Funding News - Applications for National Centers for Neurofibromatosis Research Sought

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) invite grant applications to establish national centers for neurofibromatosis research.*

The goal of neurofibromatosis (NF) research is to develop more effective therapies for patients with these disorders. NF centers are intended to provide an interdisciplinary, interactive environment that will accelerate research progress and permit studies that could not be done as effectively in individual laboratories.

Potential areas of research include: molecular and cell biological studies of NF1, NF2, or schwannomatosis that will be accelerated by the centralized availability of research and clinical expertise, patient DNA and tissues, or other resources; investigation of the pathogenesis of neurofibromas, gliomas, malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors, skeletal and cardiovascular abnormalities, learning disabilities, and other manifestations of NF; high-throughput preclinical screening of candidate NF therapeutics; development of improved cell and animal models for preclinical screening; genotype-phenotype studies of NF patients; identification of NF modifier genes and analysis of their effects on patient phenotype; natural history studies, particularly those that will guide therapeutic interventions or establish a baseline for future clinical trials; phase I or II clinical trials of potential therapeutic interventions for NF; and development of improved and standardized methods for assessing outcome in NF clinical trials and clinical research.

For more information, potential applicants should contact Dr. Robert Finkelstein, Program Director, Neurogenetics Cluster, NINDS, Neuroscience Center, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 2143, Bethesda, MD 20892; telephone: 301-496-5745; fax: 301-402-1501; e-mail: rf45c@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/PAR-04-018.html.