Ongoing Projects

Evaluating the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid

We are helping the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services implement the landmark Medicare Modernization Act legislation, which represents the most significant expansion in health care benefits since Medicare’s inception. Our researchers conduct a wide range of research in areas such as prescription drugs, Medicare advantage plans, and Medicare fee-for-service evaluations. We also evaluate competitive bidding processes for prescription drugs, laboratories, and medical equipment and devices to ensure the government and the public get the most efficient and effective health care services for their tax dollars.

Coordinating Efforts to Reduce Neglected Tropical Diseases

Through a contract with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and as part of an effort to reduce the impact of neglected tropical diseases in developing nations, we are implementing a collaborative program designed to treat more than 40 million people annually for five years. The project is one of the first large-scale efforts to integrate existing disease-specific treatment programs that currently treat millions of the world's poorest people. The USAID-funded program is focused on integrated control of seven of the most prevalent neglected tropical diseases -- trachoma (blinding eye infection), soil-transmitted helminths (hookworm, ascaris, trichuris), onchocerciasis (river blindness), schistosomiasis (snail fever), and lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis). While they have little name recognition in developed societies, neglected tropical diseases cause severe disabilities such as blindness, reduced mobility, impaired childhood growth and intellectual development, and severe disfigurements in developing nations.

Drug Discovery

We are a worldwide leader in cancer and addictive drug research and maintains one of the foremost drug development laboratories in the United States. Our chemists design and synthesize compounds using both traditional drug design methods and more modern combinatorial/array methods. Our current research focuses on steroidal targets, cancer, and drug addiction. Through our drug addiction research, we have gained expertise with numerous related central nervous system agents. Our recent work uncovered two potentially promising pharmacotherapies from cocaine. Additionally, one of our cocaine analogs, RTI-55, has been developed as a diagnostic agent for Parkinson's disease. We have also recently synthesized analogs of the cancer drug camptothecin™ (discovered at RTI in the 1960s) to increase its solubility and bioavailability, thereby enabling the drug to act directly at the site of tumors.

Combating the Spread of Tuberculosis

Since 1999, we have played a leading role in efforts to accelerate the commercial availability of tuberculosis treatments developed by industry, universities, and government laboratories through a contract with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Since 2000, our research team has supported Global Alliance for TB Drug Development (TB Alliance) efforts to identify promising drug compounds and stimulate the involvement of pharmaceutical companies in developing new and affordable TB medicines. Those efforts were rewarded in June 2005, when the TB Alliance announced that the lead drug in its pipeline, PA-824, whose development was managed by us, began Phase I clinical trials. The announcement signaled the first time a TB drug developed by a nonprofit company had begun clinical trials, and also provided evidence that the model created by RTI to develop drugs through public-private partnerships has the potential to bring new, affordable medicines to those most in need. We brought together 26 institutions in nine countries as part of PA-824’s development.

Evidence-Based Practice Research

The RTI-UNC Evidence-Based Practice Center conducts systematic reviews and methods research with support from the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Multidisciplinary teams compile and analyze scientific literature -- both clinical and health policy work -- to produce rigorous evidence reports on topics related to prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and management of common diseases and clinical conditions. We also produce reports on behavioral and policy topics and conduct a variety of methodology studies. The EPC has recently completed studies on screening and diagnosis of perinatal depression; treatment of eating disorders (anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorders); cesarean delivery on maternal request; tobacco use prevention, cessation, and control; and the comparative effectiveness of second-generation antidepressants. The EPC also has several projects underway. Researchers are conducting reviews of the comparative effectiveness of medications for rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis, the management of uterine fibroids, and maternal and neonatal effects of maternal weight gain.

Expanding Research Capabilities Through Genomic Partnerships

Our Molecular Epidemiology, Genomics, Environment, and Health (MEGEH) partnership is dedicated to fostering collaborative efforts in bioinformatics, genomics, proteomics, and molecular epidemiologic research. By forming research partnerships with universities, government agencies, and advanced technology companies, this RTI initiative strengthens and broadens research efforts using state-of-the-art tools and methods to capitalize on a broad base of scientific knowledge and practical research skills. In its first major project, the initiative brought together researchers from SAS, IBM, Duke University, and Emory University to develop a Web-based portal and a set of computational and analytical tools to model emerging infectious diseases and appropriate public health responses. Most recently, MEGEH has begun helping the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases study the extent to which genetics affect a person’s immune response to vaccines.

National Survey on Drug Use and Health

Since 1988, we have conducted the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) for the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The survey produces national, state, and substate-level analyses that are used to assess trends in the use of tobacco, alcohol, and drugs and to identify high-risk groups. Government agencies, private organizations, researchers, and the public use these data for such tasks as estimating the need for drug treatment facilities, supporting drug use prevention programs, and monitoring drug control practices.

Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System

We are working in partnership with SAS to improve PRAMS, the standard surveillance system for maternal and child health in the United States. RTI and SAS are developing systems for state-based data collection and for online data dissemination and analysis, and also producing both print and Web versions of the 2002 PRAMS surveillance report, which contains the most recent data. We are also helping the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention design and deploy a technology-based data collection system, allowing states to collect and disseminate data more efficiently, reduce the time required to produce new questionnaires, and lower states' support and maintenance costs. The RTI/SAS team is developing an online analysis tool for the system that will provide Web-based access to PRAMS data and sophisticated, real-time analysis capabilities.

Improving Health Care for Pregnant Women and Newborns in Zambia

We are working with the University of Alabama at Birmingham to operate an open-source electronic perinatal medical records system at the University Teaching Hospital and 24 clinics in Lusaka, Zambia. The system, which operates over a high-speed wireless data network, connects the 24 clinics in the Lusaka health district and enables users to keep records and make patient referrals electronically. The project is improving health care for pregnant mothers and their newborns by giving doctors and nurses easy access to patients’ medical histories and records.

Supporting the President's Malaria Initiative

We are working with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to implement the President's Malaria Initiative designed to reduce by 50 percent the number of deaths caused by malaria in sub-Saharan Africa. As part of that effort, our researchers treated more than 435,000 homes in Angola, Uganda and Zanzibar during the 2006 malaria transmission season, protecting more than 2.3 million people from the disease. During 2007-2008, we extended that work to Benin, Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Senegal, and Zambia, leading a collaborate effort to apply safe insecticides to homes in those countries and prevent the spread of malaria by killing mosquitoes that carry the malaria parasite. We have also been working for more than 10 years to prevent and control vector-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue fever and continue to work to control the spread of malaria as part of the USAID-funded Integrated Vector Management project. Through our work in Africa and Asia, we have become an important partner in the goal to reduce malaria morbidity and mortality.

Improving Girls' Education in Egypt

We are implementing the U.S. Agency for International Development's three-year Girls' Improved Learning Outcomes (GILO) project to provide access to quality education for girls in seven governates in Egypt, where 100,000 girls remain out of school. We are working with the Egyptian government and communities to help build or renovate 300 schools in areas with low girls' enrollment. The project will also train up to 9,000 teachers in girl-friendly teaching practices, and 900 administrators and 2,000 supervisors in effective educational leadership to promote local school management and school-based reform.

Providing Access to Postsecondary Education

We are working with the U.S. Department of Education to identify ways to enhance the Upward Bound program, one of the federally funded TRIO programs, which provides low-income and potentially first-generation high school students and veterans with the necessary skills to attend and succeed in college. During the past four years, we have analyzed data from the Department of Education on more than 100,000 participants enrolled in more than 900 Upward Bound projects across the country. The results of those studies are being used by the Department of Education to identify ways to improve and enhance Upward Bound that will help students succeed in high school, college, and the workforce.

Understanding Relations Between Student Goals and Achievement

We are assisting the National Center for Education Statistics in conducting Education Longitudinal Study 2002, which is designed to monitor the transition of a national sample of young people as they progress from 10th grade through high school and on to post-secondary education and/or the world of work. The study of more than 15,000 students will analyze information provided by students as well as their parents, teachers, and school records to assess the relationships between student goals and achievements to better understand the factors that influence educational aspirations, achievements, and outcomes.

Assessing U.S. Students’ Learning for International Comparison

We are assisting the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics in conducting Progress in International Reading Literacy Study or PIRLS and the Program for International Student Assessment or PISA, two separate multi-year assessments of U.S. students’ academic performances. The projects will evaluate the reading comprehension of U.S. fourth graders and the science and math skills of 15-year-old students as part of an effort to accurately compare U.S. students with their international counterparts. Sixty countries will participate in the 2006 PISA and 50 in the 2006 PIRLS. RTI is responsible for developing the sampling design, school recruitment, data collection, processing, and analysis of the 2006 PIRLS and PISA.

School-Based Violence Prevention

We are working for the U.S. Department of Education to evaluate the effectiveness of a three-year curriculum designed to provide middle school students with effective conflict resolution strategies and skills. Along with subcontractor Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, we will evaluate how the program is implemented, what impact the program has on the students and schools, and whether the decrease in problem behaviors is large enough to warrant the cost of the program.

Early Grade Reading Assessments Diagnose Reading Deficits Worldwide

We developed the Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) tool, a 15-minute test administered orally to students in the early grades of primary school, to evaluate students' foundation reading skills, including pre-reading skills like phonemic awareness and listening comprehension. EGRA can be adapted to fit most alphabetic languages and is gaining momentum as an instrument for quickly diagnosing children's reading difficulties. To date, we have field-tested EGRA in 12 countries including Egypt, Jamaica, Kenya, Nicaragua, Peru, and South Africa (with U.S. Agency for International Development support) and Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Liberia, Senegal, and Gambia (with World Bank support). A pilot assessment in Arabic was recently developed for Egypt under the USAID/Girls' Improved Learning Outcomes project. More information: www.eddataglobal.org.

Education Quality Improvements in Indonesia

We are working with 100 districts to increase the capacity of local governments in seven provinces to plan for and manage education services; increase community participation in providing education; and replicate best practices throughout the country. By 2010, the project will have reached over 2,400 schools and improved the quality of education for 250,000 students.

Helping Rebuild Local Governance in Iraq

Since April 2003, we have supported U.S. government efforts to establish local governments throughout post-war Iraq. The aim of this project, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development, has been to assist the government of Iraq to establish local governments that are transparent, accountable, and efficient to their constituents. We continue to train newly elected council members and other local officials in the fundamentals of local leadership and to help improve the capacity of local institutions to manage and deliver public services. In August, we witnessed what may be our most important accomplishment of this project to date when provincial council representatives from each of Iraq's 18 provinces unanimously ratified a local government code that, for the first time in Iraq's history, provides a legal framework and constitutional protection for local government and mandates the authority of provincial councils throughout the country.

Laying the Groundwork for Local Governance in Kosovo

We are working with the newly independent government of Kosovo as it lays the groundwork for decentralization reform. We assisted Kosovo's Ministry of Local Government Administration with drafting legislation and preparing instructions for municipal mayors to comply with four new foundation laws -- the Law on Local Self-Government; the Law on Municipal Boundaries; the Law on Local Government Finance; and the Law on Public Financial Management and Accountability -- adopted by Kosovo's National Assembly and entered into force on June 24, 2008. The project, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development through 2010, will continue to assist the Ministry in developing a second wave of legislation on local referenda, on municipal borrowing, and on the capital city of Pristina.

Supporting Democratic Reforms in Indonesia

Through the Democratic Reform Support, we are assisting Indonesia in its commitment to create a stable democracy through open institutions, citizen participation, and increased transparency. The five-year program launched in 2005 is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development to support local initiatives to increase accountability within national election systems, safeguard media freedoms, improve the quality of and public participation in the legislative process, and foster openness in the court system. We are also supporting decentralization through national policy reform, including implementation of special autonomy in Aceh and Papua, and assisting with campaign and political party finance reform.

Helping Sustain Democracy in South Africa

Since 2004, we have implemented the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Local Governance Support Program to help local governments in South Africa to become more effective and democratic. As part of this project, we are assisting 23 municipalities in six districts in the provinces of Free State, Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and North West to improve municipal accountability and performance as well as enhance local government revenue streams. The purpose of this project is to advance the consolidation of democracy in South Africa.

Improving Air Quality in Our National Parks

For more than 20 years, we have analyzed air samples collected through a nationwide network of monitoring devices to protect and enhance the scenic beauty and air quality of U.S. national parks. That effort is part of the Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments (IMPROVE) program, begun in 1985, which implemented an extensive long-term monitoring program designed to establish the current visibility conditions, track changes in visibility, and determine causes of the visibility impairment in the National Parks and Wilderness Areas. Our scientists analyze air samples for chloride and for sulfur and nitrogen compounds that indicate acid in the atmosphere in more than 150 U.S. national parks and wilderness areas including the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Measuring PM 2.5 Particulate Pollution

As the national leader for particulate matter (PM) 2.5 chemical speciation studies, we are the EPA's sole contractor for the chemical speciation of PM2.5 filter sample analysis for the nationwide network of monitoring sites. Our laboratory facilities and instrumentation meet or exceed the very stringent federal reference method requirement for PM2.5 analysis. Our gravimetry laboratory and staff have been featured in EPA training videos for the national compliance (mass) and chemical speciation programs for PM2.5.

Methods and Measures for Exposure-Related Behaviors

As part of an effort to improve methods used to collect data on human behaviors related to environmental exposures, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded RTI International a grant to develop and test a variety of innovative data collection technologies. This study is assessing the accuracy and practicality of collecting exposure-related behavioral data using methods such as voice recorders, personal digital assistants, automated photo diaries, global positioning systems, radio frequency identification devices, chest-belt sensors and micro-accelerometer devices. Rather than measuring exposures directly, the project is measuring the effectiveness of using electronic technologies to collect self-reported data such as time-stamped activity, location, and exertion level; dietary consumption; and use of pesticides, household cleaners, and personal care products.

Monitoring Air Pollutants Surrounding Low-Income and Minority Neighborhoods

Through funding from the National Exposure Research Laboratory at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a team of our researchers is assessing the exposure of Detroit residents to air pollution. The study is the culmination of a series of studies of personal exposure to multiple aerosol pollutants that started with the RTI-conducted National Human Exposure Assessment Study in 1996. More recently, we have led studies of exposure of the elderly and children in metropolitan areas such as Baltimore, Fresno, Tampa, and North Carolina’s Research Triangle area, and more complex general-population studies of exposure in Toronto and Indianapolis.

Improving Air Quality in the Asia-Pacific Region

We are coordinating a complex initiative for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards to model the intercontinental transport and climatic effects of air pollutants in the Asia/Pacific region, including China and Taiwan. The goal of effort is to reliably predict the impact of emissions in the Asia/Pacific region, as well as to determine the various processes that carry the pollutants to other regions and their impact on the global atmosphere. The hope is that the study results will lead to the development of integrated control strategies to benefit regional and global air quality.

Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions

As part of an effort to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions, we will further develop a novel and cost-effective process aimed at reducing the amount of carbon dioxide released from coal-fired power plants. Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory, we will continue the development of a carbon dioxide capture technology that is based on an inexpensive, dry, reusable sorbent. The technology has been in development at RTI for the past five years and is designed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions at coal-fired power plants as well as natural gas plants, cement plants and petroleum refineries.

Developing Alternative Energy Sources

As part of our efforts to sustain a safe and healthy environment, we are developing innovative technologies related to the production and utilization of clean energy alternatives. A team of our engineers and scientists and those at the University of Texas at Austin developed new polymer membranes for producing hydrogen that bring an energy-efficient, low-cost hydrogen purification process a step closer to reality -- an important stride toward making hydrogen a viable energy alternative. One of the major barriers to hydrogen as an alternative motor fuel has been the cost of purifying it. Because hydrogen is produced in high volumes, even a small improvement in purification efficiency could substantially reduce costs. These next-generation membranes could be a major step in forming the basis of a purification process that makes hydrogen an affordable energy alternative.

Creating Novel Methods to Purify Hydrogen

Our scientists are developing non-polymer-based methods to purify hydrogen through funding from the U.S. Department of Energy. One technique uses palladium alloy-based composite membranes developed by us to purify hydrogen. Because these metal membranes operate at higher temperature process gas streams than do the copolymer membranes, they avoid thermal penalties associated with cooling gas streams down to temperatures suitable for separating polymer membranes. Our scientists are also creating a lithium-based sorbent separation process that effectively removes carbon dioxide from hydrogen, thereby purifying the hydrogen. The novel sorbent is regenerable, allowing it to be used again and again. The research projects are part of the president's 2003 Hydrogen Fuel Initiative that dedicated $1.2 billion to reverse America's growing dependence on imported oil by developing the technology needed to make hydrogen cost-competitive with gasoline by 2010.

Synthesis Gas Clean-Up Technology Demonstration

We are conducting research for the U.S. Department of Energy to develop technology that may one day use plants and agricultural waste to produce clean sustainable energy or chemicals. The project is one of several ongoing technology research programs at RTI to exploit American energy sources in the most environmentally friendly, efficient, and sustainable manner possible. The project aims to improve the gasification process, through which waste vegetation or biomass is converted into hydrogen and other useful chemicals, by effectively and economically removing byproduct contaminants such as tar, ammonia, and sulfur.

Miniaturizing the Mass Spectrometer

We are applying more than 25 years of experience in microfabrication, sensor development, and distributed networks to advance the science of mass spectrometry. Our engineers are working with scientists at Duke University to develop a miniature mass spectrometer that can analyze gas -- an air sample, for instance -- and identify chemicals present to help identify environmental pollutants, locate oil deposits, and determine how drugs are used in the body. The project is jointly funded by the National Science Foundation and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and focuses on developing and testing the technology for use in a distributed network of sensors that would detect gaseous environmental toxicants. Future applications could also include detection of chemical warfare agents and medical diagnostics.

Spinning Nanofibers into Novel Structures

Our researchers are working to functionalize nanofibers, including novel structures and nanocomposites that can serve as chemical sensors, catalyst supports for fuel cells, and revolutionary photonic systems such as solid-state lighting. Our efforts have yielded progress toward applications that could one day help protect people from exposure to chemical or biological agents, lower U.S. dependence on imported petroleum, and reduce energy consumption and pollution around the world. In each case, we have dedicated our own funds to advance the state of the science.

Expanding Our Capabilities in Nanosafety, Efficacy, and Toxicity

We are developing methods for generating, tagging, and delivering nanoparticles that will enable the future study of the metabolism and distribution of nanomaterials in the body. These and future efforts will integrate many of our capabilities, including our growing research in metabolomics, proteomics, and biosensors. We are working to identify very sensitive biomarkers to better understand the dose-response relationship associated with exposure to nanomaterials. Such studies can provide information for use in assessing potential risks from occupational or environmental exposure to nanoparticles and in testing the safety and efficacy of drugs.

Thermoelectric Technology Development

In the first significant breakthrough in the field in 40 years, our researchers developed a new thermoelectric material that is more than twice as efficient and 23,000 times faster than today's state-of-the-art technology. Devices made with this material are solid state and can be used for power conversion, heating, cooling, and precise temperature control. For instance, our devices can provide cooling of as much as 700 watts per cm2 under 58°F. Our thin-film, superlattice, thermoelectric devices can enable fiber-optic switches that are 100 times faster than today's thermo-optic technology and can more efficiently convert an automobile's waste heat into energy to electric power, allowing a variety of applications, including air conditioning the various sections of a car.

Simulation Program Preparing Medical Personnel for Disasters

We are making mass casualty triage training more readily available to medical personnel around the world through the use of a simulation program developed by our researchers. Our trainers delivered the simulation-based triage training to 31 civilian physicians in residential hospitals and clinics in Iraq during a two-day training session. After the session, the physicians were equipped with 22 laptops and simulation systems that they are using to educate other medical providers throughout the country on proper triage principles and methods to apply during mass casualty situations. We plan to work with universities and medical centers as well as other countries that have developing medical response systems to expand the triage training program. Our researchers also are customizing the training program to meet the needs of all first responders, including security personnel, firefighters, and medical workers.

Advanced Training Technology for Emergency Responders

We are conducting research and development on modeling and simulation technologies to improve initial training and provide practice to reduce human error in pre-clinical primary and emergency-medical care. These technologies allow caregivers to interact 'physically' with virtual patients using virtual tools such as stethoscopes and otoscopes. The simulated caregiver–patient dialogue is an important element of patient assessment and also increases the perceived realism of the patient. These simulations allow medical providers to sharpen their assessment and decision-making skills, as well as develop an appreciation for patient responses to appropriate or inappropriate treatment.

Supporting Military Readiness Through Technology Assisted Learning

The Technology Assisted Learning center at RTI International is presently developing several training simulations for U.S. Army personnel. Two of the projects will develop state-of-the-art simulations and instructional techniques to be used in the field by personnel who operate and oversee communications equipment, and another will create a similar simulation to be used for training operators and maintainers of a ground combat system. We have extensive experience providing learning solutions to the military and commercial marketplaces. These products emphasize practical application, using interactive 3D technology and the Internet to enhance skill acquisition and provide realistic training.