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Epidemiology and Genetics Research Program
Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences
January 31, 2005 |
EGRP NEWS FLASH
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 News Flash is to let you know about:
 Verma
Appointed Acting Chief of Analytic Epidemiology Research Branch
Mukesh Verma, Ph.D., has been named Acting Chief of EGRP's Analytic Epidemiology
Research Branch (AERB) with the departure of Sandra Melnick, Dr.P.H. Dr.
Melnick has taken a position with the NIH Center for Scientific Review.
Dr. Verma has been the AERB Program Director for the Program Announcement
on Small Grants for Cancer Epidemiology and co-Program Director for initiatives
in gene-environment interactions, including the Breast and Prostate Cancer
and Hormone-Related Variants Cohort Consortium. He will continue his work
as Program Director in these areas, and to pursue his interest in developing
new initiatives in epigenetics. (See Dr.
Verma's article in EGRP Bulletin, Nov. 19, 2004.)
Before joining EGRP in June 2004, Dr. Verma was with NCI's Division of
Cancer Prevention (DCP), where he was a Program Director providing direction
in the areas of biomarkers, early detection, risk assessment, and prevention.
He also was Coordinator of DCP's Small Business Programs (SBIR/STTR Programs).
Dr. Verma has developed concepts (Program Announcement (RFA), Request
for Applications (RFA)) on exfoliated cells and circulating DNA and their
application in cancer detection and risk assessment.
Dr. Verma holds a M.Sc. from Pantnagar University, a Ph.D. in the field
of host-virus interaction from Banaras Hindu University, and did postdoctoral
research at George Washington University. He also was a faculty member
at Georgetown University where he pioneered research in the field of tracheobronchial
mucin, which is a glycoprotein that is abnormally expressed in lung cancer.
He has published more than 80 research articles in major peer-reviewed
journals and has edited two books, Molecular Signatures of Infectious
Agents in Cancer and Epigenetics and Cancer Prevention. Dr.
Verma also serves on the Editorial Board of Applied Genomics and Proteomics.
His may be reached at tel.: (301) 594-7344; e-mail: vermam@mail.nih.gov.
Two Notices Issued About Delays in Submission of Grant Applications
NIH has published two Notices concerning delays in grant applications.
First, grant applications that are submitted late because of January snowstorms
should include a cover letter noting the reasons for the delay. It is
not necessary to get permission in advance for such weather-related delays
in grant application submissions. Delays generally are expected to not
exceed the time period that an institution is closed.
The second Notice
reviews NIH's overall policy concerning late submission of grant applications.
The standing receipt dates are listed in the application kits.
NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, NOT-OD-05-029
(weather)
NIH Guide, NOT-OD-05-030
(overall policy)
NIH Director's Pioneer Award Program Seeks Nominations
NIH has announced plans to accept nominations for the 2005 NIH Director's
Pioneer Award between March 1 and April 1.
"The Pioneer Award supports scientists of exceptional creativity
who take innovative approaches to major challenges in biomedical research,"
said NIH Director Elias A. Zerhouni, M.D., in the announcement. "We
look forward to adding a new cohort of visionary thinkers to the outstanding
group of scientists chosen in the first year of this program."
Unlike other NIH grants, which support research projects, the Pioneer
Award supports individual scientists. The award gives recipients the intellectual
freedom to pursue new research directions and highly innovative ideas
that have the potential for unusually great impact.
In September 2005, NIH expects to make five to 10 new Pioneer Awards
of up to $500,000 in direct costs per year for five years.
The self-nomination process includes a 3- to 5-page essay, a biographical
sketch, list of current research support, and names of three references.
Submit applications on the Pioneer
Award Web site.
NIH Guide, NOT-OD-05-021
Solicitation for 2005 Announced for Small Business Grants
The Solicitation for the Small Business Innovation Research and Small
Business Technology Transfer Research (STTR) Programs for 2005 is now
available. These programs are to support innovative research with potential
for commercialization. In the SBIR Program, funding is usually provided
for up to six months and $100,000 total cost for Phase I feasibility studies,
and for up to two years and $750,000 for Phase II projects.
The STTR Program requires close collaboration between the small business
and a partnered research institution. The small business is to conduct
at least 40% of the research project, and the single, partner institution
conducts at least 30% of the work. Funding is usually provided for up
to one year and $100,000 total cost for Phase I feasibility studies, and
for up to two years and $750,000 for Phase II projects.
The SBIR and STTR legislation requires that the Public Health Service
(PHS), Department of Health and Human Services, and certain other federal
agencies reserve 2.5% of their extramural research/research and development
budgets for an SBIR Program and 0.3% of their extramural research/research
and development budgets for an STTR Program. The PHS SBIR and STTR set-aside
requirements for FY 2005 are estimated to be $630 million.
The solicitation and application forms are available through the NIH
Small Business Funding Opportunities Web site.
Following are topics relevant to cancer epidemiology that EGRP is interested
in supporting:
- Development of Web-based data collection tools or applicable
bioinformatics for translational research in cancer.
- Development of software or methods for rapid case ascertainment for
cancers.
- Development of software for allowing biological specimens for
genetic and molecular testing of cancer.
- Conversion, validation, and documentation of statistical software
packages for use in genetic and general epidemiological analyses on
microcomputers.
- Methods for the detection of biological markers of human exposure,
human susceptibility, or nutritional status for use in epidemiological
studies.
- Development of banks of standard questions about cancer risk
factors, suitably referenced for prior use, validity, reliability, and
with appropriate evaluation of index questions. The resource should
accommodate either interviewer- or self-administered approaches with
flexibility to accommodate requests of varying informational depth.
- Development of geographic information systems with special
visualization techniques for the simultaneous assessment of environmental
exposures and health outcomes.
- Improvements in computer-assisted telephone interviewing technology.
Such improvements should permit refinements such as branching, rechecking
of previous responses, tallies or summaries of the sum of specific responses
for comparison with response to a more general question, and the entry
of text as well as codes.
- Development of an improved indexing system for epidemiological
literature and for data banks listing research in progress.
- Development of molecular genetic techniques/methods applicable to
large-scale epidemiological studies.
- Development and maintenance of a repository for unreported data on
molecular/genetic polymorphisms.
- Development of educational intervention software packages for women
and minorities exposed to occupational carcinogens.
The EGRP Program Director is Jay Choudhry, M.S., e-mail: choudhrj@mail.nih.gov.
NIH Guide, NOT-OD-05-027
NIH Funding and Grants Administration Seminars Set for New Mexico
and Indiana
Two regional seminars covering topics related to NIH extramural program
funding and grants administration will be held this year. These seminars
are for research administrators, researchers new to NIH, post docs, and
trainees. Opportunities for informal interactions between seminar participants
and NIH grants management, program, policy, and review staff are incorporated
into the programs. On the preceding Wednesday of each of the seminars
there will be NIH electronic research administration labs. The seminar
and lab dates are:
- April 7-8, 2005, hosted by the University of New Mexico,
Albuquerque, N.M. NIH electronic research administration (eRA) labs
will be offered on Wed., April 6.
- June 23-24, 2005, hosted by Purdue University, West Lafayette,
Indiana. NIH electronic research administration (eRA) labs will be offered
on Wed., June 22.
For information on the programs and logistics, access the NIH
Office of Extramural Research regional seminar Web site.
Direct questions about registration or logistics to the host universities,
and questions on the program content to Ms. Megan Columbus, NIH Regional
Seminar Coordinator, tel.: (301) 435-0937; e-mail: megan.columbus@nih.gov.
NIH Guide, NOT-OD-05-019
Revisions Made to PHS 398 Human Subjects Research Supplement
Significant revisions have been made in the PHS 398, Part II, Human Subjects
Research Supplement, to address NIH implementation of Office for Human
Research Protections (OHRP) guidance on research involving coded private
information or biological specimens. Notable changes in content appear
in purple lettering in the PHS 398 Supplemental Instructions for Preparing
the Human Subjects Section of the Research Plan.
All new and competing continuation grant applications and non-competing
grant progress reports (Type 5) involving coded private information or
biological specimens submitted to NIH on or after January 10, 2005, should
follow the revised instructions outlined in the PHS 398. Although use
of the September 2004 version of the PHS 398 is not mandatory until May
10, 2005, the new version includes detailed instructions to help applicants
apply the OHRP guidance. To minimize confusion in preparation of applications,
applicants are urged to use the new version for applications impacted
by this guidance.
NIH Grants Forms
NIH Guide, NOT-OD-05-20
Newly Revised PHS 398 Announced
November 2004 (EGRP Bulletin)
Reminder to Identify Small Grant (R03) and Exploratory Grant (R21)
Applications on PHS 398 Forms
Please remember to specify in your grant application materials if you
are submitting a small grant (R03) or exploratory/developmental research
grant (R21) application. (The information is to appear on line 2 of the
PHS 398.) This reminder and related information on submitting R03 and
R21 applications appears in the NIH Guide, NOT-OD-05-010.
Although the Notice is specific to R21s and R03s, it is always important
to reference the relevant Program Announcement (PA/PAR). We'll use this
opportunity to remind investigators that EGRP sponsors a PA for Small
Grants Program for Cancer Epidemiology (R03). Applications are invited
relating to cancer epidemiology with a primary focus on etiologic cancer
research. These short-term awards provide support for pilot projects,
testing of new techniques, or development of innovative projects that
could provide a basis for more extended research. Access the PA for examples
and other information:
The EGRP Program Director is Mukesh Verma, Ph.D., Acting Chief, AERB;
e-mail: vermam@mail.nih.gov.
International Cancer Research Portfolio Database Available on Web
The International Cancer Research Portfolio is a relational database
made available through the Web that provides current information on cancer
research funded by members of the International Cancer Research Partners.
The member organizations are from the United States, including NCI, Department
of Defense, and American Cancer Society, and from the United Kingdom.
The database can be searched and sorted by a variety of data fields. Access
the Web site.
Also, following are links to two other online research portfolio databases
mentioned in earlier News Flashes:
Review of Funding Opportunities Funded By EGRP
Following is a list of the funding opportunities currently sponsored
or cosponsored by EGRP:
- Studies of Energy Balance and Cancer in Humans (R01, R21,
competitive supplements to existing NCI-funded grants) (PA-04-124)
- Exfoliated Cells, Bioactive Food Components, and Cancer (R01, R21,
R03) (PA-04-114)
- Occupational Safety and Health Research (R01) (PA04-038)
- Cohort Studies in Cancer Epidemiology (R01) (PAR-04-011).
Also accesse additional policy (NOT-CA-04-001).
- Research on Malignancies in AIDS and Acquired Immune Suppression
(R01, R21) (PA-04-157)
- Small Grants Program for Cancer Epidemiology (R03) (PAR
03-010) (Effective now).
PAR effective beginning with November 21, 2005, receipt date (PAR
04-159).
- Small Business
Grants (SBIR and STTR Programs)
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 andersL2@mail.nih.gov.
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