Neuroscience Information Framework

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[edit] The Neuroscience Information Framework: An Initiative of the NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research

Established in 2004, the NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research brings the 16 NIH Institutes, Centers and Offices that support neuroscience research into a collaborative framework to coordinate their ongoing efforts and to plan new cross-cutting initiatives. Working together, representatives from the partner Institutes, Centers, and Offices identify pervasive challenges in neuroscience and any technological barriers to solving them.

Early in their deliberations Blueprint representatives recognized that a framework for identifying, locating, relating, accessing, integrating, and analyzing information from the neuroscience research enterprise is critical to enhancing cooperative activities in the neurosciences. A Broad Agency Announcement was issued, and In, 2005 the Blueprint began support for a new initiative known as the "Neuroscience Information Framework" (NIF).

[edit] Goals of the Neuroscience Information Framework Initiative

The goal of this initiative is to develop an inventory of information and other resources within a framework that enables neuroscientists to identify resources relevant to their research needs. The framework will enable concept based queries (spanning multiple levels of biological organization and function) within and across the diverse types of information constituting the inventory. The framework also will provide a registry through which resources providers can disclose availability of resources relevant to neuroscience research. The NIF framework is not intended to be a warehouse or repository itself, but a means for disclosing and locating resources elsewhere available via the web.

[edit] Resources Included in the Neuroscience Information Framework

Resources include databases, software tools, experimental reagents and tools, knowledge bases and portals, and other entities identified by the neuroscience research community. Although the Framework is currently (2008-03-26) still under development, the site, list of inventoried neuroscience resources, and beta version of the NIF search engine can be accessed here.