Notice Number: NOT-MH-08-007
Key Dates
Release Date: March 27, 2008
Issued by
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), (http://www.nimh.nih.gov/)
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) issues this notice to announce its support of and encouragement to grantees of NIMH-supported clinical research studies to collect and bank bio-specimens (e.g., DNA, RNA, whole blood, and/or serum) and phenotypic information from all consenting subjects. An example of a current banking resource that might be utilized, may be found at the Center for Collaborative Genetic Studies on Mental Disorders, http://nimhgenetics.org.
NIH considers the sharing of unique research resources that are developed through NIH-sponsored research to be an important means to enhance the value and further the advancement of the research. When resources have been developed with NIH funds and the associated research findings published or provided to NIH, it is important that they be made readily available for research purposes to qualified individuals within the scientific community. (For example: see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/gwas/)
The collection and banking of bio-specimens from consenting subjects will provide a cost effective approach to building the infrastructure for genetic and other molecular analyses of mental illnesses and will provide a significant opportunity for scientific discovery, paving the way to more effective treatments and ultimately personalized cures for mental disorders.
For the NIH definition of clinical research see: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398_ver0406/instructions/p2_human_subjects_definitions.htm.
Inquiries
Inquiries may be directed to:
Thomas Lehner, Ph.D.
Division of Neuroscience and Basic Behavioral Science
National Institute of Mental Health
6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 7190, MSC 9643
Bethesda, MD 20892-9643
Telephone: (301) 443-9869
FAX: (301) 402-4740
Email: [email protected]
and Human Services (HHS)
