Newest Member of the NIH Family (2001)

The latest addition to the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) 24 institutes and centers—the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB)—was signed into law by former president Bill Clinton on 29 December (H.R. 1795, Public Law 106–580). Establishment of NIBIB represents the culmination of efforts over recent years, first, from the imaging and bioengineering communities, which have through the organizations that we represent focused attention on research in our disciplines, and second, from the NIH leadership, who have increased support for biomedical imaging and bioengineering research.

Under the initiatives of former Director Harold Varmus, Acting Director Ruth Kirschstein, and Deputy Director Wendy Baldwin, the NIH established the Bioengineering Consortium (BECON) in 1997 and the Biomedical Information Science and Technology Initiative Consortium (BISTIC) in 2000. These organizations facilitate cooperation among institutes and develop research agendas in these fields. At the National Cancer Institute, Director Richard D. Klausner created the Biomedical Imaging Program to expand the size and scope of cancer imaging research. The NIH Center of Scientific Review, directed by Ellie Ehrenfeld, has established processes to ensure appropriate review of multidisciplinary proposals. Finally, in response to a congressional directive in the fiscal year 2000 NIH Appropriations Act, the NIH is establishing an Office of Bioengineering, Bioimaging, and Bioinformatics ( Science , 22 Sept., p. [2015][1]).

Through these efforts, the NIH leadership recognized the increasingly central role of imaging and bioengineering in biomedical research. While imaging scientists and bioengineers applauded these initiatives, they also saw the need for an institute to provide permanent support for research in these and related disciplines.

Passage of H.R. 1795 reflects congressional concurrence with that view. In establishing the NIBIB, the director of NIH is authorized to use appropriate physical facilities and to obtain personnel and administrative support from other NIH institutes and centers. In this regard, we should not lose sight of the field's interdisciplinary nature. Certain imaging and bioengineering research efforts must be closely integrated with approaches pursued in other NIH institutes and centers. These institutes/centers, therefore, should retain sufficient resources to continue efforts in imaging and bioengineering that are integral to their missions. The NIBIB, on the other hand, should be devoted primarily to basic and applied biomedical imaging and bioengineering research and training that are likely to have applications to a wide range of disease processes and organ systems. The new institute should strengthen and complement (not subtract from or substitute for) research programs in the other NIH institutes and centers.

The Academy of Radiology Research ([1][2]) and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering ([2][3]) are committed to assisting in the creation of the NIBIBE in accordance with these principles. Establishment of the NIBIB is a critical step to develop new concepts, techniques, and technologies for the new century and to integrate the vast amount of biomedical research findings, thus allowing the NIH to accomplish its mission of increasing knowledge to improve people's health and well-being.

1. [↵][4]The Academy of Radiology Research is an alliance of 24 professional societies with more than 35,000 members and supporting organizations with more than 87,000 members.
 

2. [↵][5]The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) is an alliance organization for medical and biological engineering that consists of 15 professional societies (with more than 32,000 members), 69 academic programs (with their faculty and students), 650 Fellows who are leaders in the field, and an Industrial Council. This letter has valuable inputs from members of the AIMBE Board.

 [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.289.5487.2015
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