The Center for Integration of Medicine and Innovative Technology (CIMIT) encourages entrepreneurial innovation through programs and strategic initiatives. With funding from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Engineering (NIBIB), for the Point-of-Care Technologies Research Network (POCTRN), CIMIT is working to create a national center without walls to rapidly transform emerging Point-of-Care (POC) technologies into viable clinically focused solutions to improve primary health care.
Each year, CMIT issues a call for proposals to address unmet needs as defined by the primary care community. In 2014, CIMIT announced their annual “Point-of-Care Technology Research Networks in Primary Care Awards Competition” looking for collaborative research projects to develop novel POC technologies to improve patient care in primary care settings.
The 2014 call for proposals seeks breakthrough disruptive innovations that can transform clinic efficiency, workflow, or improve the patient/provider experience. The goal is to have clinical test results available at the time of the in-office or virtual primary care visit.
This will mean that POC testing from drops of blood or other body fluids or from non-invasive non-chemical means will be able to support clinical decision-making without testing delays or the inconvenience of off-site laboratory testing and follow-up.
Priority will be given to micro-volume chemistry tests that are not currently available such as a complete blood count with differential, chemistry panels, thyroid screening, and testing for cardiac biomarkers.
Microfluidic and nanotechnology platforms capable of providing a broad array of test results are welcome. Nonchemical sampling techniques such as optical or sonic methods or other physical modalities to expand the capabilities of primary care practices to deliver care will be considered.
Eligible Principal Investigators must hold a faculty appointment at an institution of higher education or medical center in the U.S. Collaboration with CIMIT consortium investigators is encouraged but not required.
Investigators may request costs up to $100,000 direct per proposal. Indirect costs will be provided at the federally negotiated rate of up to 74 percent. The duration of the award is expected to be one year.
The timeline for the 2014 competition submission is March 31, 2014 for pre-proposals, full proposals will be invited April 21, 2014, deadline for full proposals will be June 2, 2014, and award finalists will be notified October 2014. If the projects are successful, than perhaps the projects will be viable candidates for commercial development.
For more information, go to https://www.cimit.org/poctrn.html. For questions, email Steven Schachter, MD. at CIMITGrants@partners.org.