March 2004 | VOL. 3 | www.McGowan.pitt.edu

Dean Cress, VP of Research-
RheoGene and Alan Russell,
Director of the McGowan Institute

Thanks to a donation from Rohm and Haas Co., the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center has acquired important gene regulation technology. The donation is the first of its kind for UPMC and includes intellectual property, equipment, compounds, biological materials, research and commercial agreements and licenses that have been consolidated into RheoGene Inc., a company based in suburban Philadelphia. The company formerly operated as RHeoGene LLC. Key business and technical personnel remain with the company at its Norristown, Pa. location.

RheoGene Inc. has developed technology to manage gene expression – a key component of gene-based therapies. The company’s gene regulation systems deliver precise control to develop new medical applications including cellular and gene therapies, genomics and enhanced protein expression. RheoGene’s proprietary system uses a patented small-molecule mediator that can turn genes “on” or “off” as well as adjust the level of gene activity. In addition, the company is developing other pharmaceutical discovery agents used in research.

“RheoGene’s technology and expertise has real strategic value for UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh and their investment in regenerative medicine research,” said Alan J. Russell, Ph.D., director of the McGowan Institute and PTEI. “Technologies such as RheoGene’s will be fundamental to realizing significant advances in areas such as personalized medicine where treatments will be individually tailored to provide each patient with the safest and most effective therapeutic options.” [More]

 

Professor Huard Receives Kappa Delta Young Investigator Award

Dr. Johnny Huard, Associate Director of the McGowan Institute, is the recipient of the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeon's (AAOS) Kappa Delta Young Investigator Award for 2004.

On March 9th, Dr. Huard presented his award winning paper "Gene Therapy and Tissue Engineering Based on Muscle-Derived Stem Cells: Potential for Musculoskeletal Tissue Regeneration and Repair” and received the Kappa Delta Plaque, presented by Marc F. Swiontkowski, M.D., Chairman of the Research Committee. In addition, he received a monetary award of $20,000.

The Kappa Delta Awards are presented by the Academy at its annual meeting to persons who have performed research in orthopaedic surgery that is of high significance and impact. The awards are bestowed for outstanding manuscripts that focus on basic and/or clinical research related to the musculoskeletal system. Papers considered for the award represent a large body of cohesive scientific work generally reflecting years of investigation. The Kappa Delta Awards were introduced in 1947, by the Kappa Delta Sorority; in the years since their inception, the Kappa Delta Awards have totaled over a million dollars. [For additional information on Dr. Huard’s research]

McGowan Faculty Member Honored With Award for Excellence

The Carnegie Science Center will honor several University faculty members with the Center’s Awards for Excellence; the award for Excellence in Environmental Science will be presented to Dr. Eric Beckman, Bayer Professor and chair of the Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering.

Beckman, co-director of the School of Engineering’s Mascaro Sustainability Initiative, is being recognized for his work in green chemistry. His pioneering work in creating a gel form of carbon dioxide is being used in enhanced oil recovery, efficiently maximizing the output of older wells in an environmentally friendly manner.

The carbon dioxide gel, an environmentally benign solvent, may be useful in replacing a chemical used by dry cleaners, perchloroethylene, a ground contaminant and probable carcinogen. It also could replace washing solvents used during the manufacture of semiconductors. [More]

Professor George Stetten Recognized for Innovative and Pioneering Research

Dr. George Stetten is one of two junior faculty who received the 2004 Chancellor's Distinguished Research Award at the University’s Annual Honors Convocation held February 27th at Carnegie Music Hall. Dr Stetten, an assistant professor in the Department of Bioengineering, was recognized for his innovation in electronics, computer science, and medicine. One of the devices he developed is the Sonic Flashlight, is used in invasive clinical procedures. Before, physicians had to glance back and forth between an ultrasound monitor and the patient in order to complete a procedure. The flashlight eliminates this problem by “superimposing ultrasound images on the part of the body being scanned.”

Dr. Stetten also helped develop the Insight Toolkit, an open-source software program that supports the Visible Human Project, which aims to “create complete, anatomically detailed, three-dimensional representations of the normal male and female human bodies.”
[Merits of Pittsburgh]

From music to engineering to medicine and back again, George Stetten has followed his passion for designing devices. His creativity and pioneering work has spanned many fields. One of his recent “releases” is a CD that highlights ten of his original songs. The CD-"Awake at the Wheel" on his own independent music label, "stetten.com," He describes the music as "sort of folk rock filled with thoughtful lyrics and hummable tunes."

William Federspiel, PhD has been chosen as the Bioengineering Section Editor for the American Society for Artificial Internal Organs Journal. For more information on the journal, click here.

Dr. LeDuc Receives National Science Foundation CAREER Award

Congratulations to McGowan Institute Philip LeDuc, Ph.D. for the recently awarded National Science Foundation CAREER Award entitled “Understanding Cellular and Molecular Mechanics with Nano-/Micro-technology”. The award is for $396,060 with a completion date of February 2009. Dr. LeDuc’s primary appointment is as an Assistant Professor, Molecular and Cellular Biomechanics, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University.

Dr. LeDuc’s research is addressing that fact that the traditional boundaries between engineering and the life sciences are rapidly disintegrating as interdisciplinary research teams develop new engineering tools for further exploring fundamental questions in medicine and biology. This fusion promises to uncover complex cell interactions by linking molecular function to cellular behavior in the area of mechanics. Recent advances in nanotechnology are enabling experiments on individual cells and molecules to test the hypothesis that intracellular structural deformation in mammalian cells is locally controlled by mechanical perturbations through the response of sub-cellular domains. The broader impact of these studies is hoped to benefit society through ultimately leading to the development of treatments for pathological conditions in which cellular mechanics and structure are believed to play an important role: heart disease, osteoporosis, and cancer. The technical merit of this proposal will focus on determining the link between molecular interactions and cell structure by identifying unique structural function and behavior.

The NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program is a Foundation-wide activity that offers the National Science Foundation’s most prestigious awards for new faculty members. The CAREER program recognizes and supports the early career-development activities of those teacher-scholars who are most likely to become the academic leaders of the 21st century. CAREER awardees will be selected on the basis of creative, career-development plans that effectively integrate research and education within the context of the mission of their institution. NSF encourages submission of CAREER proposals from new faculty at all CAREER eligible institutions. Such plans should build a firm foundation for a lifetime of integrated contributions to research and education.

Dr. Freddie H. Fu named “Man of the Year in Community Service”

Vectors/Pittsburgh has named Freddie Fu, M.D., the “2003 Man of the Year in Community”. Dr, Fu, a David Silver Professor and Chairman of the department of orthopedic surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, is a past recipient of the Man of the Year in Science & Medicine.

The winners were honored at The Pittsburgh Men & Women of the Year annual dinner, held February. 28th at the Omni William Penn Hotel in downtown Pittsburgh. Vectors/Pittsburgh, a local community service organization, hosted this gala event. The event theme spotlighted “Pittsburgh Leaders: Laying the Foundation for a Better Tomorrow.”

SHRS Researcher Appointed Chairman of The International Academy of Aphasia

Malcom R. McNeil, Ph.D., professor and chairman of the department of communication science and disorders within the University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences and senior research scientist at the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, recently has been named chairman of the board of governors of the Academy of Aphasia. He was elected in November 2003 and will serve a two-year term.

The Academy of Aphasia is an international organization of researchers from multiple disciplines who study the language problems of persons with brain lesions. Brain lesions are changes that occur in brain tissue and affect proper brain function in people who have suffered a severe injury. The main cause of a brain lesion is stroke.

Dr. McNeil has been a University of Pittsburgh faculty member since 1992. He currently teaches courses in neurogenic speech and language disorders. He actively researches treatment for people who suffer from aphasia, a language disorder due to damage of the frontal lobe, apraxia, a motor disorder that affects voluntary movement of the mouth and dysarthria, a speech disorder due to lack of coordination and weakness of speech muscles.

Clark A. Rosen, M.D., associate professor of otolaryngology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, has had his thesis accepted by the Council of the Triological Society and will be officially inducted into the Triological Society as a new member at the Annual COSM Meeting in Phoenix in April.

 

Windber Research Institute and University of Pittsburgh Awarded $3.4 Million To Launch Major Proteomics Initiative.

The Windber Research Institute has received funding for a major initiative to foster new understanding of cancer and other diseases through proteomics – the study of the shape, function and expression of proteins. The initiative, a collaboration among the Windber Research Institute, the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute and the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences, has been awarded $3.4 million from the U.S. Department of Defense to create a program solely dedicated to the study of proteomics.

A promising new field of study, proteomics may allow researchers to diagnose major diseases such as cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, Lou Gehrig’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease early by identifying specific proteins in blood, other fluids and tissues that indicate the presence of these diseases at their earliest stages, leading to better prevention, screening and treatment options. [More]

 

Questions : Contact Jo-Anne Drabik at drabikj@upmc.edu or 412-235-5124.

 

Salary Limitation on Grants, Cooperative Agreements, and Contracts

Release Date: February 13, 2004

Notice Number: NOT-OD-04-025

This notice provides updated information regarding the salary limitation for NIH grant and cooperative agreement awards and extramural research and development contract awards. On March 18, 2003, the Fiscal Year (FY) 2003 information on the salary limitation was published in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts.

For fifteen consecutive years, Congress has legislatively mandated a provision for the limitation of salary. For FY 2004, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, Public Law 108-199, which includes appropriations for the Department of Health and Human Services, restricts the amount of direct salary of an individual under an NIH grant or cooperative agreement (referred to here as a grant) or applicable contract to Executive Level I of the Federal Executive Pay scale. The Executive Level I annual salary rate was $171,900 for the period January 1 through December 31, 2003. Effective January 1, 2004, the Executive Level I salary level increased to $174,500.

For the purposes of the salary limitation, the terms "direct salary," "salary," and "institutional base salary" have the same meaning and are exclusive of fringe benefits and facilities and administrative (F&A) expenses, also referred to as indirect costs. An individual's institutional base salary is the annual compensation that the applicant organization pays for an individual's appointment, whether that individual's time is spent on research, teaching, patient care, or other activities. Base salary excludes any income that an individual may be permitted to earn outside of the duties to the applicant organization.

NIH grant/contract awards for applications/proposals that request direct salaries of individuals in excess of the applicable RATE per year will be adjusted in accordance with the legislative salary limitation and will include a notification such as the following:

According to the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2004, "None of the funds appropriated in this Act for the National Institutes of Health, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration shall be used to pay the salary of an individual, through a grant or other extramural mechanism, at a rate in excess of Executive Level I" of the Federal Executive Pay Scale. This is the fourth year that the limitation has been linked to Executive Level I of the Federal Pay Scale.

Please see the salary cap summary and the time frames associated with existing salary caps at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/salcap_summary.htm

 

Title: Pulmonary Complications of Sickle Cell Disease

Release Date: January 16, 2004

RFA Number: RFA-HL-04-015

CFDA Numbers: 93.938, 93.939

Letter of Intent Receipt Date: April 26, 2004

Application Receipt Date: May 24, 2004

Purpose: The purpose of this initiative is to stimulate translational research on the pulmonary complications of sickle cell disease. The RFA encourages collaborative research between investigators in hematology and pulmonary science that combines basic and clinical approaches.

Acute chest syndrome affected 29% of all sickle cell disease patients followed in the Cooperative Study of Sickle Cell Disease (CSSCD) between 1979 and 1988. Chronic pulmonary disease, characterized by perfusion/diffusion defects and pulmonary hypertension, also has emerged as a significant problem. Both acute chest syndrome and chronic sickle cell pulmonary disease are responsible for significant morbidity and mortality, especially in adult patients. This RFA will support 3-5 programs where pulmonary and sickle cell disease researchers conduct both basic science and clinical investigation to elucidate mechanisms for these complications and develop new treatments.

 

Title: ELSI Regular Research Program (R01)

Release Date: January 15, 2004

PA Number: PA-04-050

Expiration Date: January 2007, unless reissued.

CFDA Numbers: 93.172, 93.866, 93.865, 93.279, 93.173, 93.113, 93.115, 93.859, 93.242, 93.853.

Purpose: This PA is designed to solicit research projects that anticipate, analyze and address the ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) of the discovery and use of new information and technologies resulting from human genetic and genomic research. Of particular interest are studies that examine issues and, where appropriate, develop policy options in the following areas: 1) intellectual property issues surrounding access to and use of genetic information; 2) the ethical, legal and social factors that influence the translation of genetic information to improved human health; 3) the issues surrounding the conduct of genetic and genomic research; 4) the use of genetic and genomic information and technologies in non-health care settings; 5) the impact of genetics and genomics on concepts of race, ethnicity, kinship and individual and group identity; 6)the implications, for both individuals and society, of uncovering genetic and genomic contributions to not only disease, but also ‘normal’ human traits and behaviors; and 7) how different individuals, cultures and religious traditions view the ethical boundaries for the uses of genetics and genomics.

This Program Announcement is complemented by PA-04-051, the ELSI Small Grant (R03) Program (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-04-051.html). The R03 program is limited to applications requesting up to $50,000 in direct costs per year for no more than two years, makes use of a streamlined application process, and is designed to encourage the development of small, focused research projects by legal, historical, ethics and social sciences scholars. It is also designed to support smaller exploratory studies that may provide preliminary findings for larger research proposals.

 

Title: ELSI Small Grant Research Program (R03)

Release Date: January 15, 2004

PA Number: PA-04-051

Expiration Date: January 2007, unless reissued.

CFDA Numbers: 93.172, 93.866, 93.865, 93.173, 93.847, 93.279, 93.113, 93.115, 93.242, 93.361.

Purpose: This PA is designed to solicit research projects that anticipate, analyze and address the ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) of the discovery and use of new information and technologies resulting from human genetic and genomic research. Of particular interest are studies that examine issues and, where appropriate, develop policy options in the following areas: 1) intellectual property issues surrounding access to and use of genetic information; 2) the ethical, legal and social factors that influence the translation of genetic information to improved human health; 3) the issues surrounding the conduct of genetic and genomic research; 4) the use of genetic and genomic information and technologies in non health care settings; 5) the impact of genetics and genomics on concepts of race, ethnicity, kinship and individual and group identity; 6) the implications, for both individuals and society, of uncovering genetic and genomic contributions to not only disease, but also ‘normal’ human traits and behaviors; and 7) how different individuals, cultures and religious traditions view the ethical boundaries for the uses of genetics and genomics.

This Small Grant PA, which is limited to applications requesting up to $50,000 in direct costs per year for no more than two years, makes use of a streamlined application process and is designed to encourage the development of small, focused research projects by legal, historical, ethics and social sciences scholars whose analytical style of inquiry often has not been adequately encouraged or supported by the more traditional NIH R01 application process. It is also designed to support smaller exploratory studies that may provide preliminary findings or pilot data for larger research proposals in all research areas of interest.

Applications requesting more than $50,000 in direct costs should be submitted under the ELSI Regular Research Grant (R01) PA, PA-04-050: ELSI Regular Research Program (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-04-050.html).

 

Title: Specialized Centers of Clinically Oriented Research (SCCOR) in Hemostatic and Thrombotic Diseases

Release Date: January 30, 2004

RFA Number: RFA-HL-04-016

CFDA Numbers: 93.938, 93.939

Letter of Intent Receipt Date: August 24, 2004

Application Receipt Date: September 21, 2004

Purpose: The primary objective of the Specialized Centers of Clinically Oriented Research (SCCOR) programs is to foster multidisciplinary research on clinically relevant questions enabling basic science findings to be more rapidly applied to clinical problems. The clinical and basic research supported through this RFA will focus on diseases and function related to hemostasis and thrombosis. It is expected that the results from these SCCOR grants will have a positive impact on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of thrombotic and bleeding disorders.

Research Objectives: The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) revised the Specialized Centers of Research (SCOR) program, based primarily on recommendations from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Advisory Council. The new program is called the Specialized Centers of Clinically Oriented Research (SCCOR) program. The original SCOR program required both basic and clinical research, but the preponderance of funded projects were in the basic science arena. The new title and the revisions to the program reflect the Institute's desire to capitalize on basic research advances by encouraging their translation to clinical settings. The guiding principle of the new SCCOR program is the central focus on clinically relevant research, and the key change to achieve this goal is the requirement that at least one-half of funded projects be clinical. The specific components of the new SCCOR program are detailed in this RFA.

Formation of a blood clot and the resulting ischemia leading to tissue damage is the major cause of disability or death in the United States. The application of innovative technologies in molecular biology, immunology, genetics and protein chemistry has contributed to elucidation of the regulatory pathways of hemostasis and the risk factors related to thromboembolic disease. Further research is necessary to translate these advances to clinical care. The long term goal of this SCCOR program is integration of science and clinical medicine in the prevention and treatment of thrombotic and hemostatic disorders. Five specific areas of emphasis are detailed below.

Arterial and Venous Thrombosis: The molecular basis of the involvement of inflammation and immune mediators in thrombosis remains unclear and methods of predicting thrombotic disease associated with abnormalities of these interactive pathways remain to be determined. Many proteins, which are integral components of the coagulation cascade, are also potent activators of leukocytes and endothelial cells. Platelets are key mediators of inflammation. Microparticles from platelets/leukocytes/endothelium may be an important source of tissue factor for thrombus formation. Thus, studies that address the interaction of inflammation and thrombosis, and the associated clinical sequelae are timely.

Thrombosis and Cancer: Thrombosis in cancer remains a significant problem in clinical medicine. Coagulation mechanisms appear to be involved in metastasis and cancer progression. The basic mechanisms underlying cancer related thrombosis, the optimal treatment of the hypercoagulable state associated with malignancy, and the role of the hemostatic system in cancer progression remain to be defined. Despite prospective clinical trials suggesting that anticoagulants alter the course of cancer, the nature of this effect remains uncertain. Better understanding of the relationship between the coagulation system, fibrinolysis, angiogenesis and their roles in tumor progression and host resistance to thrombosis is needed.

Thrombotic Stroke: Ischemic stroke involves thrombosis, inflammation and reperfusion injury. Little is known about the interactions of blood cells and proteins, the vascular structures and the neuronal/glial compartment in normal and ischemic conditions. New insights into mechanisms and risk factors may come from studies of genetic polymorphisms linked to stroke and the level of expression of different genes. The development of coagulant activity and the interaction of platelets with the brain vasculature is a priority area of study.

Better means of intervention for acute stroke and stroke prophylaxis are needed. Clinical studies of aspirin resistance in ischemic stroke patients may give insights into both mechanisms and improved therapeutics for stroke. Thrombolytic therapy with tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) has proved beneficial, but, only a small group of patients qualify and the treatment may increase the risk of bleeding and neuronal damage. Decreased levels of circulating activated protein C (APC), compared with controls, may be a marker for increased risk for post-infection ischemic stroke. Recombinant APC, approved for treating severe sepsis, exerts important biologic activities in vivo in addition to its known anticoagulant activity. Studies in animal models show that APC may have anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic activities, and it is neuroprotective in ischemic stroke. Anti-platelet agents, such as an ecto ADPase (CD39), and chimeric agents that block P-selectin and complement, have been reported to produce beneficial results after stroke. These agents, as well as the t-PA inhibitor, neuroserpin, are attractive candidates for combination therapy of ischemic stroke.

Disorders of fibrinolytic system: Fibrinolysis plays an important role in the regulation and limitation of clinical thrombosis. Hereditary deficiencies in these pathways are poorly defined. The fibrinolytic system also has broad functions and its components may be involved in angiogenesis and obesity-related thrombosis. Significant opportunities for clinical studies might include in the development of more efficient and specific thrombolytics, cell-based and targeted delivery of these agents, and the efficacy/safety of catheter-directed thrombolysis. The interrelated roles of fibrinolysis and inflammation require further investigation.

Bleeding Disorders: The molecular definition of the defects in the VWF gene or the protein in Von Willebrand Disease (VWD) remain unclear. Gene therapy trials are continuing in patients with hemophilia. Opportunities for additional patient-oriented research include novel sites of FVIII/FIX synthesis or inducing synthesis of modified factors that increase survival or efficacy of the expressed gene product. Factors that affect the incidence or prevalence of inhibitors and modulating their clinical impact are also important areas of investigation.

Defects in platelet function are diagnosed using assays that are essentially similar to those that were in place 25-30 years ago. We have not developed clinically-relevant measures of platelet function with the exception of structural definitions of glycoprotein receptor deficiencies such as Glanzmann Thrombasthenia and Bernard-Soulier syndrome. With the advent of proteomics and gene arrays, opportunities exist to define new clinical syndromes and novel therapeutics for platelet disorders. Studies on the bleeding complications of uremia are also encouraged.

Research Topics: The objective of the SCCOR in Hemostatic and Thrombotic Diseases is to stimulate multidisciplinary collaborations leading to clinical and basic science research efforts in thrombotic and bleeding disorders. The following examples of research topics are intended to provide a perspective on the scope of research that could meet the objectives of this program. It is not required that all or any of these topics be included. Applicants are encouraged to consider other topics that are relevant to the goals of this new SCCOR program. Large clinical trials will not be supported under this program.

1. Study genetic and environmental risk factors, modifier genes, and disease outcome in thrombotic and / or bleeding disorders utilizing proteomic, genomic and other tools;

2. Perform translational studies on anticoagulant and antiinflammatory agents; evaluate pharmacogenetics, biomarkers, and monitoring of drugs;

3. Define the molecular properties of the brain vasculature, its expression of coagulant activity and platelet adhesion mechanisms; potential markers of ischemic injury and methods to prevent neuronal damage;

4. Explore age-dependent regulation of hemostasis, identify genetic switches, and possible development of hypercoagulable state;

5. Elucidate molecular and signal transduction processes involved in the activation of platelets; develop assays of platelet function, and perform translational studies on platelet inhibitors as potential therapeutic agents;

6. Define the role of the fibrinolytic enzymes, their activators and inhibitors in thrombosis/bleeding with special attention to obesity and diabetes;

7. Elucidate the underlying pathophysiology of immune-mediated thrombosis or bleeding and develop new approaches to its diagnosis and treatment;

8. Develop imaging tools, assays and identify biomarkers of the subclinical prothrombotic state that can be useful in early detection and diagnosis of the disease process;

9. Study the role of thrombosis in cancer and malignancy; evaluate drug therapy targeted to hemostatic factors in the prevention of cancer-related morbidity and mortality.

10. The SCCOR mechanism provides both the incentive and the structure to maintain critical collaborative cores or other resources necessary for translational research.

 

Title: Technology Development for Biomedical Applications

Release Date: January 20, 2004

RFA Number: RFA-RR-04-005

CFDA Number: 93.389

Application Receipt Date: June 18, 2004 and October 15, 2004

Purpose: This RFA replaces PAR-03-075. The purpose of this request for applications (RFA) is to invite innovative applications for (1) the development of new and improved instruments or devices, (2) the development of new methodologies using existing instruments, or (3) the development of software related to instrumentation. Any of these projects should propose tools, methodologies, or software that can be used by a wide range of biomedical or clinical researchers. Projects that are focused on a specific organ or disease will be returned without review; however, proposals may use a specific organ or disease as a model system. Awards made for applications received in response to this announcement will employ the R21 and the R21/R33 mechanisms that are designed to support high-risk applications for which few if any preliminary findings are available. Investigators with substantial preliminary data should seek an R01 grant by submitting an unsolicited application at the standard receipt date or by responding to a particular program announcement.

Questions about the suitability of proposals should be addressed to program staff listed in the "Where to Send Inquiries" section well before submission. Proposals in the areas of biomedical imaging, sensors, biomaterials, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), tissue engineering, and nanotechnology will be considered nonresponsive and returned without review. Investigators considering research in these areas may want to look at the NIBIB (http://www.nibib1.nih.gov/research/investigators.htm) and BECON (http://www.becon.nih.gov/becon_funding.htm) web pages for funding opportunities in bioengineering research or biomedical imaging research. In addition, proposals that are focused on a specific organ or disease will be considered nonresponsive and also returned without review; however, proposals may use a specific organ or disease as a model system.

The proposed research may involve conceptualization, design, fabrication, and/or testing of new instruments or devices. Applications to develop new experimental techniques and protocols using existing instrumentation are also welcome. Applications to develop new software related to instrumentation are encouraged, with the exception of proposals with a primary focus in the area of medical informatics. The overall objective of applications for new instruments, techniques, or software should be the development of more powerful and more precise technology with broad applicability to biomedical research.

 

Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Stipend Increase and Other Budgetary Changes Effective for Fiscal Year 2004

Release Date: February 5, 2004

Notice: NOT-OD-04-023

The budgetary changes described below for Fiscal Year 2004 Kirschstein-NRSA awards affect the stipend levels for undergraduate, predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees and fellows. In addition, for informational purposes only, the Training Related Expenses for trainees and the Institutional Allowance for individual fellows are shown. These budget categories are not being increased. Only undergraduate, predoctoral and postdoctoral stipends are increased this fiscal year.

It should be noted that the described budgetary changes are effective only for Kirschstein-NRSA Awards made with FY 2004 funds. Retroactive adjustments or supplementation of stipends or other budgetary categories with Kirschstein-NRSA funds for an award made prior to October 1, 2003 is not permitted. Budgetary adjustments for training grant and fellowship awards, therefore, will be made only at the time of the FY 2004 award. Adjustments of stipends and other benefits for trainees will be made only at the time of appointment or reappointment to training grants made with FY 2004 funds.

Stipends: Effective with all Kirschstein-NRSA awards made on or after October 1, 2003, the following annual stipend levels apply to all individuals receiving support through institutional research training grants or individual fellowships, including the Minority Access to Research Career (MARC) and Career Opportunities in Research (COR) programs. These awards are made under the authority of Section 487 of the Public Health Service Act (as amended).

The stipend levels are as follows:

Career Level Stipend for FY 2004

Undergraduates in the MARC and COR Programs

Freshmen/Sophomores $ 7,812

Juniors/Seniors $ 10,956

Predoctoral $ 20,772

Postdoctoral

Years of Experience

0 $ 35,568

1 $ 37,476

2 $ 41,796

3 $ 43,428

4 $ 45,048

5 $ 46,992

6 $ 48,852

7 or more $ 51,036

Competing and non-competing awards issued on or after October 1, 2003, which used the FY2003 stipend schedule, will be revised by the NIH awarding component to reflect the new stipend levels. The new stipend levels are to be used in the preparation of future competing and non-competing NRSA institutional training grant and individual fellowship applications. They will be administratively applied to all applications now in the review process.

The NIH remains committed to gradual stipend increases for predocs and postdocs as articulated in the NIH Statement in Response to the National Academy of Sciences Report: Addressing the Nation's Changing Needs for Biomedical and Behavioral Scientists, which is available at http://grants.nih.gov/training/nas_report/NIHResponse.htm. In keeping with that statement, the NIH encourages institutions to limit the duration of graduate and postdoctoral training to the extent possible. In most cases, graduate and postdoctoral research training from any source should not exceed 6 years and 5 years, respectively. The NIH retains eight levels of postdoctoral stipends to accommodate individuals who complete other forms of health-related training prior to accepting a Kirschstein-NRSA supported position. The presence of eight discrete levels of experience should not be construed as an endorsement of extended periods of postdoctoral research training.

It should be noted that the increase in the zero level postdoctoral stipend will increase the maximum amount that NIH will award to support the compensation package for a graduate student research assistant as described at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-02-017.html.

Institutional Allowance and Training Related Expenses for Kirschstein-NRSA Recipients:

The Training Related Expenses for each predoctoral and postdoctoral trainee as well as the Institutional Allowance for all predoctoral and postdoctoral fellows remains at the amounts shown below for all awards made with FY 2004 funds:

Training Related Expenses on Institutional Training Grants

Predoctoral Trainees: $2,200

Postdoctoral Trainees: $3,850

Institutional Allowance on Individual Fellows Sponsored by non-Federal Public & Private Institutions (Domestic & Foreign)

Predoctoral Fellows: $2,750

Postdoctoral Fellows: $5,500

Institutional Allowance for Individual Fellows Sponsored by Federal and For-Profit Institutions

Predoctoral Fellows: $1,650

Postdoctoral Fellows: $4,400

Expenses allowed within these cost categories are described in the appropriate program announcements, which can be found at http://grants.nih.gov/training/nrsa.htm. These amounts will be applied to all competing and non-competing NRSA awards made with FY 2004 funds. These levels are to be used in the preparation of future competing and non-competing Kirschstein-NRSA institutional training grant and individual fellowship applications. They will be administratively applied to all applications now in the review process.

Inquiries: Questions concerning this notice or other policies relating to training grants or fellowships should be directed to the grants management office in the appropriate NIH Institute or Center.

Walter L. Goldschmidts, Ph.D.
Acting Research Training Officer
National Institutes of Health
6705 Rockledge Drive, Room 3516
Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7963
Phone: (301) 435-4225
FAX: (301) 480-0146
Email: goldschw@od.nih.gov

 

Title: SBIR/STTR Technologies for Monitoring and Performing Resuscitation

Release Date: February 5, 2004

PA Number: PA-04-059

Expiration Date: February 1, 2007, unless reissued

CFDA Numbers: 93.837, 93.838, 93.839

Application Receipt Dates: Applications submitted in response to this program announcement will be accepted at the standard application deadlines [April 1, August 1, December 1]

Notice: This program announcement (PA) must be read in conjunction with the current Omnibus Solicitation of the National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Food and Drug Administration for Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Grant Applications. The solicitation (see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/sbirsttr1/index.pdf [PDF] or http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/sbirsttr1/index.doc (MS Word] contains information about the SBIR and STTR programs, regulations governing the programs, and instructional information for submission. All of the instructions within the current SBIR/STTR Omnibus Solicitation apply.

Purpose: This announcement is to encourage small businesses to participate in the research and development of new approaches, tools, methods, devices, and biomaterials to provide bioengineering-based methodologies for monitoring and performing resuscitation. Ultimately, the goal of this program is to reduce morbidity and mortality from circulatory, hypoxemic or traumatic arrest. For this purpose, this announcement is interested in fostering better systems and methods for out-of-hospital and basic resuscitation research that 1) enables monitoring of genetic, molecular, biochemical, physical or metabolic derangements associated with circulatory, hypoxemic, or traumatic arrest; and 2) elucidates the unique pathophysiology of irreversible injury following multiple organ or whole-body ischemia and reperfusion. Applications should address critical cardiac, vascular, pulmonary, or hematologic and/or surgical strategies and propose research that will significantly improve clinical outcomes of resuscitation efforts. Research plans should emphasize specialties such as medicine, surgery, imaging, computer science, bioengineering and materials science, chemistry and physics.

 

Funding Opportunity Number: ATP2004

Posted Date: Feb 13, 2004

Paper submission: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Advanced Technology Program, 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 4701 Gaithersburg, MD 20899 Electronic submission (Electronic Submission System (ESS)): Use the downloadable forms and the Forms Viewer at no cost at http://ess.atp.nist.gov

Current Due Date for Applications: Apr 14, 2004

Funding Instrument Type: Cooperative Agreement

CFDA Number: 11.612 -- Advanced Technology Program

Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: Yes

Eligibility: U.S.-owned, single, for-profit companies and industry-led joint ventures may apply for ATP funding. In addition, companies incorporated in the United States that have parent companies incorporated in another country may apply. A single company can receive up to a total of $2 million for R&D activities for up to 3 years. ATP funds may only be used to pay direct costs for single-company recipients. Single company recipients are responsible for funding all of their indirect/overhead costs. A joint venture can receive funds for R&D activities for up to 5 years with no funding limitation other than the announced availability of funds.

Description: In 1990, ATP began to provide cost-shared multi-year funding to single companies and to industry-led joint ventures to accelerate the development of challenging, high risk technologies that promise significant commercial payoffs and widespread benefits for the nation.  This unique government-industry partnership aids companies in accelerating the development of emerging or enabling technologies that lead to revolutionary new products and industrial processes and services that can compete in rapidly changing world markets.  ATP challenges the research and development (R&D) community to take on higher technical risk with commensurately higher potential payoffs for the nation than they would otherwise pursue.

ATP funds high-risk, high payoff projects from all technology areas. A complete listing of the general categories of projects ATP has funded is available on the ATP web site at http://www.atp.nist.gov/atp/category.htm.

The ATP statute originated in the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 (Pub. L. 100-418, 15 U.S.C. 278n) and was amended by the American Technology Preeminence Act of 1991 (Pub. L. 102-245).  This law has been codified at 15 U.S.C. 278n.  The ATP implementing regulations are published at 15 C.F.R. Part 295, as amended.

Agency Contact Person for Electronic Access Problem:

Mister, Christine, Grants Technical Assistant, Phone 301-975-4355, Fax 301-926-6458, Email christine.mister@nist.gov Mister, Christine

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Title: Diabetes Endocrinology Research Centers

Release Date: February 12, 2004

RFA Number: RFA-DK-04-007

Expiration Date: July 14, 2004, unless reissued.

CFDA Number: 93.847

Letter of Intent Receipt Date: June 15, 2004

Application Receipt Date: July 14, 2004

Purpose: The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) invites applications for Diabetes Endocrinology Research Center (DERC) grants to support research in diabetes mellitus and its complications, and in related areas of endocrinology and metabolism.

The Diabetes Endocrinology Research Center program is intended to facilitate progress in basic and clinical research with the goal of translating basic research findings into new methods to treat, prevent and ultimately cure diabetes mellitus and its complications. DERCs support three primary research-related activities: (1) Biomedical Research Cores that provide resources to enhance the efficiency, productivity, and multidisciplinary nature of research in designated topic areas; (2) a Pilot and Feasibility Program designed to foster development of new investigators and to provide seed-support for innovative high-risk projects; and (3) an Enrichment Program to promote interdisciplinary interaction and training of investigators in areas of NIDDK interest.

 

Title: Near-Term Technology Development for Genome Sequencing

Release Date: February 12, 2004

RFA Number: RFA-HG-04-002

Expiration Date: October 15, 2004, unless reissued.

CFDA Number: 93.172

Letter of Intent Receipt Date: March 15, 2004, September 14, 2004

Application Receipt Date: April 15, 2004, October 14, 2004

Purpose: The purpose of this Request for Applications (RFA) is to solicit grant applications to develop novel technologies that will substantially reduce the cost of genomic DNA sequencing. Current technologies are able to produce the sequence of a mammalian-sized genome of the desired data quality for $10 to $50 million; the goal of this initiative is to reduce costs by at least two orders of magnitude. It is anticipated that emerging technologies are sufficiently advanced that, with additional investment, it may be possible to achieve proof of principle or even early stage commercialization for genome-scale sequencing within five years. A parallel RFA HG-04-003 (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-HG-04-003.html) solicits grant applications to develop technologies to meet the longer-term goal of achieving four orders of magnitude cost reduction in about ten years.

Research Objectives:

Background: The ability to sequence complete genomes and the free dissemination of the sequence data have dramatically changed the nature of biological and biomedical research. Sequence and other genomic data have the potential to lead to remarkable improvement in many facets of human life and society, including the understanding, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease; advances in agriculture, environmental science and remediation; and the understanding of evolution and ecological systems.

The ability to sequence many genomes completely has been made possible by the enormous reduction of the cost of sequencing in the past two decades, from tens of dollars per base in the 1980s to a few cents per base today. However, even at current prices, the cost of sequencing a mammalian-sized genome is tens of millions of dollars and, accordingly, we must still be very selective when choosing new genomes to sequence. In particular, we remain very far away from being able to afford to use comprehensive genomic sequence information in individual health care. For this, and many other reasons, the rationale for achieving the ability to sequence entire genomes very inexpensively is very strong.

There are many areas of high priority research to which genomic sequencing at dramatically reduced cost would make vital contributions.

1. Expanded comparative genomic analysis across species, which will yield great insights into the structure and function of the human genome and, consequently, the genetics of human health and disease. Studies to date that have been able to compare small regions of several genomes, and “draft” versions of full genomes, have clearly demonstrated the need for much more complete data sets. While some of the needed data will be obtained over the next two or three years using existing DNA sequencing technology, and while costs will continue their gradual decline, the cost of current approaches to sequence acquisition will continue to limit the amount of useful data that can be produced.

2. Studies of human genetic variation and the application of such information to individual health care, which will also require much cheaper sequencing technology. Today, genetic variation must be assessed by genotyping the relatively few known differences at a relatively small number of loci within the human population. A richer and better characterized catalog of such variable sites is being generated to support more detailed and powerful analyses. While these methods are, and will become even more, powerful and likely to provide a significant amount of important new information, they are nevertheless only a surrogate for determining the full, contiguous sequence of individual human genomes, and are not as informative as sequencing would be. For example, current genotyping methods are likely to miss rare differences between people at any particular location in the genome and have limited ability to determine long-range information (e.g., genomic rearrangements). Therefore, new methods based on complete genomic sequencing will be needed to use genomic information for individual health care in the most effective manner possible.

3. While the genomes of a few agriculturally important animals and plants have been sequenced, the most informative studies will require comparisons between different individuals, different domesticated breeds and several wild variants of each species.

4. Sequence analysis of microbial communities, many members of which cannot be cultured, would provide a rich source of medically and environmentally useful information. And accurate, rapid sequencing may also be the best approach to microbial monitoring of food and the environment, including rapid detection and mitigation of bioterrorism threats.

Given the broad utility and high importance of dramatically reducing DNA sequencing costs, NHGRI is launching two parallel technology development programs. The first, described in this RFA, has the objective of reducing the cost of producing a high quality sequence of a mammalian-sized genome by two orders of magnitude. The goal of the second program (see accompanying RFA HG-04-003) is the development of technology to sequence a genome for a cost that is reduced by four orders of magnitude. For both programs, the cost targets are defined in terms of a mammalian-sized genome, about 3 gigabases (Gb), with a target sequence quality equivalent to, or better than, that of the mouse assembly published in December 2002 (Nature 420:520, 2002).

The ultimate goal of this program is to obtain technologies that can produce assembled sequence (i.e., de novo sequencing). However, an accompanying shorter-term goal is to obtain highly accurate sequence data at the single base level, i.e., without assembly information, that can be overlaid onto a reference sequence for the same organism (i.e., re-sequencing). This could be achieved, for example, with short reads that have no substantial information linking them to other reads. While the sequence product of this kind of technology would lack some important information, such as information about genomic rearrangements, it would nevertheless potentially be available more rapidly and produce data of great value for certain uses in studying disease etiology and pharmacogenomics, and for comparative genomics between closely-related organisms. Therefore, both programs’ objectives include a balanced portfolio of projects developing both de novo and re-sequencing technologies.

 

Title: Revolutionary Genome Sequencing Technologies – The $1,000 Genome

Release Date: February 12, 2004

RFA Number: RFA-HG-04-003

Expiration Date: October 15, 2004, unless reissued.

CFDA Number: 93.172

Letter of Intent Receipt Date: March 15, 2004, September 14, 2004

Application Receipt Date: April 15, 2004, October 14, 2004

Purpose: The purpose of this Request for Applications (RFA) is to solicit grant applications to develop novel technologies that will enable extremely low-cost genomic DNA sequencing. Current technologies are able to produce the sequence of a mammalian-sized genome of the desired data quality for $10 to $50 million; the goal of this initiative is to reduce costs by at least four orders of magnitude, so that a mammalian-sized genome could be sequenced for approximately $1000. Substantial fundamental research is needed to develop the scientific and technological knowledge underpinning such a major advance. Therefore, it is anticipated that the realization of the goals of this RFA is a long-range effort that is likely to require as much as ten years to achieve. A parallel RFA HG-04-002 (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-HG-04-002.html) solicits grant applications to develop technologies to meet the shorter-term goal of achieving two-orders of magnitude cost reduction in about five years.

Research Objectives:

Background: The ability to sequence complete genomes and the free dissemination of the sequence data have dramatically changed the nature of biological and biomedical research. Sequence and other genomic data have the potential to lead to remarkable improvement in many facets of human life and society, including the understanding, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease; advances in agriculture, environmental science and remediation; and the understanding of evolution and ecological systems.

The ability to sequence many genomes completely has been made possible by the enormous reduction of the cost of sequencing in the past two decades, from tens of dollars per base in the 1980s to a few cents per base today. However, even at current prices, the cost of sequencing a mammalian-sized genome is tens of millions of dollars and, accordingly, we must still be very selective when choosing new genomes to sequence. In particular, we remain very far away from being able to afford to use comprehensive genomic sequence information in individual health care. For this, and many other reasons, the rationale for achieving the ability to sequence entire genomes very inexpensively is very strong.

There are many areas of high priority research to which genomic sequencing at dramatically reduced cost would make vital contributions.

1. Expanded comparative genomic analysis across species, which will yield great insights into the structure and function of the human genome and, consequently, the genetics of human health and disease. Studies to date that have been able to compare small regions of several genomes, and “draft” versions of full genomes, have clearly demonstrated the need for much more complete data sets. While some of the needed data will be obtained over the next two or three years using existing DNA sequencing technology, and while costs will continue their gradual decline, the cost of current approaches to sequence acquisition will continue to limit the amount of useful data that can be produced.

2. Studies of human genetic variation and the application of such information to individual health care, which will also require much cheaper sequencing technology. Today, genetic variation must be assessed by genotyping the relatively few known differences at a relatively small number of loci within the human population. A richer and better characterized catalog of such variable sites is being generated to support more detailed and powerful analyses. While these methods are, and will become even more, powerful and likely to provide a significant amount of important new information, they are nevertheless only a surrogate for determining the full, contiguous sequence of individual human genomes, and are not as informative as sequencing would be. For example, current genotyping methods are likely to miss rare differences between people at any particular location in the genome and have limited ability to determine long-range information (e.g., genomic rearrangements). Therefore, new methods based on complete genomic sequencing will be needed to use genomic information for individual health care in the most effective manner possible .

3. While the genomes of a few agriculturally important animals and plants have been sequenced, the most informative studies will require comparisons between different individuals, different domesticated breeds and several wild variants of each species.

4. Sequence analysis of microbial communities, many members of which cannot be cultured, would provide a rich source of medically and environmentally useful information. And accurate, rapid sequencing may also be the best approach to microbial monitoring of food and the environment, including rapid detection and mitigation of bioterrorism threats.

Given the broad utility and high importance of dramatically reducing DNA sequencing costs, NHGRI is launching two parallel technology development programs. The first has the objective of reducing the cost of producing a high quality sequence of a mammalian-sized genome by two orders of magnitude (see accompanying RFA, HG-04-002). The goal of the second program, described in this RFA, is the development of technology to sequence a genome for a cost that is reduced by four orders of magnitude. For both programs, the cost targets are defined in terms of a mammalian-sized genome, about 3 gigabases (Gb), with a target sequence quality equivalent to, or better than, that of the mouse assembly published in December 2002 (Nature 420:520, 2002).

The ultimate goal of this program is to obtain technologies that can produce assembled sequence (i.e., de novo sequencing). However, an accompanying shorter-term goal is to obtain highly accurate sequence data at the single base level, i.e., without assembly information, that can be overlaid onto a reference sequence for the same organism (i.e., re-sequencing). This could be achieved, for example, with short reads that have no substantial information linking them to other reads. While the sequence product of this kind of technology would lack some important information, such as information about genomic rearrangements, it would nevertheless potentially be available more rapidly and produce data of great value for certain uses in studying disease etiology and in individualized medicine. Therefore, both programs’ objectives include a balanced portfolio of projects developing both de novo and re-sequencing technologies.

 

Title: Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT)

Program Solicitation Number: NSF 04-550 Replaces Document NSF 02-145

Preliminary Proposal Due Date (required): April 29, 2004

Full Proposal Deadline (due by 5 p.m. proposer's local time): October 29, 2004 By invitation only.

CFDA Number(s): 47.074, 47.070, 47.076, 47.041, 47.050, 47.049, 47.078, 47.075

Synopsis of Program: The IGERT program has been developed to meet the challenges of educating U.S. Ph.D. scientists and engineers who will pursue careers in research and education, with the interdisciplinary backgrounds, deep knowledge in chosen disciplines, and technical, professional, and personal skills to become, in their own careers, leaders and creative agents for change. The program is intended to catalyze a cultural change in graduate education, for students, faculty, and institutions, by establishing innovative new models for graduate education and training in a fertile environment for collaborative research that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries. It is also intended to facilitate diversity in student participation and preparation, and to contribute to the development of a diverse, globally-engaged, science and engineering workforce.

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A program of the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center