ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPLEMENTS TO CREATE TARGETED MOUSE MUTANTS

Release Date:  March 12, 2001

NOTICE:  NOT-DC-01-005

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
National Institute of Mental Health
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

Receipt Date:  June 1, 2001

PURPOSE

The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), the 
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), and the National Institute of 
Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) announce a program for administrative 
supplements to create mice carrying targeted mutations to facilitate the aims of 
currently-funded research project grants. The program is intended to support ongoing, 
peer-reviewed projects for which targeted mouse mutants will provide additional data 
clearly within the scope of the approved project’s Specific Aims. Evidence should be 
presented that the results of the supplemental assistance will significantly enhance 
the pursuit of Specific Aims of the parent grant, without constituting an expansion 
of scope.  Descriptions should be concise, but sufficiently detailed to make clear 
the research plan and the relationship of the design and study of the mutant mice to 
the goals of the parent grant. The principal focus of this announcement is on the 
creation of targeted mutations including knockouts, knock-ins, conditional mutants, 
and other specific mutations.  Random mutagenesis is not within the scope of this 
supplemental program. 

Principal Investigators holding the following grant mechanisms are eligible to apply: 
NIDCD, R01, R29, P01, P50, K08, K23; NIMH, R01; NIEHS, R01, P01. Only parent grants 
with at least 15 months of support remaining from the date of this announcement are 
eligible for this administrative program.  Supplements made under this notice are 
one-time awards and will not extend to subsequent years. Applications will be 
reviewed administratively and it is expected that notice of award will be given 
within approximately three months of the receipt date. Approximately 1.2 million 
dollars will be available for this supplemental program. Only one supplement request 
per parent grant may be submitted in response to this solicitation.

Participating Institutes will consider supplement requests from all eligible 
applicants. However, because funds are limited, highest priority will be given to 
supplement requests that meet the following criteria:

o  The proposed experiments are within the scope of the parent grant and will 
significantly improve its progress.
o  Resources and expertise necessary to perform the experiments are available. 
o  The mutant mouse created will be of significant value to the wider research 
community as a whole. 
o  Plans to release data and research resources in a timely manner are suitable (see 
REQUIREMENTS FOR SHARING RESEARCH RESOURCES below).
o  Clear documentation and justification of the requested budget.
o  The supplement meets the Institute-specific criteria listed below under ADDITIONAL 
INSTITUTE-SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS.

REQUIREMENTS FOR SHARING RESEARCH RESOURCES

The sharing of biomaterials, data, and software in a timely manner, is an essential 
element in the rapid progress that has been made in the genetic analysis of mammalian 
genomes. NIH policy requires that investigators make unique research resources 
readily available for research purposes to qualified individuals within the 
scientific community when they have been published [NIH Grants Policy Statement 
(http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps; Sharing Biomedical Research Resources: 
Principles and Guidelines for Recipients of NIH Research Grants and Contracts: Final 
Notice, December 1999 (http://www.nih.gov/od/ott/RTguide_final.htm)].  It is expected 
that biomaterials and other patentable research resources (e.g. vectors, embryonic 
cell lines, mutant mice, etc.) produced in projects funded by these administrative 
supplements will be made available and distributed to the broader scientific 
community.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

The request for the supplemental award MUST include the following: 
1. A completed face page, including appropriate signatures, from Grant Application 
Form PHS 398 (Revised 4/98). Include the title and grant number of the parent 
grant on line 1 and enter “Administrative Supplement for Targeted Mouse 
Mutants” on line 2. 
2. An itemized proposed budget entered on the budget pages from Grant Application 
Form PHS 398. Supplements are for one year and may not exceed $50,000 TOTAL 
COSTS.  The supplement budget must be concurrent with the parent grant funding 
cycle. Therefore, if the 12-month period of the supplement does not coincide 
with the parent grant funding cycle, it may be necessary to prorate the 
supplement budget to coincide with the parent grant’s yearly budget period.
3. The abstract and current aims of the parent grant (maximum 2 pages).
4. A detailed description (maximum 5 pages) of the plans for creation and 
utilization of the proposed mutant mouse including: 
a) how the animal will be used to enhance the pursuit of the specific aims of 
the parent grant, 
b) technical resources available to develop such a mouse, 
c) the significance of the work proposed in the supplement,
d) a description of the utility of the mutant mouse to the wider research 
community, and
e) plans for providing research resources (e.g. vectors, embryonic cell lines, 
mutant mice, etc.) to the broader scientific community.
5. Should the proposed research require animal involvement different from that of 
the parent grant, approving documentation by Institutional Animal Care and Use 
Committee (IACUC) must be provided. 
6. Letters indicating approval and commitment of resources from collaborating 
institutions/companies.
7. The original and two copies of the entire application package should be sent 
directly to the appropriate Institute at the address listed below under 
INSTITUTE CONTACTS.
8.  Applications must be received by June 1, 2001.

ADDITIONAL INSTITUTE-SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS

Several NIH Institutes are participating in this supplemental program because of a 
trans-NIH interest in targeted mutant mice as a powerful research tool. In addition, 
these Institutes recognize the necessity of providing a mechanism to fund the 
creation of targeted mutants to be used in the hypothesis-driven projects of ongoing 
research programs.  However, the scope and emphasis of supplements requested by each 
Institute may differ because of Institute-specific factors such as relative focus on 
basic versus clinical research, current program priorities, and available funds. 
Therefore, in addition to the above requirements and criteria, applicants MUST 
carefully review and meet the following INSTITUTE-SPECIFIC CRITERIA AND/OR 
REQUIREMENTS listed below by the funding Institute of the parent grant.

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)

The NIDCD will accept supplement applications to develop mice carrying mutations in 
genes known to cause hereditary hearing or chemosensory impairment in humans. One of 
the primary goals of this supplement program is to allow laboratories investigating 
genes that cause hearing or chemosensory impairment in humans to create and study 
mouse models of the human genetic disorder.  Therefore, investigators working in 
human populations and investigators already working with mouse mutants are both 
eligible for these supplements.  NIDCD anticipates awarding up to 10 supplement 
requests. Only one supplement request per parent grant (R01, R29, P01, P50, K08, and 
K23) may be submitted in response to this solicitation.

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

NIMH will accept supplement applications to develop mice with genetic mutations that 
result in deficits in complex social behavior, affective regulation and emotionality, 
sensory functions (e.g., auditory gating) that may be implicated in mental disorders, 
and cognitive processes (e.g., learning, memory, and attention). Supplement 
applications that target genes involved in neural circuits or pathways that may be 
implicated in mental disorders are of particular interest. Funding priority will be 
given to applications that focus on genes for which targeted mutations have not 
previously been produced and made publicly available. NIMH anticipates awarding up to 
eight supplement requests. Only one supplement request per parent grant (R01) may be 
submitted in response to this solicitation.

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)

NIEHS will accept supplemental applications to develop mice with genetic mutations in 
the following categories of genes: DNA Repair, cell cycle control, drug metabolizing 
enzymes, apoptosis and cell differentiation, and signal transduction pathways.  
Funding priority will be given to applicants that focus on genes for which targeted 
mutants have not previously been produced and made publicly available.  Additional 
consideration will be given to the development of mouse models that will mimic human 
genetic variants in the above categories of genes.  NIEHS anticipates awarding up to 
six supplemental requests.  Only one supplement request per parent grant (R01 and P01 
only) may be submitted in response to this solicitation.

INSTITUTE CONTACTS

The following individuals will serve as the point of contact for their Institutes. 
Applicants are encouraged to contact the appropriate Institute program officer with 
any questions regarding their plans to submit a proposal.

Thomas M. Johnson, Ph.D.
Program Officer
Scientific Programs Branch
Hereditary Hearing Impairment
National Institute on Deafness and Other 
  Communication Disorders
Executive Plaza South-400C
6120 Executive Blvd.
Bethesda, MD 20892-7180
Rockville, MD 20852 (for courier/overnight mail service)
Tel: 	301-402-3461
Fax: 	301-402-6251
E-mail: tj65y@nih.gov

Barry J. Davis, Ph.D.
Program Director
Scientific Programs Branch
Taste and Smell Programs
National Institute on Deafness and Other 
  Communication Disorders
Executive Plaza South-400C
6120 Executive Blvd.
Bethesda, MD 20892-7180
Rockville, MD 20852 (for courier/overnight mail service)
Tel: 	301-402-3464
Fax: 	301-402-6251
E-mail: barry_davis@nih.gov

Hemin Chin, Ph.D. 
Chief, Genetic Basis of Neural Function Program
National Institute of Mental Health 
6001 Executive Blvd., Room 7190, MSC 9643
Bethesda, MD 20892-9643 
Rockville, MD 20852 (for courier/overnight mail service) 
Tel:  301-443-1706 
Fax:  301-443-9890 
E-mail: hchin@mail.nih.gov

Jose Velazquez, Ph.D.
Scientific Program Administrator
Division of Extramural Research and Training
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
P. O. Box 12233, 111 Alexander Drive, MD EC-21
Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709
Tel: 919-541-4998
Fax: 919-316-4606
Email: Velazqu1@niehs.nih.gov

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