IDeA Program Infrastructure for
Clinical and Translational Research (IDeA-CTR)
NIH established the Institutional Development Award (IDeA) program in 1993 to enhance biomedical research activities in states that have had historically low NIH grant funding success rates. The program currently supports competitive research in 23 states and Puerto Rico through two major initiatives: Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) and IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE). Thus far, the COBRE and INBRE initiatives have enabled and continue to foster the development of capacity and infrastructure that allow many investigators in IDeA states to compete successfully for more traditional NIH funding, particularly in the areas of basic biomedical and behavioral research.
While the progress achieved by IDeA investigators in basic research has been significant, tremendous challenges and opportunities remain for pursuing activities aligned with NIH’s growing interest and focus on clinical and translational research. Indeed, the proportion of research activities supported by the INBRE and COBRE initiatives focusing on clinical and translational research has been relatively small (about 15%). It is critical that the many advances in basic biomedical science research emerging from IDeA states be translated into better patient care and improved public health by fostering partnerships between basic and clinical scientists in IDeA institutions and among other NIH-funded programs. This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) encourages applications from IDeA states for the development of intra- and/or interstate network infrastructure for clinical and translational research.
The general objectives of the IDeA-CTR Program are the following:
- To support the development of infrastructure and human resources required to conduct clinical and translational research in IDeA-eligible states.
- To enhance the ability of IDeA institutions and investigators to develop competitive clinical and translational research programs.
- To foster and sustain collaboration and coordination of clinical and translational activities within and across IDeA institutions organizations.
Goals of the IDeA-CTR Program include but are not limited to:
- The study of the underlying causes of diseases that affect the medically underserved and/or those diseases prevalent among populations in IDeA states.
- The development of approaches for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases to improve health and health outcomes.
- The integration of basic, clinical, and translational research through collaborations among different disciplines and/or departments from different organizations within and across IDeA states.
- The provision of a core for professional development activities in clinical and translational research.