Update: caBIG® Cancer Center Deployment
BOSTON...DURHAM...SAN FRANCISCO...
National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cancer Centers in these and other cities have been engaged in the development, testing, and adoption of caBIG® technologies since the inception of the caBIG® initiative. Following the successful completion of the Pilot Phase in early 2007, the NCI Center for Bioinformatics and Information Technology (CBIIT) began a systematic program to connect NCI-designated Cancer Centers to caGrid, the caBIG® grid infrastructure.
SAN DIEGO...DETROIT...ALBUQUERQUE...
As part of this process, more than 40 Cancer Centers are installing one or more caBIG® tools and connecting to the grid services required to enable more effective collaboration and data exchange throughout the cancer community.
The end of September 2008 marked the one year milestone in this ongoing process. Virtually all of the NCI-designated Cancer Centers involved in the first year of this program have already connected to the caBIG® grid, deploying over 100 grid services.
HONOLULU...CHICAGO...CHARLOTTESVILLE...
During the initial period of deployment, each Cancer Center completed a self-assessment process to identify existing bioinformatics resources and potential challenges. The Centers then outlined their specific goals to implement caBIG® tools and standards and to connect to the interoperable infrastructure. These Centers are now finalizing implementation plans that translate their goals into actionable steps that will be executed over the next 12-18 months.
NASHVILLE...HOUSTON...WASHINGTON D.C...
“The progress made throughout the first year of deployment brings us within reach of realizing the benefits of the interoperable caBIG® health IT network,” said George Komatsoulis, Ph.D., deputy director for the NCI Center for Biomedical Informatics and Information Technology. “This level of success is a testament to the skills and perseverance of all caBIG® collaborators at the Cancer Centers and of that of the CBIIT team.”
As the next period of deployment activity begins, the Cancer Centers are working closely with CBIIT resources to execute the steps outlined in their implementation plans. The number of connected organizations and grid services continues to expand as the first group of NCI Community Cancer Centers connects to caGrid and five additional Cancer Centers join the deployment program for 2009.
As centers join the growing network of connected researchers across the United States and beyond, their progress will be detailed in upcoming Links articles. These articles will focus on how caBIG® tools and infrastructure are enabling new research programs at these centers, and how these advances are changing the face of cancer biomedical research.
Learn more
Click here to read a Q&A with the center deployment lead at Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University.
Click here to learn how the caBIG® Enterprise Support Network is working to expand the caBIG® community.
