As we look forward to a new year of research and scientific advances, I am delighted to have this opportunity to share highlights of activities and plans at the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The mission of the NIAMS, a part of the NIH, is to support research into the causes, treatment and prevention of arthritis and musculoskeletal and skin diseases; the training of basic and clinical scientists to carry out this research; and the dissemination of information on research progress in these diseases.
Budget Outlook
In recent years, the NIH and all federal agencies have been affected by mandatory budget cuts put in place by the Budget Control Act of 2011 (Public Law 112-25)—often referred to as “sequestration.” In 2014, Congress increased funding for the NIH, restoring some of the funding that was cut. However, because sequestration is a multi-year measure, it may affect NIH in the future. Despite the fiscal situation, this remains an exciting time for biomedical research. We will continue to invest our significant resources wisely to sustain research momentum. We also will leverage our funding wherever possible, for example, by partnering with other organizations to achieve shared goals. To increase transparency and the community’s understanding of how we spend our budget, we publish a series of figures on our website that illustrate the Institute’s funding patterns. A link to the most recent funding plan is included in the additional sources.
NIAMS Long-Range Plan
In September 2014, the NIAMS released its Long-Range Plan for FY 2015–2019. The Plan outlines the Institute’s perspective on research needs and opportunities within its mission and will serve as an important resource for those who are interested in learning more about NIAMS activities. A link to the Plan is included in the additional sources. The Long-Range Plan is not a strategic plan in the conventional sense. Instead, it provides a broad scientific outline for the Institute’s activities over the next five years. We will continue to devote the majority of our extramural budget toward funding the best investigator-initiated research ideas. The new plan will inform the Institute’s priority setting process, while giving us the freedom to adapt to the rapidly changing biomedical and behavioral science landscape.
[AMP] offers an exceptional opportunity to leverage NIH support through partnerships with industry & nonprofit organizations.
Accelerating Medicines Partnership
In keeping with our commitment to support outstanding rheumatology research, in September, the NIAMS and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases funded 11 awards to establish the Accelerating Medicines Partnership Program (AMP) Network in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and Lupus. The AMP is a public-private partnership between the NIH, the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH), pharmaceutical companies and health advocacy organizations. Its goal is to address the high-priority need to speed the development of new therapies by improving our ability to identify the right biological targets for drug development. The program also offers an exceptional opportunity to leverage NIH support through partnerships with industry and nonprofit organizations. Over five years, the AMP RA and Lupus Network will work to identify biological pathways involved in these diseases, understand the differences between individuals with and without disease, and uncover the molecular events that contribute to tissue damage in patients. Researchers will also investigate the differences between individuals with the same disease and explore whether those differences can be correlated with outcomes and responses to therapy. Ultimately, we hope to achieve a comprehensive systems-level understanding of RA and lupus. A link to more information about the AMP is provided as an additional source.
I am pleased to report that the AMP has generated a great deal of interest from Congress. The NIAMS and other partners have taken a variety of steps to inform policymakers about this important effort. On Sept. 9, NIAMS Deputy Director Robert Carter, MD, spoke at a congressional briefing on the AMP. The event, organized by the Lupus Foundation of America and the Rheumatology Research Foundation, provided an overview of plans for the Network. The briefing featured Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA), former co-chair of the Congressional Lupus Caucus, as well as speakers from a few of the other AMP partner organizations, including the Lupus Foundation of America, the Rheumatology Research Foundation and Pfizer.
PROMIS
In 2015, the NIAMS will continue its efforts to improve assessment of patient-centered symptoms and other outcomes in research and treatment. Over the past 10 years, the NIAMS and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine have managed the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) on behalf of the NIH Common Fund. Moving forward, NIAMS will continue to support the development of PROMIS technologies and will encourage researchers and clinicians to incorporate them into their work to improve the lives of patients, including those with rheumatic diseases.
Commitment to New & Early Stage Investigators
One of the most serious challenges facing the biomedical research community today is the effect of current funding trends on new and early-stage investigators in the field. We have taken a number of steps to train and support talented investigators as they progress in their research careers. To encourage the next generation of scientists, NIAMS, like many other NIH Institutes and Centers, has a slightly more generous payline for R01 applications from new investigators.
NIAMS STAR Award
Both the NIH and the NIAMS have been considering mechanisms that will provide investigators with more stable funding and flexibility to pursue new and innovative scientific directions. NIAMS is developing a new program, the Supplements to Advance Research (STAR) award, to provide sustained support for scientists who have received their first competitive renewal, or Type 2, research project grant. The new program will provide supplemental “innovation” funding to enable “early–established” investigators to build a robust research program.
NIH Intramural Rheumatology Training Program
The NIAMS also provides training for rheumatology researchers through the NIH Rheumatology Training Program. The Program, which is led by the NIAMS, includes both a fellowship in rheumatology—certified by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education—as well as advanced training through the Scholars in Translational Research program. NIH rheumatology fellows have an exceptional opportunity to pursue basic or clinical research as part of their training experience, as well as to participate in translational studies that move basic research findings to the bedside. The Scholars program helps outstanding trainees who are interested in continuing beyond the third year of the fellowship to advance to independent research careers.
Recent Events
On Oct. 15, NIAMS hosted Congressional staff for a visit and tour of some of the laboratories in its intramural program in collaboration with the NIAMS Coalition, an independent consortium of professional and voluntary organizations that raises awareness about NIAMS-funded research. During the tour, I had the opportunity to speak to the staffers about the NIAMS intramural and extramural research programs, training for the next generation of scientists, and our outreach programs. Staffers also visited labs to learn more about clinical research in diseases such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.
In closing, I want to acknowledge the staff in the rheumatic disease-related areas in the NIAMS Extramural Program. Marie Mancini, PhD, is director of the Systemic Autoimmune Disease Biology Program; Su-Yau Mao, PhD, is director of the Arthritis Biology Program; Wm. Phil Tonkins Jr., MS, DrPH, is director of the Rheumatic Diseases Biopsychosocial Research Program; Yan Wang, MD, PhD, is director of the Rheumatic Diseases Genetics and Translational Research Program; and James Witter, MD, PhD, FACR, is director of the Rheumatic Diseases Clinical Program. All of these programs are under the leadership of Susana A. Serrate-Sztein, MD, director of the Division of Skin and Rheumatic Diseases in the NIAMS Extramural Program. We encourage you to contact us at any time with concerns or suggestions. I would also encourage you to visit the NIAMS and NIH websites for more information on all of the areas included in this article, as well as many other programs, including a wealth of reliable information for patients and the public.
Stephen I. Katz, MD, PhD, is director of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services in Bethesda, Md.
