We are seeking input from the scientific community on challenges, opportunities and gaps in pharmacogenomics. Please help us shape future programs in pharmacogenomics by responding to the recently published request for information (RFI). The RFI asks for your input on several topics, such as:

• Critical technological advances that can be applied to pharmacogenomics problems;
• Specific tools, resources, methods and approaches needed to enhance our molecular, genetic and biological mechanistic understanding;
• Ways to advance clinical implementation for improving health care outcomes, including safety, effectiveness, time and costs;
• Synergies that might come from a research network;
• Types of scientific endeavors that would best be funded by R01 grants in the field; and
• Additional interfaces and interactions that should be developed by NIH with other funders or organizations.

Please take the time to comment on any or all of the above topics between now and the May 17 deadline. You may respond as individuals or groups. Working together, we can help advance this research area of great scientific interest and immediate health relevance.

The report of the Biomedical Research Workforce Working Group of the Advisory Committee to the Director, NIH, includes recommendations that could have a broad impact on NIGMS training programs. NIH has just issued a request for information (RFI) on implementing the working group’s recommendations. As summarized in a blog post by NIH’s Sally Rockey, the RFI seeks your input on these topics:

• Developing individual development plans (IDPs) for those in graduate and postdoctoral training supported by NIH funds from any source,
• The length of time NIH should provide support for graduate students,
• Providing more uniform benefits packages for postdocs,
• Gathering information about individuals receiving NIH support for their training,
• Reporting by institutions of aggregate career outcomes of graduate students and postdocs on a public Web site,
• Considering multiple career outcomes as indicators of success when reviewing training grants, and
• Launching a dialogue with the extramural biomedical research community to assess how NIH supports the biomedical community, including faculty salaries.

I strongly encourage you and your colleagues to submit comments by the April 22 deadline, because your input is key to developing policies that serve the scientific community and improve the training experience of graduate students and postdocs.

To maximize utilization of the vast amounts of biomedical data and information that are being amassed, NIH has started to develop a series of activities grouped under its Big Data to Knowledge (BD2K) initiative. One of the efforts focuses on ways to train the workforce needed to manage, access, integrate and analyze large, complex datasets. As a first step toward developing a set of recommendations, a BD2K working group has issued a request for information (RFI) on the short- and long-term training needs of individuals who work with biomedical data. The group is also seeking examples of programs or strategies to cross-train scientists at all career levels as well as comments on evaluating workforce skills and knowledge and developing a diverse research workforce. Your input, which should be submitted by March 15, 2013, will inform discussions during an upcoming BD2K planning workshop on training and education needs.

I previously described our effort to solicit feedback from investigators on their needs and ideas for outsourcing laboratory procedures. Now I’d like to share a summary of the overall results (no longer available) and some observations based on the 35 responses we received (mostly from academia):

• Unexpectedly, almost all of the services mentioned by respondents constitute technologies or methodologies currently available for outsourcing. The most frequently identified ones—next-generation sequencing, bioinformatics/statistics and mass spectroscopy—are offered as services by numerous companies and core facilities.

• Several marketplace-type platforms have recently been launched that facilitate bringing together researchers and providers of desired laboratory expertise, technology and research services. For a short list, see the news articles included in this post.

• Evaluating the quality and cost of procedures available for outsourcing is not always straightforward. Similarly, assessing a laboratory’s actual costs for specific procedures, some of which could be outsourced, is difficult. Performing such economic analyses could reveal new needs for outsourcing laboratory procedures.

While we realize that the feedback we received may not be representative of the whole community, the results lead us to conclude that there does not appear to be a need for a special initiative to develop novel outsourcing capabilities.

The NIH Biographical Sketch is a standardized format used to present professional information in grant applications. It includes sections for a personal statement, positions and honors, selected peer-reviewed publications, and a list of current and prior research support. To explore whether the format could be modified to better present an individual’s scientific abilities and accomplishments, NIH formed a working group that has just issued a request for information seeking input from the scientific community. The deadline for responses is June 29, 2012.

Do you want to have more or easier access to state-of-the-art technologies and methodologies for your research? Are there specific types of non-clinical laboratory procedures that you wish were available through an outsourcing service? If you answered “yes” to either of these questions, then please consider responding to our Request for Information (RFI): Priorities for Outsourcing of Laboratory Procedures. The RFI will help us identify research areas, such as assays, measurements and computational and data management tasks, that could be developed into outsourced services perhaps by small businesses and possibly supported through new funding opportunities. Responses, which are voluntary and anonymous, should be submitted electronically (no longer available) by May 1, 2012. UPDATE: The response deadline has been extended to May 15 (NOT-GM-12-110).

You may be interested in the following NIH Common Fund-related opportunities: Use-Oriented Basic Research: Change Mechanisms of Behavioral Social Interventions (Admin Supp) (PA-12-119) Purpose: Fund administrative supplements to study possible mechanisms of action of behavioral or social interventions Application due date: May 15, 2012 NIH contacts: Lisa Onken, NIDA, 301-443-0107 Melissa Riddle, NIDCR, 301-451-3888 Varda Shoham, NIMH, 301-443-8694 Request for Information (RFI): Challenges and Opportunities in Single Cell Analysis for Biomedical Research (NOT-RM-12-018) Purpose: Provide input to an NIH Common Fund working group charged with identifying challenges and emerging opportunities related to single-cell analysis Response due date: April 12, 2012 Send responses to single_cell@mail.nih.gov

You may be interested in the following funding opportunity announcements and NIH requests for information: Funding Opportunity Announcements

• Modeling Social Behavior (R01)
• Competing Revisions for Macromolecular Interactions in Cells (R01)
• Jointly Sponsored Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Institutional Predoctoral Training Program in the Neurosciences (T32)
• PHS 2012-02 Omnibus Solicitation of the NIH, CDC, FDA and ACF for Small Business Innovation Research Grant Applications (Parent SBIR [R43/R44])
• PHS 2012-02 Omnibus Solicitation of the NIH for Small Business Technology Transfer Grant Applications (Parent STTR [R41/R42])
• Resource Access for the Bridging Interventional Development Gaps Program (X01)

NIH Requests for Information

• Request for Information (RFI): Input into the Deliberations of the Advisory Committee to the NIH Director Working Group on Diversity in the Biomedical Research Workforce
• Request for Information (RFI): Input into the Deliberations of the Advisory Committee to the NIH Director Working Group on Data and Informatics

Funding Opportunity Announcements Modeling Social Behavior (R01) (RFA-GM-13-006) Purpose: Develop and test innovative theories and computational, mathematical or engineering approaches to deepen understanding of complex social behavior Letter of intent due date: March 3, 2012 Application due date: April 3, 2012 NIGMS contact: Stephen Marcus, 301-451-6446 Competing Revisions for Macromolecular Interactions in Cells (R01) (RFA-GM-13-003) Purpose: Extend the scope and capabilities of currently funded investigations on macromolecular interactions and their relationship to function in cells Letter of intent due dates: February 26, 2012; September 18, 2012 Application due dates: March 26, 2012; October 18, 2012 NIGMS contact: James Deatherage, 301-594-0828 Jointly Sponsored Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Institutional Predoctoral Training Program in the Neurosciences (T32) (PAR-12-084) Purpose: Prepare predoctoral students for independent research careers in the neurosciences Letter of intent due dates: April 25, 2012; April 25, 2013; April 25, 2014 Application due dates: May 25, 2012; May 25, 2013; May 25, 2014 NIGMS contact: Alison Cole, 301-594-3827 PHS 2012-02 Omnibus Solicitation of the NIH, CDC, FDA and ACF for Small Business Innovation Research Grant Applications (Parent SBIR [R43/R44]) (PA-12-088) Purpose: Submit Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I, Phase II, Fast-Track and Phase IIB competing renewal grant applications Application due dates: Standard dates apply NIGMS contact: Scott Somers, 301-594-3827 PHS 2012-02 Omnibus Solicitation of the NIH for Small Business Technology Transfer Grant Applications (Parent STTR [R41/R42]) (PA-12-089) Purpose: Submit Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I, Phase II, Fast-Track and Phase II competing renewal grant applications Application due dates: Standard dates apply NIGMS contact: Scott Somers, 301-594-3827 Resource Access for the Bridging Interventional Development Gaps Program (X01) (PAR-12-092) Purpose: Acquire access to government-funded contract resources needed for the preclinical development of therapeutic agents Application due date: April 3, 2012 NIH contact: Tony Jackson, 301-594-4660 NIH Requests for Information Request for Information (RFI): Input into the Deliberations of the Advisory Committee to the NIH Director Working Group on Diversity in the Biomedical Research Workforce (NOT-OD-12-031) Purpose: Provide input to a working group charged with examining diversity in the biomedical research workforce and providing recommendations on ways to enhance diversity throughout various research career stages, particularly with regard to underrepresented minorities, persons with disabilities and persons from disadvantaged backgrounds Response due date: February 24, 2012 Request for Information (RFI): Input into the Deliberations of the Advisory Committee to the NIH Director Working Group on Data and Informatics (NOT-OD-12-032) Purpose: Provide input to a working group charged with investigating the management, integration and analysis of large biomedical datasets Response due date: March 12, 2012

The Office of Science and Technology Policy has issued two requests for information (RFIs) on public access to scholarly publications and to digital data resulting from federally funded research. This input will inform working groups of the National Science and Technology Council that are developing policies on these topics. The first RFI, Public Access to Peer-Reviewed Scholarly Publications Resulting from Federally Funded Research, deals with questions related to managing public access, protecting intellectual property interests, embargoing publications and identifying other types of peer-reviewed publications (beyond scholarly journal articles) that should be covered by public access policies. Responses will be accepted through January 2, 2012. The second RFI, Public Access to Digital Data Resulting from Federally Funded Scientific Research, seeks input on public access to data as well as actions to ensure the long-term usefulness and preservation of the data, protect intellectual property interests and harmonize different types and sources of data. Responses will be accepted through January 12, 2012. If you want to know more about NIH’s existing policies on these topics, a good resource is the NIH Sharing Policies and Related Guidance on NIH-Funded Research Resources Web site. The site includes information on the data sharing policy, which requires all NIH investigator-initiated applications with direct costs greater than $500,000 in any single year to provide a data sharing plan. It also links to the NIH Public Access Policy, which requires scientists to submit an electronic version of the final, peer-reviewed manuscript to PubMed Central within 12 months of the official date of publication.

The NIH Common Fund supports trans-NIH programs in strategic areas to address roadblocks and catalyze progress in biomedical research. Two Common Fund programs are the Pioneer Award and New Innovator Award, which I just posted about.

Each year, NIH asks internal and external scientists and stakeholders to identify new ideas for Common Fund programs. NIH is now seeking broader input on the proposed concepts to help shape them into new programs for 2013. The feedback period is open until September 14.

For more information about the Common Fund and its current programs, read this recent blog post from NIH’s Sally Rockey.