Public Private Partnership Opportunities



SAIC-Frederick is the prime contactor for the National Cancer Institute at Frederick (NCI-Frederick). NCI-Frederick is a Federally Funded Research and Development Center which conducts basic and translational research focused primarily on cancer and AIDS.



The Nanotechnology Characterization Laboratory (NCL; http://ncl.cancer.gov/), SAIC-Frederick, Inc. at NCI-Frederick conducts preclinical characterization of nanomaterial intended for cancer therapeutics and diagnostics. In this role, NCL provides contracted support to the NCI Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer (http://nano.cancer.gov/index.asp) and the inter-agency collaboration between NCI, NIST and FDA to help transition promising nanotechnology concepts from academia, government and industry, to the clinic. Due to the complexity and variety of multifunctional nanomaterial platforms in the R&D pipeline, NCL seeks to leverage the expertise and experience in academia, industry and government agencies in accelerating the transition of these concepts to clinical trials.



NCL intends to pursue public-private partnerships for co-development of improved instrumentation and standard methods and protocols for characterization of nanomaterial intended for biomedical applications. The physico-chemical, in vitro and in vivo characterization of nanomaterial under physiological conditions requires instrumentation having detection, resolution and throughput beyond current capabilities. For example, development of techniques and automation for electron microscopy of nanoparticles in tissues will allow scientists to verify biodistribution and localization. Other anticipated joint research and development projects include advanced measurement techniques to determine the structure, polydispersity and batch-to-batch consistency of functionalized nanoparticles and the conformation and distribution of their ligands.



The private partner(s) in any proposed public-private partnership expect to derive certain benefits. Partners to these cost-sharing agreements would have access to nanomaterial R&D, emerging platforms for clinical application, supplementary characterization methods and nanobiology standard and protocol development, however, all rights to third-party nanomaterials available to NCL will remain with the third party providers. NCL would gain access to instrumentation R&D, application expertise, training, instrumentation protocol and standard development. It is the intent of NCL to go beyond current mechanisms for collaborations, for example material transfer agreements, to pursue innovative measures such as co-location of facilities and infrastructure -- while under a framework of an appropriate business model, including collaborative agreements, cooperative research and development agreements (CRADAs), Work for Others agreements, and other cost-sharing agreements, for the various aspects of the public private partnership.



Interested organizations may contact the NCL at 301-846-6939 or email ncl@mail.nih.gov