Last week, the National Institutes of Health announced a program to fund new research investigators, called the NIH Director's New Innovator Award, aimed at stimulating highly innovative research and supporting promising new investigators. The new award, which offers grants of up to $1.5 million in direct costs over five years, is intended for individuals that hold an independent research position at a domestic institution, have received their most recent doctoral degree or completed their medical internship and residency in 1997 or later, and have not yet obtained an NIH R01 or similar grant. The application period opens on April 25 and closes on May 22. The NIH expects to make at least 14 awards in September. For more information, please visit http://grants.nih.gov/grants/new_investigators/innovator_award/.