Full Text PA-97-045
 
PILOT PROJECTS OR FEASIBILITY STUDIES FOR GENOMIC MAPPING, SEQUENCING AND ANALYSIS
 
NIH GUIDE, Volume 26, Number 8, March 14, 1997
 
PA NUMBER:  PA-97-045 (See NOT-HG-06-013 for details on expiration of this Notice)
 
P.T. 34

Keywords: 
  0755044 
  Nucleic Acid Sequencing 

 
National Human Genome Research Institute
 
[NOTE: This program announcement supersedes the program announcement:
(PA-94-046) Pilot Projects or Feasibility Studies for Genomic
Analysis, NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, Vol. 23, No.10, March
11, 1994.]
 
PURPOSE
 
The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), formerly the
National Center for Human Genome Research, invites applications for
pilot projects or feasibility studies to develop new, and/or to
significantly improve existing, technologies that will accelerate the
genome mapping, sequencing and analysis goals of the Human Genome
Project (HGP) in the most expeditious and economical manner. The
purpose of this program announcement is to encourage high
risk/potential high payoff applications that are not yet developed
fully enough to successfully compete for a standard R01 grant.
 
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
 
Applications may be submitted by domestic, 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. Racial/ethnic minority
individuals, women, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to
apply as principal investigators.
 
MECHANISM OF SUPPORT
 
Support for this program will be through the exploratory/development
grants (R21) mechanism. Applicants may request up to two years of
support.  Projects will be limited to $100,000 (direct cost) per
annum.  These grants will not be renewable.  Continuation of projects
developed under this program will be through the regular grant
program.
 
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
 
Background and Objectives
 
The NHGRI is currently engaged, along with several other federal,
private, and international organizations, in a fifteen year research
program called the Human Genome Project (HGP).  The goals are to
characterize the genomes of human and selected model organisms, to
develop technologies to analyze the human genome, to examine the
ethical, legal, and social implications of human genetics research,
and to train scientists who will be able to utilize the tools and
resources developed through the HGP to pursue biological studies that
will improve human health.
 
Significant progress toward completing these goals has been made in
the past six years, with several having already been achieved.
Continued progress toward and eventual completion of the HGP goals
will require further technological advances in the areas of mapping,
sequencing and analysis.  Pilot projects can be a valuable means of
promoting the development of new technologies that are scientifically
sound, effective and cost-efficient.
 
The NHGRI is interested in supporting technological advances in
several areas of research, including the following:
 
1.  Improved technologies for constructing genetic maps, such as
developing new methods for rapid genotyping and developing new,
easier-to-use markers,
 
2.  Efficient technologies for identifying the nature and extent of
sequence differences in human genomic DNA and for analyzing sequence
variation within and among species,
 
3. New conceptual approaches for constructing physical maps of the
genomes of other organisms and for constructing higher resolution
maps for DNA sequencing ,
 
4.  Improved technologies for reducing the cost of de novo seqeuncing
and resequencing by at least an order of magnitude,
 
5.  Novel approaches, both biological and computational, for
interpreting the genome, with a special emphasis on technologies that
are amenable to large-scale analysis and are genome-wide, and
 
6. New methods and tools for the analysis and interpretation of
genomic data, as well as new data management systems.
 
Prospective applicants are encourage to review the companion Program
Announcement, PA-97-043, for a more detailed description of the types
of research that address these topics.
 
Proposals for the development of technology applications relevant to
other research problems pertinent to the current or long-term goals
of
the HGP will be considered to be responsive to this announcement.
 
Applicants responding to this program announcement are not required
to have preliminary data.  However, the research project must be well
designed, must be scientifically and technically sound, and should
propose alternative solutions.  In the absence of preliminary data,
applicants are encouraged to present any other information that can
be considered as evidence of feasibility.
 
The NHGRI encourages applications from scientists who have not
traditionally been funded by the NHGRI, such as, chemists, engineers,
physicists, mathematicians, and computer scientists.  However,
applicants whose expertise is primarily non-biological and who are
interested in developing technology for genomic mapping, sequencing
and analysis using non-biological tools are encouraged to interact
closely with potential users of the technology.
 
ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS
 
In planning research projects, applicants are urged to consider the
following:
 
Interdisciplinary Research. The problems that must be solved in
genomic analysis may require technically demanding solutions.
Accordingly, interdisciplinary approaches are particularly
appropriate. The NHGRI encourages interdisciplinary collaborations
between biologists from various sub-disciplines and non-biologists,
such as chemists, physicists, information scientists, mathematicians
and engineers.
 
Instrumentation.  Proposals for instrument development are expected
to address the issues of access by groups other than the developers
to any instruments developed through this program. In projects where
instrumentation and/or software development are key components,
investigators should specifically address (1) exportability to other
laboratories, (2) access of other investigators to unique
instruments, and (3) where appropriate, integration of individual
components into systems.
 
Evaluation of Technology.  As technology matures it must be tested to
demonstrate its capabilities and robustness.  Plans for accomplishing
such a test should be included in the application, if it is
anticipated that the technology will reach the appropriate level of
maturity by the end of the project period.
 
INCLUSION OF WOMEN AND MINORITIES IN RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMAN
SUBJECTS
 
It is the policy of the NIH that women and members of minority groups
and their subpopulations must be included in all NIH supported
biomedical and behavioral research projects involving human subjects,
unless a clear and compelling rationale and justification is provided
that inclusion is inappropriate with respect to the health of the
subjects or the purpose of the research. This policy results from the
NIH Revitalization Act of 1993 (Section 492B of Public Law 103-43).
All investigators proposing research involving human subjects should
read the "NIH Guidelines for Inclusion of Women and Minorities as
Subjects in Clinical Research," which have been published in the
Federal Register of March 28, 1994 (FR 59 14508-14513) and in the NIH
Guide for Grants and Contracts, Vol 23, Number 11, March 18, 1994.
 
APPLICATION PROCEDURES
 
Applications are to be submitted on the grant application form PHS
398 (rev. 5/95) and will be accepted at the standard application
deadlines as indicated in the application kit.  Applications kits are
available at most institutional offices of sponsored research and may
be obtained from the Division of Extramural Outreach and Information
Resources, National Institutes of Health, 6701 Rockledge Drive, MSC
7910, Bethesda, MD 20892-7910, telephone 301/710-0267, email:
ASKNIH@odrockm1.od.nih.gov.  The title and number of this program
announcement must be typed in Item 2 on the face page of the
application.
 
The completed original application and five legible copies should be
delivered to:
 
DIVISION OF RESEARCH GRANTS
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
6701 ROCKLEDGE DRIVE, ROOM 1040 - MSC 7710
BETHESDA, MD 20892-7710
BETHESDA, MD 20817 (for express/courier service)
 
REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS
 
Applications will be assigned on the basis of established Public
Health Service referral guidelines.  Applications will be reviewed
for scientific and technical merit by study sections of the Division
of Research Grants. NIH (or by the review group of the relevant
Institute, Center, or Division), in accordance with the standard NIH
peer review procedures.  Following the scientific-technical review,
the applications will receive a second-level review by the
appropriate national advisory council.
 
Review Criteria
 
Scientific, technical, or medical significance and originality of
proposed  research,
 
Appropriateness and adequacy of the experimental approach and
methodology proposed to carry out the research,
 
Qualifications and research experience of the principal investigator
and staff,  particularly, but not exclusively, in the area of the
proposed research,
 
Availability of the resources necessary to perform the research, and
 
Appropriateness of the proposed budget and duration in relation to
the proposed research.
 
The initial review group will also examine the provisions for the
protection of human and animal subjects and the safety of the
research environment.
 
AWARD CRITERIA
 
Applications will compete for available funds with all other approved
applications.  The following will be considered in making funding
decisions:
 
Quality of the proposed project as determined by peer review,
availability of funds, and program priority.  In addition,
applications assigned to the NHGRI will also take into consideration
the following additional criteria:
 
Potential for developing technology or strategies that will
accelerate progress in  mapping, sequencing, or analysis of the human
genome and the genomes of other organisms, and
 
Value of the proposed research for achieving the research goals of
the National Human Genome Research Institute, while maintaining
programmatic balance in the NHGRI grant portfolio.
 
INQUIRIES
 
Inquires are encouraged.  The opportunity to clarify any issues or
questions from potential applicants is welcomed.
 
Direct inquiries regarding programmatic issues to:
 
David Benton, Ph.D.
Genome Informatics
Email: david_ benton@nih.gov
 
Elise Feingold, Ph.D.
Genomic Analysis
Email: elise_feingold@nih.gov
 
Bettie Graham, Ph.D.
Genetic Mapping and Sequence Variation
Email: bettie_graham@nih.gov
 
Jane L. Peterson, Ph.D.
Large-Scale Sequencing
Email: jane_peterson@nih.gov
 
Jeffery Schloss, Ph.D.
Technology Development/Genome Sequencing
Email: jeff_schloss@nih.gov
 
The address and telephone number for the staff listed above are:
 
Building 38A, Room 614
National Human Genome Research Institute
National Institutes of Health
38 Library Drive
Bethesda, MD 20892-6050
Telephone: (301) 496-7531
Fax: (301) 480-2770.
 
Inquiries about grants management/policy issues should be directed
to:
 
Ms. Jean Cahill
Grants Management Officer
National Human Genome Research Institute
Building 38A, Room 613
National Institutes of Health
38 Library Drive
Bethesda, MD 20892-6050
Telephone: (301) 402-0733
Email: jean_cahill@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.
 
The PHS strongly encourages all grant and contract recipients to
provide a smoke-free workplace and promote the non-use of all tobacco
products. In addition, Public Law 103-227, the Pro-Children Act of
1994, prohibits smoking in certain facilities (or in some cases, any
portion of a facility) in which  regular or routine education,
library, day care, health care or early childhood development
services are provided to children. This is consistent with the PHS
mission to protect and advance the physical and mental health of the
American people.
 
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