# IBR-COBRE Phase III

> **NIH NIH P30** · UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AT MANOA · 2023 · $1,083,274

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT – Overall Component
 Approximately 70,000 babies born in the U.S. in 2015 were conceived by artificial reproductive
technologies (ART), which involves one of two techniques: in vitro fertilization (IVF) in which the sperm
fertilizes the egg in vitro, or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in which the sperm is injected into the egg
using micromanipulation. The rapid rise in ART world wide, and continued developments of the procedures
employed by ART clinics, requires that research keeps pace to ensure the safety of ART and to improve
reproductive health. Starting with just three faculty in 2000, with COBRE support starting in 2008, the IBR has
grown to 14 full-time faculty in four departments, within the John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM), of
the University of Hawaii at Manoa (UHM). Of these 14, the COBRE Phases I and II supported 10, and all but
two have obtained independent NIH R-series funding. The direct result of COBRE funding is that the IBR has
emerged as an internationally recognized center of research excellence for reproductive biology and one of the
best centers in the world for mouse gamete manipulation (ICSI and IVF). During Phase I, the IBR recruited
five new faculty, establishing it as a reproductive biology research institute and attracting several national and
international trainees. During Phase II, the Phase I project leaders became mentors and core directors while
maintaining their own labs. Five additional faculty were recruited, bringing expertise in epigenetics,
bioinformatics, gene editing and organ development, and we also established a close partnership with the
Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health (Ob/Gyn). After ten years of support, the center is
now competitive for several grant opportunities that we will pursue in Phase III. Phase III COBRE objective is
to sustain the IBR COBRE as a world-class basic and translational science center of excellence in
reproductive biology. This will be accomplished through two Specific Aims. Specific Aim 1: Expand and
diversify the expertise of the COBRE research cores. Growing and diversifying the core user base, enhancing
and streamlining core operations, and strengthening the core revenue streams will result in the sustainability of
the cores and accelerate the pace of scientific discovery, heighten research productivity and increase
competitiveness for extramural funding. Specific Aim 2: Develop and implement a Translational Pilot Project
Program. We will leverage a strong partnership with the Dept. of Ob/Gyn to develop a new translational arm of
research for the IBR. At the end of the Phase III COBRE, we envision that each of the cores will be fully or
largely self-sustained, through a coordinated plan of recharge accounts, extramural grants, strategic
investments and philanthropy, and that a the IBR will have successfully completed development of translational
research arm through a novel implementation of the pilot projects...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10656277
- **Project number:** 5P30GM131944-05
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AT MANOA
- **Principal Investigator:** WILLIAM S WARD
- **Activity code:** P30 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $1,083,274
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-08-13 → 2025-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10656277

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10656277, IBR-COBRE Phase III (5P30GM131944-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10656277. Licensed CC0.

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