Special research resources

This program provides support to enhance the research capability of the nation through application of large-scale equipment and instrument-oriented resources to areas of major multidisciplinary research endeavor. These special resources include computing centers for medical and biological materials production and for scientific and technical information. Since such resources are usually too costly to be assigned to a single investigator, they are established for use by a community of scientists on an institutional, regional (city, state, section), or national basis.

The needs of universities, hospitals, and other institutions for computer resources and centralized instrumentation facilities, for laboratories devoted to large-scale preparation of commercially unavailable biological materials, and other special research resources are growing rapidly as the sophistication, capabilities, and costs of modern research increase. The progressive quantification of the biological sciences is reflected in the increasing requirements for specialized equipment, such as computers and analytical biochemistry instruments. Computing devices have served biomedical research not only in mathematical and statistical applications but also in process control functions where the experimental procedures themselves as well as the data are monitored and modified automatically.

Closely associated with the dependence upon instrumentation per se is the dependence upon continuing progress in the design of new instruments and the development of new applications and modifications of existing ones. The recognition of a need for new instruments and applications does not generally occur without an interdisciplinary effort involving biological scientists, physical scientists, and engineers. The opportunities for such interaction are by no means common in most biomedical research institutions. However, the necessary collaborative efforts are aided considerably by the mechanism of research resources devoted to the problems of biomedical instrumentation.

This program has been in existence since July 1962. At the present time support is being provided for 59 centralized resources of which 43 are computer centers, six analytical biochemistry instrumentation, three biological materials, three information sciences, and four biological instrumentation resources. Support will be provided for another computer center which will be activated in 1967.

PROGRAM PLANS IN 1967 AND 1968

The $10,850,000 available in 1967 and an equal amount requested in 1968 will provide continuing support of the existing facilities.

Animal resources

Any innovation-from a life-saving therapeutic procedure to a simple physiological manipulation-cannot be undertaken in man until exhaustively tested in the experimental animal. The rapid growth of biomedical research has imposed a substantial requirement for laboratory animal resources that will provide 'animals of the quality and in the quantity needed by all branches of specialized research. In addition, certain species of animals are becoming increasingly important for the development of model systems and systematic efforts will have to be made to provide such animals in adequate numbers and properly conditioned for experimental use.

Of primary importance is a program of project grants in the special field of laboratory medicine to provide important data and information concerning the major laboratory animal diseases. Such research grants will focus increasingly on improving the health of laboratory animals needed for medical research and research training. Included in the research program would be the acquisition of biomedical and physiological data on laboratory animals, both in normal and diseased states and under various environmental influences. Such information

provides essential background information to the research worker and also provides the basis for improved standards of animal care.

Projects to define and develop new and useful animal biological models for medical research and studies to establish physiological and behavioral base lines on animal strains and species for which information is not now available warrant high priority. Special studies in genetics of laboratory animals must be undertaken to develop and maintain strains with anatomical, physiological, or biochemical variants in order to accelerate progress in major areas such as metabolic diseases, muscular dystrophy, and cancer.

Of equal importance is the need in the laboratory animal field to strengthen institutional laboratory animal resources. Demands made on animal resources by basic and programmed research endeavors and the growing national concern that research animals be given optimal care at all times, made it imperative that all institutions engaged in medical research provide adequate care for research animals. Grants should be made to assist in the initiation of such programs by providing funds for necessary alterations and renovations, for the salaries of key personnel, and for specialized equipment such as animal surgery equipment, anesthesia machines and cage washing facilities. Diagnostic laboratories to assist in the early detection of animal diseases and identification of inapparent infections so disastrous to research studies are essential components of a sound institutional animal resources program.

PROGRAM PLANS IN 1967 AND 1968

The $3,100,000 available in 1967 will provide support for 26 ongoing resources and the establishment of 15 new resources.

New needs resulting from: toxicology studies, heart disease research, leukemia studies, chemotherapy research for the control and treatment of infectious diseases, development of vaccines, and other significant studies are placing greater demands on institutional animal resources.

The passage of PL 89-544, dated August 24, 1966 which provides that certain animals intended for use in research facilities be provided humane care and treatment will require renovation of a large number of institutional facilities to meet the new standards. The $5,100,000 requested for 1968, an increase of $2,000,000 would provide support for 41 ongoing, and an estimated 10 new grants for animal resources including renovation of institutional facilities to meet the new standards.

Primate centers

Essential in the development of knowledge for the prevention and control of disease in man is the ability to gain an understanding of basic physiological and biochemical processes through experimentation on living systems. Since extrapolation from studies with lower animals directly to man is of limited validity and because nonhuman primates are afflicted with diseases similar to those of man, research on primates in many respects, is invaluable as a prelude to clinical investigation in man.

The Primate Centers program was established by the Congress in 1959 to provide optimal facilities and environment in which resident and visiting scientists of many disciplines could conduct research on those human health problems that could best be studied by utilizing the subhuman primate as the biological model.

PROGRAM PLANS IN 1967 AND 1968

Construction of the six regional centers and one national center have now been completed and all have ongoing research programs which are developing as rapidly as available funds will allow. Significant accomplishments have al

ready been realized in infectious disease studies, reproduction and population control, and mental retardation to name only a few. Of equal importance is the rapidity with which information on the colonization, breeding and maintenance of the primate in a research environment is being accumulated and disseminated. In addition, this program is providing previously unavailable leadership in the development of institutional primate resources for support of medical research. As with any developing program there exists a continuing need for increasing support. Construction of all centers has recently been completed and ongoing research programs will now develop more rapidly. The projected estimates, as reflected in the funding for 1967 and 1968 are based on space and facilities now available for occupancy, scientific staff requirements and increasing costs of center operations as the various centers approach a stable level of full activity. Plans in 1967 and 1968 provide for continuation of support of all seven primate centers as follows:

Increased numbers of specialized research personnel are required for the conduct of expanded research programs in laboratory animal science and medicine. At present, there are inadequate numbers of such highly trained individuals. Scientists with demonstrated ability in the laboratory-animal sciences will be encouraged to accept fellowships awarded to pursue special problems in experimental anesthesiology, pathology, virology, primatology, biochemistry, etc., in order to help meet these needs.

PROGRAM PLANS IN 1967 AND 1968

The $100,000 available in 1967 will provide support for ten new special fellowships at the postdoctoral level. The $200,000 requested for 1968 would provide continued support for the ten existing fellowships and eight new fellowships.

The increased use of animals in medical research programs, not only in total numbers, but also in the variety of species, and the attention being focused on the necessity of using animals raised under controlled conditions and of known "pedigree," have resulted in a great demand by medical research institutions for professional support by specialists in laboratory animal medicine. A National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council study group has estimated that approximately 1,100 veterinarians with specialty training in laboratory animal medicine are needed by research institutions whereas presently only approximately 250 are available. This problem has a serious impact on present and future medical research efforts since the task of such people is to insure the ready availability of the appropriate biological model systems with which the investigator can work to study and resolve major medical problems.

PROGRAM PLANS IN 1967 AND 1968

The $250,000 available in 1967 will provide support for seven training grants at the graduate level in the field of laboratory animal medicine. The $318,000 requested in 1968 would support the seven ongoing grants and two new grants providing training to approximately 30 graduate students.

The program will include graduate training in pathology, microbiology, surgery, physiology, genetics, and other specialized fields as they relate to laboratory animals.

This activity supports studies carried out primarily by non-government scientists in cooperation with the scientific staff of this Division. These studies are financed through research contracts-continuing year to year commitments which are renegotiated each year.

PROGRAM PLANS IN 1967 AND 1968

It is anticipated that 13 or 14 contracts will be made in 1967 in the areas of special research resources, Pharmacology-Toxicology information and laboratory animal care.

The increase includes $191,000 for support of the Pharmacology-Toxicology information program to accelerate the development and realization of methodologies and of systems for handling numerical data and other information related to the interactions between living systems, exogenous drugs, and poisons, as well as endogenous chemical compounds. Funds will be used to provide resources for the conduct of studies ranging from exploratory research through preliminary design and testing of modern systems for making accessible to a variety of classes of scientific research workers and other users the already large and rapidly increasing body of information in this area. The remaining $35,000 will provide additional support for contracts for special research resources.

This activity supports the scientific and administrative staff of the Division's special research grant programs, General Research Support programs and the Health Research Facilities construction program. This includes program planning and development; review and evaluation of grant applications for presentation to the National Advisory Research Resources Committee, the National Advisory Council on Health Research Facilities and the National Advisory Health Council; and liaison with applicants, grantees, other components of the NIH, the PHS, advisory bodies, and interested organizations.

The increase requested will provide three positions and $99,000 for assistance in program management.

Included in the net increase is $6,000 for a mandatory increase due to annualization of positions new in 1967 offset by one less day of pay in 1968. There are also increases of $17,000 for centrally furnished services from the "National Institutes of Health management fund."

This activity is responsible for the overall direction, administration, planning, evaluation and data analysis of the several programs of the Division of Research Facilities and Resources. The requested program increase of $35,000 will be used for increased operating costs and support of two positions for program administration.