retirement as a research professor emeritus of molecular genetics and microbiology at Duke University School of Medicine. During her academic career, her studies focused on the elucidation of the mechanism of action of the anti-cancer,…
After completing a Ph.D. in population genetics from Oregon State University, Dr. Mollie Manier received an NIH K99 Ruth Kirschstein NRSA Postdoctoral Fellowship to study gene expression and sperm morphological variation in sea urchin at Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University. She then…
After Receiving a M.D. from the University of Kansas School of Medicine, Dr. Nketi Forbang completed a General Surgery Internship at Howard University Hospital. This was followed by a T32-Fellowhip in Integrated Cardiovascular Epidemiology at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), School…