INTERNATIONAL GENOME RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM FOR CENTRAL ANDEASTERN EUROPE NIH GUIDE, Volume 21, Number 14, April 10, 1992 PA NUMBER: PA-92-68 P.T. 34 Keywords: Human Genome Nucleic Acid Sequencing Computer Storage & Retrieval National Center for Human Genome Research Fogarty International Center PURPOSE The purpose of the International Genome Research Fellowship Program is to provide opportunities for Central and Eastern European scientists who are in the formative stages of their research careers to obtain further training in U.S. laboratories, to exchange ideas and information about the latest advances in mapping and sequencing technology, and to improve the research potential of the fellow's home institution to pursue genomic research. 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. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS To be eligible for an International Genome Research Fellowship, the applicant must: o be a citizen of a Central or Eastern European country; o have a Ph.D., M.D., or equivalent degree and no more than 10 years of postdoctoral experience in genetics, molecular biology, or other discipline that can be applied to genome research such as computer sciences, chemistry, physics, mathematics, or engineering; o have demonstrated an ability to engage in research; o have assurance of a position to which he/she can return on completion of the fellowship; o be proficient in the English language; and o obtain an invitation to work with a U.S. scientist who will act as collaborator and host. MECHANISM OF SUPPORT Fellowships will be supported through the International Research Fellowship (F05) mechanism. The minimum award period is 12 months and the maximum award period is 24 months. Fellowships will be awarded for a period of 12 to 24 months in the U.S. The fellowship provides: o Living Allowance: The fellowship does not provide for a salary or stipend; instead, awardees will receive a living allowance of $2,000 per month while in the U.S. to cover the cost of housing and meals; o Travel: Round-trip fare, economy class between the fellow's home and the fellowship site on a U.S. air carrier; and o Institutional Allowance: The award will provide an institutional allowance of $1,200 per month to the U.S. host institution to cover the cost of health insurance and research supplies. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES This fellowship program has been developed to facilitate research on the Human Genome Project, an international program to map and sequence the genomes of humans and other model organisms. Fellowship 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. The program is open to scientists early in their careers. More established scientists are referred to the International Genome Research Collaborative Program. Prospective applicants and U.S. sponsors must have a clear understanding about the goals of the fellowship and the specific genome research project to be pursued. Fellowship recipients will be expected to bring to the U.S. sponsor's institution the knowledge, professional background, and intellectual commitment that will make the fellowship a mutually enriching experience for the fellow and the U.S. host. APPLICATION PROCEDURE Prospective applicants must make applications through the U.S. institutions of the sponsors. Special application kits must be obtained from the Fogarty International Center (See INQUIRIES). A prospective applicant must: o describe the benefits of the fellowship to the applicant, the U.S. host, and the foreign applicant's institution; o describe how the fellowship will enhance the applicant's ability to pursue genomic research upon return to the home institution; o include a letter of invitation from the U.S. sponsor and the sponsor's portion of the application completed by the U.S. host; and o the application must be submitted through the U.S. institution of the sponsor. Receipt date(s) for completed applications are September 10, January 10, and May 10 of each year. Completed applications must be addressed to: IRAB - IGRF Fogarty International Center National Institutes of Health Building 31, Room B2C39 Bethesda, MD 20892 REVIEW PROCEDURES Applications will be assigned on the basis of established Public Health Service referral guidelines. All fellowship applications will be reviewed for scientific and technical merit in accordance with the standard NIH peer review procedures. The following review criteria will be used: o Scientific merit of the research to be undertaken by the fellow under the guidance of the sponsor; o relevance of the proposed research to biomedical problems; o adequacy of the educational background and research experience of the applicant to undertake the proposed research; o whether or not the proposed research can be completed within the fellowship period; o the institutional environment in which the research will be carried out; o the compatibility of the objectives stated by the applicant and those envisaged by the sponsor; and o whether or not the proposed research will provide a significant expansion in knowledge beyond what the applicant is obtaining if he or she is already working in a U.S. institution. The second level of review will be performed by the appropriate NIH funding component. AWARD CRITERIA For applications assigned to the National Center for Human Genome Research (NCHGR), the following criteria will be considered in making funding decisions: o the relevance of this training program to the goals of the Human Genome Program; o the quality of the training experience as determined by peer review; o potential of this collaboration to accelerate progress on the Human Genome Project; o availability of funds; and o if appropriate, the protections accorded human subjects and vertebrate animals and the appropriate inclusion of minorities and women if clinical studies are to be awarded. Applicants will be notified of their status in writing approximately eight weeks following the initial review of applications and the awards will be issued by the appropriate NIH funding component. On receipt of the Notice of Research Fellowship Award, the fellowship may be activated within six months of the award date. INQUIRIES Inquiries about this fellowship and requests for application kits must be directed to: Dr. David A. Wolff International Genomic Research Fellowship Program International Research and Awards Branch Fogarty International Center Building 31, Room B2C39 Bethesda, MD 20892 USA Telephone: (301) 496-1653 FAX: (301) 402-0779 For information on the Human Genome Program, contact: 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: B2G@CU.NIH.GOV For grants management and fiscal matters, contact: 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: AT3@CU.NIH.GOV 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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