ADDICTIVE DISORDERS
Other index terms: Behavioral Sciences & Mental Health, Bioinformatics, Biostatistics, Health Differences & Disparities, Neurosciences

Title: Secondary Data Analyses for Substance Abuse Research (R21/R33)
Agency: National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
LOI Deadline: December 29, 2008
Application Deadline: January 28, 2009
CFDA Number: 93.279
RFA Identification: RFA-DA-09-020
Link:: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-DA-09-020.html

Purpose. This funding opportunity, issued by the National Institute on Drug Abuse invites Phased Innovation (R21/R33) grant applications from organizations/institutions that propose to conduct secondary analyses of rich biological data sets related to substance abuse research and to advance data and computational infrastructure relevant to the proposed analyses.

Mechanism of Support. This FOA will utilize the Exploratory/Developmental Phased Innovation (R21/R33) grant mechanism. Applicants will submit a single application organized into two phases, beginning with discussion of the R21 phase followed by discussion of the R33 phase. Applicants using only the R21 mechanism or only the R33 mechanism will not be considered.

Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards. NIDA intends to commit approximately $2,000,000 in FY 2009 to fund 7 to 10 grants. Funding will be based on scientific and technical merit, program priorities, and availability of funds. Because the nature and scope of the proposed research will vary from application to application, it is anticipated that the size and duration of each award also will vary.

Budget and Project Period. The total project period for an application submitted in response to this funding opportunity may not exceed 4 years. Awards will support milestone driven exploratory/feasibility “proof of concept” studies (R21 phase, up to two years), with possible rapid transition to expedited development (R33 phase, up to three years, depending upon the requested period for the R21 phase). Direct costs are limited to $260,000 over a R21 two-year period, with a maximum of $200,000 allowed in any single year. The R33 award phase will be limited to $240,000 in direct costs per year. NIDA anticipates that a maximum of 50%-70% of the funded R21 phase awards will progress to the R33 award.

Application Research Plan Component Length. Page limit of 25 pages. Examples of research topics Studies may involve, but are not limited to: •

• Integrating data to reveal novel molecular and signaling pathways and/or neural circuitry related to, or involved in substance abuse, drug seeking or other related motivated behavior
• Identifying regional brain activity or structural brain changes associated with development, pharmacological exposures, or environmental factors such as stress
• Identifying regional brain activity or structural brain changes associated with development, pharmacological exposures, or environmental factors such as stress, exploring for possible interactions with race/ethnicity
• Exploring possible correlations between regional brain activity and assessments of cognition, behavior and/or phenotype
• Exploring possible correlations between phenotypic observations and measurements of tissue and other biomarkers relevant to addiction
• Exploring possible correlations between phenotypic observations and measurements of tissue and other biomarkers relevant to addiction in racial/ethnic minority populations
• Exploring possible genetic and environmental factors and their interaction on vulnerability to drug use and addiction in racial/ethnic minority populations •Exploring possible correlations across genetic variations and/or haplotypes within gene sets to reveal relationships among genes and gene variants putatively related to addiction
• Exploring possible correlations among animal and human data sets with respect to phenotypic behaviors and expression
• Analyzing genetic sequence data in combination with other information such as functional genetic elements (e.g. from epigenetic data or copy number variation) to provide insights into a mechanistic understanding of gene function or gene expression
• Investigating relationships among gene and gene variants, messenger RNA and protein expression and the epigenetic and other factors affecting them
• Investigating relationships among gene, messenger RNA and protein expression and addiction or related phenotypes with animal models or post mortem brain tissu
• Identifying genetic regulatory networks relevant to addiction and related phenotypes
• Conducting comparative or other analyses relevant to substance abuse research across time, biological entities, or biological scales (such as molecules and cells, or cells and circuits)
• Mining databases such as the database of Genotype and Phenotype (dbGaP: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=gap) which can be used to discover rare variations that cause common disease outcomes
• Examining comparisons of genetic association data from other countries for possible gene x environment interactions that could be elucidated from detailed analysis of foreign derived datasets
• Combining data from different trials in the NIDA Clinical Trials Network database as well as from other sources to perform a wide variety of secondary analyses, such as subgroup analyses (by gender, ethnic group) on treatment effectiveness, retention and HIV risk behavior; patterns in using multiple illicit drugs; correlation between outcomes from different assessment instruments; and other analyses on mediators and moderators of treatment effectiveness.
• Integrating biological and contextual data to explore relationships among genetic, biological, social, and contextual factors, including their influence upon behavior, using data from large datasets such as Ad Health and NHANES •
• Exploring ligand/biomolecule interactions to identify putative bioactive molecules and targets for drug abuse and addiction research and treatment Where applicable, data must be analyzed by sex/gender, or a convincing scientific rationale for not doing so must be provided. NIDA strongly encourages applicants to address the influence of factors related to race/ethnicity and minority status on any research proposed, where applicable and appropriate.

AGING

Other index term: Training & Career Development

Title: Medical Student Training in Aging Research Program – MSTAR Program
Agency: American Federation for Aging Research Application
Deadline: February 6, 2009
Link: http://www.afar.org/medstu.html

Sponsored by a group of funders and administered by the American Federation for Aging Research (http://afar.org/), the 2009 Medical Student Training in Aging Research Program provides first-year medical students with an enriching experience in aging-related research and geriatrics under the mentorship of top experts in the field. The program introduces students to research and academic experiences that they might not otherwise have during medical school. This introduction has led many physicians-in-training to pursue academic careers in aging, ranging from basic science to clinical research to health services research. Students participate in an eight- to twelve-week structured research, clinical, and didactic program in geriatrics. Students may train at a National Training Center supported by the National Institute on Aging, located at the following institutions:

• David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles – 18 positions (includes positions at the University of California, San Francisco and University of Colorado at Denver Health Sciences Center)
• Harvard Medical School – 7 positions
• Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine – 18 positions
• University of California, San Diego School of Medicine – 18 positions
• University of Hawaii School of Medicine – 5 positions
• University of Michigan School of Medicine – 18 positions (includes positions at Wayne State University School of Medicine)
• University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine – 18 positions (includes positions at University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio)

Research projects are offered in basic, clinical, and health services research relevant to older people. Eligible applicants are allopathic or osteopathic medical students in good standing who will have successfully completed one year of medical school at a U.S. institution by June 2009. Applicants must be citizens or non-citizen nationals of the United States, or have been legally admitted for permanent residence.

The stipend level is approximately $1,731 per month. A minimum of eight weeks of time is required and up to twelve weeks of funding is available. For complete program information please visit the AFAR web site (http://www.afar.org/medstu.html). Materials include a sample application and a short video about the program.

BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES & MENTAL HEALTH

Other index terms: Biostatistics & Epidemiology, Community Outreach & Engagement, Ethics & Responsible Conduct of Research, Health Disparities

Title: Methodology and Measurement in the Behavioral and Social Sciences (R01), (R21), (R03)
Agency: Office of Behavioral and Social Science Research
 National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
 National Cancer Institute
 National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
 National Institute on Aging
 National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
 National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Engineering
 Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development 
 National Institute on Drug Abuse
 National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
 National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
 National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
 National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke National Institute of Nursing Research
 Office of Dietary Supplements
LOI Deadline: 30 days prior to standard application due dates Application Deadline: Standard dates apply, please see http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm
PAR Identification: PAR-08-212, PAR-08-213, PAR-08-214 CFDA Numbers: 93.393, 93.396, 93.399, 93.213, 93.233, 93.837, 93.839, 93.865, 93.121, 93.115, 93.853, 93.361, 93.866, 93.273, 93.173, 93.279, 93.286
Links: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-08-212.html (R01) http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-08-213.html (R21) http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-08-214.html (R03)

Purpose. The goal of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to encourage research that will improve the quality and scientific power of data collected in the behavioral and social sciences, relevant to the missions of the participating NIH Institutes and Centers.

The participating NIH Institutes and Centers invite qualified researchers to submit research grant applications aimed at improving and developing methodology and measurement in the behavioral and social sciences through innovations in research design, data collection techniques, measurement, and data analysis techniques.

Research that addresses methodology and measurement issues in diverse populations, issues in studying sensitive behaviors, issues of ethics in research, issues related to confidential data and the protection of research subjects, and issues in developing interdisciplinary, multimethod, and multilevel approaches to behavioral and social science research is particularly encouraged, as are approaches that integrate behavioral and social science research with biological, physical, or computational science research or engineering.

Mechanism of Support. This FOA will utilize the NIH Research Project Grant (R01) mechanism and runs in parallel with PAR-08-213 and PAR-08-214, which solicit applications under the Exploratory/Developmental (R21) and Small Research Grant (R03) award mechanisms, respectively.

Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards. Awards issued under this FOA are contingent upon the availability of funds and the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) encourages applications addressing four general areas of methodology and measurement research in the social and behavioral sciences. These areas, discussed in detail in the Funding Opportunity Announcement, include research design, data collection techniques, measurement, and data analysis. Within the broad spectrum of research defined by these areas, applicants are particularly encouraged (but are not required) to consider studies that address one or more of the following key issues:

1) Methodology and measurement issues in developing innovative interdisciplinary, multimethod, and multilevel research designs for use in behavioral and social science research, with special emphasis on both developing new technologies and addressing the analytical complexities associated with the integration of behavioral, social, and biological data.
2) Methodology and measurement issues in research relating to diverse populations, for example, populations that are distinctive by virtue of age, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, culture, including culture-specific medical systems, socio-economic status, literacy, language, or disability.
3) Methodology and measurement issues in studying how dramatic changes in economic, social, environmental, physical, or political context affect human health and well-being, including developing new methods if older ones are no longer valid in the face of significant changes in populations and societies over the last several decades.
4) Methodology and measurement issues in studying potentially sensitive behaviors, such as sexual behavior and abortion, and covert or illegal behaviors such as drug use, abuse, and violence.
5) Methodology and measurement issues that facilitate incorporating measures of social environment with genetic data or enhance bringing genetic measures into studies of social epidemiology.
6) Methodology and measurement issues concerning ethics in research, with emphasis on the topics of informed consent, assessment of risk and benefit, and selection and retention of subjects, and ensuring subjects' confidentiality.

Multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches are strongly encouraged. Potential applicants are urged to explore the ideas and methods developed in social science and behavioral fields other than their own and to consider the development and integration of behavioral and social science measures with those of the biomedical, physical, or computational sciences or engineering. Consulting relevant literature and collaborating with colleagues from other disciplines may provide important opportunities for cross-fertilization in developing improved methodology and measurement.

CANCER

Other index terms: Clinical & Translational Research, Drug Discovery & Development
Title: Erythropoiesis Stimulating Agents and Tumor Progression (R01), (R21)
Agency: National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Application Deadline: Standard dates apply, please see http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm
PA Identification: PA-09-023, PA-09-024
CFDA Numbers: 93.393, 93.396
Links: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-09-023.html (R01)
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-09-024.html (R21)

This funding opportunity announcement (FOA), issued by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), invites applications for research projects that investigate the effects of Erythropoietin (EPO) on tumor cell growth. EPO has been widely used to relieve the anemia associated with renal failure. In addition, EPO and other erythropoiesis stimulating agents (ESAs) have recently been used to treat the anemia associated with cancer chemotherapy. However, several clinical trials involving administration of ESAs, have suggested that ESAs may accelerate tumor progression and increase mortality in cancer patients. It is therefore important to understand the biology of ESAs on tumor cell growth and apoptosis. The purpose of this FOA is to stimulate high quality research on the effects of ESAs on tumor cell biology and tumor progression.

Using the NIH Exploratory/Developmental Grant (R21) funding mechanism, this FOA focuses on early and conceptual stages of research projects.

Research projects may include, but are not limited to, studies that ask the following questions:

• How is the erythropoietin receptor expression regulated in non-hematopoietic tissues both malignant and benign? Such investigations can and should involve improved methods for detecting EPO receptors on cells beyond the currently available antibody.
• Can the effects of ESAs on cell proliferation in appropriate cell culture models (e.g., mammary tumor and head and neck tumor cells) be determined and related to our understanding of the effects of EPO on normal erythroid progenitor cells?
• Is ESA induction of anti-apoptotic proteins (e.g. Bcl-2, Bcl-xL) in appropriate tumor cell models related to an increase in resistance to apoptosis, in response to therapeutic agents or physiological stimuli?
• What signal transduction pathways can be definitively identified as regulating apoptosis or cell proliferation in EPO responsive tumor cell lines?
• Can animal models of human malignant disease (e.g. genetically engineered mice) be identified in which the pharmacological effects of ESAs on tumor growth and progression can be determined and studied systematically?
• What are the effects of ESAs on tumor vasculogenesis or angiogenesis in appropriate model systems?
• What are the effects of ESAs on tumor invasiveness and migration both in in vitro and in vivo model systems?

CARDIOVASCULAR SCIENCES

Other index terms: Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Imaging, Metabolomics, Proteomics
Title: The Role of Cardiomyocyte Mitochondria in Heart Disease: An Integrated Approach (R01)
Agency: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

LOI Deadline: April 20, 2009
Application Deadline: May 19, 2009
RFA Identification: RFA-HL-10-002
CFDA Number: 93.837
Link: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-HL-10-002.html

Executive Summary
Purpose. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) invites applications for collaborative research projects to develop an integrated understanding of cardiomyocyte mitochondria and its contributions to myocardial adaptations and heart disease progression by combining functional data with information derived from powerful new technologies.

Mechanism of Support. This FOA will utilize the R01 grant mechanism.

Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards. The NHLBI intends to commit approximately $4 million in total costs in FY2010, and up to $16 million over four years, to fund up to six grants under this FOA. Awards issued under this FOA are contingent upon availability of funds and the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications.

Budget and Project Period. Budgets for direct costs of up to $500,000 per year and a project duration of up to four years may be requested for a maximum of $2,000,000 direct costs over a four-year project period. Because the nature and scope of the proposed research will vary from application to application, it is anticipated that the size and duration of each award will also vary. The total amount awarded and the number of awards will depend upon the numbers, quality, duration, and costs of the applications received.

Application Research Plan Component Length: The R01 application Research Plan component of the PHS398 (Items 2-5) may not exceed 25 pages, including tables, graphs, figures, diagrams, and charts .

Eligible Institutions/Organizations. Institutions/organizations listed in Section III, 1.A. are eligible to apply.

Research Objectives
Objectives:
This initiative will support development of an integrated understanding of cardiomyocyte mitochondria by combining functional data with information derived from advances in “-omics” technologies, such as genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and in new imaging tools. Investigators are expected to correlate in vitro and in situ/in vivo studies to build a cohesive and comprehensive understanding of the cardiomyocyte mitochondrial function as it relates to heart disease and failure within the cell and whole organ.

Purpose and Rationale:
This FOA requires multidisciplinary teams with expertise in cardiac physiology, mitochondrial biology, and relevant advanced technologies to work together to improve understanding of the role of cardiomyocyte mitochondrial dysfunction and adaptation (e.g.: heart failure, ischemic injury and protection, diabetic cardiomyopathy, aging). The inclusion of bioinformatics and/or computational modeling expertise is strongly encouraged.

Cardiomyocyte mitochondria are complex organelles that play a critical role in cardiac cellular energy metabolism, calcium homeostasis, biogenesis, and regulation of cell death. Although mitochondrial dysfunction has been implicated in various cardiac pathologies, altered mitochondrial function in physiological and pathophysiological processes within cardiac myocytes is extensive, complex, and not fully understood. In addition, the majority of the current data has been derived from isolated mitochondria studies, which may limit our understanding of the role and responses of the mitochondria in its physiological environment. Significant gaps in the understanding of cardiomyocyte mitochondrial biology in health and disease remain. However, recent technological advances could permit better meaningful assessments of the role of cardiomyocyte mitochondria, particularly with respect to quantitative and real time in situ/in vivo measurements.

Combining functional studies of cardiomyocyte mitochondria with advances in “omics” and imaging technologies should provide a more comprehensive and integrated understanding of the critical role of mitochondria in adaptation to myocardial stress and the development and progression of heart disease. Computational approaches and bioinformatic tools will permit integration of multiple types of biomedical data and the exploration of cardiomyocyte mitochondria responses to perturbations. Such an integrative understanding can accelerate identification of novel therapeutic targets and permit the design of effective new strategies for early detection, prevention, and treatment of heart diseases.

The goal of this program is to develop a comprehensive understanding of genomic, proteomic, metabolomic, and functional information in cardiomyocyte mitochondria by bringing investigators from different disciplines together to focus on developing an integrative understanding of the role of cardiomyocyte mitochondria in health and disease.

Examples of research topics may include, but are not limited to, integration of functional data with:

• Proteomic and computational biology techniques: Perform spatial and/or temporal analysis of the dynamic posttranslational modification of proteins during myocardial ischemia and reperfusion. Utilize computational models to help identify key therapeutic targets that can be modified by cardioprotective strategies.
  
• Imaging and genomic techniques: Use novel imaging agents to assess mitochondrial function during the development of heart failure. Use transgenic models to explore genomic influences on this progression and identify processes that can be altered to prevent or delay the onset of clinical disease.
  
• Metabolomic and imaging techniques: Define the chemical activity of all metabolites and reactive species in the mitochondrial matrix to accurately characterize the kinetics of enzyme systems formed. Identify changes in mitochondrial metabolism, biogenesis, apoptosis, and stress-sensing in diabetic cardiomyopathy.
• Proteomic and genomic techniques: Compare mitochondrial proteomic and genomic profiles of adaptive cardiac hypertrophy to pathophysiological cardiac hypertrophy. Evaluate the functional significance of gene and protein modifications for the development of disease.
  
• Computational biology and imaging techniques: Develop and validate a computational model of cardiomyocyte mitochondrial function based upon in situ measurements of both sarcolemmal and mitochondrial membrane potential using voltage-sensitive dyes and of both mitochondrial and cytoplasmic ion activities. Extend the hypothesis-generating and predictive capacity of computational models to better understand, prevent, diagnose, and treat heart diseases.

To foster new collaborations and facilitate partnerships among different disciplines, programs will comprise multidisciplinary R01 grant applications. This FOA will require multidisciplinary teams with expertise in cardiac physiology, mitochondrial biology, and relevant advanced technologies to work together to improve understanding of the role of cardiomyocyte mitochondrial dysfunction and adaptation. Applications with multiple PDs/PIs are allowed. However, within each R01 grant, a lead PD/PI must be identified who will be the point of contact to NHLBI staff. A minimum 20% effort is required for lead PD/PI. Applications must justify the choice of team members and how this set of approaches will provide a new and integrated understanding of the role of cardiomyocyte mitochondria in health and disease.

Each application to this FOA must:

• Provide a model organism sharing plan. The model organism sharing policy is available at http://grants2.nih.gov/grants/policy/model_organism/
  
• Provide a sharing plan for any computational models developed as a result of support provided by this FOA.
  
• Responsiveness Criteria: The focus of the investigation must be on cardiac mitochondria. Applications responsive to this FOA must comprise of multidisciplinary teams with expertise in cardiac physiology, mitochondrial biology, and relevant advanced technologies. The inclusion of bioinformatics and/or computational modeling expertise is strongly encouraged. As this FOA aims to focus on developing an integrative understanding of the role of cardiomyocyte mitochondria in heart disease and adaptation, the main thrust of applications must be to understand the functioning of the cardiomyocyte biology in mammalian model systems.

Examples of applications which would be considered non-responsive to this FOA are:

• Applications not focused on cardiomyocyte mitochondria
  
• Applications that focus on non-mammalian models
  
• Applications that focus predominantly on technology development
  
• Applications with the goal of continuing high-throughput genomic and proteomic facilities, large clinical studies, or the establishment of epidemiological cohorts that collect data for future studies

Prior to peer review, NHLBI staff will screen all submitted application for their responsiveness to the goals of this FOA. Nonresponsive applications will be returned.

NEUROSCIENCES

Other index terms: Addictive Disorders, Behavioral Sciences & Mental Health, Bioengineering & Bio-imaging
Title:  Brain Imaging Studies of Negative Reinforcement in Humans (R01), (R21)
Agency: National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
LOI Deadline: January 19, 2009
Application Deadline: February 19, 2009
CFDA Number:  3.279
RFA Identification:  RFA-DA-09-008 (R01); RFA-DA-09-009 (R21)
Links: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-DA-09-008.html (R01)
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-DA-09-009.html (R21)   

This FOA issued by National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, solicits Exploratory/Developmental Grant (R21) applications from institutions/ organizations that propose to investigate brain processes in humans underlying how aversive events control behavior in order to stimulate a program of clinical neuroscience research on negative reinforcement / avoidance learning.  On the basis of pre-clinical studies, negative reinforcement has re-emerged as a contributing factor in the basic processes of substance abuse.  The range of processes engaged by the human brain to avoid aversive outcomes are much less well understood than that of brain processes engaged by positive outcomes. For the purpose of this FOA negative reinforcement and avoidance learning are considered synonymous and refer to behaviors and cognitive strategies that are learned and maintained in order to minimize or eliminate the occurrence of aversive events. Aversive events may be either environmental stimuli or internal states. Applications for this FOA are expected to propose exploratory, hypotheses-generating or proof of concept studies regarding the brain regions or processes in humans that underlie avoidance learning including behaviors and cognitive strategies maintained by negative reinforcement. This FOA is also appropriate for the development of new tasks in humans that may be used in future brain imaging studies to target specific brain processing areas affected by negative reinforcement/avoidance learning. The studies proposed in response to this FOA may be conducted in healthy individuals, substance-abusing populations (current or abstinent) or individuals at risk for substance abuse.  However, all applications must address how the proposed investigations are relevant to advancing the understanding of substance abuse.

Because this FOA is intended to stimulate research on a broad range of topics examining brain processes in humans underlying Negative Reinforcement / Avoidance Learning, research gaps that might be addressed include, but are not limited to the following questions:

• Are the same brain processes and brain networks involved in positive reinforcement also involved in negative reinforcement and avoidance learning or are there distinct brain networks and processes?  
• Can specific roles and processes be associated with individual brain regions, specific networks, or neurotransmitter/neurochemical systems?
• Can individual differences be accounted for by psychological, biological or environmental variables, including genetic variation, gender, development, socio-economic status or social influences?
• What brain processes are engaged during reduction or extinction of avoidance behaviors? Are they the same or different than the brain processes that are involved in acquisition?
• How are the brain processes involved in negative reinforcement/avoidance learning altered by chronic drug use? Are such brain processes similarly affected by all drug classes or are some processes differentially sensitive to specific drug classes?
• Do brain processes involved in negative reinforcement/avoidance learning vary as a function of risk factors related to substance abuse, substance abuse severity, or during abstinence and recovery?
• How is the neural basis of active avoidance different from other situations that involve varying levels of aversive outcomes such as passive avoidance, escape or punishment?

It is emphasized that these topics do not represent programmatic priorities set by NIDA, but are merely illustrative, and therefore should not be considered as being either comprehensive or exclusive.

Other index term: Training & Career Development
Title: Basic Neurobiological Science Grant
Agency: Whitehall Foundation
Application Deadlines: January 15, April 15, October 15
Link: http://www.whitehall.org/about/

The Whitehall Foundation, through its program of grants and grants-in-aid, assists scholarly research in the life sciences. It is the Foundation's policy to assist those dynamic areas of basic biological research that are not heavily supported by Federal Agencies or other foundations with specialized missions. In order to respond to the changing environment, the Whitehall Foundation periodically reassesses the need for financial support by the various fields of biological research.
The Foundation emphasizes the support of young scientists at the beginning of their careers and productive senior scientists who wish to move into new fields of interest. Consideration is given, however, to applicants of all ages. The chief criteria for support are the quality and creativity of the research as well as the commitment of the Principal Investigator (a minimum time allocation of 20% is required). The principal investigator must hold no less than the position of assistant professor, or the equivalent, in order to participate in the application process. The applicant need not be in a tenure track position but must be an independent researcher and have Principal Investigator status at his/her institution.
The Foundation does not award funds to investigators who have substantial existing or potential support, even if it is for an unrelated purpose. Applications may be held in abeyance until the results of other funding decisions are determined. While it is difficult to assign a specific dollar amount to this policy and each case is unique, the Foundation currently defines "substantial" as approximately $200,000 per year (including both direct and indirect expense but excluding the Principal Investigator's salary).
The Foundation is currently interested in basic research in neurobiology, defined as follows: Invertebrate and vertebrate (excluding clinical) neurobiology, specifically investigations of neural mechanisms involved in sensory, motor, and other complex functions of the whole organism as these relate to behavior. The overall goal should be to better understand behavioral output or brain mechanisms of behavior.

NURSING

Other index terms: Autoimmune & Rheumatic Disorders, Cancer, Clinical Research, Health Services Research
Title: Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice Grants in Auto-immune Diseases and Cancer
Agency: Daisy Foundation
Application Deadline: March 1, 2009
Link: http://www.daisyfoundation.org/

New funding is available from the Daisy Foundation (http://www.daisyfoundation.org/) for nurses seeking to improve treatment of patients with autoimmune diseases and cancer. The Daisy Foundation was established in 1999 to recognize and support exceptional nurses around the United States.

Applications are now being accepted for the foundation's J. Patrick Barnes Research Grant, which funds nursing research and evidence-based practice projects. Two types of grants will be awarded: large grants of up to $5,000 each for projects that can be completed within two years and small grants of up to $1,000 each for projects completed within twelve months.

The program supports registered nurses who continually evaluate and improve their practice by seeking answers to clinical questions. Additional information and the grant application form are available at the Daisy Foundation Web site (http://www.daisyfoundation.org/).

PHARMACOLOGICAL & TOXICOLOGICAL

Other index terms: Child & Adolescent Health, Clinical & Translational Research, Drug Discovery & Development, Metabolomics, Proteomics

Title: Developmental Pharmacology (R03), (R21)
Agency: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institute of Mental Health
LOI Deadlines: December 21, 2008, April 21, 2009, August 21, 2009, December 21, 2009, April 23, 2010
Application Deadlines: January 21, 2009, May 21, 2009, September 21, 2009, January 21, 2010, May 21, 2010
CFDA Numbers: 93.865, 93.113, 93.242
PAR Identifications: PAR-08-215, PAR-08-216
Links: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-08-215.html (R03)
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-08-216.html (R21)

The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), and participating Institutes within the National Institutes of Health (NIH) invite grant applications for research related to developmental pharmacology. The goal of this funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is to encourage multidisciplinary, investigator-initiated, basic and translational research in developmental pharmacology with particular emphasis on the role of ontogeny on drug metabolizing enzymes, transporters, receptors and signaling pathways activity across developmental periods from fetal life to adolescence.

• Mechanism of Support. This FOA will use the NIH Exploratory/Developmental (R21) grant mechanism and runs in parallel with a FOA of identical scientific scope, PAR-08-215 that solicits applications under the NIH Small Research Grant (R03) award mechanism and PAR-07-416 that solicits applications under the R01 grant mechanism.
• Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards. Because the nature and scope of the proposed research will vary from application to application, it is anticipated that the size and duration of each award will also vary. The total amount awarded and the number of awards will depend upon the mechanism, numbers, quality, duration, and costs of the applications received.

Research Objectives

This initiative seeks to stimulate interdisciplinary collaboration of clinical, translational and basic researchers working in complementary areas of research in developmental therapeutics. Knowledge accrued in developmental biology studies need to be applied to the study of the pharmacology of drugs used across the course of development in an integrated manner. Incorporation of genomics, pharmacogenomics, proteomics, cell biology and metabolomics in developmental pharmacologic research is encouraged. The long term goal of this initiative is to provide the scientific basis for the rational use of drugs in children of all ages. Proposals developed as a result of this initiative must be “patient oriented” and designed to answer research questions of clinical significance.


Scope

Examples of study areas include but are not limited to:
• Analysis and comparison of cell, tissue, organ-specific effects of drug responses across various developmental stages: e.g. changes in receptor coupling second messengers, and signal transduction pathways;
• Use of sensitive, specific rapid methods (e.g. microarray or proteomic) to identify predictive biomarkers of drug response in children (beneficial and adverse);
• Inducibility and imprinting of genes involved in pharmacokinetics or pharmacodynamics;
• Regulation and ontogenetic expression of DMEs, transporters, receptors, and related proteins including mechanisms involved, impact of disease processes, and roles of endogenous and exogenous modulators;
• The use of appropriate established and innovative techniques for the study of ontogeny from a pharmacological perspective is encouraged (e.g., knockout animals and drug applications in vivo, gene expression over time in living animals; in vitro-in silico-in vivo correlations). An overriding consideration in the proposed research must be the appropriateness of testing models and extrapolation of animal data to humans;
• Development and application of methodologies based on metabolomics technologies to determine the effect of drugs on metabolic pathways at different developmental stages.
• Synergistic studies that reach across two or more of these areas are welcomed and interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research is especially encouraged.

WOMEN’S HEALTH

Other index terms: Clinical & Translational Research, Training & Career Development
Title: Women's Reproductive Health Research (WRHR) Career Development Program (K12)
Agency: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH)
LOI Deadline:         February 27, 2009
Application Deadline:          March 27, 2009
RFA Identification: RFA-HD-08-014
CFDA Number: 93.865
Link: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-HD-08-014.html

The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) issued by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and the Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH) is to build a national capacity of junior investigators in women's reproductive health research, provide junior faculty with state of the art training in women’s reproductive health research in an academic setting, stimulate women’s reproductive health research over a variety of disciplines, and secure an outstanding research experience for junior faculty leading to a career as a successful independent investigator.

The goal of the Women’s Reproductive Health Research (WRHR) Career Development Program is to promote the performance of research and transfer of findings that will benefit the health of women. This will be accomplished by supporting research career development of obstetrician-gynecologists, to be known as WRHR Scholars. These K12 Program grant awards will ultimately result in a well-qualified cadre of academic obstetrician-gynecologist (ob/gyn) investigators who will help strengthen the research capacity in health professional institutions and meet the need for highly skilled scientists with a clinical background who can address the increasing research opportunities in women's reproductive health.

Objectives and Scope

The overall objective of the WRHR Program is to bridge clinical training with research independence through a mentored research experience leading to an independent scientific career addressing women's reproductive health concerns. This FOA represents a continued expansion of ongoing research efforts to generate numbers of ob/gyn physician scientists who would be able to obtain independent support to conduct research in women’s reproductive health.

Types of Research and Experimental Approaches