CSR’s primary role is to handle the receipt and review of all 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.
Study Sections
Applications are reviewed in study sections (Scientific Review Groups, SRGs). Review Branches (RBs) are clusters of study sections based on scientific discipline.
Review Meetings
Applications are reviewed in study sections (Scientific Review Groups, SRGs). Review Branches (RBs) are clusters of study sections based on scientific discipline.
Evaluation Initiatives
Access data visualizations, reports, and analytical tools to track progress.
Dr. Anna Riley received her Ph.D. in sociology from Washington State University. Her training is in social psychology, mental health, and gerontology. She came to CSR as an SRO intern from the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan, where she was a postdoctoral research fellow…
Dr. Anne-Sophie Wattiez received a Ph.D. in neuropharmacology from the Université d’Auvergne in France, then trained at the University of Iowa on a John J. Bonica fellowship before starting her independent research in a joint position between the University of Iowa and the Iowa City Veterans…
Selection CriteriaScientists must meet general requirements, expertise requirements, and requirements specific to the given study section/scientific review group. Balancing experience and diversity when developing rosters for a scientific review group is one of the most challenging tasks a…
Dr. Anthony Foster received his Ph.D. in molecular and cell biology from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda. He trained as a post-doctoral fellow at the National Cancer Institute before accepting a staff scientist position at the Naval Medical Research Center (NMRC…
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. Byung Min (Justin) Chung received his Ph.D. degree in cancer research from Northwestern University, where he studied kinase signaling pathways in non-small cell lung cancer. He then moved on to Johns Hopkins School of Public Health for his postdoctoral training, elucidating non-mechanical…
Ms. Debbie Dawkins is the lead extramural support assistant for the Disease Control and Applied Immunology (DCAI) review branch within the Division of Physiological and Pathological Sciences (DPPS) at CSR. Ms. Dawkins began her government career working at the National Institute of Allergy and…
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…
Ask the Right Person for Help:Before you submit your application-Speak with a program officer (PO) at the NIH institute or center that you think might be interested in funding your application. You can identify potential program officers by using NIH RePORTER to search for funded grants in your…
Dr. Noton Dutta earned his Ph.D. in microbiology from Jadavpur University, India, and subsequently completed postdoctoral research fellowships at Seoul National University, Tulane University, and Johns Hopkins University. He then joined the Division of Infectious Diseases at Johns Hopkins…
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. 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. Zhuqing Li received a Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology from the Medical University of Ohio, Toledo, Ohio. Following postdoctoral training at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), Dr. Li joined the National Eye Institute (NEI) as a staff scientist and then the head of the Clinical Immunology…
Dr. Jason Hoffert received his Ph.D. in biochemistry from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He obtained post-doctoral training in renal salt and water transport at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) in the Laboratory of Kidney and Electrolyte Metabolism. For 12…
Dr. Shuli Xia received her Ph.D. in biology from Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany. She completed her postdoctoral training at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Yale University School of Medicine. At the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Dr. Xia began her…
I’ve read the definitions of Significance and Overall Impact but the two still seem rather similar. Can you provide some additional guidance?
When determining the Overall Impact score, should it equal the arithmetic mean of the scores for the scored review criteria?
Is it possible for an…
Dr. Dmitri Gnatenko holds a Ph.D. degree in molecular biology from the Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. His postdoctoral studies at the Division of Hematology of Stony Brook University’s School of Medicine focused on gene therapy approaches…
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. Manas Chattopadhyay received his Ph.D. in biological science from the Bose Institute and Jadavpur University, both in India. He conducted postdoctoral research at the Jikei University School of Medicine in Japan and the National Institutes of Health, USA. Prior to joining CSR, Dr. Chattopadhyay…
Dr. Yingli Fu received her Ph.D. in bioengineering from the University of Maryland, College Park. She completed her post-doctoral training in radiology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Prior to her role at CSR, Dr. Fu was an assistant professor of radiology at Johns Hopkins…
How does NIH describe an Early Stage Investigator (ESI)?
What are the advantages of early stage investigator (ESI) status?
How does NIH describe an Early Stage Investigator (ESI)?
An ESI, or Early Stage Investigator, is a Program Director / Principal Investigator (PD/PI) who has completed…
Dr. Hernandez-Ochoa received an M.D. degree in general medicine and surgery and a Ph.D. degree in neurophysiology from the National Autonomous University of Mexico. During his postdoctoral training at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, he investigated the role of calcium signals and…
Dr. Drake Morgan completed his Ph.D. in the Department of Experimental and Biological Psychology at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and received postdoctoral training in the Department of Physiological and Pharmacology at Wake Forest University. Dr. Morgan then established a…