NIH Simplified Peer Review Framework for Research Project Grants (RPG): Implementation and Impact on Funding Opportunities

Erica Brown, Ph.D., serves as the director of the Division of Extramural Activities (DEA) at the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS). In this position, she oversees grant-related activities of the Institute, including grants policies and procedures; the development of funding opportunities; and the receipt, referral, review, and fiscal management of grants.

Dr. Brown joined NIGMS in 2017 as the DEA deputy director. Prior to that, she served as director of the NIH Guide to Grants and Contracts in the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER), providing leadership and management of the publication of notice of funding opportunities and notices in the NIH Guide, ensuring that all announcements complied with applicable policies, regulations, and laws. While in OER, she also served as the director of the NIH Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) program and the coordinator of the NIH conference grant program. Before joining OER, she served as a scientific review officer at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

BDr. Brown earned her B.S. in biochemistry at Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania and her Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine in North Carolina.

Dr. Mark Caprara serves as Chief of the Molecular and Cellular Sciences and Technologies Review Branch (MCST RB).

After receiving his Ph.D. in biology from Temple University, he carried out postdoctoral training in the Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology at the University of Texas, Austin. He went onto Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio where he was an assistant professor carrying out research on structural/functional relationships of proteins involved in the regulation of RNA processing. In addition, his lab carried out research on mobile genetic elements.

As Communications Director for the NIH Office of Extramural Research, Ms. Megan Columbus is responsible for leading strategic planning and communication activities pertinent to the management of NIH’s extramural program. She enjoys connecting scientists and administrators to information and tools in support of their research programs, helping the broader public learn how NIH-supported research contributes to health advances, and supporting the ongoing dialog between NIH and the research community. Ms. Columbus’ office is responsible for the NIH Grants and Funding website, the NIH Guide to Grants and Contracts, the Extramural Nexus newsletter and “Open Mike” blog, eRA system communications, extramural staff training, media and legislative relations, and a host of other resources. She especially enjoys her outreach responsibilities that involve more personal engagement with the NIH extramural research community, such as live webinars and the NIH Virtual Conferences.