Back in December 2010, the Scientific Management Review Board (SMRB) released a report stating that the NIH Clinical Center is in a prime position to provide a critical resource to members of the clinical research community from outside the NIH’s own ranks. The SMRB recommended that the NIH CC find mechanisms to provide its resources and environment to extramural researchers.
On October 12, 2011, the NIH released a Request for Information, NOT-OD-12-005, in an effort to solicit input from the research community regarding the paradigms by which such activity as recommended by the SMRB be executed
The NIH CC is looking to provide access to a number of different resources to researchers that are not being readily supported elsewhere. At this time, the RFI is not focused on specific projects or establishing the collaborative partnerships, but rather on designing the mechanisms by which extramural researchers can partner with intramural researchers and potentially access the following types of resources: equipment; goods, products, and services; patient cohorts; and, training activities.
One of the basic requirements of the program is that all proposed projects must be a collaborative endeavor between researchers within and outside of the NIH; this will be more involved than obtaining access to the CC’s resources.
The RFI is requesting responses that are focused on determining how partnering with the CC would help you, which resources are of greatest interest, what barriers currently exist to partnering with the CC, and what should be done to address those barriers.
All responses must be submitted by December 1st, 2011.
The NIH Clinical Center describes itself as a hospital that is solely focused on clinical research, including the support of studies that are considered challenging and high-risk but with a potential for great reward and new breakthroughs.
More information can be found here: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-12-005.html