INTERNATIONAL GENOME RESEARCH COLLABORATIVE PROGRAM FOR CENTRAL ANDEASTERN EUROPE

 

NIH GUIDE, Volume 21, Number 14, April 10, 1992

 

PA NUMBER:  PA-92-67

 

P.T. 34



Keywords:

  Human Genome 

  Nucleic Acid Sequencing 

  Computer Storage & Retrieval 

 

National Center for Human Genome Research

Fogarty International Center

 

PURPOSE

 

The main purpose of the International Genome Research Collaborative

Program (IGRCP) is to facilitate collaboration between U.S. and

Central and Eastern European scientists that will enhance the

NIH-supported Human Genome Program, while at the same time benefiting

the genome programs of the collaborating foreign scientists and their

home institutions.  For the purposes of this program, Central and

Eastern Europe is defined as Bulgaria, the Czech and Slovak Federal

Republic, Hungary, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, all

republics of the (former) U.S.S.R., and Yugoslavia.  As a result of

new developments in Central and Eastern Europe, some of these

scientists are already working in U.S. laboratories to take advantage

of new scientific and technological advances.  A few of them have

either initiated or participated in genomic research or have the

types of expertise that could accelerate the progress of the Human

Genome Program.  The National Center for Human Genome Research

(NCHGR) would like to capitalize on these efforts and the talents of

these scientists by assisting in the establishment of long-term

scientific collaborations with their U.S. hosts. To accomplish these

goals, the NCHGR will provide financial assistance for extended

visits by foreign scientists in U.S. laboratories and for the

purchase of equipment and supplies to enhance the collaborative

projects at foreign institutions.

 

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

 

To be eligible for an International Genome Research Collaborative

Award, the following conditions must be met:

 

o  Only U.S. institutions where there are currently funded grants

from the NCHGR are eligible to apply. The Principal Investigator (PI)

of the research grant (R-series, P-series) from the NCHGR as the PI

of the small grant application.

 

o  the U.S. applicant MUST be the Principal Investigator of an NCHGR

research project grant (R or P type of awards) that has at least one

remaining year of support at the time the IGRCP award is made.  Since

the small grant (R03) award may be up to three years in duration, it

is possible for the R03 award to extend beyond the budget period of

the parent grant;

 

o  the foreign collaborator must be a citizen of a Central or Eastern

European country.

 

o  the foreign collaborator must demonstrate an association with an

organized Human Genome Program in his/her own country; and

 

o  the foreign collaborator must hold a position at a public or

private non-profit institution in his/her home country that will

allow him/her adequate time and provide appropriate facilities to

conduct the proposed research.  Scientists early in their careers who

have not yet achieved an independent research position are referred

to the International Genome Research Fellowship Program also

published in this issue of the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts.

 

MECHANISM OF SUPPORT

 

Projects will be supported through the small grants (R03) mechanism.

Grants will be awarded for a minimum of one and a maximum of three

years.  These awards will provide the following:

 

o  up to $20,000 per year in direct cost to be used for materials,

supplies, and equipment to support genomic research in the foreign

laboratory or the work of the foreign collaborator while in the U.S.

sponsor's laboratory;

 

o  a maximum of $24,000 per annum in living expenses to support the

stay of the foreign collaborator in the U.S. laboratory.  The foreign

collaborator must be prepared to spend a minimum of 6 continuous

months in a U.S. laboratory during the period of the grant, however,

12 months is desirable for applications exceeding one year.  Living

expenses will be prorated at the rate of $2,000 per month; and

 

o  travel expenses for the U.S. and foreign collaborators. It is

desirable that once the foreign collaborator returns to his/her

institution that there will be at least one reciprocal laboratory

visit per year by the U.S. and foreign collaborators for the duration

of the award.

 

All requests for funds must be adequately justified in the

application by the scientific needs of the project proposed. No

salaries or stipends for any of the collaborators, students, or

technical assistants will be supported under these awards.

 

A foreign collaborator may request support to conduct research not

already being supported by the U.S. investigator's parent grant;

however, the research project must be an extension of or related to

the currently funded research project.

 

The U.S. institution will have fiscal responsibility for the award.

Indirect costs will be calculated on the basis of the off-site rate

of the sponsoring U.S. institution.  The small grant award is

non-renewable and the NCHGR is under no obligation to continue

support of this research either as an independent foreign grant or as

a component of a recompeting parent grant.

 

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

 

It is the intent of this collaborative program to facilitate progress

on technology development, mapping, and sequencing in support of the

international Human Genome Project. Applications are encouraged in

the following areas:

 

o  construction of high-resolution genetic maps comprised of DNA

markers with an average spacing of 2 centimorgans and gaps no greater

than 5 centimorgans each identified by a "sequence-tagged site;"

 

o  construction of high-resolution physical maps of chromosomes in

which contigs of at least 2 million base pairs are unambiguously

ordered and identified by "sequence-tagged sites" spaced about

100,000 base pairs apart;

 

o  development of new and/or improvement of existing methods for DNA

sequencing that are capable of significantly reducing the cost of

sequencing;

 

o  development of computer tools, information systems, and strategies

for collecting, storing, retrieving, analyzing, interpreting, and

distributing large amounts of mapping and sequencing data; and

 

o  technology development to support all of the above objectives.

 

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

 

The application must include a letter from the foreign collaborator's

responsible institutional official documenting the institution's

commitment to the collaboration.  The application must demonstrate

that the proposed collaboration will enhance the scientific

contributions of both U.S. and foreign scientists AND further the

goals of the Human Genome Project, which is an international

undertaking.  Applications are to be submitted by the U.S. Principal

Investigators on standard form PHS 398 (rev. 9/91), that is available

from most institutional business offices and from the Office of

Grants Inquiries, Division of Research Grants, NIH, Bethesda, MD

20892, telephone (301) 496-7441.  Special application instructions

are necessary and are available from the International Research and

Awards Branch, Fogarty International Center (See INQUIRIES).  The

application consists of a section to be completed by the U.S.

Principal Investigator and a separate section to be completed by the

foreign collaborator.  Both sections must be submitted to the NIH by

the U.S. applicant organization as a single package.  The number and

title of this announcement must be typed in item number 2a on the

face page of the PHS 398 application form.  The completed original

application and three legible copies must be sent or delivered to:

 

Division of Research Grants

National Institutes of Health

Westwood Building, Room 240

Bethesda, MD  20892**

 

In addition, to expedite the review process, it is important to

submit two copies of the application to:

 

IRAB - HG

Fogarty International Center

National Institutes of Health

Building 31, Room B2C39

Bethesda, MD  20892

 

If applicable, provisions for protection of human research subjects

and laboratory animals must be met in both domestic and foreign

settings.  See Title 45 CFR Part 46 for information concerning the

Department of Health and Human Services regulations for the

protection of human subjects and the PHS Policy on Humane Care and

Use of Laboratory Animals.  These are available from the Office of

Protection from Research Risks, National Institutes of Health,

Building 31, Room 5B59, Bethesda, MD  20892.  Information on these

assurances is included in the special application instructions.

 

Receipt dates for completed applications are June 1, October 1, and

February 1.  If the deadline falls on a weekend or holiday, it is

automatically extended to the next working day.

 

REVIEW PROCEDURES

 

Applications will be assigned on the basis of established Public

Health Service referral guidelines.  The application will be reviewed

for scientific and technical merit by a review group of the relevant

institute, center, or division.  Applications in response to this

program announcement will be reviewed in accordance with the usual

NIH peer review procedures.  The review criteria are:

 

o  originality of the approach;

o  soundness of the experimental design;

o  evidence that this proposed research will extend or enhance the

work currently supported on the parent grant;

o  resources and environment of the U.S. and foreign collaborators;

and

o  appropriateness of the budget.

 

Following scientific-technical review, the application will receive a

second-level review by the National Advisory Council for Human Genome

Research or another advisory council or board.  For successful

applications, awards will be made approximately ten months following

receipt of applications.

 

AWARD CRITERIA

 

Applications will compete for available funds with all other approved

applications.  The following criteria will be considered in making

funding decisions:

 

o  quality of the proposed project as determined by peer review;

o  balance among research areas; and

o  availability of funds.

 

The following additional criteria will be used by the NCHGR in making

award decisions:

 

o  potential for developing technology or strategies for accelerating

progress in mapping and sequencing the genomes of human and select

model organisms;

 

o  value of the research for achieving the goals of the NCHGR;

 

o  potential of this collaboration to accelerate progress on the

Human Genome Project;

 

o  demonstrated background and commitment of the U.S. and foreign

investigators to further the goals of the Human Genome Project; and

 

o  adequacy of any plans proposed for managing data and sharing data

and resources in a timely manner.

 

INQUIRIES

 

To obtain further information on this program and to request the

necessary special application instructions, contact:

 

Dr. David A. Wolff

International Research and Awards Branch

Fogarty International Center

Building 31, Room B2C39

Bethesda, MD  20892

Telephone:  (301) 496-1653

FAX:  (301) 402-0779

 

For information on the Human Genome Program, contact:

 

For scientific programmatic information:

 

Bettie J. Graham, Ph.D.

Chief, Research Grants Branch

National Center for Human Genome Research

Building 38A, Room 610

Bethesda, MD  20892

Telephone:  (301) 496-7531

E-MAIL:  [email protected]

 

For grants management and fiscal matters:

 

Ms. Alice Thomas

Chief, Grants and Contracts Management Branch

National Center for Human Genome Research

Building 38A, Room 613

Bethesda, MD  20892

Telephone:  (301) 402-0733

E-Mail:  [email protected]

 

The program and grants management officials welcome the opportunity

to discuss any issues or questions regarding this program

announcement.

 

AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS

 

This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic

Assistance No. 93.172.  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 or Health Systems Agency

review.

 

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