Interdisciplinary Research Centers

In addition to the biological sciences, biomedical research often involves participation by other scientific disciplines, including the behavioral, quantitative, social, computational/information, engineering, and physical sciences. Distinct disciplinary perspectives represent significant sources of strength to the overall research enterprise because each discipline has its own intellectual history, experimental and analytic approaches, and theoretical context that produce a unique way of thinking about a problem. Nevertheless, as scientific capabilities move forward, increasingly sophisticated questions arise, and these often require the convergence of perspectives from multiple disciplines. Over the years, the Institutes and Centers (ICs) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have developed many initiatives, mechanisms, and programs to support either disciplinary or multidisciplinary research (where multidisciplinary research is defined as bringing together different disciplines to focus on a circumscribed problem, but keeping the disciplines distinct).

It is becoming apparent that, in some cases, multidisciplinary research is not sufficient to address—in a comprehensive and effective way—challenging and complex problems in biomedical and behavioral research. Rather, interdisciplinary research may be required to tackle these more complex problems. Like multidisciplinary research, interdisciplinary research brings together different disciplines to address a particular issue. But unlike multidisciplinary research, interdisciplinary research takes bits and pieces from the contributing disciplines and integrates them in ways that produce a new conceptual framework. Integrating different disciplines in this way holds the promise of opening up currently unimagined scientific avenues of inquiry and, in the process, may form whole new disciplines. Historical examples include the development of genomics, which was formed from genetics, molecular biology, analytical chemistry, and informatics. Another example in which multiple disciplines have, in a less directed way, blended and evolved into a new discipline is neuroscience. Thirty years ago, students of the brain might have identified themselves as anatomists, physiologists, or psychologists, but today most would consider themselves neuroscientists. Importantly, interdisciplinary research does not merely result in new technical approaches, but new intellectual approaches (i.e., new ways to conceptualize and think about a research problem).

As part of the NIH Roadmap, a program to support Exploratory Centers for Interdisciplinary Research was initiated in FY 2004 (see RFA-RM-04-004), and 21 planning awards were funded. This announcement is the beginning of the program for creating full interdisciplinary research consortia. Rather than limit participation in this second program to the funded exploratory centers, any research team will be allowed to apply for an interdisciplinary consortium.

The application process will have two parts: submitting a pre-application and then submitting the full interdisciplinary research consortium. Based on a review of the pre-application, some applicants will be invited to submit full applications. Details about submitting a pre-application of the full Consortium application are contained in PAR-06-122. Details about the application for a full consortium are contained in RFA-RM-06-008. Applicants must read both documents before submitting a pre-application.

Contact Information

Program Official:
Dr. Gregory Farber, Health Scientist Administrator
Division of Biomedical Technology
National Center for Research Resources
National Institutes of Health
One Democracy Plaza, Room 960
6701 Democracy Boulevard, MSC 4874
Bethesda, Maryland 20892-4874
Telephone: 301-435-0778
Fax: 301-480-3659
E-mail: FarberG@mail.nih.gov