History
The caBIG™ initiative was launched by the National Cancer Institute in February 2004 under the coordinating supervision of the Center for Bioinformatics (NCICB). The initial step was to gather information from members of the cancer community across the country and also across specialty areas. Hundreds of potential partners at cancer centers weighed in to establish priorities and set the framework.
There are many challenges facing the caBIG™ pilot. First, it calls for the creation of a grid or network for which there is no precedent, requiring a huge amount of effort and a significant change in the way information is shared. Second, since the data to be managed is growing every minute in terms of volume and complexity, it is necessary to manage it without "stopping" it – akin to building a new highway without stopping the flow of traffic. Third, there are so-called "legacy" systems – previously created methods of handling data, including many that are still paper-based – that cannot be ignored or tossed aside. Similarly, there are many disparate and incompatible document and file formats that do not "speak" the same technical language. And finally, there are institutional barriers, resulting either from unfamiliarity with information technology or from prior habits, that are difficult to change.
Nonetheless, due to the dedicated support and pioneering efforts of early partners, caBIG™ has already accomplished many of its pilot program goals. Among the accomplishments to date are:
2004: Building Community
- Exchanged standards, applications, and data
- Developed project plans
- Established workspaces
- Established and used standard conventions where appropriate
- Created prototype connections between nodes
- Developed first generation tools
2005: Establishing Connectivity
- Added additional nodes and data types
- Achieved connectivity between pilot nodes
2006: Delivering Software Tools
- As of July 2006, caBIG™ has delivered more than 40 tools to its user base
caBIG™ now includes over 800 participants who are working continually to refine and support the adoption of the caBIG™ network and its related tools, standards, and policies.
