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Letter of Intent on International Collaboration in Complementary, Alternative, and Traditional Medicine Research

Participants
The China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences of the
People's Republic of China

The Department of International Cooperation of the State Administration of
Traditional Chinese Medicine of the People's Republic of China

The Department of Social Development Science and Technology of the Ministry of
Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine of the
National Institutes of Health of the
Department of Health and Human Services of the
United States of America

Following extensive consultation, dialogue, and review, the participants have reached the following agreement:

Recognizing the various and mutual interests and goals of the participants in developing the field of scientific research in complementary, alternative, and traditional medicine (CAM/TM)¹ , as defined in their respective strategic plans; and Recognizing the requisite need to bring together traditional medical knowledge with state-of-the-art scientific research, technology, and methods through individual scientist-to-scientist collaborations to achieve these mutual interests and goals; and

Recognizing the national leadership related to science and technology activities of the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) of the Peoples' Republic of China (PRC); the national leadership related to TCM activities of the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (SATCM) of the PRC; and the extensive experience, expertise, resources, and national influence related to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) of the Chinese Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences (CACMS) of the PRC; and

Recognizing the extensive experience, expertise, resources, and national leadership related to complementary, alternative, and traditional medicine (CAM) research of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) of the United States of America (USA); and

Recognizing the numerous ongoing collaborative research, research training, and international exchange activities related to TCM which are supported in whole or in part by MOST, SATCM, CACMS, and NCCAM;

Therefore the CACMS, MOST, SATCM and the NCCAM hereby agree to work together to advance the scientific discipline of CAM/TM research through approaches intended to foster and stimulate additional scientific exchange and collaboration between individual scientists and research institutions in both countries. The purpose of this Letter of Intent is to identify broad areas of mutual interest, and general activities that could be carried out in support of their shared priorities and objectives.

The following priority areas of mutual interest have been identified:

Basic and clinical research on acupuncture.
Development of methodology for research involving:
- Study of complex simultaneous interventions (e.g., herbal medicine mixtures, or mixed modality approaches, etc.).
- Study of individualized interventions.
- Integration of traditional and modern/western diagnostic approaches and criteria.
- Utilization of subjective or patient-reported endpoints for safety and efficacy in clinical research on CAM/TM.
- Integration of traditional and modern/western endpoints for safety and efficacy in clinical research on CAM/TM.

Additional areas of common scientific interest may be added over time, as new information and health research priorities arise.

Activities that might be carried out in support of this letter of intent include:

Exchange of information regarding institutional priorities and plans, and important research findings.
Fostering scientific collaborations between individual Chinese and American scientists.
Fostering other opportunities for scientific exchange and dialogue between individual Chinese and American scientists.
Joint funding of individual collaborative research and training projects that otherwise satisfy the criteria of scientific merit, relevance, and priority of both countries.
Inclusion and participation of qualified experts in scientific workshops, conferences and symposia.

All activities carried out under this Letter of Intent will be conducted in full and complete accordance with the laws, regulations, policies, review procedures, and priorities governing the participants. Support required for any specific activity will be contingent on the availability of necessary funds and other resources, and will be subject to explicit approval of:

The Director, NCCAM.
The relevant official(s) from MOST, SATCM and CACMS, as determined jointly by the three agencies.

A small working group of representatives of the involved agencies, and scientists from each country actively engaged in CAM/TM research will periodically review progress and provide recommendations and advice on future activities.

Signed on 19th day of April, 2006 in Bethesda, MD, USA

Stephen E. Straus, MD Director National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine National Institutes of Health Department of Health and Human Services United States of America	CAO Hongxin, MD Professor and President Chinese Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences Peoples' Republic of China
Sun Hong Deputy Director General Department of Social Development Science and Technology Ministry of Science and Technology Peoples' Republic of China	Shen Zhi Xiang, MD Director General Department of International Cooperation State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine Peoples' Republic of China

¹ For the purposes of this agreement the term complementary, alternative, and traditional medicine (CAM/TM) refers to systems and practices of medicine, including Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), that are not presently considered to be part of modern "western" or allopathic medicine.

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