NIAID Evaluates inSORS Grid with Ongoing Pilot

NIH division to aid in biodefense research

January 10 , 2005

(Bethesda, Maryland) The National Institute for Allergies and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), a division of the National Institutes of Health has chosen the inSORS Grid platform for a multi-site pilot. The NIAID is managing a high profile grant for research into biodefense techniques. This research information will be then disseminated to first responders in the field in the event of a biological attack on US soil. Currently there are 8 Regional Centers of Excellence (RCEs) being funded with plans for two more to come online in 2005. Each RCE has multiple institutions taking part in the research and the inSORS Grid solution will be used as a collaboration tool to bring the distributed entities together for regular conferences and project meetings. The result will be a more timely decision making process. The RCE program’s primary role is to foster the physical and intellectual environments in which wide-ranging research on infectious diseases can proceed productively and safely.

RCE main roles include:

• Support investigator-directed research
• Train researchers and other personnel for biodefense research activities
• Create and maintain supporting resources, including scientific equipment and trained support personnel, for use by the RCEs and other researchers in the region
• Emphasize research focused on development and testing of vaccine, therapeutic and diagnostic concepts
• Make available core facilities to approved investigators from academia, government, biotech companies and the pharmaceutical industry
• Provide facilities and scientific support to first responders in the event of a national biodefense emergency

For more information on the inSORS Grid and related offerings please contact Brian Gleason at bgleason@insors.com or visit www.insors.com.