caBIG
The cancer Biomedical Informatics Grid (caBIG) is an open-source, open-access information network with the mission of enabling secure data exchange throughout the cancer community. The initiative was developed by the National Cancer Institute (part of the National Institutes of Health) and is maintained by the Center for Biomedical Informatics and Information Technology (CBIIT).
History
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) of the United States funded the caBIG initiative in spring 2004, with the effort being headed by Kenneth Buetow.[1] Its original goal was to connect U.S. biomedical cancer researchers using technology known as grid computing. The program, led by the Center for Bioinformatics and Information Technology (CBIIT), began with a three-year pilot phase. The pilot phase concluded in March 2007, and 56 NCI-designated cancer centers started a trial.[2]
In addition to caGrid, the underlying infrastructure for data sharing among organizations, caBIG developed software tools, data sharing policies, and common standards and vocabularies to facilitate data sharing. Many cancer researchers (2,000+ participants representing 700 organizations) are currently trialing caBIG. The associated software tools targeted:
- collection, analysis, and management of basic research data
- clinical trials management, from patient enrollment to adverse event reporting and analysis
- collection, annotation, sharing, and storage of medical imaging data
- biospecimen management
References
- ↑ Kenneth Buetow (April 1, 2008). "Heading for the BIG Time". The Scientist 22 (4): p. 60. http://classic.the-scientist.com/2008/4/1/60/1/.
- ↑ Board of Scientific Advisors Ad Hoc Working Group (3 March 2011). "An Assessment of the Impact of the NCI Cancer Biomedical Informatics Grid (caBIG®)". National Cancer Institute. http://deainfo.nci.nih.gov/advisory/bsa/bsa0311/caBIGfinalReport.pdf. Retrieved 9 November 2011.
