West Virginia University School of Pharmacy professor Paul Lockman, PhD, BSN, has been nominated to chair a review panel for the National Institutes of Health (NIH)—the world’s largest funding source for medical research.
When the NIH receives grant applications, they initially go to the Center for Scientific Review (CSR) to ensure a fair, independent, expert, and timely review—free from inappropriate influences to provide funding for the most promising research.
Dr. Lockman will chair the CSR’s Advancing Therapeutics-A (ATA) study section, which comprises scientists and physicians that review applications focused on developing new therapeutic strategies for various cancers. His role as chair will be to facilitate fair and objective discussions of grant proposals. A benefit of the review process is that grant feedback helps develop stronger scientific proposals.
“Being the chair of an NIH review panel with highly talented scientists improves your skills as a reviewer and as a researcher,” said Lockman. “It is an honor from my peers and the NIH to have provided me this leadership position.”
Dr. William Petros, Dean of the WVU School of Pharmacy, commented: “Dr. Lockman is an internationally recognized biomedical researcher conducting groundbreaking investigations and well deserving to serve in the prestigious position as a NIH study section chair.”
Dr. Lockman’s appointment to the CSR started July 1 and will run through 2025.
The CSR was established in 1946. It organizes the peer review groups or study sections that evaluate the majority (75%) of the research grant applications sent to the NIH. The CSR also receives all grant applications for the NIH and some other components of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.