CHEMORECEPTION AND NUTRITION

NIH GUIDE, Volume 21, Number 35, October 2, 1992



PA NUMBER:   PA-93-001



P.T. 34



Keywords:

  Nutrition/Dietetics 

  Biology, Cellular 

  Sensory System 



National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

National Institute of Dental Research

National Institute on Aging

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development



PURPOSE



The purpose of this Program Announcement (PA) is to foster basic and

clinical research on the interactions between chemoreception and

nutrition.  This research may involve the effects of nutritional

variables on taste, smell, and somatosensory chemoreception, or this

research may involve the effects of chemosensory variables on nutrition

and diet.



HEALTHY PEOPLE 2000



The Public Health Service (PHS) is committed to achieving the health

promotion and disease prevention objectives of "Healthy People 2000,"

a PHS-led national activity for setting priority areas.  This PA,

Chemoreception and Nutrition, is related to the priority area of

nutrition.  Potential applicants may obtain a copy of "Healthy People

2000" (Full Report:  Stock No. 017-001-11474-0) or "Healthy People

2000" (Summary Report:  Stock No. 017-001-11473-1) through the

Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, DC

20402-9325 (telephone 202-783-3238).



ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS



Applications may be submitted by domestic and foreign, for-profit and

non-profit organizations, public and private, such as universities,

colleges, hospitals, laboratories, units of State and local

governments, and eligible agencies of the Federal government.

Applications from minority individuals and women are encouraged.

Foreign institutions are not eligible for the First Independent

Research Support and Transition (FIRST) Award (R29).



MECHANISM OF SUPPORT



The mechanisms available for the support of this program are research

project grants (R01) and the FIRST Award (R29).



Applicants from institutions that have a General Clinical Research

Center (GCRC) funded by the NIH National Center for Research Resources

(NCRR) may wish to identify the GCRC as a resource for conducting the

proposed research.  In such a case, a letter of agreement from either

the GCRC program director or Principal Investigator must be included

with the application.



RESEARCH OBJECTIVES



The support of nutrition research at the National Institutes of Health

(NIH) includes studies designed to assess the consequences of food or

nutrient intake and utilization in the intact organism, including

humans, and the metabolic and behavioral mechanisms involved.  These

studies encompass investigation of nutrient variables at the cellular

or subcellular level.  These studies also include investigations of

genetic/ environmental interactions in which a nutrient is a variable

and dietary practices are expected to produce changes in health status,

including the maintenance of health and the treatment of disease in

humans.  Current research in nutrition at the NIH is periodically

reported in the Nutrition Coordinating Committee's publication entitled

"Nutrition Research at the NIH," which includes examples of

nutrition-related chemosensory research supported by the NIH.

Potential applicants may obtain a copy of "Nutrition Research at the

NIH" (NIH Publication No. 91-2611) through the Division of Research

Coordination, Building 31, Room 4B63, Bethesda, MD 20892 (telephone

301-496-4982).



The goal of this PA is to foster basic and clinical research that will

lead to a better understanding of the interactions between

chemoreception and nutrition and better preventive interventions for

chemosensory and nutritional disorders.  This research may involve the

effects of nutritional variables on chemoreception, including taste,

smell, and somatosensory responses related to oral and nasal

chemoreception; this research may also be focused on the effects of

chemosensory variables on nutrition and diet.  A broad range of studies

covering the molecular to the behavioral levels of research is

encouraged.  Interactions among investigators in various biomedical and

behavioral fields and disciplines are encouraged, including nutrition,

psychophysics, biochemistry, and molecular biology.



Research topics might include those below.  Investigators are

encouraged to consider other topics relevant to this program.



o  Nutritional influences, including excessive nutrient intake, on the

molecular structure and function of chemosensory epithelia and on

secretory transport and other perireceptor events related to

chemoreception, including mucosal defense mechanisms.



o  Alteration of chemosensory receptor membrane events, including the

modification of sweet, bitter, sour, and salt taste sensation, by

influencing receptor binding or second messenger activation.



o  Nutritional influences on the regeneration cycle of olfactory

receptor neurons and taste bud cells under normal physiological

conditions and after injury to the chemosensory systems.



o  Effects of dietary alterations in early life on the structure and

function of chemosensory systems, including trigeminal chemoreception;

effects of dietary alterations in early life on the development of

sweet, bitter, sour, and salty taste and amiloride-sensitive sodium

channels.



o  Mother-infant relationships involving odors and nutrition.



o  Relation of smell, taste, and somatosensory aspects of flavor

perception to the amount of food consumed and the types of foods

selected and rejected.



o  Genetic studies involving food preferences and individual

differences in chemosensory abilities, for example, the ability to

taste phenylthiourea and other bitter substances and to smell

androstenone; studies of patients with Kallmann's disease or familial

dysautonomia.



o  Associations between chemosensory disorders and altered food intake

in age-related conditions and various chronic disease states, including

oral and dental diseases (e.g., xerostomia, dental caries, and

periodontal disease), obesity, diabetes, inborn errors of metabolism,

and digestive, hepatic, and kidney diseases.



o  Effects of artificial sweeteners and salt substitutes on nutrition

and chemoreception.



o  Nutritional and chemosensory status in special subpopulations,

including minorities, nursing mothers, and postmenopausal women with

burning mouth symptoms; individuals with pseudohypoparathyroidism

associated with G protein deficiency and hyposmia; those receiving

hormonal therapy.



o  Iatrogenic alterations of nutritional and chemosensory status

resulting from interventions, such as oral and dental prosthesis,

hemodialysis, irradiation, and chemotherapy.



o  Impact of the affective dimensions of chemoreception in health and

disease on food choices and utilization; impact of depressive and

eating disorders on chemosensory affect and sensitivity; impact of

dysosmia and dysgeusia on food choices and intake.



o  Role of chemoreception in digestion and metabolism of nutrients.



o  Development of chemosensory test stimuli that mimic chemosensory

properties of food and permit stimulus control.



SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS TO APPLICANTS REGARDING IMPLEMENTATION OF NIH

POLICIES CONCERNING INCLUSION OF WOMEN AND MINORITIES IN CLINICAL

RESEARCH STUDY POPULATIONS.



NIH and ADAMHA policy is that applicants for NIH/ADAMHA clinical

research grants and cooperative agreements are required to include

minorities and women in study populations so that research findings can

be of benefit to all persons at risk of the disease, disorder or

condition under study; special emphasis must be placed on the need for

inclusion of minorities and women in studies of diseases, disorders and

conditions which disproportionately affect them.  This policy is

intended to apply to males and females of all ages.  If women or

minorities are excluded or inadequately represented in clinical

research, particularly in proposed population-based studies, a clear

compelling rationale must be provided.



The composition of the proposed study population must be described in

terms of gender and racial/ethnic group.  In addition, gender and

racial/ethnic issues must be addressed in developing a research design

and sample size appropriate for the scientific objectives of the study.

This information must be included in the form PHS 398 in Sections 1-4

of the Research Plan AND summarized in Section 5, Human Subjects.

Applicants/offerors are urged to assess carefully the feasibility of

including the broadest possible representation of minority groups.

However, the NIH recognizes that it may not be feasible or appropriate

in all research projects to include representation of the full array of

United States racial/ethnic minority populations (i.e., Native

Americans [including American Indians or Alaskan Natives],

Asian/Pacific Islanders, Blacks, Hispanics).  The rationale for studies

on single minority population groups should be provided.



For the purpose of this policy, clinical research is defined as human

biomedical and behavioral studies of etiology, epidemiology, prevention

(and preventive strategies), diagnosis, or treatment of diseases,

disorders or conditions, including but not limited to clinical trials.



The usual NIH policies concerning research on human subjects also

apply.  Basic research or clinical studies in which human tissues

cannot be identified or linked to individuals are excluded.  However,

every effort should be made to include human tissues from women and

racial/ethnic minorities when it is important to apply the results of

the study broadly, and this should be addressed by applicants.



For foreign awards, the policy on inclusion of women applies fully;

since the definition of minority differs in other countries, the

applicant must discuss the relevance of research involving foreign

population groups to the United States' populations, including

minorities.



If the required information is not contained within the application,

the application will be returned.



Peer reviewers will address specifically whether the research plan in

the application conforms to these policies.  If the representation of

women or minorities in a study design is inadequate to answer the

scientific question(s) addressed AND the justification for the selected

study population is inadequate, it will be considered a scientific

weakness or deficiency in the study design and reflected in assigning

the priority score to the application.



All applications for clinical research submitted to the NIH are

required to address these policies.  NIH funding components will not

award grants or cooperative agreements that do not comply with these

policies.



APPLICATION PROCEDURES



Applications are to be submitted on the grant application form PHS 398

(rev. 9/91) and will be accepted at the standard application deadlines

as indicated in the application kit.



Application kits are available at most institutional offices of

sponsored research and may be obtained from the Office of Grants

Inquiries, Division of Research Grants, National Institutes of Health,

Westwood Building, Room 449, Bethesda, MD 20892, telephone

301/496-7441.  The title and number of the announcement must be typed

in line 2a on the face page of the application.



The completed original application and five legible copies must be sent

or delivered to:



Division of Research Grants

National Institutes of Health

Westwood Building, Room 240

Bethesda, MD  20892**



REVIEW PROCEDURES



Applications will be assigned on the basis of established PHS referral

guidelines.  Applications will be reviewed for scientific and technical

merit by study sections of the Division of Research Grants, NIH, in

accordance with the standard NIH peer review procedures.  Following

scientific-technical review, the applications will receive a

second-level review by an appropriate National Advisory Council or

Board.



AWARD CRITERIA



Applications will compete for available funds with all other approved

applications.  The following will be considered in making funding

decisions:



o  Quality of the proposed project as determined by peer review

o  Program balance among research areas of the announcement

o  Availability of funds



INQUIRIES



Direct inquiries regarding the major areas of research interest in this

nutrition program to:



Chemoreception



Rochelle Small, Ph.D.

Division of Communication Sciences and Disorders

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders

Executive Plaza South, Room 400-B

6120 Executive Boulevard

Rockville, MD  20892

Telephone:  (301) 402-3464

FAX:  (301) 402-6251



Obesity and Nutrition Sciences



Van S. Hubbard, M.D., Ph.D.

Director, Obesity, Eating Disorders and Energy Regulation

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Westwood Building, Room 3A18

Bethesda, MD  20892

Telephone:  (301) 496-7823

FAX:  (301) 402-1278



Oral Diseases and Conditions



Joseph E. Ciardi, Ph.D.

Director, Caries, Nutrition and Fluoride Program

Extramural Programs

National Institute of Dental Research

Westwood Building, Room 509

Bethesda, MD  20892

Telephone:  (301) 496-7784

FAX:  (301) 496-4180



Aging



Ann Sorenson, Ph.D.

Biology of Aging Program

National Institute on Aging

Gateway Building, Room 2C231

7201 Wisconsin Avenue

Bethesda, MD  20892

Telephone:  (301) 496-6402

FAX:  (301) 402-0010



Development



Ephraim Y. Levin, M.D.

Medical Officer, Endocrinology, Nutrition and Growth Branch

Center for Research for Mothers and Children

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Executive Plaza North, Room 637

Bethesda, MD  20892

Telephone:  (301) 496-5593

FAX:  (301) 402-2085



Direct inquiries regarding fiscal matters to:



Sharon Hunt

Grants Management Branch

Division of Extramural Activities

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders

Executive Plaza South, Room 400-B

Rockville, MD  20892

Telephone:  (301) 402-0909

FAX:  (301) 402-1758



Paulette Badman

Grants Management Specialist

Division of Extramural Programs

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Westwood Building, Room 637

Bethesda, MD  20892

Telephone:  (301) 496-7467

FAX:  (301) 496-9721



Theresa Ringler

Chief, Grants Management Section

Program Operations Branch

National Institute of Dental Research

Westwood Building, Room 518

Bethesda, MD  20892

Telephone:   (301) 496-7437

FAX:  (301) 402-1260



Mary Daley

Grants Management Branch

National Institute on Aging

Gateway Building, Room 2N212

7201 Wisconsin Avenue

Bethesda, MD  20892

Telephone:  (301) 496-1472

FAX:  (301) 402-0066



Edgar Douglas Shawver

Chief, Maternal and Child Research Grants Management Section

Office of Grants and Contracts

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Executive Plaza North, Room 505

Rockville, MD  20892

Telephone:  (301) 496-1303

FAX:  (301) 402-0915



AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS



The programs of the National Institute on Deafness and Other

Communication Disorders, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive

and Kidney Diseases, National Institute of Dental Research, National

Institute on Aging, and National Institute of Child Health and Human

Development, are identified in the Catalog of Federal Domestic

Assistance, Nos. 93.173, 93.848, 93.121, 93.866 and 93.865,

respectively.  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.



.

Return to 1992 Index

Return to NIH Guide Main Index

	Office of Extramural Research (OER)			National Institutes of Health (NIH) 9000 Rockville Pike Bethesda, Maryland 20892			Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Note: For help accessing PDF, RTF, MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Audio or Video files, see Help Downloading Files.