The Department of Contracts and Grants is sharing an upcoming NIH webinar of interest to the USC research community:
“Understanding NIH’s Unified Funding Strategy: What the Research Community Needs to Know.”
NIH leadership will provide an overview of the agency’s Unified Funding Strategy, including its rationale, goals, and implementation across NIH Institutes and Centers. The webinar is intended for the NIH extramural research community and will also address misconceptions and support greater understanding of how NIH funding decisions are made.
Why This Matters
NIH’s Unified Funding Strategy gives Institute, Center, and Office Directors flexibility to consider multiple factors when making funding decisions, including:
- Peer review assessments of scientific merit
- Institute and Center priorities
- Scientific opportunity
- Program balance
- Geographic balance
- Workforce needs
NIH emphasizes that peer review remains central to assessing scientific and technical merit. Under the strategy, funding decisions may consider the full range of reviewer feedback, including scientific strengths and concerns, differing expert opinions, innovation, and high-risk/high-reward potential.
NIH Leadership Panel
Scheduled speakers include Matthew Memoli, M.D., NIH Principal Deputy Director; Jon Lorsch, Ph.D., NIH Deputy Director for Extramural Research; Ray Jacobson, Ph.D., Director of the Center for Scientific Review; Bruce Tromberg, Ph.D., Director of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering; Nora Volkow, M.D., Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse; and Karl Malik, Ph.D., Director of the Division of Extramural Activities at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
Event Details
Date: Friday, August 14, 2026
Time: 10:00–11:00 a.m. ET (7:00–8:00 a.m. PT)
Format: Virtual Webinar
A recording will be posted following the event.