kristoff@GENBANK.BIO.NET (Dave Kristofferson) (07/15/90)
NOTE: The NIH Guide may be split into more than one mail message to avoid truncation during e-mail distribution. The first message always begins with the RFP/RFA summary sections followed by the appended texts of the full RFP/RFAs. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- NIH GUIDE - Vol. 19, No. 26, July 13, 1990 NOTICES OF AVAILABILITY (RFPs AND RFAs) BRAIN AND TISSUE BANK FOR DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS (RFP) ....(84/128)......... 1 National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Index: CHILD HEALTH, HUMAN DEVELOPMENT DCBDC SMALL RESEARCH GRANTS ON THE MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR BIOLOGY OF METASTATIC TUMOR CELLS (RFA CA-90-17) ........(131/248, 324/675).......... 1 National Cancer Institute Index: CANCER NOTICES OF AVAILABILITY (RFPs AND RFAs) BRAIN AND TISSUE BANK FOR DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS RFP AVAILABLE: RFP NICHD-90-17 P.T. 34; K.W. 0780005, 0705010 National Institute of Child Health and Human Development The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) is planning to set up a repository to collect, store, and distribute specimens from infants and children with neurodevelopmental disorders from both "unaffected" (control) individuals and individuals with developmental disorders. The biopsy and/or autopsied tissues to be included in the brain and tissue bank would encompass the following disorders: diagnosed Down's syndrome, other chromosome defects, mitochondrial encephalopathies, phenylketonuria and other aminoacidopathies, maternal PKU, Rett syndrome, leukodystrophies, lysosomal disorders, unexplained forms of mental retardation, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), dyslexia, autism, and other neurodevelopmental problems. Specific tissues to be collected will include the following: brain, spinal cord, cerebrospinal fluid, blood and serum, peripheral nerves, liver, kidney, pancreas, lungs, spleen, adrenal, skeletal muscles, heart, skin, thyroid, lymph nodes, and gonads. Tissues would be obtained premortem, postmortem and from abortions. These tissues will be made available to qualified investigators to support and facilitate research that will lead to an improved understanding of the etiology, pathology, pathogenesis, and clinical-pathological correlation of conditions that are associated with mental retardation, learning and behavioral deficits, and SIDS. This announcement for a brain and tissue bank is a new solicitation. The issuance of this RFP will be on or about August 6, 1990, and proposals are due by 4:00pm (Local Time), October 15, 1990. The Institute plans to make one award from this solicitation. Those organizations desiring a copy of the above RFP may send their written request to: Mrs. Lynn Salo NICHD, OGC, CMS Executive Plaza North Bldg., Rm. 515 9000 Rockville Pike Bethesda, MD 20892 To receive a copy of the RFP, please supply this office with two self-addressed mailing labels. All responsible sources may submit a proposal which will be considered. This advertisement does not commit the Government to award a contract. DCBDC SMALL RESEARCH GRANTS ON THE MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR BIOLOGY OF METASTATIC TUMOR CELLS RFA AVAILABLE: CA-90-17 P.T. 34; K.W. 1002004, 1002008, 0715035 National Cancer Institute Letter of Intent Receipt Date: September 10, 1990 Application Receipt Date: October 10, 1990 I. INTRODUCTION The Cancer Biology Branch of the Division of Cancer Biology, Diagnosis and Centers (DCBDC) at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) invites applications for grants to study the molecular and cellular biology of metastatic tumor cells. This special initiative is designed to promote collaborations and facilitate scientific interchange between investigators, one with experience in the biology of metastasis and the other in a more basic scientific discipline such as molecular or cellular biology or biochemistry. Prospective principal investigators are encouraged to identify a research collaborator in order to prepare and submit a small grant application. The Small Research Grants program provides limited funds (maximum of $40,000 per year) for short-term (up to 2 years) research projects. They are non-renewable. Small grants provide an opportunity for initiating studies which may be preliminary in nature. Research investigators in relevant fields NIH GUIDE - Vol. 19, No. 26, July 13, 1990 - Page 1 are invited to apply for these grants in order to develop preliminary data that could form the basis of future R01 or R29 applications. The present Request for Applications (RFA) announcement is for a single solicitation with a specified deadline (October 10, 1990) for receipt of applications. There will be up to ten awards if meritorious applications and funds are available. II. RESEARCH GOALS AND SCOPE The goal of this initiative is to provide funds for preliminary research projects that will form the basis of future R29 and R01 applications to investigate metastasis. The intent is to (1) foster collaborative research between investigators with basic molecular and cellular biological and biochemical research experience, and those with experience in metastasis research, and (2) increase the number of laboratories and investigators addressing issues of metastasis. The scope of the research may encompass any aspect of molecular and cellular biology and biochemistry as they apply to metastasis biology. Applications should be for preliminary data gathering or pilot feasibility studies, and should be founded on the combined research experience of the principal investigator and his/her collaborator. The application should specifically address how the application meets the intent of the initiative, e.g., the development of a new collaboration between an investigator with basic molecular and cellular biological and biochemical research experience and one with experience in metastasis research. Furthermore, the research collaborator should address how the proposed research will relate to and integrate with other ongoing research in his/her laboratory. Either the principal investigator or the research collaborator must have demonstrated experience in metastasis research. However, the initiative is not intended for support of applicant investigators who have such experience and propose collaborating with laboratories that are also engaged in metastasis research in any significant manner. The research collaborator may collaborate with more than one principal investigator. The principal investigator must be accountable to the recipient organization officials for the proper conduct of the project. The research collaborator must be named and time and effort listed on the budget page. The recipient organization is legally responsible and accountable to PHS for performance and financial aspects of the grant-supported activity. Just as the initiative is intended to foster a research collaboration, the application itself should clearly be the product of in-depth discussions and input from both the research collaborator and the principal investigator. III. MECHANISM OF SUPPORT Support of this program will be through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant-in-aid. Applicants will be responsible for the planning, direction, and execution of the proposed project. Except as otherwise stated in this RFA, awards will be administered under PHS policy as stated in the Public Health Service Grants Policy statement, DHHS Publication No. (OASH) 82-50,000, revised January 1, 1987. This RFA is a one-time solicitation. Grants made under this mechanism are non-renewable. Approximately $600,000 in total costs per year for two years will be committed to specifically fund applications which are submitted in response to this RFA. It is anticipated that 10 awards will be made. The total direct costs per year must not exceed $40,000. This funding level is dependent on the receipt of a sufficient number of applications of high scientific merit. The total project period for applications submitted in response to the present RFA should be for at least one (1) year and may not exceed two (2) years. The earliest feasible start date for the initial award will be March 1, 1991. However, the award date may be delayed to as late as August 1, 1991. Although this program is provided for in the financial plans of the NCI, the award of grants pursuant to this RFA is also contingent upon the availability of funds for this purpose. IV. INQUIRIES Written or telephone inquiries concerning the objectives and scope of this RFA or inquiries about whether or not specific proposed research would be responsive are encouraged and should be directed to Dr. Michael R. Martin at the address below. The Program Director welcomes the opportunity to clarify any issues or questions from potential applicants. NIH GUIDE - Vol. 19, No. 26, July 13, 1990 - Page 2 Dr. Michael R. Martin Program Director for Basic Cancer Biology National Cancer Institute Executive Plaza South, Room 630 6120 Executive Blvd. Rockville, MD 20892 Telephone: (301) 496-7028 Fax: (310) 496-8656 NIH GUIDE - Vol. 19, No. 26, July 13, 1990 - Page 3 REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS (RFA) FOR SMALL (R03) RESEARCH GRANTS RFA NUMBER: CA-90-17 DCBDC Small Research Grants on the Molecular and Cellular Biology of Metastatic Tumor Cells P.T. 34; K.W. 1002004, 1002008, 0715035 National Cancer Institute Letter of Intent Receipt Date: September 10, 1990 Application Receipt Date: October 10, 1990 I. INTRODUCTION The Cancer Biology Branch of the Division of Cancer Biology, Diagnosis and Centers (DCBDC) at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) invites applications for grants to study the molecular and cellular biology of metastatic tumor cells. This special initiative is designed to promote collaborations and facilitate scientific interchange between investigators, one with experience in the biology of metastasis and the other in a more basic scientific discipline such as molecular or cellular biology or biochemistry. Prospective principal investigators are encouraged to identify a research collaborator in order to prepare and submit a small grant application. The Small Research Grants program provides limited funds (maximum of $40,000 per year) for short-term (up to 2 years) research projects. They are non-renewable. Small grants provide an opportunity for initiating studies which may be preliminary in nature. Research investigators in relevant fields are invited to apply for these grants in order to develop preliminary data that could form the basis of future R01 or R29 applications. The present RFA announcement is for a single solicitation with a specified deadline (October 10, 1990) for receipt of applications. There will be up to ten awards if meritorious applications and funds are available. II. BACKGROUND INFORMATION The Tumor Biology Program supports a broad spectrum of basic biological research that explores how the cancer cell is different from a normal healthy cell and why it is driven to ever greater degrees of malignancy. Cancer cell invasion and metastasis represents a major focus of the Tumor Biology Program. Metastasis requires that cells escape from the primary tumor, invade the structural matrix and enter into the vascular system, avoid host defense mechanisms and then adhere to, invade and colonize some other anatomical site. Advancement of our understanding of the metastatic phenotype is limited by the state of science at any given moment, the basic biochemical, cellular and molecular biological techniques being applied, and the size of the research community engaged in this enterprise. Significant advances have been made in recent years in a wide range of basic science disciplines, and our understanding of the nature of issues such as the extracellular matrix, proteases, adhesion receptors, chemotactic and growth factors, homing and other membrane receptors, signal transduction mechanisms, gene regulation and expression, suppressor genes and oncogenes. Given the programmatic emphasis on advancing our understanding of metastasis, NCI has determined that there is a need to facilitate the communication between these allied areas of basic research and the community investigating metastasis biology, to provide an opportunity for technical and intellectual interchange, and to increase the size of the community conducting research on metastasis. III. RESEARCH GOALS AND SCOPE The goal of this initiative is to provide funds for preliminary research projects that will form the basis of future R29 and R01 applications to investigate metastasis. The intent is to (1) foster collaborative research between investigators with basic molecular and cellular biological and biochemical research experience and those with experience in metastasis research, and (2) increase the number of laboratories and investigators addressing issues of metastasis. The scope of the research may encompass any aspect of molecular and cellular biology and biochemistry as they apply to metastasis biology. Applications should be for preliminary data gathering or pilot feasibility studies, and should be founded on the combined research experience of the principal investigator and his/her collaborator. The application should specifically address how the application meets the intent of the initiative, e.g., the development of a new collaboration between an investigator with basic molecular and cellular biological and biochemical research experience and one with experience in metastasis research. Furthermore, the research collaborator should address how the proposed research will relate to and integrate with other ongoing research in his/her laboratory. Either the principal investigator or the research collaborator must have demonstrated experience in metastasis research. However, the initiative is not intended for support of applicant investigators who have such experience and propose collaborating with laboratories that are also engaged in metastasis research in any significant manner. The research collaborator may collaborate with more than one principal investigator. The principal investigator must be accountable to the recipient organization officials for the proper conduct of the project. The research collaborator must be named and time and effort listed on the budget page. The recipient organization is legally responsible and accountable to PHS for performance and financial aspects of the grant-supported activity. Just as the initiative is intended to foster a research collaboration, the application itself should clearly be the product of in-depth discussions and input from both the research collaborator and the principal investigator. IV. MECHANISM OF SUPPORT Support of this program will be through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant-in-aid. Applicants will be responsible for the planning, direction, and execution of the proposed project. Except as otherwise stated in this Request for Applications (RFA), awards will be administered under PHS policy as stated in the Public Health Service Grants Policy statement, DHHS Publication No. (OASH) 82-50,000, revised January 1, 1987. This RFA is a one-time solicitation. Applications received after the deadline for the receipt date will be returned. Grants made under this mechanism are non-renewable. Approximately $600,000 in total costs per year for two years will be committed to specifically fund applications submitted in response to this RFA. It is anticipated that 10 awards will be made. The total direct costs per year must not exceed $40,000. This funding level is dependent on the receipt of a sufficient number of applications of high scientific merit. The total project period for applications submitted in response to the present RFA should be for at least one (1) year and may not exceed two (2) years. The earliest feasible start date for the initial award will be March 1, 1991. However, the award date may be delayed to as late as August 1, 1991. Although this program is provided for in the financial plans of the NCI, the award of grants pursuant to this RFA is also contingent upon the availability of funds for this purpose. V. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS Non-profit and for-profit organizations and institutions, governments and their agencies are eligible to apply. Foreign institutions are also eligible. The research collaborator must have an active peer-reviewed grant at the time of submission and award. Investigators eligible to apply must have received the Ph.D., M.D., D.V.M., or equivalent degree at the time of award and be interested in conducting exploratory studies in the molecular and cellular biology of metastasis. This includes established investigators, new investigators and postdoctoral students. In order to increase the number of laboratories and investigators with the potential for a long-term commitment to metastasis research, preference in funding will be given to those investigators that are early in their research careers. VI. REVIEW PROCEDURES AND CRITERIA A. REVIEW PROCEDURE Upon receipt, applications will be reviewed by the Division of Research Grants (DRG) for completeness. Incomplete applications will be returned to the applicant without further consideration. Applications will be evaluated by NCI Program Staff to determine whether they are responsive to the program requirements and criteria stated in this RFA. Applications judged non-responsive will be returned to the applicant. Questions concerning the responsiveness of proposed research to the RFA should be directed to the program staff named below. In cases where the number of applications is large compared to the number of awards to be made, the NIH will conduct a preliminary scientific peer review to eliminate those which are clearly not competitive. The NIH will administratively withdraw from competition those applications judged to be non-competitive and notify the applicant and institutional business official. Those applications judged to be both competitive and responsive will be further evaluated, using the review criteria stated below, for scientific and technical merit by an appropriate peer review group convened by the Division of Extramural Activities, NCI. The second level of review by NCI Program Staff considers the application in light of the special needs of the Institute and the priorities of the National Cancer Program. B. REVIEW CRITERIA The factors considered in evaluating the scientific merit of each response to this RFA will be: 1. The extent to which the proposed research develops collaborations that address the purpose of the initiative. 2. How the proposed research relates to and integrates with other ongoing research in the research collaborator's laboratory. 3. Originality of the research from a scientific and technical viewpoint, and potential for contribution to the field of metastasis research. 4. Feasibility of research and adequacy of study design. 5. Experience, training, time commitment, and research competence of the investigators involved. 6. Adequacy of available facilities. 7. Provision for the adequate protection of human subjects and the humane treatment of animals. The review group will critically examine the submitted budget and will recommend an appropriate budget for each approved application. Letters of reference, although not required, are particularly valuable where the research investigator's originality and potential are not reflected in his/her research experience. VII. METHOD OF APPLYING The PHS research grant application form PHS-398 (revised 10/88) must be used in applying for these grants. These forms are available at most institutional business offices; from the Office of Grant Inquiries, Division of Research Grants, National Institutes of Health, Room 449, Westwood Building, 5333 Westbard Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20892; or from the NCI Program Director named below. The RFA label contained in the 10/88 revision of Application Form 398 must be affixed to the bottom of the face page. Failure to use this label could result in delayed processing of the application such that it may not reach the review committee in time for review. In addition, the RFA number and title (to the extent that space permits) should be typed on line 2 of the application face page. Submit a signed, typewritten original of the application, including the Checklist, and four (4) signed, exact photocopies, in one package to the Division of Research Grants at the address below. The photocopies must be clear and single sided. If appendix material is submitted, four collated sets must be included with the application package. Division of Research Grants National Institutes of Health Westwood Building, Room 240 5333 Westbard Avenue Bethesda, MD 20892** At the time of submission, two (2) additional copies of the application should also be sent to: Referral Officer Division of Extramural Activities National Cancer Institute Westwood Building, Room 838 5333 Westbard Avenue Bethesda, MD 20892 If the applicant has an approved assurance covering the research (multiple project assurance for human subjects/ full assurance of compliance for animal subjects), the applicant should provide with the application, certification of institutional review board (IRB) approval if humans are involved and verification of the institutional animal care and use committee (IACUC) approval if animals are involved. These reviews and approvals should occur PRIOR TO SUBMISSION OF the applications for award and the certifications and verifications should be SUBMITTED WITH the applications. Failure to provide required certifications and verifications within applications could result in deferral or rejection. If animals or humans will be subjects of the research at PERFORMANCE SITES OTHER THAN THE APPLICANT ORGANIZATION, the applicants must identify, within the application, the assurance status of each participant. Failure to provide this information within applications could result in deferral or rejection. Applications must be received by October 10, 1990. The DRG will not accept any application in response to this announcement that is essentially the same as one currently being considered by any other NIH awarding unit. VIII. Letter of Intent Prospective applicants are asked to submit by September 10, 1990, a letter of intent that includes a descriptive title of the proposed research, the name and address of the principal investigator, the names of other key personnel, the participating institution, and the number and title of the RFA in response to which the application is being submitted. Although a letter of intent is not required, is not binding, and does not enter into the review of subsequent applications, the information which it contains is extremely helpful in planning for the review of applications. It allows NCI staff to estimate the potential review workload and to avoid possible conflict of interest in the review. The Letter of Intent should be sent to: Dr. Michael R. Martin Program Director for Basic Cancer Biology National Cancer Institute Executive Plaza South, Room 630 6120 Executive Blvd. Rockville, MD 20892 Telephone: (301) 496-7028 Fax: (310) 496-8656 IX. INQUIRIES Written or telephone inquiries concerning the objectives and scope of this RFA or inquiries about whether or not specific proposed research would be responsive are encouraged and should be directed to Dr. Michael R. Martin at the above address. The Program Director welcomes the opportunity to clarify any issues or questions from potential applicants. This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance No.13.396, Cancer Biology. Awards are under authorization of the Public Health Service Act, Title, IV, Part A (Public Law 78-410, as amended by Public Law 99-158, 42 USC 241 and 285) and administered under PHS grant policies and Federal Regulations 42 CFR 52 and 45 CFR Part 74. This program is not subject to the intergovernmental review requirements of Executive order 12372 or Health Systems Agency review.