AIM-AHEAD Program
NIH’s AIM-AHEAD program will establish mutually beneficial and coordinated partnerships to empower researchers and communities across the United States in the development of AI/ML models and enhance the capabilities of this emerging technology, beginning with electronic health record (EHR) data.
The rapid increase in the volume of data generated through electronic health records (EHRs) and other biomedical research presents exciting opportunities for developing data science approaches, such as AI/ML methods, to enhance biomedical research and improve healthcare. Several challenges hinder the widespread adoption of AI/ML technologies, including high costs, limited capability for broad application, and inadequate access to necessary infrastructure, resources, and training. Additionally, there is a lack of comprehensive and high-quality AI-ready data, as well as a shortage of a pipeline of talented researchers in both industry and academia, to harness the potential of AI/ML in advancing biomedical research and the practice of medicine. Furthermore, tackling the complex drivers of health outcomes require an innovative and transdisciplinary framework that transcends scientific and organizational silos. Mutually beneficial and trusted partnerships can be established to empower researchers and communities across the United States in AI/ML application.
Recognizing these challenges and leveraging the potential of AI/ML to accelerate the pace of biomedical innovation, the NIH launched AIM-AHEAD in July 2021. The AIM-HEAD is a nationwide network of institutions and organizations designed to build AI talent among researchers and clinicians, support multidisciplinary research projects that harness AI/ML to improve the health of Americans and enhance the AI capabilities and infrastructure of limited-resourced communities or hospitals that otherwise would not have had the resources or the capacity to benefit from the advance of AI/ML. AIM-AHEAD focuses on four key areas to drive this mission:
Partnerships
AIM-AHEAD will create a “network of networks” through regional, multi-disciplinary partnerships. The goal is to integrate AI/ML-focused, data science research networks with community engagement and clinical research networks to form mutually beneficial collaborations and to engage scientists across the career pipeline.
Research
AIM-AHEAD’s multi-disciplinary partners will use new, real world data or synthetic, and existing datasets, such as EHR, image data, and non-traditional data; develop and enhance AI/ML algorithms; and apply AI/ML approaches to to improve health for all Americans. This work may encompass improved healthcare, prevention, diagnoses, and treatments and facilitate intervention and implementation strategies.
Infrastructure
AIM-AHEAD will enable a coordinated data and computing infrastructure that enhances the interoperability of large-scale data resources with data that are maintained, governed, and prepared by individual institutions to preserve privacy and autonomy.
Data Science Training
AIM-AHEAD will implement training opportunities in data science and health research, large scale data management, cloud computing, and other areas to increase capabilities in AI/ML analytics.
To learn more about the AIM-AHEAD program, visit https://aim-ahead.net.
AIM-AHEAD impact, broad outreach, and support of awardees and complex projects in many different domains across the nation.
Contact Information
Please direct questions about AIM-AHEAD to [email protected] (link sends e-mail).
