SHORT COURSES IN NEUROINFORMATICS Release Date: August 5, 1999 PA NUMBER: PAR-99-137 National Institute of Mental Health National Institute on Drug Abuse National Science Foundation National Institute on Aging National Institute of Child Health and Human Development National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders National Library of Medicine Fogarty International Center Department of Energy National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute National Institute on Dental and Craniofacial Research Letter of Intent Receipt Dates: August 15, 1999, April 1, and October 1 in 2000 and beyond Application Receipt Date: October 20, 1999, July 11, and January 11 in 2000 and beyond PURPOSE The purpose of this Program Announcement is to encourage and support short- term Education Grants in Neuroinformatics Research. Support is provided for the development of short courses, seminars, and workshops on interdisciplinary Neuroinformatics education ("Short Courses"). This short-term training will be provided to scientists seeking to combine knowledge about the various subdisciplines of neuroscience and behavioral science research with expertise in informatics research. It is anticipated that these Short Courses will allow the participants: (a) to acquire new conceptual approaches to basic neuroscience research and analyses, and (b) to learn to develop unique strategies for acquiring, storing, retrieving, organizing, managing, analyzing, visualizing, manipulating, integrating, synthesizing, disseminating, and sharing data about the brain and behavior. HEALTHY PEOPLE 2000 The Public Health Service (PHS) is committed to achieving the health promotion and disease prevention objectives of "Healthy People 2000," a PHS-led national activity for setting priority areas. This PA, Short Courses in Neuroinformatics, is related to several of the priority areas. Potential applicants may obtain a copy of "Healthy People 2000" at http://odphp.osophs.dhhs.gov/pubs/hp2000/ ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS Any not-for-profit or for-profit organization engaged in health-related education or research and located in the United States, its possessions, or territories may apply for a Mental Health Education Grant. For a short-term training symposium, seminar, or workshop intended as a component of a scientific meeting, a U.S. institution or organization, including an established scientific or professional society, is eligible to apply. Support may be provided for this training vehicle to be held at either domestic or international meetings, however, if planned as part of an international meeting, such support only can be made through a United States representative organization of an established international scientific or professional society. The R25 mechanism requires the applicant to be located in the United States. MECHANISM OF SUPPORT The mechanism of support for this program announcement is the education project grant (R25), (see http://www.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-97-095.html). This program is organized and supported by several Agencies and NIH Institutes and is coordinated by the National Institute of Mental Health (see INQUIRIES). The coordination takes place under the activities of the Federal Interagency Coordinating Committee for the Human Brain Project (FICC-HBP) and is chaired by the NIMH. FUNDS AVAILABLE Funds requested under this mechanism are limited to $150,000 per year in direct costs. Requests for lower direct costs, as well as matching funds from the applicant institution or other organizations, are strongly encouraged. Facilities and administrative (F&A) costs are allowed on 8 percent total direct costs exclusive of tuition and fees and expenditures for equipment. The award may be made for one to five years, the length of the grant period should be consistent with the objectives of the program (e.g. one course for two or three years, a series of courses over five years). In some cases, these awards will be made to develop new educational approaches for which the institution will subsequently assume support. In other cases, the awards will strengthen ongoing activities that the relevant FICC-HBP sponsoring organizations will support over periods of one to five years. However, in all cases, available funding support will be limited to only one grant application for any given applicant institution or organization. Applications for one or two years of support are strongly encouraged and will receive high priority, but proposals for three to five years may also be submitted for consideration. The Institutional commitment to this educational program will also be considered. This Human Brain Project Program-sponsored Short Course Grant is renewable (see "additional considerations for competitive renewals"). EDUCATION PROGRAM OBJECTIVES Background A recent report from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development"s Megascience Forum (OECD-MSF) raises the clear vital national/international need to better understand the structure, function, and development of the human brain and behavioral regulation in health and disease. The report presents this need as one of the great challenges for science in the upcoming 21st century. To date, the neuroscience field has archived an extensive catalogue of research data from a multitude of research perspectives. As part of this great challenge, the report further posits the current burgeoning need to further develop theoretical models and research tools to enhance management and organization of these neuroscientific data for their improved analyses, interpretation, and shared communications. Towards this latter objective, since its initial inception in 1993 (under Program Announcement PA-93-068), the FICC-HBP sponsored Program has greatly benefitted from the application of the concepts and principles developed in the traditional quantitative disciplines of informatics (including computer sciences, mathematics, physics, engineering, and other closely related sciences). The Neuroinformatics field has rapidly emerged by its combined use of research tools employed in the neuroscience and informatics fields. Due to the advantages created by this synergistic interdisciplinary approach, neuroinformatics is currently uniquely well positioned to develop and apply advanced technologies and methodological strategies towards addressing the great challenges of understanding the brain and elucidating research problems in neuroscience. Achievement of this goal will move toward the creation of an Information Management System for Neuroscience, which will enable scientists to more easily integrate data on the nervous system into new knowledge. The development and utilization of new Neuroinformatics technologies and unique research strategies requires appropriate training about the fundamentals of basic and/or clinical neuroscience research and the application of the science of informatics research to help fathom the experimental questions under investigation. To facilitate one of the major recommendations proffered by the OECD-MSF report, the NIMH/FICC-HBP sponsoring organizations presently seek to establish and promote national interdisciplinary educational, training and career development initiatives for the preparation of future generations of neuroinformatics scientists. Therefore, this Program Announcement is to promote the short-term research- training component of this vital mission. Program Description A variety of short-term training techniques and approaches will be considered. The nature of the activity, the needs of the target community, and the course goals should determine the instructional approach. These might include new approaches such as Web-based online instruction, or more traditional approaches such as summer workshops or on-site instruction. The proposed education program should offer opportunities for short-term interdisciplinary cross-training in various disciplines of Neuroinformatics that combine theoretical and technological research approaches derived from the fields of: (a) neuroscience related to medicine, biology and behavior (including cellular and molecular neurobiology, genetics, developmental biology, neurodevelopment, neuropharmacology, neurochemistry, physiology, biophysics, biochemistry, and the cognitive, behavioral, developmental and psychobiological sciences), and (b) informatics research (computer sciences, mathematics, physics, engineering, and other closely related sciences). Research projects and technological advancement related activities of special interest to the Human Brain Project would include improved developments within the following areas: Computational biology, two- and three-dimensional, cross- reference macroscopic and microscopic brain atlases and hierarchical systems of various species at different stages of development (i.e., for co- registering molecular, cellular, subcellular, and genetics data, and their complex spatiotemporal structural organization and functional interrelationships), computational and technical innovations important for pediatric imaging (such as for improving speed of scan acquisition, speed of image reconstruction, tools for minimizing motion artifacts, and tools for rapid on-line analysis), novel acquisition tools, hardware, software, and computational algorithms and informatics databases (i.e., to enhance the collection, analysis, integration, interpretation, simulation modeling, and dissemination of data derived from newly evolving imaging and other data visualization technologies within these different disciplines), and the further creation of interoperable neuroscience information management systems, federations of databases and supercomputer data warehouses, specialized and cross-platform software database search engines, and data query mining systems to stimulate continued advances within and across these various neuroscience and behavioral science disciplines. For a more detailed description on the research objectives of the FICC-HBP sponsored Human Brain Project/Neuroinformatics Initiative, refer to PAR-99-138, The Human Brain Project (Neuroinformatics): Phase I & Phase II. (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-99-138.html) The Human Brain Project also is openly interested in promoting short-term research training plans that utilize and promote the broadest developments in neuroinformatics technologies and/or experimental strategies to help address the plethora of complex multidisciplinary data relationships derived from the many neuroscience and behavioral science research levels of analysis. All applications must include well-detailed plans for the evaluation of the effectiveness, reliability, and validation of the proposed program. Both formative and summative evaluation plans must be presented in the application. Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to contact appropriate FICC-HBP staff (listed under INQUIRIES) to ascertain whether their application meets the program priorities of the particular Institute funding component. If applications do not address an identified educational need of this Federally sponsored Neuroinformatics Program, as stated above, applications may be returned without review. This program announcement may support a variety of educational activities, including short courses, workshops, or seminars on interdisciplinary Neuroinformatics training. In all cases, support only will be provided for those educational activities that directly seek to allow scientists to combine their knowledge about the subdisciplines of neuroscience research with expertise in informatics. Thus, participants with backgrounds in neuroscience research should be presented with the newest information about various available theoretical principles and state-of-the-art technologies and methodological strategies in informatics applicable to the investigation of different research problems in neuroscience that they generally work on. Conversely, participants with backgrounds in informatics research need to be taught about how to apply the various approaches that they generally employ towards specific pressing experimental problems in neuroscience. Participants with backgrounds in both fields should be provided with advanced strategies in technological development in informatics applicable to difficult research questions in neuroscience. Examples of educational programs that would be desirable include, but are not limited to, the following: Structured short-term research experiences for promising high school, undergraduate, or predoctoral students and/or postdoctoral fellows interested in research involving any of the areas covered within the mission of the Human Brain Project, such as basic and clinical neuroscience and behavioral science studies. Summer courses or workshops designed to facilitate careers in Neuroinformatics research for scientists at all levels. Structured summer research experiences, workshops, or seminars for undergraduate or high school students interested in pursuing research careers in Neuroinformatics. Web-based online instruction in any of these same areas. NIH is interested in ensuring that the research and/or educational resources developed through this Program Announcement become readily available to the research community for further research, development, and application, in the expectation that this will lead to products and knowledge of benefit to the public. At the same time, NIH recognizes the rights of grantees to elect and retain title to subject inventions developed under Federal funding under the provision of the Bayh-Dole Act. Indeed, for inventions developed in its intramural program, NIH does file patent applications, in accord with a set of policies described at http://ott.od.nih.gov/phspat_policy.html. Grantees are encouraged to perfect copyright protection of software produced as a result of Neuroinformatics Project funding. These should include prominent notification in the software and its documentation that the software is copyrighted. Notification could consist of the following: Copyright c [year] by [your name, the names of you and your colleagues, or the name of your institution] with funding from the Human Brain Project/Neuroinformatics. This notification will identify the source of the software and help ensure that the software can be shared freely while protecting any commercial rights in it. In addition, grantees will be required to agree that they will provide the primary funding organization, upon its request and at a reasonable cost, a copy of any software produced under this Neuroinformatics, Human Brain Project, funding, with the understanding that the Federal organizations directly involved with this Project will have the right to use such software for internal research and archival purposes only, and will not permit its distribution beyond those organizations. LETTER OF INTENT Potential applicants are encouraged to contact the appropriate program official(s) listed under INQUIRIES and submit a letter of intent. The letter of intent should include a descriptive title of the proposed program, the name, address, and telephone number of the Principal Investigator, names of other key personnel, and participating institutions, and the number and title of the program announcement in response to which the application may be submitted. Although a letter of intent is not required, is not binding, and does not enter into the review of subsequent applications, the information that it contains is helpful in planning for the review of applications. The letter is to be submitted to Dr. Stephen H. Koslow at the address listed under INQUIRIES. APPLICATION PROCEDURES Applications are to be submitted on the standard grant application form PHS 398 (rev. 4/98) and will be accepted only at the application receipt dates listed below. Application kits are available at most institutional offices of sponsored research and may be obtained 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. The PHS 398 application kit is also available on the Internet at http://www.nih.gov/grants/funding/funding.htm. For further specific requirements and application instructions under this program announcement (including supplemental instructions and required supportive documentation), refer to the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts: See Vol. 26, No. 27, August 15, 1997 (http://www.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not98-030.html). Follow the PHS 398 instructions for "Preparing Your Application" with modifications and additions as described in the sections below. Note that, as in the standard PHS 398 Instructions, sections "a-d" of the Research Plan in the Table of Contents (form CC, page 3) are limited to 25 pages. Specific instructions for all applications submitted under this Program Announcement: To identify the application as a response to this Program Announcement (PA), check "Yes" on item 2, and the title and number of the PA must be typed on line 2 of the face page of the application form. Resources (form HH, page 8): Describe the educational environment, include a description of the facilities, laboratories, participating departments, facilities, laboratories, participating departments, computer services, and any other resources to be used in the conduct of the proposed program. Use continuation pages, as necessary. Research Plan: part "c" of this section should be retitled "Preliminary Data and Activities" and included if applicable. This section should contain information on steps that have led to the proposed Education Project (i.e., short courses, seminars, and/or workshops). Future competitive renewals should include a section entitled "Progress Report." Research Plan: part "d" of this section should be retitled "Education Program Plan" and should contain material organized under the following subheadings, as appropriate to the specific project: Program Direction: Describe arrangements for the organization and administration of the program. Provide evidence that the Program Director is actively engaged in research and/or teaching in an area related to Neuroinformatics, and can organize and administer the education program. Provide evidence of institutional and community commitment and support for the proposed program. Program Faculty/Staff: Describe the characteristics and responsibilities of the faculty affiliated with the applicant institution. Provide evidence that participating faculty and preceptors are actively engaged in research or other scholarly activities related to Neuroinformatics. Proposed Education Program: Provide programmatic detail on the project"s goals, special activities proposed (e.g., courses, curricula), and topics to be covered Include a description of the plans to provide education to participants regarding the responsible conduct of research. Program Participants: Provide detail about the proposed participants Include a description of the plans for recruiting as participants into all aspects of the program, individuals from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, and persons with disabilities. Education Evaluation Plan: Include evaluation plans for determining the success of the program in achieving its goals and objectives. Research Plan: If applicable, under part "h" of this section, "Consortium/Contractual Arrangements," include a description of plans for collaborating with other institutions for purposes of exchange and sharing of resources, including faculty, equipment, and facilities. Allowable Costs: Allowable costs must be consistent with PHS policy and be reasonable, allocable, and well documented and justified for the education program: See http://www.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-97-095.html. Personnel costs - faculty members participating in the design and implementation of the education program may request salary and fringe benefits appropriate for the percent of time devoted to the program. Salaries requested may not exceed the levels commensurate with the institution"s policy for similar positions. (Mentoring interactions and activities with students are considered a regular part of a faculty member"s academic duties and are non-reimbursable). Administrative and clerical salary costs associated with the program may be direct charges to the grant only when specifically identified and justified as reflecting significantly greater effort than the level of such services routinely provided by academic departments. Requests for consultant costs, equipment, supplies, necessary travel (including foreign travel for uniquely qualified foreign faculty), and other project related expenses must be justified as specifically required by the program proposed and not duplicate items generally available at the institution for educational programs. Attendance - participants in the education program may receive subsistence allowance, which includes costs of meals and lodging (unless furnished as part of the fee for registration). They may also receive travel expenses and other education-related costs, compelling justification is necessary for partial tuition and foreign travel essential for the education program. No health benefits, rental housing or dependency allowances are allowable. Funds to support travel to the two-day Annual Spring Human Brain Project Meeting of Agencies and Grantees in the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area should be included in the budget for the principal investigator and other relevant program faculty/staff. Submit a signed, typewritten original of the application, including the Checklist, and three 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, two additional copies of the application (including appendices) also must be sent to the Chair of the FICC-HBP: Stephen H. Koslow, Ph.D. Office on Neuroinformatics National Institute of Mental Health 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 6167, MSC 9613 Bethesda, MD 20892-9613 Rockville, MD 20852 (for express/courier service) Telephone: (301) 443-1815 Fax: (301) 443-1867 Email: koz@helix.nih.gov It is important to send these two additional copies at the same time that the original and three copies are directly sent to the CSR, otherwise, it cannot be guaranteed that the applications will be reviewed in competition with other applications received in response to this Program Announcement. Schedule 1999 Calendar Year 2000 & Beyond Letter of Intent Receipt Date: Aug 15, 1999 Apr 1, 2000 Oct 1, 2000 Application Receipt Date: Oct 20, 1999 Jul 11, 2000 Jan 11, 2000 Administrative Review: Oct 1999 Jul 2000 Jan 2001 Scientific Review: Feb/Mar 2000 Sep/Oct 2000 Mar/Apr 2001 Advisory Council Review: May/Jun 2000 Jan/Feb 2001 May/Jun 2001 Earliest Starting Date: Jul 2000 Mar 2001 Jul 2001 REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS An appropriate peer review group convened by one of the FICC-HBP organizations sponsoring the Human Brain Project program will evaluate applications that are complete for scientific and technical merit. 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, and assigned a priority score. Subsequent processing of the application will follow the procedures of the respective agency, institute and/or center to which it has been assigned. For applications assigned to a Public Health Service (PHS) institute or center, the application will receive further review by the appropriate National Advisory Council. All successful projects will be identified as "A Unit of the NIH/NSF/DOE Human Brain Project/Neuroinformatics" program. 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 following aspects of the application 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. In applying these five criteria, the initial review group should assess the educational, scientific, and technical merit of applications in response to the stated purpose of this program announcement: Significance: The degree to which the proposed education program addresses issues that are of great importance to the FICC-HBP Program, the program must demonstrate how its achievements will advance the overall mission of the Human Brain Project. Approach: The proposed specialized curriculum must be appropriate and adequate to augment the research education goals outlined. Course requirements and sequence, and timetable for completing the planned activities must be presented. A plan for evaluating the effectiveness of the program in achieving its objectives must be specified. Innovation: The curriculum must include original and unique approaches or methods for addressing the needs put forth in the goals and objectives. Plans to challenge existing paradigms or develop new approaches or techniques must be described. Investigator: The program leadership must demonstrate a record of achievements and qualifications appropriate to meeting the proposed goals and implementing the stated plan. Environment: The scientific/education environment must be described, indicating the unique features and probability of success of the program. Institutional commitment to the proposed program must be documented. In accordance with NIH policy, all applications will also be reviewed with respect to the following: the reasonableness of the proposed budget and duration in relation to the goals of the program, the adequacy of plans to include both genders, minorities and their subgroups, and children as appropriate for the scientific goals of the research, and plans for the recruitment and retention of subjects, adequacy of the provisions for the protection of human and animal subjects, and the safety of the research environment. Additional considerations for competitive renewals: Applicants seeking a continuation of support will be evaluated by peer reviewers in terms of the progress reported from prior support, the viability of the proposed program extension, and continuing curriculum needs in the particular area of specialization in which the grant application is focused. AWARD CRITERIA Applications will compete for available funds with all other recommended applications. The following will be considered in making funding decisions: Quality of the proposed project as determined by peer review, availability of funds, program priority and response to specific neuroinformatics research education as indicated in the program announcement. POST-AWARD MANAGEMENT The FICC-HBP committee maintains a WWW site containing information about this and related programs and activities. Each funded grant application will be listed and briefly described and hotlinks provided to connect interested parties to the grantees web site that should provide greater details about research activities and the state and availability of research tools and products. In addition, grantees are expected to participate in the Annual Spring Human Brain Project Meeting of Agencies and Grantees. These meetings will promote communications among different groups of investigators, who are involved in research, curricula development, and career development and/or other cross-training activities in Neuroinformatics. Therefore, budget requests should include travel funds for the principal investigator and other relevant program faculty/staff to attend this meeting in the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area. INQUIRIES Inquiries are encouraged. The opportunity to clarify any issues or questions regarding an application from potential applicants is welcome. The FICC-HBP representatives from each of the participating agencies, institutes and center can be contacted for further information or clarification. Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the agency or institute representative to discuss their plans prior to preparing an application. General programmatic inquiries regarding the Human Brain Project/ Neuroinformatics program may be directed to the chair of the coordinating committee: Stephen H. Koslow, Ph.D. Office on Neuroinformatics National Institute of Mental Health 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 6167, MSC 9613 Bethesda, MD 20892-9613 Telephone: (301) 443-1815 Fax: (301) 443-1867 Email: koz@helix.nih.gov Inquiries regarding fiscal matters may be directed to: Diana S. Trunnell Grants Management Branch National Institute of Mental Health 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 6120, MSC 9605 Bethesda, MD 20892-9605 Telephone: (301) 443-3065 FAX: (301) 443-6885 Email: dtrunnel@mail.nih.gov Questions regarding scientific issues, management issues, issues on cores related to participating Institutes and Centers (ICs), and fiscal matters should be directed to the programmatic and fiscal contacts for each participating IC. A current list of the contacts for the participating ICs may be found at: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/neuroinformatics/agencycontacts.cfm . AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS This program is described in the Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance Nos. 93.242 (NIMH), 93.279 (NIDA), 47.074 (NSF), 93.866 (NIA), 93.865 (NICHD), 93.173 (NIDCD), 93.879 (NLM), 93.934 (FIC), 81.049 (DOE), 93.273 (NIAAA), 93.833 (NHLBI), and 93.121 (NIDCR). Awards are made under authorization of the Public Health Service Act, Title IV, Part A (Public Law 78-410, as amended by Public Law 99-158, 42 USC 241 and 285) and administered under PHS grants policies and Federal regulations 42 CFR 52 and 45 CFR part 74. This program is not subject to the intergovernmental review requirements of Executive Order 12372 as implemented through Department of Health and Human Services regulations at 45 CFR part 100 or Health Systems Agency Review. Awards by PHS agencies will be administered under PHS grants policy as stated in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, October 1, 1998. PHS strongly encourages all grant and contract recipients to provide a smoke- free workplace and promote the nonuse 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, any 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.
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