5. Institute-Initiated Programs
Starting in FY 2010
More than two-thirds of the research supported by the
NHLBI is initiated by individual investigators; the remainder is initiated by
the Institute. Institute-initiated programs are developed in response to
evolving national needs, Congressional mandates, and advances in scientific
knowledge. Each initiative represents the outcome of extensive
discussions and thorough reviews by representatives of the scientific
community, Institute advisory committees, the Board of Extramural Experts
(BEE), and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Advisory Council
(NHLBAC). The advisory committees and the BEE, together with professional
societies and NHLBI staff, continually review the progress of research within
the NHLBI program areas, assess newly acquired knowledge, and identify research
topics that offer the best opportunities or constitute the greatest
needs. This planning process contributes to policy development at the
national level by setting priorities among programs and establishing budgets
for individual programs and projects.
Initiatives generally emanate as Requests for
Applications (RFAs) for grants, including cooperative agreements, or Requests
for Proposals (RFPs) for contracts. Other initiatives take the form of
Program Announcements (PAs). Applications and proposals submitted in
response to RFAs and RFPs compete among themselves for specific
"set-aside" funds. Applications submitted in response to PAs
generally compete with other investigator-initiated applications for
funding.
RFA, RFP, and PA concepts prepared by the Institute
are presented to the BEE, which reviews and prioritizes them. The
concepts, along with the comments from the BEE, are then sent to the NHLBAC for
review, comment, and concurrence. Initiatives that receive the concurrence
of the NHLBAC are considered further by the NHLBI Director in the context of
the Institute's budget, program priorities, review workload, and proposed
mechanisms. These considerations guide the Director's subsequent decisions
to approve initiatives for release. RFAs, RFPs, and PAs are announced in the
NIH Guide to Grants and Contracts.
Applications and proposals submitted in response to
RFAs and RFPs are reviewed by the NHLBI. Applications submitted in response to
PAs are reviewed by the NIH Center for Scientific Review.
Descriptions of the Institute-initiated programs that
began or were renewed (i.e., were funded) in FY 2010 are presented below
according to NHLBI scientific programs. Also described are trans-NIH,
trans-PHS, and interagency initiatives in which the NHLBI participates.
Heart and Vascular Diseases Program
Initiatives Being Renewed
NHLBI Programs of Excellence in Nanotechnology
The purpose of this renewal is to develop
nanotechnology-based tools for diagnosing and treating heart, lung, and blood
diseases.
Proteomics Initiative
The purpose of this renewal is to develop and enhance
proteomic technologies to achieve a greater understanding of physiological
pathways, molecular interactions, and regulatory signals that are associated
with heart, lung, and blood diseases and sleep disorders.
New Initiatives
Cardiac Translational Research Implementation Program
The purpose of this RFA is to conduct Stage 1
exploratory studies to determine the efficacy and safety of promising new
therapeutic interventions derived from fundamental research discoveries for
treating and preventing heart failure or arrhythmias.
Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Arterial
Stiffening and Its Relationship to the Development of Hypertension
The purpose of this RFA is to elucidate the cellular
and molecular mechanisms underlying large conduit artery stiffening and to
determine the temporal relationship between arterial stiffening and the
development of hypertension in animal models.
Center for Cardiovascular Outcomes Research
The purpose of this RFA is to conduct cardiovascular
outcomes and comparative effectiveness research that focuses on patient- and
clinician-relevant outcomes of health care and their determinants.
Pumps for Kids, Infants, and Neonates
The purpose of this RFP is to complete preclinical
testing of investigational mechanical circulatory support devices (MCSDs) and
to conduct clinical studies of the devices in infants and young children with
congenital and acquired CVD who experience cardiopulmonary failure and
circulatory collapse.
Role of Cardiomyocyte in Heart Disease: An
Integrated Approach
The purpose of this RFA is to develop an integrated
understanding of cardiomyocyte mitochondria and their contributions to
myocardial adaptations and heart disease progression by combining functional
data with information derived from advanced technologies.
Systems Biology Collaborations
The purpose of this PA with review is to promote the
use of collaborative teams of investigators to develop a coordinated systems
biology approach to understand normal physiology and perturbations associated
with heart, lung, and blood diseases and sleep disorders.
Lung Diseases Program
New Initiatives
Functional Modeling of Pediatric Upper Airway
Disorders
The purpose of this RFA is to determine the biological
and structural components that limit airflow in congenital or acquired
disorders of the pediatric upper airway. Scientists seek to develop innovative
approaches that will identify targets for intervention to correct obstruction
of airflow through the upper airway.
Lung Transplantation: Planning Grants for Clinical
Trials of Novel Therapies
The purpose of this RFA is to develop preclinical
trials to test important new strategies to enhance the quality of lungs
available for transplant and improve management and long-term outcomes of lung
transplant recipients.
Novel Therapies for Lung Diseases—Phase II
The purpose of this RFA is to conduct Phase II
clinical trials of innovative agents for lung diseases and sleep disorders.
Prematurity and Respiratory Outcomes Program
The purpose of this RFA is to examine molecular
mechanisms that contribute to acute and chronic respiratory morbidity in
premature infants. The well-phenotyped populations developed in this program
will significantly increase the chance of studying groups with common
pathophysiology and lay the groundwork for biomarker discovery.
Systems Biology Approach to the Mechanisms of TB
Latency and Reactivation
The purpose of this RFA is to apply a collaborative
systems biology approach to study mechanisms of latency and reactivation of TB
in host lung cells. The goal is to develop better TB drugs, more effective
vaccines, and better diagnostics.
Trans-NHLBI
Initiatives Being Renewed
Production Assistance for Cellular Therapies
The purpose of this renewal is to advance cellular
therapy research in the regeneration of damaged or diseased tissues, organs,
and biologic systems and targeted treatments for severe diseases that are
currently lacking effective therapies.
Directed Stem Cell Differentiation for Cell-Based
Therapies for Heart, Lung, and Blood Diseases
The purpose of this renewal is to identify factors
that control differentiation of stem cells in vitro or in vivo. The goal is to
develop methods that direct differentiation of stem cells to yield replacement
cells for clinical use or stimulate differentiation of resident stem cells in
vivo for regeneration or repair of the heart, blood vessels, lungs, and
blood.
Mentored Career Award for Faculty at Minority Serving
Institutions
The purpose of this renewal is to support eligible
faculty members at minority-serving institutions to undertake specialized study
and supervised research under a mentor who is an accomplished investigator in
the area proposed and has experience in developing independent investigators.
Mentored Career Development Award To Promote Faculty
Diversity/Re-Entry in Biomedical Research
The purpose of this renewal is to increase the number
of highly trained investigators who are from diverse backgrounds or who have
experienced an interruption in their research career and whose basic and
clinical research interests involve advanced methods and experimental
approaches that are needed to solve problems related to cardiovascular, lung,
and blood diseases and sleep disorders.
Minority Institutional Research Training Program
The purpose of this renewal is to support training of
predoctoral and health professional students and individuals in postdoctoral
training at minority-serving institutions in cardiovascular, lung, and blood
diseases and sleep disorders research.
Programs To Increase Diversity Among Individuals
Engaged in Health-Related Research
The purpose of this renewal is to establish summer
institutes for junior faculty and scientists from underrepresented racial and
ethnic groups and those with disabilities to augment their research skills and
knowledge, which in turn will enhance their career development as faculty
members or scientists.
Short-Term Research Education Program To Increase
Diversity in Health-Related Research
The purpose of this renewal is to promote diversity in
undergraduate and health professional student populations by providing
short-term research education support to stimulate career development in
cardiovascular, lung, and blood diseases and sleep disorders research.
New Initiative
Reducing Cardiovascular Disease Risk Through
Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea
The purpose of this RFA is to conduct preliminary
studies to obtain information to guide the design of a Phase III clinical trial
on the efficacy of positive airway pressure (PAP) treatment of obstructive
sleep apnea as a means to reduce cardiovascular events. The goals are to
determine the feasibility of long-term (12 to 18 months) PAP treatment in
patients at risk of CVD and to determine the effects of PAP on surrogate or
intermediate markers of cardiovascular risk and cardiovascular risk factors.
Trans-NIH
Initiatives Being Renewed
Exploratory/Developmental Clinical Research Grants in
Obesity
The purpose of this renewal is to encourage
exploratory/developmental clinical research that will accelerate the
development of effective interventions for preventing or treating overweight or
obesity in adults and children.
Improving Diet and Physical Activity Assessment
The purpose of this renewal is to improve diet and
physical activity measurement through the development of innovative assessment
approaches, improved data collection instruments, new technologies, or
statistical and analytical techniques.
National Registry of Genetically Triggered Thoracic
Aortic Aneurysms and Other Cardiovascular Conditions
The purpose of this renewal is to increase the value
and effectiveness of the NHLBI-supported national registry that was established
to advance the clinical management of genetic thoracic aortic aneurysms and
other cardiovascular complications that are associated with connective tissue
diseases.
National Research Service Awards for Senior
Fellows
The purpose of this renewal is to enable experienced
scientists who have at least 7 years of research experience beyond the
doctorate and who have progressed to the stage of independent investigator to
make major changes in the direction of their research career or broaden their
scientific background. The program will support 2 years of full-time training
for senior fellows at the NIH or at other institutions.
Pediatric HIV/AIDS Cohort Study (Limited
Competition)
The purpose of this renewal is to continue support for
collecting data that will enable scientists to understand more fully the effect
of HIV on sexual maturation, pubertal development, and socialization of
perinatally HIV-infected preadolescents and adolescents and to determine the
long-term safety of fetal and infant exposure to prophylactic antiretroviral
agents.
Pharmacogenomics Research Network
The purpose of this renewal is to identify genes,
pathways, and systems that produce interindividual differences in drug
responses and establish the mechanistic basis for them.
Stem Cell Research: Career Enhancement Award
The purpose of this renewal is to provide
investigators with the opportunity to acquire research capabilities in the use
of human or animal embryonic, adult, or cord blood stem cells.
New Initiatives
Application of Metabolomics for Translational and
Biological Research
The purpose of this PA is to apply metabolomic
technologies for translational research in health and disease to enable and
improve disease detection, diagnosis, and risk assessment and the prognosis and
prediction of therapeutic responses.
Bariatric Surgery: Pilot Studies for Studying
Mechanisms of Improvement on Cardiovascular, Lung, and Sleep Diseases
The purpose of this RFA is to determine the optimal
research design for a randomized clinical trial of the effects of bariatric
surgery on patients with cardiovascular or lung diseases or sleep disorders.
Centers for Population Health and Health
Disparities
The purpose of this RFA is to promote
transdisciplinary research in health disparities to improve health outcomes and
quality of life for populations at high risk for CVD. Focus is on understanding
the pathways that result in disparate health outcomes and developing
comprehensive models of the effect of various social, economic, cultural,
environmental, biological, behavioral, physiological, and genetic factors on
individual health outcomes and their distribution in populations.
Childhood Obesity Prevention and Treatment Research
The purpose of this RFA is to evaluate the efficacy of
innovative interventions to prevent excess weight gain in normal weight
children ages 1–10 years, prevent additional weight gain in obese youth
ages 11–18 years, and facilitate weight loss in obese youth ages
11–18 years.
Effectiveness Research on Smoking Cessation in
Hospitalized Patients
The purpose of this RFA is to evaluate the translation
of successful smoking cessation strategies, begun during hospitalization and
continued post-discharge, into effective programs that can be widely used in
routine clinical practice and assess the cost-effectiveness of the
interventions.
Health Behaviors in School-Age Children—A
Longitudinal Study
The purposes of this intra-agency agreement are to
increase the understanding of adolescent health behaviors and lifestyle (i.e.,
influences of diets, physical activity, and obesity on cardiovascular health)
and to use the information to develop effective preventive programs.
Nutrition and Physical Activity Research To Promote
Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Health
The purpose of this PA is to study the role of
nutrition and physical activity in the development, prevention, and management
of CVD and pulmonary diseases, such as asthma and COPD. Research findings will
be used to refine public health recommendations and clinical guidelines
regarding lifestyle behaviors and to develop and test strategies that will
improve adoption of the recommendations.
Physical Activity To Prevent Disability Trial
The purpose of this RFA is to compare the long-term
effectiveness and practicality of two interventions, a physical activity
program and a successful aging health education program, to prevent or delay
the declining ability of older adults to walk.
Safe and Effective Instruments and Devices for Use in
the Neonatal Intensive Care Units
The purpose of this SBIR/STTR is to develop or improve
safe and effective devices and instruments for monitoring and treating infants
in neonatal intensive care units.
Trans-PHS
Initiatives Being Renewed
Individual Predoctoral Fellowships To Promote
Diversity in Health-Related Research
The purpose of this renewal is to increase the
diversity of the health-related research workforce by supporting the training
of predoctoral students from groups that have been shown to be underrepresented
(e.g., individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, individuals
with disabilities, and individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds).
Interagency Registry for Mechanical Circulatory
Support
The purpose of this renewal is to continue support for
a national registry of patients receiving an MCSD to treat advanced heart
failure.
National Longitudinal Mortality Study
The purpose of this renewal is to develop a database
to study the effects of demographic and socioeconomic differentials on
mortality rates in the United States.
Interagency
Initiative Being Renewed
Clinical Research Consortium To Improve Resuscitation
Outcomes
The purpose of this renewal is to continue support for
clinical trials that focus on early field delivery of lifesaving interventions
by emergency medical service teams to optimize patient survival.
New Initiative
Community-Based Partnerships for Childhood Obesity
Prevention and Control Research
The purpose of this PA is to stimulate childhood
obesity research through community-based partnerships that include local,
state, and regional teams of researchers, policymakers, and other relevant
stakeholders—such as community representatives, public health
practitioners, and educators.
Private–Public
Partnership
New Initiatives
Studying Community Programs To Reduce Childhood
Obesity
The purpose of this RFP is to examine outcomes
associated with existing community programs designed to reduce childhood
obesity by improving the diet and physical activity behaviors of children.
Randomized Evaluation of VAD Intervention Before
Inotropic Therapy Feasibility Trial
The purpose of this RFP is to explore the potential
benefit of mechanical circulatory support therapy using ventricular assist
devices (VADs) in functionally impaired advanced heart failure patients who
have not yet developed serious consequences from their disease. The feasibility
study will permit the design of a trial directed at a large and growing patient
population for whom VADs could offer substantial benefit before the need for
inotropic intravenous drug therapy. Back to Top
« Factbook Table of
Contents
|
Get Email Alerts
Twitter
Facebook
YouTube
Google+