Diabetes Dateline
Winter 2009

Research News

Ten New Investigators Earn Type 1 Diabetes Pathfinder Awards

Ten scientists have won Type 1 Diabetes Pathfinder Awards for highly innovative research studies that offer exceptional promise for improving the understanding, prevention, and treatment of type 1 diabetes and its complications.

The recipients, all new researchers who have never been principal investigators on a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded grant, were awarded about $1.5 million each to pursue their work over 5 years. Their studies span a wide range of topics, from the development of a vaccine to prevent autoimmune diabetes to methods that speed wound healing and prevent recurrent injury.

About 5 to 10 percent of the nearly 24 million people with diabetes have type 1, formerly known as juvenile onset diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes. In this form of diabetes, immune cells attack and destroy pancreatic beta cells, which produce insulin—the critical hormone needed for survival.

The goal of the Pathfinder Award is to support creative new investigators who propose innovative research projects that have the potential for unusually high impact on type 1 diabetes. The awards are funded by a special program for type 1 diabetes research, which provides $150 million annually through fiscal year 2011 to supplement funds for type 1 diabetes research made available through the regular NIH appropriations process. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) administers the program on behalf of the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, in collaboration with NIH Institutes and Centers and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Many young investigators have innovative research ideas, but they don’t have the preliminary data required to compete in the traditional NIH peer review system,” said Judith Fradkin, M.D., director of the NIDDK’s Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolic Diseases. “This award overcomes that impediment. By providing multiyear support to new researchers with highly innovative projects, we hope to attract and retain high-caliber investigators to research careers in type 1 diabetes.”

The awardees were named by NIDDK Director Griffin P. Rodgers, M.D., M.A.C.P., who based the selections on outside expert evaluations, the recommendations of the NIDDK National Advisory Council, and programmatic considerations.

For more information about the award and recipients’ projects, go to www2.niddk.nih.gov/Funding/FundingOpportunities/RFA/RFA_T1D_Pathfinder_Award_Recipient.htm.

For information about type 1 diabetes research, clinical trials, reports, and meetings, go to www.t1diabetes.nih.gov.

NIH Publication No. 09–4562
March 2009

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