Historical Milestones

2008

• OBBR begins exploration for the formation of national biobank resource. NCI Executive Committee and the National Cancer Advisory Board approve funding for a detailed planning process.
• OBBR Deputy Director, Dr. Jim Vaught, testifies before the U.S. House Committee on Science and Technology about the importance of standardized biospecimen procedures.
• OBBR hosts First Annual Biospecimen Research Network Symposium.

2007

• OBBR hosts a series of national meetings called NCI Biospecimen Best Practices Forums.
• First-Generation Guidelines revised based upon public comment and renamed NCI Best Practices for Biospecimen Resources. Document approved by the National Cancer Advisory Board.

2006

• First-Generation Guidelines for NCI-Supported Biorepositories published in Federal Registrar.
• Biospecimen Research Network established.

2005

• NCI Office of Biorepositories and Biospecimen Research established.
• Two national workshops are convened, on "Best Practices for Biorepositories that Support Cancer Research" and "Biospecimen Ethical, Legal, and Policy Issues".

2004

• NCI forms Biorepository Coordinating Committee to gather and evaluate all existing authoritative best practices in biobanking.
• NCI conducts an internal inventory of NCI-supported biorepositories.

2003

• National Biospecimen Network (NBN) Blueprint is published.

2002

• NCI undertook an unprecedented internal and external review process of biospecimen resources, with surveys and community forums.
• NCI leadership identified biospecimen resources as critically important to post-genomics cancer research.