Advance CIREN Notice

Post Date

August 27th 2009

Application Due Date

September 10th 2009

Funding Opportunity Number

09-01909

CFDA Number(s)

Funding Instrument Type(s)

Cooperative Agreement

Funding Activity Categories

Science and Technology and other Research and Development

Number of Awards

8

Eligibility Categories

Other

Scientific Community and Health Providers

Funding

• Award Range:

  $5000000 - $15000000

Grant Description

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is seeking input from the scientific community and health providers about the capability of potential participants in the Crash Injury Research and Engineering Network (CIREN) Program’s next open competition of the cooperative research agreements scheduled to be announced in the fall of 2009 with an award date of June 1, 2010. That competition will support the collaborative data collection and research efforts conducted under the CIREN Program. This advanced notice is not a solicitation (proposals will not be accepted) nor should it be interpreted as all inclusive. However, respondents are invited to provide comments on the planned changes and indicate their interest in participating in the program. NHTSA plans significant modifications to the current CIREN structure regarding the method and level by which organizations will participate in the Program. Two types of centers will be funded in equal numbers: Data Centers and Analytical Centers. The primary responsibility of a Data Center will be prospective high-volume enrollment of CIREN participants (occupants) and conduct of crash investigations. The Analytical Centers will also enroll CIREN participants and conduct crash investigations, though will do so in smaller numbers. Analytical Centers will also assist the entire network in the analysis of crash data, engineering science and in assigning injury causation. Data Centers shall be based at an ACS-certified Level I trauma center and shall collect detailed crash and injury information on 60-70 motor vehicle crash occupants meeting CIREN inclusion criteria (motor vehicle crash victims, who were occupants in a vehicle not older than 6 years from the collection year and who sustained at least one Abbreviated Injury Scale 90/98 (AIS) 3 or greater injury or two AIS 2 injuries to different body regions, admitted to that facility or their affiliated facility as described below). Respondents or their team members shall not be engaged in expert witnessing. Data Centers may opt to utilize up to one additional American College of Surgeons (ACS) trauma center (Level 1 or Level II) in a partnership to aid in capturing sufficient numbers of appropriate CIREN participants. The secondary (partnering) institute must be within a feasible geographical operating distance of the primary institute. At least 60 percent of the total cases collected per year must come from the primary trauma center. Any proposed partnership must demonstrate an established prior relationship on a business or academic level that assures universal Institutional Review Board controls, uniform access to patient data and uniform access to digital radiology (including DICOM format); written verification of real-time online electronic medical records and online digital radiology; a seamless transfer of enrollee data between the secondary and primary center is required for program function. A Data Center shall be required to provide three years of Trauma Registry data that includes the annual number of motor vehicle crash victims who sustained at least one Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) 3 or greater injury or two AIS 2 injuries to different body regions for both facilities. Based on estimates, a Data Center should have a combined minimum of 1,000 qualified admissions per year in order to meet the case enrollment. Analytical Centers shall be based at university-based biomechanical engineer. These Centers shall demonstrate a partnership an ACS-certified Level I trauma centers to collect detailed crash and injury information on 30-40 vehicle crash occupants sustaining specified injury and treated at their facility per year following the CIREN inclusion criteria outlined above). The partner(s) of an Analytical Center shall be required to provide three years of Trauma Registry data that includes the annual number of motor vehicle crash victims who sustained at least one Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) 3 or greater injury or two AIS 2 injuries to different body regions. Based on estimates, an Analytical Center should have access to a minimum of 600 qualified admissions per year in order to meet the case enrollment. Analytical Centers may opt to utilize up to two trauma centers in a partnership to aid in capturing sufficient numbers of appropriate CIREN participants. The partnership must contain at least one ACS Level I trauma center, but the second trauma center may be ACS Level I or Level II. Any proposed partnership must demonstrate an established prior relationship on a business or academic level that assures universal Institutional Review Board controls, uniform access to patient data and uniform access to digital radiology (including DICOM); a seamless transfer of enrollee data between the institutions is required for program function. Each partnering trauma center must meet and provide ACS requirements and be located within a feasible geographical operating distance of the university-based team. Respondents or their team members shall not be engaged in expert witnessing. CIREN centers currently conduct case reviews locally and on a monthly basis. In the next phase of CIREN this process will be enhanced utilizing real-time video streaming of the CIREN case reviews. This enhancement will expand multidisciplinary exposure to the CIREN case review process. Participation will involve NHTSA, additional CIREN centers and other applicable parties. These reviews must take place between the hours of 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. EST. Complete Data Teams will present approximately 5 cases per month and Analytical Teams will present approximately 3 cases per month. Additionally, the Analytical Team’s will be scheduled to have one team participate in each of the cases presented each month. NHTSA and CIREN have been testing the streaming of case reviews utilizing Wirecast software (http://www.telestream.net/wire-cast/overview.htm) and intend to use this product or similar video streaming software as a standard operation system in the next phase of CIREN. The testing has indicated a need for upload Internet bandwidth of 6 Mbps is available to a CIREN center at their institution for successful streaming to occur. NHTSA requests the video streaming server be kept and maintained by an active CIREN center. Additional funding to support this work as well as all required hardware/software will be allocated in addition to funding for core CIREN activities. The hosting center shall provide their own IT support and shall ensure application and real-time troubleshooting during scheduled case reviews and appropriate facilities to control access to the hardware and video stream. Future research endeavors in CIREN will be coupled with NHTSA’s current priorities in vehicle safety. These endeavors may include but are not limited to on-scene real-time crash investigations, computer modeling capabilities, advanced research data models utilizing CIREN data, application of CIREN data for advanced biomechanical testing and research, and injury prediction related to crash data and Advanced Crash Notification (ACN)

Contact Information

• Agency

  Department of Transportation

• Office:

  DOT/National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

• Agency Contact:

  Catherine A. McCullough
  CIREN Program Analyst, W46-312
  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, D.C. 20590
  Phone: 202-366-4734
  FAX: 202-366-1767
  
  

• Agency Mailing Address:

  CIREN

• Agency Email Address:

  Catherine.McCullough@dot.gov