INTEGRATED ADVANCED INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS NIH GUIDE, Volume 21, Number 29, August 14, 1992 PA NUMBER: PA-92-100 P.T. 34 Keywords: Information Science/Systems National Library of Medicine PURPOSE The National Library of Medicine (NLM) wishes to provide planning and implementation grants to health science institutions that seek assistance in integrating their existing scattered databases and information systems into a comprehensive networked institutional information management system capable of serving clinical, research, educational, and administrative needs. The Integrated Advanced Information Management Systems (IAIMS) program described in this Program Announcement (PA) is a substantially revised version of the NLMs existing IAIMS program, first announced in 1982. HEALTHY PEOPLE 2000 The Public Health Service (PHS) is committed to achieving the health promotion and disease prevention objectives of "Healthy People 2000," a PHS-led national activity for setting priority areas. This PA, Integrated Advanced Information Management Systems, is related to the priority area of surveillance and data systems. Potential applicants may obtain a copy of "Healthy People 2000" (Full Report: Stock No. 017-001-00474-0 or Summary Report: Stock No. 017-001-00473-1) through the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402-9325 (telephone 202-783-3238). ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS Applicants may be hospitals and medical centers, academic health science centers, and other appropriate health science organizations. Institutions that have received funding for Phase III "old" IAIMS projects may apply for other grant programs of the NLM, but are not eligible for "new" IAIMS support. All others, including those that have applied for IAIMS funding in the past, may apply to the revised program. MECHANISM OF SUPPORT The mechanism of support for this PA is the medical library resource grant (G08). This grant mechanism only funds direct costs. PROGRAM OBJECTIVES Background In 1983 the NLM initiated an award program to provide "assistance to medical centers and health science institutions for planning and development projects leading to the implementation of Integrated Academic Information Management Systems (IAIMS)." The program announcement went on to say, "IAIMS are institution-wide computer networks that link and relate library systems with individual and institutional databases and information files, within and external to the institution, for patient care, research, education, and administration. The goal is to create an organizational mechanism within health institutions to more effectively manage the knowledge of medicine, and to provide for a system of comprehensive information access." During the next decade over seventy institutions applied for IAIMS grants in one or another of the 3 defined phases, and through FY 1991 26 awards had been made to 16 institutions. The importance of information management today is as great as ever, but the program elements as originally defined by NLM deserve re-evaluation. Lessons have been learned from a decade of experience; furthermore, the climate has changed significantly as a number of institutions made extensive investments in information systems in recent years; most importantly, the advent of the High Performance Computing and Communications Initiative (HPCC) has dramatically enriched the possibilities of information transfer, while increasing the complexity of information management. The NLM is the lead biomedical organization in the federal Government's HPCC initiative. The HPCC program recognizes "that unprecedented computational power and its creative use are needed to investigate and understand a wide range of scientific and engineering `grand challenge' problems." (1) Some of the problems identified are of obvious interest to biomedicine: National Research and Education Network (NREN), biotechnology, transmission of digital images, intelligent gateways to retrieve information from several life sciences databases, and innovations in educational techniques, among others. Accordingly, NLM is revising its IAIMS program with: o A name change: replacing "academic" with "advanced" recognizes the wide applicability of the IAIMS concept and the need to incorporate new technology o Fusion of the old phases II and III (model and implementation) into one operational phase o Changes in the level of support o Some modification of the scope and conditions of the grant o Incorporation of HPCC into the NLM vision of an integrated information management system. The Integrated Advanced Information Management Systems (IAIMS) Program The revised IAIMS program has two phases: A planning phase, and an operational phase. 1. IAIMS Planning Phase "New" IAIMS planning phase resembles Phase I of the "old" IAIMS. Various models can be used in information systems planning, but all applications should include some form of self-study and allow for certain key elements: o A description of the institution's information management resources, current and five-year projection; o Development of an institutional information policy that addresses both short-term and long-term goals; o Identification of leadership for planning; o Broad involvement of clinical and basic science faculty, administration, and students; o Specification of desired strategic outcomes; o An outline of the planning process, including goals and timetables; and o A comprehensive view that considers information needs of patient care, research, education, and administration. The outcome of planning activities is the development of an institutional Information Management Plan, which should include information resources management policies, an analysis of functions and responsibilities of major information database managers, and a description of how IAIMS will be developed, organized, and managed. A total separation between planning and operations is not mandated; institutions vary widely in the information system already in place at the time of application. An institution may, if it wishes, use or introduce some operational elements during this planning period (for example, an E-mail system.) The IAIMS planning grant may be for up to $150,000 per year for one to two years. The grant supports direct costs only; funds are not provided for indirect or overhead costs. 2. IAIMS Operational Phase Health science institutions that complete the IAIMS planning phase successfully (or can demonstrate a comparably sophisticated information management plan based on their own planning efforts) may apply to NLM for an IAIMS operational phase grant to assist them in implementing the plan. Plans will vary for different institutions, but certain key elements are of interest to all: A. Essential o A plan for developing the institution's information management resources, and the requisite networks; o A functional Information Management Policy; o Designation of leadership with appropriate background and status; o A plan for supporting IAIMS after termination of the grant; o Timetables for reaching key features of the operational plan; o Reasonable timetables for major plan features such as development of the network, organization of the management structure, appointment of the leadership, and post-grant financing plans. The ability of funded institutions to reach such milestones in a timely manner will be evaluated by the NLM when deciding annually on continuance of funding; o The ability to provide efficiently bibliographic and related literature pertinent to health care delivery and research. Significant participation by the health sciences library is essential; and o Substantial incorporation of one or more elements of HPCC/NREN into the institution's information system. Connection to Internet, for example, is one such element; other examples include collaboration through high speed networks, distance learning, addressing of computationally intensive problems in molecular biology in a distributed environment, visualization techniques, and network-based digital imaging. B. Highly Recommended o A clear relationship to clinical aspects of the health sciences, such as linkage with a computerized patient record, a hospital information system, clinical alert information/distribution systems, clinically relevant expert systems, and/or systems for monitoring quality of care and cost-control; and o Incorporation of current NLM objectives such as, connection to national networks, direct access to Medline and/or extensive use of Grateful Med, outreach components which improve information access for health care workers in underserved rural or inner city locations, and in other health care sites affiliated with the applicant. C. Optional o An apprenticeship in IAIMS may be incorporated into the operational plan at the discretion of the applicant, through a position entitled IAIMS Assistant. An educational program should be described, outlining the credentials of the candidates, the goals and duration of the apprenticeship, the structure of the learning experience, and other relevant material. Personnel, travel and supply costs may be requested up to a total of $50,000 for each year of the operational phase. Costs for apprentices should be budgeted in accordance with standard institutional policy. Other Information About the Operational Grant The operational phase grant application may include an initial period of model development at the discretion of the institution, but a distinct interim period of model-building is not required. Operational phase grants may be for up to $500,000 per year for five years, or for up to $550,000 per year for five years if support for the apprenticeship program is included. Only direct costs are supported. NLM support for IAIMS at an institution will terminate at the end of the five-year operational phase, and is not renewable. The word "institution" as used in this program description implies that IAIMS will involve all major organizational components of the institution to the extent feasible. The NLM realizes that large differences among medical centers are inevitable, and that at some sites, certain suborganizations may not be suitable for incorporation into the initial IAIMS plan. However, a plan that is restricted to a relatively small fraction of the institution has misunderstood the point of the program, and will not be favorably reviewed. APPLICATION PROCEDURES Applicants are to use the PHS 398 (rev.9/91) application form, that includes forms, instructions and additional information, available at most academic medical centers, the Extramural Programs office, NLM, at the address listed under INQUIRIES, and from the Office of Grants Inquiries, Division of Research Grants, National Institutes of Health, Westwood Building, Room 449, Bethesda, MD 20892, telephone 301/ 496-7441. Applications must be received by the standard NIH deadlines, October 1, February 1, and June 1. Late submissions will be held over for the subsequent review cycle. The title and number of this announcement must be typed in item 2a on the face page of the application. The completed original application and five legible copies must be sent or delivered to: Division of Research Grants National Institutes of Health Westwood Building, Room 2450 Bethesda, MD 20892** REVIEW PROCEDURES Applications will be assigned on the basis of established PHS referral guidelines. Applications will be reviewed for scientific and technical merit by the NLM Biomedical Library Review Committee, in accordance with the standard NIH peer review procedures. Following scientific-technical review, the application will receive a second-level review by the NLM Board of Regents. Critical Review Elements For Planning Phase: o Responsiveness to the program description and guidelines; o Institutional environment; o Extent of involvement by key leadership; and o Short and long-term goals. For Operational Phase: o Responsiveness to the program description and guidelines; o Institutional commitment to the IAIMS concept, including evidence of significant cost-sharing; o Plans for support of IAIMS after the granting period; and o Sophistication and feasibility of the operational plan. AWARD CRITERIA Applications will compete for available funding with all other applications assigned to the NLM. The following will be considered in making funding decisions: o Quality of the proposed project as determined by peer review; o Availability of funds; and o Program balance considerations. INQUIRIES Written and telephone inquiries are encouraged. The opportunity to clarify any issues or questions from potential applicants is welcome. Direct inquiries regarding programmatic issues to: Mr. Richard T. West Extramural Programs National Library of Medicine Bethesda, MD 20894 Telephone: (301) 496-3113 FAX: (301) 402-0421 Direct inquiries regarding fiscal matters to: Ms. Ellen G. Meltzer Extramural Programs National Library of Medicine Bethesda, MD 20894 Telephone: (301) 496-4253 FAX: (301) 402-0421 AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance No. 93.879. Awards are made under authorization of the PHS Act, Title III, Part A, Section 301, Title IV, Part D, Subpart 2, Sections 472-476, as amended, Public Law 100-607. This program is not subject to the intergovernmental review requirements of Executive Order 12372 or Health Systems Agency review. REFERENCE (1) Grand Challenges 1993: High Performance Computing and Communications To obtain a copy of this report, which was prepared for the President's Office of Science and Technology Policy, call the IAIMS Program Officer (see above) or send request to: Federal Coordinating Council for Science, Engineering, and Technology Committee on Physical, Mathematical, and Engineering Sciences c/o National Science Foundation Computer and Information Science and Engineering Directorate 1800 G St., NW, Washington, DC 20550. .
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