From: kristoff@NET.BIO.NET (Dave Kristofferson)
Newsgroups: bionet.sci-resources
Subject: NIH Guide, vol. 22, no. 1, pt. 2, 8 January 1993
Date: 8 Jan 93 03:02:04 GMT
Distribution: bionet


$$XID NIHGUIDE 19930108 V22N01 P2O3 ************************************
amended, Public Law 99-158, 42 USC 285a) and administered under PHS
grants policies and Federal Regulations at 42 CFR Part 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.

$$R10 END ***********************************************************

$$R11 BEGIN AI-93-05 FULL-TEXT **************************************

INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATIONS IN INFECTIOUS DISEASE RESEARCH

NIH GUIDE, Volume 22, Number 1, January 8, 1993

RFA AVAILABLE:  AI-93-05

P.T. 34; K.W. 0715125, 0785215

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Letter of Intent Receipt Date:  April 12, 1993
Application Receipt Date:  July 13, 1993

THE REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS (RFA) ANNOUNCED IN THIS NOTICE CONTAINS
ESSENTIAL INFORMATION FOR THE PREPARATION OF AN APPLICATION.
POTENTIAL APPLICANTS MAY OBTAIN THE RFA FROM THE CONTACT NAMED IN
INQUIRIES, BELOW.

PURPOSE

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
plans to continue its efforts in international health through a
program of collaborative biomedical research on infectious diseases
that are primarily endemic in or profoundly impact upon the health of
people living in the tropics.  The Parasitology and Tropical Diseases
(PTD) Branch of the Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
(DMID), NIAID, therefore invites grant applications for International
Collaboration in Infectious Diseases Research (ICIDR).  The intent of
this program is to bring together relevant biomedical knowledge and
technology to develop new approaches for the detection, prevention
and treatment of infectious diseases of recognized relevance to the
health of people living in tropical countries; to increase relevant
research experience for both U.S. and foreign investigators; and to
enhance opportunities for scientific linkages and interaction between
U.S. and foreign investigators through regularly scheduled meetings
coordinated by the PTD Branch.

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,
International Collaborations in Infectious Disease Research, is
related to the priority area of immunization and infectious diseases.
Potential applicants may obtain a copy of a "Healthy People 2000"
(Full Report:  Stock No. 017-001-00474-O) or "Healthy People 2000"
(Summary Report:  Stock No. 017-001-00473-1) through the
Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington,
DC 20402-9325 (telephone 202 783-3238).

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Applications may be submitted by domestic non-profit and for-profit
organizations, public and private, such as universities, medical
colleges, hospitals, laboratories, units of State and local
governments, and eligible agencies of the Federal government.
Minority individuals and women are encouraged to participate.  The
U.S. grantee institution is responsible for developing an
affiliation(s) with an established institution (e.g., university,
research institute, federal or state health department, hospital) in
a country where tropical diseases are endemic.  Research activities
on this project conducted at the foreign affiliate must be supported
by the award made to the U.S.-based institution.  For the grant award
to be considered, the domestic applicant institution must include
proof of having an off-site component as a foreign base of operations
and one or more specified employees of the foreign institution(s) as
co-investigators.  The proposed research programs must be acceptable
to the resident (foreign) scientists and to the advisory group(s) of
their particular institution.  The grant application will not be
reviewed unless proof of an acceptable foreign affiliation is
included.  Proof of such an agreement must be submitted to Dr. Olivia
Preble at the address listed under INQUIRIES, no later than two
months after the application receipt date, in order to assure its
availability prior to grant review.

MECHANISM OF SUPPORT

Successful applicants funded under this RFA will be supported through
cooperative agreements (U01).  This type of funding mechanism is
utilized when it is desired to encourage investigator-initiated
research projects in areas of special importance to the National
Institutes of Health (NIH) and when substantial programmatic
assistance by NIH staff is anticipated.  The cooperative agreement
funding instrument can support projects of either a multicomponent
(program project-like) or single component nature, and both types of
applications will be considered under this RFA.  The awardee will be
responsible for the planning, direction, and execution of the
proposed project.

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 review procedures. The total project period for
applications submitted in response to the present RFA may not exceed
five years.

Reissuance of this RFA is uncertain.  If, by the end of the third
year of the award, NIAID has not announced its intent, due to budget
uncertainties, to reissue the RFA, incumbents of multicomponent U01s
should contact program staff before preparing a recompeting
application to seek advice on the most appropriate method of
application submission.

FUNDS AVAILABLE

The estimated funds (total costs) available for the first year of
support for all ICIDR awards are $3.5 million.  It is anticipated
that at least five awards will be made, which may represent new
awards or competing continuation awards of currently funded projects.
Applications for multicomponent grants should not exceed $500,000 in
annual direct costs, while single component applications should not
exceed $175,000 in direct costs annually.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

Tropical diseases constitute major public health problems
disproportionately affecting populations residing in developing
countries.  The purpose of this RFA is to stimulate high quality
collaborative research on those infectious diseases primarily endemic
in or profoundly impacting upon people living in the tropics,
including but not limited to protozoan and helminth infections,
mycobacterial diseases, bacterial and viral enteric infections, and
arboviral infections.  Studies of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
infection per se in developing countries will not be considered in
response to this solicitation.  Studies of the impact of HIV
infection on the clinical course and outcome of these other tropical
diseases will, however, be considered.  The overall research goals of
this RFA are:  (1) to obtain increased information on the factors
influencing distribution of infection and resulting clinical outcome
and (2) to develop and test new intervention strategies that will
contribute to the control of these diseases.  It is the intent of the
program to support the conduct of biomedical research that can only
be performed outside the U.S., and thus, an emphasis on
population-based studies would be appropriate.  It is anticipated
that these studies may involve such topics as diagnosis and natural
history of infection (including the role of vectors and reservoir
hosts), chemo- or immunotherapy, chemo- or immunoprophylaxis,
pathogenesis and vector control.   The majority of the research, in
terms of personnel effort, must be conducted in the endemic area, and
there must be active collaboration between domestic staff and
scientists of the foreign affiliate(s).

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

Successful applicants will be designated as components of the NIAID
International Centers for Tropical Disease Research (ICTDR), which
constitutes a network of NIAID-supported activities in tropical
diseases.  Each ICIDR director will represent his/her program at
annual centers meetings organized by the NIAID.  These meetings will
be held to share advances in tropical disease research among the
ICIDR projects and other NIAID-tropical disease units, to discuss
research needs and opportunities in this arena, and to facilitate the
development of new collaborations.  To encourage cross-fertilization
of ideas and facilitate exchange of scientific personnel, a Visiting
Scientist component must be included in these applications to provide
for short-term travel of ICIDR personnel to other research
institutions, or of other U.S. investigators to ICIDR facilities for
the purpose of conducting specific research projects.

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR INCLUSION OF WOMEN AND MINORITIES IN
CLINICAL RESEARCH STUDIES

For projects involving clinical research, NIH requires applicants to
give special attention to the inclusion of women and minorities in
study populations.  If women or minorities are not included in the
study populations for clinical studies, a specific justification for
this exclusion must be provided.  Since the definition of minority
differs in other countries, the applicant must discuss the relevance
of research involving foreign population groups to the United States'
populations, including minorities.  Applications without such
documentation will not be accepted for review.

The awardee should ensure that all requirements for the protection of
human subjects, including the negotiation of human subject assurances
for clinical studies performed at the foreign institution, are
adhered to as described in 45 CFR Part 46.  Studies involving human
subjects which are conducted at the foreign site must adhere to
current guidelines and policies in effect within the United States.
Questions regarding these policies may be directed to the Office of
Protection from Research Risk (OPRR).  (See INQUIRIES below for
address and phone numbers).

LETTER OF INTENT

Prospective applicants are asked to submit, by April 12, 1993, a
letter of intent that includes a descriptive title of the proposed
research, the names and affiliations of proposed key investigators.
The letter of intent is requested in order to provide an indication
of the number and scope of applications to be reviewed.  This does
not commit the sender to submit an application, nor is it a
requirement for submission of an application.

The letter of intent is to be sent to Dr. Olivia Preble, at the
address list under INQUIRIES.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

Applications are to be submitted on form PHS 398 (rev. 9/91), which
is the standard application form for research grants.  Application
kits are available at most institutional offices of sponsored
research and may be obtained from the Office of Grants Inquiries,
Division of Research Grants, National Institutes of Health, Westwood
Building, Room 449, Bethesda, MD 20892, telephone (301) 496-7441.
Applicants must adhere to the format and requirements specified in
the PHS 398 application kit.  In addition, applicants for
multicomponent grants are strongly advised to read the information
brochure "Program Project and Center Grants, NIAID", available from
Dr. Michael Gottlieb at the address listed under INQUIRIES.
Applications must be received by both the Division of Research Grants
(original and 3 copies) and Dr. Olivia Preble (2 copies) by July 13,
1993.

REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS

Applications will be reviewed by NIAID staff to determine
administrative and programmatic responsiveness to this RFA.  Those
judged to be incomplete or nonresponsive will be returned to the
applicant without review.  Those considered complete and responsive
may be subjected to a triage review by an NIAID peer review group.
Those applications judged to be competitive for award will be
reviewed for scientific and technical merit by a Review Committee
convened by the Division of Extramural Activities, NIAID.  The second
level of review will be provided by the National Advisory Allergy and
Infectious Diseases Council.

INQUIRIES

Written and telephone inquiries concerning this RFA are encouraged.
The opportunity to clarify any issues or questions from potential
applicants is welcome.

Direct inquiries regarding programmatic issues and requests for the
RFA to:

Dr. Michael Gottlieb
Parasitology and Tropical Diseases Branch
Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Solar Building, Room 3A-37
Bethesda, MD  20892
Telephone:  (301) 496-7115
FAX:  (301) 402-0804

Send the Letter of Intent and direct any questions regarding review
procedures to:

Dr. Olivia Preble
Chief, Microbiology and Immunology Review Section
Scientific Review Branch
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Solar Building, Room 4C-20
Bethesda, MD  20892
Telephone:  (301) 496-8208
FAX:  (301) 402-2638

Direct inquiries regarding fiscal matters to:

Mr. Todd Ball
Chief, Microbiology Grants Management Section
Grants Management Branch
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Solar Building, Room 3A-37
Bethesda, MD  20892
Telephone:  (301) 496-7075

Questions concerning policies for studies involving human subjects
may be directed to:

Chief, Assurance Branch
Division of Human Subjects Protection
Office for Protection from Research Risks
National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, MD  20892
Telephone:  (301) 496-7041
Fax:  (301) 402-0527

Schedule

Letter of Intent Receipt Date:  April 12, 1993
Application Receipt Date:       July 13, 1993
Scientific Review Date:         November 1993
Council Meeting Date:           February 1994
Earliest Award Date:            May 1, 1994

AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS

This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance No. 93.856, Microbiology and Infectious Disease Research.
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.

$$R11 END ***********************************************************

$$R12 BEGIN EY-93-01 FULL-TEXT **************************************

CLINICAL CENTERS FOR OCULAR HYPERTENSION TREATMENT STUDY

NIH GUIDE, Volume 22, Number 1, January 8, 1993

RFA AVAILABLE:  EY-93-01

P.T. 34; K.W. 0715115, 1002046, 0755015

National Eye Institute

Application Receipt Date:  March 12, 1993

THE REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS (RFA) ANNOUNCED IN THIS NOTICE CONTAINS
ESSENTIAL INFORMATION FOR THE PREPARATION OF AN APPLICATION.
POTENTIAL APPLICANTS MANY OBTAIN THE RFA FROM THE CONTACT NAMED IN
INQUIRIES, BELOW.

PURPOSE

The National Eye Institute (NEI) invites applications for cooperative
agreements to support participating clinics in the Ocular
Hypertension Treatment Study (OHTS).  The OHTS is an investigator-
initiated randomized, multicenter, clinical trial to determine
whether medical reduction of intraocular pressure prevents or delays
the onset of glaucomatous optic nerve and/or visual field damage in
ocular hypertensive subjects.

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 Request
for Applications (RFA), Clinical Center for Ocular Hypertension
Treatment Study, is related to the priority area of reducing
significant visual impairment due to glaucoma.  Potential applicants
may obtain a copy of "Healthy People 2000" (Full Report:  Stock No.
017-001-00474-0) or "Healthy People 2000" (Summary Report:  Stock No.
017-001-00473-1) through the Superintendent of Documents, Government
Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402-9325 (telephone 202-783-3238).

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Applications may be submitted by domestic for-profit and non-profit
organizations, public or private, such as universities, colleges,
hospitals, private practice clinicians, health maintenance
organizations or managed health care organizations, units of State
and local governments, and eligible agencies of the Federal
Government.  Applications from minority individuals and from women
are encouraged.

MECHANISM OF SUPPORT

Awards will be made as cooperative agreements (U10). This assistance
mechanism of support will be used because there will be substantial,
ongoing involvement of NEI staff during performance of the clinical
trial and interaction between the awardee and NEI staff during
performance of the project.  This RFA is a one-time
solicitation.

FUNDS AVAILABLE

It is expected that approximately 30 to 40 awards will be made as a
result of this RFA.  The total funds available for the first year of
support are expected to be approximately $1.9 million; however, this
support level is conditional upon the receipt of applications of
substantial and significant scientific merit.  Awards are expected to
be made in November 1993.  Although the financial plans of the NEI
provide for these projects, awards pursuant to this RFA are also
contingent upon the availability of funds.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

The OHTS is a randomized, multicenter clinical trial to determine
whether medical reduction of intraocular pressure (IOP) prevents or
delays the onset of glaucomatous optic nerve and/or visual field
damage in ocular hypertensive subjects.  One thousand five hundred
subjects with IOP greater than or equal to 26 mm Hg in at least one
eye (IOP greater than or equal to 21 mm Hg in the fellow eye) and
normal visual fields and optic discs in both eyes will be assigned
randomly to receive stepped medical treatment to both eyes or no
treatment to both eyes.  These subjects are considered to be at
moderate risk for the development of open-angle glaucoma.  The
subjects will be followed twice yearly with automated, threshold,
central, static Humphrey 30-2 perimetry; yearly optic disc
photographs will be taken.  The study endpoints are progressive optic
disc cupping and/or reproducible glaucomatous visual field loss in
either eye of a patient.  All visual fields and optic disc
photographs will be read in masked fashion by central reading
centers.  It is projected that the time required to recruit the
required patients will be two years and that each patient will be
followed for a minimum of five years.  Thus, the entire project
period will be seven years.  During the course of the study, data
will be collected for an analysis of the cost effectiveness of
preventative treatment in ocular hypertension.  This will include
ascertainment of both direct costs of treatment as well as indirect
nonmonetary costs.  In addition, data will be collected on the impact
of medical treatment on
the patients' quality of life.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

An organization applying as a clinical center in the OHTS must
document its capability to recruit 25 or more fully eligible patients
per year for the OHTS.  Potential applicants are requested to contact
the person named in INQUIRIES to receive selected chapters from the
Manual of Operations that describes the details of the study design,
inclusion and exclusion criteria for patients, and the schedule of
patient visits and clinical procedures.

The Principal Investigator will be responsible for all aspects of the
day-to-day operations of his/her clinical center and the local
implementation of the study protocol.  He/She will have the primary
responsibility to identify and recruit eligible patients for the
OHTS. He/She will be responsible for the follow up of each patient
enrolled in the clinical trial and submitting the required data to
the Coordinating Center.

STUDY POPULATIONS

For projects involving clinical research, NIH requires applicants to
give special attention to the inclusion of women and minorities in
study populations.  If women or minorities are not included in the
study populations for clinical studies, a specific justification for
this exclusion must be provided.  Applications without such
documentation will not be accepted for review.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

The Application for Public Health Service Grants Form PHS-398
(revised 9/91) must be used in applying for these cooperative
agreements.  These forms are available at institutional business
offices or from the Office of Grants Inquiries, Division of Research
Grants, National Institutes of Health, 5333 Westbard Avenue,
Bethesda, Maryland 20892.

Information about application procedures may be obtained from:

Janet M. Cuca, Ph.D.
Review and Special Projects Officer
National Eye Institute
Building 31, Room 6A06
9000 Rockville Pike
Bethesda, Maryland 20892

Applications must be received by March 12, 1993.  If an application
is received after that date, it will be
returned to the applicant.

REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS

Applications will be evaluated in accordance with the criteria stated
below by an initial review group that will be convened by the Review
and Special Projects Office, NEI.  Applications will then undergo
second-level review by the National Advisory Eye Council.

In the event of a large response to this RFA, applications may be
subject to triage by a peer review group to determine their relative
scientific merit.  The NEI will remove from further consideration
those applications judged by the triage process to be noncompetitive
for award and notify the applicant and institutional official.  Those
applications judged to be competitive will undergo further review.

The factors considered in evaluating responses to this RFA will be:

1.  Experimental Design:  adequacy of the participating clinic's
procedures for patient recruitment and patient retention and
followup, data collection and data management, quality control of
clinical examinations, training and certification of personnel,
testing and monitoring of study procedures;

2.  Personnel:  qualifications of all key personnel (whether
compensated from the grant or not), including their experience and
track record in clinical trials (NEI-supported and other);

3.  Resources and Facilities:  sources and numbers of fully-eligible
patients, of patients with related disorders, and of eligible
patients likely to have participated in the study who were seen over
a recent one-year period; documentation of intended collaborations;
the clinic's recruitment and retention track record in clinical
trials; the physical facilities and equipment available for the
study; and,

4.  Budget:  appropriateness and reasonableness of all items
requested relative to the overall scope of the study, the potential
for patient recruitment, and the budget justifications provided in
the application.

These competitive applications will undergo initial review by the
Vision Research Review Committee on June 21-22, 1993, and receive
second-level review by the National Advisory Eye Council at its
September 9-10, 1993, meeting.

AWARD CRITERIA

The anticipated date of award is November 1993.  Funding decisions
will be made on the basis of scientific and technical merit as
determined by peer review, program needs, and the availability of
funds.  The total cost of each application will also be taken into
consideration.

INQUIRIES

Written and telephone inquires concerning this RFA are encouraged.
The opportunity to clarify any issues or questions from potential
applications is welcome. Potential applicants are requested to write
or telephone Dr. Richard L. Mowery to receive copies of selected
chapters from the OHTS Manual of Procedures that will be helpful in
preparing an application for submission.

Direct requests for the RFA and inquiries regarding programmatic
issues to:

Dr. Richard L. Mowery
Chief
Collaborative Clinical Research Branch
National Eye Institute
Building 31, Room 6A49
9000 Rockville Pike
Bethesda, Maryland 20892
Telephone:  301-496-5983
FAX:  301-402-0528

Direct inquiries regarding administrative matters to:

Gaye Lynch
Chief, Grants Management Section
National Eye Institute
Building 31, Room 6A48
9000 Rockville Pike
Bethesda, Maryland 20892
Telephone:  301-496-5884

AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS

This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance No. 93.868.  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 Parts 74 and 92, as applicable.  This program is not subject to
the intergovernmental review requirements of Executive Order 12372 or
Health Systems Agency review.

$$R12 END ***********************************************************

$$R13 BEGIN AR-93-004 FULL-TEXT *************************************

MYCOPLASMA AND OTHER INFECTIOUS AGENTS AS A CAUSE FOR RHEUMATIC
DISEASES

NIH GUIDE, Volume 22, Number 1, January 8, 1993

RFA AVAILABLE:  AR-93-004

P.T. 34; K.W. 0715170, 0715103, 0715125, 0715015, 0715126

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Letter of Intent Receipt Date:  March 5, 1993
Application Receipt Date:  April 8, 1993

THE REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS (RFA) ANNOUNCED IN THIS NOTICE CONTAINS
ESSENTIAL INFORMATION FOR THE PREPARATION OF AN APPLICATION.
POTENTIAL APPLICANTS MAY OBTAIN THE RFA FROM THE CONTACT NAMED IN
INQUIRES, BELOW.

PURPOSE

The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin
Diseases (NIAMS) and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious
Diseases (NIAID) invite applications for research aimed at studying
the possible causal relationship between mycoplasma and other
infections and chronic systemic rheumatic diseases.  The goal of the
RFA is to investigate whether any of the chronic inflammatory
rheumatic diseases might be caused by infection, and if so, which
infection and by what mechanisms.

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,
Mycoplasma and Other Infectious Agents as a Cause for Rheumatic
Diseases, is related to the priority area of chronic disabling
conditions.  Potential applicants may obtain a copy of "Healthy
People 2000" (Full Report: Stock No. 017-001-00474-0) or "Healthy
People 2000" (Summary Report:  Stock No. 017-001-00473-1) through the
Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington,
DC 20402-9325 (telephone 202-783-3238).

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.
Minority individuals and women are encouraged to submit applications
as Principal Investigators.  Foreign institutions are not eligible
for First Independent Research Support and Transition (FIRST) (R29)
awards.

MECHANISM OF SUPPORT

The mechanism of support for this RFA will be the National Institutes
of Health (NIH) research project grant (R01) and the FIRST (R29)
award.  Responsibility for the planning, direction, and execution of
the proposed research will be solely that of the applicant.  Because
the nature and scope of the research proposed in response to this RFA
may vary, it is anticipated that the size of an award will vary also.
In addition to the requirements stated in this RFA, awards will be
administered under PHS grants policy as stated in the Public Health
Service Grants Policy Statement, DHHS Publication No. (OASH)
90-50-000, revised October 1, 1991.  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.

Applicants from institutions that have a General Clinical Research
Center (GCRC) funded by the NIH National Center for Research
Resources may wish to identify the GCRC as a resource for conducting
the proposed research.  If so, a letter of agreement from either the
GCRC program director or Principal Investigator could be included
with the application.

FUNDS AVAILABLE

Up to $925,000 for the first-year and additional approved expenses
for up to five years has been committed to fund applications
submitted in response to this RFA.  The NIAMS and the NIAID plan to
make approximately three to four and one to two awards, respectively,
in FY 1993, contingent upon receipt of highly meritorious
applications.  Funding beyond the first and subsequent years of the
grant will be contingent upon satisfactory progress during the
preceding years and the availability of funds.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

The chronic systemic rheumatic illnesses constitute an important
burden for the United States.  They disproportionately affect women
and minority populations.  These illnesses include rheumatoid
arthritis, which is estimated to affect up to two percent of all
Americans, systemic lupus erythematosus, juvenile arthritis, and
ankylosing spondylitis and Reiter's syndrome.  These illnesses share
characteristic immunologic abnormalities; pathologically they
demonstrate sterile inflammation, i.e., inflammation in which no
infectious agent has been consistently identified.  Nonetheless,
based on both anatomic pathology and on clinical characteristics,
suspicion remains that infectious agents including mycoplasma may
play an important role in the development of these illnesses.

In the recent past, several systemic rheumatic diseases have been
demonstrated to be associated with infection, though the precise
relationship between infection and the rheumatic illness is not yet
known.  The associations include that of hepatitis B infection with
systemic necrotizing vasculitis (polyarteritis nodosa), hepatitis C
infection with IgG-IgM cryoglobulinemia, and the documentation that
an epidemic form of arthritis, primarily in children, is caused by
infection with a previously unidentified spirochete Borrelia
burgdorferi.  Such findings have given impetus to the concept that
infection can, in fact, trigger rheumatic illness.  Mycoplasma has on
occasion been suspected to be a trigger, but this hypothesis remains
controversial. Autoantibodies frequently found in patients with
rheumatic illness parallel antibodies that occur in a variety of
infectious illnesses.  The identification of potential microbial
triggering agents for the reactive arthritis and for the
spondyloarthropathies and a demonstration of the potential molecular
relationships between the HLA B27 histocompatibility antigen and
certain enteric pathogens gives further support to the hypothesis
that infection triggers rheumatic diseases.

The identification of pathogenic organisms, or description of the
relationship between acute or persistent infections and chronic
rheumatic illness, will lead to dramatic changes in current concepts
of therapy and may lead as well to effective preventive measures.
This RFA, therefore, seeks research projects that will advance
knowledge in this field.

STUDY POPULATIONS

For projects involving clinical research, NIH requires applicants to
give special attention to the inclusion of women and minorities in
study popula-tions.  If women or minorities are not included in the
study populations for clinical studies, a specific justification for
this exclusion must be provid-ed.  Applications without such
documentation will not be accepted for review.

LETTER OF INTENT

Prospective applicants are asked to submit, by March 5, 1993, 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 the RFA in response to
which the application may be submitted.

Although a letter of intent is not required, is not binding, and does
not enter into the review of subsequent applications, the information
that it contains is helpful in planning for the review of
applications.  It allows NIAMS staff to estimate the potential review
workload and to avoid possible conflicts of interest in the review.

The letter of intent is to be sent to Dr. Tommy Broadwater at the
address listed under INQUIRIES.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

The research grant application form PHS 398 (rev. 9/91) is to be used
in applying for these grants.  Application kits are available at most
institutional offices of sponsored research and may be obtained from
the Office of Grants Inquiries, Division of Research Grants, National
Institutes of Health, Westwood Building, Room 449, Bethesda, MD
20892, telephone 301/496-7441.

The completed and signed, typewritten original application and three
signed, exact, clear, single-sided photocopies must be sent or
delivered in one package to:

Division of Research Grants
National Institutes of Health
Westwood Building, Room 240
Bethesda, MD  20892**

At time of submission, two additional copies of the application must
also be sent under separate cover to:

Dr. Tommy Broadwater
Chief, Review Branch, Extramural Program
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Westwood Building, Room 404
5333 Westbard Avenue
Bethesda, MD  20892

Applications must be received by April 8, 1993.  If an application is
received after that date, it will be returned to the applicant
without review.

REVIEW PROCEDURES

Upon receipt, applications will be reviewed by the Division of
Research Grants (DRG) for completeness. Incomplete applications will
be returned to the applicants without further consideration.  Those
applications that are complete and responsive will be evaluated in
accordance with the criteria stated below for scientific and
technical merit by an appropriate peer review group convened by the
NIAMS.  Applications may be subject to triage by an NIAMS peer review
group to determine scientific merit relative to other applications
received in response to this RFA.  Those applications judged to be
competitive will be reviewed for scientific and technical merit in
accordance with the usual NIH peer review procedures by an initial
review group specifically convened for this RFA.  Following initial
review, applications will receive a second level review by the
National Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Advisory
Council or the National Allergy and Infectious Diseases Advisory
Council unless not recommended for further consideration by the
initial review group.

Review criteria for RFAs are generally similar as those for
unsolicited investigator-initiated research grant applications.

Schedule

Letter of Intent Receipt Date:  March 5, 1993
Application Receipt Date:       April 8, 1993
Initial Review:                 June 1993
Second Level Review:            September 9, 1993
Anticipated Date of Award:      September 30, 1993

AWARD CRITERIA

Applications will compete for available funds with all other
applications responsive to this RFA.  The anticipated date of award
is September 30, 1993.

INQUIRIES

Written and telephone inquiries regarding this RFA are encouraged.
The opportunity to clarify any issues or questions from potential
applicants is welcome.

Direct inquiries regarding programmatic issues and requests for the
RFA to:

Dr. Susana A. Serrate-Sztein
Director, Arthritis Program
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Westwood Building, Room 405
Bethesda, MD  20892
Telephone:  (301) 402-3340

Dr. Howard Dickler
Chief, Clinical Immunology Branch
Division of Allergy, Immunology and Transplantation
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Solar Building, Room 4A10
Bethesda, MD  20892
Telephone:  (301) 496-7104
FAX:  (301) 402-2571

Direct inquiries regarding fiscal matters to:

Diane M. Watson
Chief, Grants Management Branch
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Westwood Building, Room 732A
Bethesda, MD  20892
Telephone:  (301) 402-3352

AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS

This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance No. 93.846, Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Research and No. 93.855, Allergy, Immunology and Transplantation
Diseases Research.  Awards will be made under the authority of the
Public Health Service Act, Title III, Section 301 (Public Law 410,
78th Congress, as amended, 42 USC 241) 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.

$$R13 END ***********************************************************

$$R14 BEGIN AR-93-005 FULL-TEXT *************************************

RESEARCH ON CAUSAL MECHANISMS IN SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS

NIH GUIDE, Volume 22, Number 1, January 8, 1993

RFA AVAILABLE:  AR-93-005

P.T. 34; K.W. 0715015, 0755030, 1002008, 1002019, 0710070

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Letter of Intent Receipt Date:  March 5, 1993
Application Receipt Date:  April 8, 1993

THE REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS (RFA) ANNOUNCED IN THIS NOTICE CONTAINS
ESSENTIAL INFORMATION FOR THE PREPARATION OF AN APPLICATION.
POTENTIAL APPLICANTS MAY OBTAIN THE RFA FROM THE CONTACT NAMED IN
INQUIRIES, BELOW.

PURPOSE

The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin
Diseases (NIAMS) and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious
Diseases (NIAID) invite applications focused on the mechanisms and
causes of tissue injury in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).  The
goals of the research are to identify and analyze the factors and
mechanisms of tissue injury not only in the kidneys but in the brain
and other organs, using advanced molecular, genetic, and
immunological approaches; to develop new experimental systems to
study and test the pathogenicity of human autoantibodies and
autoreactive cells related to lupus; to elucidate the genetic factors
important in the development of the illness; and to characterize the
mechanisms involved in induction or exacerbation of disease by
environmental factors.

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,
Research on Causal Mechanisms in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, is
related to the priority area of chronic disabling conditions.
Potential applicants may obtain a copy of "Healthy People 2000" (Full
Report:  Stock No. 017-001-00474-0) or "Healthy People 2000" (Summary
Report:  Stock No. 017-001-00473-1) through the Superintendent of
Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402-9325
(telephone 202-783-3238).

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.
Minority individuals and women are encouraged to submit applications
as Principal Investigators.  Foreign institutions are not eligible
for First Independent Research Support and Transition (FIRST) (R29)
awards.

MECHANISM OF SUPPORT

The mechanisms of support for this RFA will be the National
Institutes of Health (NIH) research project grant (R01) and the FIRST
(R29) award.  Responsibility for the planning, direction, and
execution of the proposed research will be solely that of the
applicant.  The total project period for applications submitted in
response to the present RFA may not exceed five years.  The
anticipated award date is September 30, 1993.

Because the nature and scope of the proposed research may vary, it is
anticipated that the size of an award will vary also.  In addition to
the requirements stated in this RFA, awards will be administered
under PHS grants policy as stated in the Public Health Service Grants
Policy Statement, DHHS Publication No. (OASH) 90-50-000, revised
October 1, 1991.  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.

Applicants from institutions that have a General Clinical Research
Center (GCRC) funded by the NIH National Center for Research
Resources may wish to identify the GCRC as a resource for conducting
the proposed research.  If so, a letter of agreement from either the
GCRC program director or Principal Investigator could be included
within the application.

FUNDS AVAILABLE

Up to $1,925,000 for the first-year and additional approved expenses
for up to five years has been committed to fund applications
submitted in response to this RFA.  The NIAMS and the NIAID plan to
make approximately seven to ten and one to two awards, respectively,
in FY 1993, contingent upon receipt of highly meritorious
applications.  Funding beyond the first and subsequent years of the
grant will be contingent upon satisfactory progress during the
preceding years and the availability of funds.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an acute and chronic illness
predominantly affecting young women, and affecting Afro-Americans
disproportionately to Americans of European descent.  This illness is
characterized by a wide array of humoral and cellular immunological
abnormalities involving both up-regulation and down-regulation of
critical elements of the immune system.  The order in which
components of immunological dysregulation occur, i.e., which is a
primary and which is secondary event, is not well understood.  In
some cases, the defective immune responses may be genetically
determined.  The occurrence of SLE is clearly related to the
inheritance of a specific HLA types and C4 complement types, but not
all persons with the characteristic genetic background are affected.
To the contrary, identical twins discordant for disease are regularly
seen, suggesting that environmental factors contribute to the
disease.  Whether these external factors induce the initial
occurrence of the disease or are responsible for subsequent flares of
the illness is unknown.

An immunological model of the illness has dominated thinking for the
past several decades.  This model invokes the occurrence of
autoantibodies (primarily to double-stranded DNA), the formation of
immune complexes consisting of these antibodies and their antigens,
the deposition of these complexes in vulnerable areas, such as the
glomerular basement membrane, inducing complement-dependent tissue
injury.  This model has not satisfactorily explained many forms of
injury seen in patients with lupus, including neurological and
cardiac pathology and coagulation abnormalities.  Other forms of
tissue injury have occasionally been identified.  These latter forms
include the activities of cytotoxic antibodies, pathological
regulation of a variety of cytokines, coagulation abnormalities
leading to non- inflammatory vascular occlusion, and other phenomena.
It is the purpose of this RFA to explore these additional causes.

The RFA requests individual research projects (R01 and R29) that
address questions relevant to defining the causes of the disease and
mechanisms of tissue injury in SLE.

STUDY POPULATIONS

For projects involving clinical research, NIH requires applicants to
give special attention to the inclusion of women and minorities in
study populations.  If women or minorities are not included in the
study populations for clinical studies, a specific justification for
this exclusion must be provided. Applications without such
documentation will not be accepted for review.

LETTER OF INTENT

Prospective applicants are asked to submit, by March 5, 1993, 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 statement, "submitted in response to AR-93-005,
Research on Causal Mechanisms in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus."

Although a letter of intent is not required, is not binding, and does
not enter into the review of subsequent applications, the information
that it contains is helpful in planning for the review of
applications.  It allows NIAMS and NIAID staff to estimate the
potential review workload and to avoid possible conflicts of interest
in the review.

The letter of intent is to be sent to:

Dr. Tommy Broadwater
Chief, Review Branch, Extramural Program
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Westwood Building, Room 404
Bethesda, MD  20892
Telephone:  (301) 496-0754

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

The research grant application form PHS 398 (rev. 9/91) is to be used
in applying for these grants.  Application kits are available at most
institutional offices of sponsored research and may be obtained from
the Office of Grants Inquiries, Division of Research Grants, National
Institutes of Health, Westwood Building, Room 449, Bethesda, MD
20892, telephone 301/496-7441.  Applications must be received by
April 8, 1993.

REVIEW PROCEDURES

Upon receipt, applications will be reviewed by the Division of
Research Grants (DRG) for completeness.   Those applications that are
complete and responsive will be evaluated in accordance with the
criteria stated below for scientific and technical merit by an
appropriate peer review group convened by the NIAMS.  Applications
may be subject to triage by an NIAMS peer review group to determine
scientific merit relative to other applications received in response
to this RFA.  Those applications judged to be competitive will be
reviewed for scientific and technical merit in accordance with the
usual NIH peer review procedures by an initial review group
specifically convened for this RFA.  Following initial review,
applications will receive a second level review by the National
Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Advisory Council or
the National Allergy and Infectious Diseases Advisory Council unless
not recommended for further consideration by the initial review
group.  The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences has
primary interest in toxicological influences of the immune system.
Applications of this description may be referred to that Institute.

Review criteria for RFAs are generally similar as those for
unsolicited investigator-initiated research grant applications.

Schedule

Letter of Intent Receipt Date:  March 5, 1993
Application Receipt Date:       April 8, 1993
Initial Review:                 June 1993
Second Level Review:            September 9, 1993
Anticipated Date of Award:      September 30, 1993

AWARD CRITERIA

Applications will compete for available funds with all other
applications responsive to this RFA.  The anticipated date of award
is September 30, 1993.

INQUIRIES

Written and telephone inquiries regarding this RFA are encouraged.
The opportunity to clarify any issues or questions from potential
applicants is welcome.

Direct inquiries regarding programmatic issues and requests for the
RFA to:

Dr. Susana A. Serrate-Sztein
Director, Arthritis Program
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Westwood Building, Room 405
Bethesda, MD  20892
Telephone:  (301) 402-3340

Dr. Howard Dickler
Chief, Clinical Immunology Branch
Division of Allergy, Immunology and Transplantation
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Solar Building, Room 4A10
Bethesda, MD  20892
Telephone:  (301) 496-7104
FAX:  (301) 402-2571

Direct inquiries regarding fiscal matters to:

Diane M. Watson
Chief, Grants Management Branch
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Westwood Building, Room 732A
Bethesda, MD  20892
Telephone:  (301) 402-3352

AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS

This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance No. 93.846, Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Research and No. 93.855, Allergy, Immunology and Transplantation
Diseases Research.  Awards will be made under the authority of the
Public Health Service Act, Title III, Section 301 (Public Law 410,
78th Congress, as amended, 42 USC 241) 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.

$$R14 END ***********************************************************

$$R15 BEGIN AR-93-006 FULL-TEXT *************************************

SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS IN WOMEN AND MINORITIES

NIH GUIDE, Volume 22, Number 1, January 8, 1993

RFA AVAILABLE:  AR-93-006

P.T. 34, FF, II; K.W. 0715015, 1002004, 1002008, 0785055, 0760002

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

Letter of Intent Receipt Date:  March 5, 1993
Application Receipt Date:  April 8, 1993

THE REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS (RFA) ANNOUNCED IN THIS NOTICE CONTAINS
ESSENTIAL INFORMATION FOR THE PREPARATION OF AN APPLICATION.
POTENTIAL APPLICANTS MAY OBTAIN THE RFA FROM THE CONTACT NAMED IN
INQUIRES, BELOW.

PURPOSE

The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin
Diseases (NIAMS) invites applications for research projects aimed at
identifying the biological and social factors that contribute to the
disproportionate prevalence of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in
women and minority populations.

The goal of this RFA is to promote research that will improve our
knowledge of the genetic, cellular, molecular and environmental
elements that predispose to and initiate immune responses that lead
to tissue damage and clinical manifestation of SLE.  These studies
include the analysis of their possible interaction and synergy, and
the identification and characterization of critical epidemiological,
biological and genetic markers that may be used for diagnosis,
prognosis or that may be subject to manipulation as a means of
affecting disease outcome in women and minority patients.

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,
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in Women and Minorities, is related to
the priority area of chronic disabling conditions.  Potential
applicants may obtain a copy of "Healthy People 2000" (Full Report:
Stock No. 017-001-00474-0) or "Healthy People 2000" (Summary Report:
Stock No. 017-001-00473-1) through the Superintendent of Documents,
Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402-9325 (telephone
202-783-3238).

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.
Minority individuals and women are encouraged to submit applications
as Principal Investigators.  Foreign institutions are not eligible
for First Independent Research Support and Transition (FIRST) (R29)
awards.

MECHANISM OF SUPPORT

The mechanisms of support for this RFA will be the National
Institutes of Health (NIH) research project grant (R01) and the FIRST
(R29) award.  Responsibility for the planning, direction, and
execution of the proposed research will be solely that of the
applicant.  Because the nature and scope of the research proposed in
response to this RFA may vary, it is anticipated that the size of an
award will vary also.  In addition to the requirements stated in this
RFA, awards will be administered under PHS grants policy as stated in
the Public Health Service Grants Policy Statement, DHHS Publication
No. (OASH) 90-50-000, revised October 1, 1991.  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.

Applicants from institutions that have a General Clinical Research
Center (GCRC) funded by the NIH National Center for Research
Resources may wish to identify the GCRC as a resource for conducting
the proposed research.  If so, a letter of agreement from either the
GCRC program director or Principal Investigator could be included
within the application.

FUNDS AVAILABLE

The estimated funds (total costs) available for the first year of
support is $1.0 million.  Approximately four to six awards are
anticipated.  Funding will depend on receiving applications judged
highly meritorious by peer review.  The total project period for
these awards may not exceed five years.  However, this level of
support is dependent upon receipt of a sufficient number of
applications of high scientific merit.  Although this program is
provided for in the financial plans of the NIAMS, the award of a
grant pursuant to this RFA is also contingent upon the availability
of funds for this purpose.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a serious acute and chronic
illness.  The disease disproportionately affects women primarily
between the ages of 15 and 45.  In the United States, women of
African descent are affected approximately three times as frequently
as are women of European descent.  Worldwide, similar sex ratios are
seen, and there have been unconfirmed suggestions that in the United
States persons of Hispanic, East Asian, and Native American
background are affected more frequently than persons of European
ancestry.

Although there are multiple genetic differences among different
ethnic and racial groups, no single genetic difference related to
susceptibility to systemic lupus erythematosus has been found.
Susceptibility to age of onset and disease severity are probably
linked to multiple genetic and environmental factors.  These factors
may vary among different populations defined by race and gender but
the data are still preliminary and incomplete.  Further, the effects
of socioeconomic status on disease susceptibility, response to
treatment and prognosis remain unknown.

Numerous investigations focusing on the hormonal events of female
puberty and child-bearing have provided clues but no definitive
answers.  These clues have led some clinicians strongly to advise
against the use of exogenous hormones (oral contraceptives and
estrogen replacement therapy) in persons with lupus, but there is no
clear documentation that this advice is appropriate.

The purpose of this RFA is to provide data that will answer some of
these questions and to promote the design and use of new approaches
to study this problem.

STUDY POPULATIONS

For projects involving clinical research, NIH requires applicants to
give special attention to the inclusion of women and minorities in
study populations.  If women or minorities are not included in the
study populations for clinical studies, a specific justification for
this exclusion must be provided.  Applications without such
documentation will not be accepted for review.

LETTER OF INTENT

Prospective applicants are asked to submit, by March 5, 1993, 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 the RFA in response to
which the application may be submitted.

Although a letter of intent is not required, is not binding, and does
not enter into the review of subsequent applications, the information
that it contains is helpful in planning for the review of
applications.  It allows NIAMS staff to estimate the potential review
workload and to avoid possible conflicts of interest in the review.

The letter of intent is to be sent to:

Dr. Tommy Broadwater
Chief, Review Branch, Extramural Program
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Westwood Building, Room 404
Bethesda, MD  20892
Telephone:  (301) 496-0754

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

The research grant application form PHS 398 (rev. 9/91) is to be used
in applying for these grants.  Application kits are available at most
institutional offices of sponsored research and may be obtained from
the Office of Grants Inquiries, Division of Research Grants, National
Institutes of Health, Westwood Building, Room 449, Bethesda, MD
20892, telephone 301/496-7441.

The completed and signed, typewritten original application and three
signed, exact, clear, single-sided photocopies must be sent or
delivered in one package to:

Division of Research Grants
National Institutes of Health
Westwood Building, Room 240
Bethesda, MD 20892**

REVIEW PROCEDURES

Upon receipt, applications will be reviewed by the Division of
Research Grants (DRG) for completeness. Incomplete applications will
be returned to the applicants without further consideration.  Those
applications that are complete and responsive will be evaluated in
accordance with the criteria stated below for scientific and
technical merit by an appropriate peer review group convened by the
NIAMS.  Applications may be subject to triage by an NIAMS peer review
group to determine scientific merit relative to other applications
received in response to this RFA.

Those applications judged to be competitive will be reviewed for
scientific and technical merit in accordance with the usual NIH peer
review procedures by an initial review group specifically convened
for this RFA.  Following initial review, applications will receive a
second level review by the National Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and
Skin Diseases Advisory Council unless not recommended for further
consideration by the initial review group.

Review criteria for RFAs are generally similar as those for
unsolicited investigator-initiated research grant applications,

Schedule

Letter of Intent Receipt Date:  March 5, 1993
Application Receipt Date:       April 8, 1993
Initial Review:                 June 1993
Second Level Review:            September 9, 1993
Anticipated Date of Award:      September 30, 1993

AWARD CRITERIA

Applications will compete for available funds with all other
applications responsive to this RFA.

INQUIRIES

Written and telephone inquiries regarding this RFA are encouraged.
The opportunity to clarify any issues or questions from potential
applicants is welcome.

Direct inquiries regarding programmatic issues and requests for the
RFA to:

Dr. Susana A. Serrate-Sztein
Director, Arthritis Program
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Westwood Building, Room 405
Bethesda, MD  20892
Telephone:  (301) 402-3340

Direct inquiries regarding fiscal matters to:

Diane M. Watson
Chief, Grants Management Branch
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Westwood Building, Room 732A
Bethesda, MD  20892
Telephone:  (301) 402-3352

AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS

This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance No. 93.846, Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Research.  Awards will be made under the authority of the Public
Health Service Act, Title III, Section 301 (Public Law 410, 78th
Congress, as amended, 42 USC 241) 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.

$$R15 END ***********************************************************

$$R16 BEGIN GM-93-003 FULL-TEXT *************************************

PREDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP AWARDS FOR MINORITY STUDENTS

NIH GUIDE, Volume 22, Number 1, January 8, 1993

RFA AVAILABLE:  GM-93-003

P.T. 22

National Institute of General Medical Sciences

Application Receipt Date:  April 27, 1993

THE REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS (RFA) ANNOUNCED IN THIS NOTICE CONTAINS
ESSENTIAL INFORMATION FOR THE PREPARATION OF AN APPLICATION.
POTENTIAL APPLICANTS MAY OBTAIN THE RFA AND GUIDELINES FROM THE
CONTACT NAME IN INQUIRIES, BELOW.

PURPOSE

The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) is
soliciting applications for individual National Research Service
Award (NRSA) Predoctoral Fellowships for Minority Students.  These
fellowships will provide up to five years of support for research
training leading to either the Ph.D. degree or the combined
M.D./Ph.D. or other combined professional doctorate/research Ph.D.
degrees in the biomedical sciences for highly qualified students from
minority groups found to be underrepresented in the biomedical and
behavioral sciences.  Support is NOT available for individuals
enrolled in medical or other professional schools UNLESS they are
enrolled in a combined professional doctorate/Ph.D. degree program in
biomedical research.  The intent of this Minority Predoctoral
Fellowship Program is to make graduate fellowships available to
underrepresented minority graduates from all institutions, including
the many minority undergraduate students who have participated in the
various NIH-sponsored programs to prepare them for research careers.
Graduates of the MARC Program are encouraged to apply to the MARC
Predoctoral Fellowship Program.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Eligibility for these awards is limited to students who are U.S.
citizens, non-citizen nationals, or permanent U.S. residents.
Applicants must currently be enrolled in a Ph.D. or combined
M.D./Ph.D. (or other combined professional doctorate/research Ph.D.
graduate) program in the biomedical sciences, or have been accepted
by and agreed to enroll in such a graduate program in the 1993- 94
academic year.  Applicants must be from ethnic/racial groups that
have been determined by their sponsoring institution to be
underrepresented in research in the biomedical sciences in the U.S.
In making these awards, the NIH will give priority consideration to
applications from Blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans, and Pacific
Islanders and other ethnic or racial group members who have been
found to be underrepresented in biomedical or behavioral research
nationally.

MECHANISM OF SUPPORT

The mechanism of support is the individual fellowship (F31) awarded
under the auspices of the NRSA Act.  Except as otherwise stated in
the RFA, awards will be administered under the PHS Grants Policy
Statement and the Guidelines for National Research Service Awards.
Fellows receiving these awards are subject to the payback obligations
of the National Research Service Award.  The fellowship provides a
stipend for the student's living expenses, applicable tuition and
fees, and an annual institutional allowance that may be used for
travel to scientific meetings and for laboratory and other training
expenses.

FUNDS AVAILABLE

For FY 1993, between 30 and 45 new fellowship awards will be made, if
sufficient numbers of high quality applications are received.  In
addition to the NIGMS, the following awarding components of the NIH
are providing funds to support this program:  the National Institute
on Aging, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin
Diseases, the National Cancer Institute, the National Institute on
Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, the National Institute of
Environmental Health Sciences, the National Eye Institute, and the
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS

The review criteria include the academic record and research
experience of the applicant; quality of the graduate program in which
the applicant is already enrolled or plans to enroll; qualifications
and research/research training experience of the applicant's sponsor
or researcher advisor; the match between the research interests of
the student and the research advisor/sponsor; for advanced graduate
students, scientific significance, originality and feasibility of
proposed research; and, for beginning students, quality and clarity
of stated research interests.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

The single receipt date for applications is April 27, 1993. The
regular fellowship application form PHS 416-1 (rev.10/91) must be
used in applying for these grants.

These forms are available at most university business offices; from
the Office of Grants Inquiries, Division of Research Grants, National
Institutes of Health, 5333 Westbard Avenue, Room 449, Bethesda,
Maryland 20892, Telephone (301) 496-7441 and from the NIH program
administrators named below.

INQUIRIES

Written and telephone inquiries and requests for the RFA are
encouraged and may be directed to:  Dr. Irene Eckstrand National
Institute of General Medical Sciences Room 918 Westwood Building
Bethesda, MD  20892 Telephone: (301) 496-7137  For fiscal and
administrative matters contact:  Ms. Ruth Monaghan Deputy Grants
Management Officer National Institute of General Medical Sciences
Westwood Building, Room 953  Bethesda, MD  20892 Telephone:  (301)
496-7746

AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS

Awards are made under authorization of the Public Health Service Act,
Title IV, Part A (Public Law 78-410, as amended, 42 USC 288) and
administered under PHS grant policies and Federal Regulations 42 CFR
Part 66.  This program is not subject to the intergovernmental review
requirements of Executive Order 12372 or Health Systems Agency
review.

$$R16 END ***********************************************************

$$R17 BEGIN DK-93-19 FULL-TEXT **************************************

INTERSTITIAL CYSTITIS AND OTHER BLADDER DISORDERS OF WOMEN

NIH GUIDE, Volume 22, Number 1, January 8, 1993

RFA AVAILABLE:  DK-93-19

P.T. 34, II; K.W. 0705075, 0715125

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases