Authorized to reduce significant barriers to successful translation and accelerate the development of high-need cures, the Cures Acceleration Network (CAN) provides NCATS with flexibility in how it funds projects. Implementation of this authority is guided by the CAN Review Board, which according to its charter (PDF - 24KB), advises and provides recommendations to the NCATS director on the policies, programs and procedures for carrying out the duties of the Office of the Director and on identifying significant barriers to successful translation of basic science into clinical application. The CAN Review Board also discusses concept clearances for potential NCATS initiatives.
The CAN Review Board is composed of members who are appointed by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Members serve four-year terms. Ex-officio members from NIH, the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, the Office of the Under Secretary for Health for the Department of Veterans Affairs, the National Science Foundation, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration also are appointed and serve three-year terms.
In 2019, NCATS established a Cures Acceleration Network Review Board (CAN RB) working group to assess how NCATS can accelerate translational science implementation and foster the uptake of mature CAN RB-supported tools and technologies into real-world use and practice.