NINDS Request for Information on Stroke Research Priorities

Notice Number: NOT-NS-12-009

Release Date: May 9, 2012
Response Due Date: June 30, 2012

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)

The purpose of this time-sensitive Request for Information (RFI) is to seek input from the broad stroke research community on the most important needs and promising opportunities for the advancement of stroke research. This RFI is part of a larger community-based stroke research planning effort, which has involved a comprehensive review of research advances and new or unmet needs that have emerged over the last five years, and which will lead to the development of a focused set of recommendations for overarching stroke research priorities to be addressed over the next 5 - 10 years.

Background:

The mission of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) is to reduce the burden of neurological disease. The NINDS accomplishes its mission by advancing basic, translational and clinical research in all of the diseases under its purview so that important discoveries can be applied to improve public health. To facilitate continued advancement of stroke research at all levels from basic discovery to treatment development and clinical application, NINDS is leading a stroke research planning effort in order to identify the most promising opportunities for the field over the next 5 10 years.

Representing the first stage of this planning effort, the Stroke Progress Review Group (SPRG) has completed a final review of recent stroke research advances and identified new and unmet needs moving forward in each of 16 different research subtopics. The SPRG has been a valuable resource for the community during the past decade, providing the first comprehensive assessment in 2001 and an interim report in 2006, and most recently the final report which will continue to guide research efforts in the coming years. In the current fiscally challenging budget climate, however, it is important to identify opportunities for which significant, community-based effort and focus could lead to major advances in stroke research across the continuum from prevention to treatment to rehabilitation. Therefore, the second phase of this planning effort will involve a discussion among a wide range of stakeholders to help the Institute develop a focused set of priorities for the stroke research community and NINDS to address together over the next 5-10 years.

Information requested:

This RFI invites input on priorities for the stroke research community to address over the next 5-10 years. The priorities should represent cross-cutting research opportunities that have a high probability of leading to a major advance in our biologic understanding or treatment of the disease.

Identify and provide your input on up to three high priority stroke research efforts that if completed over the next 5-10 years would lead to major advances in stroke science. We are interested in basic, translational, and/or clinical research areas as well as approaches that cut across these areas. Please note that you do not need to be a stroke specialist to respond, and we welcome input from related disciplines.

Your input will be used by the planning panel during their consideration of the research priorities. For each topic submitted, please comment on these five elements:

a) Description The challenge, opportunity or research question for the stroke field to address, and indicate its relevance to one or more of the following three areas: prevention, acute treatment, or recovery and rehabilitation.

b) Rationale The background or scientific evidence that forms the basis for this research topic/question.

c) Readiness Whether the opportunity or challenge is primed for action now and what the expected deliverables would be after a 5-10 year effort (considering strategic advantages of the current state of the science, infrastructure capacity, new technologies, new discoveries, etc.), or if this is a newer area of science that needs to be further developed now because of its great potential for high scientific payoff in the future (i.e. high risk/high reward, but longer time frame).

d) Impact -- The immediate and long-term impacts that accomplishment in this area or answering this stroke research question would have on the science and on public health. This can include justifying why this is a national stroke research priority.

e) Approach -- Potential approach or study design to pursue the scientific opportunity (team science, centers of excellence, science challenge, prospective randomized trial, epidemiologic study, prospective data collection without randomization, etc.). Include who in the research community would need to become engaged, and whether existing infrastructure or research capacity is sufficient or would need to be developed. Also indicate any barriers that need to be overcome to allow this area to move forward and suggest strategies for addressing them.

General information:

Note: All of the following fields are optional. Proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should not be included in your response.

1. Please identify the nature of your interest in stroke research (i.e. are you a biomedical or clinical researcher, a member of an advocacy or community group, an interested member of the public, or other?).

2. If you are an investigator, please indicate your career level and main area of research interest, including whether the focus is clinical or basic research.

3. If you are a member of a particular advocacy or professional organization, please indicate the name and primary focus of the organization (i.e. research support, patient care, etc.) and whether you are responding on behalf of your organization (if not, please indicate your position within the organization).

4. Please provide your name and email address.

Responses:

To assure consideration, your responses must be received by June 30, 2012. Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically using the web-based format at http://www.ninds.nih.gov/strokerfi.

Responses to this RFI are voluntary. The comments collected will be analyzed and considered in planning and development of future initiatives. Any personal identifiers will be removed when responses are compiled. Proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should not be included in your response. This Request for Information (RFI) is for planning purposes only and is not a solicitation for applications or an obligation on the part of the United States (U.S.) Government to provide support for any ideas identified in response to it. Please note that the U.S. Government will not pay for the preparation of any comment submitted or for its use of that comment.

Please direct all inquiries to:

Katie Pahigiannis, Ph.D.
NINDS Office of Science Policy and Planning
National Institutes of Health
Phone: 301-496-9172
katie.pahigiannis@nih.gov