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. Yan received her Ph.D. in biology from Johns Hopkins University. Her dissertation research at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) focused on immuno-oncology to understand how host immunity affects metastasis. For her post-doctoral training at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Dr. Yan…
Dr. Amy Rubinstein serves as Chief of the Basic and Translational Cancer Review Branch (BTC RB).Dr. Rubinstein received her Ph.D. in biology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill studying the molecular genetics of pollen development in maize. As a postdoctoral fellow at the Carnegie…
Dr. Cynthia McOliver obtained her Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center. She holds a Ph.D. in environmental health sciences and a risk sciences and public policy certificate from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She has…
Dr. Syed Quadri serves as Chief of the Cancer Diagnosis, Prevention & Therapeutics Review Branch (CDPT RB).
After earning a Ph.D. (1987) in bioorganic chemistry from George Washington University, Dr. Quadri has conducted basic and translational research focused on human cancers. He began his…
Dr. Yuanna Cheng serves as Chief of the Imaging, Surgery, and Bioengineering Review Branch (ISB RB).
Dr. Yuanna Cheng earned a M.D. in Medicine at Tongji Medical University in China and a Ph.D. in physiology at Medical College of Oita in Japan. This was followed by a postdoctoral fellowship in the…
Dr. Jennifer Kielczewski received her Ph.D. in physiology and pharmacology from the University of Florida. She obtained post-doctoral training in immunoregulation of the eye at the National Eye Institute (NEI) in the Laboratory of Immunology. Prior to joining CSR, she held a staff scientist…
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…
Mark D. Lindner, PhD, is currently serving as Acting Branch Chief of the Analysis, Informatics, and Automation (AIA) Branch within the Division of Planning, Analysis, and Information Management (DPAIM) at CSR—a role he assumed in August 2023 following seven years as leader of the Office of Planning…
Dr. Carl White earned a Ph.D. in physiology from Queen’s University Belfast in the United Kingdom and completed postdoctoral training at the University of Pennsylvania, where he investigated calcium-dependent cell-signaling mechanisms. Dr. White then joined the faculty of Rosalind Franklin…
Dr. Elaine Sierra-Rivera serves as Chief of the Endocrine and Metabolic Systems Review Branch (EMS RB).After receiving her Ph.D. in cancer biology/radiation biology at the University of Iowa, Dr. Sierra-Rivera had postdoctoral training in the pathology department at Brown University. She then went…
Before joining CSR, Dr. Shahana Majid was an associate professor at the University of California, San Francisco. The main focus of Dr. Majid’s research was to understand the genetic, epigenetic, molecular signaling pathways and non-coding RNAs that drive initiation, progression and metastasis of…
Dr. Gagan Pandya serves as Chief of the Basic Neuroscience Review Branch (BN RB).Before coming to CSR, Dr. Gagan Pandya was a staff scientist and a team leader for the comparative genomics program within the Pathogen Functional Genomics Resource Center at the J. Craig Venter Institute in Rockville…
Ms. Carla Ward is an Ethics Program Specialist located in the Office of the Director. She, along with other Ethics Specialists, are responsible for being the first line of contact for employees. Ms. Ward assists CSR’s Deputy Ethics Counselor with handling the day-to-day functioning of…
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. Tuo’s research career was mainly at the National Eye Institute. He studied the epidemiology and immunology of various ocular diseases with a focus on genetic epidemiology, immunological pathways, and biomarkers. Dr. Tuo spent two years at the National Institute on Aging, where he studied DNA…
Dr. Jonathan Ivins serves as Chief of the Kidney, Urology, and Digestive Systems Review Branch (KUDS RB).
Dr. Ivins received his Ph.D. in pharmacology from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. After postdoctoral work at CalTech, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and UC Irvine…
Dr. Raul Rojas received his Ph.D. in molecular cell biology and physiology at the School of Medicine of the University of Pittsburgh. There he investigated the role that small G proteins play in the regulation of vesicular trafficking and polarity establishment/maintenance in epithelial cells. He…
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…
New to IAR? Want to know what happens once you receive a meeting invitation from your Scientific Review Officer? Or how to access grant applications and meeting materials? Or look up conflicts of interest? We have just the tools for you.
A new series of video tutorial on navigating the IAR module…
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. Jessica M. Smith came to CSR from the Common Fund within the NIH Office of the Director, where she served as a scientific program analyst. She provided scientific expertise and analytical skills to facilitate review for Other Transaction Authority (OTA) awards, program management, strategic…
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. Tina Tang received her Ph.D. in neuroscience from the NIH Graduate Partnerships Program jointly hosted by the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom and the NIH Intramural Program. She conducted her graduate research at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke studying…