An Exploratory Center for Obesity Research (RMI)

描述（由申请人提供）： 这个肥胖研究探索中心将解决肥胖流行病的生物医学，公共卫生和政策方面的问题。肥胖的社会问题只能通过跨学科的方法来解决，这种方法将生物医学研究与更广泛的社会，经济，环境和政策问题相结合。拟议的“实验室到领导”模式将建立在研究人员、临床医生、公共卫生专业人员、地方和州政府机构、政策制定者和风险社区之间的持续互动基础上。为了建立这种联盟，建议开展两组活动。第一个是跨学科，将不同的利益相关者群体纳入新的研究团队;第二个是将研究项目与政策优先事项和公共卫生目标相结合。为了丰富和改变研究环境，探索中心将为将生物医学和社会科学研究与公共政策相结合的活动提供资金。这些将包括委托论文，研讨会，论坛和会议。每项活动都将有明确的目标和目的，以及明确的成功标准。将为试点/可行性研究提供资金，这些研究通过将实验室和临床研究的见解应用于环境和政策研究，积极促进跨学科思维，反之亦然。领导力研讨会，由大学行政部门的支持，将建立教师的领导力，能力和技能。第二组活动将准备研究人员提交一个卓越的肥胖研究中心的申请。其中将与不同的利益相关者制定战略规划，为该中心制定蓝图;建立网络和小组，以协助地方和州机构在华盛顿州开展肥胖项目;并为研究人员，决策者和社区团体建立一个持续的论坛，以促进研究优先事项与州一级政策目标和社区目标的相互整合。规划活动将首先对研究环境进行初步评价，并将以严格的评价部分为指导。规划进程本身将成为评价和研究的对象。现有的研究基地在华盛顿大学，地方和国家机构，公共卫生西雅图和金郡和华盛顿州卫生部的承诺，以促进公共卫生议程，以及公共卫生营养中心的管理经验，使一个令人信服的理由，为什么新的综合方法应该在这里培育。通过促进机构间的合作，这些努力将帮助NIH制定一个路线图，如何有效地将研究结果转化为国家，州和地方的卫生政策。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This Exploratory Center for Obesity Research will address biomedical, public health, and policy aspects of the obesity epidemic. The social problem of obesity can only be solved using a transdisciplinary approach that blends biomedical research with broader social, economic, environmental, and policy concerns. The proposed "Lab to Leadership" model will be built on sustained interactions among researchers, clinicians, public health professionals, local and state government agencies, policy makers, and communities at risk. To create such alliances, two sets of activities are proposed. The first will cross disciplines to bring diverse groups of stakeholders into new research teams; the second will align research projects with policy priorities and public health goals. In order to enrich and transform the research environment, the Exploratory Center will provide funding for activities that integrate biomedical and social sciences research with public policy. These will include commissioned papers, workshops, forums, and conferences. Each activity will have clear goals and objectives, and well-defined criteria for success. Funds will be provided for pilot/feasibility studies that actively promote cross-disciplinary thought by applying insights from laboratory and clinical research to environmental and policy studies - and vice versa. Leadership workshops, supported by the University Administration, will build faculty leadership, capacity, and skills. The second set of activities will prepare investigators to submit an application for a Center of Excellence for Obesity Research. Among these will be strategic planning with diverse stakeholders to develop a blueprint for the Center; the creation of networks and panels to assist local and State agencies with obesity projects in Washington State; and the creation of an ongoing forum for researchers, policy makers, and community groups to advance the mutual integration of research priorities with state-level policy objectives and community goals. The planning activities will start with a formative evaluation of the research environment and will be guided by a rigorous evaluation component. The planning process will itself be the object of evaluation and study. The existing research base at the University of Washington; the commitment of local and state agencies, Public Health-Seattle & King County and the Washington State Department of Health, to furthering public health agenda, and the administrative experience of the Center for Public Health Nutrition make a compelling argument for why the new integrative approach ought to be nurtured here. By promoting interagency collaborations, these efforts will help the NIH develop a roadmap on how to effectively translate research findings into national, state, and local health policy.