Foundation for the National Institutes of Health

The Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) charitable organization established by the US Congress in 1990. Located in North Bethesda, MD, the FNIH raises private-sector funds, and creates and manages alliances with public and private institutions in support of the mission of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Foundation for the National Institutes of Health
AbbreviationFNIH
Formation1990
TypeNot-for-profit, charitable organization
HeadquartersNorth Bethesda, MD, United States
Chief Executive Officer
Julie Gerberding
Revenue$53,818,891[1] (in 2019)
Expenses$67,424,608[1] (in 2019)
Websitefnih.org

Research programs

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The FNIH collaborates on biomedical research programs to advance breakthrough scientific discoveries. Research partnerships include:

  • Accelerating COVID-19 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines (ACTIV):[2] a public–private partnership led by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and coordinated by the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) to develop a research strategy for prioritizing and speeding development of the most promising COVID-19 vaccines and COVID-19 treatments. ACTIV brings together NIH with the United States Department of Health and Human Services agencies, including the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA); other government agencies, including the Department of Defense (DOD) and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA); the European Medicines Agency (EMA); and representatives from academia, philanthropic organizations and biopharmaceutical companies including Pfizer, Roche and Takeda.[3]
  • Accelerating Medicines Partnership:[4][5][6] brings together the resources of the NIH and industry to improve the understanding of disease pathways and facilitate better selection of targets for treatment. Through the partnership, research programs have been established across major disease areas including Alzheimer's disease, Type 2 diabetes and immune-mediated disorders (rheumatoid arthritis/lupus).
  • Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI):[7][8][9] helps manage the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), a public-private partnership that has identified and validated biological markers that indicate its onset and progression. The study tracks volunteers at clinical sites with normal cognition, mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease to create a widely-available database of imaging, biochemical and genetic data, which can lay the groundwork for Alzheimer's discoveries.
  • Biomarkers Consortium:[10][11] a public-private biomedical research partnership managed by the FNIH. Launched in 2006, the BC seeks regulatory approval for biological markers to support new drug development, preventive medicine and medical diagnostics.
  • Grand Challenges in Global Health Initiative & Continued Vector Research:[12] The FNIH combats mosquito-borne disease through an extension of the Grand Challenges in Global Health initiative, which was supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In ongoing partnership with the Foundation, the FNIH continues work through programs such as Vector-based Control of Transmission: Discovery Research (VCTR) and Support Functions for Development of New Technologies for Controlling Transmission of Mosquito-Borne Diseases.[13]

Fundraising

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The FNIH's largest donor is the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which has donated over $10 million from 2001-2020.[14] Other large donors include Eli Lilly and Company, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer and Wellcome Trust, who each have contributed between $5,000,000 and $9,999,999.[14]

COVID-19

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The FNIH Pandemic Response Fund was established to provide financial support to COVID-19 pandemic response efforts led by Francis Collins, then-director of the NIH, and Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).[15]

Education and training programs

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The FNIH supports education and training programs by raising funds for fellows and early-career researchers who are working to advance biomedical science.[16] An example of this is the Medical Research Scholars Program (MRSP),[17] which provides one-year of intensive training for medical, dental and veterinary students on the NIH campus with mentorship from top scientists.

Awards and events

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The FNIH organizes lectures, awards and events to promote innovative thinking and develop a broader public understanding of biomedical science. The Lurie Prize in Biomedical Sciences is one example. This $100,000 award, made possible by a donation from the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Foundation, recognizes outstanding achievement by a young scientist in biomedical research.[18]

Patient support programs

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The FNIH supports programs that provide comfort and assistance to patients receiving treatment at the NIH Clinical Center and their families. For example, the FNIH supports the Edmond J. Safra Family Lodge,[19] which offers accommodations to adult patients receiving care at the NIH Clinical Center and their families at no cost to them.

Leadership

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The FNIH is led by Chief Executive Officer, Julie Gerberding.[20]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Foundation for the National Institutes of Health Inc". Charity Navigator. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  2. ^ "ACTIV". National Institutes of Health (NIH). Retrieved 2021-01-26.
  3. ^ "ACTIV Public-Private Partnership" (PDF). National Institutes of Health. 2022-03-02. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-04-02. Retrieved 2022-04-02.
  4. ^ "Statement by the President on the Accelerated Medicine Partnership". The White House. 4 February 2014. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  5. ^ Reardon, Sara (4 February 2014). "Pharma firms join NIH on drug development". Nature. doi:10.1038/nature.2014.14672. S2CID 167745943. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  6. ^ "Accelerating Medicines Partnership". National Institutes of Health. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  7. ^ Weiner, Michael (July 2015). "Impact of the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, 2004 to 2014". Alzheimer's & Dementia. 11 (7): 865–884. doi:10.1016/j.jalz.2015.04.005. PMC 4659407. PMID 26194320.
  8. ^ Kolata, Gina (12 August 2010). "Sharing of Data Leads to Progress on Alzheimer's". The New York Times. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  9. ^ Liu, Enchi (April 2015). "Perspective: The Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative and the role and contributions of the Private Partner Scientific Board (PPSB)". Alzheimer's & Dementia. 11 (7): 840–849. doi:10.1016/j.jalz.2015.04.001. PMID 26194317. S2CID 13611232.
  10. ^ Wholley, David (31 October 2014). "The Biomarkers Consortium". Nature Reviews Drug Discovery. 13 (11): 791–792. doi:10.1038/nrd4439. PMID 25359363. S2CID 11595805. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  11. ^ "Developing an Evidentiary Standards". U.S. Food & Drug Administration. 17 April 2016. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  12. ^ "2914 Awarded Grants". Grand Challenges. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  13. ^ "Malaria Strategy Overview". Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  14. ^ a b "2020 Donors". FNIH 2020 Annual Report. Archived from the original on 2022-04-02. Retrieved 2022-04-06.
  15. ^ "Pandemic Response Fund Donation Form". The Foundation for the National Institutes of Health. Archived from the original on 2022-04-02. Retrieved 2022-04-02.
  16. ^ Gallin, John (December 2016). "Outcomes From the NIH Clinical Research Training Program: A Mentored Research Experience to Enhance Career Development of ClinicianScientists". Academic Medicine. 91 (12): 1684–1690. doi:10.1097/acm.0000000000001245. PMC 5501747. PMID 27224296.
  17. ^ "Medical Research Scholars Program". National Institutes of Health. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  18. ^ Lurie Prize in Biomedical Sciences | the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health
  19. ^ "The Edmond J. Safra Family Lodge at NIH". National Institutes of Health. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  20. ^ Dr. Julie Gerberding Named Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health | the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, March 2022