Epidemiology & Genetics Research Program - Update

Epidemiology and Genetics Research Program
Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences
November 19, 2004

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 NCI's Epidemiology and Genetics Research Program (EGRP) Bulletin brings you news about:

EGRP Holds 1st Annual Leadership Conference for Epidemiologists
New, Centralized NIH Administrative Structure Is Providing Grant Support
New Staff Appointments
Seminara To Head Consortia Research Working Group
Job Openings With EGRP
Epigenetics: A New Frontier in Cancer Research
Risk Prediction Models Workshop Sets Priorities
Funding Opportunities Sponsored by EGRP
- Program Announcement Reissued for Small Grants for Cancer Epidemiology
- Ongoing Funding Opportunities
Grantsmanship
NIH Offers $35,000 in Annual Student Loan Repayment
EGRP Hosts Web Site on NCI-Sponsored Training Opportunities in Cancer Epidemiology
EGRP-Supported Research Resources
Sources of Information

NCI Cancer Bulletin
NCI Research Resources Online Directory
Comprehensive Online Database of NCI-Supported, Conducted Research
NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts
Everything you wanted to know about the NCI Grants Process…but were afraid to ask
Cancer and the Environment Booklet
EGRP's ListServ for Bulletins, News Flashes

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EGRP Holds 1st Annual Leadership Conference for Epidemiologists

The Epidemiology and Genetics Research Program (EGRP) held its first annual leadership workshop with investigators focusing on tobacco, diet/energy balance, and genetic research in Chicago, September 19-21.

Seasoned principal investigators funded through EGRP were asked to the by-invitation-only-meeting. "We are especially excited to have funded leaders in the field of epidemiology, tobacco, and diet/energy balance sharing their time to identify future research directions. We believe this will help lay the groundwork for future NCI initiated and supported research," said Edward Trapido, Sc.D., EGRP Associate Director. More than 100 grantees, intramural epidemiologists with NCI's Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics (DCEG), and EGRP scientific staff attended.

The goal of The 1st NCI Epidemiology Leadership Workshop was to identify barriers and gaps in cancer epidemiology and to advance solutions to study of tobacco, diet/energy balance, and genes. It also brought together grantees to highlight state-of-the-science findings in these areas, provide opportunities to explore new collaborations, and to showcase the scientific accomplishments of the EGRP-supported research portfolio.

Integrate Epidemiology In To Initiatives

"The meeting comes at a time when biomedical research is faced with many issues and initiatives that cut across scientific disciplines," said Robert Croyle, Ph.D., Director of the Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences (DCCPS). " Genomics and proteomics research alone cannot answer epidemiologic questions. We need to know how to integrate epidemiology in these new initiatives, and we need epidemiologists to become more involved in planning them."

Keynote speaker Catherine DeAngelis, M.D., M.P.H., Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the American Medical Association, talked about the importance of epidemiologic studies to public health. In another keynote address, Susan Curry, Ph.D., presented on the relevance to epidemiology of the report Fulfilling the Potential for Cancer Prevention and Early Detection, by the Institute of Medicine's National Cancer Policy Board. She is lead editor of the report and is Director of the Institute for Health Research and Policy, University of Illinois at Chicago.

Presentations by workshop participants included Laurence Kolonel, M.D., Ph.D., Cancer Research Center, University of Hawaii, on diet, genes, and cancer; Neil Caporaso, M.D., DCEG, on tobacco, genes, and cancer; Stephen Chanock, M.D., DCEG and the Center for Cancer Research (CCR), on genetics in epidemiology; Michael Thun, M.D., M.S., American Cancer Society, on cohort consortia; and Patricia Hartge, Sc.D., DCEG, on case-control consortia. Also speaking were Graham Colditz, M.D., Dr.P.H., Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard University, on the potential conflict between team science and tenure requirements, and Jon Kerner, Ph.D., DCCPS Deputy Director, on knowledge transfer of epidemiology.

Follow-up Working Groups

Research working groups will be formed based on the discussions in the breakout sessions which focused on diet/energy balance epidemiology research, haplotypes versus genotypes, design issues and strategies in the study of rare cancers, and susceptibility to tobacco carcinogenesis. Extramural and intramural scientists will collaborate in the groups to generate new scientific ideas and hypotheses.

Other small working groups will assist in developing research initiatives within and outside NCI. EGRP's Virginia (Ginny) Hartmuller, Ph.D., R.D., Sandra Melnick, Dr.P.H., and Deborah Winn, Ph.D., will play lead roles in the organization and stewardship of these teams.

To further translation of research findings, EGRP will assess whether the information presented at the workshop has potential for development of intervention studies. During the workshop, participants were encouraged to think about scientific issues and questions that will move results from epidemiology studies into public health practice.

Increased Collaboration

Increased collaborations between EGRP and the extramural research community is key as evidenced by the workshop, which was planned with the assistance of Margaret Spitz, M.D., M.P.H., The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. She and Dr. Colditz spend time working each month at EGRP under the Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA).

A workshop report will be prepared and posted along with the presentations on EGRP's Web site. To be informed when this information becomes available, contact andersoL2@mail.nih.gov. Posters that were presented at the meeting and highlights of the proceedings will be a resource for researchers interested in diet, tobacco, and genetics.

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New Centralized Administrative Structure Providing Grant Support

DCCPS Director Robert Croyle, Ph.D., recently wrote to grantees about the National Institutes of Health (NIH) moving toward a new, centralized administrative structure to support the functions of grants management, peer review, and scientific program management that occur within extramural Centers and Divisions. NIH's Division of Extramural Activities Support (DEAS) is now responsible for all extramural-related support staff functions. If you have not seen the communication, please see do so; it might explain differences that you are experiencing in service. Your Program Director did not change with this restructuring. Access the DCCPS home page, and see "Message of the Month."

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New Staff Appointments

EGRP has four new staff members to introduce:

Emily Dowling, M.H.S., has joined the Clinical and Genetic Epidemiology Research Branch (CGERB) as Associate Coordinator for the Coordination, Communication, and Administration Unit of the EGRP-funded Breast and Colon Cancer Family Registries (CFRs). Ms. Dowling received her B.A. from the University of Virginia with a focus in biology and bioethics, and while at the university, was a workplace health educator for the Institute for Quality Health.
She received her M.H.S. from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in the Population and Family Health Sciences Department, and was a research assistant with Johns Hopkins Women's and Children's Health Policy Center. She also was a research assistant with the Center for Adolescent Health and the Law, Chapel Hill, N.C. Ms. Dowling holds an NCI Cancer Research Training Award (CRTA) appointment.

Shannon Lemrow, Ph.D., has joined the Office of the Associate Director as a staff scientist to work on various initiatives. She will assist with EGRP's role on the World Trade Center Late Emergent Diseases Working Group, which is advising the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on surveillance of 11,000 individuals who worked at Ground Zero for related health problems. Dr. Lemrow also will help facilitate development of the Interagency Cancer Epidemiology Research Funders (I-CERF), an effort initiated by EGRP to provide a forum for Federal agencies that fund cancer epidemiology to share and exchange information and ideas.
She comes to EGRP through the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Emerging Leader Program, which brings into the agency young professionals with competencies in science and other professions. She has spent the past year rotating throughout HHS before joining EGRP full time. Dr. Lemrow received her B.S. in chemistry and biological sciences from Carnegie Mellon University and her Ph.D. in cancer biology from Duke University.

Scott Rogers, M.P.H., has joined CGERB as a research associate to help facilitate studies focusing on health disparities and on tobacco use and cancer susceptibility. Mr. Rogers worked at EGRP this past summer for the field placement for his M.P.H. from the University of Miami, and had the opportunity to help with research on the Alpha-Tocopherol Beta-Carotene (ATBC) Study, a chemoprevention trial that investigated the potential for vitamin E and beta carotene to protect smokers from lung cancer. He worked with scientists in EGRP and DCCPS' Tobacco Control Research Branch on investigating the relationship between genetics and tobacco use and cessation.
Before joining NCI, Mr. Rogers was a senior scientist in the Department of Preventive Sciences and Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, where he studied chronic pain in patients with cancer and spinal injuries and specialized in cellular imaging. After 10 years of research, he returned to school to pursue a graduate degree in public health and epidemiology and to continue his work in cancer and chronic disease. Scott has his B.S. in microbiology from the University of Minnesota and M.P.H. from the University of Miami.

Carmina Valle, M.P.H., has joined the Analytic Epidemiology Research Branch (AERB) as a Program Analyst. She will assist with EGRP's role in the Breast and Prostate Cancer Risk and Hormone-Related Gene Variants Cohort Consortium. Ms. Valle spent the past two years as a Presidential Management Fellow on rotations with NCI's immediate Office of the Director and Office of the DCCPS Director, President's Cancer Panel, Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities, and the Office of Cancer Survivorship, and with the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
Before coming to NCI, Ms. Valle worked as a research assistant in the Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience of Paul Greengard, Ph.D., a Nobel Laureate at Rockefeller University. Most recently, she interned at the Institute of Medicine with the Roundtable on Environmental Health Sciences, Research and Medicine of the Board on Health Sciences Policy. She has a B.S. in biology from Yale University and received her M.P.H. with a concentration in epidemiology and biostatistics from the MCP Hahnemann University School of Public Health (now Drexel University).

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Seminara To Head New Consortia Research Working Group

Daniela Seminara, Ph.D., M.P.H., has been named Leader of EGRP's newly formed Consortia Research Working Group. The 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. (Dr. Seminara's photograph appears in "Risk Prediction Models Workshop" article.)

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 Director for the EGRP-funded Breast and Colon Cancer Family Registries (CFRs) and 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, CGERB, at seminard@mail.nih.gov.

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Job Openings With EGRP

EGRP has two job opportunities available for Cancer Research Training Award (CRTA) fellows. The positions are to work on the:

Knowledge Transfer Team (KTT) - to develop and implement strategies and products to facilitate research and for dissemination and diffusion of research results.

Cohort Studies in Cancer Epidemiology and KTT - to conduct an in-depth portfolio analysis of population-based epidemiologic cohorts funded by AERB and related activities, and participate in the KTT.

The salary range depends on the CRTA category and years of experience. The fellows will work in EGRP's offices in Rockville, Md., a suburb of Washington, D.C.

Please refer to EGRP's Web site to read the complete position advertisements and to learn where to send letters of interest, curriculum vitaes, and names and contact information for references.

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Epigenetics - A New Frontier in Cancer Research
By Mukesh Verma, Ph.D., AERB Program Director

Epigenetics is the study of modifications in gene expression that do not involve changes in DNA nucleotide sequences, and represents a new frontier in cancer research for epidemiologists to consider. This field offers great potential for identification of biomarkers that can be used to assess individual risk for cancer and to detect and diagnose the disease in its earliest stages.

Epigenetic Targets in Cancer Detection and Risk Assessment Information in the genome exists in at least two forms, genetic and epigenetic. The genetic information provides the blueprint for the manufacture of all the proteins necessary to create a living organism, whereas the epigenetic information provides additional instructions on how, where, and when the genetic information will be used. Epigenetics is the study of mechanisms that involve mitotically heritable changes in DNA other than changes in nucleotide sequence.

The functional importance of epigenetic changes lies in their ability to regulate gene expression. Epigenetic changes have an impact on chromatin structure modulation, transcriptional repression, X-chromosome inactivation, genomic imprinting, and the suppression of the detrimental effects of repetitive and parasitic DNA sequences on genome integrity. Three major steps in epigenetic regulation are promoter methylation, histone acetylation/deacetylation, and chromatin conformational changes.

During the initiation, development, and progression of cancer, a number of genes undergo epigenetic changes. Some of these changes can be used as biomarkers for early detection of cancer and for risk assessment, as well as to follow a treatment. A panel of biomarkers is preferred to a single biomarker in clinical assays.

In epidemiologic studies, biochemical and genetic markers have been utilized to identify high-risk populations that are likely to develop cancer. Inclusion of epigenetic markers in population studies is advantageous for screening and for etiologic studies. Some of the well-characterized epigenetic markers are in the cell cycle, tumor initiation, and apoptotic pathways. These epigenetic markers have been reported in colon, esophageal, lung, pancreatic, and prostate cancers. Changes in gene expression due to epigenetic regulation can be reversed by chemicals, and this approach opens up a novel approach in cancer prevention and treatment.

Epigenetics-mediated gene regulation is affected by several factors. In the field of carcinogenesis research, there is growing awareness that neoplastic transformation must be viewed as an environmental process. A variety of chemicals, base analogs, radiation, smoke, stress, hormones (such as estradiol), other agents (such as nickel, arsenic, cadmium), and reactive oxygen species can alter mammalian cells to a transformed phenotype epigenetically, without changing their DNA sequence information. It is of interest that nickel induces both a variety of signaling pathways as well as genes that seem to be important for the survival of cancer cells. Nutrients also can affect epigenetic regulation of cancer associated genes.

Led by EGRP, an NIH-wide interest group has been established to explore application of epigenetic knowledge in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of cancer and other diseases. Extramural researchers will be able to access information made available through the interest group on a newly created Web site.

Selected readings:

Verma M, Dunn BK, Umar A. Epigenetics in Cancer Prevention: Early Detection and Risk Assessment. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2003 Mar;983:1-4.

Verma M, Srivastava S. Epigenetics in Cancer: Implications for Early Detection and Prevention. Lancet Oncol 2002 Dec;3(12):755-63. Review. (No abstract available.)

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Risk Prediction Models Workshop Sets Priorities

Estimating absolute risk of cancer can have profound implications for targeted prevention strategies and clinical decision-making. To improve the capability, more than 100 experts met for a workshop about cancer risk prediction models in Washington, D.C., this spring.

"This interdisciplinary workshop broke ground by bringing together the cancer risk prediction modeling community for the first time and helping identify the research steps needed to move this field forward," said Andrew Freedman, Ph.D., workshop cochair with the Applied Research Program (ARP), DCCPS. The workshop was cosponsored by DCCPS, DCEG, and the NCI Office of Women's Health.

The workshop included four sessions on risk prediction models: applications, development and implementation, evaluation and validation, and predicting germ line mutation carrier status. Poster sessions presented models in use or under development, including models for melanoma and breast, lung, colorectal, and prostate cancers, and for genetic susceptibility to colorectal and breast cancers.

"After intensive discussions between model developers and clinicians, there was consensus that model performance should be judged in the context of specific applications and that further methodological research is needed to develop criteria for model assessment", said Ruth Pfeiffer, Ph.D., workshop cochair with DCEG.

Priorities for future research include identifying cancer sites for which new risk prediction models are useful, finding ways to improve current and future cancer risk prediction models by incorporating new clinical and biological markers, and providing data resources and study populations for modeling and validation.

A workshop report will be published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

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Funding Opportunities Sponsored by EGRP

Program Announcement Reissued for Small Grants for Cancer Epidemiology

The Program Announcement (PAR-04-159) for Small Grants for Cancer Epidemiology (R03) recently was reissued, but will not be in effect until the November 21, 2005, receipt date. Continue to refer to the existing PAR (PAR-03-010) through the August 25, 2005, receipt date.

Inquiries about scientific issues concerning the PAR may be directed to Mukesh Verma, Ph.D., AERB Program Director, E-mail: vermam@mail.nih.gov.

See the NIH Guide, for further information on the current PAR-03-010 and the new PAR-04-159.

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Ongoing Funding Opportunities
- 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) - PA-04-038
- Cohort Studies in Cancer Epidemiology (R01) - PAR-04-011
- Research on Malignancies in AIDS and Acquired Immune Suppression (R21, R01) - PA-04-157
- Small Business Grants (SBIR and STTR Programs) - View topics of interest to EGRP.

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Grantsmanship

Is Your Institution Registered in the NIH eRA Commons? If Not, Do So!
EGRP urges principal investigators to be sure that their institutions are registered in NIH's Electronic Resource Administration (eRA) Commons and that their individual accounts have been created. The "Commons" is the Web interface where NIH grantees are able to conduct their extramural research administration business electronically. An institution must be registered in the Commons before Principal Investigators, their staffs, and business administrators can take advantage of electronic submission and retrieval of grant information. Institutions may register at commons.era.nih.gov/commons.

Program Directors cannot access information within the Commons and, therefore, cannot assist investigators in accessing information such as priority scores, summary statements, and Notices of Grant Awards. This also means that Program Directors cannot update investigators' contact information in the Commons, including their all-important E-mail addresses!

The Commons now includes:
- Status section where principal investigators can review the current status of all their grant applications and detailed information associated with their grants. (Access to the status of a grant application is determined by privilege. Confidential information is located in a restricted area.) Institution officials can see a summary view of grant applications, review Notices of Grant Awards, and access Progress Report face pages. Within the Status section, access:
  - Just-In-Time area where users will find a feature to submit Just-In-Time information when requested by NIH. NIH policy allows the submission of certain elements of a competing application to be deferred. Through this module, institutions can electronically submit the information that is requested after the review, but before award.
  - No-Cost Extension area where users will find a feature to automatically extend grants that are eligible for a one-time extension of the final budget period of a project period without additional NIH funds. The system will automatically change the end date for the grant and notify the appropriate NIH staff.
- eSNAP section that allows an institution to review noncompeting grant data and submit a progress report online.
- Financial Status Reports section that allows electronic submission of financial information associated with a grant. Some time in the future, summary statements will be available only through the Commons.
- Demo Facility where one can try most of the capabilities of the Commons in a sample environment.
To keep posted on NIH's continuing efforts toward end-to-end electronic research administration (eRA), subscribe to eRA for Partners, the online newsletter for grantees.

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Newly Revised PHS 398 Grant Application Materials Available
A new application form for a HHS Public Health Service Grant (PHS 398, rev. 9/04) is now available and will be accepted for submission/receipt dates on or after December 1, 2004. All applications received on or after May 10, 2005 must use the new instructions and forms. During the transition period, applications using the previous version (rev. 5/01) of the PHS 398 will be accepted through May 9, 2005. However, after this date, applications submitted using instructions and forms other than the PHS 398 (rev 9/04) will be returned to the applicant.
The 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 via the Internet because they provide 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.
SBIR/STTR applicants who are preparing an application for the December 1, 2004, submission date may use the previous PHS 398 version (rev. 05/01) in accordance with instructions in Chapter IV of the PHS 2004-2 Omnibus SBIR/STTR Grant Solicitation. However, applicants who wish to use the new forms should use the following set of instructions (MS Word / PDF) in accordance with instructions in Chapter IV of the PHS 2004-2 Omnibus SBIR/STTR Grant Solicitation. The PHS 2005-2 Omnibus Solicitation, with updated instructions, will be released on or around January 14, 2005.
Read the complete Notice about the new PHS 398 in the NIH Guide, NOT-OD-006, to learn specifics on changes to the form. Access the new PHS 398 instructions and forms.

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NIH Updates Criteria for Evaluating Research Grant Applications
During consultation with the extramural scientific community that led to the development of the NIH Roadmap process, it was frequently mentioned that the criteria used to evaluate research grant applications were not placing appropriate emphasis on some important types of biomedical research. The Roadmap Trans-NIH Clinical Research Workforce Committee proposed a modification of the NIH Peer Review Criteria for investigator-initiated research grant applications that would better accommodate interdisciplinary, translational, and clinical projects, and the NIH Institute and Center Directors adopted updated review criteria in August 2004.
These new review criteria will be effective for research grant applications received on or after January 10, 2005, that fall into the following categories:
- Investigator-initiated research grant applications,
- Investigator-initiated research grant applications submitted in response to Program Announcements (PA/PAR) whether published before or after this announcement, and
- Solicited research grant applications submitted in response to Requests for Applications (RFAs) will continue to use the review criteria described in them.
The review criteria cover the significance of the proposed research; approach; innovation; investigators; scientific environment; protection of human subjects from research risk; inclusion of women, minorities, and children; and care and use of vertebrate animals in research.
For further information, see the NIH Guide, NOT-OD-05-002.

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OHRP Issues Guidance on Research Involving Coded Private Information, Biological Specimens
The HHS Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP) issued guidance on research involving coded private information of biological specimens in August 2004. This guidance is addressed to Institutional Review Boards (IRBs), investigators, and funding agencies. It will affect the way that NIH and the applicant institutions process applications involving coded private information and biological specimens from human donors. NIH is assessing how best to implement the guidance while taking into consideration the requirements defined in Title 45 CFR Part 46 (Protection of Human Subjects) for funding agencies.
To minimize confusion for applicants, NIH is requiring grant applications and contract proposals to adhere to existing procedures described in the PHS 398 and in applicable RFPs until new instructions are announced. Reviewers will continue to use existing instructions in evaluating these applications and proposals. NIH will develop appropriate instructions related to this guidance with the expectation that implementation will occur with the January 10, 2005, receipt date. In preparation for implementation, all appropriate forms and announcements will be modified and training for reviewers will be provided.
Direct questions about the OHRP guidance to ohrp@osophs.dhhs.gov.
Direct questions about NIH's plans for implementation to the Office of Extramural Programs, NIH Office of the Director, OEPMailbox@mail.nih.gov.
Read the complete Notice in the NIH Guide, NOT-OD-04-069.

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NIH Centralizes Receipt of Progress Reports
NIH has centralized receipt and initial processing of all non-competing progress reports effective with those reports due on or after October 1, 2004. As part of this centralized activity, all progress reports will be scanned and stored in the eRA Enterprise system. The scanned images will be available to grantee institutions through the eRA Commons.

The new centralized mailing address for all NIH Institutes/Centers is:

Division of Extramural Activities Support, OER
National Institutes of Health
6705 Rockledge Drive, Room 2207, MSC 7987
Bethesda, MD 20892-7987 (for regular or U.S. Postal Service Express mail)
Bethesda, MD 20817 (for other courier/express mail delivery only)
Telephone: (301) 594-6584

This new business process affects only non-competing progress reports currently mailed directly to NIH Institutes and Centers. It does not change the Center for Scientific Review mailing address used for all new and competing grants or that process. Furthermore, this change is only for progress reports received by NIH Institutes and Centers. Progress reports for grants to other HHS agencies that use the PHS2590 or the 416-9 should continue to use the mailing addresses noted for those agencies.

Read more about the change in NIH Guide, NOT-OD-04-063 and NOT-OD-04-054.

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Video Available on Peer Review at NIH
NIH's Center for Scientific Review has produced a video of a mock study section meeting that provides an inside look at how grant applications are reviewed for scientific and technical merit. The video shows how outside experts assess applications and how review meetings are conducted to ensure fairness. It also includes information on what applicants can do to improve the chances that their applications will receive a positive review. Real reviewers volunteered to review altered and disguised applications. NIH staff members also participated in the video. Download the 39-minute video and accompanying sample applications, summary statements, and PAs. Also, access links to more information about the NIH grants program and peer review process.

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NIH Offers $35,000 in Annual Student Loan Repayment

NIH is accepting applications to its five Loan Repayment Programs (LRP) until December 15, 2004. The NIH Loan Repayment Programs can repay up to $35,000 of qualified educational debt for health professionals pursuing careers in clinical, pediatric, contraception and infertility, or health disparities research. They also provide coverage for Federal and state tax liabilities.

Participants must possess a doctoral-level degree, devote 50 percent or more of their time to research funded by a non-profit organization or government entity (Federal, state, or local), and have educational loan debt equal to or exceeding 20 percent of their institutional base salary. U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or U.S. nationals may apply. The five NIH Loan Repayment Programs are the Clinical Research LRP, Clinical Research for Individuals from Disadvantaged Backgrounds LRP, Contraception and Infertility Research LRP, Health Disparities LRP, and Pediatric Research LRP. Learn more about the program and access the online application.

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EGRP Hosts Web Site on NCI Training Opportunities in Cancer Epidemiology

EGRP has a Web site with information about extramural and intramural training opportunities for individuals who are interested in pursuing careers in cancer epidemiology. The site is a gateway to becoming acquainted with opportunities available at various stages of career development - from the young investigator pursuing a doctoral degree to the established investigator. Also use the site to access related resources, such as the NCI publication Everything you wanted to know about the NCI Grants Process…but were afraid to ask.

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EGRP-Supported Research Resources

EGRP invites researchers to take advantage of its research resources:

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 19,000 families among whom there is a history of breast and/or ovarian cancer or colon cancer. The spectrum of cancer risk is represented.

The principal investigators of the Breast/Ovarian CFRs have published a comprehensive paper about the infrastructure of the resource and the data and biospecimens available (John EM, Hopper JL, Beck JC, et al. Breast Cancer Family Registry. The Breast Cancer Family Registry: An Infrastructure for Cooperative Multinational, Interdisciplinary and Translational Studies of the Genetic Epidemiology of Breast Cancer. Breast Cancer Res 2004;6(4):R375-89. Epub 2004 May 19). A similar paper by the Colon CFRs is in progress.

Learn more about the CFRs.
Contact: Daniela Seminara, Ph.D., M.P.H., Program Director, Clinical and Genetic Epidemiology Research Branch (CGERB); E-mail: seminard@mail.nih.gov.

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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 more than 24,000 individuals (16,000 families) with cancer and/or a family history of cancer. Data available include demographic information, relevant medical history, and a four-generation pedigree. More detailed data are available on many enrollees from studies conducted thus far. The population enrolled makes research possible on both common and uncommon tumors. For approved studies, the CGN can offer a variety of services.
Learn more about the CGN.
Contact: Carol Kasten, M.D., Program Director, CGERB; E-mail: kastenca@mail.nih.gov.

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Geographic Information System for Breast Cancer Studies on Long Island
The Geographic Information System for Breast Cancer Studies on Long Island (LI GIS) is a unique tool to study relationships between the environment and breast cancer. The system is a rich resource of data and analytic tools for environmental research. The LI GIS warehouse contains more than 80 datasets covering topographic data; demographic data; health outcome data, including relative breast cancer incidence; and environmental data for Nassau and Suffolk counties and, to a lesser extent, surrounding counties.
Researchers with approved applications have access to a full suite of ArcGIS software and extensions for Long Island-related health studies or for health studies in other geographic areas.
The LI GIS also offers four extensions that researchers may freely download from its Web site (Researchers section): Disease Rate Calculator, Areal Interpolator, Cluster Analysis Tool, and Empirical Bayes Tool.
Visit the LI GIS Web site.
The LI GIS is managed by the Surveillance Research Program (SRP), DCCPS, with assistance from EGRP. Contact: Linda Pickle, Ph.D., SRP; E-mail: picklel@mail.nih.gov.

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Sources of Information:

NCI Cancer Bulletin - Subscribe to receive NCI's weekly online newsletter.
NCI Research Resources Online Directory - View a directory of more than 100 products and services.
Comprehensive Online Database of NCI-supported Research - The NCI Cancer Research Portfolio is a searchable database with summary information on all extramural and intramural research projects.
NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts - Subscribe to receive the weekly online publication.
Everything you wanted to know about the NCI Grants Process…but were afraid to ask - View this publication online, or as supplies are available, order a print copy.
Cancer and the Environment - Epidemiologists who talk with the public or media about cancer and cancer risk may find this booklet a useful resource or reference to recommend. View the publication online or order a print copy.
EGRP's ListServ - You are welcome to tell others about our ListServ and invite them to subscribe to receive occasional Bulletins and shorter announcements about developments in grantsmanship and NCI activities relevant to its Program. To subscribe, contact andersoL2@mail.nih.gov.