Dr. Raymond H. Jacobson has been selected as the new director of the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) Center for Scientific Review (CSR), effective June 14, 2026, where he will oversee the expert and fair review of tens of thousands of grant applications annually.
NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, M.D., praised Dr. Jacobson, stating, “Dr. Jacobson will continue strengthening NIH’s centralized peer review system so that we can continue backing the most scientifically meritorious research ideas in support of NIH’s mission.” Dr. Bhattacharya added that his leadership would help ensure the first level of NIH review remains rigorous, fair, and transparent for all applicants.
Prior to this appointment, Dr. Jacobson served as CSR’s acting director following the retirement of Dr. Bruce Reed and played a key role in guiding NIH’s centralization of peer review. In 2025, as Acting Deputy Director of the NIH Office of Extramural Research, he advanced efforts to reduce administrative burden and simplify application receipt and referral policies as director of the CSR Division of Receipt and Referral.
Dr. Jacobson joined CSR in 2009 as a scientific review officer, progressing through roles including chief of the Biological Chemistry and Macromolecular Biophysics IRG, and Director of CSR’s Division of Basic and Integrated Biological Sciences. He earned his Ph.D. at the University of Oregon, Eugene, and completed his postdoctoral training at the University of California, Berkeley.