Release Date: June 23, 1998
PA NUMBER: PA-98-083
P.T.
National Institute of General Medical Sciences
National Institute of Mental Health
National Institute on Drug Abuse
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
National Human Genome Research Institute
COMPLETE TITLE: SHORT COURSES ON MATHEMATICAL AND STATISTICAL TOOLS FOR
THE STUDY OF COMPLEX PHENOTYPES AND COMPLEX SYSTEMS (PA-98-083)/NOA - NIH
PURPOSE
Scientists studying complex phenotypes and/or complex systems must have
strong backgrounds both in biology and in the analysis and interpretation
of very complex data. It is important that biologists have a solid
understanding of the available mathematical and computational tools so
that they can use the tools constructively. Biologists may also require
instruction in the language and applications of mathematics and statistics
in order to collaborate with mathematicians about biological complexity.
Scientists with mathematical skills who wish to apply their knowledge to
studies of complexity may also require instruction on the nature, issues,
and language of biological research. The purpose of this program
announcement is to provide support for short courses or workshops to
assist scientists in preparing for research on complex phenotypes and
complex systems.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
Applications may be submitted by domestic non-profit and for-profit
organizations, public and private, such as universities, colleges,
hospitals, research laboratories, units of State and local governments,
and eligible agencies of the Federal Government. Foreign organizations are
not eligible to apply for these grant awards. Racial/ethnic minority
individuals, women, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply
as principal investigators.
MECHANISM OF SUPPORT
This program announcement solicits applications for education grants
(R25), which provide for one to five years of support for short courses.
Support will be limited to courses that are highly focused and that reach
a wide audience of scientists. The program announcement is NOT intended
for university course or curriculum development. Requests for equipment
should be accompanied by a strong justification.
Facilities and Administrative costs, formerly known as indirect costs, may
be allowed based on 8% of total direct costs exclusive of tuition and fees
(including any health insurance fees) and expenditures for equipment.
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
Progress in several important scientific disciplines depends heavily on
investigators who are skilled in the use of mathematical, computational,
and statistical approaches. This is especially true for two emerging
areas -analyses of complex phenotypes and complex biological systems.
Scientists working in these areas study simultaneously many factors and
systems that may interact in unpredictable ways. The analytical,
mathematical, and modeling tools they need are sophisticated and must be
applied with skill. Scientists, especially those dealing with human
medical data, need to be aware of the assumptions, advantages, and
limitations of these approaches. Scientists with mathematical or
computational backgrounds and who wish to apply their skills to studies of
biological complexity may need to develop a deeper understanding of
biology.
A variety of approaches will be considered. The nature of the activity,
the needs of the target community, and the course goals should determine
the instructional approach. These might include new approaches, such as
Web-based instruction, or more traditional approaches, such as summer
workshops or on-site instruction.
All applications must include plans to evaluate the effectiveness of the
proposed program. Both formative and summative evaluation plans must be
presented in the application.
Applications that would be responsive to this announcement might include,
but are not limited to, the following kinds of activities:
o Statistical genetics aimed at human geneticists;
o Computational approaches to the analysis or modeling of complex genetic
data;
o Engineering approaches to the determination of intermediate flux through
multicomponent pathways;
o Issues of genomic analysis aimed at mathematicians and computational
scientists;
o Use of phylogenetic and cladistic tools for modeling population
structure and evolution;
o Use of various software packages for "data mining" of genetic and
macromolecular databases.
APPLICATION PROCEDURES
Application are to be submitted on the grant application form PHS 398
(rev. 5/95) and will be accepted on the standard application deadlines as
indicated in the application kit. Applications kits are available at most
institutional offices of sponsored research and may be obtained from the
Division of Extramural Outreach and Information Resources, National
Institutes of Health, 6701 Rockledge Drive, MSC 7910, Bethesda, MD
20892-7910, telephone 301/435-0714, email: grantsinfo@nih.gov.
Only applications that propose courses within the programmatic areas
described by this program announcement will be accepted. Applications must
be identified by marking the "YES" box and typing the number and title of
this program announcement in section 2 of the face page of the PHS 398
application. This will facilitate the assignment of the application by the
Referral Office.
Specific Instructions
1. Application face page: item number two on this page must include the
program announcement number and the title.
2. Resources (form page 8): describe the educational environment; include
a description of the facilities, laboratories, participating departments,
computer services, and any other resources to be used in the conduct of
the proposed program. Use continuation pages, as necessary.
3. Research Plan: part "c" of this section should be retitled "Preliminary
Data and Activities" and included if applicable. This section should
contain information on steps that have led to the proposed education
project. Future competitive renewals should include a section entitled
"Progress Report."
4. Research Plan: part "d" of this section should be retitled "Education
Program Plan" and should contain material organized under the following
subheadings, as appropriate to the specific project:
o Program Direction - describe arrangements for administration of the
program; provide evidence that the Program Director is actively engaged in
research and/or teaching, and can organize and administer the education
program, as well as evidence of institutional and community commitment and
support for the proposed program.
o Program Faculty/Staff - describe the characteristics and
responsibilities of the faculty; provide evidence that participating
faculty and preceptors are actively engaged in research or other scholarly
activities.
o Proposed Education Program - provide programmatic details on the special
activities proposed.
o Program Participants - provide details about the proposed participants;
include a description of plans for recruiting as participants individuals
from underrepresented minority groups.
o Education Evaluation Plan - include evaluation plans for determining
success of the program in achieving its goals and objectives.
o Research Plan: if applicable, under part "h" of this section,
"Consortium/Contractual Arrangements," include a description of plans for
collaborating with other institutions for purposes of exchange and sharing
of resources, including faculty, equipment, and facilities.
Allowable Costs
Allowable costs must be consistent with PHS policy and be reasonable,
allocable, and well justified for the education program:
Personnel costs - faculty members participating in the design and
implementation of the education program may request salary and fringe
benefits appropriate for the percent of time devoted to the program.
Administrative and clerical salary costs associated with the program may
be direct charges to the grant only when specifically identified and
justified as reflecting significantly greater effort than the level of
such services routinely provided by academic departments. Requests for
consultants cost, equipment, supplies, necessary travel (including foreign
travel for uniquely qualified foreign faculty), and other project related
expenses must be justified as specifically required by the program
proposed and must not duplicate items generally available at the
institution for educational programs.
Attendance - participants in the education program may receive subsistence
allowance that includes costs of meals and lodging (unless furnished as
part of the fee for registration). They may also receive partial tuition,
other education-related and travel expenses, including foreign travel, if
strongly justified.
Schedule
Submit a signed, typewritten, single-sided original of the application and
five signed 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 express/courier service)
REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS
Upon receipt, applications will be reviewed for completeness by the NIH
Center for Scientific Review (CSR). Incomplete applications will be
returned to the applicant without further consideration. Application will
be assigned on the basis of established PHS referral guidelines.
Applications that are complete and within the scope of this program
announcement will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit by an
appropriate peer review groups convened by the CSR in accordance with the
standard NIH peer review procedures. 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 national advisory
council or board.
Because not all NIH Institutes and Centers are participating in this
initiative and because some non-participating NIH Institutes and Centers
do not use the R25 funding mechanism, applications for programs that are
not within the scope of this program announcement may be returned to the
applicant. Applicants are strongly urged to contact program staff listed
under INQUIRIES before submission of the application to discuss the
responsiveness of the proposed activity.
Review Criteria
The goals of NIH-supported research are to advance our understanding of
biological systems, improve the control of disease, and enhance health.
In the written review, comments on the following aspects of the
application will be made in order to judge the likelihood that the
proposed research will have a substantial impact on the pursuit of these
goals. Each of the following criteria will be addressed and considered by
the reviewers in assigning the overall score weighting them as appropriate
for each application.
o Significance. Is the activity responsive to the needs of the targeted
community? If the aims of the application are achieved, how will
scientific knowledge and expertise be advanced?
o Approach. Are the conceptual framework, design, and methods adequately
developed, well integrated, and appropriate to the goals of the
announcement? Does the investigator propose a thorough evaluation of the
effectiveness of the proposed course? How will evaluation results drive
changes in future efforts?
o Innovation. Does the activity employ state-of-the-art concepts,
approaches, or methods?
o Investigator. Is the principal investigator appropriately trained and
well suited for the project? Is the faculty similarly well qualified?
Does the faculty's expertise constitute the appropriate balance for the
educational objectives?
o Environment. Does the scientific environment in which the work will be
done contribute to the probability of success? Is there evidence of
institutional support? Do the faculty have sufficient expertise to
accomplish the goals of the project? Does the project include plans for
recruiting participants and workshop faculty, including minorities, people
with disabilities, and women?
AWARD CRITERIA
Applications will compete for available funds with all other approved
applications. The following will be considered in making funding
decisions:
o the quality of the proposed course of study as determined by peer review
o balance among the proposed courses in addressing a variety of needs of
supported research areas and their complementarity to other ongoing
efforts;
o availability of funds.
INQUIRIES
Written, telephone, and email inquiries concerning this program
announcement are encouraged. The opportunity to clarify any issues or
questions from potential applicants is welcome.
Direct inquiries regarding programmatic issues to:
Irene Anne Eckstrand, Ph.D.
National Institute of General Medical Sciences
45 Center Drive, Room 2AS.25K
Bethesda, MD 20892-6200
Telephone: (301) 594-0943
FAX: (301) 480-2228
Email: Irene_Eckstrand@nih.gov
Harold Gordon, Ph.D.
National Institute on Drug Abuse
5600 Fishers Lane, 10A46
Rockville, MD 20857
Telephone: (301) 443-4877
FAX: (301) 443-6814
Email: hg23r@nih.gov
Walter L. Goldschmidts, Ph.D.
Division of Basic and Clinical Neurosciences Research
National Institute of Mental Health
Parklawn Building, Room 11-103
Rockville, MD 20857
Telephone: (301) 443-3563
FAX: (301) 443-1731
Email: wg8u@nih.gov
Catherine McKeon, Ph.D.
Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
45 Center Drive, Room 5AN.18B, MSC 6600
Bethesda, MD 20892-6600
Telephone: (301) 594-8810
FAX: (301) 480-3503
Email: Catherine_McKeon@nih.gov
Bettie J. Graham, Ph.D.
Division of Extramural Research
National human Genome Research Institute
Building 38A, Room 610, MSC 6050
Bethesda, MD 20892-6050
Telephone: (301) 496-7531
FAX: (301) 480-2770
Email: bettie_graham@nih.gov
Direct inquiries regarding fiscal matters to:
Ms. Marcia Cohn
Grants Management Office
National Institute of General Medical Sciences
45 Center Drive, Room 2AN.24C
Bethesda, MD 20892-6200
Telephone: (301) 594-5135
FAX: (301) 480-1969
Email: cohnm@nigms.nih.gov
Gary Fleming, J.D., M.A.
Grants Management Branch
National Institute on Drug Abuse
5600 Fishers Lane
Rockville, MD 20857
Telephone: (301) 443-6710
FAX: (301) 594-6847
Email: gf6s@nih.gov
Ms. Diana S. Trunnell
Grants Management Branch
National Institute of Mental Health
Parklawn Building, Room 7C-08
Bethesda, MD 20857
Telephone: (301) 443-2805
FAX: (301) 443-6885
Email: diana_trunnell@nih.gov
Ms. Kim Law
Division of Extramural Activities
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
45 Center Drive, MSC 6600
Bethesda, MD 20892-6600
Telephone: (301) 594-8869
Email: Lawk@extra.niddk.nih.gov
AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS
This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
Nos. 93.821, 93.850, 93.862, 93.172, 93.273, 93.242, and 93.847. Awards
are made under authorization of the Public Health Service Act, Title IV,
Part A (Public Law 78-410, as amended by Public Law 99-158, 42 USC 241 and
285) and administered under PHS grants policies and Federal Regulations 42
CFR 52 and 45 CFR Part 74. This program is not subject to the
intergovernmental review requirements of Executive Order 12372 or Health
Systems Agency review.
The PHS strongly encourages all grant and contract recipients to provide a
smoke-free workplace and promote the non-use of all tobacco products. In
addition, Public Law 103- 27, 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.
KEYWORDS:
Keycode Keyword
A000788 National Institute of General Medical Sciences
A000790 National Institute of Mental Health
A000783 National Institute on Drug Abuse
A000750 National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
A000765 National Center for Human Genome Research
072000A All Education & Instruction (Health & Safety & Medical)
0720000 Education & Instruction (Health & Safety & Medical)
0700000 Health & Safety, Medical & Biomedical Sciences
071000A All Disciplines & Fields, Health & Safety, Medical & Biomedical
0720005 Biomedical Research Training
0710030 Biomedical Research, Multidisciplinary
0710000 Disciplines & Fields, Health & Safety, Medical & Biomedical
101000A All Mathematics
1010003 Applied Mathematics
1010000 Mathematics
1000000 Science & Technology & Mathematics & Computer Science
1010013 Statistics
0745027 Disease Prevention
0785050 Endocrinology
078500A All Specialties of Medical & Allied Fields
1002019 Genetics
0730000 Health Care
073000A All Health Care
1215018 Human Genome
0715135 Metabolic Diseases
071500A All Disease Entities & Medical Problems & Behavior
1002030 Neuroscience
0000034 Research
0760075 Receptors
076000A All Molecular & Cellular Entities
0715000 Disease Entities & Medical Problems
0760000 Molecular & Cellular Entities
0785000 Specialties of Medical & Allied Fields
100200A All Biological Sciences
1002000 Biological Sciences
1002004 Biology, Cellular
1004016 Data Analysis
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