Strategic Planning for Research Infrastructure Requirements: Workforce Training, Biomedical Instrumentation and Animal Research Facilities

Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (ORIP) Strategic Planning Conference

Strategic Planning for Research Infrastructure Requirements: Workforce Training, Biomedical Instrumentation and Animal Research Facilities

6001 Executive Boulevard, Room A1/A2, Rockville, MD 20852

July 9, 2015

Conveners - T Magnuson, K Reimann

Panel 1: Training and Diversity in the Pre-College Workforce Pipeline

Chair: V Shepherd

Panelists: E Dolan, S SanMiguel, L Stark

Discussion Topics:

1. How can ORIP contribute to the creation of culturally responsive, age-appropriate P-12 educational resources that support the Next Generation Science Standards and focus on health, medicine, and veterinary career opportunities?
2. What advances in professional development activities can ORIP support that are likely to create highly effective teachers?
3. What new training and materials can ORIP create to enable veterinary and other biomedical scientists to become effective local role models and science ambassadors for students in their communities?
4. How should ORIP identify and replicate effective STEM education programs?

Back to top

Panel 2: Training the Next Generation of Veterinary Scientists

Chair: M Lairmore

Panelists: M Anwer, M Atchison, M Cline, S Sanchez, S VandeWoude

Discussion Topics:

1. How should ORIP address the need for research-trained veterinarians through training and career development programs? Is the current model working?
2. What specific training programs/mechanisms should ORIP emphasize for veterinary scientists?
3. In addition to laboratory animal medicine and pathology, what other areas of clinical and translational research should be targeted for training and recruitment of veterinary scientists?
4. How should ORIP help veterinary scientists circumvent the major hurdles that obstruct a successful biomedical research career?
5. How can ORIP attract highly capable veterinarians and retain them for biomedical research?
6. What outcomes should ORIP measure in order to demonstrate program success?

Back to top

Panel 3: Emerging Tools and Technologies that Advance Biomedical Research, Animal Models, and Related Resources

Chair: M Lively

Panelists: M Lairmore, N Perrimon, D Sherry, A Tarantal, S Vogel, S Zola

Discussion Topics:

1. What are the most important scientific areas, emerging fields, and animal models that would benefit from ORIP-supported access to new tools and technologies?
2. How can ORIP identify new tools and technologies that will drive future advances in biomedical research?
3. How should ORIP be proactive in advancing its vital resources?
4. How should ORIP set its priorities with respect to support for well established vs. novel research tools and technologies?
5. How should ORIP’s small business program continue to advance the development of tools and technologies?

Back to top

Panel 4: Unique Contributions of the Shared Instrumentation Grant (SIG) and High-End Instrumentation (HEI) Grant Programs

Chair: D Piston

Panelists: RG Griffin, D Sherry, K Ugurbil, S Weintraub, W Zipfel

Discussion Topics:

1. What should ORIP establish as the primary objectives for its instrumentation programs? (Preserve uniqueness? Access to well-established technologies? Investments in cutting-edge technologies without proven impact? Advance synergy between science and technology?)
2. In what way can ORIP best enhance the effectiveness of the instrumentation programs at achieving its objectives? (Different technologies? Different scientific environment? Different review criteria? Unique resources?)
3. Should ORIP alter operational requirements and constraints of the instrumentation programs? If so, how should they be modified? (Number of users? Access to instrument? Permit commercial activity? Vary requirements by specific instrument/technology?)
4. What metrics should ORIP employ to measure success at the instrument level? What metrics should ORIP employ at the Program level?

Back to top

Panel 5: Modernization of Animal Research Facilities

Chair: L Toth

Panelists: C Abee, R Prather, R Voss, S Zola

Discussion Topics:

1. How should ORIP define the scope of the modernization of animal research facilities program (under the G20 mechanism)? (Specific type of facilities? Specific type of equipment? Invest in new technologies?)
2. How should ORIP optimize the program in order to maximize its benefit for NIH-supported animal model research? (Smaller grants? Larger grants?)
3. What should be ORIP’s top priorities for the Program? (A focus on technology? On species? On institutions?)
4. How should ORIP measure the success of the Program as it relates to NIH-supported animal model research?
5. How should ORIP’s small business program be engaged to advance the modernization of animal research facilities?

Back to top