<div><span style>Dear VTK Community-</span>
</div><div><span style><br></span></div><div><span style>Last year we submitted a proposal to the NIH to support further development and maintenance of VTK (see the excerpt below). We asked for letters of support from the community, and many of you responded (thank you!). While we were not funded, we received outstanding scores for a first submission (just on the edge), especially considering that this is a R01-type maintenance grant (</span><a href="http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-11-028.html">http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-11-028.html</a>) which are very competitive<span style>. </span></div>
<div><span style><br></span></div><div><span style>We are now resubmitting, and again I'd like to ask you to send us a letter of support. This can be as simple as an email, attached PDF, or even a mailed document. The key is to express a combination of 1) importance of VTK to the biomedical community, 2) enthusiasm for the proposed work, and/or 3) reasons why the work will benefit patients and health care. If you sent something last year there is no reason to resend (although you can brush up the text if you are really excited :-)).</span></div>
<div><span style><br></span></div><div><span style>We are absolutely astonished at the impact that VTK has had on the biomedical community (among many others). While you and I know that, it's not always clear to the reviewers who make these funding decisions. Communicating the importance of open source tools is best heard when it comes from the community, so you can really help by just voicing your support.</span></div>
<div><span style><br></span></div><div><span style>If you choose to send a support letter, please directly email me (<a href="mailto:will.schroeder@kitware.com">will.schroeder@kitware.com</a>) and/or Katie Osterdahl (</span><font color="#222222" face="arial, sans-serif"><a href="mailto:katie.osterdahl@kitware.com">katie.osterdahl@kitware.com</a>) so we don't pollute this mailing list with too much noise. BTW we'll need this letter by June 21.</font></div>
<div><font color="#222222" face="arial, sans-serif"><br></font></div><div><font color="#222222" face="arial, sans-serif">Thanks again,</font></div><div><font color="#222222" face="arial, sans-serif">Will</font></div><div>
<span style><br></span></div><div><span style><br></span></div><div><span style><br></span></div><div><span style><br></span></div><div><span style>---------------</span></div><span style>Dear VTK Community-</span><div style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:medium">
<span style="vertical-align:baseline;font-size:11pt;white-space:pre-wrap;font-family:Arial"><br>
</span></div><div style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">Kitware is submitting a software <span class="il" style="background-color:rgb(255,255,204)">maintenance</span> grant to the NIH in early June and we’d like you to send us a <span class="il" style="background-color:rgb(255,255,204)">letter</span> of support. This five year proposal aims to make significant improvements to VTK including rendering architecture enhancements (mobile and web platforms), large data additions targeted at biomedical data, improved interaction capabilities, community support (improving the software and contribution process, documentation), and outreach to five leading medical research institutions (UNC, JHU, UH, Stanford, Brigham).</div>
<div style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><br>We are very excited about the proposal since it will make a very positive impact on VTK and its associated community, as well as the many affiliated applications that use VTK. However, we can really use your help. Part of the strategy of our proposal is to demonstrate to the reviewers that VTK plays a critical part in medical innovation. Along this line we are including many “formal” letters of support from leaders in biomedical research, however, and probably more importantly, we want to hear from the developers and users of VTK.</div>
<div style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><br>If you’d like to help, we have included a brief example <span class="il" style="background-color:rgb(255,255,204)">letter</span> which you can use verbatim, or modify as necessary to fit your circumstances. Place this text on your letterhead, sign it, and then send it (a scanned pdf is fine) directly to me by June 1. The <span class="il" style="background-color:rgb(255,255,204)">letter</span> in no way obligates you or your employer, it simply states “VTK is great and important to my work.” Also, don’t worry if you are not doing biomedical research, we want to hear from everybody. Note that this information (i.e., the names of endorsers) is considered private, only the writers of the VTK proposal and the NIH review team will see this information.</div>
<div style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;font-size:11pt;white-space:pre-wrap;font-family:Arial"></span><br>If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me directly. Thanks and we hope to hear from you (by June 1).<br>
<br>Sincerely,<br>Will Schroeder</div><div><br></div>-- <br>William J. Schroeder, PhD<br>Kitware, Inc.<br>28 Corporate Drive<br>Clifton Park, NY 12065<br><a href="mailto:will.schroeder@kitware.com">will.schroeder@kitware.com</a><br>
<a href="http://www.kitware.com">http://www.kitware.com</a><br>(518) 881-4902<br>