Network of the National Library of Medicine Training Center (U24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) intends to publish a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to solicit applications for a Training Center of the Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM).

Established in 1965 and organized geographically across the United States and its territories, the NNLM promotes and supports the initiatives, products, and services of the NLM and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Over the years, the network has expanded its impact through strategic partnerships with a broad array of member organizations, including health sciences, hospital, academic, and public libraries; health professionals; data organizations; and community-based groups.

The NNLM’s core mission is to enable the effective use of—and contribution to—health information and data made available by the NLM and NIH. The network achieves this by providing professional development for librarians and information specialists, and by supporting access to health information and outreach through libraries and community organizations. A central emphasis of the NNLM is increasing awareness of and engagement with NIH programs and resources.

While the NNLM has traditionally focused on promoting NLM-specific products, it is now poised to expand its reach across the broader NIH community. The network will play a vital role in disseminating research findings, fostering community engagement and partnerships, and supporting participation in local clinical research. In doing so, the NNLM will enhance public understanding of NIH’s contributions and increase the use of NIH-supported information and data resources.

The NNLM consists of three major components: 1) the Network Coordinating Center (NCC), 2) Regional Medical Libraries (RMLs), and 3) the Network Training Center (NTC). This announcement specifically pertains to the NTC, with companion NOFOs forthcoming for the NCC and RMLs.

The NTC will focus on supporting training across the NNLM, including developing curricula, materials, and executing synchronous and asynchronous training sessions. The NTC will work with the RMLs and NCC to continually identify training needs for a variety of audiences and design innovative and engaging learning methods. The NTC will work closely with the NCC to develop and deliver evaluation measures to ensure learner satisfaction and that learning objectives are being met.

The NTC should have strong competencies in instructional design and technology management, as well as subject-matter expertise in biomedical information and data.

Grant authority that allows NLM to forecast this opportunity is as follows: Medical Library Assistance Act of 1965 (MLAA, P.L. 89-291).