Abstract
In 1998, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) established the groundwork for a highly successful program focused on innovative technology development to overcome persistent barriers for cancer researchers and clinicians. Unlike other initiatives of the time, the Innovative Molecular Analysis Technologies (IMAT) Program solicited only the most cutting-edge ideas, thus restricting its application pool to those projects that had the potential to be truly transformative. By doing so, the program filled a void that no other program at the NCI or NIH filled at the time. In 2005, the IMAT program introduced an additional focus on supporting innovative technology development that uniquely advanced the field of biospecimen science. Technologies supported by this mechanism have seen a disproportionately high level of success. The IMAT program continues to represent a unique resource for highly innovative technology development, but runs alongside several active programs at the NCI for supporting cancer-relevant technologies.
The full reauthorization of the IMAT program in fall of 2011 by the NCI for 2012-2013 demonstrates a significant commitment, especially under ever tightening fiscal constraints, to supporting innovative technology development for cancer research and clinical care. The IMAT program utilizes unique funding mechanisms to better support investigators through both the early and advanced stages of technology development over traditional funding mechanisms for exploratory research. Moreover, receipt of an IMAT award offers membership to a truly unique community of investigators that meet annually to share progress and exchange ideas. A variety of IMAT-supported research projects will be highlighted to demonstrate the variety and level of innovation evident in the IMAT portfolio of supported research. Potential projects of interest and identified technology gaps specific to the field of biospecimen science and with relevance to cancer health disparities will also be discussed.
Currently available funding opportunity announcements are active with three receipt dates open through September, 2013. Enthusiasm from the NCI Board of Scientific Advisors and NCI leadership for the IMAT program indicates that these solicitations are likely to be active beyond these dates. Technology developers from all fields of research are encouraged to apply.
Citation Format: Anthony Dickherber. Innovative technology development to advance biospecimen science. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Fifth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2012 Oct 27-30; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2012;21(10 Suppl):Abstract nr ED03-05.
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