Patricia L. Mabry, Ph.D.

Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR)

National Institutes of Health

American Control ConferenceSt. Louis, MOJune 11, 2009

Systems Science Developments at the National Institutes of Health

Systems Science and Health at NIH and Beyond: Areas of

Interest and Funding

Opportunities

• 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)

About NIH & OBSSR

Office of the DirectorOffice of the Director

National Instituteon Alcohol Abuseand Alcoholism

National InstituteNational Instituteon Alcohol Abuseon Alcohol Abuseand Alcoholismand Alcoholism

National Instituteof Arthritis andMusculoskeletal

and Skin Diseases

National Instituteof Arthritis andMusculoskeletal

and Skin Diseases

National CancerInstitute

National CancerInstitute

National Instituteof Diabetes andDigestive and

Kidney Diseases

National Instituteof Diabetes andDigestive and

Kidney Diseases

National Instituteof Dental andCraniofacial

Research

National Instituteof Dental andCraniofacial

Research

National Instituteon Drug Abuse

National InstituteNational Instituteon Drug Abuseon Drug Abuse

National Instituteof Environmental Health Sciences

National Instituteof Environmental Health Sciences

National Instituteon Aging

National InstituteNational Instituteon Agingon Aging

National Instituteof Child Health

and HumanDevelopment

National Instituteof Child Health

and HumanDevelopment

National Institute onDeafness and Other

CommunicationDisorders

National Institute onDeafness and Other

CommunicationDisorders

National EyeInstitute

National EyeInstitute

National HumanGenome Research

Institute

National HumanGenome Research

Institute

National Heart,Lung, and Blood

Institute

National Heart,Lung, and Blood

Institute

National Instituteof Mental Health

National InstituteNational Instituteof Mental Healthof Mental Health

National Instituteof NeurologicalDisorders and

Stroke

National Instituteof NeurologicalDisorders and

Stroke

National Instituteof General

Medical Sciences

National Instituteof General

Medical Sciences

National Instituteof Nursing Research

National Instituteof Nursing Research

National Libraryof Medicine

National Libraryof Medicine

Center for InformationTechnology

Center for InformationTechnology

Center for Scientific Review

Center for Scientific Review

National Centerfor Complementary

and AlternativeMedicine

National Centerfor Complementary

and AlternativeMedicine

National Instituteof Allergy and

Infectious Diseases

National Instituteof Allergy and

Infectious Diseases

National Centerfor ResearchResources

National Centerfor ResearchResources

Clinical CenterClinical Center

National Center on Minority Health andHealth Disparities

National Center on Minority Health andHealth Disparities

National Institute of Biomedical Imagingand Bioengineering

National Institute of Biomedical Imagingand Bioengineering

FogartyInternational

Center

FogartyFogartyInternationalInternational

CenterCenter

National Institutes of Health 27 Institutes and Centers

Outside the skin

Under the skin

zz

The Complex Problem Space of Human Health

“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

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

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.

What are the benefits of systems science to 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

Current SS at 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

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

Potential Areas of Modeling for NIH

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

Current and Future Systems Science Activities NIH & CDC

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.

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.

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

Funding Mechanisms at NIH

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, -080  Behavioral and Social Science Research on Understanding and Reducing Health Disparities (R01, R21)  

PAR-08-023 Predictive 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.

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.

NIH Roadmap for Medical Research http://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

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 Neuroscience Research http://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.

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. 

END

Patty Mabry, Ph.D.OBSSR

mabryp@od.nih.gov