NIH launched the Single Cell Analysis Project (SCAP), a 5 year Common Fund program aimed to:

  1. Improve our understanding of cell heterogeneity, including defining cell types and dynamic cell states.
  2. Accelerate the development of new innovative tools and approaches fore cell analysis.
  3. Accelerate the validation, translation, and adoption of new technologies.
  4. Engage multidisciplinary teams and attract new approaches and researchers to the field.

Laying the foundation for the future global medical progression. [1]

Grant funding was awarded for such projects that encourage the development of “next-generation, innovative technologies to better define cell heterogeneity in situ.” The techniques were to “provide new analytical measures and manipulations of cellular contents, structure and activity significantly beyond those currently available at the single cell level.”