Dear Colleagues,
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has issued a Request for Information seeking public feedback on a proposal that would limit the number of simultaneous NIH Research Project Grants (RPGs) that may be held by an individual principal investigator. The proposal is outlined in NIH Notice NOT-OD-26-086, “Proposal to Cap the Number of Simultaneous Research Project Grants per Principal Investigator to Support More Researchers and Maximize Scientific Productivity and Innovation.” Interested readers can review the proposal on the NIH website.
According to NIH, the proposal is intended to explore whether limiting the number of concurrent RPG awards held by a single investigator could broaden research opportunities, support a larger number of investigators and maximize scientific productivity and innovation across the biomedical research enterprise. NIH is seeking community input on the potential benefits, challenges and unintended consequences of such a policy.
As with many federal policy proposals affecting research, the implications of this proposal could be significant and may vary across disciplines, research programs and institutions. The University of Michigan is currently analyzing the proposal and evaluating its potential impact on our research community. We are also exploring the most effective ways to provide feedback during the NIH comment period.
We recognize that many members of our research community may have perspectives on this proposal based on their own experiences leading, participating in or supporting NIH-funded research. Individuals are welcome to submit comments directly to NIH. However, anyone choosing to do so should make clear that they are expressing their personal views and expertise, not the views of the University of Michigan. Individual responses should not be submitted on university letterhead or otherwise imply institutional endorsement.
We will continue to monitor developments related to this proposal and share relevant updates as they become available.
Sincerely,
Skip
Arthur Lupia
Vice President for Research and Innovation
Gerald R. Ford Distinguished University Professor