NIDDK New PI Workshop

Event Details

Purpose

The purpose of the NIDDK New PI Workshop is to provide first-time NIDDK R01 principal investigators with the information they will need to be successful in securing continued support for their research programs at this critical juncture in their career. The meeting also will provide a networking forum for the new investigators to interact with NIDDK Program and Review staff, with mid-career NIDDK-funded investigators, and with each other (peer-to-peer). Participation in the workshop is by invitation only.

Meeting Objectives

This conference supports the NIH mission to seek fundamental knowledge about health and disease, and specifically advances two NIH goals: to foster fundamental creative discoveries, innovative research strategies, and their applications as a basis for ultimately protecting and improving health; and to develop, maintain, and renew scientific human and physical resources that will ensure the Nation's capability to prevent disease. Toward that latter goal, the workshop will facilitate the career development, continued success and research productivity of first-time recipients of NIDDK R01 funding.

Registration Deadline

January 29, 2026

Agenda

Thursday, February 5, 2026

10:00 a.m. – 10:10 a.m.

Introduction and Workshop Overview
Terez Shea-Donohue, Ph.D., Program Director, Division of Digestive Disorders and Nutrition (DDN), National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institutes of Health (NIH)

10:10 a.m. – 10:25 a.m.

Welcome Message from the NIDDK Director
Griffin P. Rodgers, M.D., MACP, Director, NIDDK, NIH

10:25 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.

Keynote: Building Your Research Group and Program
Sahib Khalsa, M.D., Ph.D., Psychiatrist and Neuroscientist, University of California, Los Angeles

11:15 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.

Applying for NIH Funding After Your First R01
Joseph Hyser, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Baylor College of Medicine

11:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.

Supporting Your Trainees
Leslie Gewin, M.D., Professor of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis

12:15 p.m. – 12:45 p.m.

Mentorship, Sponsorship, and Coaching for Research Success
Kristy Townsend, Ph.D., Professor, The Ohio State University

12:45 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.

Lunch: Meet with NIDDK Program Officers
NIDDK Program Staff

1:45 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

NIH Peer Review
NIDDK Program Staff

2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Building Collaborations in Different Research Settings
Madhusudan Grover, M.B.B.S., Gastroenterologist, Mayo Clinic
Jake McCauley, Ph.D., Professor, University of Miami

3:30 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.

Break

3:45 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.

NIDDK Collaborative Programs and Opportunities
NIDDK Program Staff

3:45 p.m. – 4:05 p.m.

NIDDK-Wide Programs

4:05 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.

Breakout Sessions by NIDDK Division (DDN; Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology, & Metabolic Diseases; Division of Kidney, Urologic, & Hematologic Diseases)

4:45 p.m. – 4:50 p.m.

Day 1 Wrap-Up
Terez Shea-Donohue, Ph.D., Program Director, DDN, NIDDK, NIH

4:50 p.m.

Adjournment

Friday, February 6, 2026

8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

Coffee/Breakfast: Meet with NIDDK Program Officers
NIDDK Program Staff

9:00 a.m. – 9:05 a.m.

Day 2 Introduction
Ludmila Pawlikowska, Ph.D., Program Director, DDN, NIDDK, NIH

9:05 a.m. – 9:20 a.m.

NIDDK DDN Division Director’s Welcome
Stephen James, M.D., Division Director, DDN, NIDDK, NIH

9:20 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Mid-career Faculty Panel Discussions: Overcoming Setbacks and Challenges
(Three Breakout Rooms by Research Type)

Round 1: 9:25 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Round 2: 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

• Theresa Alenghat, V.M.D., Ph.D., Professor, University of Cincinnati
• Leslie Gewin, M.D., Professor of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis
• Madhusudan Grover, M.B.B.S., Gastroenterologist, Mayo Clinic
• Sarah Huen, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
• Joseph Hyser, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Baylor College of Medicine
• Sahib Khalsa, M.D., Ph.D., Psychiatrist and Neuroscientist, University of California, Los Angeles
• Jake McCauley, Ph.D., Professor, University of Miami
• Emily Noble, Ph.D., Associate Professor, The University of Georgia
• Jennifer Pluznick, Ph.D., Associate Professor, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
• Kristy Townsend, Ph.D., Professor, The Ohio State University
• Joni Williams, M.D., M.P.H., Associate Professor, Medical College of Wisconsin

11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Lunch: Attendee–Speaker Networking

12:30 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Meeting Wrap-Up
Ludmila Pawlikowska, Ph.D., Program Director, DDN, NIDDK, NIH

1:00 p.m.

Meeting Adjournment

Travel

Hotel Accommodations

Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center
5701 Marinelli Road
Rockville, MD 20852
Telephone: (301) 822-9200
Reserve a Room

Government Room Rate

A limited block of sleeping rooms for meeting participants has been reserved at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center. The rate is the group rate of $196 per night for single occupancy, plus tax (13%). The room block will be in effect at the group rate only until Monday, January 7, 2026, or until full, whichever comes first. Any room reservations received after this date will be accepted on a space- and rate-availability basis. Please be certain that the hotel provides you with a confirmation number for your reservation.

Reservation Dates

Book your arrival date as Wednesday, February 4, 2026, and departure as Friday, February 6, 2026. If you require alternate dates, please contact Mark Dennis of The Scientific Consulting Group, Inc. (SCG).

Check-in

When making a reservation, please provide your room and bedding preferences. The hotel will assign specific room types at check-in, based on availability. Please be advised that requests are not guaranteed. Check-in time is 4:00 p.m., and checkout time is 12:00 p.m.

Cancellations

If you need to cancel your reservation, please do so 48 hours prior to your arrival date, or you will be charged a no-show fee for 1 night on your credit card.

Workshop attendees are responsible for their own travel and accommodations costs.