# Presentation: 541292

## Evaluation Report 

**for **
**Biomedical Technology Research Resources Program**
**May 22, 2007**

**Thomas F. Budinger M.D., Ph.D.**

**University of California, Berkeley**
**Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory**

## Process of the Evaluation

**	**Barbara M. Alving, M.D. (NCRR Director)
**DBT Program and Mission**
- 	Michael Marron, Ph.D. (NCRR)
**Portfolio Today**
- 	Abraham Levy, Ph.D. and Amy Swain, Ph.D. (NCRR)
**Sustaining the Portfolio **
- 	Douglas Sheeley, Sc. D. (NCRR)
**Core Technology Development Examples **
- 	Mark Ellisman, Ph.D., University of California – San Diego
**Collaboration and Service **
- 	Bruce Tromberg, Ph.D., University of California – Irvine
**Training and Dissemination**
- 	Joel Stiles, M.D., Ph.D., Carnegie Mellon University
**Report Outline and Assignments – 3 hours *****Committee***
**APRIL 16, 2007**** **
**Science Writer Draft to TFB**** **
**APRIL 16 – MAY 11, 2007**
**E-Mail Modifications by the Committee**
**MAY 14, 2007**** **
**Final Draft approved by the Committee**** **

**Process of the Evaluation**

**APRIL 13, 2007**

## PANEL COMPOSITION

**Thomas F. Budinger, M.D., Ph.D. (chair)**
**Professor, Univ. of California, Berkeley**
**Jerome Cox, Sc.D.**
**Senior Professor of Computer Science, Washington University**
**Gary Gottlieb, M.D., M.B.A.**
**President, Brigham and Women's Hospital**
**Professor, Harvard medical School**
**Ian D. Jardine, Ph.D.**
**Vice-President for Global R&D, Thermo Fisher Scientific Corp.**
**David T. Kingsbury, Ph.D.**
**Chief Science Officer, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation**
**Robert C. Liddington, Ph.D.**
**Professor, Burnham Institute for Medical Research**
**Bettie Sue Masters, Ph.D.**
**Professor, University of Texas Health Science Center-San Antonio**
**Franklyn G. Prendergast, M.D., Ph.D.**
**Professor, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine**
**Michael W. Vannier, M.D.**
**Professor, University of Chicago**

##     Relevance to NIH Program

##               50 BTRRs in 5 AreasBasic Science Components that underpin the translational P-41s

**Structural Biology**
***Synchrotron ******x-ray technologies***
***Molecular level microscopy***
***Nuclear Magnetic resonance***

**Systems Biology**
***Mass spectrometry***
***Proteomics***
***Glycomics & glyco-technology***
***Flow cytometry***

**Optics & Laser**
***Microscopy***
***Fluorescence spectroscopy***
**In Vivo diagnosis***

**Imaging**
***Cellular to organism level microscopy***
**MRI & MRS***
**Image-guided therapy***

**Information **
**Technology**
***Genetics***
***Systems models***
***Molecular dynamics***
**Visualization***
**Imaging informatics***

- * **Current translational topics**

##    Role of BTRR in NIH Programs

- The P-41 mechanism, including its five components has been a unique tool in the NIH mission.
- Only a few program projects in the past developed core technologies (e.g., emission tomography, NMR spectroscopy, electron microscopy) and these have all but disappeared.
- The P-41 mechanism provides a venue for **integration** of physicists, engineers, biologists, chemists and physicians.
- The model of P-41s is seen as that for evolving roadmap initiatives. But these and P50s can not replace P-41s.

##      Number of BTRR Awards

**     ****Number of BTRR Awards**

**1975**

**2005**

**1980**

**1985**

**1990**

**1995**

**2000**

**44**

**43**

**61**

**55**

**59**

**66**

**50**

##    BTRR Awards 1962-2006

**   ****BTRR Awards 1962-2006**

**Total N = 188**
**Ave Length = 11.7 yrs**

**Number of Awards**

##     BTRR Program Funding

## BTRR Collaborators and Users (2006)

**5**

**HI 6 **

**BTRR Collaborators and Users (2006)**

**United States: 6,171****Foreign: 793****Total: 6,964**

## Balance

- The need to provide technology that will enhance CTSAs should be met by BTRR of NCRR.
- This might change the balance but should not distract from the successful P-41s.
- To lose basic science P41s through attrition to enhance translation would harm the future evolution of new technologies.

## New instrumentation measurements on samples and patients

**New instrumentation measurements on samples and patients**

**Massive data in genomics, protenomics and metabolomics**

**Computational Informatics**

**Relations, cause/effect, hypotheses**

**Clinical Science Progress**

**    ****Examples:**

**Obesity Proteonomics / Genomics**
**Neurodegeneration & Cellular Renewal**

## Does BTRR get the best PIs ?

***The panel suspects the following:***

**Investigators do not understand the philosophy of BTRR and are turned away based on the fear of the service requirements.**
**Investigators, expert in a core technology are too junior to launch a full scale P-41.**
**Roadmap initiatives have attracted interest from would be BTRR investigators**

**Recommendations:**

**Verify the above suspicions.**
**Investigate methods to better advertise the BTRR program through announcements of new directions.**
**Institute preprograms or a two phase mechanism that is similar to the P20/P50 mechanism of NCI**
**Put more emphasis on the R01 initiative**

## Biomedical Technology Award Types

**Biomedical Technology Resource Resources (P41) **
**Research Project Grants (R01 & R21) **
- Resource-related Research Projects (U24-BIRN)
- Specialized Centers (U54-Roadmap Centers)
- SBIR (R43, R44) and STTR (R41, R42) Grants
- Shared Instrumentation Grants (S10)

##                                        METRICS FOR QUALITY

**                                       ****METRICS FOR QUALITY**
- Whereas, the evaluation panel is unanimous in their assessment of the outstanding nature of the program overall, there needs to be a concerted effort to provide metrics for quality and significance of contributions beyond the number of collaborators, publications and other items required from P-41 directors.  These include:
-           	Patents
-           	Technology transfers
-           	Spin-offs and startups
-           	Papers and citations, including uniqueness and citation impact
-           	Leveraging of institute and foundation support.
-           	Success of trainees
-           	How the program supports clinical and translational research
-           	How NCRR programs align with evaluation of Roadmap
-              results.
-                          ** ****Question NCRR is called on to answer:**
-        Are the innovations, trainee records, contributions of collaborators, and new
-        technologies disseminated by the BTRR program of major significance to the
-        mission of NIH and will they be essential for the future?

## BTRR Publications*

**BTRR Publications***

**2003**

**2004**

**2005**

**2006**

**Number**

**1,541**

**1,533**

**1,788**

**1,943**

*** Journal articles and books**

##   External Advisory Committee

- Assist Council and NCRR leadership in the evaluation of the balance and quality of individual P-41’s as well as the integration of the BTRR program with clinical translational science activities.
- Help staff develop metrics for assessment of on-going quality.
- Develop methods to encourage BTRR collaborations with industry, foundations, federal and state agencies.

**  ****BTRR**

## Acknowledgements

- Dr. Michael Marron
- Dr. Kathleen Brennan
- Dr. Francis Horne