Key Dates

Related Announcements

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Issued by

National Eye Institute (NEI)

Purpose

The purpose of this notice is to inform potential applicants that the National Eye Institute (NEI) strongly encourages the use of common formats for files and metadata standards when incorporating ocular imaging in applications. This applies to both Clinical and Nonclinical research applications submitted in response to Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO) when NEI is the issuing or participating organization. 

Today’s research and clinical communities have access to a wide spectrum of biologic, imaging, clinical, and population health data, creating the potential for unprecedented breakthroughs leveraging computational advancements. This multimodal data provides exciting new opportunities in vision and medical research to study the macroscopic, microscopic, and molecular features in the eye associated with both eye and systemic health and disease. However, realizing this potential will require data standardization (i.e., converting data into a standard format that computers can use and share), interoperability (i.e., the ability to integrate two or more datasets), and access to all raw data and metadata. In many situations, current ocular imaging devices do not meet these standards.

Investigators submitting applications to NEI are strongly encouraged to propose the use of common formats for files and metadata standards when using ocular imaging in their research approach (e.g., demographics, device details, and discrete measurements of imaging findings). For example, Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) is a common standard used for medical imaging devices that defines the formats and accompanying data. Alternative standards may be proposed if they conform to the necessary requirements needed for effective data sharing. Widespread adoption of standards will greatly enhance the field by enabling digital workflow, allowing the sharing of large datasets, and creating large training sets for artificial intelligence-based research.

This policy is effective upon publication of this notice.

Inquiries

Please direct all inquiries to:

Amberlynn A. Reed, MPH 
National Eye Institute (NEI)
Telephone: 301-503-1050
Email: amberlynn.reed@nih.gov or neiodshi@nei.nih.gov