The NIH Common Fund issued 40 New Innovator awards awards in 2024
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Common Fund is a funding entity within NIH that supports scientific programs that catalyze discovery across all biomedical and behavioral research. These programs create a space where investigators and multiple NIH Institutes and Centers collaborate on innovative research expected to address high priority challenges for the NIH and make an impact in the scientific community.
The High-Risk, High-Reward Research program, part of the Common Fund, supports exceptionally creative scientists pursuing highly innovative research with the potential for broad impact in biomedical, behavioral, or social sciences within the NIH mission. The program manages four awards, including The New Innovator Award, established in 2007, which 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 large independent NIH grant.
Among the 40 awardees was Ziyang Zhang, Assistant Professor of Chemistry & Chemical Biology (grant no. DP2 DK143366-01). His project focuses on targeting specific proteins called MHC that play a key role in how our immune system works. His lab's research is exploring ways to target these proteins directly to develop new treatments for cancer and autoimmune diseases.
NIH Director’s Awards are considered prestigious awards, and are given to scientists proposing exceptionally creative high-risk, high-impact research at all career stages.