Funding News - NINDS Notes - June 2005

Assays Sought for High Throughput Screening in the Molecular Libraries Screening Centers Network

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) invite applications for assays for high throughput screening to support the molecular libraries screening network (MLSCN).

This program announcement is an NIH Roadmap Initiative. The NIH Roadmap is an innovative approach to accelerate fundamental discovery and translate that knowledge into effective prevention strategies and new treatments. All NIH institutes and centers participate in Roadmap Initiatives.*

The goal of the MLSCN is to optimize and implement a variety of innovative biological, biophysical, and cell-based assays for biological targets or processes for which there are limited selective and potent small molecule modulators available to the public. This program announcement encourages applications from investigators who have developed innovative assays for use in both basic research and therapeutics development programs, and are interested in having the assays used within the MLSCN. The MLSCN intends to select approximately 100-200 assays per year to implement within the network of screening centers.

The MLSCN will provide assay implementation, a compound library, high throughput screening, optimization chemistry, and high throughput screening informatics.

For more information, potential applicants should contact Dr. Ingrid Li, Molecular Libraries Assay Access Team, NIH Molecular Libraries & Imaging Roadmap, National Institute of Mental Health/NIH/DHHS, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 7185, Bethesda, MD 20892; telephone: 301-443-5288;
fax: 301-402-4740; e-mail: ili1@mail.nih.gov.

*For a more detailed description of this program announcement, please visit the NIH web site at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-05-060.html.

Research Sought on Brain Disorders in the Developing World

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) invites grant applications for research on brain disorders across the lifespan that are relevant to developing countries. This announcement is made together with 9 other components of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and the National Association of Autism Research (NAAR).*

The purposes of this announcement are to encourage multidisciplinary collaborative approaches to identify and address brain disorders of particular importance to low- and middle-income countries; address brain disorders of significance to developing nations by promoting international cooperation between scientists and institutions in these countries and investigators in the United States and other developed nations who are pursuing relevant research programs; and build and enhance the research capacity of developing nations to identify and address relevant brain/neurodevelopmental disorders across the lifespan.

Areas of research interest include, but are not limited to: research on neurodevelopmental disabilities and neurological disorders, including cognitive, motor, sensory and behavioral impairment from birth to advanced age; basic research and epidemiology; and research on early interventions, clinical treatment, prevention, and health services that are culturally appropriate, feasible, and acceptable for implementation within the foreign country. Also encouraged is the development of multidisciplinary research. Expertise may involve but is not limited to fields such as neurology, cognitive neuroscience, developmental neurobiology, neurotoxicology, neuroendocrinology, pharmacology, psychiatry, neuroimmunology, neurovirology, biotechnology, and behavioral and social sciences.

For more information, potential applicants should contact Dr. Yuan Liu, Chief, Office of International Activities, NINDS, Neuroscience Center, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 2187, Bethesda, MD 20892; telephone: 301-496-1917;
fax: 301-402-1501; e-mail: yl5o@nih.gov.

*For a full list of supporting 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/PAR-05-100.html.

Collaborations with National Centers for Biomedical Computing Sought

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) invites applications for collaborations with national centers for biomedical computing (NCBC). This announcement is made together with 9 other components of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).*

The NIH NCBCs are partnerships that bring together computational scientists, biomedical computational scientists, and experimental and clinical biomedical and behavioral researchers. The partnerships are designed to produce, validate, and disseminate tools and computational environments that will be useful to a broad spectrum of biomedical researchers across the nation. The major goal of this program announcement is to provide resources for a wide range of biomedical, behavioral, and computational researchers to establish new collaborations with the NIH NCBCs.

Areas of research interest include, but are not limited to: behavioral science; biological rhythms; biomedical imaging; cell biology; demographic and social science; developmental biology; drug design at the molecular and cellular levels; dynamic modeling of health, chronic disease, and disablement; environmental health science; epidemiology; genetics; genomics; immunology/inflammation; infectious disease; informatics support for diagnosis and clinical decision-making; medical genetics; morphology; neurobiology and cognitive science; pharmacology and toxicology; physiology; population biology; structural biology; substance abuse research; surgery and virtual tools; and systems biology and signal transduction pathways and networks.

For more information, potential applicants should contact Dr. Yuan Liu, Chief, Office of International Activities, NINDS, Neuroscience Center, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 2187, Bethesda, MD 20892; telephone: 301-496-1917;
fax: 301-402-1501; e-mail: yl5o@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/PAR-05-063.html.

Applications Sought for Collaborative Awards in Epilepsy Research for Junior Investigators

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and the National Institute on Aging (NIA) encourage applications for collaborative awards in epilepsy research for junior investigators.*

Epilepsy—characterized by the repeated occurrence of uncontrolled seizures—is one of the most common neurological disorders in the United States. Despite many decades of research, new drugs, and advances in surgery, many people with epilepsy still suffer. Research in neuroscience has escalated rapidly in the past decade, especially in the areas of molecular biology, genetics, neuroimaging, and clinical diagnosis. The purpose of this initiative is to apply this knowledge to curing epilepsy.

Areas of research interest include, but are not limited to: adaptation of models of neuronal development, aging, injury, or degeneration to the study of epilepsy and epileptogenesis; novel strategies and hypotheses that enhance understanding of the mechanisms of pathogenesis; proposals to identify genes involved in the epilepsies; studies directed at the development of therapeutic regimens; and development of new technologies relevant to the areas of emphasis in this initiative.

For more information, potential applicants should contact Margaret Jacobs, Program Director, Channels, Synapses, and Circuits Cluster, NINDS, Neuroscience Center, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 2138, Bethesda, MD 20892; telephone: 301-496-1917; fax: 301-402-1501; e-mail: mj22o@nih.gov.

*For a more detailed description of this program announcement, please visit the NIH web site at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-05-095.html.

Continued Software Development and Maintenance Applications Sought

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) invites grant applications to support continued software development and maintenance. This announcement is made together with 6 other components of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).*

Biomedical research laboratories increasingly undertake software development projects to solve problems of interest to their individual laboratories. These software packages sometimes become useful to a much broader community of users, including translational and clinical researchers. The purpose of this program announcement is to assure the availability and continued usefulness of existing biomedical informatics/computational biology software.

Areas of interest include, but are not limited to: modernizing existing software so that it is easy to modify, extend, repair, and evolve; fully documenting software; extending interoperability among different software packages or among software and existing databases; and combining existing software with modern ontologies or libraries of controlled vocabularies.

For more information, potential applicants should contact Dr. Yuan Liu, Chief, Office of International Activities, NINDS, Neuroscience Center, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 2187, Bethesda, MD 20892; telephone: 301-496-1917;
fax: 301-402-1501; e-mail: yl5o@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/PAR-05-057.html.

Applications Sought for Fogarty International Research Collaboration Awards in Basic Biomedical Sciences Research

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) invites applications for Fogarty International Research Collaboration Awards in Basic Biomedical Sciences (FIRCA-BB) Research. This announcement is made together with 9 other components of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).*

The objectives of the FIRCA program are to support collaborative research efforts between NIH-funded scientists and scientists in developing countries on research of high scientific merit, relevant to global health, and of mutual interest and benefit, and to help build research capabilities and foster further sustained and productive research and research collaborations at the foreign sites.

The NINDS is specifically interested in funding FIRCA awards that are relevant to its mission, and encourages basic and translational neuroscience research that will lead to the reduction of neurological disease borne by every age group and segment of society throughout the world. The institute aims to support collaborative programs between NINDS-funded neuroscience researchers and foreign investigators in eligible low- to middle-income countries.

For more information, potential applicants should contact Dr. Yuan Liu, Chief, Office of International Activities, NINDS, Neuroscience Center, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 2187, Bethesda, MD 20892; telephone: 301-496-1917;
fax: 301-402-1501; e-mail: yl5o@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/PAR-05-072.html.

Applications Sought for Fogarty International Research Collaboration Awards in Behavioral, Social Sciences Research

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) invites applications for Fogarty International Research Collaboration Awards in Behavioral, Social Sciences (FIRCA-BSS) Research. This announcement is made together with 9 other components of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).*

The objectives of the FIRCA program are to support collaborative research efforts between NIH-funded scientists and scientists in developing countries on research of high scientific merit, relevant to global health, and of mutual interest and benefit, and to help build research capabilities and foster further sustained and productive research and research collaborations at the foreign sites.

The opportunity to collaborate internationally provides a means of access to new information and perspectives, innovative concepts and methods, emerging research technologies, and unique populations and environments important for addressing global health problems. The FIRCA will extend and enhance the research interests of both the NIH-funded scientist and the collaborating developing country scientist, and will help to increase the research capacity of the developing country institution.

For more information, potential applicants should contact Dr. Yuan Liu, Chief, Office of International Activities, NINDS, Neuroscience Center, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 2187, Bethesda, MD 20892; telephone: 301-496-1917;
fax: 301-401-1501; e-mail: yl5o@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/PAR-05-073.html.

Research Encouraged on Functional Links Between the Immune System, Brain Function, and Behavior

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) encourages grant applications for research on functional links between the immune system, brain function, and behavior. This announcement is made together with 5 other components of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).*

The purpose of this program announcement is to identify research opportunities that may bridge the gap in understanding how immune cells and their mediators affect brain development, function, and behaviors related to cognition and mood.

Areas of research interest include, but are not limited to: characterization of pathways that mediate the effects of peripheral and central immune activation on the brain across the lifespan; physiological and behavioral actions of immune cells and molecules; development and refinement of animal models of immune signaling in the brain; development and refinement of research tools to examine how immune molecules affect brain function and behavior; genetic determinants of immune responses in the brain; and clinical applications. Also encouraged are studies of the effects of immune molecules and cells on molecular and cellular neural processes, neuronal signaling, glial-neural interactions, neural activation, and objective behavioral endpoints of relevance to mood, cognition, and motivation. Studies examining immune effects on neurodevelopment and across the lifespan as well as studies comparing effects in males and females are also of interest.

For more information, potential applicants should contact Dr. Ursula Utz, Program Director, Neural Environment Cluster, NINDS, Neuroscience Center, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 2134, Bethesda, MD 20892; telephone: 301-496-1431; fax: 301-480-2424; e-mail: uu1p@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-05-054.html.

Research Sought on Interactions Between Stem and Progenitor Cells and the Microenvironment In Vivo

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) invites grant applications for research on interactions between stem and progenitor cells and the microenvironment in vivo. This announcement is made together with 7 other components of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).*

The objective of this initiative is to encourage researchers to thoroughly explore and characterize the bi-directional communication between multipotent cells and the three-dimensional local milieu or niche that they encounter in vivo under normal and compromised states—such as with aging or following injury, disease, or drug exposure. Of particular interest is the rigorous characterization of how interactions with localized cues in space and time regulate stem cell survival, migration, replication, and plasticity in the nervous system and other parts of the body.

Areas of research interest include, but are not limited to: identification, localization, and comparison of known or novel cues within the developing, adult, and aging nervous system that influence the mitotic potential, cell cycle, and differentiation of stem and progenitor cells along specific lineages; characterization of the cell-extrinsic and cell-intrinsic signaling pathways and components involved in transducing the action of local cues on stem and progenitor cells in vivo; investigation of the causal relationship between site-specific changes of endogenous cues resulting from injury, disease, age, exposure to alcohol, drugs of treatment or abuse, and any resulting alterations of stem cell activity; evaluation of the effects of external factors such as stress, exercise, or enriched versus impoverished living conditions on the microenvironment within the host organism, and how these changes in microenvironment influence the behavior of stem cells at different periods throughout the lifespan of the organism; and development of assays facilitating the discovery of novel endogenous signals that modulate stem cell behavior and fate, as well as signals generated by stem cells that regulate components of the local host tissue.

For more information, potential applicants should contact Dr. David Owens, Program Director, Repair and Plasticity Cluster, NINDS, Neuroscience Center, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 2204, Bethesda, MD 20892; telephone:
301-496-1447; fax: 301-480-1080; e-mail: do47h@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/PAS-05-092.html.

Research Sought on Mechanisms of Transmission and Dissemination of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and the National Institute on Aging (NIA) invite grant applications for research on the mechanisms of transmission and dissemination of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs).*

TSEs or “prion diseases” are neurodegenerative disorders that can lead to dementia, motor dysfunction, and, eventually, death. Prion diseases include bovine spongiform encephalopathy in cattle, scrapie in sheep, chronic wasting disease in mule deer and elk, and kuru and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans. Little is known about the natural spread of TSEs within affected populations. Understanding the natural pathways by which TSEs arise and are transmitted may be critical for protecting populations at risk for acquiring these diseases.

Areas of research interest include, but are not limited to: the natural spread of TSEs within species; the spread of TSEs across species barriers; the mechanisms involved in the transport of prions from the gastrointestinal tract or other mode of entry to the central nervous system (CNS); the roles of age-related factors in the transport and entry into the CNS and the consequent pathological manifestations; the possible involvement of inflammatory or other cofactors in the dissemination of TSEs agents; and animal models aimed to understand the mechanisms of transmission and dissemination of TSEs.

For more information, potential applicants should contact Dr. Michael Nunn, Program Director, Neural Environment Cluster, NINDS, Neuroscience Center, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 2115, Bethesda, MD 20892; telephone: 301-496-1431; fax: 301-402-2060; e-mail: mn52e@nih.gov.

*For a more detailed description of this program announcement, please visit the NIH web site at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-05-096.html.

Applications Sought for Mentored Clinical Investigator Career Development Awards in Muscle Disease Research

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), and the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) invite applications for mentored clinical investigator career development awards in muscle disease research.*

Muscle diseases have a high impact on daily lives, affecting tens of thousands of people in the United States alone. Despite advances in understanding the genetic and molecular defects that cause various types of muscle diseases, this knowledge has not yet resulted in improved treatments. There is a great need to learn more about the pathogenesis of the diseases and to improve early detection, diagnosis, treatment, screening, and prevention.

Areas of research interest include, but are not limited to, studies on: pathogenic mechanisms leading from gene defects to muscle disease phenotypes; the normal structure and function of proteins such as the ryanodine receptor or the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex that are associated with muscle diseases; properties of muscle and non-muscle cells derived from affected tissues; and the cognitive, behavioral, and/or psychosocial aspects of muscle diseases and their relationship to etiology and disease progression. Also encouraged are studies to: identify genetic and environmental factors that determine risk or modify disease onset, symptoms, progression, or outcome; generate, breed, and study animal models for muscle diseases, and utilize those models to develop and test potential therapies; develop, test, and improve strategies for gene delivery or gene repair; explore the therapeutic use of stem cells and/or tissue engineering; and develop, test, and optimize pharmacological treatments for muscle diseases.

For more information, potential applicants should contact Dr. John Porter, Program Director, Channels, Synapses, and Circuits Cluster, NINDS, Neuroscience Center, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 2142, Bethesda, MD 20892; telephone: 301-496-1917; fax: 301-402-1501; e-mail: jp477n@nih.gov.

*For a more detailed description of this program announcement, please visit the NIH web site at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-05-051.html.

Research Sought on Methodology and Measurement in the Behavioral and Social Science

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) encourages grant applications for research aimed at improving and developing methodology and measurement in the behavioral and social sciences. This announcement is made together with 11 other components of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).*

The behavioral and social sciences offer significant fundamental insights into the comprehensive understanding of human health—including disease etiology and treatment, and the promotion of health and well-being. Methodology and measurement encompass research design, data collection, measurement, and data analysis techniques. The goal of this program announcement is to encourage research that will improve the quality and scientific power of data collected in the behavioral and social sciences, relevant to the missions of the NIH institutes and centers.

Areas of research interest include, but are not limited to, methodology and measurement issues: in developing innovative interdisciplinary, multimethod, and multilevel research designs for use in behavioral and social science research; in research relating to diverse populations, for example, populations that are distinctive by virtue of age, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, culture, including culture-specific medical systems, socio-economic status, literacy, language, or disability; in studying how dramatic changes in economic, social, environmental, physical, or political context affect human health and well-being; in studying potentially sensitive behaviors, such as sexual behavior and abortion, and covert or illegal behaviors such as drug use, abuse, and violence; and concerning ethics in research, with emphasis on the topics of informed consent, assessment of risk and benefit, selection and retention of subjects, and ensuring subjects' confidentiality.

For more information, potential applicants should contact Dr. Emmeline Edwards, Deputy Director, Division of Extramural Research, NINDS, Neuroscience Center, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 2109, Bethesda, MD 20892; telephone: 301-496-9248; fax: 301-402-4370; 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://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-05-090.html.

Applications Encouraged to Develop Non-Human Lentiviral Models of the Neurological Complications of AIDS

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) encourage grant applications to develop non-human lentiviral models of the neurological complications of AIDS.*

Recent advances in the development of the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) model system highlight the power of animal model systems for study of the mechanisms underlying the pathology associated with lentiviral infection in the nervous system. These models will be key for developing therapeutic approaches for the treatment of patients suffering from neuroAIDS and for understanding the basic biology of infection with HIV/AIDS.

Areas of research interest include, but are not limited to: studies to define the pathogenic mechanisms of lentiviruses in the central nervous system of animals temporally during the progression of disease; in vivo studies of host and viral factors affecting the penetration of lentiviruses and infected cells across the neuroprotective blood-brain barrier; using established model systems such as SIV and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) to study the effects of inhibitors of cell traffic into the nervous system on the development of neurological complications of lentiviral infection; using established model systems such as SIV and FIV to study the effects of neuroprotective agents on the progression of lentiviral neurologic disease; use of non-human animal models to define and characterize novel markers associated with disease progression and response to therapeutic interventions; use of lentiviral models for concurrent study of neurologic complications in animals repetitively exposed to substances of abuse, such as methamphetamine, opiates, cocaine, and marijuana, or withdrawn from such substances; and in vivo studies of glial-neuronal interactions in models of lentiviral infection and their complication by drugs of abuse.

For more information, potential applicants should contact Dr. Michael Nunn, Program Director, Neural Environment Cluster, NINDS, Neuroscience Center, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 2115, Bethesda, MD 20892; telephone: 301-496-1431; fax: 301-402-2060; e-mail: mn52e@nih.gov.

*For a more detailed description of this program announcement, please visit the NIH web site at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAS-05-078.html.

Applications Sought for Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards for Postdoctoral Fellowships in Muscle Disease Research

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), and the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) encourage applications for Ruth L. Kirschstein national research service awards for postdoctoral fellowships in muscle disease research.*

Muscle diseases have a high impact on daily lives, affecting tens of thousands of people in the United States alone. Despite advances in understanding the genetic and molecular defects that cause various types of muscle diseases, this knowledge has not yet resulted in improved treatments. There is a great need to learn more about the pathogenesis of the diseases and to improve early detection, diagnosis, treatment, screening, and prevention.

Areas of research interest include, but are not limited to: pathogenic mechanisms leading from gene defects to muscle disease phenotypes; the normal structure and function of proteins such as the ryanodine receptor or the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex that are associated with muscle diseases; identifying genetic and environmental factors that determine risk or modify disease onset, symptoms, progression, or outcome; generating, breeding, and studying animal models for the muscle diseases, and utilizing those models to develop and test potential therapies; properties of muscle and non-muscle cells derived from affected tissues; developing, testing, and improving strategies for gene delivery or gene repair; exploring the therapeutic use of stem cells and/or tissue engineering; developing, testing, and optimizing pharmacological treatments for muscle diseases; developing improved outcome measures and non-invasive methods such as enhanced imaging or analysis of muscle function to monitor changes due to treatment or disease progression; developing and testing new rehabilitative strategies to limit disease progression and prevent secondary complications; and the cognitive, behavioral, and/or psychosocial aspects of muscle diseases and their relationship to etiology and disease progression.

For more information, potential applicants should contact Dr. John Porter, Program Director, Channels, Synapses, and Circuits Cluster, NINDS, Neuroscience Center, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 2142, Bethesda, MD 20892; telephone: 301-496-1917; fax: 301-402-1501; e-mail: jp477n@nih.gov.

*For a more detailed description of this program announcement, please visit the NIH web site at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-05-052.html.

Applications Sought for Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards Institutional Predoctoral Training Program in the Neurosciences

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) invites applications for the jointly sponsored Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards Institutional Predoctoral Training Program in the Neurosciences. This announcement is made together with 9 other components of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).*

The aim of this program is to encourage and support broad, early-stage (pre-dissertation) training in the neurosciences by offering institutions a single, comprehensive training grant. This program supports the early years of graduate training, typically the first and second years, before full-time thesis research begins. Trainees are expected to be participants in a formal predoctoral curriculum offering broad and fundamental training in the neurosciences.

The NINDS—along with the other participating NIH components—encourages a curriculum that spans the breadth of neurosciences in terms of the level of analysis (genes to molecules to cells to integrated, functional systems), approaches (including translational research), and the neuroscience of disease and disorders. The training program should include core courses, laboratory rotations, and program activities, but should exclude full-time dissertation research. These institutional training programs will contribute to basic and disease-related neuroscience research that is relevant to the participating NIH institutes.

For more information, potential applicants should contact the Office of Training and Career Development, Division of Extramural Research, NINDS, Neuroscience Center, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 2154, Bethesda, MD 20892; telephone: 301-496-4188; fax: 301-402-4370; e-mail: nindstrainingoffice@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/PAR-05-055.html.

Research Sought on Shared Neurobiology of Fragile X Syndrome and Autism

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) encourage grant applications for research on shared neurobiology of fragile X syndrome (FXS) and autism. This announcement is made together with 6 other organizations.*

Autism is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder with early childhood onset. FXS is the most common inherited form of human mental retardation. Symptoms of FXS include developmental delay, sensory hyperarousal, social anxiety with mood lability, language problems, and some or all of the symptoms and associated features of autism. Autism and autistic symptoms in FXS may reflect a common etiological or pathophysiological pathway between the two conditions.

Areas of research interest include, but are not limited to: development of more sophisticated cellular or animal models for FXS and autism; clinical studies that include genotype-phenotype analyses that provide a rational foundation for the treatment or management of autism and FXS; developmental, neuroanatomical, electrophysiological, and imaging studies to identify specific abnormalities in patients with FXS and autism or in animal models of FXS and autism; identification and analysis of genes misexpressed in animal models of FXS and autism, and in human studies of patients with FXS and autism; basic research on the neurobiology of sensory hyperarousal and anxiety in order to understand the shared etiology and pathophysiology of FXS and autism; neurodevelopmental and longitudinal studies of patients with both FXS and autism in order to investigate the neuropathological progression and inherent variability of both disorders; studies to identify and characterize neural circuits engaged by candidate molecules implicated in FXS and autism to elicit epileptogenesis; and characterization, at the circuit level, of abnormalities that may contribute to sleep disorders observed in FXS and autism.

For more information, potential applicants should contact Dr. Laura Mamounas, Program Director, Neurogenetics Cluster, NINDS, Neuroscience Center, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 2114A, Bethesda, MD 20892; telephone: 301-496-1383; fax: 301-496-3791; e-mail: lm92t@nih.gov.

*For a full list of supporting organizations 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-05-108.html.

Research on Sleep and Sleep Disorders Sought

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) invites grant applications for research on sleep and sleep disorders. This announcement is made together with 12 other components of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).*

An estimated 70 million people in the United States suffer from sleep problems, and more than 50 percent of them have a chronic sleep disorder. Despite substantial scientific progress in both clinical and basic science related to sleep and its disorders, there remains the challenge and the need to better understand the functions and disorders of sleep, treat sleep disorders, and explain the nature of human physiology during wakefulness and the individual stages of sleep.

Areas of potential research interest include, but are not limited to: neurobiological mechanisms of the effects of sleep, circadian regulation, sleep homeostasis, and sleep disorders on the aging process and the diseases associated with late age; methods to measure sleep, circadian physiology, and sleepiness across the age spectrum, including methods used in the home; studies of the mechanisms by which sleep disturbances affect adherence to treatments for chronic disease and ways that improving sleep may improve treatment outcomes; improved understanding of the processes that lead to specific sleep disorders in infants, children, and adults, including the aged population; impact of sleep-disordered breathing and its treatment on functional status, psychiatric disorders, neurocognitive function and behavior, and other disease processes; interrelationships between sleep and neuroendocrine systems, including aging male and female populations; new treatments for sleep disorders, including methods to adapt these therapies to individual patients using approaches such as pharmacogenetics; complementary and alternative medicine therapies for sleep disorders; neurophysiology of sleep regulation affecting risk for and mechanisms of sleep disorders in women in relation to menarche, pregnancy, or menopause; sleep in neurodegenerative disorders including, but not restricted to, Parkinson's disease; and sleep in neuropathic pain conditions.

For more information, potential applicants should contact Dr. Merrill Mitler, Program Director, Systems and Cognitive Neuroscience Cluster, NINDS, Neuroscience Center, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 2108, Bethesda, MD 20892; telephone: 301-496-9964; fax: 301-402-2060; e-mail: mm777k@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-05-046.html.

Applications Sought for Specialized Programs of Translational Research in Acute Stroke

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) invites grant applications for specialized programs of translational research in acute stroke (SPOTRIAS).*

Despite enormous research efforts—including many clinical trials—tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) remains the only FDA-approved treatment for acute ischemic stroke. The requirement for administration of tPA within three hours of stroke onset has proven to be a major obstacle to its widespread use. Dramatic improvements in stroke outcomes could be achieved by reducing the time necessary to respond to and diagnose stroke and by identifying new interventions that could be safely and expeditiously administered to a wider range of patients. The objective of SPOTRIAS is to ease translation of basic research findings into clinical practice so stroke patients are evaluated and treated very rapidly after the onset of their symptoms.

Projects encouraged within SPOTRIAS include: phase I and II studies to evaluate novel stroke treatments; development and testing of innovative systems for delivery of emergency medical services, and of clinical tools useful for rapid stroke treatment; tests of potential biomarkers, surrogate outcomes, and clinical stroke scales useful in acute stroke research; development and evaluation of new treatments and practices within critical care units for patients immediately after initial emergency department management; tests of strategies for rehabilitation of acute stroke patients; and long-term quality-of-life research for patients treated early for acute stroke.

For more information, potential applicants should contact Dr. Scott Janis, Clinical Research Project Manager, Clinical Trials Group, NINDS, Neuroscience Center, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 2191, Bethesda, MD 20892; telephone: 301-496-9135; fax: 301-480-1080; e-mail: sj151t@nih.gov.

*For a more detailed description of this program announcement, please visit the NIH web site at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-05-084.html.

Research Targeting Diseases Caused by Protein Misfolding or Misprocessing Sought

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), and the National Institute on Aging (NIA) encourage grant applications for research targeting diseases caused by protein misfolding or misprocessing.*

With recent advances in small molecule production, design, and screening it is now possible to create molecules which bind to mutant proteins with high specificity and stabilize a near native conformation that allows them to escape sorting by quality control systems into degradative pathways or mistargeting within the cell. Because so many mutant proteins—once folded and exported to their normal location—retain some functional activity, these “chemical chaperones” have the potential to rescue mutant phenotypes in a host of diseases.

Areas of research interest include, but are not limited to: development of robust and reliable primary and secondary assays that can be used to screen small molecules for efficacy in a model of an inherited disease due to protein misprocessing, mistargeting, misfolding, or aggregation; conducting low or high throughput screening of small molecule therapeutics; conducting low or high throughput screening of RNAi reagents; confirmation of the results from the screen via additional assays, characterization of the molecular mechanism, or other means; additional limited, medicinal chemistry, including the synthesis and testing of related compounds for enhanced efficacy; and preliminary animal model testing of efficacious compounds, including appropriate preliminary pharmacological studies and evaluation of off-target effects.

LETTERS OF INTENT RECEIPT DATE: August 15, 2005.

APPLICATION RECEIPT DATE: September 15, 2005.

For more information, potential applicants should contact Dr. Danilo Tagle, Program Director, Neurogenetics Cluster, NINDS, Neuroscience Center, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 2133, Bethesda, MD 20892; telephone: 301-496-5745; fax: 301-402-1501; e-mail: dt39y@nih.gov.

*For a more detailed description of this program announcement, please visit the NIH web site at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-05-056.html.

Applications Sought to Develop Tools for Zebrafish Research

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) encourages grant applications to develop tools for Zebrafish research. This announcement is made together with 16 other components of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).*

The objective of this program announcement is to continue to broaden the range, power, and utility of tools for biomedical and behavioral research using Zebrafish, and to develop genetic and genomic resources of high priority to the Zebrafish community.

Areas of research interest include, but are not limited to: research on the development, normal function, and diseases of the nervous system; the use of mutants as models for neurodegenerative diseases for use in translational research; development and/or application of novel methods of mutagenesis; development of techniques supporting more efficient targeting of induced local lesions in genomes (TILLING); development of technologies for gene inactivation and for gene expression manipulation; development of high throughput small molecule screens; development of new genetic or genomic resources that are of high priority for the Zebrafish community; development and/or application of novel screens for mutants; screens focusing on identifying novel developmental genes and pathways; and screens to analyze the genetic basis of adult phenotypes.

For more information, potential applicants should contact Dr. Danilo Tagle, Program Director, Neurogenetics Cluster, NINDS, Neuroscience Center, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 2133, Bethesda, MD 20892; telephone: 301-496-5745; fax: 301-402-1501; e-mail: dt39y@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/PAR-05-080.html.

Cell Biological Studies on Parkinson’s Disease Requested

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) requests research grant applications for cell biological studies on Parkinson’s disease (PD).*

Studies to identify genes in PD are rapidly outpacing the cell biological studies which would reveal how these gene products are part of the disease process in PD. The purpose of this request for applications (RFA) is to stimulate studies devoted to understanding the functional role of these proteins in cells, or how these proteins may interact or share common pivotal molecular pathways. Dissemination of these cellular pathways may reveal points at which potential interventions for PD could be directed.

Areas of research interest include, but are not limited to: functional cellular studies of the proteins implicated in PD, including protein expression patterns, processing, folding, regulation, transport, protein-protein interactions or proteomics, protein degradation, etc.; studies of the involvement of these proteins in specific cellular pathways implicated in the pathogenesis of PD, such as proteasomal or lysosomal degradation pathways; studies of the potential interactions of these proteins in common cellular pathways, or cell-cell interactions; cellular studies of therapeutic approaches targeted to specific proteins implicated in PD; and exploratory studies on the development of potential biomarkers for PD based on these proteins.

LETTERS OF INTENT RECEIPT DATE: August 22, 2005.

APPLICATION RECEIPT DATE: September 21, 2005.

For more information, potential applicants should contact Dr. Diane Murphy, Program Director, Neurodegeneration Cluster, NINDS, Neuroscience Center, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 2222, Bethesda, MD 20892; telephone: 301-496-5680; fax: 301-480-1080; e-mail: dm152o@nih.gov.

*For a more detailed description of this RFA, please visit the NIH web site at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-NS-06-001.html.

Patients with Cervical or Focal Hand Dystonia Sought

Scientists at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) seek people with cervical or focal hand dystonia who are receiving botulinum toxin injections for a study of a medication called amlodipine. This research study will examine whether amlodipine can improve the effect of botulinum toxin injections for dystonia, which causes abnormal postures and disrupted movements.

The study will be conducted at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center in Bethesda, MD. All study-related expenses will be paid by the NIH.

For more information, physicians should contact Dr. Barbara Karp, Office of the Clinical Director, NINDS, NIH, Building 10, Room 5S209, 10 Center Drive MSC 1428, Bethesda, MD 20892-1428; telephone: 301-496-0150; fax: 301-480-2973. Please refer to study number 01-N-147.