The foundation is the sole entity authorized by Congress to raise private funds in support of the mission and work of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). We draw upon the private sector, other agencies of government, academia, other foundations and associations, and the philanthropic community to optimize NIH’s most urgent public health initiatives.

Efforts are broadly focused around five NIH priorities:

Harnessing the power of high-throughput technologies to understand disease in a comprehensive manner. Foundation programs that align with this priority include:

• Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative

• Osteoarthritis Initiative I and Osteoarthritis Initiative II

• Mutational Analysis of the Melanoma Genome

• Targeted Plasma-Based Biomarkers in Alzheimer’s Disease

• Psychiatric Genome Wide Association Consortium

• Subpopulations and Intermediate Outcome Measures in COPD (SPIROMICS)

Translating basic scientific discoveries in the lab into new and better treatments for patients. Foundation programs that align with this priority include:

• Measures for Clinical Trials of Treatment of Cognitive Impairment

• I-SPY 2

• Human Papilloma Virus Clinical Trial

• Drug Induced Liver Injury Network

• 2011 mHealth Summit

• Biotechnology Resource for  Innovation and Development in Genomedicine (BRIDGE)

• Cognitive Aging Summit

• Research Partnership in Cognitive Aging

• Head-Off Environmental Asthma in Louisiana (HEAL)

Conducting research that can inform efforts in health care reform. Foundation programs that align with this priority include:

• Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership

Expanding NIH’s focus on global health to encompass neglected diseases and build capacity in developing countries. Foundation programs that align with this priority include:

• MAL-ED: A Global Network for the Study of Malnutrition and Enteric Diseases
  Co-Principal Investigator Mark Miller, Fogarty International Center: http://www.fic.nih.gov/About/Staff/Pages/epidemiology-population.aspx#staff

• Comprehensive T Cell Vaccine Immune Monitoring Consortium (CTC-VIMC)
  Principal Investigator Rick Koup, NIAID: http://www.niaid.nih.gov/labsandresources/labs/aboutlabs/vrc/immunologyl...

• Centralized Envelope Comparative Immunogenicity Study (CECI)
  Co-Principal Investigator Michael Pensiero, NIAID

• HIT-TB: Identification of High-quality HITs for Tuberculosis
  Principal Investigator Clifton Barry, 3rd, NIAID: http://www.niaid.nih.gov/LabsAndResources/labs/aboutlabs/lcid/tuberculos...

Attracting and training the next generation of basic and clinical scientists in collaborative methods and reinvigorating and empowering the biomedical research community. Foundation programs that align with this priority include:

• Medical Scholars Research Program

• Public Health Informatics Training Initiative

• Principles of Clinical Pharmacology Course

• The Bernard Osher Foundation National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine Practitioner Research Career Development Award

In addition to addressing NIH priorities, partnerships must meet high standards for feasibility and funding potential before they are undertaken. Partnerships must:

• demonstrate an opportunity for return on investment for private sector funders
• have a well defined concept
• have a manageable size and scope
• have a discrete timeline and defined milestones
• be able to attract private-sector partners to the scientific focus

To learn more about NIH/FNIH partnership development, contact:
Andrea Baruchin, Ph.D.
Director, NIH Relations
abaruchin [at] fnih [dot] org

The NIH/FNIH Relationship >>