Director's Message
NCATS' work to develop, demonstrate and disseminate innovative tools and research approaches already is enabling great strides in advancing translational science. Our achievements to date would not have been possible without the diligent work of the diverse group of individuals serving on the NCATS Advisory Council and the Cures Acceleration Network Review Board. Comprised of experts from academia, industry, patient advocacy groups and government, these individuals provide invaluable guidance to NCATS.
Read more of the latest Director's Message.
Christopher P. Austin, M.D.
What's New at NCATS?
NCATS Announces Funding Opportunities to Repurpose Drug Candidates from Industry
Petra Kaufmann Joins NCATS as Clinical Innovation Director
Council Working Group Releases CTSA Findings
IRB Reliance: A New Model for Accelerating Translational Science
Collaborate with NCATS Scientists
NCATS Announces Funding Opportunities to Repurpose Drug Candidates from Industry
On May 12, 2014, NCATS issued four new funding opportunity announcements and provided information about partially developed agents for researchers to crowdsource ideas for new uses. The Center's Discovering New Therapeutic Uses for Existing Molecules program matches researchers with a selection of pharmaceutical industry candidates to help scientists explore new treatments for patients. Read the announcement.
Petra Kaufmann Joins NCATS as Clinical Innovation Director
On May 4, 2014, Petra Kaufmann, M.D., M.Sc., joined NCATS to direct the Division of Clinical Innovation. In this role, she is overseeing the Clinical and Translational Science Awards program and more. Read the web feature.
Council Working Group Releases CTSA Findings
On May 16, 2014, an NCATS Advisory Council Working Group issued a report in response to the Institute of Medicine's findings regarding the Clinical and Translational Science Awards program. For more information, contact ncatscouncilwg@mail.nih.gov.
NCATS Issues Annual Report
Read the Center's newly released and first annual report, which highlights its major milestones, programs and initiatives.
IRB Reliance: A New Model for Accelerating Translational Science
The institutional review board (IRB) process can be especially cumbersome for researchers and staff conducting multisite research. Yet, multisite studies are critical to translational research because they provide researchers with access to larger numbers of participants and foster research collaboration. Within the Clinical and Translational Science Awards program, several institutions are participating in IRB reliance networks to streamline this complicated process. Read the web feature.
Upcoming Event
August
National Conference on Engaging Patients, Families and Communities in all Phases of Translational Research to Improve Health
On Aug. 21–22, 2014, Duke Translational Medicine Institute will hold the 2014 Community Engagement Conference at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center in Bethesda, Maryland. The goal of this conference is to present and compare perspectives and examples of methods of engagement in research that include individuals, including patients and families, to community organizations and disease advocates as well as clinicians and other health professionals.
NCATS in the News
- UK Professor Develops Anti-Overdose Drug • Cincinnati.com • May 29, 2014
- How to Succeed in Translational Science • ScienceInsider • May 16, 2014
- Biochips, Bioprinting Offer Alternative Drug Testing Options • FierceBiotech Research • May 13, 2014
- Research into Rare Diseases of Childhood • JAMA • May 7, 2014
- NIH Looking to Kick-Start Biotech Startups • ScienceInsider • April 24, 2014
- MIA in the War on Cancer: Where Are the Low-Cost Treatments? • ProPublica • April 23, 2014
- Active Skepticism: Beyond the IOM's CTSA Report • Science Translational Medicine • April 16, 2014
- Alzheimer's Therapy May Come from New Look at Old Drugs • Bloomberg L.P. • April 11, 2014
- Public-Private Partners for Innovation • PharmaVOICE • April 1, 2014
- Regulators Adopt More Orphan Drugs • Nature • April 1, 2014
- Hard Choices in Pursuit of Rare-Disease Cures • The Wall Street Journal • March 20, 2014
- Scripps Shares Genetic Sequences of Healthy Elderly to Boost Alzheimer's and Cancer Research • FierceBiotechIT • March 10, 2014
- Children Face Rare Diseases with Bravery • CNN.com • Feb. 28, 2014
- Teen Helps Scientists Study Her Own Rare Disease • AP/Yahoo! News • Feb. 28, 2014
Collaborate with NCATS Scientists
NCATS researchers are seeking collaborators in the following areas:
Bridging Interventional Development Gaps (BrIDGs) Program
The BrIDGs program makes available, on a competitive basis, certain critical resources needed for the development of new therapeutic agents. The next opportunity to apply to the BrIDGs program tentatively is scheduled for January/February 2015. Visit the BrIDGs Web page for more information.
NCATS Chemical Genomics Center (NCGC)
NCGC is one of the centers in the Molecular Libraries Probe Production Centers Network (MLPCN), which is an NIH Common Fund initiative. Through the MLPCN, NCGC offers biomedical researchers access to large-scale screening capacity along with the medicinal chemistry and informatics expertise necessary to identify chemical probe molecules and to study the functions of genes, cells and biochemical pathways. For inquiries or to obtain NCGC probe molecules, contact Ajit Jadhav.
NCGC researchers also seek collaborators for assay development and high-throughput screening, chemistry and chemistry technology, automation, and informatics. Learn more.
NIH RNA Interference (RNAi) Initiative
The NIH RNAi initiative, administered by NCATS, provides state-of-the-art, high-throughput RNAi genome-wide screens for humans and mice. This resource is available only to NIH researchers. Scientists interested in performing high-throughput RNAi screens can contact Scott Martin, Ph.D., for more information.
Toxicology in the 21st Century (Tox21) Program
The Tox21 program aims to test 10,000 chemicals and evaluate their potential to cause health problems. Any investigator may propose the development of biological assays for high-throughput screening.
To suggest an assay, submit an assay nomination form to Menghang Xia, Ph.D. Proposed assays must be compatible with the high-throughput screening guidelines as described in the assay guidance criteria.