Notice Number: NOT-ES-12-010

Key Dates
Release Date: March 8, 2012

Estimated Publication Date of Announcement: April 2012
First Estimated Application Due Date: Summer 2012
Earliest Estimated Award Date: Spring 2013
Earliest Estimated Start Date: Spring 2013

Issued by
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)

Purpose

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences intends to publish a Fundingin Opportunity Announcement (FOA) utilizing the R21 mechanism to encourage applications proposing to study the role of environmental chemical exposures in the development of obesity, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

This Notice is being provided to allow potential applicants sufficient time to develop meaningful collaborations and responsive projects.

The FOA is expected to be published in April 2012 with an expected receipt date of Summer 2012. Applications submitted to this Funding Opportunity Announcement will be reviewed by standing Center for Scientific Research (CSR) study sections. Thus, applicants should indicate in a cover letter which study section they prefer to review the application.

Details of the planned Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOA) are provided below.

Research Initiative Details

Applications must link an environmental exposure to the increased incidence of weight gain, type 2 diabetes and aspects of metabolic syndrome in animal models or human studies. While any exposure window is acceptable it is anticipated that the most sensitive time for exposures to affect the disease outcomes will be during development e.g., in utero and/or neonatal or early childhood. Human studies developmental exposures (in utero and early childhood) should be linked to early biomarkers of disease onset. Animal studies submitted as R21s should focus on identifying new environmental chemicals that alter weight gain, insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance and altered lipid metabolism indicative of obesity, type 2 diabetes and/or metabolic syndrome.

Applications should not be submitted to this FOA that focus on bisphenol A (BPA) as the environmental exposure.

The FOA is expected to be published in Spring 2012 with non-standard receipt dates beginning in Summer 2012. Multiple other NIH Institutes and Centers are expected to participate.

Inquiries

Please direct all inquiries to:

Jerrold J. Heindel, PhD
Program Officer
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
530 Davis Drive
Morrisville, NC 27713
Telephone: (919) 541-0781
Email and website: [email protected] and http://www.niehs.nih.gov/