NIH 1998 Almanac/The Organization/NCRR/
National Center for Research Resources: Important Events in NCRR History
1990--On February 15, Dr. Louis W. Sullivan, Secretary of HHS, approved the merger
of the Division of Research Resources and the Division of Research Services to form the
National Center for Research Resources.
NCRR extramural programs included: Biological Models and Materials Research, Biomedical
Research Support, Biomedical Research Technology, Animal Resources, General Clinical
Research Centers, Research Centers in Minority Institutions, and Research Facilities
Improvement. NCRR intramural resources included: Biomedical Engineering and
Instrumentation Program, Library Branch, Medical Arts and Photography Branch, and the
Veterinary Resources Program.
The center received appropriated funding for the Research Centers in Minority
Institutions (RCMI) Program, which had been previously administred by DRR but funded by
the Office of the Director, NIH, since the program’s inception in l984.
NCRR supported the First Annual Research Centers in Minority Institutions’
International AIDS Symposium focused on AIDS in minority populations in the United States,
Africa, and Latin America.
1991--The Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) Program was established .
The center sponsored a workshop of multidisciplinary experts in structural biology
research which generated recommendations for future directions in the report, Technologies
for the Future: Opportunities and Needs in Structural Biology and Molecular Medicine.
1993--NCRR began the Science Teaching Enhancement Award Program (STEAP), a 2-year
pilot program to create a corps of master teachers to form institutional partnerships that
would improve biology education at the precollege level.
The Institutional Development Award (IDeA) and the Biomedical and Behavioral Research
Facilities program were established, as mandated by the NIH 1993 Revitalization Act.
NCRR discontinued the Biomedical Research Support Grant program.
1994--The Minority K-12 Teachers and High School Students Program was initiated to
replace the Minority High School Student Research Apprentice (MHSSRA) Program.
NCRR convened expert biomedical investigators, academic administrators, and staff to
develop NCRR’s first comprehensive strategic plan, NCRR: A Catalyst for Discovery,
A Plan for the National Center for Research Resources.
The center released Technologies for the Future - Biomedical Computing: A Critical
Tool for Research, describing opportunities in key biomedical computing areas such as
neural systems and biomolecular simulations.
1995--NCRR’s 5th anniversary was marked with a "Partnership for Discovery
Symposium" to highlight biomedical advances accomplished with NCRR support.
The center collaborated with the NIH Office of Research on Minority Health to establish
the Research Infrastructure in Minority Institutions (RIMI) initiative, a demonstration
project to assist nondoctoral degree minority institutions to develop their research
infrastructure, primarily through collaborations with research-intensive universities.
The Report of the Panel to Formulate Recommendations for the GCRC Program was
released.
NCRR reorganized the original seven extramural programs into: Clinical Research;
Comparative Medicine; Biomedical Technology; and Research Infrastructure.
The center established the RCMI Clinical Research Infrastructure Initiative (RCRII) to
enable RCMI-eligible institutions with affiliated medical schools to develop their
clinical research infrastructure.
Three National Gene Vector Laboratories were established with joint funding by NCRR,
NCI, NHLBI, NIDDK, and the Office of AIDS Research.
The NCRR home page was created on the World Wide Web to enhance researchers’
access to information on research resources and other scientific opportunities.
1996--An agreement was formalized between the NIH/NCRR Shared Instrumentation Grant
program and the National Science Foundation’s Multi-user Equipment program to jointly
review and fund single scientific instruments costing more than $500,000.
1997--NCRR published the National Survey of Laboratory Animal Use, Facilities,
and Resources.
The center utilized the R21 grant mechanism for high-risk, innovative, exploratory
development for the first time in Biomedical Technology and the Comparative Medicine
areas.
NCRR’s intramural programs were transferred on October 1 to the NIH Division of
Intramural Research Services within the Office of Research Services.
The "Neuroscience Technology Development Workshop" participants recommended
new scientific opportunities NCRR should pursue in order to develop research resources to
enhance neuroscience research activities.
The NCRR Reporter celebrated its first 20 years of publication, a quarterly
magazine formerly published by DRR as the Reporter.
1998--A comprehensive 5-year strategic plan, NCRR - A Catalyst for Discovery - A
Plan for the National Center for Research Resources: 1998-2003, was published.
The minority clinical associate physician and clinical research scholar career
development elements of the GCRC program were merged into the clinical associate physician
career enhancement opportunity.
NCRR established the NIH Chimpanzee Management Program (ChiMP).
DRR Important Events
1962--On April 13 Dr. Luther L. Terry, PHS Surgeon General, announced the creation
of the Division of Research Facilities and Resources--offically established on June 15.
The Biomedical Research Technology Program began with the transfer of centers for
biomedical computing and bioengineering.
In June the Regional Primate Research Centers transferred from the National Heart
Institute to DRFR.
1967--BRTP funded the first centers in mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic
resonance.
1969--DRFR was renamed the Division of Research Resources and placed into the
Bureau of Health Professions Education and Manpower Training.
1970--DRR was removed from BHME, and became a separate NIH division.
1972--The Minority Biomedical Research Support Program was formed
1975--The NIH director approved a broadened mission for the division and an
internal reorganization.
1979--The BRTP funded the first synchrotron facility for use in x-ray
crystallography by NIH investigators.
1980--The Minority High School Student Research Apprentice Program was begun.
1985--The Research Centers in Minority Institutions Program was established.
The biological models and materials research section was created in the Animal
Resources Program.
1986--The only national laboratory dedicated to biomedical applications of
fluorescence was funded at the University of Illinois.
1987--The Pittsburgh Supercomputer Center was funded.
1988--The Research Facilities Improvement Program was begun.
1989--The biological models and materials resources section of the Animal Resources
Program became the Biological Models and Materials Research Program.
The Minority Biomedical Research Support Program was transferred from DRR to NIGMS.
