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. 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…
Dr. James Mack serves as Chief of the Macromolecular Biophysics and Biological Chemistry Review Branch (MBBC RB).Dr. James W. Mack earned his Ph.D. in physical chemistry, specializing in solid-state NMR spectroscopy, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He then did postdoctoral work at…
Before coming to CSR, Dr. Shivakumar Chittari worked at the Henry M. Jackson foundation supporting the NIH Uniformed Services University (USU) Precision Medicine Program as Director for Administration and Research Projects. In addition, he provided scientific peer review support for the USU Vice…
Dr. Jimok Kim received his Ph.D. degree in neuroscience from the University of Maryland, Baltimore. He completed postdoctoral training at Stanford University studying neurophysiology and cannabinoid receptor pharmacology. Thereafter, Dr. Kim moved to the Medical College of Georgia, where his…
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…
Who is included in the small business peer-review study sections?
What are the differences between the SBIR and STTR programs?
What is a Fast-track award?
How do I become an NIH SBIR/STTR application reviewer?
Who is included in the small business peer-review study sections?
Small business…
Who is included in the small business peer-review study sections?
What are the differences between the SBIR and STTR programs?
What is a Fast-track award?
How do I become an NIH SBIR/STTR application reviewer?
Who is included in the small business peer-review study sections?
Small business…
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. Brian Scott joined CSR in 2016 as a Divisional SRO in the Division of Neuroscience, Development and Aging (DNDA) and is currently an SRO in the Integrative and Cognitive Neuroscience review branch where he oversees the Auditory System study section. Dr. Scott’s experience reviewing a broad…
Dr. Kenneth A. Roebuck received his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), and San Diego State University, where he studied the transcriptional regulation of small nuclear RNA genes. As a postdoctoral fellow at UCSD, Dr. Roebuck began research on HIV gene…
CSR Accessibility Policy
The Web pages of the Center for Scientific Review (CSR) are currently being modified to make them accessible to all users and compatible with screen readers and other assistive technologies. During this time, it is possible that you may encounter problems when accessing…
CSR Accessibility Policy
The Web pages of the Center for Scientific Review (CSR) are currently being modified to make them accessible to all users and compatible with screen readers and other assistive technologies. During this time, it is possible that you may encounter problems when accessing…
Dr. Kristin Kramer received her Ph.D. in zoology from the University of Minnesota, completed postdoctoral training at both the Department of Biology at the University of Maryland and the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She then served as an assistant professor in…
Dr. Razvan Cornea has a PhD in biochemistry and biophysics from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities (UMN). His background in spectroscopic techniques for biological membranes was complemented by molecular and cell biology through postdoctoral training at Indiana University. He returned to the…
Dr. Haru Murata earned his M.D./Ph.D. with dissertation research in Molecular Cell Biology from the Medical Scientist Training Program at Washington University School of Medicine. Dr. Murata then pursued post-doctoral training in public health through the Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program (…
Three Tools to Help Direct Your Application to the Best Place for Review and Funding1. Use NIH RePorter to locate funded applications in your field and discover:The scientific review groups (located in Project Information) in which they were reviewed.The NIH Institutes and Centers that fund this…
Dr. Devaiah Ballachanda earned his Master’s degree in Biotechnology from the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, and his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from Purdue University. He was a researcher in the intramural program of the National Cancer Institute for over 15 years. Dr. Ballachanda’s…
Dr. Jian Cao received his M.D. from Zhengzhou University School of Medicine in China and an M.S. from the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. He had postdoctoral training in the field of molecular and cellular biology of cancer at Kanazawa University in Japan and then at Stony Brook University (…
Dr. Michelle M. Timmerman is the Associate Director/Guide Liaison Officer at the Division of Receipt and Referral (DRR) at CSR.Prior to joining DRR, she served in the Office of Extramural Research as the Acting Director and Guide Policy Officer of the NIH Guide to Grants and Contracts. She also…
Dr. Rich Lovering received his Ph.D. in rehabilitation sciences at the University of Maryland Baltimore (UMB) School of Medicine. His graduate work utilized animal models to study underlying mechanisms of skeletal muscle injury and recovery. His post-doctoral work was in the Department of…
Dr. Zarana Patel earned her Ph.D. in bioengineering from Rice University where she used polymeric biomaterials for controlled growth factor delivery to regenerate vascularized musculoskeletal tissues. She then joined the Space Radiation Element at NASA Johnson Space Center, performing…
Office of the Director (OD)Dr. Noni Byrnes, Director Dr. Kristin Kramer, Senior Advisor Mr. Jamie Greuber, Executive Assistant to the Director Mr. Robert O'Hearn, Program Specialist Dr. Bruce Reed, Deputy Director Ms. Yvette Alston, Management…
Dr. Elisaveta Voynova received her Ph.D. in immunology from the Bulgarian Academy of Science, where she developed chimeric antibodies as novel immunotherapy for autoimmune disease. She then completed her postdoctoral training at the Autoimmunity and Functional Genomics Section of the…
Dr. Ian Thorpe received his Ph.D. from The Scripps Research Institute (California) in the field of computational biochemistry and biophysics, where he was a trainee of the La Jolla Interfaces in Science program. He then did postdoctoral training in the Center for Biophysical Modeling and Simulation…