Research Resources

Science Serving People: Your One-Stop Shop
for NCI Information

Newly designed web portal helps researchers and the public
sift through NCI information

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) website (http://www.cancer.gov) contains an abundance of cancer-related information, including research news, grant updates, funding information, and general cancer information. Navigating this comprehensive resource just got a little easier, thanks to Science Serving People, http://www.cancer.gov/aboutnci/servingpeople, a newly updated portal on the NCI website. This portal is designed to make the latest research findings, budgetary information, and advocacy efforts more accessible to the general public by placing the information in one location.

Visitors to the Science Serving People site can easily obtain a wealth of local information including cancer incidence in their state and county. They can also search for nearby clinical trials, including CAM trials. NCI budgetary information is also available — users can see a snapshot of how federal funds are allocated throughout the NCI and how money is distributed for research on specific types of cancers. Through the Science Serving People portal, visitors are directed to updates on NCI’s advocacy efforts, such as cancer-related hearings, laws, and resolutions being debated in Congress. Science Serving People also includes several educational pages. For instance, there is a page devoted to helping the public understand cancer statistics. The website also provides a guide explaining how cancer research works — from initial lab studies to clinical trials involving patients.

Science Serving People can be a useful site for researchers and healthcare providers, as well as for the public. For example, healthcare professionals are able to view tutorials about targeted therapies for breast cancer, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma. The “Cancer Research in Your Community” section of the portal can inform researchers and healthcare providers of NCI partnerships and networks around the country. Overall, the Science Serving People website is a comprehensive overview of NCI’s many functions and should help researchers and the public learn more about their National Cancer Institute.

New NIH Extramural Research Office Blog Provides Researchers with Latest Grant Information

The Office of Extramural Research (OER) is known by potential and current grantees as a valuable resource for grant-related information. Everything from submission dates, to funding announcements, to tips and tools for submitting a grant are available at the OER website. While this site is surely bookmarked on researchers’ computers around the country and world, it can be difficult to parse out the newest information from what is standard fare. Navigating any website can be a challenge, but when the future of your research is on the line, you want to make sure you’re getting all the latest news and topics in a timely manner.

Enter the new OER blog, Rock Talk, eponymously named after OER’s Deputy Director for Extramural Research, Dr. Sally Rockey. Rock Talk, http://nexus.od.nih.gov/all/rock-talk/,aims to educate its audience by “helping you understand the NIH perspective, describing key events and policies, responding to concerns we [OER] are hearing from the extramural community, and allowing you to comment.” The blog is a mix of information on funding announcements, grant scoring, upcoming events, and policy and procedural information for researchers and those looking for grant funding. Comments are open on most posts and lively discussions always follow. Rock Talk gives members of NIH and the larger researcher community around the country the ability to sound off on their thoughts about NIH policies. Dr. Rockey even responds to comments occasionally.

Highlights from the blog include:

• Family-Friendly Policies Apply to All Grants
• Correlation Between Overall Impact Scores and Criterion Scores
• Paylines, Percentiles and Success Rates

The blog posts are written in an easy-to-understand format that helps clarify some complexities of the grant-application process. Overall, the blog is a tremendous resource for researchers and those looking for funding. It gives frank information while allowing the opportunity to comment. Learn more at the Rock Talk blog, and by signing up to receive the NIH Extramural Nexus email: https://list.nih.gov/cgi-bin/wa.exe?SUBED1=extramuralnexus&A=1.

Extreme Makeover: Newly redesigned OCCAM Extramural Research Program website provides better access to funding information

OCCAM has recently reorganized its Extramural Research Program (ERP) website. The site is the main avenue within the OCCAM website for learning about funding opportunities, grant application information, and guidance for navigating the NIH grants funding system.

Website visitors can find vast information about NCI’s funded research, exciting research results, and even a list of frequently asked questions. Tools for researchers are also available in an easy-to-read chart that organizes research tools by Institute (e.g. NCI, NCCIH, ODS).

Contact information for OCCAM’s Program Officer, Dan Xi, Ph.D. is also available. Dr. Xi oversees several NCI CAM-funded projects; works with potential grantees helping to align their priorities with the most relevant NCI funding mechanisms for their research; and provides general technical help and support. There are several divisions within NCI, each of which has some CAM research in its portfolio. Dr. Xi can work with the potential grantee to find a funding opportunity that works for them. More information is available on the new ERP website and you can contact OCCAM directly at ncioccam1-r@mail.nih.gov.