# Opportunities and Infrastructure Fund Component

> **NIH NIH U2C** · DUKE UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $2,324,498

## Abstract

Well-designed research is urgently needed to examine the impact of environmental exposures on health
outcomes in children. To address these knowledge gaps, the Environmental Influences on Child Health
Outcomes (ECHO) program promises to leverage extant pediatric cohorts to test new hypotheses of how
environmental exposures impact pediatric health. The Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI) proposes to
serve as the ECHO Coordinating Center (ECHO CC) to provide the organizational framework for the
management, direction, and overall coordination of all common ECHO activities. DCRI is uniquely poised to
lead this ambitious initiative. As the world’s largest academic research organization, DCRI manages nearly 30
active network and administrative coordinating center grants and has emerged as a leader in pediatric clinical
research. The ECHO Program will establish an Opportunities and Infrastructure Fund to support small, pilot
projects. 􀀬􀁑􀀃􀁒􀁕􀁇􀁈􀁕􀀃􀁗􀁒􀀃􀁓􀁕􀁒􀁙􀁌􀁇􀁈􀀃􀁌􀁑􀁉􀁕􀁄􀁖􀁗􀁕􀁘􀁆􀁗􀁘􀁕􀁈􀀃􀁄􀁑􀁇􀀃􀁗􀁒􀁒􀁏􀁖􀀃􀁗􀁒􀀃􀁖􀁘􀁓􀁓􀁒􀁕􀁗􀀃􀁄􀀃􀁖􀁒􀁏􀁌􀁆􀁌􀁗􀁄􀁗􀁌􀁒􀁑􀀏􀀃􀁕􀁈􀁙􀁌􀁈􀁚􀀏􀀃􀁄􀁑􀁇􀀃􀁄􀁚􀁄􀁕􀁇􀀃
􀁓􀁕􀁒􀁆􀁈􀁖􀁖􀀞􀀃􀁖􀁘􀁓􀁓􀁒􀁕􀁗􀀃􀁇􀁈􀁙􀁈􀁏􀁒􀁓􀁐􀁈􀁑􀁗􀀃􀁒􀁉􀀃􀁕􀁈􀁖􀁈􀁄􀁕􀁆􀁋􀀃􀁓􀁕􀁒􀁗􀁒􀁆􀁒􀁏􀁖􀀞􀀃􀁓􀁕􀁒􀁙􀁌􀁇􀁈􀀃􀁖􀁗􀁘􀁇􀁜􀀃􀁖􀁘􀁓􀁓􀁒􀁕􀁗􀀃􀁗􀁒􀀃􀁈􀁑􀁖􀁘􀁕􀁈􀀃􀁋􀁌􀁊􀁋􀀃􀁔􀁘􀁄􀁏􀁌􀁗􀁜􀀃
􀁖􀁗􀁘􀁇􀁜􀀃􀁒􀁓􀁈􀁕􀁄􀁗􀁌􀁒􀁑􀁖􀀃􀁄􀁑􀁇􀀃􀁗􀁌􀁐􀁈􀁏􀁜􀀃􀁆􀁒􀁐􀁓􀁏􀁈􀁗􀁌􀁒􀁑, 􀁗􀁋􀁈􀀃􀀧􀀦􀀵􀀬􀀃􀁚􀁌􀁏􀁏􀀃􀁈􀁖􀁗􀁄􀁅􀁏􀁌􀁖􀁋􀀃􀁗􀁋􀁈􀀃􀀨􀀦􀀫􀀲􀀃􀀦􀀦􀀃􀀲􀁓􀁓􀁒􀁕􀁗􀁘􀁑􀁌􀁗􀁌􀁈􀁖􀀃􀁄􀁑􀁇􀀃
􀀬􀁑􀁉􀁕􀁄􀁖􀁗􀁕􀁘􀁆􀁗􀁘􀁕􀁈􀀃􀀩􀁘􀁑􀁇􀀃􀀦􀁒􀁐􀁓􀁒􀁑􀁈􀁑􀁗􀀃􀀋􀀲􀀬􀀩􀀃􀀦􀁒􀁐􀁓􀁒􀁑􀁈􀁑􀁗􀀌􀀑 The ECHO OIF Component will lead the development of
the ECHO OIF Program. This will be facilitated by DCRI’s extensive experience in 1) setting up systems to
solicit, collect and review scientific applications and 2) implementing small, efficient pediatric studies. To
achieve this vision, the OIF Component will establish three Teams: 1) The Study Design Team will facilitate the
finalization of awarded studies; 2) The Study Conduct Team will be responsible for ensuring study deliverables
are completed on time and within budget; and 3) The Administrative Oversight Team will ensure the timely
release of the ECHO branded MyResearchProposal portal; provide oversight for all solicitations, reviews, and
awards; and report on key program metrics. The ECHO OIF component will use a 4th team established in the
ECHO CC Core Elements and Scientific Focus Area Coordination (SFA) Component – The Study Start-up
Team.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10261556
- **Project number:** 5U2COD023375-06
- **Recipient organization:** DUKE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** DANIEL K. BENJAMIN
- **Activity code:** U2C (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $2,324,498
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2016-09-21 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10261556

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10261556, Opportunities and Infrastructure Fund Component (5U2COD023375-06). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10261556. Licensed CC0.

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