STRATEGIES FOR GERM-LINE MODIFICATION IN THE RAT

Release Date:  April 3, 2001

PA NUMBER:  PAR-01-077

National Center for Research Resources
National Cancer Institute
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
National Institute on Aging
National Institute on Drug Abuse

Letter of Intent Receipt Dates:  September 1, 2001; September 1, 2002 and 
                                 September 1, 2003.
Application Receipt Dates:       October 1, 2001; October 1, 2002 and 
                                 October 1, 2003.

THIS PA USES "MODULAR GRANT" AND "JUST-IN-TIME" CONCEPTS.  THIS PAR INCLUDES 
DETAILED MODIFICATIONS TO STANDARD APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS THAT MUST BE USED 
WHEN PREPARING AN APPLICATION IN RESPONSE TO THIS PAR.

PURPOSE

The National Center for Research Resources, National Cancer Institute, 
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institute of Child Health 
and Human Development, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and 
Stroke, National Institute on Aging, and National Institute on Drug Abuse, 
invite applications for the purpose of establishing methods for the efficient 
production of rat models that contain germ-line mutations that will 
facilitate the transfer of biological concepts to human health problems.  
Development of rat embryonic stem cell (ESC) technology by modification of 
current techniques or development of new approaches will meet the needs of 
researchers using the rat to study human health and disease.  This initiative 
is designed for rat models only and should not include human subjects or 
tissues.  

HEALTHY PEOPLE 2010

The Public Health Service (PHS) is committed to achieving the health 
promotion and disease prevention objectives of "Healthy People 2010," a PHS-
led national activity for setting priority areas.  This Program Announcement 
(PAR), “STRATEGIES FOR GERM-LINE MODIFICATION IN THE RAT,” is related to 
several priority areas.  Potential applicants may obtain a copy of "Healthy 
People 2010" at http://www.health.gov/healthypeople/.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Applications may be submitted by domestic and foreign, for-profit and non-
profit organizations, public and private, such as universities, colleges, 
hospitals, laboratories, units of State and local governments, and eligible 
agencies of the Federal government.  Racial/ethnic minority individuals, 
women, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply as principal 
investigators.

MECHANISM OF SUPPORT

This PAR will use the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Research Project 
Grant (R01) mechanism.  Responsibility for the planning, direction, and 
execution of the proposed project will be solely that of the applicant.  The 
total project period for an application submitted in response to this PAR may 
not exceed five years.

For all competing R01 applications requesting up to $250,000 per year in 
direct costs, specific application instructions have been modified to reflect 
“MODULAR GRANT” and “JUST-IN-TIME” streamlining efforts being examined by 
NIH.  Complete and detailed instructions and information on Modular Grant 
applications can be found at 
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/modular/modular.htm.  Applications that 
request more than $250,000 in any year must use the standard PHS 398 (rev. 
4/98) application instructions.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

The ability to engineer custom mutants, transgenic, and knockout animals has 
opened up a new era of scientific discovery and now allows testing of 
hypotheses previously limited by the available animal models.  Recent 
extensions of the knockout technology using homologous recombination have 
included tissue-specific knockouts and knock-in mutations to allow generation 
of custom made mutations.  A complete functional analysis of genes requires 
both gain of function and loss of function mutations.  The ability to produce 
these mutations for genes of choice is proving to be extremely important to 
exploiting gene discovery by creating animal models of human disease.  Gain 
of function mutations through transgenic mice and rats are now routine.  
However, creation of loss of function mutations by knock-out technology is 
only routine in the mouse.  Hence, germ-line modification in the rat is 
critically important to assigning function to specific genes and to 
identifying gene alterations responsible for specific phenotypes.  The 
analysis of phenotypes from gain of function and loss of function has been 
the most direct and useful way to connect specific genes to phenotypes 
relevant to human disease.  The accessibility to technologies for modifying 
the rat germ line is limited and needs to be extended.

Rats are widely used as a scientific model of human physiology because of 
several unique characteristics including size, extensive phenotype data, and 
importantly, relevance to many aspects of human biology.  Size alone makes a 
strong argument for continuing to use the laboratory rat, particularly for 
procedures involving manipulations such as intravenous cannulation, nerve 
recordings, collection of tissue from small structures, and serial blood 
sampling.  There is an impressive array of well characterized rat strains 
utilized for the study of public health concerns.  For example, there are 
nine inbred strains used in studies of arterial pressure regulation and 
hypertension alone.  Two of the strains, Dahl S and Brown Norway, have been 
employed successfully in multiple cosegregation analysis leading to the 
identification of more than 30 regions on 16 chromosomes that affect likely 
determinants of blood pressure.  Because of the extensive genomic tools 
available for the rat and the high degree of conserved linkage between the 
rat and humans, these chromosomal regions were quickly translated to both 
known human chromosomal regions that affect blood pressure and to gene 
discovery.  Rats provide very  important and useful models in the area of 
neurobehavior and addiction.  This is because of the extensive extant data on 
neuropharmacology and neuroanatomy in the rat, because the size of the brain 
structures allows a higher degree of anatomical resolution in molecular 
studies than in other common laboratory animals, and because the rat is 
particularly well suited to reproducible training in drug self-
administration.  In learning studies such as mazes, it is now apparent that 
the rat learns in a manner much more like humans than do some other mammals.  
The rat is the most important model of human arthritis and related autoimmune 
diseases, with more than 200 inbred, congenic and mutant strains with 
important variations in disease related variables.  Gender related variables 
and gender differences in arthritis in the rat are more similar to humans 
than are those of other mammals.  There are extensive toxicological and 
pharmacological data in the rat with high relevance to the human condition.

Considering the significant use of rat models in cardiovascular biology, 
renal and pulmonary disease, reproduction, neurobiology, immunology, cancer, 
diabetes, arthritis and autoimmune disease, and endocrinology, to name a few, 
it is imperative that the ability to manipulate the rat genome be developed.  
The application of genetic engineering technologies to the rat is an 
important step for understanding the pathology underlying many human 
diseases.  There are many examples that illustrate the power and importance 
of targeted, germ-line modification.  One example is the series of studies 
performed a few years ago with calcium/calmodulin kinase II gene knockout 
mice.  These mice were used to demonstrate the role of this gene in neural 
transmission, synaptic plasticity, learning, and behavior.  Studies on the 
role of specific neurotransmitter systems in learning and memory have in the 
past relied on the use of inhibitors and agonists to dissect the pathways.  
As a second example, the isolation of human renin genes led to the production 
of renin transgenic rats.  These animals provided important insight into the 
quantitative traits that the gene product regulates.  However, the studies 
had to be done in the presence of the endogenous rat renin genes.  Complete 
functional analysis of the human renin genetic system will require knocking 
out the renin system one element at a time and inserting the human genes.  
The ability to generate specific genetic modifications in rats would 
contribute rapidly to our understanding of development, physiology and 
pathobiology.  

Many genetic engineering techniques have proven to be equally efficient in a 
variety of mammalian species, including the rat.  However, in one very 
important area, ESCs, it has not been possible to adapt the mouse technology 
to the rat.  Cells are cultured from the inner cell mass of mouse blastocysts 
and those cells are propagated under conditions that maintain them in an 
undifferentiated pluripotent state.  The cells can be manipulated 
genetically, typically by homologous recombination, and selected for 
heterozygous loss of function mutations.  When the cells are injected into 
normal preimplantation embryos and transferred to surrogate mothers, live 
offspring bearing the mutation can be obtained.  These are mated to 
homozygosity for study.  The success of this procedure depends on the ability 
to obtain germ-line transmission of the modified genome. Unfortunately, it 
appears likely that the mouse is the exception rather than the rule regarding 
the ability to culture totipotent ESCs, as germ-line transmission has not yet 
been reported with ESCs from any species other than mouse and chicken.  
Several rat ESC lines have been developed, but these have not yet proven to 
be pluripotent. 

Nuclear transfer (NT) technology has resulted in live “cloning” in several 
species, including mice, sheep, cattle and monkeys.  These successes 
demonstrate the wide species-applicability of nuclear transfer technology, 
unlike the ESC technology.  Moreover, genetically modified cells have been 
successfully used as nuclear donors.  Therefore, cells that can be used to 
develop live born “clones” of the rat could be used in conjunction with 
homologous recombination or other mutational strategies to develop cells with 
desired mutations necessary for functional analysis of critical genes.  These 
cells could then be  used for nuclear donors in NT and thereby directly 
generate mutant animals.  NT could provide a flexible means for modifying the 
rat genome in that there is the potential to use many different kinds of 
cells for the genetic modifications, including cells from adult tissues.  
This flexibility also makes cryopreservation of the modified genome much 
easier, as most cultured cells are easier to store than embryos.  NT can be 
used in principle to enhance repository services as well, since a variety of 
cells could be used to preserve or transport rare strains.  The addition of a 
variety of standard approaches, like cloning, can be used to further enhance 
the availability of rat animal models.

Since the development of pluripotent ESCs appears to be limited to certain 
species, technological advancements for producing gene knockouts in the rat 
should be emphasized.  The development of genetic modification technology 
will allow investigators using the rat model to capitalize on related 
initiatives in progress or recently completed, including the Rat Genome 
Project, the Rat EST Project, and the Rat Genome Sequencing Project.  

Some illustrative examples of research topics that could be addressed under 
this program announcement are:

o  Strategies for culturing pluripotent rat ESCs to allow genetic 
manipulation and to create rats with germ-line transmission of genetic 
modifications.

o  Development of alternative technologies to create null mutations or gene 
replacement in the rat.

o  Development of cost-effective NT procedures in the rat.

o  Studies that demonstrate mutation transfer to rat stem cells or other 
cells for transfer into embryos or germ cells.

o  Methods for targeting engineered introns into rat chromosomal DNA to 
support the study of gene function.

SHARING OF MATERIALS GENERATED UNDER THIS PA

To address the joint interest of the government in the availability of, and 
access to, the results of publicly funded research, NIH requires applicants 
who respond to this PAR to propose detailed plans for sharing the research 
resources generated through the grant.  It is expected that the resources to 
be shared will include, among others, cell lines, mutant animals, germplasm, 
nucleic acid sequences, and novel reagents and techniques useful for meeting 
the goals of this PAR.  These various research resources will be of great 
value to the broader research community, beyond the laboratories that create 
them.  It is preferable that resources generated under this PAR should be 
placed in common, public repositories and databases that are widely 
accessible to investigators in the scientific community.

The required resource sharing plan will include a description of the 
mechanisms proposed for wide distribution of resources with investigators in 
the scientific community, as described in more detail, below.  The reviewers 
will provide an administrative comment evaluating the adequacy and 
feasibility of the resource sharing plan.  This comment will not affect the 
priority score of the proposal.  NIH staff will consider the adequacy of the 
plan in determining whether to recommend an application for award.  The 
sharing plan as approved, after negotiation with the applicant as necessary, 
will become a condition of the grant award.  Progress reports must contain 
information on sharing of resources as they are developed.  For more detailed 
guidance on NIH policies on resource sharing, applicants are referred to 
“Principles and Guidelines for Recipients of NIH Research Grants and 
Contracts on Obtaining and Disseminating Biomedical Research Resources,” 
http://www.ott.nih.gov/policy/rt_guide_final.html.  

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Applicants should refer to the NIH “Principles and Guidelines for Recipients 
of NIH Research Grants and Contracts on Obtaining and Disseminating 
Biomedical Research Resources,” as referenced above.   When a recipient’s 
research is funded by NIH, the activity is subject to various laws and 
regulations, including the Bayh-Dole Act (35 U.S.C. 200, et seq).  The Bayh-
Dole Act is implemented through Department of Commerce regulations 37 CFR 
401.  These regulations define terms, parties, responsibilities, prescribe 
the order of disposition of rights, prescribe a chronology of reporting 
requirements, and delineate the basis for and extent of government actions to 
retain rights.   In accordance with statute, these rights should be “used to 
promote free competition and enterprise without unduly encumbering future 
research and discovery.”  The patent rights clauses are found at 37 CFR Part 
401.14 and are accessible from the Interagency Edison web page, 
http://www.iedison.gov/.  

LETTER OF INTENT

Prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to submit, by the dates listed 
on page one of this program announcement, a letter of intent that includes a 
descriptive title of the proposed research, the name, address, and telephone 
number of the Principal Investigator, the identities of other key personnel 
and participating institutions, and the number and title of the PAR in 
response to which the application will be submitted.  Although a letter of 
intent is not required, is not binding, and does not enter into the review of 
a subsequent application, the information that it contains allows NIH staff 
to estimate the potential review workload and to plan the review.  

The letter of intent is to be sent to: 

John D. Harding, Ph.D.
Division of Comparative Medicine
National Center for Research Resources
6705 Rockledge Drive,  Suite 6050, MSC 7965
Bethesda, MD  20892-7965
(Bethesda MD 20817 for express service)
Telephone:  (301) 435-0776
FAX:  (301) 480-3819
Email: hardingj@ncrr.nih.gov

URLS IN NIH GRANT APPLICATIONS OR APPENDICES

All applications and proposals for NIH funding must be self-contained within 
specified page limitations. Unless otherwise specified in an NIH 
solicitation, Internet addresses (URLs) should not be used to provide 
information necessary to the review because reviewers are under no obligation 
to view the Internet sites. Reviewers are cautioned that their anonymity may 
be compromised when they directly access an Internet site.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the program staff listed under 
INQUIRIES with any questions regarding their proposed project and the goals 
of this PAR.  Applications are to be submitted on the grant application form 
PHS 398 (rev.4/98 or latest revision) and will be accepted on the dates 
listed on page one of this PAR.  Application kits are available at most 
institutional offices of sponsored research and from the Division of 
Extramural Outreach and Information Resources, National Institutes of Health, 
6701 Rockledge Drive, MSC 7910, Bethesda, MD 20892-7910, telephone (301) 435-
0714, Email: GrantsInfo@nih.gov.  Applications are also available on the 
World Wide Web at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms.htm.

Applicants planning to submit an investigator-initiated new (type 1), 
competing continuation (type 2), competing supplement, or any amended/revised 
version of the preceding grant application types requesting $500,000 or more 
in direct costs for any year are advised that he or she must contact the 
Institute or Center (IC) program staff before submitting the application, 
i.e., as plans for the study are being developed.  Furthermore, the applicant 
must obtain agreement from the IC staff that the IC will accept the 
application for consideration for award.  Finally, the applicant must 
identify, in a cover letter sent with the application, the staff member and 
IC who agreed to accept assignment of the application.  

This policy requires an applicant to obtain agreement for acceptance of both 
any such application and any such subsequent amendment.  Refer to the NIH 
Guide for Grants and Contracts, March 20, 1998 at 
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not98-030.html.

ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS:  SHARING OF MATERIALS

In addition to the instructions contained in the PHS 398, an application must 
include a section describing plans for sharing of materials.  This section 
can not exceed three pages in length and should directly follow the Research 
Design and Methods section of the research plan.  The text of the section on 
Sharing of Materials will not be considered part of the 25 page limit of the 
research plan.  

The section on Sharing of Materials should include the following information:  
1) A listing of the research resources that the applicant expects to derive.  
Both tangible items such as cell lines, mutant animals, germplasm and 
reagents, as well as non-tangible items such as techniques and nucleic acid 
sequences, should be considered as research resources that should be shared 
with other investigators.  2) A description of the mechanisms proposed for 
wide distribution of resources with investigators in the scientific 
community, and 3) a timetable for distribution of the resources.  As 
discussed above, the reviewers will evaluate this section and their comments 
will be incorporated into an Administrative Note in the Summary Statement 
that will be used by NIH Program personnel to help make funding decisions.   
Information in this section will not be used by reviewers to determine the 
priority score for the application.    

SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS FOR MODULAR GRANT APPLICATIONS

The modular grant concept establishes specific modules in which direct costs 
may be requested as well as a maximum level for requested budgets.  Only 
limited budgetary information is required under this approach.  The just-in-
time concept allows applicants to submit certain information only when there 
is a possibility for an award.  It is anticipated that these changes will 
reduce the administrative burden for the applicants, reviewers and Institute 
staff.  The research grant application form PHS 398 (rev. 4/98) is to be used 
in applying for these grants, with the modifications noted below.

BUDGET INSTRUCTIONS

Modular Grant applications will request direct costs in $25,000 modules, up 
to a total direct cost request of $250,000 per year.  (Applications that 
request more than $250,000 direct costs in any year must follow the 
traditional PHS 398 application instructions).  The total direct costs must 
be requested in accordance with the program guidelines and the modifications 
made to the standard PHS 398 application instructions described below:

PHS 398:

o  FACE PAGE.  Items 7a and 7b should be completed, indicating Direct Costs 
(in $25,000 increments up to a maximum of $250,000) and total Costs [Modular 
Total Direct plus Facilities and Administrative (F&A) costs] for the initial 
budget period.  Items 8a and 8b should be completed, indicating the Direct 
and Total Costs for the entire proposed period of support.

o  DETAILED BUDGET FOR THE INITIAL BUDGET PERIOD.  Do not complete Form Page 
4 of the PHS 398.  It is not required for modular grant applications and will 
not be accepted with the application.

o  BUDGET FOR THE ENTIRE PROPOSED PERIOD OF SUPPORT.  Do not complete the 
categorical budget table on Form Page 5 of the PHS 398.  It is not required 
for modular grant applications and will not be accepted with the application.

o  NARRATIVE BUDGET JUSTIFICATION.  Prepare a Modular Grant Budget Narrative 
page.  (See http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/modular/modular.htm for 
sample pages.)  At the top of the page, enter the total direct costs 
requested for each year.  This is not a Form page.

o  Under Personnel, list all project personnel, including their names, 
percent of effort, and roles on the project.  No individual salary 
information should be provided.  However, the applicant should use the NIH 
appropriation language salary cap and the NIH policy for graduate student 
compensation in developing the budget request.

o  For Consortium/Contractual costs, provide an estimate of total costs 
(direct plus F&A costs) for each year, each rounded to the nearest $1,000.  
List the individuals/organizations with whom consortium or contractual 
arrangements have been made, the percent effort of all personnel, and the 
role on the project.  Indicate whether the collaborating institution is 
foreign or domestic.  The total cost for a consortium/contractual arrangement 
is included in the overall requested modular direct cost amount.  Include the 
Letter of Intent to establish a consortium.

Provide an additional narrative budget justification for any variation in the 
number of modules requested.

o  BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH.  The Biographical Sketch provides information used by 
reviewers in the assessment of each individual's qualifications for a 
specific role in the proposed project, as well as to evaluate the overall 
qualifications of the research team.  A biographical sketch is required for 
all key personnel, following the instructions below.  No more than three 
pages may be used for each person.  A sample biographical sketch may be 
viewed at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/modular/modular.htm.
- Complete the educational block at the top of the form page.
- List position(s) and any honors.
- Provide information, including overall goals and responsibilities, on 
research projects ongoing or completed during the last three years.
- List selected peer-reviewed publications, with full citations.

o  CHECKLIST.  This page should be completed and submitted with the 
application.  If the F&A rate agreement has been established, indicate the 
type of agreement and the date.  All appropriate exclusions must be applied 
in the calculation of the F&A costs for the initial budget period and all 
future budget years.

o  The applicant should provide the name and phone number of the individual 
to contact concerning fiscal and administrative issues if additional 
information is necessary following the initial review.

The title and number of the program announcement must be typed on line 2 of 
the face page of the application form and the YES box must be marked.


SUBMITTING THE APPLICATION.

Submit a signed, typewritten original of the application, including the 
Checklist, and four signed photocopies in one package to:

CENTER FOR SCIENTIFIC REVIEW
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
6701 ROCKLEDGE DRIVE, ROOM 1040, MSC 7710
BETHESDA, MD 20892-7710
BETHESDA, MD 20817 (for express/courier service)

At the time of submission, one additional copy of the application must be 
sent to:

John D. Harding, Ph.D.
Division of Comparative Medicine
National Center for Research Resources
6705 Rockledge Drive,  Suite 6050, MSC 7965
Bethesda, MD  20892-7965
(Bethesda MD 20817 for express service)
Telephone:  (301) 435-0776
FAX:  (301) 480-3819
Email: hardingj@ncrr.nih.gov

REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS

Applications will be assigned on the basis of established PHS referral 
guidelines and will be reviewed for completeness by the Center for Scientific 
Review (CSR).  Applications will be evaluated for scientific and technical 
merit by an appropriate scientific review group convened by the Office of 
Review, NCRR,  in accordance with standard NIH peer review procedures.  As 
part of the initial merit review, all applications will receive a written 
critique and undergo a process in which only those applications deemed to 
have the highest scientific merit, generally the top half of applications 
under review, will be discussed, assigned a priority score, and receive a 
second level review by the appropriate national advisory council.

Review Criteria 

The goals of NIH-supported research are to advance our understanding of 
biological systems, improve the control of disease, and enhance health.  In 
the written comments reviewers will be asked to discuss the aspects of the 
application listed below, in order to judge the likelihood that the proposed 
research will have a substantial impact on the pursuit of these goals.  Each 
of these criteria will be addressed and considered in assigning the overall 
score, weighting them as appropriate for each application.  Note that the 
application does not need to be strong in all categories to be judged likely 
to have major scientific impact and thus deserve a high priority score.  For 
example, an investigator may propose to carry out important work that by its 
nature is not innovative but is essential to move a field forward.  
Furthermore, because of the subject matter of this PA, some applications may 
have more of an applied component than does a typical investigator-initiated 
R01 application.  This is appropriate as long as the applied component 
addresses the purposes of the PA.

The specific review criteria are: 

1) Significance:  Does this study address an important problem?  If the aims 
of the application are achieved, how will scientific knowledge be advanced?  
What will be the effect of these studies on the concepts or methods that 
drive this field?

2) Approach:  Are the conceptual framework, design, methods, and analyses 
adequately developed, well-integrated, and appropriate to the aims of the 
project?  Does the applicant acknowledge potential problem areas and consider 
alternative tactics?

3) Innovation:  Does the project employ novel concepts, approaches or 
methods?  Are the aims original and innovative?  Does the project challenge 
existing paradigms or develop new methodologies or technologies?  

4) Investigator:  Is the investigator appropriately trained and well suited 
to carry out this work?  Is the work proposed appropriate to the experience 
level of the principal investigator and other researchers (if any)?

5) Environment:  Does the scientific environment in which the work will be 
done contribute to the probability of success?  Do the proposed experiments 
take advantage of unique features of the scientific environment or employ 
useful collaborative arrangements?  Is there evidence of institutional 
support?

In addition to the above criteria, in accordance with NIH policy, all 
applications will also be reviewed with respect to the following:

o  The reasonableness of the proposed budget and duration in relation to the 
proposed research.

o  The adequacy of the proposed protection for animals or the environment, to 
the extent they may be adversely affected by the project proposed in the 
application.

o  The appropriateness of the plans for sharing of research resources.

SCHEDULE

Letter of Intent Receipt Date:    September 1, 2001; September 1, 2002 
                                  or September 1, 2003.
Application Receipt Date:         October 1, 2001, October 1, 2002, 
                                  or October 1, 2003.
Peer Review Date:                 February - March of each respective year.
Council Review:                   May – June of each respective year.
Earliest Anticipated Start Date:  July of each respective year.

AWARD CRITERIA

Applications will compete for available funds with all other recommended 
applications assigned to the Institute.  The following will be considered in 
making funding decisions:  Quality of the proposed project as determined by 
peer review, availability of funds, and program priority.

INQUIRIES

Inquiries are encouraged.  The opportunity to clarify any issues or questions 
from potential applicants is welcome.

Direct inquiries regarding programmatic issues to:

John D. Harding, Ph.D.
Division of Comparative Medicine
National Center for Research Resources
6705 Rockledge Drive,  Suite 6050, MSC 7965
Bethesda, MD  20892-7965
Telephone:  (301) 435-0776
FAX:  (301) 480-3819
E-mail: hardingj@ncrr.nih.gov

Judy Mietz, Ph.D.
Division of Cancer Biology
National Cancer Institute
6130 Executive Boulevard, EPN 5032
Bethesda, MD 20892
Telephone:  (301) 496-7028
FAX:  (301) 402-1037
Email:  mietzj@nih.gov

Martha S. Lundberg, Ph.D.
Division of Heart and Vascular Diseases
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
6701 Rockledge Drive
Rockledge II, Room 9146
Bethesda, MD 20892-7940
Telephone:  (301) 435-0513
FAX:  (301) 480-1335
E-mail:  lundberm@nhlbi.nih.gov

Mary Lou Oster-Granite, Ph. D.
Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Branch
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
6100 Executive Boulevard, Room 4B-09, MSC 7510
Bethesda, MD 20892-7510
Telephone: (301) 435-6866
FAX: (301) 496-3791
Email: mo96o@nih.gov

Arlene Y. Chiu, Ph.D.
Repair and Plasticity Program
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Neuroscience Center, Room 2206
6001 Executive Boulevard
Bethesda, MD 20892
Telephone:  (301) 496-1447
FAX:  (301) 480-1080
Email:  chiua@ninds.nih.gov

Nancy L. Nadon, Ph.D.
Biology of Aging Program
National Institute on Aging
7201 Wisconsin Avenue, GW 2C231
Bethesda, MD 20892
Telephone:  (301) 496-6402
FAX:  (301) 402-0010
E-mail:  nadonn@exmur.nia.gov

Jonathan D. Pollock, Ph.D.
Genetics and Molecular Neurobiology Branch
Division of Neuroscience and Behavioral Research
National Institute on Drug Abuse
6001 Executive Boulevard
Rockville, MD 20892
Telephone:  (301) 435-1309
FAX:  (301) 594-6043
E-mail:  jp183r@nih.gov

Direct inquiries regarding fiscal matters to:

Ms. Irene Grissom
Office of Grants Management
National Center for Research Resources
6705 Rockledge Drive, Room 6086
Bethesda, MD  20892
Telephone:  (301) 435-0844
FAX:  (301) 480-3777
Email:  grissomi@ncrr.nih.gov

Ms. Crystal Wolfrey
Grants Administration Branch
National Cancer Institute
6120 Executive Boulevard, Room 243
Bethesda, MD 20892
Telephone:  (301) 496-8634
FAX:  (301) 496-8601
Email:  wolfreyc@gab.nci.nih.gov

David Reiter
Division of Extramural Affairs
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
6701 Rockledge Drive
Rockledge II, Room 7142
Bethesda, MD 20892-7940
Telephone:  (301) 435-0177
FAX:  (301) 480-3310
E-mail:  reiterd@nhlbi.nih.gov

Mr. Douglas Shawver
Grants Management Branch
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
6100 Executive Boulevard, Room 8A-17, MSC 7510
Bethesda, MD 20892-7510
Telephone: (301) 435-6999
FAX: (301) 420-0915
E-mail:  ex65o@nih.gov

Ms. Rita Sisco
Grants Management Branch, DER
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Neuroscience Center, Room 3290, MSC 9537
6001 Executive Boulevard
Bethesda, MD 20892
Telephone:  (301) 496-7488
FAX:  (301) 402-0219
Email:  rr46w@nih.gov

Ms. Linda Whipp
Grants and Contracts Management Office
National Institute on Aging
7201 Wisconsin Avenue, GW 2N212
Bethesda, MD 20892
Telephone:  (301) 496-1472
FAX:  (301) 402-3672
E-mail:  whippl@exmur.nia.nih.gov

Gary Fleming, J.D., M.A.
Grants Management Branch
Office of Planning and Resource Management
National Institute on Drug Abuse
6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 3131, MSC 9541
Bethesda, MD 20892-9541
Telephone:  (301) 443-6710
FAX:  (301) 594-6847
E-mail:  gf6s@nih.gov

AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS 

This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance No. 
93.306, 93.396, 93.837, 93.865, 93.853, 93.866, and 93.279.  Awards are made 
under authorization of Sections 301 and 405 of the Public Health Service Act 
as amended (42 USC 241 and 284) and administered under PHS grants policies 
and Federal Regulations 42 CFR 52 and 45 CFR Part 74 and 92.  This program is 
not subject to the intergovernmental review requirements of Executive Order 
12372 or Health Systems Agency review.

The PHS strongly encourages all grant and contract recipients to provide a 
smoke-free workplace and promote the non-use of all tobacco products.  In 
addition, Public Law 103-227, the Pro-Children Act of 1994, prohibits smoking 
in certain facilities (or in some cases, and portion of a facility) in which 
regular or routine education, library, day care, health care or early 
childhood development services are provided to children.  This is consistent 
with the PHS mission to protect and advance the physical and mental health of 
the American people.

Weekly TOC for this Announcement
NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices

	Office of Extramural Research (OER)			National Institutes of Health (NIH) 9000 Rockville Pike Bethesda, Maryland 20892			Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Note: For help accessing PDF, RTF, MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, RealPlayer, Video or Flash files, see Help Downloading Files.