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Systems Science Developments at the National Institutes of Health

Systems Science and Health at NIH and Beyond: Areas of Interest and Funding Opportunities. Systems Science Developments at the National Institutes of Health. Patricia L. Mabry, Ph.D. Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) National Institutes of Health

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Systems Science Developments at the National Institutes of Health

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  1. Systems Science and Health at NIH and Beyond: Areas of Interest and Funding Opportunities Systems Science Developments at the National Institutes of Health Patricia L. Mabry, Ph.D. Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) National Institutes of Health American Control Conference St. Louis, MO June 11, 2009

  2. About NIH & OBSSR • The National Institutes of Health (NIH) • is the the steward of medical and behavioral research for the Nation (http://www.nih.gov/) • is an agency of the U.S. federal government within the Department of Health and Human Services. • Annual budgets: NIH $30B; NSF $6.5B; DoD $515B • 27 Institutes and Centers (ICs) comprise NIH - each covering a specific domain of research, which is conducted both at NIH (intramural) and at grantee universities (extramural). See a directory of the ICs at http://www.nih.gov/icd/index.html • The Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) stimulates behavioral and social sciences research across the ICs. (http://obssr.od.nih.gov/index.aspx)

  3. The Complex Problem Space of Human Health Outside the skin Under the skin zz

  4. “Systems Science” terminology at NIH Systems Science approaches appreciate the complexity, context, dynamic nature, and emergent phenomena associated with the problem under study • SS methodologies include • Computational/mathematical modeling • Agent-based modeling • Dynamic modeling • Network Analysis • Related Terms: • Complexity science • Complex adaptive systems • Non-linear dynamics

  5. Why is NIH embracing Systems Science? • Other approaches alone have not solved intractable health problems • Health problems are embedded in dynamically complex systems • Need to make best use of limited resources, evaluate trade offs • Computers have the computational power to do what humans cannot • keep track of large numbers of variables • including their synergistic, cumulative and compounding effects, and • delayed effects/changes over time • System science methodologies used successfully in other fields – tried & true

  6. What are the benefits of systems science to NIH? • Heuristic: to better understand problems (e.g., underlying dynamics) • Hypothesis Generation: new hypotheses and/or narrow the list of existing hypotheses prior to empirical studies • Knowledge Synthesis: synthesize existing knowledge for meaningful interpretation • Expose Gaps in Knowledge about a problem • Forecasting to aid in preparing for the future • Intervention Testing in a virtual environment: saves time and money; can do things that are impossible or unethical in the real world; and exposes unintended consequences.

  7. Current SS at NIH • Interest in systems science (SS) is growing rapidly at NIH • Systems biology is further along than SS in the behavioral and social sciences. • SS is being used to study infectious disease transmission (e.g., HIV, flu, smallpox, SARS). • Less SS is being done in chronic disease/behavioral and social determinants of health – these areas are ripe for SS • Any area of health and disease is applicable for NIH funding

  8. Potential Areas of Modeling for NIH • Pandemic flu • Tobacco use/substance abuse/addiction • Obesity • Health disparities/inequalities • Social determinants of health • Chronic disease – cardiovascular, cancer, diabetes • Health care delivery • Stress, mental illness • Demography and population health

  9. Potential Areas of Modeling for NIH • Gene x environment interaction • Life course questions • Intergenerational transmission • Linking physiological processes and social environment – e.g., biology of stress, place effects on health, poverty and health

  10. Current and Future Systems Science Activities NIH & CDC • Videocast 2007 Symposia Series on Systems Science and Health • Institute for Systems Science and Health – May 2009 - annually • Recognition of need for “cross fertilization” to encourage collaboration – Society for the Study of Human Development (SSHD) Oct 18-20 Ann Arbor, MI. SPB10- D.C. Metro area • Use the conference grant mechanism (R13/U13) to establish connections across fields • Stay tuned to the BSSR Systems Science Listserv for future opportunities to connect and collaborate

  11. Grant Funded Systems Science and BSSR at NIH Joshua Epstein, Director’s Pioneer Award, NIGMS, OBSSR, 2008.  Project Title:  Behavioral Epidemiology: Applications of Agent-Based Modeling to Infectious Disease. David Lounsbury, R03, NIDA, 2008.  Project Title:  Dynamics Modeling as a Tool for Disseminating the PHS Tobacco Treatment Guideline David T. Levy, U01, NCI, 2002-2010. CISNET. Project Title: A Simulation of Tobacco Policy, Smoking and Lung Cancer. Linda Collins & Daniel Rivera, R21, 2007-2010.  NIH Roadmap. Dynamical System /Related Engineering Approach /Improving Behavioral Intervention Daniel Rivera, K25, NIDA, OBSSR. Control Engineering Approaches to Adaptive Interventions in Drug Abuse Prevention. Keith Warren, R21, NIDA Maintenance and correlates of cooperative behavior in therapeutic communities Joseph Eisenberg, R01, NIAID, Environmental change and diarrheal disease John Morgenstern, U13, NIAAA, Transdisciplinary Approaches to Mechanisms of Behavior Change in Alcohol: Facilitating Research Across Disciplines and Institutions.

  12. Grant Funded Systems Science and BSSR at NIH PAR-08-224 – (R21) Using Systems Science Methodologies to Protect and Improve Population Health. Awards pending. RFA-HD-08-023 (R01),Innovative Computational and Statistical Methodologies for the Design and Analysis of Multilevel Studies on Childhood Obesity (R01). Awards pending. CISNET - Cancer Intervention and Surveillance Modeling Network. Modeling to guide public health research and priorities. NCI. CISNET II, funded under RFA-CA-05-018, is focused on the application of already developed models to study the population impact of existing or emerging cancer control interventions. http://cisnet.cancer.gov MIDAS – Modeling Infectious Disease Agents Study IMAG – Interagency Modeling and Analysis Group http://www.nibib.nih.gov/Research/MultiScaleModeling/IMAG PAR-08-023 Predictive Multiscale Models of the Physiome. Open through 2010. Simulate a physiological system at more than one biological scale, including behavioral and population levels.

  13. Funding Mechanisms at NIH NIH has a variety of mechanisms to address most any stage of the scientific development cycle: • R03 – small grant, in general $100K for two years • R21 - $275K Direct cost for a two year period • R01 – up to $500K per year for up to 5 years • R13/U13 – conference grant • Training and career development awards are also encouraged • Refer to www.nih.gov for detailed funding info – I can send a resource page to you

  14. Open Funding Opportunity Announcements at NIH in Systems Science • PAR-08-224 Using Systems Science Methodologies to Protect and Improve Population Health (R21).   • PAR-08-212, -213, -214 Methodology and Measurement in the Behavioral and Social Sciences (R01, R21, R03).   • RFA-07-079, -080Behavioral and Social Science Research on Understanding and Reducing Health Disparities (R01, R21) • PAR-08-023Predictive Multiscale Models of the Physiome in Health and Disease (R01).  **To stay apprised of new Funding Opportunity Announcements, join the Behavioral and Social Science-Systems Science Listserv. Send email to Patty Mabry mabryp@od.nih.gov to join.

  15. Other Relevant Funding Opportunity Announcements Geographic and Contextual Influences on Energy Balance-Related Health Behaviors • R01 http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-08-192.html • R21 http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-08-193.html Mechanisms of Behavior Change Initiation (MOBCI) for Drinking Behavior Solicitation Number: NIAAA-09-07 - **expired** • **To stay apprised of new Funding Opportunity Announcements, join the Behavioral and Social Science-Systems Science Listserv. Send email to Patty Mabry mabryp@od.nih.gov to join.

  16. NIH Roadmap for Medical Researchhttp://nihroadmap.nih.gov The NIH Roadmap is a trans-NIH initiative funded through the Common Fund – ALL Institutes and Centers (ICs) participate. Initiatives funded through the Roadmap/Common Fund fit into one or more of these major themes and address specific roadblocks or gaps to: • Foster high-risk/high-reward research • Enable the development of transformative tools and methodologies • Fill fundamental knowledge gaps • Change academic culture to foster collaboration Director’s Pioneer Award http://nihroadmap.nih.gov/pioneer Announced Oct New Innovator Award http://nihroadmap.nih.gov/newinnovator Announced Oct Science of Behavior Change

  17. Other initiatives NIH Biomedical Information Science and Technology Initiative (BISTI). • An initiative to enhance the application of computer science to problems in biology and medicine http://www.bisti.nih.gov/bistic2.cfm NIH Blueprint for NeuroscienceResearchhttp://www.neuroscienceblueprint.nih.gov/ Comparative Effectiveness - $400M ARRA funds. CER definition: a rigorous evaluation of the impact of different options that are available for treating a given medical condition for a particular set of patients.

  18. Advice for Getting NIH Funding • Identify a research question or area for which your skills are needed. • Identify collaborators with the content expertise, NIH track record of success • Identify pertinent FOAs • Identify one or more IC’s who might be interested • Develop a concept paper • Talk to Program Staff (Scientific Contacts) • Prepare application well before deadline – send draft out for feedback. 

  19. END Patty Mabry, Ph.D.OBSSRmabryp@od.nih.gov

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