>>WE ARE READY.
>>THIS IS REAL EXCITING OUR
FIRST IN PERSON MEETING SINCE
THE PANDEMIC AND I WANT TO
WELCOME EVERYONE AND HOPEFULLY
EVERYBODY GETS A CHANCE TO CHAT
WITH STAFF AND OTHER COUNCIL
MEMBERS.
AS ALWAYS WE HAVE A REAL
EXCITING COUNCIL FOR YOU.
LOTS OF INFORMATION AND LOOKING
FOR YOUR HARD THINKING AND GOOD
ADVICE AS WE GO FORWARD.
LIKE LAST ROUND WE HAVE FIVE AD
HOC MEMBERS THAT WE'RE STILL
WAITING FOR APPROVAL AND SO
HOPEFULLY THAT WILL HAPPEN.
THOSE THINGS GO DOWNTOWN AND WE
HAVE NO CONTROL AND EVENTUALLY
ALL GETS TAKEN CARE OF.
THE AD HOCS TODAY ARE JANE AND
JIM AND YISHI AND EX-OFFICIO'S
DAVID BRODY.
WE HAD A COUPLE PEOPLE WHO
COULDN'T MAKE IT AND
UNFORTUNATELY THIS IS ED'S LAST
COUNCIL MEETING AND HE'LL BE
VIRTUAL AND THE OTHER AD HOCS
ARE HANK PAULSON AND HANK
GREELEY.
>>DID YOU MENTION JANE?
>>I DID.
THE QUESTION IS DOES EVERYBODY
KNOW EACH OTHER OR SHOULD WE GO
AROUND?
>>I THINK WE'RE OKAY.
>>OKAY.
ALL RIGHT.
>>CAN PEOPLE HEAR WHAT I'M
SAYING?
>>YEAH.
>>GOOD.
OKAY.
GREAT TO SEE EVERYBODY.
IT'S BEEN THREE YEARS, SOMETHING
LIKE THREE YEARS FOR MOST OF
YOU.
AND BY THE WAY, THE AD HOC MEANS
YOU CAN FULLY PARTICIPATE IN THE
MEETING.
THE ONLY THING YOU CAN'T DO --
GOD LOOK AT THAT.
IT'S THROWING ME.
THAT'S MY BAD SIDE TOO.
THE ONLY THING YOU CANNOT DO IS
VOTE -- FORMALLY VOTE.
BUT YOU CAN PARTICIPATE IN EVERY
POSSIBLE WAY.
GREAT, I NOW HEAR MYSELF OVER
THERE.
BY THE WAY, OUR HEARTFELT THANKS
TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS STAYING
ON IN EXTRA ROUND WHILE THE AD
HOC MEMBERS GET APPROVED AND AD
HOC PEOPLE DON'T TAKE IT
PERSONALLY.
THIS HAPPENS ALL THE TIME.
IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU.
SO KEN IS STAYING ON, ALLEN AND
CLAUDIA AND CHRIS ARE STAYING ON
ONE LAST ROUND.
ALSO, IS ED ON AT THE MEETING?
IS HE ON ZOOM?
>>I'M HERE.
>>I'LL GET TO YOU IN A MINUTE.
THAT'S INTERESTING.
SO THIS IS ED'S LAST MEETING AND
I WAS GOING TO TOAST HIM
TONIGHT -- WOW, IT DISTRACTS ME
TO SEE MYSELF ALL AROUND BUT I
WANTED TO TOAST HIM TONIGHT AT
THE HAPPY HOUR BUT HOME SICK
WITH THE FLU.
YOU'VE BEEN A FANTASTIC COUNCIL
MEMBER AND PLEASURE TO WORK
WITH.
I WAS TALKING WITH A CROs
YESTERDAY AND MENTIONED ED FOR
SOME REASON AND HE SAID THAT GUY
IS INCREDIBLY SMART.
EVERYTHING HE SAYS IS RIGHT
EXACTLY ON POINT WHICH IS THE
IMPRESSION I'VE.
ON TOP OF THAT YOU'RE A REALLY
REMARKABLE GUY.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL KNOW BUT
ED IS HEADING A 60-SITE CLINICAL
TRIAL IN NIGERIA FOR KIDS WITH
PEDIATRIC EPILEPSY COMPARING
STANDARD OF CARE IN THE TRIAL.
SO THE BOTTOM LINE IS YOU'VE
BEEN A FANTASTIC COUNCIL MEMBER
AND WE'LL MISS YOU AND SORRY I
CAN'T TOAST YOU TONIGHT BUT TO
BE CLEAR YOU HAVE TO STAY HERE
FOR THE MEET.
-- MEETING.
OKAY.
SO THIS IS OUR FIRST HYBRID
MEETING.
THERE'S NOW SEVEN COUNCIL
MEMBERS ATTENDING VIRTUALLY.
MOST ARE ACTUALLY SICK.
AND SO EVERYONE SHOULD BE LOGGED
ON TO ZOOM AND THE REASON FOR
THAT IS THAT YOU CAN PARTICIPATE
IN THE CHAT BY THE WAY, THE MOST
IMPORTANT THING JUST HAPPENED
WHICH IS SOMEONE PLACED BE A
UBER ORDER FOR COFFEE JUST
ARRIVED.
THAT'S FANTASTIC.
IT'S NOT JUST MINE BUT THANKS A
LOT.
I'LL PAY YOU LATER.
SO WE'RE USING OF COURSE THE
MICS IN THE ROOM.
YOU SHOULD HAVE YOUR SPEAKERS
OFF.
IF YOU WANT TO TALK -- I'D
APPRECIATE IT IF YOU RAISE YOUR
EMOJI HAND SO I CAN KEEP TRACK
OF PEOPLE IN THE ROOM AND
OUTSIDE THE ROOM AND FOR EVERY
VOTE -- THIS IS TIM RESPONSIBLE
FOR EVERYTHING THAT IS HAPPENING
HERE AND DOING A FABULOUS JOB.
IN THE CHAT YOU'LL VOTE YES, NO
OR ABSTAIN AFTER HE ENTERS THE
MOTION IN THE CHAT.
BY THE WAY, BE CAREFUL ABOUT
SENDING COMMENTS TO EVERYONE YOU
MEAN TO JUST GO TO ONE PERSON.
PARTICULARLY THE REASON I'M
SAYING THIS IS DURING THE CLOSED
SESSION SOME PEOPLE WERE RECUSED
FROM DISCUSSION AND WILL SEE THE
COMMENTS.
ARE THERE QUESTIONS ON THE
MECHANICS OF THE MEETING?
I NEED BLINDERS?
>>ONE THIN I WANT TO MENTION
IS -- WE DO WANT YOU TO MAKE
SURE THAT YOU DO IF IT'S A
GENERAL COMMENT TO REPLY TO
EVERYONE BECAUSE WE WANT
ATTENDEES TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO
READ CHAT AS WELL.
OKAY.
>>OKAY.
>>RIGHT.
ATTENDEES ARE PEOPLE NOT AT THE
TABLE.
I'LL GET STARTED.
THE FIRST THING WE NEED IS YOUR
APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM THE
LAST MEETING WHICH ARE IN THE
ECB, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH AND UNLESS
SOMEBODY WANTS TO DISCUSS THE
MINUTES -- THIS IS PRACTICE FOR
DOING A MOTION FOR EVERYBODY IN
THE ROOM.
I NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE OR
DISAPPROVE THE MINUTES.
APPROVE?
SECOND?
NOW TIM SHOULD HAVE ENTERED IN
THE CHAT SO VOTE IN THE CHAT.
ON THE AGENDA UNDER THE NINDS
GENERAL INFORMATION TAB IN THE
ECB, ALL THE COUNCIL DATES GOING
THROUGH 2025, I BELIEVE, ARE
LISTED.
SO CHECK TO SEE IF YOU CAN'T
MAKE ANY OF THEM AND DO LET US
KNOW IN ADVANCE.
WE HAVE TO KEEP TRACK WHETHER
WE'LL HAVE A QUORUM, ETCETERA.
CHECK THOSE DATES WHEN YOU HAVE
A MINUTE.
NEXT I ALWAYS TALK ABOUT THE
EXPEDITED PROCESS.
THIS IS WHERE A SUBSET OF
COUNCIL MEMBERS, THREE, APPROVE
THOSE IN ADVANCE OF THE MEETING
TO ISSUE THE AWARDS EARLY IN
SOME CASES BEFORE COUNCIL MEETS
AND HAVE DELEGATED AUTHORITY TO
DO THAT AND THIS YEAR IT WAS
AKEMENI AND JOHN HANDLED THE
COUNCIL AND THE EXPEDITED
PROCESS USUALLY JUST FOCUSES ON
RO1s WITHIN THE PAY LINE THAT
HAVE NO ISSUES LIKE HUMAN
SUBJECT OR ANIMAL ISSUES AND
OTHER APPLICATION ARE ALSO HAVE
NOTHING THAT NEEDS TO BE
RESOLVED.
SO THERE WERE 124 APPLICATIONS
AVAILABLE TO BE EXPEDITED AND
WERE SCHEDULED TO BE ISSUED.
I SAY EVERY COUNCIL ROUND OUR
ABILITY TO DO THIS IS THE RESULT
OF GETTING THE AWARDS OUT
QUICKLY IS A TESTAMENT TO OUR
GRANTS BRANCHMENT -- MANAGEMENT
BRANCH AND THEY WORK HARD TO
MAKE SURE THE APPLICATIONS GO
OUT QUICKLY WHICH IS A LOT OF
WORK.
EVERY ROUND WE TELL YOU ABOUT
PEOPLE WHO ARE EITHER JOINING OR
LEAVING NINDS.
WE'RE A LITTLE PRESSED FOR TIME
TODAY.
SO WE'RE NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH
ALL THE INTRODUCTIONS
INDIVIDUALLY BUT THERE'S A
SLIDE -- IS SOMEBODY GOING TO
SHOW THE SLIDE?
THIS IS AN EYE TEST.
THESE ARE THE PEOPLE ARRIVING
AND I WOULD EN KOERJ YOU TO --
ENCOURAGE YOU TO READ THE BIOS
IN THE ECB.
THEY'RE INTERESTING PEOPLE WHO
COME TO WORK HERE.
THE OPEN SESSION IS GOING TO END
ROUGHLY AT 4:30 AND I'D LIKE TO
GET A HEAD START ON THE CLOSED
SESSION SO WE DON'T GO OVER
TOMORROW.
WE'LL PROBABLY GO TO MAYBE 6:00
AND THEN THE BUS WILL MEET YOU
OUTSIDE AND TAKE YOU TO THE
BEAUTIFUL EXOTIC HOTEL WHERE
WE'LL HAVE THE HAPPY HOUR ON THE
ROOFTOP OF THE CANOPY HOTEL AND
THE PLACE IS CALLED HELLO BETTY
AND YOU'LL LEARN WHY WHEN YOU
GET THERE.
SO AT THE END OF THE OPEN
SESSION WE'LL BREAK FOR FIVE
MINUTES TO TRANSFER FROM OPEN TO
CLOSED.
THAT'S IT FOR ME.
OVER TO YOU, WALTER.
>>TESTIMONY TO ALL THE WORK
DONE BY THE STAFF.
MANY OF WHICH ARE IN THE ROOM.
AND LET'S SEE.
SO I'VE DONE THIS TWICE AND WE
RECORDED IT BUT ALLEN CONVINCED
ME TO MAYBE DO IT IN PERSON.
I THINK THERE'S ONE BACK.
SO FIRST THING WANTED TO DO IS
MENTION WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT
PRESIDENT BIDEN PUTTING UP
DR. MONICA BERTAGNOLLI FOR THE
NIH DIRECTOR.
IT'S BEEN A LONG SEARCH.
SHE'S CURRENTLY THE HEAD OF THE
NCI AND INCREDIBLY COLLEGIAL AND
I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A GREAT
NIH DIRECTOR AND WE HOPE THINGS
SAIL THROUGH SMOOTHLY WITH THE
SENATE CONFIRMATION.
I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT THE BUDGET.
SO YOU CAN SEE HERE IN THE TOP
ROW THE BASE BUDGET SO THIS IS
MONEY AVAILABLE FOR OUR REGULAR
MECHANISMS.
AND IN 2023 WE HAD $2.16
BILLION.
IN THE PRESIDENT'S BUDGET FOR
2024, IT'S PRETTY MUCH FLAT,
ACTUALLY A LITTLE BIT DOWN AND
ALSO YOU CAN SEE OTHER
APPROPRIATIONS WE SEE FOR THE
BRAIN INITIATIVE AND HEAL
INITIATIVE HELPING END ADDICTION
LONG-TERM AND FOR ALZHEIMER'S
AND ALZHEIMER'S-RELATED DEMENTIA
RESEARCH.
YOU CAN SEE IN THE BOTTOM ROW
LOOKING AT THE FUNDS AND
PRESIDENT'S BUDGET WE'RE FLAT
NEXT YEAR AND NEXT SLIDE AND AS
YOU READ IN THE PAPERS, I DON'T
THE IF ANYTHING HAPPENED TODAY
BUT THERE WAS A DEAL THEY'RE
TRYING TO MOVE THROUGH CONGRESS
WHICH SUSPEND THE BORROWING LIMB
BUT PUTS THE NON-DISCRETIONARY
BUDGET WHERE WE FALL FLAT FOR
2024 WITH A POTENTIAL FOR NO
MORE THAN 1% INCREASE IN 2025.
THAT'S A BIG DIFFERENCE FROM
WHAT WE'VE SEEN OVER THE LAST
SINCE 2016.
IT'S MORE LIKE 2004 THROUGH 2016
WHERE THINGS WERE BASICALLY
FLAT.
WE'LL HAVE LESS MONEY TO WORK
WITH AND WE START GRANTS OUT AND
HAVE OUT YEAR COMMITMENTS.
CHRISTINE LAM THE BUDGET OFFICE
LOOKED AND MADE A PROJECTION IF
WE STUCK WITH WHAT WE HAVE
PLANNED FOR NEXT YEAR WE'D BE
$45 MILLION IN THE RED.
SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO
BASICALLY DO REAL BELT
TIGHTENING.
OUR DIVISION DIRECTORS ARE ALL
WORKING TO GET IDEAS ON WHAT
PROGRAMS THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO
CHANGE IN ORDER FOR US TO STAY
IN THE BLACK IN 2024 AND THEN
LOOKS LIKE 2025'S GOING TO BE
SIMILAR.
IT'S A BAD TIME AND WE'VE HAD
GOOD TIMES WHERE THEY'VE DONE
GREAT WORK AND WE HAVE THE
STRATEGY PLAN WHICH DR. NINA
SHORE WAS THE MASTER MIND AND
PUT OUT A MAP OF WHERE WE WANT
TO GO IN THE FUTURE AND STILL
WANT TO GO IN THIS DIRECTION AND
WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THE WORK
WE'RE DOING TO TRY TO IMPROVE
RIGOR AND TRANSPARENCY IN OUR
WORK LED BY THE OFFICE OF
RESEARCH QUALITY AND WE WANT TO
KEEP THE PAY LINE AT A LEX
THAT'S ACTUALLY CONDUCIVE TO
INVESTIGATOR-INITIATED RESEARCH.
THAT'S WHERE WE SEE THE BEST
SUCCESS IN TERMS OF DISCOVERY
SCIENCE.
WE WANT TO IMPROVE THE DIVERSITY
OF OUR WORKFORCE AND WE'RE
TRYING AND YOU'LL SEE IN THE
CLOSED SESSION OUR FIRST
ATTEMPTS AT GETTING INTO
PROMULGATING TEAM SCIENCE.
WE'VE SEEN WHAT THE BRAIN
INITIATIVE CAN DO WHEN IT GETS
BEHIND A TEAM OF SCIENTISTS
AROUND THE COUNTRY TO WORK OUT A
PROBLEM.
WE THINK WE HAVE OTHER PROBLEMS
THAT DON'T FIT IN THE BRAIN
SCIENCE SPACE WHERE TEAM SCIENCE
CAN LEAD TO BREAKS THROUGH.
THINGS THAT CAN'T BE DONE IN THE
INDIVIDUAL LAB AND WITH THE DATA
SHARING POLICY NOW THAT PEOPLE
HAVE TO POST THEY'RE DATA HOW DO
WE MAKE IT USEFUL?
WE HAVE TO WORK WITH THE
COMMUNITY TO DO THAT.
WE'RE INTERESTED IN NEUROETHICS
RESEARCH IN THE BRAIN INITIATIVE
AND ALSO WOULD LIKE TO BRING IT
INTO OTHER ASPECTS OF OUR
PROGRAMS.
OTHER THINGS WE HAVE PLANNED FOR
AND WE WANT TO GO AHEAD WITH
THESE BUT CLEARLY WE WILL HAVE
TO MAKE TOUGH DECISION GOING
FORWARD WITH THE BUDGET.
ONE THING WAS WE STARTED WITH A
LOAN AND NIMHD WHICH IS WHERE WE
WERE BORN FROM WORKED WITH US
AND RECRUITED PEOPLE AND PUT IN
$1 MILLION WAY BACK IN 1950.
THE THING ABOUT DOING SOMETHING
SPECIAL FOR 2025, WE'D LIKE TO
CELEBRATE THE PAST BUT I THINK
WE'D LIKE TO TAKE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK FOR THE
FUTURE AND WHERE WE MIGHT BE
ABLE TO GO IN THE NEXT MAYBE 10
YEARS I DON'T KNOW IF I'D SAY 75
YEARS.
NEXT SLIDE.
IN TERMS OF WHERE WE WANT TO GO
THERE'S A NEW AGENCY ARPA-H
ADVANCED RESEARCH PROGRAM AGENCY
FOR HEALTH AND THIS IS FUNDED
IT'S PART OF NIH BUT THEY REPORT
DIRECTLY TO THE HHS SECRETARY
NOT TO THE NIH DIRECTOR.
WE'D LIKE GOOD NEUROSCIENCE
PROGRAMS TO COME INTO ARPA-H.
HOW'S THAT HAPPEN?
TWO WAYS.
ONE IS THEY HAVE A BROAD
ANNOUNCEMENT NOW FOR PROJECTS.
YOU CAN SEE THE KIND OF PROJECTS
THEY'RE LOOKING FOR AND THESE
ARE LIKE TRANSFORMATIVE
PROJECTS.
THINGS THAT NIH WOULD NOT DO.
WE CAN DO ALMOST ANYTHING BUT
SOME THINGS WE CAN'T MAYBE
BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY.
THE OTHER WAY PROJECTS HAPPEN IS
HIRE PEOPLE OPPOSED TO NIH HIRE
PEOPLE WHO COME IN WITH THE
PROJECT THEY WANT TO DO.
IF YOU HAVE PEOPLE WHO THINK
ABOUT ARPA-H AS A PLACE TO WORK,
YOU COULD GET A LOT DONE AND
HAVE ACCESS TO A VERY WELL
RESOURCED RESEARCH PROGRAM.
I WANTED TO THROW THAT OUT AS A
BOOK END TO THE PUTTING ISSUES
WE'LL BE HAVING.
WE'D LIKE TO GET NEUROSCIENCE IN
THE PROGRAM.
A COUPLE THINGS ON THE RECOVER
INITIATIVE RUN BY NHLBI AND
NINDS AND STUDY THE LONGER TERM
EFFECTS OF THE COVID PANDEMIC.
WE KNOW THIS IS A HUGE INSULT TO
OUR HEALTH.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE LONG-TERM
EFFECTS ARE.
WE NEED TO WORK UP TO THOSE AND
HAVE TO HAVE REAL RESPONSIBILITY
TO UNDERSTAND WHY CERTAIN PEOPLE
ARE NOT RECOVERING FROM COVID
AND DEVELOP WHAT IS CALLED IN
THE LITERATURE LONG COVID AND
BASICALLY IT LOOKS EXACTLY LIKE
WE'VE SEEN BEFORE AND PEOPLE WHO
DEVELOP A POST INFECTIOUS
ILLNESS WHICH IS OFTEN BASICALLY
CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME AND
WE'VE BEEN WORKING TO UNDERSTAND
AND HAVE RUN INTO A BRICK WALL
AND FOR DECADES PEOPLE HAVE
TRIED TO UNDERSTAND AND FAILED
TO UNDERSTAND THE BIOLOGY IS AND
SEEMS TO BE WHAT LONG COVID
SEEMS TO BE.
THIS INITIATIVE WAS THE CHANCE
TO GET AT WHAT WE THINK IS
IMPORTANT UNDERLYING BIOLOGY TO
HELP PEOPLE IN THE POST COVID
AND MAYBE EVEN THE OTHER
INFECTIOUS ILLNESSES.
THE RECOVERY WAS SET UP BECAUSE
HERE WE KNEW IT WOULD PROBABLY
BE A HARD PROBLEM.
IF IT COULD BE EASILY FIGURED
OUT, SOMEBODY WILL FIGURE IT OUT
AND WE'LL BE DONE WITH IT.
I DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THAT'S
HAPPENING.
IT LOOKS TO BE A TOUGH PROBLEM
TO UNDERSTAND.
WE SET THIS UP BASICALLY NOT TO
LEAVE ANY STONE UNTURNED.
IT'S A LARGE PROJECT TO COLLECT
DATA AND GET TO THE UNDERLYING
BIOLOGY AND SET UP CLINICAL
TRIALS TO HELP PEOPLE IN THE
SHORT TERM.
IT HAS ENROLLED OVER 20,000
PEOPLE IN-PERSON VISITS AND
STUDIES IN 18 MONTHS WHICH IS
QUITE REMARKABLE.
IT'S ALSO STUDIED 49,000 ADULTS
AND 12,000 CHILDREN AND SET UP
COHORT.
IT'S ANALYZED THE ELECTRONIC
HEALTH RECORDS OF OVER 60
MILLION PEOPLE.
IT HAS STARTED PUBLISHING
RESULTS.
I THINK THERE'S 15 REPORTS
PUBLISH AND 15 IN PREPARATION
AND THIS ONE RECENTLY CAME OUTS
AN UNBIASSED LOOK AT THE DATA
FROM THE COHORT STUDY TO
IDENTIFY THE SPECTRUM OF
CONDITIONS THAT GOES WITH LONG
COVID.
IT DOESN'T REALLY FIT WITH
ANYTHING ELSE.
THE KEY THING HERE IS THE
SYMPTOMS IN LONG COVID ARE VERY
COMMON IN THE POPULATION LIKE
FATIGUE OR PAIN BUT IT'S THESE
CLUSTERS OF SYMPTOMS WHICH
PEOPLE WITH LONG COVID HAVE THAT
DISTINGUISHES THEM FROM THE
GENERAL POPULATION.
WE'VE ALSO LAUNCHED 40 STUDIES
TO UNDERSTAND THE LONG-TERM
EFFECTS OF COVID GRANTS GOING
DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
THIS IS TOUCHING THE TIP OF
ICEBERG.
RECOVER HAVE NOT GOING TO BE
ABLE TO DELVE DEEPLY INTO ALL
THE ASPECTS OF THE POST ACUTE
SEQUELAE COVID AND WE HAVE A
NOES NOSI OUT TO STUDY THESE
THROUGH REGULAR MECHANISMS.
PEOPLE THOUGHT RECOVER WILL DEAL
WITH IT AND WE WON'T STUDY THIS
BUT I DON'T THINK THAT'S A GOOD
IDEA.
IT'S A PROBLEM THAT IS GOING TO
BE TOUGH AND WE NEED A LOT OF
PEOPLE WORKING ON THIS.
AND WE PUT TOGETHER MASTER PROTE
PROTOCOLS FOR DIFFERENT SUB SETS
OF THE CONDITIONS WHERE WE LOOK
AT SYMPTOMATIC THERAPY.
LIKE SLEEP, COGNITIVE TROUBLE,
EXERCISE INTOLERANCE AND HAVE
MASTER PROTOCOLS TO TEST ONE
THING AFTER ANOTHER FOR
SYMPTOMATIC BENEFIT AND MASTER
PROTOCOL WHICH IS LIKE TESTING
THINGS GETTING AT THE UNDERLYING
BIOLOGY OF THE DISEASE.
YOU MAY SEE PIECES OF ALL THOSE
OTHER AND DECREASED SLEEP AND
PAIN AND BETTER OUGHT KNOW
AUTONOMIC FUNCTION AND HOPE TO
LAUNCH A TRIAL FOR ANTITRIERL
AGENT PREDICATED ON THE REPORT
FROM THE NATIONAL CANCER
INSTITUTE WHERE THEY'RE CLAIMING
THEY'RE SEEING EVIDENCE OF
PERSISTENT VIRUS OUT AND THE
LONGEST WAS 230 DAYS.
THIS IS A GUESS STILL.
WE STILL DON'T HAVE EVIDENCE
THERE'S PERSISTENT BIAS IN
PEOPLE AND THOUGHT WE'D GO AHEAD
WITH THAT AS WE SEE WHAT WE CAN
FIND IN TERMS OF BIOMARKERS TO
SAY YES OR NO.
ONE BIG PROBLEM IS MANY
DIFFERENT THINGS GOING ON IN THE
COHORT OF PEOPLE NOT JUST ONE
THING.
RIGHT NOW THESE WILL BE TARGETED
AT VERY VARE GENETIC DISEASES
BUT ONE CAN THINK THAT GENOMIC
THERAPY CAN MOVE PAST THAT AT
ONE POINT AND BE TREATING A
WHOLE CADRE OF OTHER CONDITIONS
WHERE SAY SMALL MOLECULES ARE
THE OTHER BIOLOGICS CAN'T HIT
TARGET OR CAN'T HIT IT BUT THE
DOSE YOU HAVE TO GET CAN CAUSE
SO MANY SIDE EFFECTS IT'S NOT
GOING TO WORK FOR YOU.
WE HAVE A NUMBER OF PROGRAMS.
THESE ARE THE TRANS-NIH
PROGRAMS.
COMMON FUND RAN THE UNDIAGNOSED
DISEASE NETWORK.
FOLKS WHERE A DIAGNOSIS COULD
NOT BE MADE.
90% OF THESE FOLKS HAD NEURO
LOGICAL SYMPTOMS AND WHEN THE
COMMON FUND ENDED THE LEADERSHIP
MOVED TO NANDS GOING FORWARD.
WE ARE WORKING IN THE
ACCELERATED MEDICINE PARTNERSHIP
WITH INDUSTRY, NIH AND THE FDA
TO DEVELOP A PLATFORM SYSTEM
USING THE AAV VIRUS VECTOR TO DO
GENE THERAPY AND DIFFERENT
GENETIC DISORDERS.
THEY'VE RECENTLY LAST WEEK
ANNOUNCED EIGHT DISORDERS
THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE IN AS THE
FIRST EFFORT AND YOU CAN SEE
THERE'S FOUR NEUROLOGICAL
CONDITIONS AND THE ULTRA RARE
NEUROGENETIC DISORDERS.
YOU'LL SEE IN THE CLOSED SESSION
THE FIRST GRANTS COMING THROUGH
FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION AND THAT
ASPECT BUT SIMILARLY ULTRA RARE
DISORDERS, NO TREATMENT, GENE
THERAPY LOOKS LIKE IT COULD BE
POTENTIALLY BENEFICIAL.
WE'RE HOPING TO PARTNER WITH THE
BGTC AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
ON THE OTHER HAND THERE'S A
COMMON FUND PROJECT THE SOMATIC
GENE EDITING WITH NCATS.
THIS IS AGAIN TRYING TO MOVE
GENE EDITING FROM THE FIRST FIVE
YEARS OF THE COMMON FUND PROGRAM
WHICH WAS DEVELOPING THE TOOLS,
GETTING THE EVIDENCE THAT WOULD
NEED TO BE TAKEN INTO THE
CLINIC, UNDER THING WHAT THE
OFF-TARGET EFFECTS ARE AND HOW
TO ASSESS THAT AND HOPING TO
LAUNCH CLINICAL PROJECTS IN
HUMAN BEINGS IN SOMATIC GENE
EDITING AND SOME WILL BE NERVOUS
SYMPTOM DISORDERS I THINK.
FINALLY THE OTHER PROJECT IS THE
SOMATIC MOSAICISM AND LOTS OF
GERM-LINE GENE MUTATIONS AND
INHERITED AND DE NOVO MUTATIONS
BUT IT'S BEEN FOUND THERE'S A
HOST OF DISORDERS IN DEVELOPMENT
DUE TO SOMATIC MUTATIONS.
AS THE CHILD IS DEVELOPING AND
THERE'S ECTOPIC NEURAL GROWTH
AND BAD SEIZURE DISORDERS.
THIS OCCURS WITH AGING IN THE
ANNIVERSARY SYSTEM AND SOD IDEAS
IT'S RELATED TO
NEURODEGENERATION AND EXCITING
PROJECTS ON THE GENOMIC FRONT
WILL BE MORE EXCITING AS THE
YEARS PASS.
AND FUNDING RESEARCH PROJECTS
CALLED EXPANDED ACCESS THAT IS
PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT QUALIFIED FOR
CLINICAL TRIALS WILL GET ACCESS
TO INVESTIGATIONAL DRUGS UNDER A
STUDY.
WE FUNDED ONE LAST YEAR YOU SAW
AND WE'LL BE BRINGING A NEW SET
OF GRANTS TO SEPTEMBER COUNCIL
FOR EXPANDED ACCESS AND IN
ADDITION THE ACT CALLS FOR
PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP
BETWEEN NIH, INDUSTRY, DISEASE
ORGANIZATIONS AND PATIENTS,
CAREGIVERS OF THOSE WITH ALS.
SO WE'RE WORKING HARD TO PUT
THIS TOGETHER AS WELL.
THERE WAS A LAUNCH LAST YEAR OF
A CRITICAL PATH INSTITUTE
PROGRAM WHICH TAKES IN CLINICAL
DATA PRIMARILY TO INFORM THE FDA
ON REGULATORY SCIENCE AND HOW TO
APPROVE OR NOT APPROVE DRUGS FOR
ALS AND OTHER RARE
NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES.
WE'RE WORKING ON THE ACCELERATED
MEDICINE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN
INDUSTRY AND NIH AND FDA AND
DISEASE ORGANIZATIONS TO COLLECT
DATA AND BRING IT IN INTO A
SINGLE ONE-STOP-SHOPPING SPOT
WHERE IT'S AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE
BUT ALSO THE GROUP DECIDES WHAT
DATA WE NEED TO GO OUT AND GET
AND WE'LL SET UP A CONSORTIUM
SEEING ALS PATIENTS COLLECTING
THE DATA AND SAMPLES AND MAKING
THEM AVAILABLE FOR ANALYSIS AS
DIRECTED BY THE PARTNERSHIP.
AND THAT GOAL IS THEN TO DEVELOP
EVIDENCE FOR BIOMARKERS AND NEW
TARGETS FOR ALS THERAPY
DEVELOPMENT.
REALLY EXCITING PROJECT, THREE
DIFFERENT COMPONENTS.
LOTS OF BALLS IN THE AIR STILL.
WE'RE HOPING EVERYTHING SETTLES
DOWN BY SEPTEMBER COUNCIL.
THERE'S A POSSIBILITY WE MAY
HAVE TO COME TO YOU EARLIER IF
THE TIMING FOR THE FUNDS WHICH
HAVE TO BE SPENT BY THE END OF
SEPTEMBER CAN'T WAIT UNTIL
CENTER.
THE $75 MILLION HAS BEEN
APPROPRIATED TO NANDS FOR THE
PROGRAM.
>>WHAT ARE THE PLANS FOR
TIGHTENING OUR BUDGET AND WORK
IN THE STUDENT SIPHON THROUGH
THAT.
>>THIS IS SERIOUS BUSINESS.
THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS VYING
FOR FUNDING AND WE'LL HAVE TO
MAKE TOUGH DECISION.
$45 MILLION IS HARD TO COVER.
THERE'S A COUPLE OPTIONS PEOPLE
ARE THINKING ABOUT.
AMY WILL HAVE A FIT IF I MENTION
THEM BUT THE DIVISION DIRECTORS
ARE TRYING TO LOOK AT THEIR
PROGRAMS AND SEE WHAT THEY CAN
CUT.
IT'S A GOOD DISCUSSION WE'LL
HAVE TO HAVE IN SEPTEMBER FOR
SURE BUT IT INVOLVES THE PAY
LINE AND THE ADMINISTRATIVE CUTS
AND WHAT WE CAN GO FORWARD AND
NOT GOOD TIMING GIVEN WE HAVE SO
MANY GREAT THINGS TO DO.
>>THEY WERE PART OF A SEPARATE
ONE.
>>STILL, I THINK THEY SHOULD BE
PART OF THE CELEBRATION.
>>NEXT THING I WANTED TO
MENTION WAS THE NATIONAL ACADEMY
REPORT ON NON-HUMAN PRIMATE
MODELS IN RESEARCH.
AS WE MENTIONED IN THE PAST FOR
US TO UNDERSTAND THE WORKINGS OF
THE HUMAN BRAIN THERE'S NO REAL
SUBSTITUTE FOR NON-HUMAN PRIMATE
WORK IN CERTAIN SIEBS AREAS.
THERE'S A BIG PROBLEM NOW AND
JOHN MAY BE ABLE TO TALK TO THIS
THE AVAILABILITY OF NON-HUMAN
PRIMATE IN THE COURSE WENT OFF
THE ROOF AND THIS IS FROM THE
NATIONAL ACADEMY POINTING OUT
WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO CORRECT
THE PROBLEM.
I THINK IT'S ALL CORRECTIBLE BUT
AS GEEINA POINTED OUT THERE'S A
NUMBER OF NON-HUMAN PRIMATES
AVAILABLE AND WITH MO TRAINING
AND PEOPLE TO USE NON-HUMAN
PRIMATES APPROPRIATELY AND
HUSBANDRY FOR NON-HUMAN
NON-HUMAN PRIMATES AND THE OTHER
IS ON DIVERSITY, EQUITY,
INCLUSION AND ACCESSIBILITY AND
INCLUSION IN S.T.E.M.
ORGANIZATIONS.
ASKING AGAIN FOR IMPLEMENTATION
OF INCLUSIVE MULTI-FACETED PLAN
TO HELP PEOPLE FROM DESEDISADVA
GROUPS AND TRANSLATE THE
PROGRAMS AND PRACTICES VALUABLE
IN MINORITY-SERVING INSTITUTIONS
SO THEY CAN BE ADOPTED BY OTHER
UNIVERSITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY
AND TO COLLECT DATA TO REALLY
KEEP PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE FOR
MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION
WITH REGARD TO INCREASING THE
DIVERSITY OF OUR WORKFORCE.
I WANTED TO MENTION JUST
RECENTLY WE GOT APPROVAL FOR A
SENIOR POSITION HERE NINDS
WORKING WITH LEADERS IN THE
OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR AND
DIVISIONS OR SCIENCE DIVISION
AND INTRAMURAL DIVISION AND
SOCIETY DIRECTOR FOR PROGRAMS
AND IN NEUROSCIENCE AND A BIG
COMPONENT OF THIS WILL BE
IMPROVING BRAIN DIVERSE
PERSPECTIVES TO OUR SCIENCE AND
PEOPLE HAVE WORKED A LONG TIME
TRYING TO GET THAT POSITION
APPROVED BY HHS.
I UNDERSTAND IT WAS JUST
APPROVED.
MANY KNOW ABOUT THE REAL
SHORTAGE OF POSTDOCS OCCURRING
IN THIS COUNTRY AND THE THERE'S
AN ADVISORY GROUP TO THE TO
EVALUATE THE EVIDENCE OF THE
SHORTAGE, ASSESS CONTRIBUTING
FACTORS, REVIEW AND COMPARE
APPROACHES TO MITIGATE FOR THIS
PROBLEM AND YOU CAN SEE WHERE
THEY ARE NOW.
THE INTERIM REPORT WILL BE DUE
NEXT MONTH.
THESE ARE THE KINDS OF
SUGGESTIONS THAT HAVE COME FROM
THE LISTENING SESSION FOR THIS
GROUP.
IT'S NOT THE REPORT ITSELF.
THEY'RE CALLING PEOPLE AND
THERE'S A NEED FOR INCREASED
FINANCIAL SUPPORT INCLUDING
SALARIES COMMENSURATE WITH THEIR
LEVEL OF EXPERTISE AND LOCAL
COST OF LIVING AND BENEFITS
MATCHING THOSE FROM OTHER
EMPLOYEES AND THE HIRING
INSTITUTION AS WELL AS IMPROVED
CHILDCARE SUPPORT.
WHEN FOLKS ARE AT THE POINT
WHERE THEY'RE HOPING AND
STARTING A FAMILY OFTEN TIMES
WHEN THEY GIVE UP ON AN ACADEMIC
CAREER BECAUSE CHILDCARE IS SO
EXPENSIVE OR HARD TO FIND AND
REFINING THE INFRASTRUCTURE
RELATED TO POSTDOC TRAINING AND
INCREASING THE ACCOUNTABILITY
AND OVERSIGHT.
QUESTION HERE GETS TO THE SPACE
BETWEEN THE POSTDOC BEING THE
WORKER BEE AND POSTDOC BEING THE
TRAINEE BUT CLEARLY THE P.I.'S
TO DEVELOP CAREERS AS POSTDOCS
AS A PRIMARY GOAL IN RUNNING
THEIR LABS.
THERE'S A NEED TO EXPAND
OPPORTUNITIES IN SUPPORTING
NON-ACADEMIC TRANSITIONS.
CERTAINLY I WOULD SAY NINDS
EXTRAMURAL BENEFITTED
TREMENDOUSLY FROM PEOPLE COMING
FROM THE LABORATORIES.
THERE ARE FANTASTIC JOBS
AVAILABLE FOR PEOPLE.
AND THE PERMANENT AND
NON-FACULTY POSITIONS TO RETAIN
INTERNATIONAL TALENT.
A LARGE PROPORTION MAYBE A
MAJORITY IN THE POSTDOCS IN THE
U.S. TRAINED OVERSEAS AND WANT
TO COME TO THE U.S. BECAUSE THEY
SEE THE OPPORTUNITIES TO GROW
THEIR SCIENCE AND CONTRIBUTE AS
THEY CANNOT IN THEIR HOME
COUNTRY AND WE HAVE TO BE
WELCOMING AS A SOCIETY FOR THAT
AND SOMETIMES THE DECK IS STACK
AND SOME ARE NOT CITIZENS OR
GREEN CARD HOLDERS AND LOTS OF
WAYS TO HELP AND THAT WOULD HELP
US STRENGTHEN OUR SCIENCE.
I'VE GONE AROUND TO UNIVERSITIES
AND THE UNIVERSITY SAYS IF
ANYBODY'S FUNDED ON A T32 WE'RE
CONSIDERED A FEDERAL EMPLOYEE
AND CAN'T GET FUNDING FROM THE
UNIVERSITY.
THAT'S HIGHLY WRONG.
THEY CAN'T HAVE THEIR SALARY
SUPPLEMENTED BY FEDERAL FUNDS
THAT'S THE ONLY PROHIBITION BUT
CAN HAVE IT SUPPLEMENTED BY
NON-FEDERAL FUNDS AND RECEIVE
THE SAME BENEFITS AS ANY OTHER
EMPLOYER AND THIS IS PUT OUT BY
THE OFFICE OF EXTRAMURAL
RESEARCH AND MIKE LAUER'S OFFICE
TO CORRECT THE MISCONCEPTION.
THIS ONE I WANT TO BE THE
MESSENGER FOR THIS.
THIS IS LOOKING AT THE TRAINING
FELLOWSHIPS NRSA FELLOWSHIPS AND
LOOKING AT THE MOST PROMISING
PROGRAMS OF THE FUTURE.
.
AND SO THEY FORMED A WORKING
GROUP.
AND THE MAJORITY OF THE
FELLOWSHIP APPLICATIONS WERE IN
REVIEW AND THOSE WITH THE MOST
SENIOR RESPONSES DO BETTER THAN
THAT.
AND NIH IS LEAVING OUT HIGHLY
PROMISING SCIENCES BECAUSE WE
HEAVILY FAVOR LEAD INSTITUTIONS,
SENIOR, WELL-KNOWN SPONSORS AND
NARROW EMPHASIS ON TRADITIONAL
MARKERS OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS.
AND WANT TO REVISE CRITERIA AND
THE MODIFICATIONS THEY'RE
PROPOSING AND THERE'S A REQUEST
FOR COMMENTS ON THIS AND THERE'S
THE POTENTIAL OF THE APPLICANT
TO THE STRENGTH OF THE SCIENCE
AND THREE THE QUALITY OF THE
TRAINING DATA.
THEY WANTED TO AND THE BROADER
STATEMENTS OF QUALIFICATIONS AND
WANT GREATER EMPHASIS ON THE
SPONSORS MENTORSHIP APPROACH AND
PLAN FOR THE STUDENT AT HAND NOT
SIMPLY THE TRACK RECORD OF THE
MENTOR AND WANT
TRAINING-SPECIFIC QUESTION SO
THEY'RE RELATED PRIMARILY TO THE
TRAIN
TRAINEE HOPE IT WILL REDUCE BIAS
AND REDUCE REDUCING
INAPPROPRIATE CONSIDERATION OF
THE SPONSOR REPUTATION AND WANT
TO EVALUATE THE SPONSOR AND
REPUTATION WITH RESPECT TO THE
QUALITY OF THE SCIENCE AND
TRAINING PROGRAM AND HAVE AN RFI
THROUGH JUNE 2023 AND IF FOLKS
ARE INTERESTED REVIEW THE
COMMENTS BY THE DATE.
THERE WAS A TEAM SCIENCE
PROJECT.
JUST TO REMIND YOU AND YOU'LL
GET THIS IN THE CLOSED SESSION
THE IDEA HERE IS TO DEVELOP A
TEAM OF PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO
WORK TOGETHER TO SOLVE A
PROBLEM -- IMPORTANT PROBLEM IN
SCIENCE OPPOSED TO A BUNCH OF
AIMS THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO BE
COHESIVE, WELL DESIGNED AND
SOLVING A SINGLE RESEARCH GOAL
AND EXPECTED TO ACHIEVE A REAL
IMPORTANT OUTCOME WITHIN SAY
FIVE YEARS OF THE GRANT.
AND THE CHANCE FOR US TO GET
INTO THE SPACE OF BUILDING TEAM
SCIENCE TO AND TO DEVELOP PEOPLE
THAT THEN BECOME GOOD AT DOING
TEAM SCIENCE WHICH IS AN ART
FORM IN AND OF ITSELF.
A
AND PEOPLE TO ADOPT THE ICONS
WHEN THEY GO TO A MEETING AND
PRESENT WITH THE SLIDE THE
RESULTS OR WHEN THEY GO TO A
POSTER SESSION AND TO INDICATE
WITH THE ICONS THESE
CHARACTERISTICS OF TRANSPARENT
REPORTING, BLINDING,
RANDOMIZATION, YES OR NO, POWER
CALCULATE IN ADVANCE, YES OR NO,
WAS IT AN EXPLORATORY EXPERIMENT
AND WE'LL CHECK AND SEE OR WAS
THIS THE FINAL THAT PEOPLE ARE
PUTTING OUT?
SO WE'RE HOPEFUL THIS WILL NOT
ONLY GET PEOPLE THINKING ABOUT
HOW THEY DO THEIR EXPERIMENTS
AND THE CHARACTERISTICS OF RIGOR
BUT WHEN YOU USING THE ICONS
YOU'LL GET A SENSE HOW TO
INTERPRET THE AS WELL.
AND I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE
MISSION STATEMENT.
SO WE ARE AND WE'LL TALK IN A
SECOND I'LL PUT OUT TO YOU THE
IDEA OF CHANGING OUR MISSION
STATEMENT.
AND THIS STARTED A WHILE AGO
WHEN THERE WAS AN ACD WORKING
GROUP AND THEY ASK NIH CHANGE
THE MISSION STATEMENT BECAUSE
THE CURRENT MISSION STATEMENT
COULD BE INTERPRETED AS PER PESH
WAITING ABLISTS BELIEFS THAT
DISABLED PEOPLE ARE FLAWED AND
NEED TO BE FIXED.
SO OUR DEPARTMENT MISSION
STATEMENT DOESN'T TALK ABOUT
DISABILITY ITSELF BUT DOES USE
THE USE BURDEN OF NEUROLOGIC
DISEASE FOR ALL PEOPLE.
THAT I DIDN'T RECOGNIZE IT UNTIL
RECENTLY THAT COULD BE
MISINTERPRETED AS THE BURDEN FOR
THE ECONOMY OR BURDEN FOR THE
HEALTH CARE SYSTEM.
IT WAS MEANT TO BE THE BURDEN OF
SUFFERING FOR THE PERSON WITH
THE DISORDER BUT COULD BE
MISPERCEIVED AND THE MISSION IS
TO SEEK FUNDAMENTAL KNOWLEDGE
ABOUT THE NERVOUS SYSTEM AND THE
DISORDERS TO IMPROVE THE
NEUROLOGICAL HEALTH OF ALL
PEOPLE.
IT TO UNDERSTAND NEUROSCIENCE
AND THE MECHANISM OF DISEASE AND
TO USE THAT KNOWLEDGE TO IMPROVE
NEUROLOGICAL HEALTH.
SO IT HAS THE SUCCINCT AND TO
THE POINT AND I THINK IT GETS
RID OF THAT POTENTIAL
MISPERCEPTION.
BUT INTERESTED TO HEAR WHAT
PEOPLE THINK ABOUT THAT.
A COUPLE SEARCHS ONGOING.
HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THEY JUST
LAUNCHED THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF
NINDS.
NINA SHORE HELD THE POSITION TWO
YEARS AGO AND HAD TO ABBREVIATE
HER EFFORTS WHEN SHE BECAME THE
ACT BEING SCIENTIFIC DIRECTOR OF
OUR INTERIM PROGRAM AND THEN
LAST OCTOBER SHE WAS MADE THE
DIRECTOR OF ALL INTERIM
RESEARCH.
-- INTRAMURAL RESEARCH.
IT'S GOOD TIMES BUT PROBABLY A
LITTLE LATE TO GET A DEPUTY ON
BOARD.
I WANTED TO SAY I WAS THE
DEPUTY.
IT WAS THE MOST FUN JOB I EVER
HAD.
DEFLECTED ALL THE SCUD MISSILES
AND COULD JUST HAVE FUN WITH
INTERESTING PROJECTS, TALKING TO
PEOPLE AND I'LL DO THAT FOR THE
NEXT DEPUTY.
SO IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY YOU
CAN SEE ALL THE PROJECTS I
TALKED ABOUT EARLIER.
THAT'S JUST THE TIP OF THE
ICEBERG.
SO MANY THINGS THAT ONE COULD
GET INVOLVED WITH THAT HAVE REAL
IMPORTANCE FOR THE SCIENCE
MOVING FORWARD AND GET YOU OUT
OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE AND GET YOU
THINKING IN A NEW WAY.
IT'S A BROADENING POSITION.
I ENCOURAGE YOU TO APPLY
YOURSELVES OR DEFINITELY TELL
PEOPLE ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY
WHEN YOU GET THE CHANCE.
WE'RE ALSO LOOKING FOR AN
INTRAMURAL TRAINING DIRECTOR AND
I WANT TO PUT EMPHASIS ON THE
INTRAMURAL PROGRAM ON IMPROVING
THE WELFARE OF AND WE HAD GOOD
CANDIDATES COMING IN AND
EVERYBODY WAS GIVING THEIR TALKS
AND WE'RE IN THE FINAL STAGE OF
MAKING THE CHOICE.
AND OPEN POSITIONS NINDS.
THERE'S OPENINGS FOR PROGRAM
DIRECTORS AND THE BUDGET GOT UP
TO 2. -- $2.8 BILLION.
IT'S ALMOST DOUBLE SO WE NEED
MORE PEOPLE TO MANAGE THE
FUNDING WE HAVE NOW.
AND THE INTRAMURAL PROGRAM IS IN
NEED OF NEUROLOGISTS TO COME IN.
AND WORK IN THE DIFFERENT AREAS
OF THE IMMUNOLOGY CLINIC RUNNING
THE CONSULT SERVICE AND EG AND
EPILEPSY SERVICE AND I THINK A
GROUP IS LOOKING FOR BIOLOGICS
AND THERAPEUTIC DEVELOPMENT.
THOSE ARE THE POSITIONS THAT IF
YOU HEAR PEOPLE LOOKING TO MOVE
OUT OF THE LAB, THESE ARE GREAT
JOBS.
AND TO END UP WITH A COUPLE
INTERESTING MEETINGS THE BRAIN
INITIATIVE MEETING JOHN AND I
WILL TALK IN A SECOND ABOUT THE
BRAIN INITIATIVE.
AN EXCITING MEETING.
1,000 PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY SIGNED
UP AND I THINK THE IN-PERSON
PART IS FULL.
HOEFULLY THERE'LL BE THOUSANDS
ON THE ZOOM AS WELL AND A
PROJECT WITH THE HEAL INITIATIVE
TO UNDERSTAND THE BIOLOGY
UNDERLYING OF JOINT PAIN WHICH
IS A COMMON PROBLEM IN THIS
COUNTRY AND HASN'T HAD THE
ATTENTION THAT IT NEEDS BUT
THERE'S A BUNCH OF I.C.s THAT
ARE INTERESTED IN THIS NOW AND A
WORKSHOP TO BE HELD.
ANG WE'LL TALK ABOUT AN
INNOVATIVE PROGRAM TO DEVELOP
THE DEVICES FOR NEUROLOGIC HELP
AND RICHARD BENSON'S GOING TO
TALK ABOUT THE STRATEGIC PLAN
AND HEALTH REQUEST AND WE'LL
HAVE CHERYSE SANKAR AND HAVE
VISITORS AND MIKE LAUER OF THE
OFFICE OF EXTRAMURAL RESEARCH
AND MARIE BERNARD OF THE
INSTITUTE OF HEALTH WORKFORCE
DIVERSITY CHIEF AND JOINED BY
MICHELLE JONES-LONDON WHO I
THINK IS ON ZOOM WHO ISN'T
FEELING WELL IN THE OFFICE OF
WORKFORCE DIVERSITY AND THE
FOCUS ON LOOKING AT THE
DEMOGRAPHICS OF THOSE WE FUND
AND HOW TO IMPROVE DIVERSITY IN
OUR WORKFORCE.
AND I THINK THAT'S IT.
>>WE ALSO HAVE TO STAY ON TIME
BECAUSE WE HAVE VISITORS.
ANY QUESTIONS?
>>IT DOESN'T SAY NINDS IS
TRYING TO DEVELOP TREATMENT JUST
THAT WE'LL DO THE SCIENCE TO
FIGURE OUT WHAT THE PROBLEMS
ARE.
READ FROM THE BEGINNING.
IT DOESN'T SAY WE'LL BE INVOLVED
IN FUNDING OF CLINICAL TRIALS.
WE WANT TO PROMOTE HEALTH.
>>I GET THAT PART AND WHO READS
IT AND WHAT THEY READ INTO IT.
>>KEN.
>>I DID NOTE THE WORD DISORDERS
IN THERE.
BY EXTRAPOLATION I ASSUME IF I
FIGURE OUT THE CAUSE OF ALS WILL
WE STOP OR FUND RESEARCH TO
DEVELOP A DRUG IN SILICO
SCREENING.
>>YOU DETERMINE THE TERM BUT
IT'S AN INTERESTING -- I WANT TO
KEEP THINGS MOVING.
TIM AND GINA AND THEN HANK
PAULSON.
>>RELATED TO HOW ONE DESCRIBES
BURDEN.
I'M CURIOUS, IS IT CORRECT TO
THINK ONE OF THE MISSION TO
PREVENT THE ECONOMIC BURDEN OF
HEALTH DISPARITIES?
IF YOU THINK IN ALZHEIMER'S IT'S
ALWAYS BROUGHT UP AS THE COST OF
UNTREATABLE ALZHEIMER'S THERE'S
A HUGE ECONOMIC IMPACT.
I REALIZE YOU TAKEAWAY THE
PERSONAL BURDEN BUT WHETHER IT'S
APPROPRIATE TO HAVE IT IN THE
LANGUAGE.
WE'RE DEALING WITH AN ECONOMIC
BURDEN EVENTUALLY AS WELL.
>>THAT GETS TRICKY ON RARE
DISEASES DEPENDING ON THE COST.
IF YOU GET A BREAKTHROUGH THEY
GET CHEAPER ALL THE TIME.
THAT'S WHAT CONGRESS LOOKS AT.
KEN, WHAT DID YOU THINK?
SHOULD WE BE THINKING ABOUT
ECONOMIC COST AS WE GO FORWARD?
THE WAY I THINK ABOUT IT IS THIS
IS ALWAYS PART OF THE
CONSIDERATION.
WHEN YOU THINK OF ALZHEIMER'S
DISEASE AND NEURO DEGENERATIVE
FROM THE GOVERNMENT THEY'RE
THINK OF THE BURDEN OF SOCIETY
INCLUDING THE ECONOMIC BURDEN.
>>LET'S QUICKLY COLLECT
FEEDBACK AND GINA IS NEXT.
>>I LOVE THE ANY MISSION
STATEMENT.
I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD CHANGE
IT.
I THINK IT'S GREAT WHAT WE'VE
CHANGED IT TO.
I THINK AS WE TIGHTEN OUR BUDGET
BACK TO THE BUDGET FOR A MOMENT
I THINK WE SHOULD NOT INCLUDE
ADMINISTRATIVE TIGHTENINGS
BECAUSE I THINK ALREADY IT IS AS
TIGHT AS IT CAN BE BECAUSE THE
BUDGET HAS DOUBLED BUT THE STAFF
HAS NOT.
I THINK IT SHOULD BE SPARED AND
IF ANYTHING WE SHOULD PAY MORE.
I THINK IT'S SUPER IMPORTANT TO
HAVE ALL OF OUR GRANTS HANDLED
BY ENOUGH PEOPLE.
IF ANYTHING INCREASE THE BUDGET
FOR ADMINISTRATION AND SIMILARLY
I THINK I MENTIONED INCREASING
THE COST WE PAY FOR GRADUATE
STUDENTS.
MY OWN ADVISER WAS PAID AN
EQUIVALENT OF $90,000 TO BE A
Ph.D. STUDENT.
THAT WAS DURING THE COLD WAR
WHEN THE NATION WAS UP IN ARMS
AND WE FELT WE NEEDED MORE
Ph.D.s BUT I THINK IT'S A
TRAVESTY WE PAY THEM WHAT WE PAY
THEM AND A LOT OF GRADUATE
STUDENTS AT UCLA ARE ON FOOD
STAMPS AND POSTDOCS WHO IS
HANDLING THE TREATMENT OF
POSTDOCS?
BECAUSE THOUGH THERE'S AN
INSTITUTIONAL MISPERCEPTION YOU
CAN'T SUPPLEMENT THEIR SALARIES
WITH NON-NIH MONEY IN FACT EIGHT
OF INSTITUTIONS DON'T HAVE
ANYTHING BUT NIH MONEY TO PAY
POSTDOCS SO THEY CAN'T GIVE THEM
SO I THINK WE SHOULD RAISE THE
CAP INSTITUTIONS CAN PAY EVEN IF
THE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMS DON'T
INCREASE THE AMOUNT.
I THINK THE NIH SHOULD CHANGE
ITS POLICY AND ALLOW INDIRECT
CLASS RETURNS OR SOME OTHER
FEDERAL FUNDS TO GO AND
SUPPLEMENT ESPECIALLY THE PLACES
THAT ARE EXPENSIVE TO LIVE IN.
OTHERWISE WE'RE GOING TO SEE OUR
POSTDOCS EXIT AND NEVER SEE THEM
RETURN.
I HAVE MORE BUT THAT'S ENOUGH.
I'LL SUBMIT THAT.
>>IT MAY BE WORTH AT THE NEXT
COUNCIL HAVE A GENERAL
DISCUSSION ABOUT BUDGET CUTTING.
>>I MAY HAVE NOT BEEN CLEAR
ABOUT THE CUTS NOT CUTS TO THE
ADMINISTRATIVE BRANCH BUT WHEN
WE GIVE YOU A GRANT, AN RO1 WE
CUT 71% OFF.
TO MAKE UP 45 MILLION WE HAVE TO
UP 19.5.
ANYONE WITH A GRANT WOULD HAVE
LESS MONEY.
THAT ALLOWS YOU I GUESS WE'RE
RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT, RIGHT?
>>WE HAVE AN RMS BUDGET A
FRACTION OF OUR TOTAL BUDGET
WHICH IS WHAT PAYS THE SALARIES
OF PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM AND ANY
OTHER LAST QUESTIONS?
>>ANYTHING ON THE MISSION
STATEMENT OR ISSUES RAISED
PLEASE SEND AN E-MAIL.
HAPPY TO THINK ABOUT IT.
THE REASON WE PUT THE SLIDES
TOGETHER THESE ARE THINGS WE
THINK ARE MOST IMPORTANT TO GET
OUT ON THE TABLE.
>>I DIDN'T MEAN TO SHUT DOWN
THE MISSION STATEMENT
DISCUSSION.
SECOND COMMENTS TO ME, WALTER.
THAT'S IMPORTANT.
>>DO YOU WANT TO SEGUE TO
INTRODUCING JOHN NGAI.
>>HE'S THE DIRECTOR OF THE
BRAIN INITIATIVE AND IT'S BEEN
FANTASTIC HAVING HIM TAKE OVER
THE POSITION AND MOVING AN
EXCITING SCIENCE FORWARD AND AS
YOU'LL HEAR TODAY IT'S GETTING
BETTER EVERY YEAR.
JOHN, OFF TO YOU.
>>THANKS, WALTER.
GREAT SEEING YOU ALL HERE
VIRTUALLY.
I LAST GAVE AN UPDATE I BELIEVE
IN JANUARY OF LAST YEAR SO A
LITTLE BIT MORE THAN A YEAR'S
GONE BY AND HAPPY TO GIVE YOU A
VERY BRIEF UPDATE TODAY AND
HOPEFULLY LEAVE A LITTLE BIT OF
TIME FOR QUESTIONS.
>>FIRST AND FOREMOST MOST
IMPORTANT SLIDE OF MY ENTIRE
DECK IS TO THANK THE OVER 130
SOME ODD CONTRIBUTORS AND
THERE'S 10 I.C.s INVOLVED IN
BRAIN BUT WE PULLED FROM THE
TALENT FROM ACROSS ALL 10 TO
ORGANIZE NINE PROJECT TEAMS AND
HAVE OTHER FOLKS INVOLVED.
COULD NOT DO IT WITHOUT THEM.
IT TAKES A LARGE VILLAGE TO GET
THIS ALL DONE.
A BIG SHOUT OUT TO ALL THE GREAT
STAFF WHO MAKE BRAIN WHAT IT IS
TODAY.
JUST A BRIEF OVERVIEW ABOUT OUR
BUDGET.
WALTER GAVE YOU SOME NEWS ABOUT
NEXT YEAR AND RIGHT NOW I'M
LIVING IN THE PRESENT.
THIS IS OUR BUDGET HISTORY SINCE
BRAINS INCEPTION IN 2014.
BRAIN STARTED WITH A MODEST
INVESTMENT FROM THE NIH SIDE OF
$46 MILLION.
I THINK THE INITIAL INVESTMENT
WAS AT $40 MILLION AND IT'S
GROWN SPECTACULARLY OVER THE
LAST 10 YEARS.
WE RECEIVE FUND FROM TWO SOURCES
FROM CONGRESS.
ONE IS THE BASE FUNDING.
THIS IS AN AMOUNT OF FUNDS GIVEN
TO EACH OF THE 10 I.C.s THE
NORMAL ALLOCATIONS.
ON TOP OF THAT SINCE 2017 WE'VE
BEEN RECEIVING FUNDS FROM THE
21st CENTURIES CURES ACT
VARIABLE YEAR TO YEAR.
IT'S ADDING TO A BUDGET RISING
TOGETHER WITH AN INCREASING BASE
BUDGET.
2023 WAS AN ODD YEAR BECAUSE OF
THE FUNDS ANTICIPATED IT WENT
FROM $100 MILLION AND GOT AN
INCREASE FROM LAST YEAR SO THE
BUDGET FROM 2022 TO 2023
INCREASED FROM $620 MILLION TO
$680 MILLION.
WE HAVE A ROBUST BUDGET THAT'S
ALLOWED US TO PURSUE PROJECTS
WE'VE GONE AFTER INCLUDING WHAT
WE CALL THE BRAIN 2.0
TRANSFORMATIVE PROJECTS I'LL
TOUCH ON.
AND WE'LL BE IN GOOD SHAPE
REGARDLESS.
SO BRAIN INITIATIVE FUNDED
INVESTIGATORS HAVE BEEN
PRODUCTIVE OVER THE LAST EIGHT
YEARS.
WE FUNDED AROUND 1200 P.I.s
SINCE THE INCEPTION ACROSS OVER
200 INSTITUTIONS.
WE FUNDED OVER 1,000 AWARDS.
THIS IS OUT OF DATE SINCE IT
ENDED IN 2022.
AND THEY'VE BEEN PRODUCTIVE IN
TERMS OF PUBLICATIONS WITH OVER
6,000 PUBLICATIONS REFLECTING
THE NATURE OF BRAIN TO BRING NEW
TECHNOLOGIES TO STUDY THE BRAIN
SYSTEM.
THE WORD CLOUD GIVES AN IDEA OF
THE THINGS STUDIED.
NEURONS IS HIGHLY REPRESENTED
AND OVER TIME WE'LL SEE GLIA
REPRESENTED MORE AND HUMAN MODEL
SYSTEMS AND AGAIN PRODUCTIVE
PUBLICATIONS.
THERE WAS A PEAK IN 2021 AND DIP
IN 2022 AND WE CAN SPECULATE
ABOUT THE CAUSES.
I THINK THERE WAS AN OVERALL-DIP
ACROSS NINDS IF NOT NIH AND OVER
ALL WE'VE SEEN HIGHLY IMPACTFUL
WORK AND LOOK FORWARD TO A GREAT
NUMBER OF STUDIES TO COME IN THE
NEXT FEW YEARS FOR SURE.
AND THIS WILL BE JUNE 12 THROUGH
JUNE 13.
WE'LL BE GATHERING A MEETING IN
PERSON SINCE THE PANDEMIC
STARTED SO WE'RE EXCITED.
SO FAR WE'VE CAPPED THE
IN-PERSON TREJ ADMINISTRATION AT
1,000 AND WE HAVE 1,000
VIRTUALLY.
WE HAVE PLENARY TALKS.
ONE FROM A FORMER NINDS COUNCIL
MEMBER TALKING ABOUT ISSUES
AROUND THE IMPLICATIONS OF BRAIN
RECORDING AND ACTUATING
TECHNOLOGY.
SHE HAS BEEN A LEADING FIGURE IN
THE AREA.
THE SECOND PLENARY TALK WILL BE
FROM DR. SHETH TALKING ABOUT NEW
APPROACHES FOR PERSONALIZED
THERAPIES FOR NEUROPSYCHIATRIC
AND OTHER CONDITIONS AND
DR. VITTEL WILL TALK ON HER WORK
ON STUDYING THE MODULATION OF
NEURAL CIRCUITS USING HER MODEL
SYSTEM.
WE HAVE SIX SYMPOSIA SET UP
ACROSS EXCITING TOPIC AREAS AND
HAVE TRAINING HIGHLIGHT AWARD
TALKS AND CONTEST WINNERS
FEATURED AND A PRECEDING MIGHT
FOR TRAINEES WHICH WE ENTITLE
BRAIN NEUROSCIENCE AND BEYOND
AND THAT WILL BE TAKING PLACE ON
THE SUNDAY EVENING BEFORE.
SO I ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO
ATTEND.
IF YOU HAVEN'T REGISTERED THIS
PROMISED TO BE AN EXCITING EVENT
AND LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS
ESPECIALLY AFTER THE THREE LONG
HARD YEARS OF THE PANDEMIC.
WE HAVE ANOTHER WORKSHOP
SPONSORED AND ORGANIZED BY THE
BRAIN INITIATIVE.
WE CALL THIS THE NEW WORKSHOP
ORGANIZED WITH GREAT
CONTRIBUTIONS FROM OUR
NEUROETHICS WORKING GROUP AND
LOOKING AT THE ETHICS OF SHARING
INDIVIDUAL-LEVEL HUMAN BRAIN
DATA COLLECTED IN BIOMEDICAL
RESEARCH AND WE WANT TO EXPLORE
THE WAYS WE CATEGORIZE HUMAN
BRAIN DATA AND WHAT THE RISKS
ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT AND TO
THINK ABOUT POINTS TO CONSIDER
FOR RESEARCHERS AS WE MOVE AHEAD
IN THIS EXCITING BUT ADMITTEDLY
NEW SPACE FOR US.
THIS MEETING WILL BE HELD IN
HYBRID FORMAT JULY 17 THROUGH
18.
REGISTRATION AND INFORMATION
COMING SHORTLY ON THE BRAIN
WEBSITE.
AWALTER MENTIONED THE GENE
EDITING PROGRAM CHALLENGE TO
IDENTIFY NEW TECHNOLOGIES FOR
PROGRAMMABLE DELIVERY FOR GENE
EDITING REAGENTS AND FOR NEW
WAYS OF CROSSING THE BLOOD BRAIN
BARRIER AND BRAIN HAS SIGNED ON
TO THE PROGRAM AS WELL.
THIS TOGETHER WITH THE BESPOKE
THERAPY CONSORTIUM TO IDENTIFY
AND VALIDATE NEW USEFUL AND
SCALABLE WAYS OF ACCESSING THE
BRAIN FOR RARE DISEASES.
TOGETHER THE PROGRAMS PROMISE TO
CHANGE THE COURSE OF THERAPIES
HERE AND I'M HOPING BY
PARTICIPATING IN THESE PROGRAM
WITH THE PROGRAMS DEVELOPING
THROUGH CELL ACCESS THROUGH THE
ARMAM
ARMAMENTARIAN PROGRAMS AND
THEY'RE ALL PROGRAMS WE'RE
EXCITED TO BE INVOLVED IN.
I WANTED TO GIVE YOU A BRIEF
SURVEY OF THE BRAIN
DEMOGRAPHICS.
YOU CAN SEE IN THE UPPER RIGHT A
HIGH-LEVEL OVERVIEW OF WHERE WE
STAND.
I THINK IT'S FAIR TO SAY WE ARE
WOEFULLY UNDER REPRESENTED IN
WOMEN AND UNDER REPRESENTED
GROUPS YOU GET MY MEANING.
WE'RE WORK HARD TO ADDRESS THAT.
SO FAR WE SEE THAT ABOUT A THIRD
OF THE FOLKS WHO ARE INVOLVED IN
BRAIN CLAIM ENGINEERING AS AN
EXPERTISE AND I VIEW BRAIN AS AN
ENGINEERING INITIATIVE.
AND THE FUNDING RATES ARE
SIMILAR BETWEEN WOMEN AND MEN
WHICH WE ARE HAPPY ABOUT FROM
FY2022.
YOU CAN SEE THE EARLY, MID AND
LATE YEAR APPLICANTS HAVE
ROUGHLY SIMILAR FUNDING RATES
FOR THE PHYSICAL YEAR.
GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION WE'RE
STILL FAVORING THE COAST 42 OUT
OF 50 STATES HOLD BRAIN GRANTS
AND THIS IS THE REALITY WHY WE
ARE RIGHT NOW.
NOW, WE'RE NOT SITTING AROUND
HOPING THINGS WILL CHANGE.
WE'VE TAKEN QUITE A FEW MEASURES
TO ADDRESS THE DIVERSITY OR
DIFFERS IF I OUR WORKFORCE WITH
THE IDEA THAT WE'RE LEAVING LOTS
TALENT ON THE TABLE AND HAVE A
VARIETY OF APPROACHES AND ONE IS
THE PLAN FOR ENHANCED DIVERSE
PERSPECTIVES WE LAUNCHED A
LITTLE OVER A YEAR AGO AND
REQUIRING APPLICANTS TO
INCORPORATE INTO THE RESEARCH
STRATEGY A DISCUSSION OR AT
LEAST A CONCEPTION OF HOW
DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES WILL LEAD
TO BETTER SCIENCE.
A NUMBER OF INDUSTRIAL
PSYCHOLOGY STUDIES SHOW TEAMS
WITH DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES TEAM
TO OUT PERFORM HOMOGENOUS TEAMS
AND WE'VE TAKEN THAT TO HEART.
THE APPLICANTS ARE ALSO TO GIVE
ENHANCED DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES TO
DETAIL HOW IT WILL CONTRIBUTE TO
THEIR BETTERING OF THE SCIENCE
AND THIS IS PART OF THE SCORED
APPLICATION.
I DON'T HAVE TIME TO WALK
THROUGH THE NUMBERS WITH YOU.
AND WE'VE BEEN EVALUATING HOW
THINGS GO ALONG.
WE HAVE THE PDP IN THE NOTICE OF
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES AND WE'RE
STARTING TO SEE EARLY DATA THAT
SUGGESTS RFAs OR RFAs THAT HAVE
THE PDP SHOW THIS IN THEIR TEAM
AND EARLY DAYS BUT WE NEED TO
THINK OF TAKING HARD AND
INTENTIONAL MEASURES TO ADDRESS
THE REALITY WE'RE MISSING TALENT
IN OUR WORKFORCE AND IF WE WANT
TO SOLVE BIG PROBLEMS WE FACE IB
NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS AND WE
NEED TO ADDRESS THEM.
HAPPY TO TALK ABOUT THIS MORE
AND THIS IS COVERED IN OUR
RECENT MEETING AND ALL THIS
INFORMATION WILL BE AVAILABLE ON
THE BRAIN WEBSITE.
I MENTIONED THE BRAIN 2.0
TRANSFORMATIVE PROJECTS.
INTERLOCKING PROJECTS WE THINK
WILL CHANGE THE WAY WE STUDY THE
COMPLEXITY OF THE MAMMALIAN
BRAIN OR BRAINS IN GENERAL.
THE THREE ARE THE BRAIN THE
CELL ATLAS NETWORK MOVING ON TO
DEVELOPING BRAIN CELL ATLASES
WITH THE EMPHASIS ON HUMAN BRAIN
AND THE CONNECTOME PROJECT.
YOU FOLKS HEARD OF THIS IN
CLOSED SESSION.
WE'RE ABOUT READY TO LAUNCH THE
FIRST AND I'LL TOUCH ON THAT IN
A MOMENT AND THE ARMAMENTARIAN
ACCESS TO AND I THINK IT WILL
HAVE 11 PROJECTS.
WE EXPECT THE AWARDS TO GO OUT
BY THE END OF THIS CALENDAR
YEAR.
ARMAMENTARIUM PROJECT WE FUNDED
$34 MILLION ACROSS SIX PROJECTS
INCLUDING THOSE THAT INVOLVE
MINORITY SERVING INSTITUTIONS
FOR GETTING THE REAGENTS OUT
DISTRIBUTED INTO THE FIELD.
WE'RE SCALING UP THE
ARMAMENTARIUM PROJECTS TO
CONSOLIDATE FOLKS WORKING ON
DELIVERY AS WELL AS PAY LOADS
AND OPTOGENETIC AND OTHER CE
SENSORS AND FUNDED INVESTIGATORS
CAN BENEFIT FROM EACH OTHER'S
KNOW-HOW IN THE PRECOMPETITIVE
SPACE.
AND THE BRAIN INITIATIVE, BRAIN
CONNECTS PROJECT.
FIRST AWARDS HERE ARE EXPECTED
THIS SUMMER AND THE SECOND
RECEIPT DATE IS NEXT MONTH AND
AGAIN WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THIS
PROJECT WHICH WILL LAY THE
FOUNDATION FOR DEVELOPING WHOLE
BRAIN CONNECTIVELY MAPS AND
NON-HUMAN PRIMATES AND HUMAN
BRAINS.
THESE ARE WHAT WE CALL THE BRAIN
2.0 TRANSFORMATIVE PROJECT.
WE'VE BEEN FORTUNATE TO LAUNCH
THE PROJECTS AND GET THEM OFF TO
A GREAT START AND THE RESPONSE
FROM THE FIELD HAS BEEN
TERRIFIC.
WE PUT OUT A CALLED FOR BOLD AND
DYNAMIC AND INNOVATIVE IDEAS AND
GOT THESE IN BEYOND EXPECTATION.
THERE'S TONS OF GREAT STUFF TO
DO.
RIGHT NOW WE NEED TO MOVE
FORWARD WITH THESE AND AGAIN I
THINK THESE WILL TRANSFORM THE
WAY WE CONDUCT NEUROSCIENCE
RESEARCH AND UNDERSTANDING HOW
THE HUMAN BRAIN WORKS AND HOW IT
WORKS IN A DISEASE STATE.
WALK-OFF HAD ALSO LAUNCHED THE
BBQS TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT
AND VALIDATION OF NEXT
GENERATION TOOLS AS WELL AS
ANALYTICAL APPROACH TO PRECISELY
QUANTIFY COMPLEX BEHAVIORS AND
SYNCHRONIZE OR THINK THOSE WITH
WHAT WE ALREADY SEE AS
HIGH-RESOLUTION, HIGH-TECH --
HIGH-TECH HIGH-TECH
AND WE HAVE THE FIRST SET OF
AWARDS DUE OUT THIS FALL AND
IT'S SECOND RECEIPT DAY COMING
IN FEBRUARY OF NEXT YEAR AND
THEN FOR NON-HUMAN MODELS WE
JUST RECEIVED APPLICATIONS
THROUGH AN R34 MECHANISM AND
THEY'LL BE OUT LATER THIS YEAR
IN THE FALL.
SO HOEFULLY WE'LL SEE A GREAT
START TO THAT AND WE'LL SEE
OTHER PROGRAMS AND WE'VE ALSO
ISSUED AN RFA FOR THE DATA
COORDINATION AND WE'RE PLANNING
ON MANAGING THE BBQS PROGRAM AS
A CONSORTIUM AND IN ORDER TO
MANAGE THE CONSORTIUM WE NEED
FOLKS IN THE FIELD TO COORDINATE
AMONGST THEMSELVES AND
UNDERSTAND HOW THEY'RE GOING TO
HANDLE THE DATA AND DISSEMINATE
IT AND YOU CAN APPRECIATE
MACHINE LEARNING AND ARTIFICIAL
INTELLIGENCE WILL AWAY HEAVILY
HOW THEY'RE INTEGRATED AND THE
FIRST WILL BE IN JULY OF THIS
YEAR AND ANYBODY INTERESTED
CONTACT US.
IT'S AN EXCITING OPPORTUNITY FOR
FOLKS TO GET IN THIS FIELD.
HERE'S A BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE
NEW FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES WE
HAVE GOING ON AT BRAIN RIGHT
NOW.
I MENTIONED THESE UNDER GREEN.
THERE'S BEEN A RECENT REISSUE OF
THE NEW TOOLS PROJECTS AND RO1
PROJECTS RUN OUT OF NIMH AND
THE OTHER PARTNERSHIPS THE FIRST
IS RELATED TO DIVERSITY AND
REWARD PROGRAM TO ENHANCE THE
BREADTH AND GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION
OF RESEARCH AND RESEARCH-RELATED
ACTIVITIES SUPPORTED BY NIH AND
BRAIN HAS SIGNED ON TO THIS AND
ALSO THE PROGRAM SHOWN HERE IN
THE BOTTOM THE R25 PROGRAM AND
THE GOAL IS IS TO SUPPORT
EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES TO
ENCOURAGE INDIVIDUALS FROM
DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS INCLUDING
THOSE UNDER REPRESENTED IN BIO
MEDICAL SCIENCES TO PURSUE
RESEARCH.
WE'RE VERY COMMITTED TO
ESTABLISHING STRONGER PIPELINES
OF PATHWAYS FOR RESEARCH SUCCESS
THAT ENGAGE INDIVIDUALS THAT SO
FAR HAVE NOT BEEN WELL
REPRESENTED IN THIS ENDEAVOR.
SO THIS IS JUST A SUMMARY OF
TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES AT THE
BRAIN INITIATIVE.
THE FIRST ARE GENERAL TRAINING.
WE HAVE F32 MECHANISM AND BELOW
ARE THE THREE MECHANISM TO
ENHANCE THE RIVERS TI TO
STRENGTHEN OUR WORKFORCE AND
ENHANCING DIVERSITY WITHIN THE
WORKFORCE.
WE SIGNED ON WITH OUR SISTER
BLUEPRINT PROGRAM THE ENDURE
PROGRAM THE D SPAN PROGRAM AN
F99K00 PHASED AWARD.
THE IDEA IS TO FUND STUDENTS
FROM UNDER REPRESENTED GROUPS
FINISHING UP OR IN THEIR LAST
TWO YEARS OF THEIR Ph.D.
DISSERTATION RESEARCH ALLOWING
THEM TO TRANSITION TO THE
POSTDOCTORAL LAB AND THIS ALLOWS
THE STUDENT TO COME WITH THE
FUNDING AND ENHANCE THEIR
ABILITY TO FIND A GREAT LAB TO
PURSUE THEIR POST-DOCTORAL
STUDIES.
WE'RE EXCITED TO BE PART OF THE
D SPAN PROGRAM AND HAVE A
K-99R00 PROGRAM TO DISTINGUISH
IT FROM THE PARENT K99 PATHWAY
TO INDEPENDENCE PROGRAM IS PAR
GET FOR PEOPLE FROM UNDER
REPRESENTED GROUPS.
IN THE CASE OF BRAIN,
UNFORTUNATELY WOMEN ARE HIGH
UNDER REPRESENTED SO WOMEN COUNT
AS BEING ELIGIBLE FOR THE REWARD
PROGRAM AND WE'RE QUITE PROUD OF
HOW WELL OUR TRAINEES HAVE DONE
AND AGAIN WE'RE TRYING OUR VERY
BEST TO STRENGTHEN OUR
INVESTIGATOR POOL THROUGH THESE
MECHANISMS AND FINALLY WE HAVE A
SUPPLEMENT PROGRAM THAT ALLOWS
BRAIN-FUNDED INVESTIGATORS TO
BRING ON NEW FOLKS INTO THE LABS
WHETHER IT BE AT THE
UNDERGRADUATE LEVEL ALL THE WAY
THROUGH THE MORE SENIOR LEVELS
TO TRY TO GET THEM IN THE SYSTEM
AND HELP MAKE THEM COMPETITIVE
FOR THEIR OWN FUNDING TO BRING
MORE TALENT INTO THE GAME WHERE
IT'S SO DESPERATELY NEEDED.
IT'S A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE
PROGRAMS TO ENHANCE DIVERSITY
WITHIN OUR WORKFORCE.
LET ME TAKE A COUPLE MINUTES TO
HIGHLIGHT QUICKLY A FEW ADVANCES
THAT HAVE BEEN FUNDED BY THE
BRAIN INITIATIVE.
I THINK THIS IS ALWAYS FOR ME A
FUND THING TO GO OVER.
THIS PAPER IN SCIENCE THAT JUST
CAME OUT THIS YEAR REPRESENTS
COLLABORATION WITH HOPKINS AND
OTHERS AND IT WAS INITIATED BY
THE WELCOME TRUST AND THE HOWARD
HUGHES MEDICAL INSTITUTE AND
BRAIN HAS COME INTO FUNDING
PROJECT AS WELL AND WE SEE A CAP
STONE PUBLICATION OF THE PROJECT
WHICH HAS MAPPED OUT THE CELLS
AND CONNECTIONS WITHIN THE LARVA
FLY BRAIN.
THEY MAPPED OUT 3,000 NEURONS
WITH ROUGHLY HALF A MILLION
SYNAPTIC SITES AND WERE ABLE TO
ABLE TO CLUSTER THESE CELLS INTO
93 TYPES BASED ON CONNECTIVITY.
AND BY LOOKING AT THE PATTERNS
THEY FOUND 41% OF THE NEURONS
RECEIVE RECURRENT CONNECTIONS.
THEY TENDED TO BE LOCALIZED IN
AREAS KNOWN TO BE INVOLVED IN
LEARNING AND ACTION FOR EXAMPLE
IN THE MUSHROOM BODIES.
AS WE THINK OF NEW METHODS FOR
MACHINE LEARNING AND ARTIFICIAL
INTELLIGENCE WE CAN TAKE MANY
GOOD LESSONS FROM EVOLUTION AS
OUR TEACHER TO SEE THE SOLUTIONS
THAT HAVE COME UP AND THE
RELATIVELY SIMPLE BRAIN
OPERATES.
AS WE LOOK AT MAMMALIAN BRAIN TO
SCALE UP FROM A LARVAL FRUIT FLY
BRAIN TO FULL BRAIN IS THREE
TIMES MAGNITUDE IT'S A LEAPABLE
GAP TO GO AND ANOTHER MAGNITUDE
FOR HUMANS AND WE'LL LEARN A LOT
FOR THE TECHNIQUES INVOLVED FROM
WORK GOING ON IN THE FLY BRAIN
AND WE'RE LEARNING QUITE A BIT
HOW THE CIRCUITS CAN PROCESS
BASED ON ANATOMY.
THE PROJECTS ARE ALREADY LEADING
TO ADVANCES IN PROJECTS THAT
ADDRESS ISSUES OF HUMAN HEALTH
AND DISEASE THIS SUMMARIZES THE
SEATTLE ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE
CONSORTIUM.
THEY RECENTLY RECEIVED A DATA
SET BASED ON TECHNOLOGIES
DEVELOPED IN THE BRAIN
INITIATIVE TO DESCRIBE OVER $1
MILLION NEURONS FROM 84 DONORS
AT DIFFERENT STAGES OF DISEASE
AFFLICTED BY ALZHEIMER'S.
AND THEY USE TECHNIQUES
DEVELOPED IN THE BRAIN
INITIATIVE TO BUILD UP THE ATLAS
OF DISEASED BRAINS AND SEEING
NEURONS SELECTIVELY AFFECTED AT
DIFFERENT STAGES.
ON THE LEFT YOU SEE SPECIFIC
INHIBITOR NEURON TYPES ARE LOST
AND THEY'RE ALSO SEEING AN OVER
REPRESENTATION OF SPECIFIC
NON-URNAL CELL TYPE AND THESE
KINDS OF DATA WILL BE CRITICAL
OF SIMILAR STUDIES APPLIED TO
PARKINSON'S DISEASE PATIENTS AND
AGAIN THIS IS THE DREAM ABOUT
THE BRAIN INITIATIVE TO PROVIDE
THE FUNDAMENTAL RESOURCE TO
ALLOW INVESTIGATORS TO PURSUE
DISEASE-RELATED RESEARCH.
YOU CAN FIND THE INFORMATION ON
THE WEBSITE AND WE'RE ALSO
EXCITED TO SEE BRAIN FUNDED
RESEARCH BEGINNING TO HAVE AN
IMPACT IN HUMANS AND THERE'S A
NUMBER OF STUDIES THAT CAN HAVE
COME OUT IN THE AREA OF DEEP
BRAIN STIMULATION AS APPLIED TO
VARIOUS CONDITIONS.
HERE'S AN EARLY STUDY FROM THE
GROUP AT UCSF WHERE THEY USED
CHRONIC INTRACRANIAL RECORDINGS
IN FOUR PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM
CHRONIC PAIN TO IDENTIFY
BIOMARKERS FOR THE CHRONIC PAIN
STATE.
AND THERE'S ORBITAL FRONTAL
CORTEX AND QUANTIFYING
BEHAVIORAL PAIN STATES WERE ABLE
TO COME UP WITH AGE ALGORITHM
THAT IDENTIFIES POWER FEATURES
FROM THE DATA THAT CORRESPOND TO
HIGH VERSE US LOW-PAIN STATES
CHRONICALLY AND THE MODELS
REVEAL THAT IT'S A GOOD
BIOMARKER FOR THE PAIN STATE
ACROSS THE FOUR PATIENTS DESPITE
HIGH INDIVIDUAL VARIABILITY IN
THREE OF FOUR THEY WERE ABLE TO
DISTINGUISH FROM ACUTE PAIN
STATES.
WE'RE SEEING THE GROWING
MOMENTUM TOWARDS NEURAL BIO
ACTIVITY MARKERS SUFFERING FROM
CHRONIC PAIN OR PSYCHIATRIC
CONDITIONS BEING USED TO INFORM
THERAPIES FOR THE CONDITIONS
ACROSS AND USING THESE KINDS OF
BIOMARKERS FOR PAIN MANAGEMENT.
SO THE TIDBIT I'LL LEAVE YOU
WITH IS USING SPINAL CORD
STIMULATION TO RECOVER MOTOR
FUNCTION FOR POST-STROKE UPPER
LIMB PARESIS.
THEY LOOKED AT TWO STROKE
PATIENTS AROUND IMPLANTED THEM
WITH EPIDURAL STIMULATERS FOR UP
TO FOUR WEEKS FROM OBJECTIVE
MEASURES STIMULATION PROTOCOLS
LED TO SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN
MUFFLE ACTIVATION AND THE
FASCINATING THING IS THAT THE
FINAL CORD STIMULATION RESULTED
IN IMMEDIATE FUNCTION AND
LOOKING AT THE EFFECTS OF
STIMULATION NOT TRAINING AND
LASTED FOUR WEEKS AFTER IT WAS
OVER.
THIS IS FASCINATING.
WHAT IT IMPLIES IS BY MODULATING
THE LOCAL SPINAL CORD CIRCUITS
THIS MAY BE SIGNIFICANT
IMPROVEMENTS IN MOTOR FUNCTION
IN STUDIES WITH A GROUP IN
SWITZERLAND USING SIMILAR KINDS
OF STIMULATION PARADIGMS FOR
RECOVERING LOWER LIMB FUNCTION
IN SPINAL CORD INJURY PATIENTS
THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO IDENTIFY
THE CIRCUITS INVOLVED TO
SPECIFIC CELL TYPES AND THE
CONNECTIVITY IN COLLABORATION
WITH FOLKS IN THE INTRAMURAL AND
WE'RE SEEING THIS WITH HUMAN AND
CELL ATLAS STUDIES.
THE BEST WAY TO YOU THE IS TO TO
THE A VIDEO OF PATIENT NUMBER
ONE AND SHE SUFFERED A THALAMIC
STROKE NINE YEARS AGO.
>> DOES IT MAKE
THOSE INSTITUTIONS MORE JUST
DIVERSITY PIPELINES OR DOES IT
MAKE THEM -- DOES IT STRENGTHEN
THEIR ABILITY TO DO SCIENCE?
>>HOPEFULLY BOTH.
GREAT QUESTION.
WE ARE INTERESTED IN BUILDING
CAPACITY BECAUSE BY BUILDING
CAPACITY IN THESE INSTITUTION
ARE SO FAR UNDER REPRESENTED IT
GIVES US A BROADER REACH INTO
ALL SECTORS OF THE COUNTRY.
WE'LL HAVE TO SEE WHAT COMES IN.
AND IT'S NEVER IDEAL.
WE'RE SIGNING ON AND WE'LL HAVE
TO SEE GREAT APPLICATIONS WITHIN
THE BRAIN MISSION AND IF WE DO
WE'LL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO
SUPPORT THAT.
>>SO AS FAR AS APPLICATIONS GO
MAYBE ONE OF THE BARRIERS TO
THESE INSTITUTIONS IS THAT THEY
DON'T ALREADY HAVE A BIG STAFF
TO APPLY FOR GRANTS SO MAYBE THE
ADMINISTRATIVE BURDEN OF THESE
ARE MAYBE TOO LARGE AND WE
SHOULD LOOK AT THE BURDEN.
I JUST APPLIED FOR A TRAINING
GRANT AND IT WAS 600 PAGES OF
APPLICATION.
THAT WAS KIND OF A LOT IF I
WEREN'T ALREADY AT AN RO1
UNIVERSITY I DON'T THINK WE
WOULDN'T HAVE DONE.
ANOTHER SUGGESTION IS TO MAYBE
GIVE EXAMPLES AND IF YOU WANT
NEW INSTITUTIONS TO APPLY FOR
THESE THINGS, GIVE PEOPLE
EXAMPLES OF GRANTS THAT HAVE
WORKED SO THEY KNOW AND LOOK AT
THE APPLICATIONS THAT HAVE
WORKED AND REDUCE THE
ADMINISTRATIVE BURDEN MIGHT
HELP.
>>THESE ARE RO1s AND IT'S AN
ONGOING CHALLENGE HOW TO BRING
IN FOLKS WOULD AREN'T ALREADY
DEEPLY IN THE GAME AND MIKE
LAUER WILL BE HERE IN A FEW
HOURS.
A DIRECT MESSAGE TO MIKE WOULD
PROBABLY BE THE MOST EFFECTIVE
WAY.
WE'RE TRYING TO OUR BEST AND
MAKE SURE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT
THEY'RE GETTING INTO AND BEING
COMPETITIVE.
>>HOW MUCH OF THE STUDY WAS
FUNDED BY THE BRAIN INITIATIVE
AND HOW DO YOU DECIDE TO
ALLOCATE FUNDS TO TRIALS WHICH
COULD SOAK UP A HUGE AMOUNT OF
MONEY QUICKLY WITH MORE BASIC
INVESTIGATIONS?
>>YOU'RE REFERRING TO THE
PITTSBURGH STUDY?
>>YEAH.
>>SO WE HAVE A NUMBER OF AWARDS
IN OUR WHAT WE CALL OUR TEAM B
PORTFOLIO.
THESE ARE FIRST IN HUMAN TRIALS.
THEY'RE NOT -- AS FAR AS BRAIN
GRANTS GO WE'RE NOT OUTSIZED.
THEY'RE NOT FUNDING LARGER
TRIALS WE EXPECT THE I.C.s TO
PICK THEM UP.
I DON'T HAVE A BREAKDOWN OF THE
PROPORTION OF FUNDING OF THE
CLINICALLY ORIENTED TRIALS IN
OUR PORTFOLIO OFF THE TOP OF MY
HEAD.
IT'S NOT SOAKING UP -- I CAN
TELL YOU IT'S NOT SOAKING UP THE
LION'S SHARE OF FUNDING.
WE'RE GETTING A HUGE BANG FOR
OUR BUCK.
THEY'RE FIRST IN HUMAN TRIALS
NOT HUGE BUDGETS BUT TO SHOW
PROOF OF PRINCIPLE, CAN IT WORK.
AND I WAS REFLECTING BACK OVER
THIS THIS WEEKEND AND WE'RE
SEEING A NUMBER OF STUDIES
PUBLISHED INCLUDING FROM OTHERS
HERE SEWING WHAT WAS A PIPE
DREAM 10 YEARS AGO OF INFORMING
DEEP BRAIN STIMULATION FOR A
VARIETY OF CONDITIONS THEY'RE
STARTING TO GAIN TRACTION.
WE'RE SEEING IT IN MAJOR
DEPRESSIVE DISORDER, AND WE'RE
SEEING A STUDY ON DEALING WITH
SYMPTOMS OF PTSD, BINGE EATING
DISORDER.
IT'S QUITE EXCITING.
I THINK WE'RE SEEING THE FRUITS
OF THE LABOR COMING INTO FOCUS
RIGHT NOW AND AT THIS POINT TO
GET THEM OUT THERE INTO HUMANS
ON A BROADER SCALE IT'S GOING TO
REQUIRE EFFORTS THAT ARE BEYOND
BRAIN CAPABILITIES BUT COULD BE
TAKEN ON BY NINDS OR ARPA-H.
WE'RE QUITE EXCITED ABOUT THAT
BUT WE'RE MINDFUL OF NOT PUTTING
TOO MUCH RESOURCES IN ANY ONE
AREA.
WE HAVE TO MANAGE THOSE
RESOURCES ACROSS THE PORTFOLIO.
>>THANK YOU.
>>IF PEOPLE HAVE MORE QUESTIONS
FOR JOHN YOU CAN E-MAIL HIM
DIRECT.
>>I'LL HANG OUT.
ANY QUESTIONS I'LL TAKE IN THE
CHAT.
I'LL HANG OUT A LITTLE BIT.
>>THANK YOU.
>>WE HAVE ONE BRIEF TALK BEFORE
THE BREAK WHICH IS ABOUT MED
TECH.
MED TECH IS AN INITIATIVE OF THE
NIH NEUROSCIENCE BLUEPRINT
COUNCIL APPROVED THE CONCEPT FOR
SEVERAL COUNCILS AGO.
THE BLUEPRINT IS A COLLABORATION
OF NIH INSTITUTE FUND
NEUROSCIENCE OF WHICH THERE'S
QUITE A FEW.
IN THE CLOSED SESSION YOU'LL BE
SEEING SOME OF THE RESULTS OF
THE MED TECH INITIATIVE.
WE WANTED GIVE YOU A BRIEF
REMINDER, AN UPDATE.
SO NICK LANGHALS WILL GIVE A
BRIEF SUMMARY OF WHAT IT IS.
>>THANKS, BOB.
SO I'M HERE TO GIVE YOU A BRIEF
OVERVIEW OF WHERE WE'VE COME
OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS IN
THE BLUEPRINT MED TECH PROGRAM.
I'M HERE REPRESENTING AS
MENTIONED SEVERAL BLUE PRINT
INSTITUTES AND CENTERS AND MIKE
WILSON IS ON WITH ME TO ANSWER
ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS THAT
MAY COME UP.
AS BACKGROUND THE MISSION OF THE
BLUEPRINT MED TECH PROGRAM IS TO
CATALYZE THE IDEA OF NOVEL
TECHNOLOGIES FROM THE EARLY
STAGE DEVELOPMENT TO THE FIRST
IN-HUMAN OR EARLIER FEASIBILITY
CLINICAL DEMONSTRATION OF THE
TECHNOLOGIES.
THE PROGRAM IS LAUNCHED IN 2022
AND FUNDED BY THE BASE FUNDING
PROVIDED BY THE BLUEPRINT
CONTRIBUTING CENTERS AND
INSTITUTES AND IT INCLUDES TWO
U-54 INCUBATOR HUB AND A JOINT
EFFORT TWIN JOHNS HOPKINS
UNIVERSITY AND HOWARD UNIVERSITY
WITH A SPECIFIC AND EXPLICIT
GOAL OF TRYING TO HELP ENHANCE
EQUITY AND DIVERSITY IN THE MED
TECH SPACE AND THE OTHER IS
CENTER FOR NEUROTECH ADVANCEMENT
WITH BOSTON, MASS GENERAL AND
HARVARD AND CINTA AND CONTRACTS.
THERE'S THREE BUCKETS OF
CATEGORIES.
ONE ARE SEEDLING PROJECTS ON THE
ORDER OF $100,000 OUR 6 TO 12
MONTH MAX WITH A GRANT TO HELP
INVESTIGATORS GET STARTED IN
THEIR DEVELOPMENT PATHWAY.
THE MID LEVEL PROJECTS ARE ON
THE LEVEL OF RO1 SCALE, $500,000
FROM ONE TO FOUR YEARS OF
DEVELOPMENT TIME TO GET THE
PROTOTYPE READY FOR THOSE FIRST
IN HUMAN DEMONSTRATION AND THE
PROGRAM THAT RUNS THROUGH A
TRADITIONAL NIH FUNDING
OPPORTUNITY THAT IS THE UG3 OR
ALPHABET SOUP OF ACRONYMS AND
THE FAST-TRACK PHASED AWARD BY
THE RELEVANT INSTITUTES AND
CENTERS.
THE GOVERNANCE IS SPREAD ACROSS
IN MULTIPLE LEVELS INCLUDING THE
DIFFERENT NIH PROGRAM STAFF FROM
THE PARTICIPATING INSTITUTES AND
CENTERS AND PROGRAMS AND THE
REPRESENTATIVE DIVISION
DIRECTORS AND THE NINDS SIDE AND
INSTITUTE DIRECTORS.
WE HAVE ESTABLISHED AN EXTERNAL
OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE PROVIDING
INPUT AND FEEDBACK ON THE OVER
ALL GOVERNANCE OF THE PROGRAM
AND STRATEGIC DIRECTION AT
VARIOUS STAGE OF LAUNCH AND
DEVELOPMENT THROUGHOUT THE
PROGRAM.
AFTER THE PROGRAM WAS INITIALLY
APPROVED BACK IN 2020 SO WE GOT
APPROVAL FROM THE INSTITUTE
DIRECTORS BEFORE WE SHUT DOWN
FOR THE COVID PANDEMIC AND FIRST
STARTED THE LAUNCHING PROCESS
AFTER THAT WE WENT THROUGH AND
DID DO A PILOT PROGRAM THROUGH
THE INCUBATOR HUB THAT WAS
FUNDED FOR ANOTHER EFFORT TO GO
THROUGH AND AND LOOKING AT
VARIOUS TECHNOLOGIES AND
INDICATIONS.
I'M HIGHLIGHTING THE SEVEN
AWARDS FUNDED THROUGH THAT
EFFORT AND THESE AWARDS STARTED
ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO NOW
AND JUST WRAPPING UP WITH THE
ONE-YEAR I'M FRAME.
YOU CAN SEE IT COVERS DIVERSITY
OF DISORDERS INCLUDING
ACCOUNTING CONTROL FEEDBACK AND
PSYCHIATRIC POPULATIONS AND
DIAGNOSTIC AND LOW INTENSITY
ULTRASOUND FOR NEURO PATHIC PAIN
AND ENDOVAGINAL ULTRASOUND AND
PHOTO DEVICE FOR ASSESSING
VIABILITY OF AXONS AND ACTIVE
STIMULATION-BASED
NEUROPROSTHESIS TO IMPROVE
WALKING PROPULSION AND SLOWING
CEREBRAL DAMAGE IN ISCHEMIC
PATIENTS.
THE STRUCTURE OF THE PROGRAM
WHERE THE END POINT TO THE
PROGRAM IS SOMETHING ALREADY
DEMONSTRATED PROOF OF CONCEPT.
SO THE INNOVATION AND TARGET IS
LIKELY STILL HAPPENING IN THE
NORMAL RO1 SPACE OR WITH SIMILAR
FUNDING FROM NSF OR DOD OR OTHER
AGENCIES TO HELP IDENTIFY THE
TARGET AND DERISK THE
TECHNOLOGY.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO STEP IN AT
THE BEGINNING TO FOCUS ON THE
SCALING UP THE HUMAN DEVICE AND
THE DEVELOPMENT PART OF THE
PIPELINE AND THEN WHAT WE TERM
AS THE LATER STAGE EFFORT TO
FOCUS MORE ON THE TRANSLATION.
GET ALL YOUR NECESSARY STEPS IN
INLINE FOR REGULATORY APPROVALS
AND GETTING THE FIRST IN HUMAN
OR DEMONSTRATION OF THE
TECHNOLOGY.
WITH THE GOAL BEING TO THEN
DERISK IT SO EITHER THE
INSTITUTES CAN POTENTIALLY PICK
IT UP OR LOOKING FROM AN
INVESTMENT STANDPOINT THE
VENTURE CAPITAL COMMUNITY IS
HEAVILY LOOKED TOWARDS HAVING
SOME OF THE PROOF OF CONCEPT
ADAPT IN HUMANS TO MAKE A VIABLE
BUSINESS CASE FOR THE
TECHNOLOGIES TO MOVE FORWARD.
SO THE PROGRAM ITSELF IS MANAGED
IN THE TWO PARTS THE SEEDLING
AND DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS ARE
MANAGED BY THE HUBS.
THE STRUCTURE OF THIS IS SIMILAR
TO THE REACH PROGRAM OR IS THE
PROGRAM MANAGED BY ABIB THE POP
TURN PROGRAM WAS UTILIZED AS A
TOOL OF RESOURCE AND NETWORK
FACILITATE THE DEVELOPMENT OF
COVID FOR POINT OF CARE TESTS
DURING THE PANDEMIC.
LOTS OF EFFORTS HAVE BEEN BASED
ON THE LESSONS LEARNED THERE AND
TRYING TO APPLY THE TECHNIQUES
FOR BETTER ADVANCING NEURO TECH
ACROSS THE SPECTRUM AND VARIOUS
CENTERS AND THE LATER STAGE
TRANSLATOR PROGRAM AND NO-FOs
AND THOSE WHAT ARE TRADITIONAL
APPLICATIONS AND THE
APPLICATIONS ARE ALL REVIEWED BY
AN NINDS-RUN STUDY SECTION AND
HANDLES THE REVIEW OF THE MED
TECH PROGRAMS AND OUR COMPANION
EFFORTS IN THE BRAIN INITIATIVE
AND NINDS TRANSLATION.
SO BEYOND THE OVER ALL STRUCTURE
PROVIDING FUNDING TO THE
INVESTIGATORS WE ALSO HAVE A
VARIETY OF RESOURCES THAT WE'RE
ESTABLISHING PROVIDED TO THE
INVESTIGATORS.
WE'RE HOPING TO FACILITATE THE
TRANSLATION OF THESE
TECHNOLOGIES AND AVOID
REINVENTING THE WHEEL FOR A LOT
OF THESE ASPECTS.
SO THERE ARE CONTRACTS AND
CONSULTING RESOURCES, PART OF
WHICH ARE PROVIDED BY THE
INCUBATOR HUBS FOR TRANSLATING
AND PART ARE PROVIDED BY NIH
THROUGH THE CONTRACTS WHERE WE
ISSUE INDIVIDUAL PASC ORDERS FOR
FACILITATING THE TRANSLATION.
WE SEE THE TYPES OF RESOURCES
PROVIDED INCLUDING ASPECTS OF
THE DESIGN PROTOTYPE AND BENCH
TESTING AND ASSISTANCE WITH
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND
CONSULTANTS AND SYMPTOMS WITH
REGULATORY AND COMPLIANCE AND
ANIMAL AND CLINICAL STUDY
SUPPORT AND LASTLY THE EXTERNAL
OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE TO PROVIDE
INPUT TO US AS WELL AS TO THE
INVESTIGATORS ON OVER ALL
PROGRESS AND DIRECTIONS.
SO FOR THE SEEDLING AND
DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS FOR THAT
ASPECT AS I MENTIONED IT'S RUN
SIMILAR TO THE WAY THE WORK
ESTABLISHED THESE SO THE PROCESS
IS MANAGED BY THE HUBS FOR THE
OVER ALL SOLICITATION WHICH IS
AN OPEN SOLICITATION WHERE
GROUPS CAN APPLY.
THEY TRIED TO DECREASE THE
ADMINISTRATIVE BURDEN LOOKING AT
THAT POINT ON THE INVESTIGATORS.
WE START WITH A SMALLER
PRE-APPLICATION BUT THEN IS
EVALUATED BY THE HUBS AND THEIR
TRIAGE PANEL AND PROVIDE A
REPORT BACK TO NIH AND AT EVERY
STEP WITH THE REVIEW PROCESS
THERE'S AN NIH REVIEW AND
SELECTION PROCESS WHERE WE
REVIEW WHICH PROJECTS ARE
TRIAGED AND PROVIDE THE DECISION
BACK TO THE HUBS FOR THE
PROJECTS NOT TRIAGE D AND THE
SUBSET ONES THAT COME IN ARE
TRIAGED AND THE DOWN SELECTED
GROUP WITHIN THE NIH SELECTION
HAVE FULL PROPOSALS SUBMITTED BY
THE INVESTIGATORS AND EVALUATED
IN THE VIABILITY PANEL AND THE
REPORT IS PROVIDED BACK TO NIH
WHERE WE CAN EVALUATE AND MAKE
SELECTIONS AS TO THE NEXT STEPS
FOR THE PROJECTS.
SO THE VIABILITY PANEL LOOKING
AT ALL THE ASPECTS REGULATED TO
TO THE TRANSLATION AND
UNDERSTANDING THE REIMBURSEMENT
STRATEGY AND WHAT SORT OF
COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL AND THE
CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE AND UNMET
NEEDS FOR THE TECHNOLOGIES AND
LOOKING AT TO WHAT WAS
HIGHLIGHTED IN THE BRAIN
INITIATIVE AND ASK INVESTIGATORS
TO COMMENT ON ENHANCING DIVERSE
PERSPECTIVES AND HOW IT WILL
HELP ENHANCE THE COMMUNITY BOTH
WITHIN THEIR TEAM AS WELL AS THE
PATIENT PERSPECTIVE AND ALL THE
PROPOSALS SUBMITTED IN THE TOOL
BUCKET ARE CONSIDERED FOR THE
SEEDLING PROGRAM OR IN THE
SEEDLING PROGRAM ESSENTIALLY THE
VIABILITY PANEL MAY NOTICE
WEAKNESSES IN THE CATEGORIES
THEY CAN OR WE CAN DERISK.
MAYBE THERE'S REGULATORY
UNCERTAINTY AND THE SEEDLING CAN
HELP PARTNER THEM AND DO A
PRESUBMISSION MEETING WITH THE
FDA AND GIVE FEEDBACK BEFORE
COMING BACK.
THEN A SUBSET OF THOSE THAT HAVE
GONE THROUGH THAT VIABILITY
PANEL ARE INVITED INTO THE DEEP
DIVE PANEL REVIEW STAGE.
AS PART OF THAT EVALUATION IT'S
A TWO-WEEK INTERACTIVE PROCESS
BETWEEN A PROJECT MENTOR WHO IS
ASSIGNED BY THE INCUBATOR HUBS
WHO HAS EXPERIENCED SUCCESSFULLY
TRANSLATING MEDICAL DEVICES AS
WELL AS A FACILITATOR ON THE
PROJECT AS WELL.
AND THERE'S A BACK AND FORTH
INTERACTIVE PROCESS WHERE THEY
DIG INTO THE DETAILS AND MORE OF
THE SCIENTIFIC QUESTIONS AND THE
COMMERCIALIZATION POTENTIAL OF
THESE AND BASED ON THAT PREPARE
THE CURRENT STATUS AND WHAT THE
PERSPECTIVE MILESTONES MAY LOOK
AT FOR NIH TO CONSIDER THESE AND
AS PART OF THOSE AND THE PACKAGE
IS SENT FORWARD AND THOSE WHO
ARE GONE THROUGH THE DEEP DIVE
PROCESS IS CONSIDER FOR THE
SEEDLING IF A POTENTIAL RISK IS
IDENTIFIED FOR THE RISK OR
MILESTONE PHOR THE LARGER
DEVELOPING PROCESS.
OVER ALL THE INTERACTIVE PROCESS
IS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT.
WE'RE BRINGING THAT TO YOU HERE
AS THE WAY WE'RE EVALUATING
THIS.
AS NOTED HERE WE'RE IN THE MIDST
OF OUR THIRD CYCLE OF THESE.
THERE'S BEEN OVERWHELMING
PROPOSAL INTEREST AND 340
PRE-PROPOSALS AND WE'RE EXCITE
ABOUT THE LAUNCH AND PROGRESS SO
FAR.
THE OVER ALL SUMMARY AS
MENTIONED WE FUNDED THE
INCUBATOR HUB AWARDS BACK IN
2022 AND THEY LAUNCHED THE ROUND
IN THE PROCESS LATE LAST SUMMER
FOR THE FIRST CYCLE OF PROJECTS
SUBMITTED LAST FALL.
A LARGE NUMBER OF PROPOSALS AND
INTEREST RECEIVED.
WE AWARDED THE SEVEN PILOT
PROJECTS A LITTLE OVER A YEAR
AGO THAT EXPAND THE INTEREST OF
NICHD AND NIMHD AND PART OF THE
TRANSLATOR PROGRAM.
WE AWARD THE FIRST PROJECT
DEVELOPING A COST-EFFECTIVE
TACTILE DEVICE TO IMPROVE THE
CLINICAL COURSE AND GIVING YOU
AN IDEA OF THAT.
THE FIRST CONTRACT WAS AWARDED
THE PPD TO SUPPORT THE
REGULATORY ACTIVITIES EARLIER
THIS YEAR AND ADDITIONAL
CONTRACTS SUPPORTING THE
PRECLINICAL AND CLINICAL
ACTIVITIES WILL HOPEFULLY BE
AWARDED SOON.
SO THE SECOND ROUND OF SEEDLINGS
AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS ARE
RECOMMENDED THROUGH MAY 2023
COUNCIL AND GIVING INTEREST TO
NINDS AND BRAIN AND THOSE ARE ON
THE DOCKET FOR DISCUSSION
TOMORROW IN THE CLOSED SESSION.
WITH THAT I WOULD LIKE TO THANK
ALL THE VARIOUS WORK GROUP
MEMBERS ACROSS THE INSTITUTES
AND CENTERS AND RELEVANT TO THE
LAST TALK AND TAKING OFF MY
BLUEPRINT MED TECH TALK WE HAVE
THE HEAL INITIATIVE AND BRAIN
INITIATIVE SIGNING ON AND THOSE
SET ASIDE FOR MOVING THE PROGRAM
FORWARD.
HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS AND
MIKE WILSON MY COLLEAGUE IS
ONLINE AS WELL.
>>I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE
PROGRAM.
I HAVE LOOKED AT SOME OF THE
APPLICATION.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION
BECAUSE IT HELPED TO UNDERSTAND
BETTER --
>>CAN WE TAKE THE SLIDES DOWN.
>>THE QUESTION I HAVE WAS
AROUND THE FIRST PART OF THE
TRIAGE.
THE QUESTION IS THE PEOPLE WHO
ARE LOOKING AT THE INITIAL
TRIAGE, DO THEY HAVE MEDICAL
DEVICE EXPERIENCE?
BECAUSE LIKE TRADITIONAL SMALL
MOLECULE OR BIOLOGIC R&D THE
MEDICAL DEVICE DEVELOPMENT IS A
DIFFERENT KETTLE OF FISH.
I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE
RIGHT PEOPLE ARE LOOKING AT THE
INITIAL SET OF PROPOSALS BECAUSE
THEN THEY GET TRIAGED AND MAY
NEVER GET TO SEE THE LIGHT OF
DAY.
>>ABSOLUTELY.
AT EACH STEP ALONG THE WAY
WITHIN THE PERSONNEL OF THE
INCUBATOR HUBS COORDINATING THE
PROCESS THEY HAVE SOME STAFF ON
BOARD WITH EXPERIENCE IN THIS
SPACE AND ALSO HAVE A COHORT OF
CONSULTANTS AVAILABLE THAT ARE
ESSENTIALLY UNRETAINERED TO HELP
OUT ON THE VARIOUS STAGES OF
REVIEW AND LOOKING AT THE
PROPOSALS FROM THAT LIGHT TO
MAKE SURE THIS ISN'T AN ACADEMIC
EXERCISE AND THERE REALLY IS A
POTENTIAL FOR A NEW MEDICAL
DEVICE IN THE REHAB SPACE AND
SIMILARLY WITH EACH STAGE OF
THOSE INTERACTIVE REVIEWS THE
FURTHER YOU GO THE MORE
INVOLVEMENT THERE ARE FROM THE
EXTERNAL MENTORS.
>>TWO MORE QUICK QUESTIONS,
GINA AND BOB BROWN.
>>FIRST I WANT TO COMMEND YOU
AND THE TEAM FOR THIS WELL
THOUGHT OUT INCREDIBLY EFFECTIVE
PROGRAM.
I'M IMPRESSED AND I JUST WANTED
TO ASK YOU -- FIRST, I ALSO WANT
TO SAY I REALLY ESPECIALLY LIKE
THE FACT ALL THESE FREE
RESOURCES FOR APPLICANTS,
CONSULTANTS ARE AMAZING AND WANT
TO USE THEM MYSELF.
I WANT TO ASK YOU IF THERE'S
ANYTHING YOU FEEL THE INITIATIVE
NEEDS TO BE EVEN MORE EFFECTIVE
THAN IT IS ALREADY.
>>I'D SAY IT'S A BIT EARLY TO
SAY.
WE'RE GOING THROUGH THESE FIRST
COUPLE ROUNDS AND GOING THROUGH
A PROCESS OF CONTINUOUS
IMPROVEMENT AND UNDERSTANDING
THE RESOURCE NEEDS OF THE
INVESTIGATORS AND BALANCING THAT
AND TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE
BURDEN OF SOME OF THEE
EVALUATION.
THE BRINGING IN THE PEOPLE WITH
SUFFICIENT EXPERTISE AND
MENTORSHIP.
I THINK MORE MONEY CAN HELP
BRING IN SOME OF THAT AND
VOLUNTEERING IS ALWAYS A BIT
CHALLENGING.
HELPING RESOURCE THE INCUBATORS
AND HELPING TO SUFFICIENTLY
RESOURCE US AND THE NIH SIDE TO
MANAGE THESE.
IF THERE'S A LEVEL OF ENTHUSIASM
FOR THE PROJECT WILL SCALE UP ON
THE EFFORT SIDE AND
EVERYBODY'S --
>>ALLEN AND THEN BOB WILL BE
THE LAST QUESTION.
>>DO YOU EVER DISCUSS THE
QUESTION OF PLACEBO IN THESE
TRIALS?
IT'S SO DIFFERENT FROM DRUG
TRIALS.
SO WHAT IS THE APPROACH AND IS
THAT SOMETHING YOU WORK TO
IDENTIFY?
>>SO WE'RE FREQUENTLY AT
CONFERENCES AND VARIOUS MEETINGS
DISCUSSING THE STRATEGIES
ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU DEAL WITH
NEUROSURGICAL IMPLANT.
YOU'RE NOT GOING IN AND
IMPLANTING A SPINAL CORD
STIMULATOR AND NOT DOING
ANYTHING TO THE PATIENT BUT THE
BEST STRATEGY MOST END UP EM
EMPLOYING WE SUPPORTED SO FAR IN
THE BRAIN AND HEAL INITIATIVE
PROGRAMS ARE ATTEMPTS TO USE THE
PATIENTS AS THEIR OWN CONTROL.
BASICALLY INTERNAL CROSSOVERS
WHERE YOU HAVE ONE COHORT THIS
BASICALLY STARTS WITH THE
THERAPEUTIC TREATMENT AT THE
BEGINNING AND MAYBE YOU SWITCH
OVER AFTER THAT FOR THE
CROSSOVER DESIGN.
THE CHALLENGE YOU RUN INTO THOSE
IS KIND OF -- SO YOU CAN
MITIGATE THE PLACEBO BUT YOU MAY
END UP ADDING IN A POTENTIAL
WASHOUT AS SOME OF THESE WHEN
YOU ELECTRONICALLY STATEMENT LIT
THE BRAIN AND SPINAL CORT THERE
MAY BE CARRY ONES IN THE STUDY
WEEKS AFTER THE DEVICE YOU
ACTUALLY ENHANCED THEIR
FUNCTION, HOW DO YOU FIGURE OUT
WHAT THAT WASH OUT IS AND CARRY
THAT ON?
AT THE BEGINNING BEING ABLE TO
DETERMINE A POSITIVE EFFECT FROM
THE ONSET OF USING THE
TECHNOLOGY SHOULD HELP.
AND THEN IN THE DIAGNOSTICS
SPACE MOST OF THE CASES TRYING
TO COMPARE WHATEVER IS CURRENTLY
AVAILABLE GRANTED WITH THE MED
TECH PROGRAM PUSHING TOWARDS
NOVEL DEVICES THERE MAY NOT BE
ONE YOU CAN READILY COMPARE TO.
LOOKING TO OUR COLLEAGUES AT THE
FDA AND WE WORK CLOSELY WITH
THEM AND COUNTERPARTS FOR THESE
ACTIVITIES.
AND ACTUALLY THE PERSON WHO
NEEDS THE NEURO LOGICAL DEVICES
WAS A CO-LEAD FOR THE MED TECH
PROGRAM.
>>BOB BROWN, LAST QUESTION.
SORRY TO PUSH THINGS ALONG HERE.
>>IT'S TERRIFIC YOU STARTED TO
FUND THE APPLICATIONS.
MY QUESTION HAS TO DO WITH THE
STRUCTURE OF THE PROGRAM.
YOU CREATED HUBS WHICH COULD BE
ARGUED TO BE MAYBI NINDS AND
EXTERNAL SATELLITES THAT SOLICIT
GRANTS AND APPRAISE THEM AND
MOVE THEM ON.
WHY COULDN'T BE THAT BE DONE IN
THE COMMITTEE WITHIN THE NINDS?
IT SEEMS IT'S INFRASTRUCTURE
DUPLICATION?
DO THE HUBS HAVE PARTICULAR
EXPERTISE THAT IS APPROPRIATE
FOR THE KINDS OF APPLICATIONS
THEY'RE REQUESTING OR MAYBE YOU
CAN ANSWER THAT.
>>YES, THE EXPERTISE QUESTION.
FINDING THEM AND BRINGING IN THE
EXPERTISE FROM AN EVALUATION
STANDPOINT AND AND I AND REALLY
TRYING TO LOOK AT THINGS FROM A
DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE AND
STREAMLINE AND MIRROR AT LEAST
THE SUCCESS WITH THE
COVID-RELATED DIAGNOSTICS
THROUGH THE PROCESS A LITTLE BIT
FASTER.
I THINK THE OTHER PART BEING TO
ALMOST STRUCTURE THIS MORE LIKE
WHAT WOULD TYPICALLY HAPPEN IN A
VENTURE CAPITAL INVESTMENT
PROCESS.
LOOKING AT THE OVER ALL PICTURE
OF THE POTENTIAL OF THE
TECHNOLOGY AND THERAPY AND NOT
NECESSARILY THE RESEARCH PLAN
AND TRADITIONAL REVIEW
ENVIRONMENT.
TO SOME EXTENT THAT DOES CREATE
DUPLICATION BUT ON THE FLIP SIDE
IT OFFLOADS SOME OF OUR STAFF
NEEDS AS WELL.
>>THANK YOU.
>>THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS
EXPLORATORY FOR US FOR SURE AND
MIKE WILSON IS ON THE LINE
THERE'S MORE IN THIS SPACE AND
THEY CONVINCED THE FOLKS THIS
WAS THE WAY TO GO FOR THIS
PARTICULAR PROJECT BECAUSE OF
THE HIGH VOLUME OF EARLY STAGE
THINGS.
MIKE, DO YOU WANT TO TALK TO THE
EXPERIENCE.
>>SURE, WALTER.
THE PROGRAM GOING ON IN ITS 16th
YEAR.
WE'VE WORKING ON WITH THE IN
VITRO DIAGNOSTIC FRONTS AND
DIAGNOSTIC DISEASE AND HIV AND
STIs AS WELL AS NEUROLOGICAL
DEVICES AND THE MODEL USING THE
HUBS TO SOLICIT AND REVIEW AND
MANAGE PROJECTS HAS BEEN GOING
ON IN OTHER INSTITUTES AND
CENTERS AND ALL COLLECTED
RECENTLY IN THE SEED OFFICE WITH
THE OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR AND
THE HUBS AND NCI THAT COVERS ALL
DISEASES, ALL INDICATIONS ACROSS
NIH'S SPECTRUM.
WE HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH THE HUB
MODEL OF ASSISTING AND REVIEWING
PROJECTS HEADING TOWARDS
COMMERCIALIZATION.
IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE RESEARCH
AND UNDERSTANDING PHYSIOLOGY BUT
BETTING ON A PATH TO TRANSLATION
NOT JUST SOLVING THE PROBLEM OF
SPECIFIC CIRCUMSCRIBED PROBLEMS
TODAY BUT WHAT ARE THE BARRIERS
TO GET TO MARKET AND THE
COMMERCIALIZATION PLAN AND
REIMBURSEMENT STRATEGY AND
THINGS SEEN AS UNNECESSARY FOR
RESEARCH GRANT ARE INCLUDED IN
THE HUB-BASED PROJECTS.
>>DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR
QUESTION?
>>THAT'S A BIG STEP FORWARD.
THAT'S VERY HELPFUL.
WE CAN DISCUSS OFFLINE.
>>THAT'S ONE OF THE IMPORTANT
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE INITIATIVE
AND CONFLICT OF INTEREST
>>SO WE'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT.
WE JUST USED UP OUR BREAK BUT
WHY DON'T WE TAKE A 10-MINUTE
BREAK AND COME BACK AT 20 OF.
THANK YOU, THAT WAS GREAT.
>>THANKS, AGAIN, EVERYBODY.
>>SO THE NINDS MISSION IS TO
REDUCE THE BURDEN OF
NEUROLOGICAL DISEASES FOR ALL
AND WE DO THAT BY THE VARIOUS
STRATEGIES LISTED HERO ON THIS
PARTICULAR SLIDE.
HOWEVER, WE KNOW HISTORICALLY
MARGINALIZED AND VULNERABLE
POPULATIONS EXPERIENCE MANY
NEUROLOGICAL DISPARITIES AND
INEQUITIES AND WE NEED
DELIBERATE APPROACHES AND HEALTH
EQUITY IS THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF
HEALTH FOR ALL PEOPLE REQUIRING
VALUING EVERYONE EQUALLY AND
ELIMINATING HEALTH DISPARITIES.
THIS DEMONSTRATES A ONE SIZE
FITS ALL STRATEGY DOES NOT WORK.
UNIQUE INHERENT DIFFERENCES MUST
BE CONSIDERED.
IN 2020 DR. WALTER KOROSHETZ
COMMISSIONED A WORK GROUP TO
ADDRESS NEUROLOGICAL HEALTH
INEQUITY TO ADVANCE HEALTH
NEUROLOGICAL HEALTH EQUITY
RECOMMENDATIONS USED TO GUIDE
THE INSTITUTE'S RESEARCH
INVESTMENTS OVER THE NEXT FIVE
TO 10 YEARS.
MULTIPLE COMPONENTS WENT TO THE
PLANNING PROCESS I HAVE
OUTLINED.
THE MAJOR OUTPUT IS A SERIES OF
10 MANUSCRIPTS THAT HAVE BEEN
PUBLISHED AND ALL SUBMITTED AND
ACCEPTED TO BE PUBLISHED ONLINE
OPEN ACCESS AS DEDICATED
SUPPLEMENT IN THE NEUROLOGY
JOURNAL IN MID AUGUST 2023.
WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THIS.
THIS PARTICULAR SLIDE DEPICTS
THE HEALTH EQUITY WORK GROUP
MEMBERS.
MANY OR SEVERAL ARE STILL
CURRENT NANDS MEMBERS YOU CAN
SEE ON THE PARTICULAR SLIDE.
THE NANDS HEALTH EQUITY
MANUSCRIPTS COVERED COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT, TRAINING AND
EDUCATION, COMMUNICATION AND
HEALTH EQUITY RESEARCH.
AND YOUR COUNCIL BACKGROUND
MATERIALS WE PROVIDED A LIST OF
CONSOLIDATED HIGH-LEVEL
RECOMMENDATIONS FROM EACH SUB
GROUP OF THE LARGER NANDS HEALTH
EQUITY WORK GROUP AND THE TITLES
OF THE 10 MANUSCRIPTS.
THESE HIGH-LEVEL RECOMMENDATIONS
WERE PRESENTED BY DOCTORS KAREN
JOHNSON IN THE 2022 MEETING IN
AN EFFORT TO SAVE TIME I WENT GO
THAT TO GET TO CHERYSE SANKAR'S
PRESENTATION AND WE ARE NOW
FOCUSSED ON STRATEGIC
IMPLEMENTATION OF FROM THE
MANUSCRIPT AND DR. CHERYSE
SANKAR WILL PRESENT THE FIRST
INITIATIVES IN DIRECT RESPONSE
TO THESE RECOMMENDATIONS BEFORE
I HARD IT OVER TO HER I WANT TO
THANK OUR COLLEAGUES WHO
CONTRIBUTED ACROSS THE NINDS.
NOW OVER TO CHERYSE SANKAR.
>>THANK YOU, RICHARD.
THANKS EVERYONE AND HELLO.
HAPPY TO BE HERE.
I'LL START BY REITERATING OUR
OVER ARCHING LONG-TERM GOALS
WHICH INCLUDE UNDERSTANDING
SPECIFIC DRIVERS OF HEALTH
DISPARITIES AND BARRIERS TO
NEUROLOGICAL HEALTH EQUITY,
PREVENTING AND DECREASING
NEUROLOGICAL MORBIDITY AND
MORTALITY AND DEVELOPING
EFFECTIVE AND SUSTAINABLE
INTERVENTIONS FOR POPULATIONS
THAT EXPERIENCE HEALTH
DISPARITIES.
WHEN WE REFER TO THESE
POPULATIONS WE'RE REFERRING TO
NIH DESIGNATED POPULATIONS I MAY
REFER TO THEM AS HDPs LISTED
HERE FOR YOUR PREFERENCE.
SO IN LOOK AT THE
RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE
STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS
THERE'S GOALS WITH COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT, HEALTH EQUITY
RESEARCH AND MULTI-DISCIPLINARY
RESEARCH TEAMS.
THERE'S AN OVERARCHING THEME OF
TRAINING AND CAPACITY BUILDING.
COLLECTIVELY WE'RE CALLING THIS
CONCEPT COMMUNITY ENGAGED HEALTH
EQUITY RESEARCH IN NEUROSCIENCE.
THE FIRST, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
I'M HIGHLIGHTING A COUPLE
RECOMMENDATIONS RICHARD COVERED
18 AND MANY COVER COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT.
SIX IS INVOLVING THE COMMUNITY
EARLY AND LOOKING AT
OPPORTUNITIES AND RECOMMENDATION
8 CALLED FOR INCREASING AND
IDENTIFYING EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES
TO ADDRESS COMMUNITY DISTRUST.
WHAT WE KNOW FROM OUR PORTFOLIO
ANALYSIS AS PART OF THE HEALTH
EQUITY STRATEGIC PLANNING
PROCESS IS A SMALL PERCENTAGE
INCLUDE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AS
A WHOLE OUR INSTITUTE IS IN THIS
RED-ORANGE STATE OF NO COMMUNITY
INVOLVEMENT OR LITTLE COMMUNITY
INVOLVEMENT AND THE GOAL AS PART
OF THIS IS TO MOVE WHERE MORE
COMMUNITY-DRIVEN RESEARCH IS
TAKING PLACE MORE OFTEN.
BRIEF EXAMPLES OF PRINCIPLES
INCLUDE DRESSING BARRIERS TO
RESEARCH PARTICIPATION.
ENSURING RESPECTFUL EQUITABLE
AND BI-DIRECTIONAL KNOWLEDGE
CONTROVERSY AND BUILDING TRUST.
WHILE THESE A -- ARE USEFUL
THEY'RE FOR WHO HAVE WARRANTED
MISTRUST IN RESEARCH AND THE
HEALTH CARE SYSTEM AND THUS
COMMUNITY ENGAGED RESEARCH
IMPLEMENTS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
PRINCIPLES AND MEANINGFULLY
INVOLVES THIS POPULATION WITHIN
THE RESEARCH PROCESS.
THE OTHER ELEMENT IS HEALTH
EQUITY RESEARCH AND HIGHLIGHTING
TWO AND INCREASE INCREASING DEL
DETERMINATES AND BIAS DRIVE
INEQUITY AND INCREASE
PARTICIPATION IN CLINICAL TRIALS
AND ADDRESSING SDOH RELATED
QUESTIONS ACROSS THE LIFE SPAN
WITH DEVELOPING
MULTI-DISCIPLINARY TARGETED
INTERVENTIONS AND SOCIAL
DETERMINATES OF HEALTH INCLUDE
EDUCATION AND FACTORS INCLUDE
ROLLS IN UNDERSTANDING HEALTH
DISPARITIES THROUGH SCREENING
AND MEASUREMENT AND AND THE
HEALTH EQUITY RESEARCH SHOULD BE
CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE AND
INCLUSIVE GOING BACK TO
ENGAGEMENT WITH BUY-IN FROM
COMMUNITIES WE WISH TO SERVE.
AND PROMOTING HEALTH EQUITY
RESEARCH AIMED AT NON-MINORITY
INVESTIGATORS AND NON-URM
INVESTIGATORS AND FOR TRAINING
OPPORTUNITY TO ESTABLISH
ACADEMIC CAREERS IN THIS FIELD.
WHEN WE THINK OF
MULTI-DISCIPLINARY FIELD IN
NEUROSCIENCE WE HAVE MULTIPLE
GOALS INCLUDING
MULTI-DISCIPLINARY RESEARCH
EXPERTISE AND TRAINING AND
EDUCATION IN CURRENT RELATED
TOPICS AND IMPORTANTLY THEY
SHOULD BE DIVERSE IN CAREER
STAGE SO EARLY
STAGE-INVESTIGATORS ARE
ENCOURAGED TO APPLY AND
SUPPORTED BY A STRONG TEAM AND
THE TEAM ITSELF SHOULD STRIVE TO
HAVE REPRESENTATION OF
POPULATIONS OF INTEREST.
AND WE HAVE THE COMMUNITY
ENGAGED HEALTH EQUITY RESEARCH
IN NEUROSCIENCE INITIATIVE.
AND WE THANK OUR COMMITTEE AND
HEALTH EQUITY WORK GROUP AND
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND
RESEARCH INCLUSION WORK GROUPS
WITHIN DCR FOR HELPING BUILD
THIS CONCEPT.
IT'S A MULTI-PRONGED APPROACH TO
ENGAGE IN RESEARCH ACROSS
DISORDERS WITH POPULATIONS THAT
EXPERIENCE HEALTH DISPARITIES
AND SUPPORT COLLABORATIONS,
EDUCATION AND CAPACITY BUILDING
IN THIS FIELD.
FOR THIS COUNCIL ROUND WE'RE
PROPOSING THREE COMPLIMENTARY
BUT DISTINCT MECHANISMS AIMED AT
MEETING RESEARCHERS WHERE THEY
ARE THEIR DEVELOPMENT OF
NEURODEVELOPMENT HEALTH EQUITY
RESEARCH AND HAVE A REQUISITE
FOCUS ON POPULATIONS THAT
EXPERIENCE HEALTH DISPARITIES
THAT'S A GOAL TO ASSESS
FEASIBILITY AND DETERMINE BEST
PRACTICES AND AND INCLUDING AIMS
TO SUPPORT AND AND ENGAGEMENT
AND OR MULTI-DISCIPLINARY
RESEARCH TEAM EXPERTS.
AND RESEARCH WITH A MAJOR IMPACT
ON EVALUATING STRATEGIES TO
IMPROVE OUTCOMES RELATED TO
NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS.
WE KNOW BUILDING
COMMUNITY-DRIVEN INTERVENTIONS
TAKES TIME AND ENSURING RECRUIT
MANY AND ATTENTION IN THE
VULNERABLE POPULATIONS IS AND
OFTEN THE TAILORED STRATEGIES
ARE THROUGH THE MIDDLE OR
BEGINNING OF A TRIAL.
THE RO1 SET THE STAGE TO
INCREASE THE LIKELIHOOD OF
SUCCESS BY ENSURING AND
SUCCESSFULLY DESIGN TO REDUCE
DISPARITIES AND IMPROVE OUTCOMES
IN HDPs.
FINALLY THE ADMINISTRATIVE
SUPPLEMENT AIMS TO FILL SPECIFIC
GAP IN COMMUNITY RESEARCH WITHIN
OUR CURRENT NINDS PORTFOLIO.
APPLICANTS WILL BE EXPECTED TO
EMPLOY THE PRINCIPLES AND
APPROPRIATE EXPERTISE TO DEVELOP
OR ENHANCE HDP COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS AND EDUCATION
AND TRAINING OF RESEARCHERS AND
STAFF TO INCREASE RECRUITMENT
AND RETENTION IN CLINICAL
STUDIES AND IMPROVE
HEALTH-RELATED OUTCOMES IN HDPs.
I'LL PROVIDE BRIEF EXAMPLES OF
SOME OF THE RESEARCH WITHIN EACH
OF THESE MECHANISMS.
SO TAILORED APPROACHES FOR THE
R34 TO IDENTIFY BARRIERS AND
BUILD TRUST IN COMMUNITIES.
APPROACHES TO ELIMINATE
DISPARITIES THROUGH STIGMA,
BIAS, DISCRIMINATION AND
MULTIPLE LEVELS AND ADDRESSING
SOCIAL DETERMINATES OF HEALTH
THAT CONTRIBUTE TO DISPARITIES
IN NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS.
IN THE RO1 ELUCIDATING
PSYCHOSOCIAL MECHANISMS
IMPACTING DISEASE AND EVALUATING
INSTRUMENT TO PROMOTE THE
ASSESSMENT OF MODIFIABLE SOCIAL
DETERMINATES OF HEALTH AND
CLINICAL TRIAL READINESS TAKING
UPTAKE IN SUSTAINABILITY
TAILORED TO THE POPULATIONS OF
INTEREST.
AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE
RO1 EMPHASIZE THERE ARE MANY
NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS KNOWN TO
HAVE HEALTH DISPARITIES AND
STUDIES FOCUSSED ON DISORDERS
WHERE THE EVIDENCE-BASED AND
RESEARCH FILLED AS A WHOLE IS
NOT YET AT THE STAGE OF
INTERVENTIONS WILL BE
PRIORITIZED.
SO SOME EXAMPLES INCLUDING
DEVELOPING TAILORED COMMUNITY
AND STRATEGY TO INCLUSION OF
HDPs.
ASSESSING COMMUNITY KNOWLEDGE,
ATTITUDES AND BELIEFS AROUND
CARE OUTCOMES AND DEVELOPING
APPROPRIATE LINGUISTIC AND
CULTURAL COMPETENCE STRATEGIES
AND DEVELOPING EDUCATION AND
TRAINING FOR STAFF OR BRINGING
ON ADDITIONAL STAFF TO
INCORPORATE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
PRINCIPLES INCLUDING CULTURAL
HUMILITY AND SENSITIVITY
TRAINING.
IN THE LAST SLIDE I HAVE
HIGHLIGHT THE PLANS WE'RE
PROPOSING TO INCORPORATE INTO
THESE FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES TO
ENSURE BOTH THE APPLICANTS AND
REVIEWERS HAVE A CLEAR
DEFINITION AND DEFINITION OF
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT,
RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION AND
WORKFORCE DIVERSITY THAT CENTER
ON THE COMMUNITIES THAT
EXPERIENCE HEALTH DISPARITIES.
THE FIRST PLAN IS CALLED THE
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND
RESEARCH INCLUSION OR CERI PLAN
TO INCLUDE A SUMMARY DESCRIBING
HOW PRINCIPLES WILL BE
INCORPORATED AND THE EXPERTISE
OF PWE WILL BE UTILIZED AND
INCORPORATED AT EACH STAGE OF
THE RESEARCH PROCESS.
WE'RE DEFINING PERSONS WITH
LIVED EXPERIENCE PWLE THOSE AT
RISK AT DEVELOPING NEUROLOGICAL
DISORDERS AS WELL AS THEIR
CAREGIVERS.
AND THE RECRUITMENT PLAN IS A
REQUIRED COMPONENT OF HUMAN
SUBJECT STUDIES.
WE'LL EVALUATE THE APPROPRIATE
REPRESENTATION OF HDP STUDY
PARTICIPANTS AND ENSURE THE
OUTREACH RECRUITMENT AND
RETENTION EFFORTS ARE INFORMED
BY THE PWLE AND COMMUNITY
PARTNERS.
FINALLY, THE PLAN FOR ENHANCING
DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES IS
DEVELOPED BY THE BRAIN
INITIATIVE WILL BE A REQUIRED
COMPONENT FOR APPLICANTS TO
HIGHLIGHT HOW THEY PLAN TO
ACHIEVE DIVERSE EXPERTISE AND
WHEN APPROPRIATE COMMUNITY-BASED
ORGANIZATIONS.
TRAINING OF THE STAFF AND HEALTH
EQUITY AND COMMUNITY-BASED
PARTICIPATORY RESEARCH WILL BE
ENCOURAGED AND REVIEWED.
TAKEN TOGETHER THE PLANS WILL
ENSURE REPORTING AND REVIEWING
OF STRATEGIES AND SUPPORT CAREER
DEVELOPMENT OF HEALTH EQUITY
RESEARCHERS.
SO WITH THAT I'LL OPEN THE FLOOR
FOR DISCUSSION.
THANK YOU.
>>GREAT JOB.
YOU HEARD ABOUT THREE
INITIATIVES I'LL ASK ABOUT
CONCEPT CLEARANCE VOTES IN A
MINUTE BUT ARE THERE QUESTIONS
FOR RICHARD OR CLAUDIA --
CLAUDIA AND THEN HANK PAULSON.
>>IN LIGHT OF RECENT BILLS
PASSED HOW DO WE ENSURE
INVESTIGATORS AREN'T HELD TO A
POTENTIALLY NOT OBTAINABLE
SITUATION AS IT RELATES SO
TRAINING.
RESEARCH AND TRAINING ARE NOT
BEING IMPACTED THAT I KNOW OF
BUT COMMENTS.
>>BY THE WAY, THAT QUESTION YOU
CAN ALSO ASK MIKE LAUER AND
MARIE BERNARD BUT DON'T TELL
THEM I SAID THAT.
>>EXCELLENT QUESTION.
VERY DIFFICULT.
WE HAVE BEEN DISCUSSING THIS
INTERNALLY AT THE NINDS BECAUSE
IT'S AN ISSUE FOR INVESTIGATORS
FROM TEXAS AND FLORIDA THAT'S
ABOVE OUR PAY GRADE.
IT'S AN EXCELLENT QUESTION.
>>THE NIH DIRECTOR HAS BEEN
COMMENTING.
IT'S A GET QUESTION FOR AND
>>THERE ARE SPECIFIC LAWS THAT
WILL LIMIT TRAINING OF ANY KIND
AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE WHEN WE
LOOK AT PRESSURE TESTING AND
FEDERAL POLICIES THAT STATES
AREN'T AND INVESTIGATORS FROM
THE STATES AREN'T INADVERTENTLY
NOT COMPETITIVE BECAUSE OF
SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS IN PLACE
THEY THEMSELVES COULD NOT
RESPOND TO.
THERE'S A FEW AROUND TRAINING
SPECIFICALLY.
>>I THINK THE TRAINING COULD
BE -- SHOULD BE FOCUSSED ON
GETTING AND ONE PROBLEM YOU
COULD RUN INTO IS REVIEWERS AND
FUNDING --
>>I THINK IN THE END IT'S A
MOVING TARGET SO WE'LL BE
LEARNING
>>AND THERE'S A GREAT POINT.
I THINK WE NEED TO USE THE
LANGUAGE WE USE IN OUR FUNDING
OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS AND
MAKE SURE THEY'RE NOT IN
CONFLICT WITH SOME OF THE LAWS.
THERE'S DEFINITELY WAYS TO GET
TO THE END GOAL WHICH IS -- IT'S
NOT ESCAPED NIH'S ATTENTION.
>>CAN WE TAKE THE SLIDES DOWN
BY THE WAY.
>>THEY'RE DOWN
>>PAUL AND RUIZ.
>>OF THOSE THREE PHASES THE
ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPLEMENTS CAN
HAVE TREMENDOUS IMPACT IF
THERE'S AN EXISTING PROGRAM BUT
I GUESS MY QUESTION FOR YOU, DO
YOU HAVE A SENSE OF HOW MANY
SUCH EXISTING GRANTS WOULD BE
OUT THERE THAT WOULD BE ELIGIBLE
FOR THESE ADMINISTRATIVE
SUPPLEMENTS?
I THINK YOU LISTED YOU WOULD
LIKE TO FUND UP TO FIVE TO
SEVEN.
I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF BANG
FOR THE BUCK IF DONE WELL.
WHAT IS THE SIZE OF THE
PORTFOLIO GRANTS THAT MAY BE
ELIGIBLE FOR THIS?
>>WE KNOW WE WANT TO TRY TO
LIMIT THIS SPECIFICALLY TO HUMAN
SUBJECT STUDIES.
I'LL MAKE SURE THERE'S
SUFFICIENT TIME REMAINING IN THE
GRANT TO LIMIT WHAT IS AVAILABLE
AND SO YEAH THAT'S A QUESTION
THAT WE'RE LOOKING INTO AND
REALLY IT WILL BE THE DETAILS OF
THE ADD MIN STUFF WE'LL TRY TO
GET AT WHAT THAT RANGE OF GRANTS
WOULD BE.
AND WHAT I'D SAY IS ONE OF THE
MANUSCRIPTS THAT WILL BE
PUBLISHED IN AUGUST DEALS WITH
OUR PORTFOLIO ANALYSIS AND SO
WHAT WE KNOW FROM THAT PORTFOLIO
ANALYSIS A SMALL NUMBER OF OUR
CLINICAL STUDIES THAT USE
COMMUNITY-ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES
AND WE HAVE THAT INFORMATION
LISTED AND DETAILED IN THAT
PARTICULAR PUBLICATION.
BUT WE DO HAVE A LOT OF CLINICAL
STUDIES OUT THERE TO POTENTIALLY
FALL INTO THAT CATEGORY.
WE DON'T HAVE THE EXACT NUMBER
RIGHT NOW BUT WE DO KNOW THAT
VERY FEW OF OUR STUDIES NOW ARE
USING THESE TYPES OF
COMMUNITY-ENGAGED STRATEGIES.
>>THANK YOU.
>>LOUISE.
>>MAYBE THIS IS THROUGH THE
CTSAs THAT HAVE COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT WILL THESE JUST BE
ELIGIBLE SUPPLEMENTS FOR NINDS
AND MY SECOND POINT WAS TO ECHO
CLAUDIA'S CONCERN ABOUT THE
CRAZY STATE WE LIVE IN AND IF WE
FOCUS ON HEALTH DISPARITY
RESEARCH THAT'S PROBABLY A WORK
AROUND FOR US IN TEXAS BECAUSE
THEY HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH HEALTH
DISPARITY RESEARCH IT'S
FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR THE DEI
PROGRAMS WHICH IS AWFUL BUT I
THINK WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL NOT
TO DISADVANTAGE PEOPLE.
IN HOUSTON IT'S THE MOST DIVERSE
CITY IN AMERICA.
WE NEED THAT COMMUNITY OUTREACH
AND DISPARITY RESEARCH IN OUR
POPULATIONS.
>>TO ADDRESS YOUR FIRST POINT
ABOUT THE ADD -- ADMIN FOR
NINDS IT'S TO FOCUS ON ADMIN
WITHIN NINDS BECAUSE WE KNOW WE
HAVE SIGNIFICANT GAPS WITHIN OUR
PORTFOLIO FOR COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT AND YES, THERE ARE
OTHER INSTITUTES AND CENTERS AND
AREAS WORKING IN COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT AND NOT SPECIFICALLY
FOR NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS.
THAT'S WHY THE GAP IS AND WHAT
WE WANT TO FOCUS ON BE DIRECTLY
RESPONSIVE TO THE
RECOMMENDATIONS FROM OUR
STRATEGIC PLAN.
>>TWO QUICK QUESTIONS.
WHEN DO YOU ENVISION THE PROGRAM
BEING ABLE TO COME ONLINE AND
ARE THE R43 AND R31 GRANTS
INTENDED TO BE FUNDED IN
PARALLEL OR SEQUENTIALLY?
>>IS THE PROGRAM READY TO GO?
>>IT DEPENDS ON THE RESULT FROM
THE COMMITTEE HERE WE'RE READY
TO MOVE FORWARD QUICKLY.
>>I'M IN FULL SUPPORT.
I HAVE A QUESTION AND I THINK
THE ACTIVITIES YOU'RE BUILDING
IN AROUND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
AND PERSONS WITH LIVED
EXPERIENCE WILL HELP WITH THE
PROBLEM BUT WE KNOW IN TRIALS
EVEN WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO
ENROLL A DIVERSE POPULATION THEY
DON'T END UP DOING IT AT THE END
OF THE TRIAL.
WE GAVE IT OUR BEST SHOT BUT
WEREN'T QUITE SUCCESSFUL.
ARE YOU BUILDING IN INTERNAL
CONTROLS OR GO, NO-GO MILESTONES
TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE MONITORING
THE ACTIVITIES TO MAKE SURE
THEY'LL MEET THEIR DIVERSITY
RECRUITMENT GOALS?
>>IT'S AN IMPORTANT ISSUE.
THIS IS NOT WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING
AT THIS STAGE IS CLINICAL TRIALS
BUT TRYING TO DEAL WITH THE
ISSUES YOU JUST RAISED IT'S
OFTEN UNKNOWN WHY THEY'RE UNABLE
TO RECRUIT FUMLY THE POPULATION
THAT'S THE GOAL.
-- FULLY THE POPULATION THAT'S
THE GOAL.
THIS IS TO SET THE STAGE TO
IDENTIFY THE BARRIERS AND
ENGAGING WITH THE COMMUNITY SO
THEY KNOW THEY'LL HAVE
SUCCESSFUL RECRUITMENT.
YES, WHEN CLINICAL TRIALS COME
ON BOARD I THINK IT'S AN
IMPORTANT COMPONENT AND HEARING
HOW IT'S HAPPENING ACROSS THE
BOARD.
THOSE ARE INTERNAL DISCUSSIONS
AND HOW TO ENSURE THAT AT THE
STAGE OF THE TRIAL.
>>THANKS TO BOTH OF YOU AND THE
LAST THING WE NEED SO YOU
BASICALLY SEE A PACKAGE OF THREE
RELATED ISSUES THE R34, R01 AND
SUPPLEMENTS AND WE NEED A MOTION
FOR CONCEPT CLEARANCE.
I SEE ONE FROM ALLEN AND SECOND
FROM TIM AND YOU CAN VOTE IN THE
CHAT.
THE NEXT SEGMENT OF THE OPEN
SESSION WE'LL FOCUS ON EFFORTS
AT NIH.
THANKS A LOT, GUYS.
FOR PROMOTING DEIA, DIVERSITY,
EQUITY, INCLUSION AND
ACCESSIBILITY AND INCLUSIVITY
WITH RESEARCH FUNDING.
I WON'T GIVE AN INTRODUCTION
JUST TURNING IT OVER TO MICHELLE
JONES-LONDON WHICH I THINK IS
SICK BUT I THINK IS HERE.
SHE WAS CONCERNED ABOUT GOING
INTO COUGH FITS.
>>THANK YOU.
I DECIDED TO BE SELFISH WITH MY
GERMS HOPEFULLY PEOPLE WON'T BE
TOO OFFENDED.
BEFORE I INTRODUCE OUR NAMES YOU
HEARD THEIR NAMES SEVERAL TIMES
FROM OUR NIH LEADERSHIP AND I'LL
GIVE THEM A FORMAL INTRODUCTION
AT THE END.
I WANTED TO SORT OF SET THE
STAGE TO GIVE PERSPECTIVE ON
WHAT WE'RE DOING AT THE NINDS SO
YOU'LL ALSO HAVE A CONTEXT WHEN
THEY SPEAK MORE BROADLY ABOUT
THE NIH-OD LEVEL.
THE SLIDE I'M SHOWING MANY ON
THE COUNCIL YOU'VE SEEN THIS SO
MANY TIMES.
IT REPRESENTS THE ECO SYSTEM OF
SUPPORT AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT
AND REPRESENTING PROGRAMS FROM
MY OFFICE WHICH WE CALL OPEN AND
THE GENERAL TRAINING PROGRAMS
AND HIGHLIGHT ON THE COMMISSION
SCIENTIST RESEARCHER PROGRAMS
IT'S COMPREHENSIVE AND IN THE
SPACE OF INCREASING WORKFORCE
DIVERSITY.
WE ACTIVELY MANAGE AND INVEST IN
PROGRAMMING TO CREATE
RECRUITMENT STRATEGIES AND FOR
THAT RETENTION ON THE FURTHER
END OF THE PATHWAY.
WHAT WOULD THINK ABOUT IN
HIGHLIGHTING RECRUITMENT
OPPORTUNITIES IS THE ENDURE
PROGRAM THAT FOCUSES ON BRINGING
IN UNDERGRADUATES AND HELPING TO
FOSTER A PATHWAY FOR THEM TO
COMPLETE NEUROSCIENCE Ph.D.
PROGRAMS WITH RESEARCH INTENSIVE
INSTITUTIONS AND INSTITUTIONS
THAT HAVE SUBSTANTIAL ENROLLMENT
OF NEUROSCIENCE MAJORS FROM
DIVERSE GROUPS INCLUDING SEVERAL
MINORITY-SERVING INSTITUTIONS.
THE RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES EXIST
DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR AND
DURING THE SUMMER AND THESE
STUDENTS EXPERIENCE THIS FOR TWO
YEARS.
ENDURE IS A SOBERING NAME AND SO
FAR 65% OF OUR ENDURE TRAINEES
HAVE GONE ON TO GRADUATE SCHOOL
OR EVEN M.D./Ph.D. AND SEEING
NOW GOING ON TO THEIR POSTDOC.
SO WE'RE HAPPY ABOUT THIS.
I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THE
PROGRAM ALSO BECAUSE WE'RE
EXPERIENC
EXPERIENCING AND WE HAVE CALLS
FOR THE PROGRAM EVERY THREE
YEARS AND NOW WE'RE IN THE MIDST
OF THAT WITH CALLING FOR
APPLICATIONS FEBRUARY 12, 2024
AND THEN ANOTHER CALL FEBRUARY
10, 2015.
WE HAVE A NOTICE OF INTENT TO
PUBLIC CURRENTLY ON THIS IN
YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT WAYS TO
PARTNER IT'S A GREAT PROGRAM TO
ENGAGE IN.
AND ANOTHER THAT HAS A
RECRUITMENT ASPECT TO IT BUT
WITH A FUTURE FOCUS LONG-TERM
GOAL OF RETAINING DIVERSE
FACULTY IN ACADEMIA.
AND WE KNOW WE SEE PEOPLE AT THE
LATER CAREER STAGES IS THE D
SPAN PROGRAM AND DR. NGAI
DESCRIBED IT EARLIER AND
SUPPORTED BY THE NIH BLUE PRINT
AND THE BRAIN INITIATIVE AND THE
TRAINEE COMES IN ONE OR TWO
YEARS OF FINISHING UP THE
GRADUATE WORK AND IF THEY
RECEIVE THE AWARD HAVE THE K 00
ALMOST A GOLD TICKET TO PURSUE
THEIR POSTDOC WITH A MENTOR.
AND WHAT WE THOUGHT ABOUT WITH
DESIGNING THIS WAS REALLY
ENHANCING THE SELF-EFFICACY OF
DIVERSE TRAINEES TO NOT HAVE
THEM RECONSIDER ALONG EVERY PART
OF THE PATHWAY.
CAN I DO THIS BUT PROVIDING A
COHORT MENTORSHIP AND PUTTING
THEM IN THE POWER SEAT BY HAVING
FUNDING SO WHEN THEY'RE LOOKING
FOR THAT NEXT STEP FOR POSTDOC
THEY'RE NOT MAKING JUST
FINANCIAL DECISIONS.
THIS IS A REMINDER ALWAYS
INCLUDED HERE OUR FOCUS IS WE
CAN TALK ABOUT NUMBERS AND WE'LL
TALK A LOT ABOUT NUMBERS TODAY
BUT BEHIND ALL THE NUMBERS ARE
PEOPLE AND FACES.
AND THE COMMUNITY THAT WE WANT
TO BUILD IN TERMS OF HAVING
RESEARCHERS THAT REPRESENT THIS
INTERSECTIONALITY AND WE MADE
147 WARDS IN D SPAN AND WE MADE
ONLY THE FIRST AWARDS IN
SEPTEMBER 2017.
AND WE HAD SEARCHEN WHO HAVE
FACULTY POSITIONS OR OFFERS IN
HAND.
SO -- SEVEN WHO HAVE FACULTY
POSITIONS OR OFFERS IN HAND AND
THINK THE INVESTMENT AND CAREER
TRANSITIONS SEEMS TO BE WORKING.
SOME AREA WHERE WE HAVE TO DO
MORE WORK AND YOU'LL HEAR ABOUT
THAT MORE FROM BOTH OF OUR
SPEAKERS IS WE BUILD THIS BRIDGE
BUT WE DON'T WANT TO BUILD A
BRIDGE TO AN END DESTINATION
THAT'S JUST A CLIFF.
THIS GRAPH IS SHOWING YOU THE
SELF-SUPPORTING NUMBERS FOR
NINDS FUNDED RO1 EQUIVALENT
CONTACT P.I.s BY RACE AND
ETHNICITY.
UNFORTUNATELY FOR AMERICAN
INDIAN OR ALASKAN NATIVE OR
PACIFIC ISLANDERS GIVEN THE
SMALL NUMBERS, LESS THAN 12
WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO SHOW THE
NUMBERS BUT YOU SEE THE RAW
NUMBERS IN TERMS OF ASIAN,
BLACK, AFRICAN AMERICAN AND
WHITE NON-HISPANIC WITH LOW
NUMBERS FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN AND
HISPANIC.
MOST PEOPLE THINK IT'S A FOCUS
ON FUNDING OR SUCCESS RATES BUT
IT'S A QUESTION OF INCREASING
THE NUMBER OF APPLICANTS COMING
INTO THE NINDS AS WELL NOT JUST
ALSO MAKING SURE THERE'S NOT A
DISPARITY IN THE AWARD AND NINDS
DEALT WITH SINCE THE PAPER AND
DURING THE TIME PERIOD OUR
INSTITUTE WAS ABLE TO BRING ON
SEVERAL OTHER INSTITUTES OVER
TIME.
IT'S GROWN TO ALMOST 10 NOW.
WE DESIGN A NEW AND AT-RISK
DIVERSITY RO1 TO PROMOTE
DIVERSITY, WORKFORCE DIVERSITY
RATHER TO ENCOURAGE A MORE
DIVERSE POOL OF P.I.s TO
CONTRIBUTE TO THE NIH RESEARCH
AREAS VIA RO1 APPLICATIONS.
IT'S CONSISTENT WITH THE 21st
CENTURIES SECURITY ACT AND
THINKING OF WAYS TO INCLUDE NEW
INVESTIGATORS AND THESE EIGHT
RISK INVESTIGATORS INVESTED IN
PREVIOUSLY BUT MAYBE WERE STRUG
AG WITH SUBSTANTIAL RESEARCH
SUPPORT LATER ON WITH THE EYE OF
INCLUDING MAKING SURE WE'RE
INCLUDING THE DIVERSE
PERSPECTIVES.
SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE
STRATEGIES THAT NINDS IS
FOCUSSING ON AND IS DOING BUT
ALSO PARTNERING WITH THE UNITE
EFFORT AND ACROSS THE NIH AS
WELL.
SO FOR SOME OF THOSE
CONVERSATIONS I'M GOING TO TURN
IT OVER TO TWO LEADERS AT THE
NIH WITH REGARDS TO TRAINING,
DIVERSITY AND EXTRAMURAL
PROGRAMS.
I THINK THEY BOTH SYMBOLIZE THE
NEW FOCUS NIH GLADLY HAS IN
TERMS OF BEING MORE TRANSPARENT
AND REALLY GIVING INFORMATION TO
THE COMMUNITY ABOUT NOT ONLY
EVALUATION AND DATA BUT WHAT IS
GOING ON WITH DIVERSITY AT NIH
AND OF THEM HAVE MADE THAT A
HALLMARK IN TERMS OF THE WORK
THEY DO.
DR. LAUER IS THE DIRECTOR OF
OFFICE OF EXTRAMURAL RESEARCH OR
OER AT NIH AND WHY MARIE BERNARD
IS THE CHIEF OFFICER FOR
SCIENTIFIC WORKFORCE DIVERSITY
AT NIH.
YOU MAY HEAR IT REFERRED TO
COSWD.
WITH THAT DR. LAUER.
>>THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>>I'VE BEEN ASKED TO GIVE DATA
AND LET ME START BY GOING OVER
KEY TERMS HERE.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT COMPETING
OUTCOMES.
THESE ARE APPLICATIONS THAT ARE
COMPETING.
AND THE TERMS THAT WE USE
SOMETIMES YOU HEAR THE TERM
AWARD RATE, SOMETIMES SUCCESS
RATE AND SOMETIMES FUNDING RATE.
AWARD RATES AND SUCCESS RATES
ARE FOCUSSED ON APPLICATIONS.
SO ESSENTIALLY THE DENOMINATOR
IS A NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS AND
THE NUMERATOR IS THE NUMBER OF
AWARDS.
OBVIOUSLY YOU CAN HAVE MULTIPLE
PEOPLE ON AN APPLICATION.
A PERSON CAN SUBMIT MULTIPLE
APPLICATIONS.
SO APPLICATIONS AND PERSONS ARE
NOT NECESSARILY THE SAME.
A FUNDING RATE IS A PERSON-BASED
METRIC.
THE DENOMINATOR IS THE NUMBER OF
PERSONS.
THE NUMBER OF UNIQUE PEOPLE
DEFINED AS PRINCIPLE
INVESTIGATORS ON APPLICATIONS
AND THE PNEUM NUMERATOR ARE
THOSE THE FUNDING RATE AND
THAT'S PERSON-BASED.
WE'LL FOCUS ON TYPE 1, RPG AND
RO1 EQUIVALENT AND TYPE RPG IS
NOT COMPETING AND TYPE 2 OR
COMPETING ANY RENEWAL GRANTS
HAVE HIGHER RATES OF SUCCESS AND
THAT MUDDIES THE WATER.
TO MAKE IT A MORE FAIR
COMPARISON WE'RE FOCUSSING ON
TYPE 1 APPLICATION 70% TO 85% OF
THE APPLICATIONS WE GET.
AND THEN THE DISCUSSION IS ON
DEMOGRAPHICS.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE
PEOPLE CAN SUBMIT INFORMATION
ABOUT THE DEMOGRAPHICS ON E.R.A.
COMMENTS BUT THAT'S VOLUNTARY
AND WE DO HAVE SOME SIGNIFICANT
RATES OF MISSING THAT IS
SOMETHING WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT
AND WE'LL BE FOCUSSING MAINLY ON
RAISE ETHNICITY.
AS BACKGROUND THIS SHOWS THE
NUMBER OF AWARDS AND PRINCIPLE
INVESTIGATORS OVER TIME.
ON THE LEFT WE HAVE 1998 GOING
TO 2022 ON THE Y AXIS IS THE
NUMBER IN THOUSANDS.
YOU'LL SEE DOTTED LINES AT 1998
AND 2003 THAT GOES WITH THE NIH
DOUBLING AND THERE'S ANOTHER
DOTTED LINE IN 2013 THE YEAR OF
BUDGET SEQUESTRATION.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE LINE ON
THE TOP THE TEAL LINE WITH THE
TRY -- TRIANGLES WENT DOWN AND
REACHES IT HERE IN 2015 AND
SINCE 2015 WITH THE BUDGET
INCREASES WE'VE BEEN GRATEFUL TO
GET, WE HAVE A STEADY INCREASE
IN THE NUMBER OF RPG AWARDS AND
NOW FUNDING MORE THAN WE EVER
HAVE.
THE LINE ON THE BOTTOM IS THE
NUMBER OF UNIQUE PRINCIPLE
INVESTIGATORS AND WE REMAINED
STAGNANT FOR 15 YEARS THEREAFTER
AND SINCE THE MORE BUDGET
INCREASE WE HAVE MORE PRINCIPLE
INVESTIGATORS SUPPORTED TO
TRAVEL PROJECT GRANTS.
AND WE HAVE MORE PEOPLE WHO WANT
TO BE FUNDED ON AN NIH GRANT.
THOUGH WE'RE NOW FUNDING MORE
PRINCIPLE INVESTIGATORS, THE
COM
COMPETITION HAS WORSENED AND
BELIEVE IT'S SOMETHING YOU KNOW.
THE RED LINE WITH THE DOTS, THIS
IS THE DENOMINATOR.
IT'S THE NUMBER OF UNIQUE
APPLICANTS AND THAT IS INCREASED
FROM 20,000 BACK IN 1998 TO
ABOUT 55,000 NOW.
AND WITH THE UPS AND DOWNS OF
THE NIH BUDGET THE OVER ALL
PURCHASING POWER HAS NOT
CHANGED.
IS THE NUMBER OF UNIQUE PEOPLE
WHO RECEIVE AT LEAST ONE
COMPETING AWARD IN ANY GIVEN
YEAR AND THAT NUMBER HAS
INCREASED OVER TIME.
BUT IF YOU TAKE THE RATIO OF THE
NUMBER OF AWARDEES DIVIDED BY
THE NUMBER OF APPLICANTS, THAT'S
THE FUNDING RATE, THAT'S THE
BLUE LINE.
BACK AT THE TIME OF THE DOUBLING
RUNNING AROUND 36%, 37% IT
DROPPED TO AS LOW AS A LITTLE
BIT ABOVE 20% AND NOW HAS
INCREASED TO 30% OR SO.
WE ARE IN AND CONTINUE TO BE IN
A HYPER COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT.
THERE'S DEMOGRAPHICS IN RECENT
YEARS FROM 2010.
THIS SHOWS IS THE NUMBER OF TYPE
1 RPG APPLICANTS ACCORDING TO
THEIR REPORTED RACE OR
ETHNICITY.
FOR HISPANICS IF THEY DECLARED
THEMSELVES HISPANIC AND WHITE WE
CALLED THEM HISPANIC.
AND THIS IS THE NUMBER OF WHITE
APPLICANTS.
THE RED LINE IS THE NUMBER OF
ASIAN APPLICANTS.
NOTICE THE BLUE LINE WHICH IS
THE NUMBER UNKNOWN.
AND THE ABSOLUTE NUMBER OF BLACK
AND HISPANIC APPLICANTS IS LOW
AND CONTINUES TO BE LOW.
NOW WE'LL FOCUS IN MORE DETAIL
IN A SECOND.
THIS SHOWS THE DATA FOR TYPE 1
RO1 APPLICANTS.
VERY SIMILAR THE NUMBER OF
WHITES HAS BEEN INCREASING.
THE NUMBER OF ASIANS HAS BEEN
INCREASING AND THE NUMBER OF
BLACKS AND HISPANIC APPLICANTS
HAS ALSO BEEN INCREASING THOUGH
YOU CAN'T SEE THAT HERE AND I'LL
SHOW THAT TO YOU IN A MOMENT THE
ABSOLUTE NUMBERS ARE QUITE LOW.
SO NOW THIS IS THE SAME DATA BUT
FOCUSSING SPECIFICALLY ON BLACK
APPLICANTS.
THIS IS TYPE 1 RO1 APPLICANTS.
IF WE LOOK AT RPGs WE SEE
SOMETHING SIMILAR.
AND THE NUMBERS HAVE INCREASED.
SO BACK IN 2010 IT WAS LESS THAN
400.
AND IN 2022 WAS ABOUT 850.
WHILE THE ABSOLUTE NUMBERS ARE
QUITE LOW, THE NUMBERS HAVE MORE
THAN DOUBLES OVER TIME.
AND THE ABSOLUTE NUMBERS ARE
QUITE LOW BUT THE PROPORTION IS
INCREASED.
SO IT'S NOW NEARLY DOUBLED OVER
THIS PERIOD OF TIME.
ALL RIGHT.
SO IF WE TAKE AGAIN AS WE CALL
THE FUNDING RATES IS THE RATIO
OF THE NUMBER OF UNIQUE WARDEES
THAT'S THE NUMBER RATER DIVIDED
BY THE NUMBER OF UNIQUE
APPLICANTS IS THE DENOMINATOR.
THIS SHOWS WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH
FUNDING RATES OVER TIME.
THE PURPLE LINE AT THE TOP ARE
THE FUNDING RATE FOR WHITES
CONSISTENTLY THE HIGHEST ACROSS
THE BOARD AND THE FUNDING RATE
FOR ASIANS HAS BEEN CONSISTENTLY
LOWER THAT BE FOR WHITES THOUGH
IN MORE RECENT YEARS THE GAP IS
INCREASED.
AND THE GREEN LINE IS FUNDING
FOR HISPANICS THAT NUMBER HAS
BEEN CONSISTENTLY LOWER THAN FOR
WHITES THOUGH IN 2022 THEY
ACTUALLY MATCHED AND YOU CAN SEE
THEY WERE GETTING CLOSER.
THE GOLD LINE ARE THE FUNDING
RATES FOR BLACKS AND MUCH LOWER
THAN FOR WHITES OVER TIME.
THE DIFFERENCE HAS NARROWED.
THOUGH THERE STILL IS A
PERSISTING GAP AND SOMETHING WE
CONSISTENTLY SEE WHICH IS THE
UNKNOWNS ARE ALSO SPECIALLY
LOWER.
AND THIS SHOWS WHAT I JUST
SHOWED YOU HERE THESE ARE DATA
FOR TYPE 1 RO1s.
DATA FOR TYPE 1 RPGs A DIFFERENT
CATEGORY BUT WE'RE SEEING
ESSENTIALLY THE SAME PATTERNS
HERE.
THE GAPS BETWEEN WHITE, HISPANIC
AND ASIANS HAVE NARROWED.
THE GAP AND LATINO AND WHITES
HAVE NARROWED BUT THERE'S STILL
CLEARLY A PERSISTENT GAP.
NOW IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND THIS
ONE THING WE CAN DO IS LEVERAGE
OUR ADMINISTRATIVE DATA TO LOOK
AT SOME BASELINE AND APPLICATION
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THESE
DIFFERENT GROUPS P.I. APPLICANTS
SO WHAT I'M SHOWING YOU HERE ARE
DATA FOR FY22.
THESE SHOW CHARACTERISTICS OF
PEOPLE APPLYING FOR A TYPE 1
RPG.
SO 55% WERE WHITE AND 26% WERE
ASIAN AND% UNKNOWN AND 5%
HISPANIC AND 3% BLACK.
I WANT TO FOCUS ON THE
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHITES AND
BLACKS BUT YOU MAY WANT TO SPEND
TIME LOOKING AT THE SLIDE LATER
BECAUSE THE DIFFERENCES ARE
QUITE INTERESTING.
SO WHITES ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE
MEN, 60% COMPARED TO 51%.
THEY ARE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE AN
MND AND LIKELY TO HAVE A Ph.D.
AND 60% OF WHITES SUBMITTED ONE
APPLICATION IN FY22 COMPARED TO
ABOUT 69% OF BLACKS.
A LITTLE BIT LOWER FOR BLACKS.
R21 OR R23 ARE SOMETIMES CALLED
LOW APPLICATIONS AND WE'VE SEEN
THIS CONSISTENTLY OVER THE
YEARS.
SO AMONG WHITE APPLICANTS 46%
SUBMITTED AT LEAST ONE
APPLICATION THAT INVOLVES ANIMAL
MODELS AS COMPARED TO 29% OF
BLACKS.
THEN IF WE LOOK AT APPLICATION
INVOLVE HUMAN PARTICIPANTS FOR
WHITES IT'S 52% AND FOR BLACKS A
LOT HIGHER ABOUT 70%.
90% OF WHITES EARLY STAGE
INVESTIGATORS AND A LARGER
PROPORTION OF BLACKS ARE EARLY
STAGE INVESTIGATORS.
THIS SHOWS MORE INFORMATION
ABOUT THEIR APPLICATIONS.
SINCE 2010 HOW APPLICATIONS HAS
A PERSON ACTUALLY SUBMITTED?
WHITES SUBMITTED ABOUT NINE AND
BLACKS ABOUT SIX APPLICATIONS.
HOW MANY PRIOR AWARDS HAVE THEY
RECEIVED?
WHITES ON AVERAGE RECEIVED 1.7
AWARDS AND BLACKS LESS THAN ONE
AWARD.
THIS GOES WITH EARLY STAGE
INVESTIGATORS AND HAVING A LOWER
FUNDING RATE OVER TIME.
SOMETIME WERE SUBMITTED IN FY22?
ABOUT 1.5.
NO MAJOR DIFFERENCES WHERE
THEY'RE SUBMITTING FROM AND IS
THE BOTTOM LINE IS WHETHER THEY
WERE FUNDED AS A PRINCIPLE
INVESTIGATOR.
THIS RATIO AND THIS GIVE THE
FUNDING RATE.
30% OF WHITES WERE FUNDED, TA%
OF BLACKS AND 29% OF HISPANICS
AND 28% OF ASIANS.
THERE'S DIFFERENCES IN THE
APPLICATION HISTORY AND THE TYPE
OF APPLICATIONS THEY'RE
SUBMITTING THE TYPE OF RESEARCH
THEY'RE LOOKING AT.
SOME OF THEIR DEMOGRAPHICS AND
WE THEN CONDUCTED A LOGISTIC
REGRESSION ANALYSIS AND I
BELIEVE IN THE APPENDIX SLIDES
THEY'RE REPRESENTED IN MORE
DETAIL.
THESE ARE THE FACTORS THAT WERE
ASSOCIATED EITHER POSITIVELY OR
NEGATIVELY WITH TYPE 1 RPG
FUNDING AFTER ADJUSTING FOR
EVERYTHING ELSE.
WOMEN WERE SLIGHTLY MORE LIKELY
TO BE FUNDED.
ASIANS WERE LESS LIKELY TO BE
FUNDED.
PEOPLE WITHOUT AN M.D. OR Ph.D.
OTHER DEGREE WERE LESS LIKELY TO
BE FUNDED.
EARLY STAGE INVESTIGATORS WERE
MORE LIKELY TO BE FUNDED AND
THAT IS BY POLICY.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD
EXPECT TO FIND.
AND PEOPLE WHO SUBMITTED SMALL
APPLICATIONS ARE LESS LIKELY TO
BE FUNDED.
ANIMAL RESEARCHERS LESS LIKELY
TO BE FUNDED.
NOT SURPRISINGLY PEOPLE WITH
MORE PRIOR AWARDS WERE MORE
LIKELY TO BE FUNDED, PRIOR
SUCCESS PREDICTED LATER SUCCESS
IN GETTING FUNDING.
ALSO NOT SURPRISINGLY IF YOU
SUBMITTED MORE APPLICATIONS IN
FY22 YOU WERE MORE LIKELY TO GET
FUNDING AND FIGURE THAT MORE
SHOTS ON GOAL AND PEOPLE WHO ARE
APPLYING FROM ACADEMIC
INDEPENDENT HOSPITALS WERE MORE
LIKELY TO GET FUNDED.
IN SUMMARY THE OVER ALL SUCCESS
AND FUNDING RATES ARE TIED TO
HISTORICAL EVENTS, THE NIH
DOUBLING AND THE PERIOD OF
BUDGETARY STAGNATION AND
BUDGETARY INCREASES.
THE ECO SYSTEM REMAINS HIGHLY
HYPER COMPETITIVE.
THE NUMBERS OF BLACK AND
HISPANIC RPG PRINCIPLE
INVESTIGATOR APPLICANTS THE
NUMBERS ARE INCREASING BUT THE
ABSOLUTE NUMBERS REMAIN LOW AND
THE FUNDING RATE GAPS ARE STILL
THERE BUT MAY BE NARROWING.
THOSE ARE THE DATA.
I HOPE YOU FIND INTERESTING AND
I'LL STOP THERE.
>>THANK YOU, DR. LAUER.
WE'LL TAKE A FEW QUESTIONS NOW.
MOSTLY ABOUT THE PRESENTATION.
>>LOOKS LIKE THE FUNDING RATES
WERE NOT AS BAD AS THE
APPLICATION RATES.
DO YOU KNOW WHY THEY WERE LOWER?
WAS IT BECAUSE OF DISCRIMINATION
AND WE SNOW THE CAUSE FOR THE
RACIAL GROUPS.
>>WHEN YOU SAID THE APPLICATION
RATES YOU MEAN THE ABSOLUTE
NUMBER OF APPLICANTS.
>>IT'S BEEN A LONG STANDING
ISSUE.
IT PARALLELS THE LOWER
PROPORTION OF FACULTY AS WELL.
MANY PATTERNS WE SEE WITH NIH
RUNS PARALLEL TO ACADEMIC
FACULTY AND THAT'S SOMETHING
THAT MARIE CAN PROBABLY ADDRESS
BETTER THAN I CAN.
>>IF YOU'D LIKE ME TO COMMENT I
CAN SAY WHAT WE SEE IS THERE ARE
BARRIERS TO PROGRESS AT EVERY
STEP OF THE WAY FOR THE
SCIENTISTS IN GROUPS THAT ARE
CURRENTLY UNDER REPRESENTS IN
SCIENCE AS WELL AS MIDDLE SCHOOL
ALL THE WAY THROUGH TO GETTING
THE Ph.D. AND POST DOCTORAL
TRAINING.
MANY BARRIERS ARE THE WAY THE
SYSTEM IS CONFIGURED.
AND THAT'S THE REASON WHEN I
MAKE MY PRESENTATION WE'LL TALK
ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING AT
MULTIPLE LEVELS TO REMOVE SOME
OF THE CHALLENGES.
>>LOOKS LIKE THE KWAP -- GAP IS
REDUCING.
>>MICHELLE I THINK WE CAN GO ON
TO MARIE'S TALK.
>>DR. BERNARD BRING UP YOUR
SLIDES AND PLEASE ANSWER
DR. RILEEY'S QUESTION IN THE
CHAT.
>>THE RESULTS ARE VERY SIMILAR.
>>I'M HAPPY TO HAVE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO TALK AND I'LL
PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW TO ADDRESS
THE THINGS JUST ASKED AND THAT'S
WHAT WE ARE DOING NIH WIDE TO
TRY TO ENHANCE DIVERSITY, EQUITY
AND INCLUSION AND ACCESSIBILITY.
I'LL TALK ABOUT THE DEI PLAN AND
TALK ABOUT WHAT'S BEING DONE
THROUGH THE OFFICE AND ELABORATE
ON SOME OF THE DEVELOPMENTS
THROUGH THE NIH UNITE
INITIATIVE.
HOPEFULLY EVERYONE SAW MARCH 20
OF THIS YEAR NIH-WIDE STRATEGIC
PLAN FOR DIVERSITY, EQUITY,
INCLUSION AND ACCESSIBILITY
RELEASED.
IT LAYS OUT A FRAMEWORK FOR
ACTIVITIES WE'LL LIKELY DO FROM
2023 TO 2027.
I SAY ACTIVITIES.
IT'S A FRAMEWORK AND ACTIVITIES
NEED TO FILL IT IN BUT IT WAS
VERY MUCH INFORMED BY WHAT WE
KNOW INSTITUTES AND CENTERS ARE
LEANING WARDS AND WHAT WE NEED
TO ASPIRE TOWARDS.
THERE WAS REPORT LANGUAGE IN THE
PHYSICAL YEAR 2021 NIH BUDGET
AND CALLED FOR A PLAN NIH TO
ADDRESSING RACIAL AND GENDER
DISPARITIES AT NIH AND LOOK INTO
BARRIERS TO THOSE RESEARCHING
HEALTH DISPARITIES AND THERE WAS
AN EXECUTIVE ORDER 14035 IN THE
BIDEN ADMINISTRATION THAT CALL
FOR EVERY FEDERAL ENTITY TO
DEVELOP A DIVERSITY, EQUITY,
INCLUSION AND ACCESSIBILITY PLAN
FOR THE FEDERAL WORKFORCE.
WE DEFINED THOSE WITHIN THE
PLAN.
THE COMMISSION AS ARTICULATED IS
FOR NIH TO EMBRACE, INTEGRATE
AND STRENGTHEN DEI AND FOR NIH
TO BE A PEOPLE-CENTERED
ORGANIZATION REPRESENTATIVE OF
OUR NATION WHERE ALL PEOPLE FEEL
A SENSE OF BELONGING.
WE ANTICIPATE ACCOMPLISHING THIS
THROUGH THREE MAJOR OBJECTIVES.
FOR THOSE FAMILIAR WITH THE
STANDARD NIH STRATEGIC PLAN THIS
IS DIFFERENT FROM MOST.
WE THOUGHT THE PEOPLE-UNDER
THEED OBJECTIVES NEEDED TO BE
FIRST.
SUSTAINING THROUGH THE CULTURAL
CHANGE AND ORGANIZATIONAL
PRACTICES.
THIS IS AN UMBRELLA FOR
EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENING
ACROSS NIH IN THIS AREA AND
HAPPENING AT NINDS AND
INSTITUTES AND CENTERS THROUGH
THE MINORITY HEALTH AND HEALTH
DISPARITIES STRATEGY PLAN AND
WOMEN'S HEALTH PLAN AND SEX AND
GENDER MINORITIES PLANS AND
PRESUMING YOU HAVEN'T HAD A
CHANCE TO FULLY PER USE IT AND
THE ACTIVITIES WITHIN IT ARE
THINGS LIKE THE NATIVE AMERICAN
CENTER FOR HEALTH AND THE
PROGRAM MEANT TO HELP AMERICAN
INDIAN AND ALASKAN NATIVES TO
MOVE FORWARD AND THE ALLIANCE
AGAINST COVID-19 DISPARITIES
THAT GOT LAUNCHED DURING THE
PANDEMIC TO ALLOW NIH TO PARTNER
WITH ESTABLISHED ENTITIES TO
DEVELOP EFFECTIVE THERAPEUTICS
AND VACCINES.
IT WAS VERY CLEAR HELICOPTERING
IN AND OUT IN THE WAY THAT HAS
BEEN THE CASE IN THE PAST WAS
NOT GOING TO BE A LONG-TERM
SUCCESSFUL STRATEGY SO THE GOAL
OF THE CEAL ALLIANCE IS TO
CONTINUE THOUGH WE'RE BEYOND THE
HEIGHT OF THE PANDEMIC
MAINTAINING THE RELATIONSHIPS
WITH COMMUNITY HUBS SO WHEN THE
NEXT PANDEMIC COMES ALONG WE
ALREADY HAVE THOSE ESTABLISHED
RELATIONSHIPS.
YOU SEE HIGHLIGHTED THERE
SOMETHING CALLED DEIA
PERFORMANCE STANDARDS AND YOU
SEE THE ARTWORK YOU'LL SEE MORE
WHEN I TALK ABOUT THE NIH UNITE
INITIATIVE.
LAST PHYSICAL YEAR AS THE
INITIATIVE WAS BEING LAUNCHED IT
WAS RECOMMENDED THAT THERE BE
EXPECTATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR '22
FOR DEIA AND AN EXPECTATION
EVERY INSTITUTE AND CENTER
DEVELOP A RACIAL ETHNIC AND
EQUITY PLAN.
THAT START IN PHYSICAL 2022 AND
AND STEPPING BACK AND LOOKING
OBJECTIVE WITHIN RACIAL ETHNIC
AND EQUITY LENS AND WHERE
THERE'S DISPARITIES IN THE WAY
WE TREAT STAFF AND LOOKING AT
WAYS THEY'RE REMEDIED AND
RE-EVALUATING OVER THE COURSE OF
TIME.
AS PART OF THE UNITE INITIATIVE
WE ALSO STOOD BACK AND LOOKED AT
HOW WE HANDLED THINGS NIH WIDE
SUCH AS DIRECTOR'S AWARDS.
THE WAY THE NIH DIRECTOR'S
AWARDS WERE CONFIGURED THERE'S A
BIAS TOWARDS YOUR HIGHER-PAID
STAFF AND SCIENTISTS AND NOT
MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE FULL
RANGE OF STAFF AT NIH TO BE
RECOGNIZED.
SO THE PROCESS HAS BEEN REVAMPED
AND MORE CATEGORIES HAVE BEEN
ADDED AND THEY ANTICIPATE WE'LL
HAVE A FULL RANGE OF TALENT
GOING FORWARD.
I'M TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE
OPPORTUNITY TO TALK A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING IN THE
COSWD TEAM BECAUSE YOU GAVE ME
THE PLATFORM AND WE ANTICIPATE
OUR ACTIVITIES TO 2026.
OUR VISION IS NO ENABLE NIH AND
NIH-FUNDED INSTITUTIONS TO
BENEFIT FROM THE NATION'S FULL
RANGE OF TALENT AND FOSTER
CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION IN
SCIENCE.
DATA ON THE DISTANT SLIDE AND IT
SHOWS THAT IF YOU HAVE DIVERSE
PERSPECTIVES WHETHER IT'S BASED
ON RACE, ETHNICITY, GENDER OR
OTHER DISCIPLINES YOU HAVE
GREATER CREATIVITY AND IN
SCIENCE AND IT'S SO IT'S NOT
JUST FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE BUT TO
MAINTAIN OUR LEADERSHIP ROLE IN
SCIENCE IS SOMETHING WE HAVE TO
DO.
THE MISSION OF OUR TEAM IS TO BE
THE NIH THOUGHT LEADER IN THE
WORKFORCE USING EVIDENCE-BASED
APPROACHES AND WE BUILD THE
EVIDENCE USING NIH AS THE TEST
BED AND DISSEMINATE THE
BEHAVIORAL RESEARCH ECO SYSTEM
AND SOME EXAMPLE A PROGRAM WE'RE
CALLING THE 21st CENTURY
SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM.
THEY'RE FOCUSSING ON THE DATA
ABOUT DATA AND THERE SHOULD BE A
RIPPLE EFFECT THE SECOND COHORT
JUST LAUNCHED IN MARCH HALFWAY
THROUGH THE PROGRAM WE HAVE THE
SEMINAR SERIES AND HAVE AN
OFFERING HOW MENTORING IMPACTS
DIVERSITY IN THE BEHAVIORAL
WORKFORCE.
JOIN US IF YOU'RE ABLE.
WE'RE DOING IT WE HAVE REPORTING
AND MEETING PROCEEDINGS SO TAKE
A LOOK AT DIVERSITY.NIH.gov AND
WE HAVE A PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES
ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPLEMENTS TO
RECOGNIZE EXCELLENCE IN DEIA
MENTORING AND THE AWARD NINDS
OFFERS.
THE NIH UNITE PERSPECTIVE WE
UNVEILED THIS WITH THE ADVISORY
COMMITTEE OF THE NIH DIRECTOR IN
FEBRUARY 26, 2021.
AND IT REPRESENTS FIVE
INTERACTING WORK GROUPS AND
DR. AMY ADAMS CO-LEADS THE YOUTH
GROUP AND THE FOCUS OF UNITE
CONTENT WISE IS REPRESENTED IN
THE VEN DIAGRAM.
IT'S A PEOPLE-FOCUSSED
DATA-DRIVEN INITIATIVE THAT
LOOKS AT HEALTH DISPARITY
RESEARCHES AND WHAT TO DO TO GET
OUR OWN HOUSE IN ORDER AND I
GAVE A COUPLE EXAMPLES OF THINGS
BEING DONE ALONG THOSE LINES AND
ABSOLUTELY LOOKING EXTERNALLY
WITH NOFOS AND OTHER
OPPORTUNITIES.
CAN'T MISS THE OPPORTUNITY OF
WHAT WAS GOING ON IN MINORITY
HEALTH RESEARCH.
THERE'S A BIG COMMON-FUND
INITIATIVE THAT WAS LAUNCHED
THIS YEAR CALLED CAMPUS,
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP TO ADVANCE
SCIENCE FOR SOCIETY.
THIS WAS SUCCESSFUL AND THERE'S
A COMMITMENT UP TO $4 MILLION
OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS.
THE CONCEPT IS TO HAVE
COMMUNITY-LED HEALTH EQUITY
STRUCTURAL INTERVENTIONS SOME 25
COMMUNITIES WILL DICTATE WHAT
THEY SEE AS CHALLENGES IN HELP
IN THEIR COMMUNITIES AND WORK
WITH UP TO FIVE ACADEMIC
INSTITUTIONS TO ADDRESS THOSE.
THIS IS DIFFERENT THAN THE USUAL
WORK FOR NIH.
THESE ARE COMMUNITIES DICTATING
WHAT SHOULD BE DONE AND THERE'LL
BE A COORDINATING CENTER WITH
LARGE INITIATIVES LIKE THIS.
DIFFERENT IS THEY'LL HAVE
COMMUNITY LEADERS AND ACADEMICS
INVOLVED.
THIS IS THE IDEA THAT CAME FROM
UNITE WHEN UNITE WAS LAUNCHED
AND THERE WERE TRANSFORMATIVE
HEALTH DISPARITY RESEARCH
OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH THE COMMON
FUND ABOUT $58 MILLION COMMITTED
AT THE END OF '21 AND THE UNITE
MEMBERS WERE VERY CLEAR THAT WAS
NOT ENOUGH INVESTMENT AND THUS
THE INITIATIVE LED BY MULTIPLE
INSTITUTE AND CENTER DIRECTORS
AND MEMBERS OF UNITE HAS BEEN
LAUNCHED.
AND JUST TO GIVE A SENSE OF THE
ETHOS THAT'S BEEN BUILDING OVER
THE COUPLE YEARS, YOU SEE HERE
NOFOs RELATED TO HEALTH
DISPARITY RESEARCH FROM 2018 TO
2022 YOU CAN SEE STARTING 2020
THOSE NUMBERS -- WE CAN'T CLAIM
THIS IS THE RESULT OF UNITE.
THIS IS BECAUSE THERE'S A REAL
FOCUS ACROSS NIH IN THE AREA.
IN TERMS OF THE INTERNAL
WORKFORCE, ONE OTHER THING I
WANTED TO POINT OUT AND I KNOW
YOU'RE ON CAMPUS PER SE BUT IF
YOU ARE ON CAMPUS YOU'LL
PROBABLY SEE A DISPLAY LIKE THIS
THIS IS CALLED THE POWER OF
INCLUSIVE WORKFORCE RECOGNITION
PROJECT.
THAT IS A BRAIN CHILD OF
DR. JACKSON DEPICTED IN THE
BOTTOM ROW, SECOND FROM THE
LEFT.
SHE'S A TENURE TRACK SCIENTIST
THAT TALKS ABOUT HOW IT'S MEDE
HER FEEL WALKING THE HALLS OF
NIH AND NOT SEEING HER SELF
REPRESENTED AND WE HAVE A FEMALE
NOMINEE AT THIS POINT BUT NOT A
LOT OF DIVERSITY BEYOND THAT.
THE INTENT OF THE PROJECT IS TO
SHOW THE FULL DIVERSITY OF
INDIVIDUALS AT NIH WHO ARE KEY
TO THE SUCCESS OF THOSE LASKAR
SCHOLARS AND YOU SEE A VARIETY
OF COLORS AND PATTERNS TO
REPRESENT THAT RICHNESS OF
DIVERSITY AND HOW IMPORTANT IT
IS.
THERE'S A LOT GOING ON.
WE HAVE SOMETHING AND WE HAVE
SOMETHING THAT'S ALREADY BEEN
TESTED CALLED THE DISTINGUISHED
SCHOLARS PROGRAM.
IT'S BUILT ON TWO PROGRAMS THAT
BRING IN GROUPS OF SIGN --
SCIENTISTS AND GIVES THEM AN
OPPORTUNITY TO APPLY FOR THE
PROGRAM WHERE THEY GET EXTRA
MONEY THEIR INSTITUTE OR CENTER
GETS EXTRA MONEY FOR THEIR LAB
AND GET EXTRA MENTORING AND
THERE'S ATTENTION TO THE CLIMATE
AND ENVIRONMENT AT THEIR
INSTITUTION WITH THE GOAL OF
ALLOWING THEM TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
SIMILAR TO THE CONCEPT THE 21st
CENTURY SCHOLARS PROGRAM IS
MODELLED AFTER.
THEY BECOME A SELF-REINFORCING
PRINCIPLE INVESTIGATOR.
THIS IS THE CONVENING LAST
SEPTEMBER WHEN WE WERE FIRST
BEGINNING TO TAKE OFF OUR MASKS
AS WE TENTATIVELY STOOD
TOGETHER.
IT'S BEEN IMPACTFUL.
WHAT'S BEEN SEEN WITHIN THE
PROGRAM IS FROM THE '90s ONWARD
THERE WAS AN INCREASE IN
MINORITY SCIENTISTS IN THE
INTRAMURAL TENURE TRACK PROGRAM
AND BROUGHT IN SCIENTISTS AND
THE DECREASE WAS BEING
CORRECTED.
AND THERE IS ACCELERATED
INCREASE IN THE PERCENTAGES OF
MINORITIES IN THE TENURE TRACK
PROGRAM AND WITH THE FEMALE IT
HELPED INCREASE THE
DISTINGUISHED SCHOLAR PROGRAM
AND ACCELERATED THE INCREASE.
BASED ON THAT NIH HAS PROVIDED
EXTERNAL OPPORTUNITIES TO
PARTICIPATE IN SOMETHING CALLED
THE FACULTY RECRUITMENT FOR
SUSTAINABLE TRANSFORMATION
INITIATIVE WITH UNITE THE FIRST
WAS ANNOUNCED BEFORE WE UNVEILED
UNITE.
WE HAD SIX COHORTS INVOLVED IN
SEVEN INSTITUTIONS TO
SUCCESSFULLY COMPETE FOR THE
FUNDS AND FOUND HIGH AND LOW
RESOURCED INSTITUTIONS AND
COLLABORATION BETWEEN ALABAMA
AND BIRMINGHAM AND TUSKEGEE
UNIVERSITY AND THE SECOND SET OF
COHORTS WERE FOR FISCAL YEAR '22
SHOWED HIGH AND LOW RESOURCED
INSTITUTIONS AND COLLABORATION
BETWEEN UNIVERSITY OF BALTIMORE
AND MARYLAND AND HAVE A
COORDINATING CENTER AT MOREHOUSE
SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND SOME TIME
IN THE NEXT WEEK OR SO WE'LL
HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE
FINAL ONSET OF COHORTS.
AT THE END WE'LL HAVE AT LEAST
15 DIFFERENT COHORT PROGRAMS
ACROSS THE COUNTRY ABOUT 150
EARLY CAREER SCIENTISTS
SUPPORTED THROUGH TENURE AND
HOPEFULLY BECOMING RO1
INVESTIGATORS HERE AT NIH.
WE ANTICIPATE IT WILL BE A
MIXTURE OF INDIVIDUALS AND THE
ONLY REQUIREMENT IS THAT THEY
HAVE AN INTEREST IN AND A TRACK
RECORD IN DEIA SO THAT DOESN'T
MEAN YOU'RE GOING TO NECESSARILY
BE ABLE TO HAVE A PARTICULAR
DEMOGRAPHIC BUT GIVEN THE
TENDENCY FOR SCIENTISTS FROM
UNDER REPRESENTED BACKGROUNDS TO
WANT TO PAY IT FORWARD YOU'LL
FIND ENRICHED SCIENTISTS FROM
UNDER REPRESENTED BACKGROUNDS.
WE ALSO THROUGH THE NIH UNITE
INITIATIVE HAVE WORKING WITH
DR. LAUER AND HIS TEAM HAVE BEEN
ABLE TO HIGHLIGHT THE FACT THERE
IS A PORTAL FOR REPORTING SEXUAL
HARASSMENT AND DISCRIMINATION,
SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND
DISCRIMINATION WHICH WE THINK IS
IMPORTANT AND UNITE WORKING WITH
DR. LAUER AND HIS COLLEAGUES
HAVE BEEN ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE
FACT THAT NIH HAS AUTHORITY TO
NOT ONLY ASK NICELY FOR THE
REPORTING TO BE DONE BUT EXPECT
IT TO BE DONE AND NOTICE OF
GRANT AWARD GOING FORWARD WILL
HAVE LANGUAGE IN THEM THAT
INDICATE IT'S EXPECTED
INSTITUTIONS WILL HAVE A CIVIL
ENVIRONMENT AND IT'S FOUND
THAT'S NOT THE CASE.
THERE'S POTENTIAL RAMIFICATIONS
TO BE EXECUTE DR. LAUER AND
TEAM.
THERE'S SEVERAL OPPORTUNITIES
FOR FUNDING AND MORE IN THE
FUTURE.
ONE IS EXPANDING THE SCIENCE
PARTNERSHIP AWARDS PROGRAM.
THIS HAS BEEN LED BY THE
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF GENERAL
MEDICAL SCIENCES K-12 S.T.E.M.
TRAINING WITH THE UNDERSTANDING
THAT FOR MANY PEOPLE THE
DEVELOPMENT OF SCIENCE IDENTITY
IS AS EARLY AS AS MEDICAL --
MIDDLE SCHOOL AND OTHER CENTERS
HAVE JOINED AND THINK IT WILL
HELP KEEP THE PATHWAY ROBUST
WITH FUTURE SCIENTISTS FROM
UNDER REPRESENTED BACKGROUNDS.
IN MARCH WAS RESEARCH WITH
ACTIVITY RELATED TO DIVERSITY
INITIATIVE.
THIS GIVES SCIENTISTS AN
OPPORTUNITY WHO DON'T HAVE AN
RO1 BASED ON THEIR EXCELLENCE IN
DEIA AND THE MONEY FOR ENHANCING
THEIR RESEARCH AND CONTINUES
WITH THE DEIA ACTIVITIES.
TO RECOGNIZE THE TAX ONE OFTEN
PAYS IN SUPPORTING DEIA.
THERE'S INSTRUMENTAL GRANT
PROGRAM IN GENERAL AND THIS IS
TARGETING INSTITUTIONS SUCH AS
HBCUs AND TRIBAL COLLEGES AND
UNIVERSITIES THAT HAVE LIMITED
ABILITIES TO BUY INSTRUMENTS
THEY NEED TO ADVANCE THEIR
SCIENCE.
AND THEN THERE'S SOMETHING
CALLED STRENGTHENING RESEARCH
AND STRUCTURED INSTITUTIONAL
NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND ACTION
PLAN, ACRONYM STRONG, TO ALLOW
THOSE TO SERVE POPULATIONS UNDER
REPRESENTED IN SCIENCES TO STEP
BACK AND DETERMINE WHAT WOULD BE
NEEDED TO ENHANCE THEIR RESEARCH
CAPACITY AND TO DEVELOP A PLAN
TO ADDRESS IT.
DOLLAR ALSO CONCEPTS THAT HAVE
BEEN APPROVED AT THE NI GMS CPS
AND ACTION PLAN DEVELOPMENT
GRANT EQUIVALENT TO WHAT IS DONE
IN THE FIRST INITIATIVE BUT
WITHOUT THE FUNDING FOR COHORTS
THEY COULD GET PHILANTHROPIC
SUPPORT AND CAN ENHANCE
WORKFORCE DIVERSITY AND THERE
ARE NO NOFOs AT THIS POINT BUT
OFTEN WHEN A CONCEPT IS APPROVED
IT BECOMES ONE AND THE NIMHD
COUNCIL A PROVED INSTITUTION
RESEARCH CAPACITY BUILDING
ASSESSMENT AND ACTION PLAN
DEVELOPMENT GRANTS.
THEY MAY BE COMING THROUGH IN
THE NEAR FUTURE AND COME THROUGH
THE SYSTEM OF REVIEW AT NIH AND
THERE'S AN EXCELLENCE AND THEY
ARE SUPPORTED BY THE INSTITUTES
AND CENTERS THAT AND YOU'LL GET
UP TO 10 AWARDS TO INSTITUTIOS
AND TO RECOGNIZE AND REWARD
INSTITUTIONS THAT HAVE
IDENTIFIED GAPS IN DEIA AND
DESIGN AND IMPLEMENT AND
EVALUATE INTERVENTIONS TO
ADDRESS THE GAPS.
TO IDENTIFY EFFECTIVE PRACTICES
AND FACULTY AND POSTDOCTORAL
FELLOWS THAT CAN BE DEM S DISEMD
ON DEGREE-GRANTING INSTITUTIONS
WITH ONE OR MORE OF THESE
LEVELS.
IT WAS LAUNCHED APRIL 4.
WE HAD A WEBINAR MAY 17.
WE ANTICIPATE ANNOUNCING AWARDS
IN DECEMBER.
IF YOU'RE INTERESTED PLEASE TAKE
A LOOK.
I'LL STOP AT THAT POINT AND BE
HAPPY TO JOIN IN ANSWERING
QUESTIONS.
>>THANK YOU, MARIE.
WE HAVE BUILDING ONE.
ALWAYS A GREAT TIME FOR
QUESTION.
DOES ANYONE HAVE QUESTIONS?
RAISE YOUR HAND OR FEEL FREE TO
PUT IN THE CHAT.
>>SORRY ABOUT THAT.
I WAS IMPRESSED AND HAD A
QUESTION ABOUT THE IMPACT OF THE
DIRECTORS DSP SCHOLARS PROGRAM
AS CALLED.
IT SEEMED SO IMMEDIATE AND
IMPACTFUL RIGHT AWAY.
I WAS NOTICING THE LAST SLIDE
YOU SHOWED WAS PERCENTAGE OF
WOMEN IN TENURE TRACK WAS AT A
STEEP INCREASING SLOPE SORT OF
RIGHT AWAY.
EVERY FACULTY I KNOW ACROSS THE
COUNTRY ARE DEALING HOW TO
ADDRESS THE DISPARITIES.
I HEARD LOTS OF IDEAS.
IT'S OFTEN LIMITED IN HOW TO
IMPACT.
I WONDER WHAT LESSON YOU CAN
TAKE FROM THE INTRAMURAL SUCCESS
AND EVERY DEPARTMENT IS TRYING
TO DO THIS AND YOU CAME UP WITH
A FORMULA THAT WORKED SO QUICKLY
AND WELL.
IT BLOWS ME AWAY.
IT WAS AN OBVIOUS SOLUTION THAT
WORKED AND YOU FOUND IT AND IT
SHOULD BE DISSEMINATED TO THE
OUTSIDE WORLD QUICKLY BECAUSE
IT'S DATA AND THE DATA DOESN'T
LIE.
>>I THINK DR. HANNAH VALENTINE
IS RESPONSIBLE FOR IT AND TALKS
ABOUT IT IN HER SCIENCE ARTICLES
THAT WAS ONE OF HER LAST THINGS
BEFORE SHE LEFT NIH IN AUGUST
2020.
I'LL SEE IF WE CAN FIND THAT
REFERENCE AND PROVIDE IT TOUT
-- IT TO YOU AND YOU BRING IN
GROUPS OF PEOPLE AND NETWORK
THEM AND HAVE THEM SUPPORTIVE TO
EACH OTHER SO SOME OF THE
MICROAGGRESSIONS AND CHALLENGES
THAT WOULD BE SEEN PEOPLE DEAL
WITH ON A SOLO BASIS THEY HAVE A
GROUP OF PEOPLE TO REFER TO TO
FIGURE THINGS OUT AND SOME
THINGS THAT ARE A NATURAL
NETWORK FOR THEM TO NEGOTIATE
THEY HAVE OTHERS AND PEER AS
WELL AS FORMAL MENTORS.
THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET ON A
MONTHLY BASIS WITH LEADING
SCIENTISTS WAS APPEALING TO
MANY.
THE OPPORTUNITY TO MORE FUNDING
THOUGH IN MANY CASES THE FUNDING
DOESN'T GO FULLY TO THE
SCIENTISTS AND THE OPPORTUNITY
FOR FUNDING WAS SOMETHING
APPEALING AND THE SMALL NUMBER
OF PEOPLE THAT COME IN ON AN
ANNUAL BASIS YOU CAN MAKE A
DIFFERENCE QUICKLY.
>>HOW BIG IS -- IN A GIVEN YEAR
HOW MANY SCHOLARS DID YOU BRING
UP?
TO SCALE IT TO AN ACADEMIC
DEPARTMENT WE'RE NOT THE SIZE OF
NIH.
IF I GO TO MY DEAN AND SAY WE
WANT TO BRING IN THIS MANY
PEOPLE AT ONCE, I'M CURIOUS WHAT
YOU WERE DEALING WITH IN TERMS
OF NUMBERS IN A GIVEN YEAR?
>>ON AVERAGE 12 TO 13
INDIVIDUALS.
IT'S NOT AN UNMANAGEABLE NUMBER
AT LEAST FOR US.
WHAT'S BEING ASKED IS THE TOTAL
OF 15 ON AVERAGE AND PART OF THE
PROGRAM IS THE CENTER FOR
EVALUATION AND THEY HAVE A CEC.
SOME OF THE THINGS YOU'RE
TALKING ABOUT IN TERMS OF
LESSONS LEARNED IS BUILT INTO
THE DISSEMINATION OF THE
EXTRAMURAL WORKFORCE.
WALTER, DO YOU HAVE YOUR HAND
UP?
>>MARIE, DO YOU REMEMBER HOW
MANY PEOPLE OF THOSE NAMED
SCHOLARS WERE ALREADY HERE
OPPOSED TO BROUGHT IN FROM
OUTSIDE?
>>I'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH THE
PROGRAM AND WHAT I SEE IS THE
PERCENTAGES AND I'M CURIOUS TO
KNOW WHAT THE PERCENTAGES ARE
ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND CORRELATE
WITH THE PERCENTAGE OF SUCCESSES
IN LET'S SAY THE CAUCASIAN
GROUPS AT A PARTICULAR
INSTITUTION OR A PARTICULAR
STATE.
IS THERE SOMETHING BEING DONE
CORRECTLY AT SOME PLACES OR IS
THE PROBLEM UNIVERSAL ACROSS THE
COUNTRY.
>>I CAN START WITH THAT.
SO THERE ARE DEFINITE PARALLELS
AGAIN THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF OUR
APPLICANTS AND FUNDED P.I.s AND
WHAT'S GOING ON IN ACADEMIA.
PERHAPS SOME OF THE BEST DATA
ARE FROM WA AND C FOCUSSING ON
MEDICAL SCHOOLS BUT WE'VE SEEN A
NUMBER OF PATTERNS THAT
ESSENTIALLY MIRROR OR REFLECT
WHAT'S GOING ON WITHIN THE
MEDICAL SCHOOLS.
WE HAVE DONE INTERNALLY SOME
ANALYSES OF INSTITUTIONS.
YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL WITH THIS
BECAUSE IT CAN REALLY ONLY FOCUS
ON INSTITUTIONS THAT HAVE
RELATIVELY LARGE NUMBERS OF
INDIVIDUALS BECAUSE WHEN THE
NUMBERS GETTING SMALL THE
ESTIMATES ARE TOO UNSTABLE BUT
THERE'S DEFINITELY DIFFERENCES.
THERE ARE INSTITUTIONS THAT
CLEARLY HAVE MORE DIVERSE
POPULATIONS AND HIGHER SUCCESS
RATES FOR MORE DIVERSE
POPULATIONS THAN OTHERS.
AND I KNOW WHEN WE SHARED THEM
INTERNALLY MY HAVE SAID THINGS
LIKE OH, THAT MAKES A LOT OF
SENSE BECAUSE THIS PARTICULAR
PROGRAM IS SOMETHING PUSHED
FORWARD FROM THE TOP DOWN.
CERTAIN PROGRAMS THEY THEMSELVES
HAVE IMPLEMENTED.
SO THERE'S NO QUESTION THAT
THERE IS INSTITUTIONAL
HETEROGENEITY AND SOME OF THAT
INSTITUTIONAL HETEROGENEITY IS
REAL.
I'M NOT ALL THAT SURE ABOUT
STATE-RELATED DATA.
THAT WE HAVEN'T REALLY LOOKED AT
IN ANY GREAT DETAIL.
>>KEN AND WALTER.
>>THANK YOU.
THANK YOU BERNARD I LISTEN TO
AND WATCH YOU PRESENT IT'S LIKE
THREE OR FOUR TIMES FOR THIS
YEAR AND I ALWAYS ENJOY YOUR
PRESENTATIONS.
I WANT TO ASK YOU MAYBE A LITTLE
BIT OF AN OBTUSE QUESTION AND
HOW DO YOU WORK YOURSELF OUT OF
YOUR JOB?
AND THE REAL QUESTION IS WHAT
DOES SUCCESS LOOK LIKE FOR YOU?
AND WHAT DOES HEALTH SCIENCE
DIVERSITY LOOK LIKE FOR YOU
WHERE YOU TAKE A STEP BACK AND
SAY WE'RE THERE AND I CAN RETIRE
NOW.
>>FIRST, I HOPE I'VE BEEN
CONSISTENT IN THE THREE FOR OUR
TIMES AND IN TERMS OF ME WORKING
MYSELF OUT OF A JOB, I THINK
WHEN WE GET TO THE POINT WE
CAN'T PREDICT THE LIKELIHOOD OF
BEING SUCCESSFUL AND GETTING NIH
FUNDING BASED ON RACE OR
ETHNICITY OR WHERE ONE SITS IN
THE GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE OR
HIERARCHY AT PLACES LIKE NIH
BASED UPON RACE, ETHNICITY OR
GENDER OR SEXUAL ORIENTATION OR
DISABILITY STATUS, MY JOB IS
DONE.
OUR JOB IS DONE.
AND PART OF WHAT I'M EXCITED
ABOUT HOWEVER, IS THERE ARE SO
MANY PEOPLE LEANING IN TO GET US
TO THAT POINT.
EVERY INSTITUTE AND CENTER AT
NIH NOW HAS A CHIEF DIVERSITY
OFFICER FOR EQUIVALENT AND MAY
BE A DEPUTY DIRECT OR EXECUTIVE
OFFICER OR COMMITTEE LOOKING AT
THESE SORTS OF ISSUES.
AS YOU SAW WE HAVE ALL THOSE
NOFOs IN THE HEALTH STANDPOINT.
I'M CURRENTLY DEALING WITH
REQUESTS, CAN I JOIN UNITE?
CAN I JOIN THE CATALYST OFFICE
SO EVERYONE'S ALIGNED AND
EVERYONE'S LEANING FORWARD.
I RECOGNIZE THERE'S EXTERNAL
FACTORS THAT MAY SLOW THE PACE
OF THINGS BUT WITH SO MANY
PEOPLE OUT THERE WITH THIS BEING
THEIR FOCUS I THINK MOMENTUM
WILL BE MAINTAINED EVEN IF IT
GETS SLOWED DOWN SOMEWHAT.
>>I LIKE THAT ANSWER.
WE'RE STILL DEALING WITH
CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WOMEN SO
THAT SHOULD AT CONTEXT.
ANYONE ELSE BEFORE WALTER GOES?
>>AMY AND THEN WALTER.
>>I WANTED TO JUST FIRST SAY I
APPRECIATE THE EARLIER COMMENTS
ABOUT DISSEMINATION BECAUSE I
THINK IF THIS IS GOING TO BE
SUCCESS
SUCCESSFUL THE TACTICS ARE
CRITICAL AND WANT TO MAKE A
COMMENT TO DR. BERNARD I
APPRECIATE IN YOUR PRESENTATION
YOU TALKED NOT JUST ABOUT WHAT
NIH IS DOING FOR THE LARGER
COMMUNITY BUT IN ITSELF WHAT
WE'RE DOING AND WE'RE TALKING
ABOUT A HUGE RESET FOR THE
COMMUNITY AND IF WE'RE GOING TO
DO THAT WE NEED LEADERS TO STAND
UP AND DO BOTH NOT JUST WHAT
THEY'RE DOING FOR THE LARGER
COMMUNITY BUT WHAT THEY'RE
WILLING TO CHANGE IN THEIR OWN
BEHAVIOR AND PRACTICES.
I APPRECIATE NIH BEING THAT
LEADER AND SHOW THAT INTERNAL
AND EXTERNAL PERSPECTIVE.
THANKS SO MUCH.
>>I WANT TO ECHO DR. BRIN'S
COMMENDATION AND THE DATA DON'T
LIE LIKE TIMOTHY SAID AND REALLY
COMMENT YOUR ABILITY TO GATHER
THE DATA IN SUCH A GREAT FASHION
TO WORK ON IT AND SEE HOW WE ARE
PROGRESSING.
THANK YOU.
>>WALTER, DID YOU STILL WANT TO
COMMENT?
>>I WANT TO TAKE THE DIRECTOR'S
PREROGATIVE BY THANKING EVERYONE
AND WORKING IN THIS SPACE.
I THINK WE HAVE TO KEEP PUSHING
THE ENVELOPE.
I GUESS ONE THING THAT CAME TO
MIND THAT I MIGHT WANT TO
COMMENT ON IS THE FACT THAT FOR
NINDS THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE
APPLYING IS HORRIBLY LOW.
SO I THINK WE HAVE TO PUT PEOPLE
ON NEUROSCIENCE REALLY EARLY.
I CAN'T IMAGINE WHY WOULD
ANYBODY WANT TO STUDY THE HEART?
I HAVE NO IDEA OR THE KIDNEYS.
WE SHOULD BE DOING SO MUCH
BETTER AND THE THINGS MICHELLE
HAS BEEN DOING AT THE COLLEGE
LEVEL IS ALSO SO IMPORTANT.
THE OTHER THING IF I RECALL
CORRECTLY, MIKE, YOU HAD SOME
DATA SHOWING THAT AFRICAN
AMERICANS APPLYING FOR THE TYPE
OF RESEARCH WHICH THERE'S NOT
MUCH FUNDING GOING INTO IT.
THE OTHER THING IS THAT WE HAVE
TO THINK ABOUT WHAT IS IMPORTANT
TO THESE COMMUNITIES THAT WE'RE
TRYING TO HELP?
I THINK CHERYSE AND RICHARD'S
PRESENTATIONS GOING INTO HEALTH
DISPARITIES I'M HOPING THAT WILL
BRING PEOPLE IN FROM THESE
COMMUNITIES TO WORK ON PROBLEMS
THAT ARE REALLY RELEVANT TO
THEM.
AND C. ELEGANS ARE INTERESTING
BUT THE NEUROLOGICAL CONDITIONS
ARE HOPEFULLY ALSO EXPAND OUR
REACH THERE.
MICHAEL, DO YOU WANT TO SAY
ANYTHING ABOUT THAT SPECIFIC
QUESTION OF THE TYPES OF
RESEARCH PEOPLE ARE APPLYING
FOR?
HOW THAT INFLUENCES THE NUMBERS
>>SURE.
I'D BE HAPPY TO AND I'LL ALSO
PUT IN THE CHAT A PAPER THAT WE
PUBLISHED A COUPLE YEARS AGO
THAT GOES INTO THIS IN A LOT
MORE DETAIL.
SO IN THE DATA I JUST SHOWED
YOU, YOU CAN SEE BLACK
SCIENTISTS ARE APPLYING FOR
DIFFERENT KINDS OF PROJECTS.
THEY'RE MORE LIKELY TO APPLY FOR
PROJECTS THAT INVOLVE HUMAN
PARTICIPANTS AND LESS LIKELY TO
APPLY FOR PROJECTS THAT INVOLVE
ANIMAL MODELS.
THIS IS TRUE THAT THERE ARE --
AFRICAN SCIENTIST MORE LIKELY TO
APPLY IN SOME AREAS THAN OTHERS
AND THE PEER REVIEW OUTCOMES ARE
ABOUT THE SAME WITHIN THE TOPIC
AREAS BUT THE FUNDING OUTCOMES
ARE NOT.
THE FUNDING OUTCOMES ARE
DIFFERENT.
AND PART OF THE REASON IS THEY
ALSO DEPEND ON THE FUNDING
ECOLOGY OF THE INSTITUTE OR
CENTER THAT GETS THE
APPLICATION.
THERE ARE SOME INSTITUTES THAT
HAVE SUCCESS RATES THAT ARE 30%.
THERE ARE OTHER INSTITUTES THAT
HAVE SUCCESS RATES THAT ARE
LOWER.
IT'S RELATED TO HOW MUCH FUNDING
IS AVAILABLE HOW MANY APPLICANTS
THEY GET.
WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS THOSE TOPIC
AREAS THAT ARE OF GREATER
INTEREST TO BLACK SCIENTISTS ARE
ALSO THE SAME GOING TO
INSTITUTES AND CENTERS THAT HAVE
LOWER SUCCESS RATES.
SO IT IS ESSENTIALLY AN INHERENT
BARRIER WITHIN THE NIH
STRUCTURE.
IT'S NOT A PEER-REVIEW PROBLEM.
THAT'S NOT THE ISSUE.
THE PEER REVIEWERS ARE LOOKING
AT ALL THE TOPICS IN ROUGHLY THE
SAME WAY BUT IT'S A STRUCTURAL
ISSUE WITHIN NIH.
I'LL GO AHEAD AND I'LL POST
THAT.
IT'S VERY INTERESTING AND IT
DEFINITELY IS A REAL PROBLEM AND
I'LL GO AHEAD AND POST THAT IN
THE CHAT FOR THOSE WHO ARE MORE
INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE.
>>I WANTED TO ADDRESS THE
EARLIER QUESTION AND POSE IT TO
DR. LAUER IN TERMS OF THE STATE
LAW AND DON'T KNOW IF HE CAN SKA
SOMETHING IN TERMS OF GUIDANCE
AND HOW NIH WILL HANDLE THE
ISSUES OR WHAT'S THE BEST
RECOMMENDATION.
>>THIS IS AN IMPORTANT QUESTION
WE'RE GETTING A LOT OF QUESTIONS
ABOUT THIS.
WE CANNOT MAKE ANY KIND OF
GENERAL STATEMENT BECAUSE HOW
SOMETHING APPLIES TO A SPECIFIC
APPLICATION OR AWARD DEPENDS
LARGELY ON THE FACTS.
THE FACTS OF THE SPECIFIC LAWS,
WHAT DO THE LAWS STAY AND HOW
THE INSTITUTIONS APPLY THE LAWS
AND WHAT DO THEIR GENERAL
COUNCIL SAY HOW THE LAWS APPLY
TO A SPECIFIC PROVISION WITHIN A
FUNDING OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT
AND THEN HOW THAT RESPONSE
INTERN APPLIES TO THE
RESPONSIVENESS OF AN
APPLICATION.
WHAT WE'RE SEEING AS FEDERAL
EMPLOYEES WE CANNOT INTERPRET
STATE LAW OR LOCAL LAW THAT.
THAT IS NOT OUR ROLE.
WE ENCOURAGE INSTITUTIONS TO
WORK WITH THEIR GENERAL COUNCIL
TO FIGURE OUT HOW A SPECIFIC
STATE LAW INTERSECTS WITH
SPECIFIC FUNDING OPPORTUNITY
ANNOUNCEMENTS OR SPECIFIC
GRANTS.
THIS IS REALLY A SITUATION WHERE
THE FACTS MATTER A GREAT DEAL
AND IT'S THAT KIND OF IN DEPTH
ANALYSIS THAT'S NECESSARY TO
FIGURE OUT WHAT IF ANY THE
IMPACT WILL BE.
>>THANK YOU FOR THAT.
AND THANK YOU FOR BOTH OF YOU
FOR COMING TODAY.
I THINK WE LEARNED A LOT.
IT WAS A VOLUME OF INFORMATION.
I'M SURE IF IT'S OKAY WE'LL BE
SHARING YOUR SLIDE WITH COUNCIL
MEMBERS AND SHARING RELEVANT
LINKS WE TALKED ABOUT.
THANK YOU, EVERYBODY.
BACK TO YOU, BOB.
>>THANKS, MIKE, THANKS, MARIE.
OKAY WE'LL TRANSITION.
MY GOAL IS FOR US TO GET OUT OF
HERE NO LATER THAN 6:00 AND THEN
GO OVER TO THE HOTEL SO YOU CAN
SEE THE END IN SIGHT.
I'M GOING BACK UP ON THE AGENDA
AND DO SOMETHING QUICKLY SO
THERE'S A CERTAIN NUMBER OF
INITIATIVE CONCEPTS WE TALKED
ABOUT LIKE THE HEALTH EQUITY
ONES YOU SAW BEFORE.
BUT WE ALSO HAVE A BUNCH.
THIS IS DISTRIBUTED ACROSS TWO
SLIDES THAT WE DON'T USUALLY
DISCUSS.
THEY'RE ESSENTIALLY ALL REISSUES
OF PAST INITIATIVES.
SO JUST QUICKLY LOOKING AT THIS
IS THE UNDIAGNOSED DISEASE
NETWORK YOU'VE SEEN TALK OF IN
THIS PARTICULAR COUNCIL.
THERE'S A REISSUE OF SOME NECFS
INITIATIVES.
A COURSE WE RUN THE DSPAN AND
WELL STONE CENTER FOR MUSCULAR
DYSTROPHY.
THEY'RE VIRTUALLY ALL REISSUES
EXCEPT FOR SOME ISSUES BY THE
NINDS AND INSTITUTE DISTRICTS.
I NEED A PROPOSAL UNLESS THERE'S
ANY ON THE LIST -- DO YOU WANT
TO SHARE THE SECOND SLIDE AS
WELL?
UNLESS YOU HAVE SPECIFIC
QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY OF THESE,
AGAIN, THEY'RE ALMOST ALL
REISSUES THEN I NEED A MOTION TO
APPROVE.
I HAVE A MOTION AND I HAVE A
SECOND.
TIM WILL ENTER THE APPROVAL FOR
THE RE-ISSUES INTO THE CHAT SO
WE'RE DONE WITH THAT.
WE'RE NOW GOING TO TRANSITION
INTO CLOSED SESSION.