History of the NIH Common Fund |
The NIH Common Fund was enacted into law by Congress through the 2006 NIH Reform Act to support cross-cutting, trans-NIH programs that require participation by at least two NIH Institutes or Centers (ICs) or would otherwise benefit from strategic planning and coordination. The requirements for the Common Fund encourage collaboration across the ICs while providing the NIH with flexibility to determine priorities for Common Fund support. To date, the Common Fund has been used to support a series of short term, exceptionally high impact, trans-NIH programs known collectively as the
NIH Roadmap for Medical Research. The Common Fund is coordinated by the
Office of Strategic Coordination, one of the six offices of the
Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives (DPCPSI) within the Office of the Director.
The intent of NIH Common Fund programs is to provide a strategic and nimble approach to address key
roadblocks in biomedical research that impede basic scientific discovery and its translation into improved human health. In addition, these programs capitalize on
emerging opportunities to catalyze the rate of progress across multiple biomedical fields.
Common Fund programs are expected to transform the way a broad spectrum of health research is conducted. Initiatives that comprise Common Fund programs are intended to be
catalytic in nature by providing limited term investments in strategic areas to stimulate further research through IC-funded mechanisms.
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