NOVEMBER 21, 2002 - 2003 BIOENGINEERING RESEARCH PARTNERSHIP ANNOUNCEMENT ISSUED

The solicitation for the 2003 Bioengineering Research Partnership (BRP) Program has been issued in the "NIH Guide" as PAR-03-032.
This announcement invites applications for R01 awards to support basic and applied multi-disciplinary research that addresses important biological or medical research problems and is conducted by a multi-disciplinary research team. The partnership must include appropriate bioengineering or allied quantitative sciences in combination with biomedical or clinical investigators. Details of the program including scope, application preparation instructions, and review criteria are given in the solicitation which can be accessed at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-03-032.html. There are two deadlines for BRP applications to be received at the NIH - January 23 and August 22, 2003. Notices of intent are requested by December 20, 2002 and July 22, 2003. Interested investigators are strongly encouraged to discuss the project prior to preparing the application by contacting a science representative at an appropriate NIH institute or center. A list of science contacts for all participating institutes is available at http://www.becon.nih.gov/becon_contacts.htm. The BRP Program is coordinated by the NIH Bioengineering Consortium (BECON).

NOVEMBER 4, 2002 - NIBIB RELEASES REPORT ON BIOENGINEERING AND BIOIMAGING TRAINING WORKSHOP

The National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) supports research and training that advances the multi-disciplinary fields of bioengineering (BME) and Biomedical imaging (BMI). To ensure that NIBIB initiatives address important needs and issues, input is solicited from relevant extramural and intramural scientific communities during program development and implementation. To provide community input on BME and BMI training issues, the NIBIB conducted a workshop on August 26-27, 2002, at the Bethesda Marriott Hotel in Bethesda Maryland. Thirty extramural participants from academic and foundations with direct interests in BME and BMI research training and eleven training staff members from government agencies (NIH and NSF) were invited to participate and provide their perspectives on training needs and issues. The general objective of this workshop was to develop specific recommendations for the NIBIB to consider in the development of its research training programs. A report summarizing the workshop discussions and recommendations has been prepared and is available at http://www.nibib.nih.gov/news/nibibtraining.pdf or on the NEWS AND EVENTS page ("Previous Workshops" section) of the NIBIB Web site (http://www.nibib.nih.gov). The report includes an executive summary, the agenda, and a list of participants. The recommendations and results of this workshop will be evaluated by the NIBIB and considered during the development and implementation of Institute training programs.

SEPTEMBER 25, 2002 - BIOMEDICAL IMAGING IN ONCOLOGY FORUM PLANNED FOR FEBRUARY 6-7, 2003

The Fourth National Forum on Biomedical Imaging in Oncology is planned for February 6-7, 2003, at the Bethesda Hyatt Hotel in Bethesda, Maryland. This Forum was created to facilitate partnerships with the imaging industry and government agencies to address new biomedical opportunities and challenges in oncology, and to focus on the regulatory, coverage, and reimbursement issues for more developed and established technologies. The focus this year will be on imaging for screening, diagnosis and therapy (including monitoring of drug therapy), along with technology assessment issues related to these topics. We’ll use breast cancer, lung cancer, and protease inhibitors as case studies for imaging and imaging agent development for protease molecular targets. In addition, the National Cancer Institute, Food and Drug Administration, and Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services will summarize progress made on issues raised at the 2002 Forum. The format includes invited lectures, panel discussions and audience participation. Space is limited, so attendees should register soon. Detailed information including registration instructions is available on the forum Web site at http://www3.cancer.gov/dctd/forum .

SEPTEMBER 23, 2002 - Dr. Roderic Pettigrew Begins As NIBIB Director

Dr. Roderic Pettigrew officially begins as the first Director of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) on Monday, September 23, 2002. The NIBIB was signed into law by President William Clinton on December 29, 2000. Since its establishment, the NIBIB has been led by Dr. Donna Dean who has served as the Acting Director. Dr. Dean will remain with the Institute as Deputy Director. Dr. Pettigrew comes to the NIH from the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. He will be initially located in the Democracy 2 Building on Democracy Boulevard in Bethesda, Maryland.

August 1, 2002 - Biomaterials And Medical Implant Science Committee To Hold Workshop On September 19-20

The Biomaterials and Medical Implant Science (BMIS) Committee is planning to hold a workshop on medical implant retrieval at the University of Maryland Shady Grove Campus in Gaithersburg, MD. The Committee is chaired by Dr. John Watson, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, and is composed of a number of individuals at various NIH Institutes as well as representatives from NIST, NSF, FDA and other organizations. The goals of the Workshop are three-fold: 1) To define the role that the federal government can play in encouraging the use of explanted medical devices for research; 2) To design a possible structure for federal programs supporting gathering and dissemination of information derived from medical implant retrieval; and 3) To design a federal program to promote implant retrieval for use in research intended to promote safer health care. For additional information and registration, please visit the workshop website at <http://www.nibib.nih.gov/events/BMIS2002.htm>. There is no registration fee for this workshop, however attendees must cover their own travel and housing costs.

JULY 1, 2002 - BECON Releases Final Report from Reparative Medicine Symposium

The final report from the BECON 2001 symposium titled "Reparative Medicine: Growing Tissues and Organs" was released today. This report details the symposium goals which were to 1) develop a vision for reparative medicine, 2) identify challenges and opportunities in the field, 3) identify short- and long-term research needs and strategic goals, and 4) recommend the means to address the research needs to achieve the goals. The plenary talks and breakout sessions stimulated the discussions which lead to the recommendations that are outlined in this report. The recommendations that were formulated fall into two categories: 1) cross-cutting intellectual themes; and 2) programmatic initiatives. The report can be accessed at http://www.becon1.nih.gov/becon_2001_final_report.pdf.

JUNE 28, 2002 - AIMBE PLANS BIOENGINEERING EDUCATION EVENT

The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) is planning an event that will address bioengineering education needs an directions on February 23, 2003, in Washington, DC. The event is titled "Bioengineering Education in the 21st Century" and will address the following topics - industry needs in bioengineering, ethics, diversity, curricula, technical focus areas, the role of the NIBIB, and needs at all career levels. The chair of this event is Dr. Janie Fouke of Michigan State University. Details are available on the Internet at http://www.aimbe.org .

JUNE 26, 2002 - BECON 2002 SYMPOSIUM ON SENSORS CONDUCTED ON JUNE 24-25

A major symposium on "Sensors in Biological Research and Medicine" was conducted on June 24-25 at the Natcher Conference Center on the NIH Main Campus in Bethesda, Maryland. This symposium was the fifth in a series of annual conferences coordinated by the NIH Bioengineering Consortium (BECON) and was aimed at identifying opportunities, challenges, needs, and directions associated with using sensors in biomedical research and clinical applications. Over 500 attendees participated in the two-day meeting which included plenary presentations on clinical and technological aspects of sensors in biomedicine, ten topically-focused breakout sessions, over 80 poster presentations, and a session on Federal funding opportunities for sensor research and development. Extramural co-chairs for the meeting were Dr's. Warren Grundfest (UCLA) and Milan Mrksich (University of Chicago), and the intramural co-chairs were Dr's. Joan Harmon (NIBIB) and Maren Laughlin (NIDDK). A summary report is in preparation and will be posted on the BECON Web site upon completion.

Planning for the BECON 2003 symposium is underway, and preliminary information will be available in the near future. This meeting is tentatively scheduled for June 23-24, 2003.

JUNE 20, 2002 - NIH AND CIRREF ANNOUNCE INTERVENTIONAL ONCOLOGY CONFERENCE - SEPTEMBER 18-19

The Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiology Research and Education Foundation (CIRREF) in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), American Cancer Society (ACS), American College of Radiology Imaging Network (ACRIN), and American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM), is sponsoring a basic and clinical science research conference on interventional oncology. The program entitled, Interventional Oncology: From Benchtop to Bedside will take place on September 18-19, 2002 in Tyson’s Corner, Virginia. The primary goal of the conference is to provide a forum for clinicians, basic scientists, physician-scientists and trainees from academia, private practice, government, and industry to be exposed to cutting edge basic science research as it pertains to the many clinical areas and therapies in which they are involved. The conference is intended to provide an opportunity for cross-fertilization between researchers in interventional radiology, functional imaging, oncology, basic science, clinical science and related disciplines. The program is comprised of four modules: 1) tumor biology; 2) animal models; 3) molecular and functional imaging; 4) image guided interventions. A secondary goal of the conference is to stimulate an interest in research among trainees. Details are available on the Internet at http://www.cirref.org.

JUNE 14, 2002 - FINAL PLANS COMPLETED FOR JUNE 24-25 BECON 2002 SENSORS SYMPOSIUM

Plans are complete for the fifth annual BECON symposium on Sensors in Biological Research and Medicine which is scheduled for June 24-25, 2002, at the Natcher Conference Center on the NIH Main Campus in Bethesda, Maryland. The program consists of several plenary presentations that will address aspects of sensor applications to clinical needs and biological research, ten breakout sessions which will focus on different aspects of sensor research and development, and a session on Federal funding opportunities for sensor research. The funding opportunities session will include presentations from NIH institute representatives on sensor applications relative to their missions, and Federal agencies on related research programs and funding opportunities. Extramural co-chairs for the BECON 2002 Symposium are Dr's. Warren Grundfest (UCLA) and Milan Mrksich (University of Chicago), and intramural co-chairs are Dr's. Joan Harmon (NIBIB) and Maren Laughlin (NIDDK). Detailed information about the symposium is available on the Internet at http://www.masimax.com/becon2002/index.cfm.

JUNE 14, 2002 - NIH AND NIBIB DIRECTORS TO SPEAK AT JULY IEEE/NIH BIOMEDICAL IMAGING CONFERENCE

Dr. Elias Zerhouni, the Director of the National Institutes of Health, and Dr. Roderic Pettigrew, Director of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), are scheduled to speak at the IEEE/NIH International Conference on Biomedical Imaging which is scheduled for July 7-10 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel (22nd Street) in Washington, DC. Dr. Zerhouni will speak at the conference opening reception on Sunday evening, July 7, and will provide perspectives on biomedical imaging research and multi-disciplinary research at the NIH. Dr. Pettigrew will speak at the opening program session of the conference on Monday morning, July 8, and will address the NIBIB's interests in biomedical imaging and trans-disciplinary collaboration. A detailed agenda for this conference is available on the Internet at http://www.biomedicalimaging.org . Registration is still open and can be conducted electronically through the conference Web site.

APRIL 1, 2002 - BECON CONDUCTS SECOND ANNUAL BRP GRANTEE MEETING

The NIH Bioengineering Consortium (BECON) conducted the Second Annual Bioengineering Research Partnership (BRP) Grantee Meeting on March 25-26, 2002, in Bethesda, Maryland. A total of 110 people attended including 57 of 60 BRP grantees, BECON members, NIH program staff, and personnel from industry and other Federal agencies. Grantees made presentations on their research projects include objectives, status, and partnership structure. Plenary topical sessions on the BECON and BRP program, the NIBIB, commercialization and technology transfer, and NIH policies and bioengineering review protocols were also conducted. A summary of the meeting including the program, list of attendees, project summaries, plenary session presentations, and recommendations based on plenary discussions will be released on the BECON Web site in the near future. The Bioengineering Research Partnership program is coordinated by the BECON and supports research conducted by multi-disciplinary research teams to address important problems in biology and medicine.

APRIL 1, 2002 - NIH AND NSF ANNOUNCE JOINT BIOENGINEERING SUMMER INSTITUTE PROGRAM

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) have announced a joint program to support the development and implementation of summer institutes in bioengineering and bioinformatics. The Program Solicitation describing this opportunity is NSF-02-109 and is titled "NIH-NSF Bioengineering and Bioinformatics Summer Institutes (BBSI) Program". The NSF and NIH have identified these two areas as important fields for 21st century biomedical research, and this joint effort is aimed at meeting anticipated human resource needs in bioengineering and bioinformatics.

The NIH and NSF plan to issue joint awards to develop and conduct ten-week summer institutes for upper-level undergraduate (rising juniors and rising seniors) and lower-level graduate (entering first two years of graduate school) students majoring in the engineering, physical, computational, mathematics, and biological sciences to receive research and education experiences in bioengineering and bioinformatics. The purpose of this effort is to increase the number of young people considering careers in bioengineering and bioinformatics at the graduate level and beyond. For this solicitation, bioengineering and bioinformatics are defined in the broadest sense - the application of physical, engineering, and computational sciences to address biomedical problems. Innovative applications from all relevant areas are solicited.

Details of this program are available on the Internet at http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?nsf02109 . Applications in response to this initiative are due at the NSF on June 27, 2002. Letters of intent (optional) are due on May 26, 2002.

APRIL 1, 2002 - BECON 2002 SENSORS SYMPOSIUM DEADLINE FOR ABSTRACTS EXTENDED

The deadline for abstracts has been extended to May l for the BECON 2002 Sensors Symposium which is scheduled for June 24-25. 2002, at the Natcher Conference Center on the NIH Main Campus in Bethesda, Maryland. On-line registration is available for the conference, and attendees are requested to register early since space is limited. Details concerning abstract submittal and registration are available on the Internet at http://www.becon.nih.gov/symposium2002.htm .

FEBRUARY 27, 2002 - FINAL REPORT ISSUED FOR WTEC STUDY ON TISSUE ENGINEERING

The World Technology Evaluation Center (WTEC), Inc., has released the final report for a study of the status of international research in the field of tissue engineering. This report replaces the interim report that was issued in November 2001. The study reviewed the status of research, development, and applications in tissue engineering in Western Europe and Japan with a view toward benchmarking with current and future research in the United States. The study also assessed current international collaborative activities and identified opportunities for new approaches and topics for international cooperation in tissue engineering. This report is available on the Internet at http://www.wtec.org/te/final/.

FEBRUARY 21, 2002 - FIRST NIBIB RESEARCH RFA'S ANNOUNCED

The first two requests for applications (RFA's) issued by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) have been announced in the "NIH Guide".

RFA Number EB-02-001 is titled "Research and Development of Systems and Methods for Molecular Imaging" and supports novel investigations for molecular imaging and spectroscopy development that can be broadly applied to research on biological or disease processes. The primary focus of this RFA is in vivo molecular imaging and/or spectroscopy including devices, methods, and contrast agents for biomedical research and human investigations.

RFA Number EB-02-002 is titled "Sensor Development and Validation" and supports innovative basic and applied research targeted at sensor development including sensor arrays, their biointerfaces, quality control issues, and validation and data interpretation.

Both RFA's use the NIH Research Project Grants (R01) and the Phased Innovation Award (R21/R33) mechanisms. Deadlines for both RFA's include March 29, 2002, for letters of intent and April 24, 2002, for applications to be received at the NIH. Detailed information on these opportunities is available in the announcements which are accessible in the "NIH Guide" or the "FOR INVESTIGATORS" section of this Web site.

JANUARY 31, 2002 - WEB SITE FOR JUNE 24-25 BECON 2002 SENSORS SYMPOSIUM LAUNCHED

The Web site for the BECON 2002 Symposium on Sensors for Biological Research and Medicine has been launched and is available at http://www.becon.nih.gov/symposium2002.htm. The site gives the latest information about the program, breakout sessions, local arrangements, abstract submittal, and registration. On-line registration will be available beginning around the middle of February.

Dates to remember are April 15 - Deadline for Abstract Submittal and mid-February for beginning of on-line registration. The Symposium will be held at the Natcher Conference Center on the NIH Main Campus in Bethesda, Maryland. Conference Co-Chairs are Dr'. Warren Grundfest (UCLA) and Milan Mrksich (University of Chicago), and NIH Co-Chairs are Dr's. Joan Harmon (NIBIB) and Maren Laughlin (NIDDK).

JANUARY 17, 2002 - DEADLINE FOR ABSTRACT SUBMITTAL FOR JULY IEEE/NIH IMAGING CONFERENCE - FEBRUARY 15

An IEEE/NIH International Symposium titled "Biomedical Imaging: Macro to Nano" is scheduled for July 7-10, 2002, at the Ritz Carlton Hotel (22nd Street) in Washington, DC. The deadline for abstracts for presentation at this meeting is February 15. Applicants will be notified of the status of their submittal by April 30. This symposium is aimed at fostering communication and collaboration among quantitative and biomedical scientists in areas concerning diagnostic, therapeutic, and research (cellular- and molecular-level) imaging. Details of the symposium are available on the Internet at http://www.biomedicalimaging.org .