NHLBI - FYI from the NHLBI Index

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Advisory Council June Meeting

June 15, 2011

Dr. Shurin welcomed members to the 242nd meeting of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Advisory Council.

Six new Council members were introduced: Jonathan Alger, J.D., Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey; Coletta Barrett, R.N., Vice President of the Mission for Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center, Baton Rouge, LA; Ivor Benjamin, M.D., Professor of Medicine and Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine; Naomi Luban, M.D., Chief of the Division of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, and Director of the Transfusion Medicine/Donor Center, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC; Polly Parson, M.D., Professor of Medicine and Chair of the Department of Medicine, University of Vermont, and Director of the Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Unit at the Vermont Lung Center; and Gilbert White, M.D., Executive Vice President for Research and Director of the Blood Research Institute, Blood Center of Wisconsin.

Dr. Shurin updated the Council on formation of the new National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), which will focus on accelerating the development and delivery of new, more effective therapeutics; and formation of an addiction Institute, comprising addiction components of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institute on Drug Abuse, and National Cancer Institute.

Dr. Shurin reported that the NHLBI budget is about 1 percent lower than last year. After adjusting for inflation, the Institute is operating with approximately the same purchasing power it had in 2000-2001. Under the FY 2011 Continuing Resolution, the NHLBI budget is only $132.1 million more than it was in FY 2008, and the proposed FY 2012 President's Budget for NHLBI is only about $210.3 million more than the FY 2008 actual budget. NHLBI FY 2011 funding paylines are the same as last year. The Institute continues to emphasize support of investigator-initiated research as much as possible.

Dr. Eric Green, Director of the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), NIH, described progress in genomics research that has occurred since the completion of the sequencing of the human genome, and summarized the new NHGRI strategic plan for the future of human genome research, which was published in Nature magazine on February 10, 2011. He emphasized the importance of clinical applications of genomics.

Dr. Carl Roth, Acting Deputy Director of the NHLBI and Associate Director for Scientific Program Operation, pre-sented results of an analysis of recent NHLBI participation in the R21 program. The R21 mechanism provides 2 years of funding for exploratory research projects. Dr. Shurin proposed the following NHLBI R21 policy for Council consideration: NHLBI will stop participating in the parent NIH R21 program. Early Stage Investigators, if appropriate and eligible, will be encouraged to explore opportunities to be mentored, such as the NIH Pathway to Independence Award (parent K99/R00). The NHLBI will issue highly targeted RFAs for R21s when scientific opportunities arise, but only established investigators will be eligible for these R21s and only if the application represents a substantial departure from previous research directions. Council members discussed the proposal and expressed their support.

Dr. Shurin reviewed the elements of the MERIT (Method to Extend Research in Time) program and summarized some recent criticisms. She proposed the following NHLBI MERIT policy for Council consideration: The NHLBI will stop making new MERIT awards, but existing MERIT awards will be extended if eligible. The NHLBI will emphasize participation in existing innovative NIH programs, including the Transformative R01 and EUREKA (Exceptional, Unconventional Research Enabling Knowledge Acceleration) awards (which are being combined), the Pioneer award, and the New Innovator award. Council members discussed the proposal and expressed their support.

NHLBI staff presented 15 new initiatives, 2 renewals, and 1 request for secondary support, all of which had been reviewed in May by the Board of External Experts. The Council was mostly supportive of the initiatives presented, but made a number of specific recommendations for consideration prior to their release.