# Presentation: 196861

## Pre-Application Assistance MeetingJanuary 28, 2004

- Charles Edmonds, Ph.D.	NIGMS
- Adam Felsenfeld, Ph.D.	NHGRI
- Salvatore Sechi, Ph.D.		NIDDK
- Douglas Sheeley, Sc.D.	NCRR

**RFA RM-04-005:  **
**National Technology Centers for Networks and Pathways**

## Pre-Application Assistance MeetingJanuary 28, 2004

**Pre-Application Assistance Meeting****January 28, 2004**

**Agenda:**
**1.  Review of the RFA Program Goals and Administrative Requirements**
**2.  Answers to Written Questions**
**3.  Answers to Live Questions**
**Questions can be submitted live during the meeting.**
**Use the **_**Live Event Feedback Form**_**.**
** **
- Email:  sheeleyd@mail.nih.gov
- Telephone:  301-594-9762
- Fax:  301-480-3659

## Pre-Application Assistance MeetingJanuary 28, 2004

**Pre-Application Assistance Meeting****January 28, 2004**

**Schedule:**
**Goals of the program**
**a. FAQs**
**Specifics of Cores 1-6**
**b. FAQs**
**Special requirements, supplemental instructions**
**c. FAQs**
**Review Criteria**
**Questions submitted for this meeting**

## Technology Centers for Networks and Pathways (TCNPs)

- Program Goals
- These centers will cooperate in a networked national effort to develop highly novel, integrated, and broadly applicable proteomics technologies, to include:
- Instrumentation	Biophysical methods
- Reagents		Infrastructure

## Technology Centers for Networks and Pathways (TCNPs)

- Program Goals
- Fundamental technological challenges inherent in temporal and spatial characterization of complex biochemical pathways and molecular interactions:
- Quantitative information
-  High anatomic resolution (subcellular)
- Biologically relevant timescales

## Technology Centers for Networks and Pathways (TCNPs)

- Program Goals
- Beyond cataloging of proteins and their binary interactions, these methods will be directed toward quantitatively defining the dynamics of complex systems.

## TCNP Program Goals

- Principle goal is technological innovation
- Synergy to achieve goals not attainable individually
- Strong interaction with related Indiv. Invest. Projects
- Interaction with Biomedical Research Community
- Collaboration
- Education
- Technology transfer

## Research Objectives

- Temporal, Spatial, Quantitative resolution critical in modeling complex systems
- These issues still largely unaddressed in proteomics
- Protein interaction, modification, translocation, and expression data necessary
- Technologies directed to dynamics of complex systems

## Research Objectives

- Highly sensitive tools to measure dynamics of:
- Quantity
- Activity
- Translocation
- Interactions
- Preference for :
- Quantitation
- Timescales relevant to pathways/networks
- Subcellular resolution
- Scalable  vis-à-vis flexibility or comprehensiveness

## Research Objectives

- Focus of the RFA
- Fundamental Analytical Challenges
- NOT Particular Technologies
- Unconventional or Alternative Approaches
- Challenges presented by the RFA are broad
- Clearly define the scope of your technical activities

## Research Objectives

- -Synergy between 3 domains
- -Collaborative approach
- -Interdisciplinary teams, multiple laboratories

## Research Objectives

- Focus  on technology development
- Three features will ensure biological relevance
- Thematic focus or model system
- Context
- Driving Biological Projects (DBPs)
- Drivers, test-beds
- PA for interacting grants (spokes)
- Leverage and complement centers
- Build comprehensive technologies for specific foci

## Development of an Integrated Approach

- Model system or thematic focus
- e.g. a pathway or cellular process
- Framework/context for technology development
- Technically challenging
- Relevant to biomedical research
- Achievable in 5 to 10 year timeframe
- Broad-based, significant impact on variety of problems
- Collaborations
- Infrastructure development
- Training and Dissemination

## “Spoke” Grants

- Program announcement will solicit applications for additional partnering projects between _individual investigators_ and _centers_
- Leverage and complement centers
- Build comprehensive technologies for specific systems
- Address biological problems

## Research Objectives

_**Six Core Functions of these Centers**_
- Technology development
- Driving Biological Projects
- Infrastructure (hardware, software, personnel)
- Training for biomedical researchers
- Disseminating tools, reagents, and techniques
- Project leadership and management

## Core 1:  Technology

- Cutting edge technology
- Minimum of three projects
- For each:  background, objectives, rationale, methods, significance, facilities
- Element of high risk in one or more projects
- Potential for high payoff
- Include alternative approaches
- Balance of revolutionary and evolutionary

## Core 1: Technology

- Interrelationships and integration of technologies
- Plans for maximizing connectivity/synergy
- Technologies
- Groups
- Place in context of overall strategic goals

## Core 2:  DBPs

- Collaborations with biomedical researchers
- They do not need to have analytical expertise
- Ensure relevance of Core 1
- Driver and test-bed for technology development
- Each must drive one or more technology development projects in Core 1
- Linkage must be made explicit in project description
- May be at different stages of maturity

## Core 2:  DBPs

- Minimum of four projects
- Cutting edge biological problems
- Within thematic scope of center
- Many from outside institution
- Three year lifetime without separate funding
- Plans for collaborators to obtain continuing support
- Plans for selection of new projects

## Project Selection

- Demand may outstrip available resources
- Specific plans for ongoing selection and prioritization of:
- DBPs
- Other biological collaborations
- Routine service work

## Core 3:  Infrastructure

- New tools, reagents, and methods will require substantial infrastructure for implementation
- Develop appropriate components
- Provide access for biomedical community
- Hardware
- Software
- Personnel

## Core 4:  Training

- Pedagogy
- Training of interdisciplinary researchers
- Graduate Students and Post-docs
- Broad, relevant training beyond specific lab projects
- Peer training
- Larger biomedical community
- New technologies and methods
- Workshops
- Training courses

## Core 5:  Dissemination

- Disseminate new discoveries, reagents, methods and technology
- Publications
- Web site
- Plans for Data sharing
- Plans for Technology transfer
- Development of standards for data sharing and integration (multiple centers will participate)

## Core 6:  Project Management

- Specific organizational plan
- Integration of technologies
- Interaction between key personnel
- include videoconferencing, travel, etc. where appropriate
- Management plans
- Overall policies and procedures
- Outcome measurements
- Project manager

- A successful center should function as a coherent whole rather than a collection of individual technologies.

## Mechanism of Support

- U54 award mechanism- _cooperative agreement_
- Expect interaction between centers and with smaller investigator-initiated awards
_**Hub**__ and __**Spoke**__ Model (U54 Centers and RPGs)_
- Program Management
- Molecular Pathways and Networks Steering Committee (MPANSC)
- Molecular Pathways and Networks Scientific Panel (MPANSP)
- Science Officers
- Program Director

## Program Management

- Molecular Pathways and Networks Steering Committee (MPANSC):
- Main governing board of the program, committee through which NIH interacts with centers
- Coordinates activities of centers, exchange of materials and information
- Discusses scientific progress, makes recommendations to centers
- Members:  Science Officers (1 vote), each PI, 3 outside advisors, Program Director (no vote)

## Program Management

- Molecular Pathways and Networks Scientific Panel (MPANSP):
- Committee is advisory to NIH; ensures coordination projects, evaluates progress in relation to trans-NIH BBP&N goals
- Recommendations on exchange of research tools & resources, common policies on data sharing, standards, etc.
- Members:  10 scientists not affiliated with program, appointed by NIH

## Program Management

- Science Officers:
- Provide expertise, develop policies, scientific liaison, promote centers to community
- Option to recommend reallocation of resources between centers as goals evolve
- Centers / RPGs
- Program Director:
- Signing authority
- Administrative liaison to MPANSP
- Coordination with other programs

## Eligible Institutions

- Public or Private
- Eligible agencies of the federal government
- Domestic institutions/organizations
- Existing NIH-funded centers may apply
- Plan should complement current goals/resources
- Foreign institutions are not eligible
- Foreign components may be included as subcontracts/consortia

## Special Requirements

- Applicants are encouraged to contact program staff well in advance to discuss:
- Proposed research program
- Budget
- Organization of the center
- Potential impact
- Responsiveness to the RFA

## Special Requirements

- Budget funds for travel to annual meeting in Washington D.C. area
- Annual progress report
- Resource Sharing
- Data Sharing

## Supplementary Instructions

- Section 9, Research Plan D:
**Program Introduction**
**Narrative**
**Interrelation and synergy**
**Diagram may be useful **** **
**Research Design and Methods**
- Use separate headings for each Core (1-6).
- Use subheadings for each section within Cores 1 & 2.
**A. Specific Aims**
**B. Background and Significance**
**C. Preliminary Work**
**D. Project Design and Methods**

## Supplementary Instructions

- Page Limits
- 25 pages for each section of Cores 1 and 2
- 25 pages each for Cores 3, 4, 5, and 6
- The ample page limits are for two reasons:
- Space to explain the structure of the proposed project
- room for white space, formatting, and graphics that will make the proposals easier to read and understand.
- 12 x 25 pages of dense text not a good strategy

## Supplementary Instructions

- Budget Pages
- Separate detailed budget (form page 4) for each _section_ of Cores 1 and 2 and for Cores 3, 4, 5, and 6
- Separate detailed budget for all consortia/subcontracts
- Overall detailed budget
- Budget Justification organized according to sections above.

## Receipt and Review Schedule

- Letter of Intent:		February 15, 2004
- Application Receipt:	March 16, 2004
- Peer Review:			July/August 2004
- Council Review:		September 2004
- Earliest Start Date:		September 2004

## Funds Available

- $7.4 Million in fiscal year 2004
- 2 to 4 new centers
- Project period of 5 years, one renewal
- May request up to $2 Million in direct costs
- Do not include consortium/subcontract F&A in cap

## Letter of Intent

- Due on February 15, 2004
- Must Include:
- Descriptive Title
- PI contact information
- Key Personnel (including DBPs)
- Participating Institutions
- Must NOT Include:
- Names of advisory committee members

## Submitting an Application

- Due on March 16, 2004
- This will be a solicited application.  As such, it must be RECEIVED on or before March 16, not just postmarked.
- Must Include:
- Dunn and Bradstreet  Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number
- _[http://www.dunandbradstreet.com/](http://www.dunandbradstreet.com/)_
- (866) 705-5711

## Review Criteria

- Standard Review Criteria:
- Described in RFA
- Significance
- Approach
- Innovation
- Investigator
- Environment
- Additional Criteria:
- All six components will be considered important, regardless of budget allocations.
- Criteria for each Core

## Review Criteria

- Additional Criteria, Core 1:
- Novelty of approach and technologies
- Potential Impact
- work proposed in Cores 1&2  integrated approach to pathways and networks
- proposed work essential

## Review Criteria

- Additional Criteria, Core 2:
- Plans for continuing support of DBPs?
- work proposed in Cores 1&2  integrated approach to pathways and networks
- proposed work essential

## Review Criteria

- Additional Criteria, Core 3:
- Proposed infrastructure adequate to meet demands
- Additional Criteria, Cores 4 & 5:
- Help create a new group of multi- or interdisciplinary investigators

## Review Criteria

- Additional Criteria, Core 6:
- Will the proposed management structure allow the TCNP to achieve its goals?
- Appropriate career path for project manager?
- Mechanism to terminate and select DBPs?
- Plans to incorporate individual investigator awards?

## Review Criteria

- Additional Considerations:
- Software availability
- Data sharing plan
- Human Subjects
- Vertebrate Animals