The goal of this program is to support collaborative translational research projects aligned with NIH efforts to enhance the translation of basic biological discoveries into clinical applications that improve health. It encourages high quality science demonstrating the potential to result in understanding an important disease process or lead to new therapeutic interventions, diagnostics, or prevention strategies within the research interests and priorities of the participating NIH Institutes/Centers (ICs).
Specifically, the program seeks to broaden and strengthen translational research collaborations between basic and clinical researchers both within and outside NIH to accelerate and enhance translational science by promoting partnerships between NIH intramural investigators (e.g., those conducting research within the labs and clinics of the NIH) and extramural investigators (e.g., those conducting research in labs outside the NIH), and by providing support for extramural investigators to take advantage of the unique research opportunities available at the NIH Clinical Center by conducting clinical research projects in collaboration with NIH intramural investigators.
In order to be eligible for this program, the application must include at least one intramural scientist as either a Program Director/Principal Investigator or collaborator, and at least some of the clinical research must be conducted at the NIH Clinical Center. Through this collaboration, external researchers may gain access to the NIH Clinical Center and leverage the diverse Clinical Center resources, expertise, and infrastructure available to test promising laboratory-and animal-based discoveries with potential for advancing disease diagnosis, treatment and prevention. The special environment of the Clinical Center can support studies that may not be readily supported elsewhere. This may include collaborations that propose targeted increases in new patients enrolled in protocols at the Clinical Center. For this initiative, patients must be seen at the NIH Clinical Center. Projects that take only minimal advantage of Clinical Center resources, such as projects only utilizing banked samples or data, will not be considered for funding.