The National Institutes of Health recently announced 2016 Director’s New Innovator Award Program recipients with at least seven Indian Americans among those honored. Among the 48 Innovators recognized by The National Institutes of Health, the Indian Americans on the list included, Parijat Bhatnagar, Anshul Kundaje, Dr. Meena S. Madhur, Nikhil U. Nair, Rushika M. Perera, Rahul Satija and Dr. Arun P. Wiita.
The Director’s New Innovator Award Program was part of the NIH Common Fund’s High-Risk, High-Reward Research program that seeks to identify scientists with ideas that have the potential for high impact, but may be at a stage too early to fare well in the traditional peer review process. These awards encourage creative, outside-the-box thinkers to pursue exciting and innovative ideas in biomedical research.
The Innovator Award was established in 2007 and supports unusually innovative research from early-career investigators who are within 10 years of their final degree or clinical residency and have not yet received a research project grant or equivalent NIH grant. The award complements ongoing efforts by NIH and its institutes and centers to fund new investigators through R01 grants and other mechanisms.
“The program continues to support high-caliber investigators whose ideas stretch the boundaries of our scientific knowledge,” said NIH director Dr. Francis S. Collins. “We welcome the newest cohort of outstanding scientists to the program and look forward to their valuable contributions.”
