Several initiatives have been implemented by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) in order to foster kidney research and encourage research investigators as the NIH Division of Kidney, Urologic, & Hematologic Diseases (KUH) saw a 2% decrease in funding from the 2019 NIH budget.

Below is a list taken from an upcoming article in Kidney News March issue.

ASN initiatives:

• Kidney STARS (Students and Residents) provides complementary membership to the society, $1000 in travel support, and complementary registration to attend the ASN Annual Meeting at Kidney Week , in Washington, DC, and tailored events and networking opportunities onsite.
• Kidney TREKS (Tutored Research and Education for Kidney Scholars) seeks to accomplish the same goal through a weeklong research course retreat and long-term mentorship program.
• KidneyX , a new public-private partnership between ASN and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), aims to accelerate breakthroughs to promising new technologies for people with kidney diseases and tangentially spur interest in nephrology by positioning it as an exciting and growing field.
• ASN Foundation for Kidney Research Career Development Grants Program provides funding for young faculty to foster evolution to an independent research career and a successful application for a National Institutes of Health (NIH) full R01 grant or equivalent. By the end of the grant period, a recipient will have an independent research career and be competitive for federal and nonfederal funding.

NIDDK initiatives:

• NIH Summer Internship Program in Biomedical Research (SIP) provides a developmental training experience to promising high school, undergraduate, and graduate students who have expressed a strong interest in or are studying disciplines related to biomedical sciences.
• Postbaccalaureate Intramural Research Training program provides recent college graduates who are planning to apply to graduate or professional school an opportunity to spend one or two years performing full-time research at the NIH.
• Undergraduate Scholarship Program offers competitive scholarships to students from disadvantaged backgrounds who are committed to careers in biomedical, behavioral, and social science health-related research. The program offers paid research training at the NIH during the summer and paid employment and training at the NIH after graduation.
• Predoctoral to Postdoctoral Fellow Transition Award seeks to recruit exceptional graduate students who are recognized by their institutions for their high potential and to incentivize them to pursue a Kidney, Urologic or Hematologic postdoctoral position.
• New PI Workshop 2019 is being hosted by NIDDK on August 13-14, 2019 in Rockville, MD. Invitees will learn how first-time R01 investigators can be successful in securing continued support for their research programs and be provided the opportunity to network with other investigators and NIDDK staff.