Human tissue and organs for research resource (htorr) supporting studies on human biology, physiology, and diseases across all body systems. - program director/principal investigator (bell, thomas,…

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, an arm of the Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health, awarded a cooperative agreement to the National Disease Research Interchange (doing business as Human Biological Data Interchange) on August 1, 2026, to support the Human Tissue and Organs for Research Resource (HTORR), a project-driven biospecimen collection program providing human organs, tissues, anatomical structures, fluids, and cells to principal investigators studying human biology and disease across all body systems.

HTORR operates through a 360 feedback model built on three foundational pillars: scientific support, sample diversity, and career development of principal investigators. The program advances its tissue collection framework by gathering continuous feedback across these pillars and evolving in tandem with NIH high-priority scientific needs and emerging experimental methodologies. HTORR enables researchers from multiple disciplines to utilize human biospecimen-derived experimental model systems to study organ, tissue, and cellular function, and provides state-of-the-art research services supporting new discoveries in human biology, physiology, and disease.

The award obligates $250,000 with a period of performance from August 1, 2026, to April 30, 2031. Work is performed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The National Disease Research Interchange is a Philadelphia-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization specializing in human tissue procurement, pathology, and transportation services for biomedical research.

Human tissue and organs for research resource (htorr) supporting studies on human biology, physiology, and diseases across all body systems. - program director/principal investigator (bell, thomas, j): project summary the overarching objective of this proposal is to continue the development of the human tissue and organs for research resource (htorr) as the foremost, project-driven human tissue research resource for organs and tissues for principal investigators (PIS) studying the full extent of human biology and disease states across all body systems. Using a project-driven biospecimen collection approach, htorr provides a diverse range of biospecimens for these studies, such as whole organs, anatomical structures, fluids, tissues, and cells. Htorr's innovative 360° feedback model spearheads the advancement of htorr's scientific tissue collection framework via providing continuous feedback across three foundational pillars of the program: 1) scientific support, 2) sample diversity, and 3) career development of principal investigators (PIS). Our pillars identify, define, and align all key foundational elements in the model along with providing a malleable framework for htorr to evolve in tandem with the NIH's high priority scientific needs as well as the emerging experimental methodologies of the research community. Relevance: the human tissue and organs for research resource (htorr) is a comprehensive research resource that enables investigators from multiple research fields and disciplines to utilize human biospecimen derived experimental model systems to rigorously study human organ, tissue and cellular function. Htorr provides state-of-the-art research services to support emerging experimental methodologies and new discoveries in human biology, physiology and disease. OMB no. 0925-0001/0002 (REV. 03/2020 approved through 02/28/2023) page continuation format page