Update on the First Cohort of Common Fund Programs
The first cohort of Common Fund programs began in 2004 with variable funding periods. The Molecular Libraries, with major components ending in 2007, was reviewed and approved for a second term in Common Fund last year. The Interdisciplinary Research (IR) consortia and the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSAs) have been approved for Common Fund support through 2011 or 2014 respectively. The Pioneer Award program is ongoing. The remaining programs of the first cohort were reviewed at a retreat of the NIH Leadership held February 29, 2008, and the following programs were approved for another term of funding through the Common Fund.
- Nanomedicine: The initial goals were to uncover novel properties; to characterize quantitatively these and other known properties of biomolecules and their complexes inside cells; to gain an understanding of the engineering principles used in living cells; to "build" molecules, molecular complexes, organelles, cells, and tissues; and to develop new technologies, and engineer devices and hybrid structures, for repairing tissues as well as preventing and curing disease. Eight Nanomedicine Development Centers were funded in this first phase in an effort to understand a system at the nanoscale with sufficient precision to engineer (intracellular) structures to address a specific medical problem within 10 years. The mid-course evaluation of this initiative will be done in 2009.
The goals for the second phase are to learn to manipulate and re-engineer biology in vivo with the same precision that materials scientists use to manipulate other materials and to develop engineered nanostructures to treat disease. Emphasis is on the biology of disease to translate basic science findings into medical applications.
- Structural Biology: The goals of the first iteration of this program were to: develop innovative methods for the production of membrane proteins and determination of their structures; develop high-impact, multidisciplinary approaches and promote community wide involvement and collaboration; and disseminate results, methods, and materials. Although the program has accomplished some amazing things – a key structure for the Beta-2 Adrenergic Receptor (human) was solved – there are some remaining challenges and roadblocks to move the field forward. The proposed goals for the extension phase are the development of: additional innovations for membrane protein production and structure determination; methods for hetero-oligomeric membrane proteins and complexes between membrane proteins and their soluble and fibrous (matrix) protein partners and pipelines to make simple integral membrane protein and homo-oligomer membrane protein structure determinations routine. The program will also determine the structures of hetero-oligomeric membrane proteins and membrane protein complexes and distill basic principles necessary to identify the best approach for each membrane protein problem.
- National Centers for Biomedical Computing (NCBCs): The goal of the initiative is to provide computational infrastructure for biomedical research that includes all aspects of biomedical computing, including basic research in computational science, tool and resource development for biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research, and the training and education of researchers in biomedical computing. Each of the seven funded centers has made progress on several “driving biological problems” around which new software tools, databases, and computational models are being developed. For example, the National Center for Biomedical Computation at Stanford University is working on the development of computer models that characterize a child's musculoskeletal system and the neuromuscular dynamics of walking. Such models will enable individualized treatment planning for children with cerebral palsy. The goal of the second phase of the NCBC program is to continue to support multidisciplinary research model and continue to facilitate interactions between the funded Centers.
- NIH Rapid Access to Interventional Development (RAID): The goal is to make available on a competitive basis certain critical resources needed for the development of new therapeutic agents. The program is restricted to small molecules, peptides, and oligonucleotides – biologics are generally not considered, though some are eligible for development. A scientific expert panel met recently; input from the panel will be used to develop specific goals for the upcoming years.
- NIH Clinical Research Training Program for Medical and Dental Students (CRTP): The goal is to continue to provide creative, research-oriented medical and dental students with an opportunity to become actively engaged in clinical research early in their careers by teaching clinical research principles and mentoring in clinical research. In 2004 Roadmap support allowed doubling of class size to 30 students per year. CRTP is a twelve-month program with eligibility for MDs/PhDs to enter after completion of clinical rotations.
- Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS): The goals of phase I aimed to implement the scientific, operational, and organizational policies of the network; prioritization of testing of new and existing PRO domains in clinical studies; coordination of efforts with FDA; dissemination of information to investigators and the research community; conduct workshops and establish new collaborations and the development of research standards and methodologies for validation of items and item banks. The second phase will validate the PROMIS domains in the context of large-scale clinical studies and develop the PROMIS system to facilitate adoption by clinical researchers.
- National Technology Centers for Networks and Pathways (TCNPs): Phase I of this Roadmap initiative was intended to integrate proteomics with other fields like cell biology, biophysics, and computational modeling in order to break out of our artificially static view of complex systems and bridge the quantitative and interaction aspects of proteomics. Five TCNPs were funded. They have cooperated to develop new technologies for temporal and spatial characterization of protein interactions in complex biochemical pathways and networks. The centers collaborate with biomedical researchers through several mechanisms, providing a push – pull between technological advancement and biomedical problem solving. The goal of Phase II is to accelerate the progress of proteomics from static maps to quantitative functional models by the creation, broad application, and dissemination of instrumentation, biophysical methods, reagents, and infrastructure specifically focused on the problem of quantitative temporal and spatial characterization of protein networks and pathways. New approaches to the characterization of these transient interactions will be the focus of the RFA for the second phase of the program.
Update on the Second Cohort of Common Fund Programs
The second cohort, previously referred to as Roadmap 1.5, is to begin funding in 2008. Planning for this cohort began in summer 2006 with a series of expert panels and broad input gathered through a Request for Information. The NIH Leadership merged several of these ideas to form two new Common Fund Programs: Epigenenomics and the Human Microbiome Project.
- Epigenomics: Epigenomics is the study of stable genetic modifications that result in changes in gene expression and function without a corresponding alteration in DNA sequence. The epigenome is a catalog of the epigenetic modifications that occur in the genome. Epigenetic changes have been associated with disease, but further progress requires the development of better methods to detect the modifications and a clearer understanding of factors that drive these changes. Six RFAs were released and awards are expected in September 2008.
- Microbiome: The goal of the proposed Human Microbiome Project is to characterize the microbial content of sites in the human body and examine whether changes in the microbiome can be related to disease. There are eight RFAs published and awards will be made in September 2008.
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