42 U.S.C. § 283o — Next generation of researchers

(a) Next generation of researchers initiative The law sets up the Next Generation of Researchers Initiative inside the Office of the Director of NIH. Through it, the Director must coordinate all NIH policies and programs aimed at helping new researchers and giving them research independence earlier in their careers. (b) Activities Through the Initiative, the Director must: promote NIH policies and programs, including existing ones, that improve opportunities for new researchers and help them gain independence sooner; develop, change, or prioritize NIH policies as needed to create these opportunities — for example, policies that increase new researchers' access to funding, strengthen training and mentoring, and improve workforce diversity; coordinate, where appropriate, with other agencies, professional and academic groups, universities, and others, to improve and update information about the biomedical research workforce, to guide training, recruiting, and keeping biomedical researchers; and carry out other appropriate activities — including evaluating and overseeing existing programs — to develop the next generation of researchers and help them gain independence earlier.