CSR Director Byrnes Retires
Dr. Noni Byrnes, director of NIH’s Center for Scientific Review, retired from federal service on Aug. 31.
Byrnes served as CSR Director since 2019, overseeing a majority of NIH’s scientific peer review, which remains the gold standard for grant peer review around the world. Most recently, she oversaw the HHS and NIH effort to centralize peer review of all the agency’s grants, cooperative agreements and research and development contracts— totaling approximately 100,000 per year.
During her tenure, Byrnes led the successful development and implementation of multiple initiatives to promote quality, integrity and fairness in NIH peer review. These include ENQUIRE (Evaluating Panel Quality in Review), CSR’s systematic, data-driven process for the continuous restructuring of study sections to align with current and emerging science; NIH’s new Simplified Review Framework for Research Project Grants, which simultaneously focuses reviewers on the important question of significance/innovation, reduces the inappropriate influence of the institution’s reputation or the investigator’s pedigree on the research project evaluation, and removes many administrative compliance items from the scientific peer review process; and NIH’s revised fellowship application and review criteria, which identifies the most promising among the next generation of biomedical research scientists.
Byrnes also implemented many other changes to review practices and culture, designed to promote integrity, accountability and active management of undue influence in NIH peer review.
“Within CSR, Dr. Byrnes made strategic decisions to develop foundational capacity in technology, data analytics, and training, and significantly increased CSR’s engagement with the broader extramural scientific community—all of which were critical for thoughtful implementation of the changes in peer review,” said NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya. “She demonstrated her expertise in leading organizational change, evident by her prioritization of strengthening internal communications, increasing transparency within the center, investing in staff development and recognizing employee achievements.”
Byrnes joined CSR in 2000 as a scientific review officer in the Chemistry and Biophysics Branch. Prior to becoming director, she took on a variety of leadership roles with increasing responsibility. Prior to joining CSR, she conducted research in bioanalytical chemistry in the pharmaceutical industry. Byrnes holds a Ph.D. in analytical chemistry from Emory University in Atlanta.
CSR Deputy Director Dr. Bruce Reed will serve as acting director while a search is conducted for Byrnes’ replacement.