# dkNET Coordinating Unit: Harnessing the Power of AI and Data Science forCollaborative Discovery and Sharing in the DK Community

> **NIH NIH U24** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · 2024 · $749,999

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
As the NIDDK Information Network (dkNET) Coordinating Unit we must develop strategies to ensure that dkNET
continuously evolves to meet community needs. As the use of a wide-array of methods that generate large
amounts of complex data become more common in biomedical research, there is a growing need to develop an
interdisciplinary workforce that can use and further refine computational and statistical approaches to interrogate
this high-content data. Within this phase of dkNET, a new Computational Core has been introduced whose aim
is to bring powerful new AI/ML techniques and cloud computing resources to the NIDDK research community to
fully leverage data assets cataloged by dkNET to explore and develop hypotheses. Here we plan to continue the
dkNET bioinformatics pilot program with a focus on AI to Accelerate Diabetes Research, to capitalize on the
timely opportunity offered by recent AI advances. Specifically, this pilot program will: (1) develop AI foundation
models for T2D; (2) validate the models with top research questions in T2D heterogeneity; (3) disseminate the
models and engage the community for further development, validation and application; and (4) develop use
cases that demonstrate the models’ potential in accelerating the tempo of research.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11127236
- **Project number:** 3U24DK097771-11S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO
- **Principal Investigator:** Shuibing Chen
- **Activity code:** U24 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $749,999
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2012-12-01 → 2029-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11127236

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11127236, dkNET Coordinating Unit: Harnessing the Power of AI and Data Science forCollaborative Discovery and Sharing in the DK Community (3U24DK097771-11S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11127236. Licensed CC0.

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