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Summaries of Meetings
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National Heart, Lung, and Blood Advisory Council's September and October Meetings |
Dr. Nabel welcomed Council members and briefly discussed her second in a series of journal editorials, titled ?New Investigator: Fostering Independence,? which describes the NHLBI?s new policies to help fledgling investigators receive their first independent research award earlier in their careers. The new investigator payline will be 5 percentile points beyond the established payline for research project grants. Moreover, new investigators whose applications miss the payline by 5 or fewer percentile points will be offered expedited administrative reviews of their responses to reviewers' concerns.
NIH Director Dr. Elias Zerhouni addressed the meeting, reiterating his goal of breaking down unnecessary barriers to science by reducing the rigidity of the research enterprise. He noted, in particular, the growing importance of interdisciplinary science and the need to "harmonize" the regulatory environment to simplify conducting translational research.
Dr. Sonia Skarlatos presented an initiative for the gene therapy resource program, a major translational effort to move gene therapy from the bench to the bedside.
Dr. Denise Simons-Morton summarized trends in overweight/obesity in the United States over the past 25 years.
Dr. Philip Smith, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, reviewed important findings from recent NIH-supported basic research in obesity.
Dr. Jeffrey Friedman of the Rockefeller University proposed addressing obesity by defining molecular pathways that regulate body weight and may be disrupted in obesity, identifying effects of environmental factors on these pathways, and developing rational therapies.
Ms. Karen Donato discussed the NHLBI Obesity Education Initiative and its dual strategies to provide treatment guidelines for overweight/obese individuals at high risk of medical complications and to prevent overweight/obesity and physical inactivity in the general population.
Dr. Nabel welcomed members and acknowledged the contributions of Drs. Robert Mason, Jane Newburger, George Thomas, and Linda Van Horn, who are retiring from the Council.
Dr. Nabel reviewed NIH plans for electronic submission (form SF 424) of all competing grant applications via Grants.gov., which became mandatory for R01s as of the October 2006 submission date. Before submitting electronic applications, applicant institutions must register with Grants.gov, and institutions and principal investigators must be registered in the NIH eRA Commons.
In FY 2005, the NHLBI budget totaled $2.941 billion, the R01 percentile payline was 19.0, and the percentile payline for new investigators was 24.0.
The NHLBI will develop a new Strategic Plan over the next 12 to 15 months. The Institute will solicit suggestions and recommendations from Council members and other constituents.
Dr. Mark Gladwin, of the NHLBI Division of Intramural Research, summarized recent findings about nitric oxide, nitrite, and hemoglobin in human disease and therapeutics.
Nine new initiatives that had been reviewed in September by the Board of Extramural Advisors were presented. Council members made several specific recommendations for consideration prior to release of the solicitations.
PIO representatives will be accommodated on a space-available basis and will be responsible for their own travel expenses.
Location: Arlington, Virginia
Date: March 1, 2006
Contact: Dr. Abby Ershow
Location: Bethesda, Maryland
Date: Spring 2006
Contact: Dr. Frank Evans
Location: Bethesda, Maryland
Date: May 2006
Contact: Dr. Thomas Croxton
Location: Bethesda, Maryland
Date: May or June 2006
Contact: Dr. Hanyu Ni
Dates: February 1
Location: Bethesda, MD
Dates: February 28 - March 1
Location: Bethesda, MD
Date: May 4-6
Location: Kansas City, MO
Date: May 24
Location: San Diego, CA
Date: June 13
Location: Bethesda, MD
Dates: June 23-25
Location: Minneapolis, MN