November 20, 2002

TO:                  NIH Clinical Investigators

FROM:            Deputy Director for Intramural Research
                         Associate Director for Clinical Research

SUBJECT:    FY 2003 Bench-to-Bedside Awards

Based upon tremendous enthusiasm for the bench-to-bedside program from intramural investigators, we are delighted to announce that the program again will be available this year with a broader scope than previous years. In the four years of the program's existence, over 175 proposals have been submitted and 32 projects have been funded. Many exciting clinical findings are directly attributed to some of these intramural projects. The awards were supported by Clinical Center carry-over funds for the first two competitive cycles, after which the institutes agreed to continue the program with their own funds. This year the institutes will again provide funding for projects for one to two years up to $100,000/year. In addition to institute resources, an exciting new source of funding will allow even more awards to be distributed. The Office of Rare Diseases will support five commendable projects at $100,000/award for two years. These five projects must focus on an area of science/research directly related to a rare disease. An orphan or rare disease is generally considered to have a prevalence of less than 200,000 affected individuals in the United States. Certain diseases with more than 200,000 affected individuals are included but subpopulations of these conditions may be less than the prevalence standard for rare disease. A comprehensive list of rare diseases, updated regularly is available at http://ord.aspensys.com/diseases.asp.

A Review Group appointed by the Deputy Director for Intramural Research and Associate Director for Clinical Research will select all proposals. The Review Group will include both basic and clinical scientists representing multiple institutes and centers and will include expertise on rare diseases research. Criteria used by the Review Group include the following:

• quality of the science
• promise of project to evolve into an active clinical protocol
• the use of patients (not just tissue specimens) in the bedside aspect
• the potential to understand an important disease process or lead to a new therapeutic intervention
• proposals should have strongly developed bench and bedside components, which are related clearly in a translational sense
• the work should be a truly new initiative, not a funding request for a 'work in progress'
• inter-institute and inter-disciplinary collaborations are encouraged

Oversight of this process will be provided by the Clinical Center Research Steering Committee.

Intramural clinical, translational, and basic scientists are invited to submit proposals for basic science - clinical collaboration, especially with colleagues outside of their laboratory, clinic, division, center or institute. Investigators in all institutes are eligible and awards can be implemented at the Clinical Center or off-campus intramural clinical sites. Awards are up to $100,000/year. Support will be for two years.

Proposals must be received in the office of Dr. John Gallin, NIH Clinical Center Director (10/2C146) by Friday, January 17, 2003

and should follow the instructions and incorporate the criteria as listed in Instructions for FY2003 Bench-to-Bedside Proposals. Proposals should clearly identify if they are being submitted as a rare diseases project. For each proposal submitted, an original copy of the budget sheet must be signed by the Scientific Directors and Clinical Directors of all institutes involved in the project. The relative percent effort for each institute must be indicated. The amount of funding for each project will be apportioned among collaborating institutes according to the percent effort of each investigator on the project.

Principal investigators for projects selected will be notified by January 31, 2003. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions about the bench-to-bedside program.

John I. Gallin, M.D.

Michael M. Gottesman, M.D.

cc:	Institute Directors
	Scientific Directors
	Clinical Directors