Concept Review by Council

Concepts for proposed Requests for Applications (RFA) are reviewed during the Open Session of Council. These are the features of the process:

• A brief concept description, written by the program staff proposing a grant solicitation, is posted on the Council website.
  
  
• Dr. Alexander will present the concepts during the Open Session. Program staff will be available to answer questions if called upon but, in general, will not participate in the presentation.
  
  
• Following brief presentation and discussion, Council members will be asked to indicate their opinion of each concept.
  
  
• Comments, suggestions, and Council advice will be recorded by NICHD staff.

This approach to concept review:

• Meets the NIH requirement for public presentation of concepts and the opportunity for public comment.
  
  
• Provides a wide spectrum of expertise for the consideration of concepts, including scientific, policy, and advocacy perspectives. The process should encourage the presentation and evaluation of broad concepts, without detailed or in-depth discussion of the specific science. Such discussion, typical when concepts are reviewed by a group with more narrowly focused expertise, goes well beyond the purpose of this review. Indeed, it places those involved in a potential conflict of interest situation that would prevent them from responding to a resultant RFA should they choose to do so.
  
  
• Enables the full Council to consider individual initiatives within the broader context of many planned initiatives, giving us the benefit of multiple perspectives in the overall planning of an NICHD research agenda.

For this meeting, three concepts were reviewed:

Male Contraceptive Development Program
Enhancing Developmental Biology Research at Undergraduate Institutions
Short Term Courses in Developmental Epigenetics

Male Contraceptive Development Program

September 2007

A Request for Applications (RFA) is proposed entitled “Male Contraceptive Development Program.” The proposed RFA will use the Specialized Cooperative (U01) award mechanism. This initiative represents an open competition for continuation of an ongoing program. We currently support eight grants in this program, and plan to double that with this solicitation.

Purpose

There is a recognized need to continue funding the effort of male contraceptive development research because the final goal of developing new products to meet a variety of cultural and reproductive needs has not been met. Unintended pregnancy continues to be problem for the future, yet the only contraceptive methods available to men are condoms and vasectomy. The efforts of the proposed research will be devoted to identifying new targets and products to alleviate the problem.

Scope

The projects funded under this program have made major contributions to our understanding of the basic processes of sperm, testis and epididymal-specific components that may be targets for contraception. In several cases, specific promising agents have been developed that appear to inhibit the identified targets. Future efforts will continue the long process of preclinical product development of the most promising agents. In addition, the solicitation will encourage basic research to develop new targets for male contraceptive research.

Objective

The ultimate goal of this program is to develop new male contraceptive products that will serve the cultural and reproductive needs of the population.

Program Contact

Diana Blithe, Ph.D.
Contraception and Reproductive Health Branch

Enhancing Developmental Biology Research at Undergraduate Institutions

October 2007

A Request for Applications (RFA) is proposed entitled “Enhancing Developmental Biology Research at Undergraduate Institutions.” The proposed RFA will use the Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA, R15) mechanism and is a direct response to the recommendations of a panel of experts convened as part of NICHD’s strategic planning process. We propose to fund up to five grants. R15s are for three years with all funds awarded in the first year, so there are no out-year commitments.

Purpose

The purpose of the proposed RFA is to enrich the research experience of students at primarily undergraduate and historically minority institutions in the field of developmental biology. An additional goal is to support the exploration of new or underutilized experimental animal model systems in the study of developmental processes.

Scope

The proposed projects must focus on questions related to developmental biology and should encourage active participation by undergraduates in the research.

Objective

These awards will support important research projects relevant to NICHD’s scientific mission with the objective of strengthening the research environment at recipient schools and enhancing the laboratory research experience of undergraduate students in developmental biology. Because participation of undergraduate students fosters their later participation in graduate studies (Russell et al. 2007 Science 316: 548-549) this RFA ultimately will increase the number of investigators motivated to study the causes of birth defects and their prevention.

Program Contact

James N. Coulombe, Ph.D.
Developmental Biology Genetics and Teratology Branch

Short Term Courses in Developmental Epigenetics

October 2007

A Request for Applications (RFA) is proposed entitled “Short Term Courses in Developmental Epigenetics.” The proposed RFA will use the Continuing Education Training Program (T15) award mechanism. We propose to fund approximately 3-6 short-term continuing education courses in Developmental Epigenetics through this RFA.

Purpose

The purpose of this T15 RFA is to stimulate the development of short-term continuing education programs to improve the knowledge and skills of a broad-based community of researchers in cutting edge techniques of epigenetics, and in state-of-the-science didactics to understand the largest gaps in our knowledge and the best opportunities for research studies. Programs involving hand-on experimentation and lectures from experts in the field, and collaborative and database networking are envisioned. Course materials and instructional experience should be broadly disseminated. The extent of the role of epigenetic modifications in normal mammalian physiology and in common pathophysiologies has only recently been appreciated, and there is a need to train our NICHD basic researchers and clinicians in these techniques and concepts.

Scope

Projects responsive to this RFA would propose the implementation of short-term training courses, ranging in length from approximately 5-10 days, to impart technical skills and didactics in the field of Developmental Epigenetics. Courses that attract a broad range of scientists, from post-doctoral to faculty level, and from a broad range of disciplines, would be preferred. Applicants are expected to provide information about methods of recruitment and advertising for the courses.

Objective

The ultimate objective of this initiative is to increase, strengthen and diversify the cadre of scientists who conduct research in the field of Developmental Epigenetics.

Program Contact

Susan Taymans, Ph.D.
Director, Reproductive Genetics and Epigenetics Program
Reproductive Sciences Branch