View source for Medical Image Computing NIH

== Call for Medical Image Computing Grant Applications ==

Many of us work in a clinically relevant area of
[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_image_computing|Medical Image
Computing]. And yet, we struggle to get NIH funding for methodological
developments in this area of research. While we get encouragement from
the program officers, the applications often gets poor scores from the
study sections. To the best of our knowledge, there is no study
section at NIH on Medical Image Computing (rather than Medical
Imaging, for example, that is much more focused on improving image
acquisition). 

To create such study section, NIH needs evidence that enough grants on
the topic are submitted to warrant an ad-hoc study section first,
which can later be converted to a permanent study section if the
stream of applications is sustained over several application cycles.

This is a call for everyone who is submitting a grant application to
NIH. Please mention the term Medical Image Analysis in your abstract
and keywords. You don't need to do anything different, just list the
keyword. After 3-4 grant submission cycles, this will give NIH enough
evidence (by searching the applications) to warrant a special ad-hoc
study section on Medical Image Analysis. This will be a start. If as a
community, we can sustain the volume of applications for a separate
section, the ad-hoc study section will convert to a permanent one.

We are not calling for any drastic changes in the structure of the NIH
review process. Our goal is to use the existing structure to create a
completely valid avenue for Medical Image Computing grant applications
to compete against others in this field on equal footing and for the
NIH reviewers to select the best science and engineering in this field
with the highest potential to improve medical care.

All you need to do to help with the process is to mention
[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_image_computing|Medical Image
Computing] in the summary and the keywords of the next grant
applications you are sending to NIH. And help us improve the
visibility of the field by editing the wikipedia page on
[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_image_computing|Medical Image
Computing].