The objectives of NIGM’s COBRE initiative are to strengthen an institution’s biomedical research infrastructure through the establishment of a thematic multidisciplinary center and to enhance the ability of investigators to compete independently for NIH individual research grants or other external peer-reviewed support. COBRE awards are supported through the IDeA Program, which aims to foster health-related research by increasing competitiveness of investigators at institutions located in states with historically low aggregate success rates for grant awards from NIH.
Proposed centers are expected to develop a critical mass of investigators who can secure external funding to support their research programs. Therefore, providing research support and career development guidance to junior investigators must be one of the central focuses of the proposed Center.