E-Newsletter: February 5, 2010

In this Issue:
1. American Reinvestment and Recovery Act News
2. Funding Opportunity News
3. NIDCR News
4. NIH News
5. Science Advances

AMERICAN REINVESTMENT AND RECOVERY ACT NEWS

Limited Competition: NIH Director's Opportunity for Research in 5 Thematic Areas (RC4)
Using new ARRA funds received for FY 2009 and 2010, NIH is establishing a program called the "NIH Director's Opportunity for Research in Five Thematic Areas."  The five areas are:

• Applying Genomics and Other High Throughput Technologies
• Translating Basic Science Discoveries into New and Better Treatments
• Using Science to Enable Health Care Reform
• Focusing on Global Health
• Reinvigorating the Biomedical Research Community     

The program will support projects that address research in these areas that will benefit from significant three-year funds without the expectation of continued NIH funding beyond this period.  The research supported by the program should have high short-term impact, and a high likelihood of enabling growth and investment in biomedical research and development, public health, and health care delivery.  Contingent upon the submission of a sufficient number of scientifically meritorious applications, up to $80 million of ARRA funds will be obligated by September 30, 2010 to support requests in response to this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA).  Only applications with budgets greater than $500,000 total costs per year for a project period of three years are expected to be considered.  The earliest date an application may be submitted to Grants.gov is February 15, 2010.  Letters of Intent are due February 15; applications are due by March 15.  For additional information see:
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-OD-10-005.html

Funding Opportunities Available through the NIH Basic Behavioral and Social Science Opportunity Network (OppNet)
On November 18, NIH Director Francis S. Collins announced the launch of OppNet --the NIH Basic Behavioral and Social Science Opportunity Network, a trans-NIH initiative to expand the agency's funding of basic behavioral and social sciences research (b-BSSR):
http://oppnet.nih.gov/
OppNet has received $10 million in ARRA funds for its inaugural year. Approximately $2 million of this amount will be dedicated to short-term mentored career development awards for mid-career and senior investigators:

• Limited Competition: NIH Basic Behavioral and Social Science Opportunity Network (OppNet) Short-term Mentored Career Development Awards in the Basic Behavioral and Social Sciences for Mid-career  and Senior Investigators (K18)
  Applications are invited for short-term mentored career development (K18) awards in basic behavioral and social sciences research (b-BSSR) from three months to one year in duration.  The program aims to support the development of b-BSSR research capability in established mid-career and senior investigators. Two categories of candidates are targeted: (a) biomedical or clinical researchers with little experience in basic behavioral and social sciences research who seek training with a well established b-BSSR investigator to explore the introduction of b-BSSR into their research programs; and (b) investigators in the basic or applied behavioral and social sciences who wish to build new components or domains of basic-BSSR into their research programs. It is anticipated that 10-20 awards will be made for fiscal year 2010, pending the number and quality of applications and availability of funds.  Applications are due February 18th.  For additional information see:
  http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-OD-10-003.html

OppNet's remaining $8 million in ARRA funds will be obligated by September 30, 2010 to support competitive revision requests submitted in response to the following three Notices: 

• Competitive Revision Applications (R01, R03, R15, R21, R21/33, and R37)
  Investigators and U.S. institutions/organizations with relevant active NIH-support research project grants (R01, R03, R15, R21, R21/33, and R37) are invited to submit competitive revision applications (formerly termed competitive supplements) to accelerate, expand, and/or strengthen basic behavioral and social sciences research.  Applications are due March 2, 2010. For additional details see:
  http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-10-032.html
  
  
• Competitive Revision Applications (R01, R03, R15, R21, R21/33, and R37) for HIV/AIDS-related Research
  Investigators and U.S. institutions/organizations with relevant NIH-supported research project grants (R01, R03, R15, R21, R21/33, and R37) are invited to submit competitive revision applications to accelerate, expand, and/or strengthen basic behavioral and social sciences research relevant to HIV/AIDS risk, prevention, and treatment.  Applications are due March 25, 2010. For additional information see:
  http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-10-033.html
  
  
• Competitive Revision Applications for Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Research Grants (R43/R44 and R41/R42)
  Investigators and U.S. institutions/organizations with relevant active NIH-supported small business research project grants (STTR [R41, R42], SBIR [R43,R44], and SBIR/STTR Fast-Track grants) may submit competitive revision applications to accelerate innovation through basic behavioral and social sciences research and development that has commercial potential and is relevant to OppNet’s mission.  Applications are due March 25, 2010. For additional information see:
  http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-10-034.html
  Also see clarification of Notice:
  http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-10-054.html

Recovery Act Limited Competition: Institutional Comparative Effectiveness Research Mentored Career Development Award (KM1)
This FOA aims to support the expansion of the nation’s workforce of researchers with expertise and experience in comparative effectiveness research (CER). The mentored career development approach will permit research-intensive institutions to develop an interdisciplinary environment catering to the needs of diverse populations of scholars including (but not limited to) those with backgrounds in biostatistics, epidemiology, health economics, pharmacology, medicine, and dentistry. Scholars supported through this program could include recent doctoral graduates who are entering the research workforce as well as established investigators who are seeking to extend their expertise or experience in CER in a mentored environment.  NIH intends to commit up to $25,000,000 for this FOA.  It is anticipated that eight to 10 awards will be made for Fiscal Year 2010, pending the number and quality of applications.  Applications are due March 25, 2010.  See more information at:
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-OD-10-011.html

ARRA OS: Recovery Act 2009: Accelerating Adoption of Comparative Effectiveness Research Results by Providers and Patients (R18)
Applications are invited from organizations that propose to develop and test strategies to improve the adoption of existing CER information and to incorporate these findings into practice in both the public and private sector.  Funds will be used to support organizations that 1) develop and test evidence-informed and innovative CER-based adoption interventions targeting patients and/or providers; 2) develop proposals that test the implementation of CER-based adoption strategies within and across organizations and delivery systems and analyze any behavior change (in patients and/or providers) associated with the intervention. It is anticipated that 5-10 awards will be made.  Applications are due March 11, 2010.  See additional details at:
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-AE-10-001.html

Availability of Recovery Act Funds for Administrative Supplements for Comparative Effectiveness Research Workforce Development
Investigators and U.S. institutions/organizations with active NIH research grants may request administrative supplements for the purpose of expanding the numbers of researchers qualified to oversee or conduct comparative effectiveness research (CER).  The receipt date is March 1, 2010 and the maximum sum that may be requested is $500,000 in total costs.  Up to 16 awards may be made. Information about the NIH CER-specific areas of interest, process for submitting requests, and selection criteria is found at:
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-10-037.html

Availability of Recovery Act Funds for Administrative Supplements to Support Core Consolidation
Investigators and U.S. institutions/organizations with certain active NIH research grants that support core facilities were invited to request administrative supplements for the purpose of consolidating multiple cores into a single, more efficient core. Approximately $15 million of ARRA funds will be obligated by September 30, 2010 to support requests submitted in response to this notice.  Support could be requested for up to 1 year for qualified grants.  It is expected that this will be a one-time opportunity. For additional information see:
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-RR-10-001.html

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY NEWS

NEW PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENTS

Behavioral/Social Science Research

Clinical Research/Clinical Trials

NEW REQUESTS FOR APPLICATIONS

American Reinvestment and Recovery Act

Neurobiology/Pain

NIH Roadmap

NOTICES

NIDCR NEWS  

Dr. Julio Frenk Discusses Global Health
Dr. Julio Frenk, dean of the Harvard School of Public Health, spoke about "Globalization and Health: The Role of Knowledge in an Interdependent World" when he delivered the David E. Barmes Global Health Lecture on the NIH campus on December 15th.  The annual Barmes Lecture is jointly sponsored by the NIDCR and the Fogarty International Center.  Listen to what Dean Frenk had to say:
http://videocast.nih.gov/Summary.asp?File=15501

Temple University School of Dentistry: Empowering Communities
 It may take a village to raise a child, but a growing number of researchers say it may take a systems approach to address long-standing inequities in the nation's oral health.  Read the interview with Dr. Amid Ismail, dean of the Maurice H. Kornberg School of Dentistry at Temple University in Philadelphia:


http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/Research/ResearchResults/InterviewsOHR/Temple.htm
 

NIH NEWS

First Human Embryonic Stem Cells Approved for Use Under NIH Guidelines
On December 2, NIH Director Francis S. Collins announced the approval of the first 13 human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines for use in NIH-funded research under the NIH Guidelines for Human Stem Cell Research adopted in July 2009.  Children's Hospital Boston developed 11 of the approved lines and Rockefeller University in New York City developed two.  An additional 96 lines have been submitted to NIH for either internal administrative review or consideration by the external Working Group for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Eligibility Review and the NIH Advisory Committee to the Director.  See additional details:
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-10-020.html

NIH Opens Website for Submission of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Lines for Approval
NIH is now accepting requests for human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines to be approved for use in NIH-funded research.  Information may be submitted through NIH Form 2890, an interactive Web form, which is found at:  
http://stemcells.nih.gov/
 

NIH Announces Expansion of Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network
NIH has announced a second phase of the Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network (RDCRN) that includes funds for 19 research consortia. The Rare Diseases Clinical Research Consortia and a Data Management Coordinating Center (DMCC) will be awarded a total of just over $117 million over the next five years to explore the natural history, epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of more than 95 rare diseases. 

A rare disease is defined as a disease or condition affecting fewer than 200,000 persons in the United States. Approximately 6,500 such disorders have been identified, affecting an estimated 25 million Americans. Funds and scientific oversight for the RDCRN will be provided by the Office of Rare Diseases Research and seven NIH Institutes, including the NIDCR.  Also participating are the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI).

NIH Announces First National Research Study Recruitment Registry
Individuals who wish to participate in research studies now can connect online with researchers nationwide through the first volunteer recruitment registry.  ResearchMatch.org is a not-for-profit secure Web site, designed to provide people who are interested in participating in research the opportunity to be matched with studies that may be the right fit for them.  The site is a collaborative effort of the national network of medical research institutions affiliated with the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSAs).  The CTSA program focuses on enhancing local and national efforts to enhance the translation of laboratory discoveries into treatments for patients. Additional details about the recruitment registry are found at:
http://www.nih.gov/news/health/nov2009/ncrr-10.htm

NIH Saddened by Death of Dr. Ruth Kirschstein
Dr. Ruth Kirschstein, former NIH Deputy Director, acting NIH Director, and senior advisor to multiple NIH Directors, died on October 6.  Her scientific and administrative public service career spanned more than half a century. Dr. Kirschstein conducted important laboratory work on the polio vaccine and later made history as the first woman to direct an NIH institute, the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS).  Dr. Kirschstein was a strong advocate for research training, especially interdisciplinary predoctoral programs and programs to increase the number of minority biomedical scientists, physician-scientists, and scientists trained in emerging or evolving areas. She also personally mentored a significant number of people within and outside NIH.  In 2002, as a tribute to her many years of exceptional service to the nation, particularly in the area of research training, Congress renamed the National Research Service Award program in her honor.


NIDCR Mourns Dr. Ann Sandberg
Ann L. Sandberg, Ph.D., an internationally recognized immunologist who retired from NIDCR in 2005, died December 31, 2009 in Bozeman, Montana.  She was 71.  Dr. Sandberg was with NIDCR for 33 years; at the time of her retirement she was acting director of the Center for Integrative Craniofacial Research.  She leaves behind a legacy of scientific and personal accomplishments, and a host of colleagues and friends who celebrate her life and mourn her loss. 

"Ann Sandberg was a true pioneer--at a time when relatively few women were scientists, Ann was a leader in the field of oral infectious disease," said Dr. Lawrence Tabak, director of the NIDCR.  "Following her tenure as an intramural investigator, Ann joined the NIDCR extramural program where she markedly enhanced the Institute's portfolio in oral cancer research," he said.  "I was delighted when Ann agreed to assume a larger leadership role as the director of the Center for Integrative Craniofacial Research.  Her extraordinary leadership skills and "matter of fact" approach to dealing with challenges helped the Institute markedly enhance research investments in "omic" biology during her tenure."


Dr. Susan Shurin Named NHLBI Acting Director
Susan Shurin, M.D., was named Acting Director of the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, effective December 1. Dr. Elizabeth Nabel, who had headed the Institute, left on November 30 to assume a new position in Boston.  Dr. Shurin is a pediatric hematologist and oncologist who held appointments as professor of pediatrics and professor of oncology at Case Western Reserve University prior to coming to the NIH and NHLBI in 2006.
 

Dr. Alan Guttmacher Named NICHD Acting Director
Alan Guttmacher, M.D., is the new Acting Director of NICHD, effective December 1.  A pediatrician and medical geneticist, he served in a number of roles at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) since joining the Institute in 1999.  He became NHGRI’s Deputy Director in 2002 and served as the Institute’s Acting Director since 2008.  He replaces Susan L. Shurin, M.D., who left the NICHD to serve as acting director of NHLBI.





Dr. Eric Green Named Director of the National Human Genome Research Institute
Eric D. Green, M.D. Ph.D., is the new director of the NHGRI.  Previously he was NHGRI's scientific director and director of the Institute’s Division of Intramural Research.  Since the early 1990s, Dr. Green’s research program has been at the forefront of efforts to map, sequence, and understand complex genomes.  His work included significant, start-to-finish involvement in the Human Genome Project.  More recently, he established a program in comparative genomics that involves the generation and analyses of sequences from targeted genomic regions in evolutionarily diverse species.  The resulting data have provided new insights about vertebrate genome organization and evolution, and revealed how conserved sequences can be used to identify important functional genomic elements.
 

SCIENCE ADVANCES

Scientists Profile Oral Mycobiome
http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/Research/ResearchResults/ScienceBriefs/CurrentSNIB/
Thousands of microorganisms inhabit the mouth, including various fungi.  Scientists provide the first comprehensive snapshot of the oral fungal community, also called mycobiome.




Lip Prints:  Something Old, Something New
http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/Research/ResearchResults/ScienceBriefs/CurrentSNIB/
Lip patterns have been used to solve crimes.  They may also one day help to detect inherited risk for nonsyndromic cleft lip and/or palate.





Key Gene in Cleft Lip and/or Palate Identified
http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/Research/ResearchResults/ScienceBriefs/CurrentSNIB/
Scientists already have identified a number of genes involved in cleft lip and/or palate.  Here's one more, and it appears to be a major player in the clefting process.





Proteomics of Saliva and Plasma
http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/Research/ResearchResults/ScienceBriefs/CurrentSNIB/
Saliva and plasma are critical bodily fluids.  Scientists are casting a wide investigative net to see how their protein content overlaps and differs.





Selectively Removing Tooth Decay
http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/Research/ResearchResults/ScienceBriefs/Archive/
Dentists have long drilled and filled cavities.  The union of high-powered technologies could one day take the cavity out of treating tooth decay.





Resolvin Inflammation
http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/Research/ResearchResults/ScienceBriefs/Archive/

Better ways to control inflammation will help millions of Americans.  Scientists have just characterized a molecule that naturally helps our bodies resolve inflammation.

A Case for Tailored Care
http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/Research/ResearchResults/ScienceBriefs/Archive/
A future of biology-based dentistry is en route.  Here's a preview of what the future will bring to improve the diagnosis of oral cancer.

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