Lasker Clinical Research Scholars
Program Overview
The Lasker Scholars program aims to support successful candidates in two phases. Applicants will apply for an initial period of support in the Intramural Research Program. Selected scholars who successfully complete the initial phase will be able to remain within the IRP or to apply for extramural grant funding in the second phase. The first phase will support scholars in the IRP for 5 years, with the possibility of an extension of this phase for an additional 2 years. Lasker Scholars will be appointed as independent tenure-track investigators within an NIH Institute or Center, a process that includes being hired as a full time employee at the NIH and completing the procedures required of new Federal government employees. The IRP will provide space, research expenses, full salary, and Federal employee benefits. Scholars will develop independent research activities over the course of their stay in the IRP, and will be formally reviewed by a panel of senior extramural investigators every 2 to 4 years to evaluate their research progress.
Upon successfully completing the initial IRP phase of the program, the Lasker Scholar will be eligible for two options in the second phase:
Option 1. Remain in the IRP with continued intramural funding and progression to tenured senior investigator status after appropriate assessment. Retention in the IRP will be dependent on the development of a mutual agreement between the Scholar and the IRP. Tenure at the NIH requires evaluation and approval by the NIH Deputy Director for Intramural Research.
Option 2. The Scholar can compete for an extramural research grant as an independent researcher, to be awarded by an extramural component of the NIH. This option will allow successful investigators to leave the IRP to continue their research at an extramural institution. Applicants who are completing the IRP phase will be eligible to submit a research grant application to NIH. Funding priority will be given to applicants who have demonstrated progress in their proposed research plans, and obtained an independent extramural position. The grant is expected to provide direct funding of up to $500,000/year (plus indirect costs) for up to 5 years/project periods at the extramural institution. If Scholars leave the Lasker program for an extramural position prior to 5 years of research in the IRP, they will not be eligible to apply for this funding priority, but they may be eligible for other kinds of extramural NIH research grants announced in the NIH Guide.
Research Areas of Interest
Applications appropriate to the mission of any of the participating Institutes and Centers will be accepted. However, the IRP will give highest priority to those applications which propose research within the fields given below, listed by participating Institutes/Centers. Applicants are encouraged to discuss their proposed research with the Institute/Center contact person to determine the suitability of their research program for this initiative.
National Cancer Institute
- Medical oncology, pediatric hematology-oncology, radiation oncology, surgical oncology, pathology, neuro-oncology, urology and dermatology. Specific areas within these categories include genitourinary oncology, thoracic oncology, lymphoma/myeloma, neuron-oncology, immunotherapy, breast cancer, sarcoma, molecular diagnostics, and functional imaging.
- Translational and clinical epidemiology/genetics of cancer
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
- Pain mechanisms and management
National Eye Institute
- Computational medicine
- Regenerative medicine
- Bioengineering for vision restoration
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
- Cardiovascular blood and pulmonary research: regenerative medicine, pediatric and developmental biology
- Cardiovascular research: heart failure, electrophysiology, interventional therapeutics
- Blood research: chronic myeloproliferative disorders, benign hematology, bone marrow failure syndromes, myelodysplastic syndromes, hematological malignancies, and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
- Pulmonary research: pulmonary interstitial disease, pulmonary hypertension
- Sickle cell research
National Human Genome Research Institute
- Genomic medicine
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
- Development of medications for treatment of diseases/disorders of addiction
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
- Hepatitis
- Food allergy
- Antimicrobial resistance (gram negative bacteria)
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
- Rheumatology
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
-
Metabolic diseases and neurogenetics; bone growth and skeletal dysplasia; endocrine oncology; regenerative medicine and stem cell biology; perinatal medicine; reproductive medicine; rehabilitative medicine; developmental biology and medicine; developmental neurosciences; women’s health.
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
- Hearing and balance
National Institute on Dental and Craniofacial Research
- Oral and craniofacial function and dysfunction
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
- Any area of environmental medicine
National Institute on Drug Abuse
- Development of medications for treatment of diseases/disorders of addiction
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
- Any area of neurology or stroke
National Institute of Nursing Research
- Molecular-genetic mechanisms that contribute to symptoms biology; discovery of novel mechanisms and development of investigational (including interventional) strategies for symptoms associated with fatigue, chronic abdominal pain, fibromyalgia, traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, cardiovascular vasculoprotective nutritional interventions, congenital myopathies and muscular dystrophies, and end-of-life and palliative care.
Contacts
Direct general questions about the program to:
General Information
Charles R. Dearolf, Ph.D.
Assistant Director for Intramural Research
National Institutes of Health
Building 1, Room 152
Bethesda, MD 20892
Email: LaskerScholar@nih.gov
Direct inquires about the scientific and technical review to:
Syed M. Quadri, Ph.D.
Chief, Oncology Translational Clinical IRG
Center for Scientific Review
National Institutes of Health
6701 Rockledge Drive, Rm 6210
Bethesda, MD 20892
Tel: 301-435-1211
Fax: 301-480-0287
Email: quadris@csr.nih.gov
Direct inquiries about Institute/Center programmatic interests and issues to the individuals listed below:
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Dr. Lee Helman (oncology)
31 Center Drive, Room 3A11
Bethesda, MD 20892
Tel: 301-496-4257
Email: helmanl@mail.nih.gov
Dr. Peggy Tucker (epidemiology)
6120 Executive Blvd.
EPS 7122, MSC 7236
Rockville, MD 20892
Tel: 301-496-4375
Email: tuckerp@mail.nih.gov
National Eye Institute (NEI)
Dr. Sheldon Miller
31 Center Drive, Room 6A22
Bethesda, MD 20892
Tel: 301-496-3180
Email: millers@nei.nih.gov
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Dr. Robert Balaban
10 Center Drive CRC, Room 4-1581
Bethesda, MD 20892
Tel: 301-496-2116
Email: balabanr@nhlbi.nih.gov
National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)
Dr. Dan Kastner
50 South Drive, Room 5222
Bethesda, MD 20892
Tel: 301-402-2023
Email: kastnerd@mail.nih.gov
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Dr. Markus Heilig
10 Center Drive CRC, Hatfield Clinical Research Center
Room 1-5330
Bethesda, MD 20892
Tel: 301-435-9386
Email: mheilig@mail.nih.gov
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID)
Dr. Kathryn Zoon
33 North Drive, Room 2609G2
Bethesda, MD 20892
Tel: 301-496-3006
Email: kzoon@niaid.nih.gov
Dr. Karyl Barron
33 North Drive, Room 2N09D
Bethesda, MD 20892
Tel: 301-402-2208
Email: kbarron@niaid.nih.gov
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
Dr. Richard Siegel
10 Center Drive, Room 13C103A
Bethesda, MD 20892
Tel: 301-496-3761
Email: siegelr@mail.nih.gov
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and
Human Development (NICHD)
Dr. Constantine Stratakis
31 Center Drive, Room 2A46
Bethesda, MD 20892
Tel: 301-594-5984
Email: stratakc@cc1.nichd.nih.gov
Ms. Brenda Hanning
Building 31, Room 2A46
31 Center Drive
Bethesda, MD 20892
Tel: 301-451-7753
Email: HanningB@mail.nih.gov
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
Ms. Linda De Iberri
5 Research Court, Room 2B28
Rockville, MD 20892
Tel: 301-402-2829
Email: deiberril@nidcd.nih.gov
National Institute on Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)
Dr. Lynn King
701 Democracy, Room 690
Bethesda, MD 20892
Tel: 301-594-5006
Email: lking@dir.nidcr.nih.gov
Dr. Jim Melvin
10 Center Drive CRC, Room 5-2531
Bethesda, MD 20892
Tel: 301-402-1706
Email: melvinje@mail.nih.gov
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Dr. Antonello Bonci
Bldg BRC, Room 04A521, MSC 0000
251 Bayview Blvd.
Baltimore, MD 21224
Tel: 443-740-2463
Email: boncia@mail.nih.gov
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
Dr. Darryl Zeldin
Bldg. 101, Room A214
111 T W Alexander Drive
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
Tel: 919-541-1169
Email: zeldin@niehs.nih.gov
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Dr. Mark Hallett (Intramural)
10 Center Drive, Magnuson Clinical Center, Room 7D37
Bethesda, MD 20892
Tel: 301-496-9526
Email: hallettm@ninds.nih.gov
Dr. Stephen Korn (Extramural)
NSC – Neuro Science Center, 2186
6001 Executive Blvd.
Rockville, MD
Tel: 301-496-4188
Email: korns@ninds.nih.gov
National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)
Dr. Ann Cashion
3 Center Drive, Room 5E28
Bethesda, MD 20892
Tel: 301-496-0294
Email: ann.cashion@nih.gov
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM)
Dr. Catherine Bushnell
35 Convent Drive, Room 1C917
Bethesda, MD 20892
Tel: 301-496-2222
Email: mary.bushnell@nih.gov
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