Comparative Medicine

ORIP supports an intellectual infrastructure for biomedical research through the creation of models of human disease using animals and cultured cells and management of the infrastructure required to maintain, distribute, and utilize these models. Examples of supported animal models in­clude rodents, such as mice and rats; nonhuman primates of different sizes and origins; other mammalian species, such as pigs; aquatic models, such as fish, frogs, and salamanders; and invertebrates, such as fruit flies, nema­todes, and protozoa. ORIP maintains these resources at specific centers that make these critical disease models readily available to researchers.

ORIP’s shared instrumentation program provides re­searchers, funded by any NIH Institute or Center, state-of-the-art instru­ments essential for biomedical research. Without access to appropriate modern tools and equipment, it is impossi­ble to conduct pioneering research, to bring forward basic science discoveries, or to design the translational imple­mentation of these studies. This program provides funding for expensive shared instruments that otherwise would not be available to many researchers.

ORIP also supports human infrastructure for biomedical research by providing support for veterinary scientists to join the biomedical research enterprise.

Please see the DCM Program Guidelines for more detailed information.  ORIP has also prepared a summary fact sheet.