The Next Generation Researchers Initiative at NIH
Posted: 11/21/2017 (Demography News)
Within the past couple of decades, academia has experienced not only an increase in competition for a decreasing amount of funding, but also the aging of the research workforce. Furthermore, senior researchers are more likely to be awarded funding than are those in the beginnings, and perhaps even the middle, of their research careers. So while newer researchers may face difficulties in securing opportunities that will enable them to get their careers off the ground, relatively more experienced researchers may not be able to continue their career trajectory due to challenges in renewing or obtaining new grants. To combat these issues, The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has created the “Next Generation Researchers Initiative,” which seeks to augment opportunities for early and mid-career researchers to secure funding. You can read more about the initiative and the issues driving it below.