Overview

Background

Established in December 2011, The Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (ORIP) is dedicated to supporting research infrastructure and research-related resources programs, and coordinating NIH’s science education efforts. Several programs from the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) and the NIH Office of Science Education were transferred to ORIP, Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives (DPCPSI), NIH Office of the Director.   
Supported by a $308 million budget in FY 2012—ORIP's infrastructure programs are trans-NIH in nature and align with DPCPSI's mission to ensure that NIH effectively addresses and coordinates important areas of emerging scientific opportunities. 
The following is a brief overview of ORIP that includes the programs that have moved to DPCPSI, such as, Division of Comparative Medicine, Division of Construction and Instruments, Science Education and Partnership Awards and the Office of Science Education. 

ORIP's Division of Comparative Medicine supports research and resource activities to develop, characterize and improve animal models for human disease and to diagnose, study, and control diseases of laboratory animals. Additionally, continuous research activities by core scientists at these resource sites generate new knowledge, enhancing the overall value of these resources to the biomedical research community. The Division of Comparative Medicine offers support for individuals, mentors, and institutions intended to enhance the research careers of individuals with D.V.M. or Ph.D. degrees, as well as predoctoral veterinary students.

National Primate Research Centers

The National Primate Research Centers (NPRCs) provide facilities, animals and expertise for investigators using nonhuman primates for biomedical research. In FY 2011, the eight NPRCs facilitated more than 1,000 individual research projects involving approximately 2,000 researchers. The NPRCs support research in all areas of biomedicine, including infectious disease, neurobiology, metabolic disease,reproductive biology, aging and many others. The majority of researchers that use the NPRC physical and intellectual infrastructure are funded by the U.S. Public Health Service, including most of the NIH categorical institutes, the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSAs), and the NIH Clinical Center. The NPRCs also support researchers funded by non-PHS governmental sources such as the Department of Defense, the National Science Foundation and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, as well as researchers funded by foundations and the private sector. Read More

Comparative Medicine Resources

These resources support a broad array of high-quality animal models and biological materials; safeguard the health and welfare of laboratory animals; and provide career training opportunities in specialized areas of translational science. The resources provide rodent models, which are the most widely used model systems in biomedical research. The resources also provide non-mammalian models, which have become increasingly important for biological discovery to gain better understanding of human genetics, disease mechanisms and health.
Zebrafish, Drosophila (fruit flies) and Caenorhabditis elegans (roundworms) have emerged as powerful model organisms due to the availability of a wide array of species-specific genetic techniques, along with their short development times and small sizes. Additionally, at various stages in their development these organisms are transparent, which allows the use of powerful optical techniques that enable precise cellular visualization within the living animal. Because of these attributes, these non-mammalian models also provide opportunities to accelerate the process of drug discovery using high-throughput screening technologies. Such model organism-based assays can screen potential drugs for their ability to correct a defect reflecting a human disease state as well as identify potential undesired clinical effects of a drug. Read More

Disease Models Knowledge Environment

The number and complexity of evolving disease models — naturally occurring, induced, and genetically engineered — is increasing much faster than our ability to effectively access and use the new information to speed life-saving therapies to the clinic. This current state of inefficiency defines a critical need for an innovative information service to provide clinical/translational researchers with direct links to the full spectrum of clinically relevant model systems: animal models, cell culture and molecular reagents. Read More

Construction/Renovation Awards

Prior to 2006, Congress appropriated funds each year for major construction/renovation awards. The terms and conditions for the major construction/renovation awards (those above $500,000) require that ORIP certify that the improved facilities be used for biomedical research for 20 years following the completion of construction. ORIP currently is monitoring more than 350 awards that have not yet reached their 20-year milestone. The total award value for this group is more than $670 million. These major construction awards provide the basic infrastructure critically needed by biomedical researchers funded across all of the ICs at NIH.
The ARRA provided $1 billion to support construction, repair and renovation projects at academic institutions across the nation. One hundred forty-seven awards were made in 44 states, the District of Columbia and in Puerto Rico. ORIP has the responsibility to approve the design documents for each of these awards and to ensure that the awardee institution understands and abides by the complex terms and conditions for these awards. Because of the high visibility and fast timelines for construction imposed by ARRA, ORIP staff are actively engaged in each award. Per ARRA, these awards must be monitored for 10 years following the completion of construction. Read More

Animal Facility Improvement

The purpose of this program is to provide funds to institutions to modernize animal facilities, which benefits biomedical researchers across all of the ICs at NIH. The program awarded $7 million in FY 2011. These awards also must have their construction designs approved by ORIP.

Shared Instrumentation (SIG) and High-End Instrumentation (HEI) Grants

The SIG and HEI Grant Programs provide support for commercial instrumentation that is essential for biomedical researchers but are too expensive to be obtained on regular research grants. These unique, competitive programs provide new generation technologies to NIH-supported investigators, increasing the quality of their funded programs and accelerating a broad array of basic, translational, and clinical research. The programs are especially cost effective since the instruments are shared by an average of 8-10 NIH users.  Read More

Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), more than 450 SIG and HEI grants were awarded, totaling $300 million, for leading-edge shared technologies such as high-powered electron microscopes, high-resolution mass spectrometers and supercomputers. Read More

SEPA funds biomedical and behavioral researchers, educators, community groups and other interested organizations to engage in partnerships to create and disseminate programs that give K-12 students and teachers — as well as the general public — a better understanding of science. Since its inception, SEPA has funded 263 awards nationwide. It is the only source of funding for Informal Science Education (ISE) on health and medicine. FY2011 portfolio includes 59 active projects, 48 K-12 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and 11 ISE projects. Read More

The NIH Office of Science Education (OSE) coordinates science education activities at the NIH and develops and sponsors science education projects in house. These programs serve elementary, secondary, and college students and teachers and the public. Read More

For more information about ORIP programs, contact:

Division of Comparative Medicine
John D. Harding, Ph.D.
Acting Director, Division of Comparative Medicine
Office of Research Infrastructure Programs
Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives
Office of the Director
National Institutes of Health
Telephone: 301-435-0776
Fax: 301-480-3819
E-mail: John.Harding

Division of Construction and Instruments
Construction
Willie D. McCullough, Ph.D.
Program Officer
Division of Construction and Instruments
Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives
Office of the Director
National Institutes of Health
One Democracy Plaza, Room 1008
6701 Democracy Boulevard, MSC 4874
Bethesda, MD 20892-4874 (20817 for express mail)
Tel: 301-435-0783
E-Mail: Willie.McCullough

Instruments
Abraham Levy, Ph.D.
Director, SIG and High End Programs
Division of Construction and Instruments
Office of Research Infrastructure Programs
Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives
Office of the Director
National Institutes of Health
One Democracy Plaza, Room 970
6701 Democracy Boulevard, MSC 4874
Bethesda, Maryland 20892-4874 (20817 for express mail)
Telephone: 301-435-0772
Fax: 301-480-3659
E-mail: Abraham.Levy

Science Education Partnership Award
L. Tony Beck, Ph.D.
Program Officer, Science Education Partnership Award Program
Office of Research Infrastructure Programs
Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives
Office of the Director
National Institutes of Health
One Democracy Plaza, Room 916
6701 Democracy Boulevard, MSC 4874
Bethesda, Maryland 20892-4874 (20817 for express mail)
Telephone: 301-435-0805
Fax: 301-480-3661
E-mail: Tony.Beck

Office of Science Education
Bruce Fuchs, Ph.D.
Director
Office of Science Education
Office of Research Infrastructure Programs
Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives
Office of the Director
National Institutes of Health
6100 Executive Blvd., Suite3E01
MSC 7520
Bethesda, MD 20892-7520
Telephone:  301-402-5225
Fax:  301-402-3034
E-mail:  Bruce.Fuchs