"These new Centers provide a vehicle for scientists in CAM institutions to partner with established investigators in conventional research institutions to conduct rigorous exploratory and developmental research projects on CAM," said Margaret A. Chesney, Ph.D., NCCAM Deputy Director. "The DCRC is one of three types of NCCAM Research Centers that will offer research flexibility, promote collaboration, and expand NCCAM's research program," she added.
The purpose of the DCRC initiative is to:
The first two 3-year grants in the DCRC initiative have been awarded to:
These first two DCRCs demonstrate dynamic and committed partnerships between CAM and conventional institutions. This program is also expected to develop and strengthen preliminary CAM research studies that will lead to the submission of competitive R01 grant applications to NIH, the benchmark for a mature research program.
The DCRC is one of three new NCCAM research center programs. They were implemented following the review of the NCCAM centers program by an expert panel in 2002. The panel reviewed the original CAM centers that were established shortly after creation of NCCAM in 1999. Based on the lessons learned from these first centers, and in response to the evolving opportunities and challenges in CAM research, the expert panel recommended a more diverse platform of approaches to support research centers and a sharpened focus on their pursuit of original science. In response to these recommendations, NCCAM designed the following three new programs to build its next generation of research centers:
Announcements of awards for the latter two new programs will be made separately.
"The creation of these first Developmental Research Centers will be viewed as a transforming event in the national CAM research agenda," said Stephen E. Straus, M.D., NCCAM Director. "In forging alliances in which the perspectives of CAM practitioners and those of seasoned investigators are melded into robust research teams, we are pursuing our goal of a more integrated approach to medicine."
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is dedicated to exploring complementary and alternative healing practices in the context of rigorous science, training CAM researchers, and disseminating authoritative information to the public and professionals. For additional information, call NCCAM's Clearinghouse toll free at 1-888-644-6226 or visit the NCCAM Web site at www.nccam.nih.gov .