The September issue of The Scientist included an opinion piece called “NIH R01s: No Longer the Best Science” by Dr. Les Costello.1 In that article, Dr. Costello expressed concerns about NIH policies2 related to new investigators, suggesting that they offer an unfair advantage for new applicants over established investigators. Because of these concerns, we felt the need to provide some context around issues associated with new investigators and why we believe the flow of new talent is essential for the maintenance of a productive scientific enterprise.
When Dr. Costello received his first traditional NIH research grant (R01) in 1963, success rates were near 58 percent3 and 35 percent of the competing R01s went to first-time recipients.4 Data published by the NIH and available on the NIH New Investigator Web site5 shows that since that time, the proportion of awards going to previously unfunded investigators has declined and the average age ...
