OCTOBER 12, 2004 – SOCIETY FOR COMPUTER APPLICATIONS IN RADIOLOGY - TRANSFORMING MEDICAL IMAGING WORKSHOP

The Society for Computer Applications in Radiology (SCAR) invites you to attend the TRIP(tm) Conference and Workshop, "Transforming Medical Imaging", January 31 - February 1, 2005, at the Hyatt Regency in Bethesda, Maryland. SCAR, with partial financial support from the NIBIB, is sponsoring this scientific meeting to spearhead research, education and discovery of innovative solutions to the problem of healthcare information and image data overload.

The two-day workshop will explore effective ways to better understand the issues and to facilitate exchange of ideas between researchers and end-user clinicians, between researchers and industry partners, and between scientists in and outside of medicine who struggle with similar issues in their use of image data. Intended participants include radiologists and other physicians, biomedical engineers, biomedical imaging scientists, computer scientists, imaging informatics scientists, imaging physicists, information technology professionals, medical imaging industry personnel, and any other students or professionals interested in the problem of very large medical image data sets.

The meeting will include invited speakers on selected topics, focused breakout groups, and discussion with top-level industry executives, innovation leaders and clinicians. Plenary Sessions of invited speakers will include experts from areas outside of medicine discussing their approaches to dealing with large image data sets, followed by invited speakers, Break-Out Discussion Sessions, and supplemented by a Poster Session of abstracts submitted by attendees.

Abstract submissions are being accepted electronically through the online abstract submission service or by email. Abstract topics include Human Perception, CAD & Image Processing, Visualization, Navigation & User Interface Design, Databases & Integration, and Evaluation of Methodologies & Validation of Performance. The abstract submission deadline is November 15, 2004.

For additional information about the meeting or to register, visit the TRIP website at http://www.scarnet.net/trip/.

Complete information and online submission forms and templates for submission of abstracts for the poster session can be found at http://www.scarnet.net/trip/html/TRIPabstractsubmission.htm.

OCTOBER 8, 2004 – NIH-NSF TO CONVENE INTERAGENCY CONFERENCE ON LIFE AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) are convening the "Interagency Conference on Research at the Interface of the Life Sciences and Physical Sciences: Bridging the Sciences," on November 9, 2004, at the Natcher Conference Center on the main campus of the NIH in Bethesda, Maryland. The objectives of the conference are to identify opportunities, grand challenges, and issues at the interface of the life and physical sciences that could result in major advances and to develop approaches for bridging the sciences. To view the NIH/NSF press release, visit http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/oct2004/nibib-08.htm

SEPTEMBER 27, 2004 – HHMI/NIBIB INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH TRAINING PROGRAM PARTNERSHIP

NIBIB and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) have joined forces to provide start-up funds and sustaining support for graduate training programs that integrate the biomedical sciences with the physical sciences and engineering. HHMI will award up to 10 three-year grants of as much as $1 million each to support the development and early phases of the interdisciplinary programs. NIBIB will provide five additional years of support to the HHMI grantees through peer-reviewed institutional training grants.

In October 2004, HHMI will open a competition for up to 10 grants to educational institutions, totaling as much as $1 million each. The grants will be awarded in November 2005. All U.S. institutions that grant Ph.D. degrees in the biological and physical sciences will be eligible for the three-year awards.

For additional information on this program, view the HHMI program announcement at http://www.hhmi.org/grants/institutions/nibib.html.

To view the NIH press release, visit the http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/sep2004/nibib-27.htm.
The view the HHMI press release, visit http://www.hhmi.org/news/092704.html.

SEPTEMBER 24, 2004 – NEW RESEARCH SUPPLEMENTS TO PROMOTE CLINICAL RESIDENT RESEARCH EXPERIENCES

A new Program Announcement (PAR) designed to attract outstanding clinicians into research careers has been released. The purpose of the PAR is to provide a 1-2 year period of research experience for physicians in a residency program through supplements to existing NIBIB grant awards. It is expected that individuals selected for this research experience will continue in research and subsequently apply for career development awards and/or research project grants.

This PAR will use the NIH competitive supplement award mechanism. Principal Investigators (PIs) holding an active R01, R37, P01, P41, or P50 from the NIBIB may apply for this program. The proposed research experience must be related to the ongoing research of the parent grant and have the potential to contribute significantly to the research career development of the candidate.

Additional information about this program can be accessed at http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-04-140.html.

LETTER OF INTENT RECEIPT DATES: September 21, 2004 and January 17, 2005

APPLICATION RECEIPT DATES: October 21, 2004 and February 14, 2005

Inquiries concerning this PAR are welcome. Questions related to scientific/research issues may be directed to Dr. Meredith D. Temple-O'Connor at templem@mail.nih.gov; inquiries regarding peer-review issues may be directed to Dr. David T. George at GeorgeD@nih.gov; and inquires regarding financial or grants management matters may be sent to Florence Turska at ft7p@nih.gov.

SEPTEMBER 17, 2004 – NIBIB TO HOST BLUE RIBBON PANEL ON INTRAMURAL RESEARCH

On September 17, 2004 the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) will host a Blue Ribbon Panel on Intramural Research. The purpose of this panel is to provide recommendations to the National Advisory Council on Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NACBIB) and the NIBIB Director on the planning and development of an intramural research program within the NIBIB. More specifically, the charge to this panel will be to provide recommendations on scientific directions, unique research opportunities, and possibilities for collaboration. An agenda for this meeting can be found at the following link: Blue Ribbon Panel on NIBIB Intramural Research Agenda

AUGUST 2, 2004 – FOURTH BRP GRANTEE MEETING CONDUCTED ON JULY 29-30

The Fourth Bioengineering Research Partnership (BRP) Grantee Meeting was conducted on July 29-30, 2004, at the Bethesda Hyatt Hotel in Bethesda, Maryland. The Bioengineering Research Partnership Program is coordinated by the NIH Bioengineering Consortium (BECON) and requires research teams (academic, industrial, clinical, and national laboratory partnerships) with clinical and quantitative science components to conduct biomedical research. A total of about 200 people attended this meeting including about 140 BRP grantees. The purpose of the meeting was to facilitate communication (l) among the grantees with the intent of generating additional research collaborations and (2) between NIH and grantees to discuss research results, research policies, and program input.

The program consisted of oral summary presentations of projects in their second and fifth years and poster displays for projects in the first, third, and fourth years. A “NIH Update” session was conducted to communicate the latest information on NIH extramural policy, technology transfer, NIH Roadmap initiatives, and review of bioengineering proposals. A featured luncheon presentation on “Bioengineering and the Whitaker Foundation” was given by Dr. Peter Katona, President of the Whitaker Foundation. Special awards were presented to Dr. Katona for his many contributions to the field of bioengineering and to Mollie Sourwine of the NIBIB for her valuable contributions to the NIH Bioengineering Consortium.

Details of the meeting including the program; conference book (includes summaries of all BRP grants); PowerPoint files of the grantee presentations, “NIH Update” talks, and featured luncheon presentation; and photographs of the meeting are available at http://www.nibib.nih.gov/events/BRP2004/index.html .

The BECON is administered by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering. The Chair of the BECON is Dr. Daniel Sullivan of the National Cancer Institute. Details about the Consortium are available on the BECON Web site at http://www.becon.nih.gov .

JUNE 30, 2004 - REPORT ISSUED ON THE INTERAGENCY CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH AT THE INTERFACE OF THE LIFE SCIENCES AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES

The final report has been issued for the “Interagency Workshop on Research at the Interface of the Life Sciences and the Physical Sciences”. The workshop was held on May 10, 2004 on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Main Campus in Bethesda, Maryland. The workshop was coordinated by the NIH and the National Science Foundation (NSF) in response to language in the House of Representatives reports accompanying the FY2004 Appropriations Bill which suggested that the NIH and NSF convene an interagency conference to discuss how agencies can effectively facilitate research at the interface of the life and physical sciences.

The final report, as well as additional information about this meeting, can be accessed at http://www.nibib.nih.gov/events/interagency.