PHENOTYPING THE MOUSE NERVOUS SYSTEM AND BEHAVIOR

Release Date:  January 22, 1999

RFA: MH-99-006

P.T.

National Institute of Mental Health
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
National Institute on Aging
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
National Eye Institute
National Institute on Drug Abuse
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

Letter of Intent Receipt Date: March 17, 1999
Application Receipt Date: April 28, 1999

PURPOSE

The purpose of this Request for Applications (RFA) is to solicit applications for
research projects to develop objective and standardized criteria and new, cost-
effective, high-throughput phenotyping tools and methods to assess specific
components of nervous system function and complex behaviors in the laboratory
mouse. Projects supported under this RFA will develop and apply high-throughput
phenotyping protocols to evaluate standard inbred strains of mice, and deposit
the data so generated into databases of quantitative behavioral, physiological,
pharmacological, and neuroanatomical profiles across different strains. These
diverse phenotyping tools and assays will provide invaluable endpoints for the
comprehensive characterization of nervous system function and complex behaviors
in mouse mutants, and will facilitate the genetic analysis of these complex
traits. Protocols, assays, assessment criteria, data on reference strains, and
other material and information generated in projects funded under this RFA will
be made widely available to the scientific community. This RFA is part of a
broader NIH initiative to support large-scale functional genetic studies and
characterize the murine nervous system and behavior. Techniques and data
generated under this RFA will be available to support this broader initiative.

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 RFA, Phenotyping the Mouse Nervous
System and Behavior, is related to one or more of the priority areas. Potential
applicants may obtain a copy of "Healthy People 2000" at
http://www.crisny.org/health/us/health7.html.

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. Racial/ethnic minority individuals, women, and persons with
disabilities are encouraged to apply as Principal Investigators.

MECHANISM OF SUPPORT

This RFA will use the National Institutes of Health (NIH) individual project
grant (R01) mechanism.  Responsibility for the planning, direction, and execution
of the proposed project will be solely that of the applicant. This RFA is a one-
time solicitation.  Future unsolicited competing continuation applications will
compete with all investigator-initiated applications and be reviewed according
to the customary peer review procedures.

For administrative reasons all applications received in response to this
solicitation will be assigned initially to National Institute of Mental Health
(NIMH). After discussions among the participating Institutes and before review,
applications will be reassigned to the Institute(s) that is programmatically most
appropriate. Because the scope of some of the research projects proposed in
response to this RFA encompasses the interests of several NIH Institutes,
applications may receive dual assignments based on the established PHS
guidelines. Awards will be made and managed by NIMH and/or the other
participating Institutes.

FUNDS AVAILABLE

It is anticipated that approximately $3 million (including direct and indirect
costs) will be available for this initiative in Fiscal Year 2000, during which
it is anticipated that 15-20 awards will be made. Awards pursuant to this RFA are
contingent upon the availability of funds for this purpose.  The amount of
funding for this initiative may be increased if a large number of highly
meritorious applications are received and if funds are available.  Only
applications that are found to be of the highest scientific merit will be
considered for funding, and not all of the funding will be spent if there are not
enough highly meritorious applications. Funding in future years will be subject
to the availability of funds.  Although the R01 mechanism is typically
unrestricted in regard to both time and dollar limits, applications submitted in
response to this RFA must not exceed $150,000 per year in direct costs. In
addition, the total project period may not exceed 3 years.  The earliest
anticipated date of award is December 1, 1999.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

Background

Genetic factors contribute to virtually every human disease by conferring
susceptibility or resistance, affecting the severity or progression of disease,
and interacting with environmental factors that modify disease course and
expression. Much of current biomedical research, in both the public and private
sectors, is based upon the expectation that understanding the genetic basis of
disease and the affected underlying biological pathways will revolutionize
diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. An important approach to studying the
genetic basis of human health and disease is to identify genes influencing
related physiological processes in a model organism such as the mouse or rat, and
then study the human homologues of these genes.

The laboratory mouse is an increasingly important tool to model complex human
diseases and to understand fundamental mammalian biology.  Among its other
advantages, the mouse is the most developed mammalian system for genetic
analysis. Many exciting results on the biology of nervous system function and
complex behavior have come from experimental gene manipulation in the mouse.
These studies rely on the previous molecular characterization of genes of
interest. However, much of murine physiology and behavior is influenced by genes
that are still unknown. Experimental strategies that can identify genes based on
the phenotypes that they confer are thus highly desirable. One such method is to
systematically mutagenize animals with a chemical agent such as N-ethyl-N-
nitrosourea (ENU), and then screen the progeny of the mutagenized animals for
individuals with altered traits of interest.

In order for such strategies to achieve their full potential, researchers require
standardized, high-throughput phenotyping assays and criteria to screen for a
broad range of murine nervous system and behavioral phenotypes. These assays will
increase the availability of genetically well defined strains of mice that have
well characterized phenotypic abnormalities. Development of new phenotypic assays
also will permit broader characterization of the large number of targeted mouse
mutations--knock-outs, knock-ins, etc.--that have been prepared previously. This
impending comprehensive analysis of the mouse genome will provide unprecedented
opportunities for the use of genetics to elucidate the mechanisms of nervous
system function and behavior.

Scope and Objectives

This RFA will solicit research applications to develop new, cost-effective, high-
throughput phenotyping assays to characterize nervous system function and complex
behavior in the mouse. Quantitative phenotypic assessments, including gender and
lifespan characteristics, will also be made in animals from multiple inbred
reference strains, to establish baseline data to facilitate detection of
phenotypic alterations in mutant animals. These data will be used to develop
quantitative behavioral, physiological, pharmacological, and neuroanatomical
profiles that will serve as standard references for the detection of both gross
and subtle phenotypic alterations in nervous system function and complex behavior
of mutant mice. Reference phenotypic data arising from these studies, as well as
phenotyping criteria, tools, and assays will be made widely available to the
scientific community, including ongoing NIH-funded mutagenesis efforts that focus
on such phenotypes. The following areas are of primary importance and should be
explicitly addressed in the application:

o Development of novel phenotyping assays and protocols that can be
systematically, rapidly, and efficiently implemented, in a high-throughput and
cost-effective fashion, to characterize thousands of mutant mice.

o Generation of objective criteria for assessing different nervous system and
behavioral phenotypes, so as to permit the development of a universal
nomenclature for use in studying these phenotypes.

o Generation of phenotypic data in standard inbred strains, to provide a frame
of reference for evaluation of mutant phenotypes.

o Development of assays that permit quantitative phenotypic assessment, thereby
providing scales of phenotypic measurements that are more precise than
qualitative assessments alone and that yield greater information content per
phenotyped animal.

o Demonstration that all developed phenotypic assays will permit measurements of
high reliability and reproducibility.

o Documentation of all phenotyping procedures and protocols in training manuals
in detail sufficient for scientists in multiple laboratories to easily employ the
developed assays to phenotype animals with a high degree of reliability and
reproducibility.

o Maintenance of a standardized database that includes data on reference strains
and detailed protocols for all developed phenotypic assays, which can be linked
to a centralized database.

o Implementation of a sharing plan to insure that all instrumentation, tools, and
technologies required for all developed phenotyping assays are widely available
to the scientific community.

Investigators are expected to establish a comprehensive collection of baseline,
primary phenotypic data on standard inbred strains (e.g., body weight,
physiological parameters), in addition to characterizing phenotypes relevant to
nervous system functioning and behavior. High-throughput phenotyping assays
developed in projects funded under this RFA are expected to be made widely
available to the scientific community, including investigators carrying out high-
throughput mutagenesis screens.

It is expected that investigators funded by this RFA will develop assays for one
or more broad domains of nervous system function and complex behavior. The
adaptation of neurophysiological and behavioral assays used in rats for use in
mice is encouraged. These assays will include a variety of measures of one or
more components of behavior, motor function, physiology, pharmacological
response, and neuroanatomy. These phenotypes include, but are not limited to, the
following:

o Complex traits related to normal or abnormal nervous system function  and
behavior, including but not limited to the following: emotion, attention,
cognition, perception, concentration, sensation, learning, memory, reproductive
and parenting behaviors, social behavior, circadian rhythms, grooming, impulse
control, appetite, hedonic capacity, weight loss/gain, energy level, and
peripheral sensory and autonomic nervous system function.

o Neurological symptoms including ataxia, dystonia, seizures, paralysis,
rigidity, tremor, cognitive impairment, motor tics, deficits in sensory, motor,
and cognitive function following ischemic insult, neurotoxic insult, spinal cord
injury, head injury, or nerve trauma.

o Motor behavior, including measures of strength, motor control and coordination,
and cognitive aspects of motor planning.

o Acute and chronic sensitivity to neuropathic and inflammatory pain.

o Visual phenotypes including, but not limited to, the following: retinal
degeneration, cataract, cornea dystrophy, glaucoma, and abnormalities affecting
sensory, plasticity and motor functions in the visual system.

o Phenotypes that reflect alterations (i.e., impairment, distortion, or
hypersensitivity) in sensory function including, but not limited to, the
following: hearing and susceptibility to noise-induced hearing loss, balance and
vestibular function, olfaction (including assays for neonatal function),
vomeronasal function, and taste.

o Behavioral traits related to alcohol ingestion, including but not limited to
the following: alcohol drinking preference, alcohol-induced ataxia and locomotor
activation, acute and chronic alcohol withdrawal, alcohol-induced conditioned
place preference and conditioned taste aversion, operant responding for an
alcohol reward, acute behavioral tolerance to alcohol, and alcohol-induced
anxiolysis.

o Phenotypes that reflect alterations with aging including, but not limited to,
the following: learning, memory and cognition, sensory and motor function, sleep
and circadian rhythms, glial structure and function, blood brain barrier
structure and function, regional brain volume, susceptibility to
neurodegeneration, neurotoxicity, and oxidative stress, and biochemical and
physiological measures of accelerated nervous system aging.

o Behavioral traits related to the taking and seeking of drugs of abuse, which
model aspects of drug addiction and co-morbid behaviors. These include, but are
not limited to the following: drug preference, conditioned place preference,
acquisition, maintenance, extinction, and reinstatement of drug taking behavior,
narrowing of behavioral repertoires, and drug sensitization, tolerance, and
withdrawal.

o Behavioral abnormalities that model those found in mental disorders including,
but not limited to, the following: attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder,
autistic disorder, bipolar disorder, depression, eating disorders, obsessive-
compulsive disorder, panic disorder, schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders,
sleep disorders, and Tourette syndrome.

o Behavioral, neurological, and sensory phenotypes limited to specific stages of
development or to specific stages of the life span, such as neurodegenerative
disorders in early development or aging.

o High throughput methods for the following:  structural and functional
characterization of the central and peripheral nervous systems in living animals
through fMRI, PET, and other neuroimaging techniques or through evaluation of
electrophysiological parameters, such as conduction velocity, EEG or long-term
potentiation.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

Dissemination of Research Resources

The sharing of materials, data, and software in a timely manner has been an
essential element in the rapid progress that has been made in the genetic
analysis of human diseases.  PHS policy requires that investigators make unique
research resources readily available for research purposes to qualified
individuals within the scientific community when they have been published (PHS
Grants Policy Statement in the July 12, 1996 issue of the NIH Guide to Grants and
Contracts). Research materials and results produced in projects funded by this
RFA will be distributed to scientific investigators in the wider research
community, and will augment existing resources.

NIH is interested in ensuring that the research resources developed through this
RFA become readily available to the research community for further research,
development, and application, in the expectation that this will lead to products
and knowledge of benefit to the public. For this reason, NIH is concerned that
patent applications for a large number of phenotyping tools, assays, protocols,
and operational criteria might have a chilling effect on the future development
of products and information that may improve the public health. At the same time,
NIH recognizes the rights of grantees to elect and retain title to subject
inventions developed under Federal funding under the provision of the Bayh-Dole
Act. Indeed, for inventions developed in its intramural program, NIH does file
patent applications, in accord with a set of policies described at
http://ott.od.nih.gov/NewPages/200po6.htm.

To address the joint interests of the government in the availability of, and
access to, the results of publicly funded research and in the opportunity for
economic development based on these results, NIH requires applicants who respond
to this RFA to propose detailed plans for sharing the research resources
generated through the grant.  It is expected that the resources to be shared
include all materials developed in projects funded under the RFA, including but
not limited to, the following: phenotyping assays and protocols, standardized and
operational criteria, training manuals, quantitative scores of reference animals
on behavioral and nervous system phenotyping assays. For this purpose, it is the
opinion of the NIH that dissemination of such data and materials via individual
laboratories and Web sites is not sufficient, as it would force interested
investigators to search several different data collections to make use of the
results of this initiative. It is preferable that data and materials generated
in grants funded under this RFA should be placed in common, public repositories
and databases that are widely accessible by investigators in the scientific
community.

It is expected that the investigator"s data sharing plan will include the
following elements: (1) establishment of a comprehensive database containing
detailed protocols, operational criteria, and assessment techniques, for all
phenotypic assays developed in the project, (2) development of detailed training
manuals to assure reproducible and reliable phenotyping in other laboratories,
(3) elaboration of mechanisms to promote the wide distribution of resources to
investigators in the scientific community, and (4) a distribution timetable.  The
initial review group will make an administrative comment on the adequacy of the
proposed plan for sharing and data access. The adequacy of the plan will be
considered by NIH program staff in determining whether the grant shall be
awarded.  The sharing plan as approved, after negotiation with the applicant when
necessary, will be a condition of the award.  Evaluation of renewal applications
will include assessment of the effectiveness of research resource release.

It is expected that this plan includes all elements of the guidelines developed
by the NIH and the Department of Energy (DOE) to address the special needs of
genome research.  These guidelines call for material and information from genome
research to be made available within six months of the time the data or materials
are collected, and are available on the Web at
http://www.nhgri.nih.gov/Grant_info/ Funding/Statements/data_release.html.
Adherence with this time frame is highly desirable. More rapid sharing is
encouraged.  Requests for exemptions or extensions will require compelling
justification and will be fully evaluated through peer review and by program
staff.

Applicants are also reminded that the grantee institution is required to disclose
each subject invention to the Federal Agency providing research funds within two
months after the inventor discloses it in writing to grantee institution
personnel responsible for patent matters. The awarding Institute reserves the
right to monitor grantee activity in this area to ascertain if patents on large
numbers of phenotyping assays, protocols, instrumentation, and methodologies are
being filed.

Where appropriate, grantees may work with the private sector to make unique
resources available to the wider biomedical research community at a reasonable
cost.  Applicants may request funds to defray the costs of sharing resources,
with adequate justification.

POST-AWARD MANAGEMENT

During the course of the project period, while the original approved scope of
work must be maintained, it is anticipated that technologies will improve and the
rate of progress and focus of work supported by the grant may change. 
Accordingly, it is expected that the principal investigator will make many
necessary adjustments in scientific direction to accommodate such changes. During
the course of the award period, the principal investigators may be invited to
meet with NIH program staff, to review scientific progress.  Other scientists
external to and knowledgeable about these studies may also be invited to
participate.  Budget requests should include travel funds for the principal
investigator to meet annually in the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area.

LETTER OF INTENT

Prospective applicants are asked to submit by March 17, 1999 a letter of intent
that includes a descriptive title of the proposed research, the name, address,
and telephone number of the Principal Investigator, the identities of other key
personnel and participating institutions, and the number and title of this RFA. 
Although a letter of intent is not required, is not binding, and does not enter
into the review of a subsequent application, the information that it contains
allows NIH staff to estimate the potential review workload and avoid conflict of
interest in the review.

The letter of intent is to be sent to:

Dr. Mary E. Farmer
Division of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience Research
National Institute of Mental Health
6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 7192, MSC 9643
Bethesda, MD  20892-9643
Telephone:  (301) 443-1411
FAX:  (301) 443-9890
Email: [email protected]

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

The research grant application form PHS 398 (rev. 4/98) is to be used in applying
for these grants.  The form is available at most institutional offices of
sponsored research and 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: [email protected]. It
is also available at http://www.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html.

The RFA label available in the PHS 398 (rev. 4/98) application form must be
affixed to the bottom of the face page of the application.  Failure to use this
label could result in delayed processing of the application such that it may not
reach the review committee in time for review.  In addition, the RFA title and
number, "Phenotyping the Mouse Nervous System and Behavior: RFA MH-99-006," must
be typed in section 2 of the face page of the application form and the YES box
must be marked.

Submit a signed, typewritten original of the application, including the
Checklist, and four photocopies in one package to:

CENTER FOR SCIENTIFIC REVIEW
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
6701 ROCKLEDGE DRIVE, ROOM 1040 - MSC 7710
BETHESDA, MD  20892-7710
BETHESDA, MD  20817 (for courier/overnight mail service)

At the time of submission, send one additional copy of the application to:

Dr. Mary E. Farmer
Division of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience Research
National Institute of Mental Health
6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 7192, MSC 9643
Bethesda, MD  20892-9643
Telephone:  (301) 443-1411
Fax:  (301) 443-9890
Email:  [email protected]

Applications must be received by April 28, 1999. If an application is received
after that date, it will be returned to the applicant without review.  The Center
for Scientific Review (CSR) will not accept any application in response to this
RFA that is essentially the same as one currently pending initial review, unless
the applicant withdraws the pending application.  CSR will not accept any
application that is essentially the same as one already reviewed.  This does not
preclude the submission of substantial revisions of applications already
reviewed, but such applications must include an introduction addressing the
previous critique.  The applicants should also ensure that their revised
applications respond to the review criteria by which applications in response to
this RFA will be evaluated.

REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS

Upon receipt, applications will be reviewed for completeness by CSR and for
responsiveness to this RFA by NIH staff.  Incomplete applications will be
returned to the applicant without further consideration.  If the application is
not responsive to the RFA, NIH staff will contact the applicant to determine
whether to return the application to the applicant or submit it for review in
competition with unsolicited applications at the next review cycle.

Those applications that are complete and responsive to this RFA will be evaluated
for scientific and technical merit in accordance with the criteria stated below
by an appropriate peer review group.  As part of the initial merit review, all
applications will receive a written critique and may undergo a process in which
only those applications deemed to have the highest scientific merit will be
discussed and assigned a priority score.  All applications will receive a second
level of review by the appropriate NIH National Advisory Council.

Review Criteria

The goals of NIH-supported research are to advance our understanding of
biological systems, improve the control of disease, and enhance health.  The
reviewers will comment on the following aspects of the application in their
written critiques to judge the likelihood that the proposed research will have
a substantial impact on the pursuit of these goals.  Each of the criteria will
be addressed and considered by the reviewers in assigning the overall score
weighting them as appropriate for each application.  Note that the application
does not need to be strong in all categories to be judged likely to have a major
scientific impact and thus deserve a high priority score.  For example, an
investigator may propose to carry out important work that by its nature is not
innovative but is essential to move a field forward.

o  Significance: Does this study address the development of high-throughput
phenotypic assays, standardized criteria, and methods to categorize in a
reliable, reproducible, and quantifiable fashion mouse nervous system and
behavior parameters? Are the specific aims directed toward method development
rather than the testing of specific hypotheses? Will the phenotypic tests to be
developed facilitate the functional analysis of the mouse genome?

o  Approach: Are the conceptual framework, design, techniques, and approaches
adequate, appropriate, and feasible to accomplish the specific aims of the
project? Does the applicant acknowledge potential problem areas and consider
alternate approaches? Is the scientific and technical merit of the proposed
research sufficient to advance the objectives of the RFA?  Can the assays and
methods developed be utilized by multiple laboratories in a highly cost-
effective, and high-throughput fashion to phenotype mouse nervous system function
and behavior?

o  Innovation and originality: Does the project employ novel and creative
concepts and approaches to develop high-throughput phenotyping assays and
objective criteria? Does the project challenge existing paradigms and foster new
approaches in developing such assays? If the aims of the application are
achieved, will the methods and assays to be developed lead to novel insights on
mammalian nervous system function and behavior? Do the proposed methods extend
and improve upon pre-existing methods and protocols to phenotype mouse nervous
system function and behavior?

o Investigator: Are the principal investigator and staff appropriately trained
and well suited to carry out this work? Is the work proposed appropriate to the
experience level of the principal investigator and other researchers (if any)?

o Scalability: What is the likelihood that the assays and methods will be rapidly
available for large-scale mutagenesis efforts? Will the methods be cost-effective
and reliable when applied in such efforts?

o Integration with other resources: Are the plans adequate to integrate the
assays and criteria with those developed by other laboratories?

o Exportability and accessibility: Are the plans adequate for development of
adequate documentation? Will developed assays, protocols, and criteria be usable
by, and accessible in a timely fashion to, the broad community of researchers
studying the mouse?

o  Environment: Does the scientific environment in which the work will be done
contribute to the probability of success? Do the proposed methods take advantage
of unique features of the scientific environment or employ useful collaborative
arrangements? Is there evidence of institutional support?

In addition to the above criteria, in accordance with NIH policy, all
applications will also be reviewed with respect to the following:

o  The reasonableness of the proposed budget and duration in relation to the
proposed research.

o  The adequacy of the proposed protection for humans, animals or the
environment, to the extent they may be adversely affected by the project proposed
in the application.

The availability of special opportunities for furthering methods development
through the use of unusual talent, research resources, or environmental
conditions in other countries which are not readily available in the United
States, or which provide augmentation of existing resources in the United States,
will be considered in the review.

AWARD CRITERIA

The earliest anticipated date of award is December 1, 1999. Subject to the
availability of funds, and consonant with the priorities of this RFA, the
participating Institutes will provide funds for a project period not to exceed
3 years. Factors that will be used to make award decisions are as follows: o 
Quality of the proposed project as determined by rigorous scientific peer review,

o  Cost effectiveness of the proposed strategy,

o  Promise of the proposed project to accomplish the goals of this RFA, by which
rapid, high-throughput phenotyping protocols and methods will be developed for
widespread application in functional studies of the mouse genome conducted in
multiple laboratories,

o  Promise of the proposed methods to extend and improve upon pre-existing
methods and protocols to phenotype mouse nervous system function and behavior,

o  Adequacy of plans to make widely available to the scientific community all
research resources developed during the project,

o Availability of funds.

INQUIRIES

Inquiries concerning this RFA are strongly encouraged.  The opportunity to
clarify any issues or questions from potential applicants is welcome. Direct
inquiries regarding programmatic issues to:

Dr. Mary E. Farmer
Division of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience Research
National Institute of Mental Health
6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 7192, MSC 9643
Bethesda, MD  20892-9643
Telephone:  (301) 443-1411
FAX:  (301) 443-9890
Email:  [email protected]

Dr. Jonathan D. Pollock
Division of Basic Research
National Institute on Drug Abuse
6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 4284, MSC 9555
Bethesda, MD  20892-9555
Telephone: (301) 443-6300
FAX: (301) 594-6043
Email: [email protected]

Dr. Ellen Witt
Division of Basic Research
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
6000 Executive Boulevard, Suite 402, MSC 7003
Bethesda, MD 20892-7003
Phone:  (301) 443-6545
FAX:  (301) 594-0673
Email:  [email protected]

Dr. Bradley C. Wise
Neuroscience and Neuropsychology of Aging Program
National Institute on Aging
7201 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 3C307, MSC 9205
Bethesda, MD  20892-9205
Telephone: (301) 496-9350
FAX: (301) 496-1494
Email: [email protected]

Dr. Maria Y. Giovanni
Fundamental Retinal Processes
National Eye Institute
6120 Executive Boulevard, Suite 350 - MSC 7164
Bethesda, MD  20892-7164
Telephone: (301) 496-0484
FAX:  (301) 402-0528
Email:  [email protected]

Dr. Gabrielle Leblanc
Division of Fundamental Neuroscience and Developmental Disorders National
Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 2139, MSC 9170
Bethesda, MD  20892-9170
Telephone: (301) 496-5745
FAX: (301) 402-1501
Email: [email protected]

Dr. Rochelle Small
Division of Human Communication
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
6120 Executive Boulevard, Room 400C, MSC 7180
Bethesda, MD  20892-7180
Telephone:  (301) 402-3464
FAX: (301) 402-6251
Email: [email protected]

Direct inquiries regarding fiscal matters to:

Ms. Diana S. Trunell
Grants Management Branch
National Institute of Mental Health
6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 6115, MSC 9605
Bethesda, MD  20892-9605
Telephone: (301) 443-2805
FAX: (301) 443-6885
Email: [email protected]

Mr. Gary Fleming
Grants Management
National Institute on Drug Abuse
5600 Fishers Lane, Room 8A-54
Rockville, MD 20857
Telephone: (301) 443-6710
FAX: (301) 594-6847
Email: [email protected]

Ms. Linda Hilley
Office of Planning and Resource Management
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
6000 Executive Boulevard, Suite 504 - MSC 7003
Bethesda, MD 20892-7003
Telephone: (301) 443-4703
FAX: (301) 443-3891
Email: [email protected]

Mr. Joseph Ellis
Grants and Contracts Management Office
National Institute on Aging
7201 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 2C231
Bethesda, MD  20892-9205
Telephone:  (301) 496-1472
FAX:  (301) 402-0066
Email:  [email protected]

Ms. Carolyn E. Grimes
Grants Management Branch
National Eye Institute
Executive Plaza South, Suite 350 - MSC 7164
Bethesda, MD  20892-7164
Telephone:  (301) 496-5884
FAX:  (301) 496-9997
Email:  [email protected]

Ms. Tina Carlisle
Grants Management Branch
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 3261, MSC 9190
Bethesda, MD  20892-9190
Telephone: (301) 496-9231
FAX: (301) 402-0219
Email: [email protected]

Ms. Sharon Hunt
Division of Extramural Activities
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders 6120 Executive
Boulevard, Room 400B - MSC 7180
Bethesda, MD  20892-7170
Telephone:  (301) 402-0909
FAX:  (301) 402-1757
Email:  [email protected]

AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS

This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance No.
93.242 (NIMH), 93.279 (NIDA), 93.273 (NIAAA), 93.866 (NIA), 93.853 NINDS), 93.173
(NIDCD), and 93.867 (NEI). 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. Awards will be administered under PHS grants policy as
stated in the NIH Grants Policy Statement (October 1, 1998).

PHS strongly encourages all grant and contract recipients to provide a smoke-free
workplace and promote the nonuse 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.

Weekly TOC for this Announcement
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)