Support of Researchers
A priority of the ASRM Research Institute will be to SUPPORT THE CURRENT AND NEXT GENERATION OF RESEARCHERS.
ASRM has previously supported current researchers primarily through its investigator-initiated grants at approximately $30,000 to $50,000 per grant for a total of $200,000 annually. The current NIH funding climate has reduced funding sufficiently to cause a rapid attrition of scientists able and willing to survive these difficult funding times. This is particularly true for scientists in the reproductive sciences. RFA-based research funding will be the foundation of the ASRM Research Institute funding and be determined annually by the areas of research that are prioritized. Bridging grants, a major focus on mid-level career research support and the support of new areas of research for seasoned researchers will be continued, the dollar amount and number being determined annually. Consideration will be given for an annual competitive distribution of both small grants of approximately $50K and of several multi-year $100K- 250K grants.
The health of clinical programs in reproductive medicine and survival of research in the reproductive sciences depend on the next generation of reproductive scientists, both basic and clinical. A major role of the ASRM Research Institute will be to assure the survival of reproductive research by infusing and supporting a pipeline of young investigators. ASRM has had a long tradition of collaboration with NICHD in supporting the CREST and RSDP scholars’ programs. In addition, ASRM has been supporting programs involved in the training of M.D. and Ph.D. fellows such as the Frontiers in Reproduction course, the Gordon Conferences, and the NIH annual conference for fellows going back to the inception of these programs many years ago. Support of the next generation of researchers will continue to be through the traditional scholar’s programs such as RSDP and CREST. In addition, strong consideration is being given to developing a new mentored research support mechanism by supporting “ASRM Research Scholar(s)” for a duration of three to five years, similar to federal individual K-type mentored awards. These could be funded entirely through the ASRM Research Institute or in collaboration with other organizations.