Proteomic, Genomic, Bioinformatic Research Could Benefit From NIH s New $41.5M Clinical and Translational Research RFAs

NEW YORK, Oct. 13 (GenomeWeb News) - The US National Institutes of Health yesterday issued a Request for Applications for $41.5 million in grants to support the creation of centers, departments, or institutes within academic health centers to encourage the combination of clinical and translational science, the NIH said in a statement yesterday.

The grants may help genomics, proteomics, and bioinformatics research through their focus on topics such as the development of biomarkers for research purposes; clinical informatics for longitudinal studies; development of research devices and methods that could be used in patients' homes; and predictive toxicology in human populations.

The grants will also support biomedical informatics as "the cornerstone of communication within the [new research centers], and with all collaborating organizations," the NIH said.

The Institutional Clinical and Translational Science Awards will issue four to seven grants totaling $30 million to fund the creation of these organizations, and it will issue 50 one-time grants totaling $11.5 million to help academic centers prepare a future CTSA application.

The research bodies created by the grants should facilitate faculty "to conduct original research, develop graduate and postgraduate training curricula," and lead integrative programs, the NIH said.