The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has announced changes to its peer review system for grant applications that are to be instituted over 18 months. The changes focus on four priorities: accessing the best reviewers, increasing review quality and transparency, guaranteeing fair reviews, and creating a permanent review process for peer review. As part of the third priority, the NIH will create a five-year, $250 million Transformative R01 Award program and invest a minimum of $750 million over the next five years in the Pioneer, EUREKA and New Innovator Awards. Specific changes include reducing application length, changing the application-rating system, decreasing the need to resubmit grant applications, and ensuring that an adequate number of early-stage and first-time NIH researchers receive grants.

Source: NIH