The SPARK II Working Group

Four years after the NHLBI convened the first SPARK Working Group to identify promising areas of research investment for the NHLBI, the Institute convened a second SPARK Working Group (SPARK II) to advise it on research opportunities that should be addressed over the next 3 to 5 years and the resources needed to do so.

SPARK II Conference Summary

During its initial meeting in October 2002, the SPARK II Working Group identified several possible themes for research opportunities. At the January 2003 SPARK II Conference, the SPARK II Working Group members met with representatives from the American Heart Association, the American Thoracic Society, and the American Society of Hematology to discuss those themes and to identify specific research goals that should be pursued, any impediments that may exist to achieving them, and the resources and technologies that will be needed to address them. This document summarizes the recommendations from the Conference.

We welcome comments on the document from interested readers. Please E-mail any such comments to Dr. Carl Roth (rothc@nih.gov).

SPARK II Conference Summary

SPARK I Conference Summary