Notice Number: NOT-AR-05-008

Key Dates
Release Date: September 9, 2005
Application Receipt Dates: Dec. 1, 2005; Dec. 1, 2006; Dec. 3, 2007

Issued by
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), (http://www.niams.nih.gov/)
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), (http://www.nichd.nih.gov/)
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), (http://www.ninds.nih.gov/)
Office of Rare Diseases, NIH (ORD), (http://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/)

This notice is to announce the opportunity for the Directors of the Senator Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Cooperative Research Centers (MDCRC) to apply for administrative supplements to their center grants to support small workshops or conferences focused on specific topics in muscular dystrophy research. These workshop proposals require a collaborative effort between the Wellstone MDCRC and other muscular dystrophy researchers and/or representatives from voluntary health organizations. The topics may fall into the broad categories of mechanisms of disease, screening and diagnosis, treatment, research infrastructure, or research on cognitive, behavioral or psychosocial issues. Each meeting should include no more than approximately 25 participants, and should be structured to promote extensive discussion and to reach an informed consensus. Each meeting should be aimed at achieving a specific goal or set of goals, and should not be considered simply a venue for the presentation of research results. Examples of the goals that these meetings could cover include:

• Developing standardized instruments and methods for data collection
• Planning and coordinating research activities involving investigators at multiple sites
• Identifying specific knowledge gaps and approaches to fill these gaps
• Developing standards for patient care and treatment
• Assessing the relative merits and future needs for model systems

A report listing the participants and describing the goal(s), proceedings and accomplishments of each meeting must be made available online at the MDCRC's web site or published in a relevant research journal.

The process of selecting topics and participants, and organizing and conducting the meetings should be a collaborative effort between members of the Wellstone MDCRC and other muscular dystrophy researchers and/or representatives from voluntary health organizations. Each meeting should be conducted by a chair and a co-chair; only one of which may be an MDCRC member. The meetings should strive to involve broad representation from the muscular dystrophy research and patient care communities, where appropriate for the topic. NIH recommends that no more than half of the members of the organizing committee and no more than half of the participants of the meeting be affiliated with an MDCRC. In order to develop a proposal, prospective meeting organizers should contact one of the MDCRC Directors listed in the Contacts section below. Plans for organizing the meetings will be discussed during the regularly scheduled MDCRC steering committee meetings. Related conferences organized by other groups should be taken into consideration to minimize overlap and to coordinate scheduling.

Each of the MDCRC Centers may apply for only one meeting supplement at each receipt date. Applicants may request a budget of up to $40,000 direct costs and indirect costs will be added as appropriate for the institution. Allowable costs are the same as those for the R13 Conference Grant mechanism (see instructions for R13 mechanism at https://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/r13/index.htm). Organizers should make every effort to reduce the budget by utilizing meeting facilities at the MDCRC institution, or by choosing a location for the meeting that minimizes travel and per diem costs.

For the 2005 receipt date, applications should be formatted on the NIH 398 form (https://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html). For the 2006 and 2007 receipt dates, applications should be formatted on the SF424 as described in NOT-OD-05-067. In either case, applications should follow the supplemental instructions for the R13 Conference Grant mechanism (see https://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/r13/index.htm). Participation in these meetings can be limited to those invited by the organizers, and, unlike the R13 mechanism, applicants must adhere to the receipt dates listed at the top of this notice. Applications should be sent electronically as an MSWord document or adobe portable document file (pdf) to Dr. Glen Nuckolls at NIAMS (glen_nuckolls@nih.gov). Please do not send this application to the Center for Scientific Review or to Grants.gov. Program officials of the participating institutes will administratively review all applications, with advice from other NIH staff or outside reviewers as appropriate. Review and award criteria for these supplements are the same as described in the R13 Program Announcement. Funding decisions will be based on scientific or public health merit of the proposed meeting, timeliness/unmet need and availability of funds. It is expected that awards will be made by Mar. 1, and the meetings should be scheduled for no more than one year after that date.

The participating institutes also encourage muscular dystrophy researchers and voluntary organizations to apply for R13 conference grants to support meetings that can be larger or more general than those supported by the MDCRC supplements. Contact one of the program directors listed below for more information regarding the R13 application process.

Contacts

Applicants are encouraged to contact the following individuals for further information.

Glen Nuckolls, Ph.D.
Muscle Disorders and Therapies Program Director
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
One Democracy Plaza, Suite 800
6701 Democracy Blvd., MSC4872
Bethesda, MD 20892-4872 (20817 for courier deliveries)
Phone: 301-594-5128
Email: glen_nuckolls@nih.gov

Mary Lou Oster-Granite, Ph.D.
Chief, Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Branch
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
6100 Executive Boulevard
Room 4B09G, MSC 7510
Bethesda, MD 20892-7510
Phone: 301-496-1383
Email: granitem@mail.nih.gov

John Porter, Ph.D.
Program Director, Channels, Synapses, and Circuits
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 2142, MSC 9523
Bethesda, MD 20892-9523
Phone: 301-496-1917
Email: porterjo@mail.nih.gov

Wellstone MDCRC Directors
Jeffrey S. Chamberlain, Ph.D.
University of Washington
Dept. of Neurology
HSB K243, Box 357720
Seattle, WA 98195-7720
Phone: 206-616-6645
Email: JSC5@U.WASHINGTON.EDU

Joseph C. Glorioso, Ph.D.
University of Pittsburgh
Dept. of Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry
E1240 Biomedical Science Tower
Pittsburgh, PA 15261
Phone: 412-648-8105
Email: GLORIOSO@PITT.EDU

Richard T. Moxley, MD
University of Rochester
Dept. of Neurology
601 Elmwood Ave., Box 673
Rochester, NY 14642-8673
Phone: 585-275-5006
Email: karen_berk@urmc.rochester.edu

Kevin P. Campbell, Ph.D.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Department of Physiology and Biophysics
University of Iowa College of Medicine
400 Eckstein Medical Research Bldg.
Iowa City, IA 52242
Phone: 319-335-7867
Email: KEVIN-CAMPBELL@UIOWA.EDU

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NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices

	Office of Extramural Research (OER)			National Institutes of Health (NIH) 9000 Rockville Pike Bethesda, Maryland 20892			Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
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