Administrative Supplements for High-Quality Low-Cost Monoclonal Antibodies for Studies of the Nervous System

Notice Number: NOT-NS-08-009 - (See Notice NOT-NS-08-019 Announcing the participation of NIDA and NICHD)

Key Dates
Release Date: December 27, 2007
Receipt Date: March 21, 2008
Earliest Anticipated Start Date: July 21, 2008

Issued by
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) (http://www.ninds.nih.gov/)
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) (http://www.nimh.nih.gov)
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) (http://www.nidcd.nih.gov)
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) (http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/)
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) (http://www.nida.nih.gov)
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) (http://www.nichd.nih.gov)

Purpose

NINDS, NIMH, NIDCD and NIAAA announce an administrative supplement program of $600,000 in Fiscal Year 2008 to provide funds to NINDS, NIMH, NIDCD or NIAAA-funded research projects for collaboration with the UC Davis NeuroMab Facility (www.neuromab.org). The purpose of this program is to facilitate production of new monoclonal antibodies (NeuroMabs) to targets with high relevance to nervous system studies.

Background

The NeuroMab Facility was established to provide inexpensive, carefully verified monoclonal antibodies to proteins of the mammalian nervous system. For investigator-initiated antibody requests, the facility enters into a collaborative partnership in which the requesting investigator can provide expertise and reagents necessary for the project. Contact Randall R. Stewart stewartr@ninds.nih.gov for a current list of protein targets; investigators can suggest their own protein targets provided that suitable monoclonal antibodies to these targets do not exist. One of the criteria for consideration of antibody requests is the ability of the collaborating investigator to provide reagents for the project, including immunogens (purified protein or immunogenic peptides), tagged cDNA expression constructs for screening and specificity testing of monoclonal antibodies, positive control polyclonal antibodies (if available), and knockout mouse tissue (if available). Investigators are encouraged to participate in screening the resulting monoclonal antibodies to facilitate selection of the best clone.

Eligibility

The current announcement is for supplements to NINDS, NIMH, NIDCD or NIAAA-funded projects ($5K-$50K per project) for design and generation of reagents for antibody production and validation, such as immunogens (e.g., fusion protein cDNA constructs and purified fusion proteins), and/or tagged cDNA expression vectors for antibody screening. A request may include providing reagents for multiple targets and can include minor personnel costs. No requests for equipment will be considered. Investigators with Mentored Career Development (K01, K08, K23, K25 or K99/R00), Research Scientist (K02 or K24), Research Project (R01 or U01), Academic Research Enhancement (R15), Exploratory/ Developmental (R21), Phase II SBIR (R44 or U44), Program Project (P01), Developing Center (P20), Institutional Center Core (P30), Research Resource (U24), or Specialized Center (P50 or U54) grants are eligible to apply. To be eligible, projects must be actively funded in fiscal year 2008. Review criteria are provided below.
Investigators are strongly encouraged to contact the NeuroMab Facility (neuromab@ucdavis.edu) in advance of submitting a supplement request for preliminary discussions on immunogens and other reagents needed for screening and specificity testing.

Submitting an Application

Applications for an administrative supplement under this program should use the PHS 398 form (rev. 4/2006; available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html), and must include the following:

1) A cover letter citing this Notice and including the PI name, grant number and title, amount of the requested supplement, the name and title of the institutional official, and the phone, email, and address information for both the PI and institutional official.

For P01s, P20s, P30s, P50s, U24s and U54s, the PI must submit a request for a supplement to one or more subprojects.

The cover letter must be signed by the PI and the institutional official.

2) Face page

The title of the project (Box 1) should be the title of the parent award.

This Notice (number and title) should be cited in Box 2, and the yes box should be checked.

Subproject PIs on P01, P20, P30, P50 and U54 awards are eligible to apply for these supplements.

The remaining items on the face page should be filled out according to the PHS 398 application instructions.

3) Form page 2 (Description, Performance Sites, Key Personnel, Other Significant Contributors, and Human Embryonic Stem Cells) from PHS 398. The project description is that of the administrative supplement, not the parent grant.

4) Proposed budget for the supplement with a budget justification that details the items requested. Supplements will be made in modular amounts of $5,000. All awards are TOTAL COSTS. Any Facilities & Administrative Costs (indirect costs) should be included in the modular request, and cannot be requested in addition to the modular amounts. For all grant mechanisms the maximum supplement is $50,000.

5) A Biographical Sketch of the PI.

6) Research Plan for the supplement, items A-D not to exceed five pages. Applicants should include a justification for each nervous system target, the relationship of each target to the original project Specific Aims, and a discussion of the significance of having these newly made monoclonal antibodies available. The research design section should include plans for each target to provide expertise, immunogens (purified protein or suggested peptide sequences), tagged cDNA expression constructs for screening and specificity testing of hybridomas, positive control polyclonal antibodies (if available) and knockout mouse tissue (if available). Font size restrictions apply as designated within the PHS398 (rev. 4/2006) instructions.

Review Criteria

Applications will be reviewed administratively. Review criteria include 1) the completeness of the reagent package(s) to be provided, 2) the expertise of the investigators and their ability to produce or obtain the proposed reagents, and 3) the importance of the proposed antibodies for the goals of the funded project and for other areas of neuroscience, particularly those with high relevance to program priorities of NINDS, NIMH, NIDCD and NIAAA. It is anticipated that supplements will be awarded within four months of the receipt date.

Budget Information

Supplements will be made in modular amounts of $5,000. All awards are TOTAL COSTS. Any Facilities & Administrative Costs (indirect costs) should be included in the modular request, and cannot be requested in addition to the modular amounts. For all grant mechanisms the maximum supplement is $50,000. Requests may include providing reagents for multiple targets and can include minor personnel costs. No requests for equipment will be considered.

How to Apply

This is a one-time announcement. Applications must be received on or before the receipt date indicated below. Do not send applications to the Center for Scientific Review. Applicants should submit one electronic copy as an e-mail attachment in PDF format and one hard copy (with original signatures of the PI and institutional official) of the application to Randall R. Stewart at the address listed below under Inquiries.

Inquiries

Inquiries should be directed to:

Randall R. Stewart, Ph.D.
Program Director for Channels, Synapses and Circuits
SBIR/STTR Program Coordinator
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
National Institutes of Health
Neuroscience Center, Room 2135
6001 Executive Blvd.
Bethesda, MD 20892-9523
(For courier delivery: Rockville, MD 20852)
Phone: 301-496-1917
Fax: 301-402-1501
E-mail: stewartr@ninds.nih.gov

Laurie S. Nadler, Ph.D.
Chief, Neuropharmacology Program
Division of Neuroscience and Basic Behavioral Science
National Institute of Mental Health, NIH
6001 Executive Blvd., Rm. 7184, MSC 9641
Bethesda, MD 20892-9641
[Rockville, MD 20852 for express or courier service]
Phone: 301-443-5288
Fax: 301-451-5615
E-mail: lnadler@mail.nih.gov

Barry Davis, Ph.D.
Director
Taste and Smell Program
NIDCD
Suite 400
6120 Executive Blvd
Bethesda MD 20892-7180
Phone: 301-402-3464
Fax: 301-402-6251
Email: Davisb1@nidcd.nih.gov

Lisa A. Neuhold, Ph.D.
Program Director, Genetics & Proteomics
Division of Neuroscience & Behavior, NIAAA
5635 Fishers Lane
Room 2065, MSC 9304
Bethesda, MD 20892-9304
Phone: 301-594-6228
Fax: 301-443-1650
E-mail: lneuhold@mail.nih.gov