Letters from Early Stage Investigators (ESIs)

NIDCD is committed to the Next Generation Researchers Initiative policy to fund more early career investigators and to enhance the biomedical research workforce. NIDCD has procedures and funding policies that allow prioritization of awards to Early Stage Investigators (ESIs). Due to compression of peer review for January and May 2026 Council rounds and implementation of the NIH Unified Funding Strategy, NIDCD will no longer accept a written response to the summary statement from applicants for sharing with NIDCD program staff and NDCD Advisory Council.