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Epidemiology and Genetics Research Program
Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences
April 13, 2005 |
EGRP BULLETIN
From the Office of
Edward Trapido, Sc.D., Associate Director
Epidemiology and Genetics Research Program
Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences
National Cancer Institute
This issue of the NCI Epidemiology and Genetics Research Program (EGRP)
Bulletin brings you news about:
EGRP Will Be At AACR Annual Meeting Next Week
 EGRP
staff will be attending the annual meeting of the American Association
for Cancer Research (AACR), April 16-20, in Anaheim, Calif. If you will
be there, you are welcome to contact staff members via e-mail this week
to arrange to meet.
Also, EGRP Associate Director Ed Trapido, Sc.D., will be at the NCI booth
from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Tuesday, April 19, participating in the "Meet
the Expert" sessions hosted by the Institute. You are invited to
drop by and speak with him. His e-mail address is ejt@nih.gov.
Other staff attending the meeting are:
From the Office of the Associate Director:
Analytic Epidemiology Research Branch (AERB):
Clinical and Genetic Epidemiology Branch (CGERB):
- J. Fernando Arena, M.D., Ph.D., Program Director
arenaj@mail.nih.gov
- Isis Mikhail, M.D., M.P.H., Dr.P.H , Program Director
mikhaili@mail.nih.gov
- Daniela Seminara, Ph.D., M.P.H., Program Director
seminard@mail.nih.gov
- Scott Rogers, M.P.H., Research Associate
rogerssc@mail.nih.gov.
View staff photos on EGRP's Web site.
Seminara Leads EGRP's Consortia Research Working Group
 Daniela
Seminara, Ph.D., M.P.H., has been appointed Leader of EGRP's Consortia
Research Working Group. The newly formed Working Group will facilitate
the ability of interdisciplinary epidemiological sciences to better address
emerging scientific questions and issues. Bringing together researchers
who are studying the same disease site or the same risk factors to collaborate
and pool exposure data and biospecimens is becoming increasingly important
in order to detect patterns of disease, and to study the influence of
gene-gene and gene-environment interactions on development of cancer.
With Dr. Seminara's leadership, the Working Group will be the coordinating
body for consortia-related activities managed by EGRP Program Directors.
It will foster the design, implementation, and evaluation of large-scale
epidemiologic consortia funded by EGRP. The Working Group also will work
with the Program Directors and scientific community to identify research
gaps that can only be met through consortia, and develop consortia initiatives
that address these needs and take advantage of related opportunities.
Another important function will be to develop best practice guidelines
to speed the creation of consortia and enhance their effectiveness.
Dr. Seminara has been instrumental in developing consortia among EGRP
grantees and brings her expertise to this new role. She is Program Officer
for the EGRP-funded Breast and Colon Cancer Family Registries (CFRs) and
the CFRs' Informatics Support Center, and Program Director for several
other consortia focusing on lung, prostate, colorectal, and pancreatic
cancer; Ataxia-Telangiectasia (A-T) and familial cancer; and radiation
and female cancers. Investigators or research groups interested in establishing
consortia may contact Dr. Seminara at seminard@mail.nih.gov.
Read Online About Research Advances by EGRP-Funded Grantees
 We
have added to our online collection of summaries on research findings
reported by EGRP-funded grantees. Visit the Highlights
From Grantees' Research section on our Web site. Your suggestions
on additions for the site are welcome. Some of these research highlights
are featured in our tabletop exhibit which you may have seen at meetings.
Administrative Supplements Available for Disseminating Evidence-Based
Intervention Research Products
The Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences (DCCPS) will provide
administrative supplements for dissemination of evidence-based intervention
research products. Applications for administrative supplements are invited
for NCI-funded cancer control intervention research R01, P01, P50, U01,
and U19 grants. Applicants may apply for a supplement to a related R01,
P01, P50, U01, or U19 intervention research award, as long as the following
conditions are met:
- the focus of the awarded grant is similar to the focus of the intervention
dissemination supplement that is being proposed;
- there are no funds in the related award related to the proposed dissemination
effort;
- there must be an active parent grant during the entire funding period
of this supplement; and
- the Principal Investigator for the supplement must be the Principal
Investigator of the parent grant.
These supplements have been designed to provide 1-year funding to cancer
control investigators whose intervention efficacy data have been analyzed
and who are conducting peer-reviewed research (with an active NCI grant
award) related to the intervention program proposed for dissemination.
Intervention research across the cancer control continuum that may be
eligible for these supplements, includes: tobacco use prevention and cessation;
promotion of appropriate changes in diet and physical activity; reduction
of sun exposure and ultraviolet radiation exposure; facilitation of informed
decisions about genetic testing for cancer susceptibility; enhancement
of screening for breast, cervix, and colorectal cancers; quality of care;
and improvements in coping skills and quality-of-life for cancer survivors
and their families.
Detailed instructions for applying for this supplement are available
at http://www.dccps.cancer.gov/funding_apply.html#dd.
The receipt date for applications is May 30, 2005. Do NOT submit the applications
to the NIH Center for Scientific Review (CSR).
The earliest anticipated award date for this program will be September
1, 2005. Inquiries should be addressed to the NCI Program Director for
the particular R01, P01, P50, U01, or U19 for which the supplement is
being requested. Before submitting an applicant, each applicant (i.e.,
Principal Investigator) is encouraged to discuss the efficacy data (e.g.,
effect sizes, consistency with prior research, relevance to target populations)
supporting their competing supplement request from the original project
with their respective NCI Program Director.
Direct inquiries concerning programmatic and review matters to: Jon Kerner,
Ph.D., Deputy Director for Research Dissemination and Diffusion, DCCPS,
tel.: 301-594-7294; E-mail: jon.kerner@nih.gov.
Read the complete Notice in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts:
NOT-CA-05-016.
Instructions Updated for New PHS 398 Grant Application in Effect May
10, 2005
NIH issued updated instructions for the Public Health Service Grant (PHS
398) application last month. The PHS 398 (rev. 9/04) must be used for
all applications received on or after May 10, 2005, or the application
will be returned to the applicant. Applications using the previous version
of the PHS 398 (rev. 5/01) will be accepted through May 9.
The new application form has been extensively rewritten with a focus
on clarity and special emphasis on simplicity and plain language. Applicants
are strongly encouraged to access the instructions and forms online where
there are valuable links to current policy documents and allow easy navigation
of the instructions. This is particularly important with this version
due to the interactive format of the instructions. For further information,
contact GrantsInfo@nih.gov.
Access the instructions
and forms.
More information appears in the Notice in the NIH Guide: NOT-OD-05-039.
NIH Small Business Grants Conference Set for July 28-29, 2005
This year's annual conference for the NIH Small Business Innovation Research
(SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs will be
held July 28-29 in the Natcher Conference Center, NIH Campus, Bethesda,
Md. Funding opportunities for small companies with innovative biomedical
or behavioral research ideas with commercial potential will be discussed.
There also will be a poster session for Phase II SBIR and STTR awardees
to present their research and technology. Program, review, and grants
management staff will be available for discussions. Registration is free
but mandatory.
Access the conference
Web site for the agenda and registration information. Also read the
Notice in the NIH Guide, NOT-OD-05-041.
Learn about areas of research and development
that EGRP is interested in supporting under the Programs through its Web
site.
NIH New Investigators Web Site Established
NIH has created a Web site for new investigators. The site describes
current policies, data related to the influx of new investigators, resources
to use to understand and work with NIH, and helpful hints that may be
useful in constructing a first application for support. Access
the site.
EGRP'S Research Resources:
- Four Custom Extensions Available from Long Island Breast Cancer
GIS, Opportunities Available to Use the GIS
The Geographic Information System for Breast Cancer Studies on Long
Island (LI GIS) is an enterprise geographic information system combining
an Oracle data warehouse, ESRI ArcGIS Suite, and statistical and spatial
software and extensions. This unique research tool offers a full suite
of GIS software and extensions related to the study of breast cancer.
Included are four custom ArcGIS software extensions specially developed
for LI GIS users but also freely available for researchers to download
from the Web site and use for applications beyond Long Island. The extensions
are tools for cluster analysis and applying the Empirical Bayes method,
a disease rate calculator, and an areal interpolator. They are available
for ArcView versions 3.x, 8, and 9.
The LI GIS is designed to study potential relationships between environmental
exposures and breast cancer on Long Island (Suffolk and Nassau counties)
and is available to researchers with approved protocols. It also can
be used to study other diseases. Researchers can access the LI GIS remotely
or work in its laboratory located in Reston, Virginia. There is no fee
to use the LI GIS or its laboratory; however, funding for research is
not provided.
The LI GIS warehouse has more than 80 datasets covering topographic
data; demographic data; health outcome data, including relative breast
cancer incidence; and environmental data. The LI GIS focuses on Nassau
and Suffolk counties, but additional environmental data are included
with less detail and geographic precision for areas 50 kilometers from
the two counties, and very limited data for areas within a 100 mile
radius from the mid-point of the boundary line between the two counties.
The extended area includes counties in New York, Connecticut, New Jersey,
New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts.
Learn more about this unique research tool, apply to use it, and download
the custom extensions from the LI
GIS Web site. Direct questions to administrator@healthgis-li.com.
- Breast/Ovarian and Colon Cancer Family Registries
 The
Breast/Ovarian and Colon Cancer Family Registries (CFRs) are international
registries available to researchers who are planning to conduct population-
and clinic-based interdisciplinary research with a main focus on the
genetic and molecular epidemiology of breast/ovarian and colon cancers.
The CFRs have information and biospecimens contributed by more than
22,000 families among whom there is a history of breast and/or ovarian
cancer or colon cancer. The spectrum of cancer risk is represented.
Of special interest are collaborations to identify and characterize
cancer susceptibility genes; define gene-gene and gene-environment interactions
in cancer etiology; and conduct cooperative research on the translational,
preventive, and behavioral aspects of such findings. Researchers who
are interested in accessing data and/or biospecimens should explore
collaborative arrangements with the CFRs investigators and prepare a
brief application using the Access Policies and Procedures Manual
and the form located on the Informatics
Center Web site. Also see information about the CFRs
on EGRP's Web site. Funding for research is not provided.
Contact: Daniela Seminara, Ph.D., M.P.H., E-mail: seminard@mail.nih.gov.
- Cancer Genetics Network
The Cancer Genetics Network (CGN) supports research on the genetic basis
of human cancer susceptibility, the integration of this information
into medical practice, and the psychosocial, legal, and public health
issues associated with human genetics. Its interests include gene discovery
and characterization, gene-environment interaction, and translational
and behavioral research.
The database has information on 18,700 individuals (14,850 families)
with cancer and/or a family history of cancer. Data available include
demographic information, relevant medical history, and a four-generation
pedigree on each enrollee. The population enrolled makes research possible
on both common and uncommon tumors.
For approved studies, the CGN can offer a variety of services for a
fee(s), including:
- assembling information for and completing medical extraction forms;
- obtaining pathology reports and tumor blocks for molecular testing
or to verify diagnosis;
- collecting biospecimens with desired medical and demographic information;
- shipping or storing biospecimens;
- conducting telephone interviews with enrollees;
- recruiting patients from high-risk clinics and tumor registries;
- providing genetic counseling;
- contacting enrollees' treating physicians prior to enrollment;
- developing software, including computerized followup for the study;
and
- using multiple software systems for breast cancer risk assessment.
Specialized expertise is available in certain areas, including biostatistics,
statistical genetics, epidemiology, genetic epidemiology, and behavioral
research. Also, CGN principal investigators welcome opportunities to
collaborate with research groups on important studies.
Researchers who are interested in accessing CGN data or including registry
enrollees in ongoing or proposed studies should prepare a 1-page summary
of their proposed research, specific aims, and explanation of the role
of CGN enrollees in the research. Priority is given to funded investigators
or to those who are planning to submit grant proposals to NIH. Funding
for research is not provided. For further information, access EGRP's
Web site.
Contact: Carol Kasten, M.D., Program Director, CGERB: E-mail: kastenc@mail.nih.gov.
You are welcome to invite others to subscribe to receive occasional
Bulletins and News Flashes from the Epidemiology and Genetics Research
Program (EGRP). To subscribe to FRIENDS-OF-NCI-EGRP-L, contact andersoL2@mail.nih.gov.
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