Funding News - NINDS Notes - June 2002

Behavioral and Social Science Research

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) invites applications on methodology and measurement in the behavioral and social sciences. This announcement is made together with 15 other components of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). *

Methodology and measurement issues include the processes that underlie research design, data collection and analysis techniques, and measurement in behavioral and social science research. The goal of this program announcement is to encourage research that will improve the quality and scientific power of data collected in these fields of study.

Potential topics of research interest include: conceptual design strategies appropriate for the study of culture; designs to improve causal inference from non-experimental research; research addressing the efficacy of multilevel designs; methods for improving the design and evaluation of community-based research and intervention trials; conceptual, methodological, and ethical issues in designing studies that use different sources of information; measurement issues in using technology such as computer-assisted data collection and web-based technology; development of instruments that assess not only degree of change, but also rate and variable direction of change; techniques for collecting contextual data; issues surrounding the collection of self-reported data from different settings, collection methods, and parties, and the use of implicit and explicit measures; development of research designs, sampling techniques, and statistical methods for studies that involve populations that are small or difficult to access; research to improve the analysis of longitudinal data; and statistical procedures for accurately estimating multilevel models.

For more information, potential applicants should contact Dr. Emmeline Edwards, Program Director, Systems and Cognitive Neuroscience Cluster, NINDS, Neuroscience Center, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 2109, Bethesda, MD 20892; telephone: 301-496-9964; fax: 301-402-2060; e-mail: ee48r@nih.gov.

*: For a full list of supporting NIH components and a more detailed description of this program announcement, please visit the NIH web site at: http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-02-072.html.

Research on the Cognitive Sequelae of Parkinson’s Disease Sought

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), the National Institute on Aging (NIA), the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), and the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) invite grant applications for basic and translational research on the cognitive sequelae of Parkinson’s disease (PD). *

PD is commonly known as a motor disorder. However, it also affects thinking, reasoning, learning, and other cognitive abilities. The cognitive deficits seen in PD patients are less understood and studied than the motor symptoms. This program announcement encourages research on all aspects of cognition in PD.

Areas of potential research interest include: development of relevant animal models for studying cognitive deficits in PD; pre-clinical studies of cognitive tests and paradigms in animal models of PD; studies of neuroprotective agents in animal models of PD with induced cognitive deficits; studies of neuroanatomical circuits and neurochemical processes mediating cognitive states and cognition-based individual differences; development of pathological markers in the basal ganglia that better define PD with motor changes alone as compared to PD with motor and cognitive impairments or motor changes and depression; studies that utilize novel imaging techniques for human neuroanatomy to examine the neural systems damaged in PD; studies that examine the potential correlation between neuropathology in PD and development of cognitive or language impairments; development and validation of specific assessment tools for PD patients with cognitive impairments or depression; investigations of the relationship between age of onset of PD and PD-related cognitive changes; and examination of the specific consequences of deep brain stimulation on the cognitive, linguistic, or mood aspects of PD.

For more information, potential applicants should contact Dr. Emmeline Edwards, Program Director, Systems and Cognitive Neuroscience Cluster, NINDS, Neuroscience Center, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 2109, Bethesda, MD 20892; telephone: 301-496-9964; fax: 301-402-2060; e-mail: ee48r@nih.gov; or Dr. Eugene Oliver, Program Director, Neurodegeneration Cluster, NINDS, Neuroscience Center, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 2203, Bethesda, MD 20892; telephone: 301-496-5680; fax: 301-480-1080; e-mail: eo11c@nih.gov.

*: For a more detailed description of this program announcement, please visit the NIH web site at: http://grants2.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAS-02-107.html.

Research on Ethical Issues in Human Studies Sought

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) invites grant applications to study ethical issues in human subjects research. This announcement is made together with 20 other components of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). *

In pursuing NIH-funded human research, investigators and institutions must adhere to several general ethical principles including respect for persons, beneficence, and justice. Interpreting and applying these ethical principles, however, can present questions or dilemmas for investigators. The purpose of this program announcement is to support research on the ethical challenges of involving human participants in research.

Areas of research interest include studies to: access how features of the research and research setting affect evaluations of risks versus potential benefits of different types of research; identify potential social, psychological, and/or economic harms that may be associated with recruitment, participation, and self-determined or study-determined withdrawal from research; identify and evaluate strategies for protecting and minimizing disclosure of private information; determine how features of the informed consent process affect participants’ comprehension of and/or willingness to participate in research; and evaluate different methods and identify best-practice strategies for consulting with communities in the United States and/or other countries regarding comprehension, willingness to participate, and/or willingness to continue with research at the individual, group/community, and/or population level.

For more information, potential applicants should contact Dr. Barbara Radziszewska, Clinical Research Project Manager, Clinical Trials Cluster, NINDS, Neuroscience Center, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 2216, Bethesda, MD 20892; telephone: 301-496-2076; fax: 301-480-1080; e-mail: br94h@nih.gov.

*: For a full list of supporting NIH components and a more detailed description of this program announcement, please visit the NIH web site at: http://grants2.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-02-103.html.

Research on the Structural Biology of Membrane Proteins Sought

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) encourages applications for basic research on the structures of membrane proteins at atomic resolution. This announcement is made together with 8 other components of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). *

Membrane proteins play a crucial role in many cellular and physiological processes. They are essential mediators of material and information transfer between cells and their environment, between compartments within cells, and between compartments comprising the organ systems. Despite the importance of membrane proteins, the knowledge of their high-resolution structures and mechanisms of action has lagged far behind the knowledge of their properties in general.

Examples of research areas of interest include: methods for over-expression of native and modified membrane proteins; methods for isolation, purification, and stabilization of membrane proteins, including the development of new detergent and non-detergent solubilization agents; methods for crystallization of membrane proteins and crystal manipulation that could facilitate data collection; methods for electron diffraction, particularly for the production of suitable 2D-crystals; methods for nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis of membrane proteins in solution, in micelles, and in their native lipid environments; and methods to elucidate the organization of lipid and detergent molecules within protein crystalline arrays.

For more information, potential applicants should contact Dr. Randall Stewart, Program Director, Channels, Synapses and Circuits Cluster, NINDS, Neuroscience Center, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 2135, Bethesda, MD 20892; telephone: 301-496-1917; fax: 301-402-1501; e-mail: stewartr@ninds.nih.gov.

*: For a full list of supporting NIH components and a more detailed description of this program announcement, please visit the NIH web site at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-02-060.html.

SBIR/STTR Grants Available on the Structural Biology of Membrane Proteins

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) invites Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant applications to solve the structures of membrane proteins at atomic resolution and to develop the tools needed to solve these structures. This announcement is made together with 11 other components of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). *

Membrane proteins play a crucial role in many cellular and physiological processes. They are essential mediators of material and information transfer between cells and their environment, between compartments within cells, and between compartments comprising the organ systems. Despite the importance of membrane proteins, the knowledge of their high-resolution structures and mechanisms of action has lagged far behind the knowledge of their properties in general.

Examples of types of membrane protein systems that are of particular interest include: neurotransmitter and growth factor receptors; transporters; ion pumps; voltage- and ligand-gated ion channels (such as those involved in channelopathy); trafficking proteins; mitochondrial proteins; structural proteins and other proteins involved in the normal function and pathology of cells in the central and peripheral nervous systems; proteins involved in synaptic transmission and in regulation, metabolism, homeostasis, and signaling in the brain during functions such as learning, memory, cognition, and development and aging into late life; and proteins involved in disorders of the central nervous system.

For more information, potential applicants should contact Dr. Randall Stewart, Program Director, Channels, Synapses and Circuits Cluster, NINDS, Neuroscience Center, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 2135, Bethesda, MD 20892; telephone: 301-496-1917; fax: 301-402-1501; e-mail: stewartr@ninds.nih.gov.

*: For a full list of supporting NIH components and a more detailed description of this program announcement, please visit the NIH web site at: http://grants2.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-02-108.html.

Autism Research Centers of Excellence

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) request applications to establish Centers of Excellence in Autism Research. These centers will operate under a cooperative agreement by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) called the Studies to Advance Autism Research and Treatment (STAART) Centers Program. *

The goal of this request for applications (RFA) is to establish several research centers, each of which will bring together expertise, infrastructure, and resources focused on major questions about autism. Issues to be addressed will include causes, diagnosis, early detection, prevention, and treatment (including approaches such as developmental neurobiology, genetics, and psychopharmacology).

Examples of potential areas of research include: development of new or improved treatments in behavioral/psychosocial, pharmacological, and other biological modalities; development of methods for early diagnosis and screening, including biological and behavioral indices for early detection; investigation of neural bases and pathways for abnormal behaviors; investigation of potential environmental etiologies and risk factors; description and characterization of co-morbidities and how they relate to etiology, pathology, and prevention; neuroimaging investigations using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), brain mapping, other new technologies to determine neuroanatomic and localized functional abnormalities and how they change over time; genetic studies including gene-environment interactions, candidate genes, and genotype-phenotype correlations; studies of language and disorders of communication; interventional, descriptive, and neuroimaging studies; and development of novel animal models.

APPLICATION RECEIPT DATE: August 29, 2002.

For more information, potential applicants should contact Dr. Deborah Hirtz, Program Director, Clinical Trials Cluster, NINDS, Neuroscience Center, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 2212, Bethesda, MD 20892; telephone: 301-496-5821; fax: 301-480-1080; e-mail: dh83f@nih.gov.

*: For a more detailed description of this RFA, please visit the NIH web site at: http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MH-03-005.html.

Applications for Research on Research Integrity Requested

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), the Office of Research Integrity of the Department of Health and Human Services (ORI DHHS), the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) request applications to study research integrity. *

Integrity is a vital component both of the reliability of the research record and of the trust that underlies public support for research. The purpose of this request for applications (RFA) is to address the need for more and better information on the factors that encourage and/or discourage integrity in publicly funded research.

Examples of potential areas of interest include: research norms and/or practices; institutional climate and responsibility; education on the responsible conduct of research; mentor/trainee relationships; data acquisition, management, sharing, and ownership; responsible authorship; integrity of publication practices and the research record; integrity of peer review in determining merit for research funding; research collaborations and issues that may arise from such collaborations; conflict of interest; and the meaning of research misconduct and the regulations, policies, and guidelines that govern research misconduct in institutions funded by the Public Health Service (PHS).

APPLICATION RECEIPT DATE: November 15, 2002.

For more information, potential applicants should contact Dr. Mary Ellen Michel, Program Director, Repair and Plasticity Cluster, NINDS, Neuroscience Center, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 2209, Bethesda, MD 20892; telephone: 301-496-1447; fax: 301-480-1080; e-mail: mm108w@nih.gov.

*: For a more detailed description of this RFA, please visit the NIH web site at: http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-NS-03-001.html.