For more information on the Cellular Senescence Network (SenNet) program, visit our website at: https://commonfund.nih.gov/senescence A cell dividing into two cells is a hallmark of human development. Over time, our bodies accumulate a small number of cells that no longer divide. These “senescent” cells are a rare type of cells that play both positive and negative roles in biological processes, either directly or through the release of molecules that affect neighboring cells. The rarity and diversity of these cells previously made them difficult to identify and study, but recent advances in studying individual cells, or single-cell analysis, now make it possible. Therapeutics called “senolytics” are being developed to target senescent cells and remove them from the body, however a deeper understanding of cellular senescence is needed to ensure therapies like senolytics encourage the beneficial effects of senescent cells while suppressing their tissue-damaging effects. For this reason, the Common Fund’s Cellular Senescence Network (SenNet) program was established to comprehensively identify and characterize the differences in senescent cells across the body, across various states of human health, and across the lifespan. SenNet will develop innovative tools and technologies for the study of senescent cells and provide publicly accessible maps and atlases of senescent cells. These data and resources would otherwise be difficult to achieve through individual efforts, and will accelerate the ability of biomedical researchers to develop therapeutics that target cellular senescence and improve human health.

For more information on the Somatic Cell Genome Editing program, visit our website at: https://commonfund.nih.gov/editing Follow this link for an audio described version of this video: https://youtu.be/gwfcOImbArc Thousands of human diseases are caused by changes, or mutations, to the body's DNA. What if we could treat all these diseases by diving into our living cells to correct the mistakes? The Somatic Cell Genome Editing program aims to make that happen. Recently, researchers have made great progress in correcting DNA mutations using a technique called genome editing, and the first tests of genome editing for human diseases are starting. However, there are still some challenges to achieve safe and effective genome editing in patient cells. The Somatic Cell Genome Editing, or SCGE, program was launched by the NIH Common Fund to develop quality tools to perform safe and effective genome editing in human patients. The SCGE program will make more genome editing tools available to researchers to develop better packages to deliver the tools to the right cells, design new tests for the safety and efficacy of genome editing, and make all of the information available to the scientific community to drive future discoveries and cures for patients.

The SPARC Plug Tools & Tech video series features SPARC-funded research tools and technologies. In our eighth video, learn about a biosensor called Urological MOnitor of Conscious Activity (UroMOCA) that SPARC researchers are developing to help improve therapies for bladder dysfunction by providing a reproducible way to assess health and bladder function. UroMOCA is one of the many tools and technologies being developed by SPARC researchers to help advance therapies that manipulate peripheral nerves and their electrical signals to improve treatment of diseases and conditions such as hypertension, bladder dysfunction, type II diabetes, and more. Learn more about SPARC-funded research projects at https://go.usa.gov/xyFmD The SPARC program is a trans-NIH effort managed by the NIH Common Fund in the Office of the Director and supported by NIBIB, NINDS, NIDDK, and NCATS. Learn more about the NIH SPARC program at https://go.usa.gov/xyFmQ and access SPARC data and tools at sparc.science. Keep up with the latest news by following our YouTube (@sparc.science), Facebook (@NIHCommonFund), and Twitter (@NIH_CommonFund and @sparc_science) accounts.

The SPARC Plug Tools & Tech video series features SPARC-funded research tools and technologies. In our seventh video, learn about a biosensor called Fecobionics that SPARC researchers are developing to help improve therapies for gastrointestinal disorders by providing a reproducible way to assess health and intestinal function. Fecobionics is one of the many tools and technologies being developed by SPARC researchers to help advance therapies that manipulate peripheral nerves and their electrical signals to improve treatment of diseases and conditions such as hypertension, gastrointestinal disorders, type II diabetes, and more. Learn more about SPARC-funded research projects at https://go.usa.gov/xyFmD The SPARC program is a trans-NIH effort managed by the NIH Common Fund in the Office of the Director and supported by NIBIB, NINDS, NIDDK, and NCATS. Learn more about the NIH SPARC program at https://go.usa.gov/xyFmQ and access SPARC datasets, maps, and more at sparc.science. Keep up with the latest news by following our YouTube (@sparc.science), Facebook (@NIHCommonFund), and Twitter (@NIH_CommonFund and @sparc_science) accounts.

The 4D Nucleome (4DN) Program is exploring the 3D organization of the DNA in the nucleus and how the organization changes over time (the fourth dimension). Exploring the 4D organization of DNA requires developing new tools to observe differences in the organization of DNA between different cells and how the organization in the nucleus of a single cell changes over time. Understanding the dynamic 4D organization of DNA will help researchers determine how changes in nuclear organization affect which genes are turned on and off and how abnormal nuclear organization interrupts cell development and function to cause human disease. The 4DN Program is working to allow the biomedical research community to identify new targets for treatment of human diseases that are caused by abnormal nuclear organization. The 4DN program is a trans-NIH effort managed by the NIH Common Fund in the Office of the Director and supported by NCI, NIDDK, NIGMS, CSR, NIA, NHGRI, NHLBI, NIAAA, NINDS, NIDA, NIMH, and NIEHS. For more information visit https://commonfund.nih.gov/4dnucleome

The SPARC program is a trans-NIH effort managed by the NIH Common Fund in the Office of the Director and supported by NIBIB, NINDS, NCCIH, NIDDK, and NCATS. In stage one of the program, SPARC supported the development of new tools and technologies, mapped the connections among a variety of different nerves and organ systems, and created a rich public resource (the SPARC Portal, available at sparc.science, that provides scientists with cutting-edge information and tools for advancing bioelectronic medicine. Building on these accomplishments, in stage two of the program SPARC will focus on the anatomy and functional connectivity of the human vagus nerve (SPARC-V), build a new ecosystem of open-specification neuromodulation device components (SPARC-O), challenge the innovator community to develop targeted therapies (SPARC-X), and will continue to share data and digital resources through the SPARC Portal. Learn about the NIH SPARC program and what the program is doing to improve public health. For more information, visit our website at https://commonfund.nih.gov/sparc.

The NIH Common Fund’s Bridge to Artificial Intelligence program (Bridge2AI) aims to bridge the gap between biomedical and behavioral research and artificial intelligence (AI). Learn how this exciting new program will bring together diverse teams to generate tools, resources, and richly detailed AI-ready data that is accurate, reliable, and ethically sourced. The program will also create training materials, best practices, and activities to support workforce development across different research communities. Find out more at our website: https://commonfund.nih.gov/bridge2ai. Sign up for our listserv: https://list.nih.gov/cgi-bin/wa.exe?A0=nih-bridge2ai-info. And follow us on social media at: @NIH_CommonFund, #Bridge2AI.

NIH staff discussed the Human Virome program and answered questions about the funding opportunities, application, and review process. For further assistance, prospective applications should contact the Human Virome program staff at HumanVirome@od.nih.gov. A list of frequently asked questions is also available on the program website at https://commonfund.nih.gov/human-virome-frequently-asked-questions.

To advance the science of health disparities and advance health equity research, the NIH Common Fund launched the Community Partnerships to Advance Science for Society (ComPASS) Program. ComPASS researchers study ways to address the underlying structural factors within communities that affect health, such as access to safe spaces, healthy food, employment opportunities, transportation, and quality health care. Unlike traditional research studies, ComPASS projects are led by community organizations that collaborate with academic researchers and other community partners. ComPASS aims to enable research into sustainable solutions that promote health equity to create lasting change in communities across the nation. Find out more at our website: https://commonfund.nih.gov/compass Sign up for our listserv: https://list.nih.gov/cgi-bin/wa.exe?SUBED1=CFCOMPASS_LISTSERV&A=1

On September 6, 2023, NIH staff held a Technical Assistance webinar to provide more information for potential applicants to learn more about the notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) RFA-RM-23-012: Community Partnerships to Advance Science for Society (ComPASS): Health Equity Research Hubs (UC2 Clinical Trial Optional). For more information about the NIH Common Fund ComPASS program, visit: https://commonfund.nih.gov/compass

As part of the DS-I Africa Symposium, this session addressed emerging opportunities and challenges in the application of Data Science and Informatics technologies in various biomedical domains. It also highlighted some key challenges in the areas of data mining, data quality, standards for various types of data, in addition to addressing how cutting-edge data analytics, predictive modeling and Machine Learning, and methods for simulations can advance human health in Africa. Moderator: Darrell Hurt, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health (NIH) Geetha Senthil, National Institute of Mental Health, NIH Panelists: Abdoulaye Banire Diallo, University of Quebec-Montreal (UQAM) Elaine Nsoesie, Boston University Geoffrey Siwo, University of Notre Dame Dina Machuve, Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology Moustapha Cisse, Google AI

In this Technical Assistance video, NIH staff provide information for potential applicants to learn more about the notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) RFA-RM-23-012: Community Partnerships to Advance Science for Society (ComPASS): Health Equity Research Hubs (UC2 Clinical Trial Optional).

NIH program and review staff discuss funding opportunity RFA-RM-23-004 and answer questions about the application and review process during this pre-application interactive Q&A webinar. This recording has audio descriptions. You can find a non audio-described version of the webinar here: https://youtu.be/qjTPAZSFLwQ

NIH program and review staff discuss funding opportunity RFA-RM-23-006 and answer questions about the application and review process during this pre-application interactive Q&A webinar. This recording has audio descriptions. You can find a non audio-described version of the webinar here: https://youtu.be/pExOK168TF0

NIH program and review staff discuss funding opportunity RFA-RM-23-007 and answer questions about the application and review process during this pre-application interactive Q&A webinar. This recording has audio descriptions. You can find a non audio-described version of the webinar here: https://youtu.be/APxnmjkkorI