The Institutional Development Award (IDeA) Program

W. Fred Taylor, PH.D.National Institute of General Medical

Science National Institutes of Health

May 25, 2012

• Program Overview• Centers of Biomedical Excellence (COBRE)

• Phase I, Phase II, Phase III• IDeA Clinical and Translational Research

(IDeA CTR)• IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research

Excellence (INBRE)• IDeA Community-Based Research

• Selected Examples• IDeA Co-funding• IDeA Net

• Selected Examples• National Association of IDeA Principal

Investigators (NAIPI)• Selected Science Advances

Program Overview

• Authorized by Congress, 1993 NIH Revitalization Act

• Intent to enhance geographical distribution of NIH research funds and increase research capacity

• Currently 23 states and Puerto Rico are IDeA eligible

• Similar to NSF Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitiveness in Research (EPSCoR, est. 1980)

• Contact: W. Fred Taylor, Ph.D. taylorwf@mail.nih.gov

Institutional Development Award Program

Institutional Development Award Program

Perceived needs to increase research capacity:

•Core Laboratories•Senior and Junior Faculty development•Infrastructure (equipment)•Facilities alteration and renovation/development•Post-doctoral, student and staff development•Faculty recruitment•Bioinformatics training for students and faculty•“State of the Art” Instrumentation•Release time for teaching and clinical faculty•Undergraduate, graduate, post-doctoral recruitment•Training opportunities in grant management

Faculty development• Faculty recruitment and start-up• Funding and release time for research projects• Mentoring to become successful independent

investigators

Enhancement of research facilities• Core laboratories• State-of-the-art equipment

Research education and training• Graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, research

staff• Undergraduate students and faculty

Institutional Development Award ProgramInstitutional Development Award ProgramOverall ApproachOverall Approach

MT

WYID

NV

ND

SD

NE

NM

OK

KS

AR

LA

KY

MS

SC

WV

MEVT

AK

HIHI PR

DEDE

RIRI

NHNH

INBRE: 24 statewide networksINBRE: 24 statewide networksCOBRE: 84 thematic research COBRE: 84 thematic research centerscenters

Centers of Biomedical Excellence (COBRE)

Phase I, Phase II, Phase III

• COBRE center grant program launched in fiscal year 2000

• To expand and develop biomedical faculty research capability

• To enhance research infrastructure including core facilities

• To build multidisciplinary research centers with a thematic scientific focus at doctoral institutions or research institutes

Center Characteristics• Led by an established investigator, funded by NIH, NSF or

other comparable Federal or private sector source• At least 3 research sub-projects, all supervised by junior

investigators• A clear plan for mentoring, career development and

graduation and replacement of junior investigators• Long-term plans for developing and sustaining the center,

investigators, collaborations, and physical infrastructure

Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE)Background

Model of COBRE

Administrative and Research Cores•workshops•training courses

research cores

administrative

bioinformatics

MentoredJunior Investigator

Subprojects

Pilot Projects

Mentors

External Advisory

Board

• Currently three sequential 5 year phases

• Phase I: To develop research infrastructure and provide junior (new) investigators mentoring and project funding so they can successfully compete for independent research support

• Phase II: To further develop research infrastructure and develop a strong critical mass of investigators (new, early stage and established) with shared scientific interests

• Phase III: To maintain COBRE research cores and to provide support for research pilot projects and mentoring and training

COBRECOBRE

Research Infrastructure

Research Projects (Junior

Investigators)

Research Infrastructure

Research Projects (Junior and Senior

Investigators)

Research Cores that are essential for

basic and clinical

research

Pilot Project Program

Develop advanced research infrastructure and a Develop advanced research infrastructure and a critical mass of investigators in thematic areascritical mass of investigators in thematic areas

Purpose• To conduct basic, clinical and translational research• To support essential cores• To sustain a collaborative, multidisciplinary research

environment by supporting mentoring and training components.

Center Characteristics• Administrative Core (mentoring and training

components and pilot projects)

• Core resources including core supplies, service contracts and core management

• Equipment upgrades and replacement

Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE)(COBRE)Phase III: Transitional Centers

Immunology

Proteomics and Genomic

InfectiousDisease

Oral Health

WMHHD

ESMB

BB DD LD PB SCB

Scientific Themes

Number of Grants

Neuroscience 18Cancer 9Cardiovascular Disease 11Immunology 9Proteomics and Genomics 8Infectious Disease 5Oral Health 5Women or Minority Health and Health Disparity (WMHHD) 4Environmental Science (ES) 2Muscle Biology (MB) 3Biochemistry and Biophysics (BB) 2Drug Discovery and Design (DD) 3Lung Biology and Disease (LD) 2Prenatal Biology (PB) 2Stem Cell Biology (SCB) 3Bioengineering and Biomaterial 1

Summary of COBRE Scientific Themes

In fiscal year 2011:

• 84 COBRE awards supported 786 research projects involving 1482 investigators

• COBRE centers published 1449 articles with an additional 603 papers in press

• COBRE investigators made a total of 1882 scientific presentations

COBRE ProgressCOBRE Progress

IDeA Clinical and Translational Research (IDeA CTR)

IDeA Program Clinical and Translational Research Initiative(IDeA CTR)

Rationale:

• A relatively small proportion (~10%) of IDeA-funded centers and networks focus on developing clinical and community-based translational research capacity

• It is critically important to translate the many biomedical research advances from IDeA states into better health outcomes by forging partnerships between basic and clinical scientists in IDeA institutions, supported by programs across NIH

IDeA-CTR

Objectives:

•To support the development of infrastructure and human resources required to conduct clinical and translational research in IDeA states.

•To enhance the ability of IDeA institutions and investigators to develop competitive clinical and translational research programs.

•To foster and sustain collaboration and coordination of clinical and translational activities within and across IDeA institutions /organizations.

IDeA-CTR

Award mechanism and Total Cost• U54 cooperative agreement• Up to $4 million per year for 5 years• Can request additional $300K for A&R costs (year 1 only)

Lead Institution• Academic Health Center• Only one application per state

Partnerships• It is required to identify one or more collaborating

domestic partner(s) within the state and in one other (or more) IDeA state(s).

Funding Opportunity Announcement: IDeA-CTR (PAR-11-Funding Opportunity Announcement: IDeA-CTR (PAR-11-229)229)

Recruitment of Clinical/

Translational Faculty

Community Engagement and Outreach

Clinical Research Resources and

Facilities

Biomedical Informatics Resources

Ethics, Regulatory

Knowledge and Other

Technologies and Resources for Core Laboratories

Component Activities of IDeA-CTR Program

Partnerships and Collaborations

within and across IDeA-eligible

states Clinical and

Translational Pilot Grants Program

Clinical Research Education, Mentoring,

and Career Development Core

Clinical Research Design, Epidemiology, and Biostatistics Core

Potential Key Component ActivitiesPotential Key Component Activities

IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence

(INBRE)

• To develop a statewide multi-disciplinary research network of doctoral degree-granting and undergraduate institutions

• To build and increase research capacity by supporting faculty, fellows and students at participating institutions

• To provide bioinformatics tools, training, and expertise for researchers and students across the network

• To provide undergraduate faculty and students research support, serve as “pipeline” to health research careers

• To provide outreach to students at undergraduate institutions, community colleges and tribal colleges

• To enhance statewide science and technology knowledge base

IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE)Excellence (INBRE)

Model of INBRE

Admin. Core

Bio

info

r. C

ore

Ou

tre

ac

h C

ore

Other Cores

PI PC

PUI

PUI

PUI

PUI

PUI

Lead Institution-Research Intensive Institutions or Institutes

PUI = Primarily Undergraduate Institution

Outreach Institutions

Tribal/Community Colleges

KANSAS-INBRE Organization

K-INBREK-INBRELead ICLead IC

Kansas Univ. Lawrence

Kansas State Univ.

Wichita State Univ.

SSC

•Data analysis of genomics, proteomics and lipidomics

•Data storage and web access

•Trans-disciplinary training in bioinformatics

Building new strengths in Cell and Developmental Biology in the state of KS thereby paving new strategies to improve human health

Bioinformatics Cores

Washburn

Langston

Haskell

Outreach ICsPittsburg

Emporia

Hays

Scientific Themes Total

Microbiology and Infectious Disease 63Cell & Developmental Biology 46Cancer 42Neuroscience 33Biotechnology 23Environmental Health & Toxicology (EHT) 23Genetics & Genomics (GG) 15Cardiovascular Disease (CVS) 11Women & Reproductive Health (WRH) 10Bioinformatics (BI) 9Others (O) 9Diabetes/Obesity/Metabolism (DOM) 8Respiratory (Re) 5Mental Health & Biobehavioral research (MH) 5Bones/Joints (BJ) 4Immunology (Im) 3Hematology (H) 2

Summary of INBRE Scientific Themes

In fiscal year 2011:

• 24 INBRE Networks supported 658 research subprojects and 1808 investigators

• INBRE Networks published 610 research articles with 259 in press

• INBRE investigators made 2561 scientific presentations

• 69 INBRE flagship institutions supported 800+ students in summer research experiences

• INBREs supported research and training at 270 undergraduate institutions including:

• 21 HBCUs• 17 Tribal Colleges and Universities• 21 Hispanic-serving institutions

INBRE ProgressINBRE Progress

IDeA Community-Based Research

Goals:

• To support development of sustainable, culturally appropriate prevention/intervention research programs to decrease the disproportionate burden of disease

• To develop effective and stimulating environments to facilitate training and development of clinical investigators in areas of health disparities and special populations

IDeA Community Based Research (IDeA CBR)

• To augment and strengthen translational / clinical community based research programs to address health disparities in rural and urban special populations

• To promote interdisciplinary, multi-site collaborations between academic researchers across programs, community health care providers, and community partners

• To leverage investments in CBPR made by NIH and other agency partners

IDeA CBR

http://canhr.uaf.edu/Yup’ik Perceptions of Body Weight and Diabetes:Cultural Pathways to Prevention Yup’ik Experiences of Stress and Coping:Intervention Via Cultural Understanding Contaminants and Nutrients in Alaskan Subsistence Foods: Striking a Balance Developing a Novel Set of Diet Pattern Biomarkers Based on Stable Isotope Ratios

Environmental Health Science in Environmental Health Science in MontanaMontana

Analyzing river water and fish on the Crow Reservation to identify environmental contaminants - mercury - pesticides - enteric pathogens

IDeA Co-funding

IDeA Co-funding

•IDeA co-funds awards to support R01 grant applications to NIH Institutes and Centers from investigators within IDeA eligible states.

•IDeA provides support to applicants whose proposals received excellent ratings through the peer review process but fell short of the Institute’s or Center’s (ICs) pay line.

•IDeA provides 70% or up to $260,000 for each of the first two years of a selected co-funded R01 award.

•This activity was highlighted in the NIH fiscal year 2012 appropriation language.

IDeA Co-funding

•Meritorious applications were solicited from the 27 NIH Institutes and Centers in fiscal year 2012.

•IDeA received 44 R01 applications nominated from 18 NIH Institutes and Centers.

•The total request for IDeA co-funding amounted to $11.1 million.

IDeA Net

Provides:

•Advanced cyberinfrastructure for biomedical and behavioral research

•Regional approaches to relieve strategic bottlenecks in connectivity through participating states

•Access to national high-speed computer networks for data-intensive science applications

•Computer hardware and software

•Staff in bioinformatics cores and data centers

IDeANet

http://www.loni.org/

Northeast Cyberinfrastructure Consortium (NECC)

Multiple partnerships are formed between state university systems and private telecommunications companies to build regional high-speed networks in VT, NH, ME, RI and DE.

Cyberinfrastructure-Enabled Cyberinfrastructure-Enabled Research and TrainingResearch and Training

A collaborative project for sequencing the skate genome was developed between U. of Delaware and Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory (MDIBL) .

Three training workshops of Skate Genome Annotation were performed through the network. The data are stored on server at the NECC shared data center at the U. of Delaware and U. of Maine, and available for investigators within the five NECC states.

Research training courses were provided to the first year medical students at MDIBL, Dartmouth Medical School and U. of Vermont College of Medicine.

Skate genome sequence assembly and annotation project

Cyberinfrastructure-Enabled Science Education (Media

Release)

The Bar Harbor Times

MDIBL participated Howard Hughes medical Institute’s Science

Education Alliance

Maine INBRE Newsletter

National Association of IDeA Principal Investigators (NAIPI)

National Association of IDeA Principal Investigators (NAIPI)

Provides leadership and communication for the development, promotion and improvement of the IDeA Program

• Fosters interactions between the IDeA Program and its constituencies

• Promotes resource sharing among IDeA programs

• Enhances the visibility of the IDeA Program

• Develops a consensus on priorities and new directions for IDeA

• Identifies and disseminates best practices within the IDeA Program

• Identifies opportunities and develops strategies to achieve the common goals of the IDeA Program

National Association of IDeA Principal Investigators (NAIPI)

• Membership composed of Principal Investigators of INBRE and COBRE grants

• National Committee consists of 20 members, five for each of four Regional Divisions of IDeA (2 INBRE and 3 COBRE Principal Investigators)

• National Committee members elected by voting members in each division

• Executive Committee consists of 4 members elected by the National Committee (President, Vice President, Past President and Secretary/Treasurer)

• Working groups on an ad hoc basis

• Web-site at http://www.naipi.org

Selected Science AdvancesSelected Science Advances

Understanding the Role of Estrogen in Protecting Against HIV Dementia

COBRE PI: Tom Curry, University of Kentucky College of MedicineCOBRE PI: Tom Curry, University of Kentucky College of Medicine

Background: HIV-associated dementia (HAD) occurs in about 30% of all HIV-infected individuals despite aggressive anti-retroviral therapy. In vitro studies indicate that the hormone estrogen (17β-estradiol or E2) acts as a neuroprotective agent by suppressing the production of HIV-encoded proteins by astrocytes. The role of estrogen receptors in this process is unclear.

Advance: In vitro studies revealed that astrocytes have low levels of ERα expression. Surprisingly, the presence of ERα appeared to negate the reduction in HIV protein production that results from treatment with estrogen. Analysis of postmortem brain samples showed increased density of ERα-positive astrocytes in HIV-infected individuals with dementia compared to those without cognitive deficits. The data suggest that E2 may have the most dramatic effect in reducing HIV transcription and acting as a neuroprotective agent early in the disease process when the subpopulation of astrocytes expressing ERα is low.

How NCRR Grant Enabled Advance: NCRR COBRE grant (P20 RR18727), provided support to the research project and core facilities.

Public Health Impact: Neurological complications are observed in about 60% of all HIV infected patients, dementia in about 30% despite anti-retroviral therapy. It is imperative that effective neuroprotective agents be developed if neurological complications of HIV are to be prevented.

Publication Citation and Link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19886840

Mechanisms of Plasticity and Repair after Spinal Cord Injury

PI: Scott Whittemore Univ of Louisville School of MedicinePI: Scott Whittemore Univ of Louisville School of Medicine

Background: Multiple molecular, biochemical, and cellular events ensue following traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). The prevention and/or attenuation of significant morbidity following SCI will require various neuroprotective strategies.

Advance: Following experimental SCI, studies in rats indicate that transplantation of adult oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) that express ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) resulted in histological, physiological, and functional evidence of recovery. Another study demonstrate that administration of rolipram, an investigational anti-inflammatory agent, spared the death of oligodendrocytes, improved neurotransmission, and reduced hind limb errors during grid walking. In yet another study, the administration of agents that promote angiogenesis and endothelial cell survival had similar neuroprotective outcomes.

How NCRR Grant Enabled Advance: NCRR COBRE grant (P20 RR15576), provided support to the research project and core facilities.

Public Health Impact: Spinal cord injury (SCI) significantly impacts quality of life and poses a considerable economic burden on those afflicted. Restorative therapies need to be developed to reduce these burdens.

Publication Citation and Link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20181596http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20375135, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19635528

Community-Based Participatory Research in Indian Country

PI: Margaret Eggers, M.S., Little Big Horn College, Crow PI: Margaret Eggers, M.S., Little Big Horn College, Crow Agency, Montana; Montana State University, BozemanAgency, Montana; Montana State University, Bozeman

Background: The poor well water quality and deteriorating river water quality are impacting community health. The occurrence of disease seems greater on the tribal reservation than in other communities. A collaborative research between Crow Reservation community and academic partners was initiated to assess the risk of exposure to contaminants via domestic and cultural water sources.

Advance: Little is known about how communities and academic partners can effectively work together to conduct “community-based risk assessment,” and rarely have Native American community members written about their perception of the value of the CBPR process to their community, why they would participate in such research, and how research should be conducted in their home community. The Crow Tribal and academic research partners describe their experiences and what they have learned in working together on a creative, collaborative CBPR project and process.

How NCRR Grant Enabled Advance: The Montana INBRE provided initial research funding for the first five years of the project, and continues to support the well water testing costs.

Public Health Impact: This project provides an example of how community members can initiate a risk assessment research in collaboration with academic partners. The partnership improves the quality of the risk assessment and the effectiveness of dissemination to community members. Publication Citation:. Community-based participatory research in Indian country: improving health through water quality research and awareness. Fam Community Health. 2010 Jul-Sep;33(3):166-74.

Institutional Development Award Program

Opportunities for InclusionOpportunities for Inclusion