Subject: April l2, l99l NIH Guide Part l
From: Dot Baker <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 91 13:40 EST

Hi Paul,
   This is the first of approximately six coming to you today to be
posted to the NIH Listserver. Please post this one as:
     NIHGUIDE.910412
  Also, please notify me when all are posted.  Thanks.
         Dottie
 ---------------------------- Text of forwarded message -----------------------
 
$$XID NIHGUIDE 19910412 V20N15 P1O2 ************************************
X-comment: RFAs described: MH-91-10, MH-91-14, CA-91-14, AR-91-04
 
NIH GUIDE - Vol. 20, No. 15, April 12, 1991
 
$$INDEX BEGIN **********************************************************
 
                                   NOTICES
 
$$INDEX N1 *************************************************************
 
INSTITUTIONAL TRAINING APPLICATIONS FOR NATIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
AWARDS:  APPLICATION RECEIPT DATES
Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration
Index:  ALCOHOL, DRUG ABUSE, MENTAL HEALTH
 
$$INDEX N2 *************************************************************
 
ANIMAL WELFARE EDUCATION PROGRAM
National Institutes of Health
Index:  NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
 
$$INDEX N3 *************************************************************
 
CONFERENCE:  FOSTERING SCIENTIFIC INTEGRITY IN BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH
National Institutes of Health
Index:  NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

                   NOTICES OF AVAILABILITY (RFPs AND RFAs)
 
$$INDEX R1 06/12/91 ****************************************************
 
INSTITUTIONAL CLINICAL TRAINING GRANTS:  PROFESSIONAL TRAINING
ADDRESSING SEVERE MENTAL DISORDERS (RFA MH-91-10)
National Institute of Mental Health
Index:  MENTAL HEALTH
 
$$INDEX R2 06/12/91 ****************************************************
 
MENTAL HEALTH CLINICAL TRAINING GRANTS:  INDIVIDUAL FACULTY
SCHOLAR AWARDS (RFA MH-91-14)
National Institute of Mental Health
Index:  MENTAL HEALTH
 
$$INDEX R3 08/02/91 ****************************************************
 
PUBLIC HEALTH APPROACHES TO BREAST AND CERVIX SCREENING (RFA CA-91-14)
National Cancer Institute
Index:  CANCER
 
$$INDEX R4 06/17/91 ****************************************************
 
DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF LYME DISEASE (RFA AR-91-04)
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Index:  ARTHRITIS, MUSCULOSKELETAL DISEASES, SKIN DISEASES

                        ONGOING PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENTS
 
$$INDEX P1 *************************************************************
 
CHILD AND ADOLESCENT MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE SYSTEM RESEARCH
DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS (PA-91-40)
National Institute of Mental Health
Index:  MENTAL HEALTH
 
$$INDEX P2 *************************************************************
 
ECONOMICS OF AGING, HEALTH, AND RETIREMENT (PA-91-41)
National Institute on Aging
Index:  AGING
 
$$INDEX P3 *************************************************************
 
CLINICAL CANCER THERAPY RESEARCH (PA-91-42)
National Cancer Institute
Index:  CANCER
 
$$INDEX END ************************************************************
 
                                   NOTICES
 
$$N1 BEGIN *************************************************************
 
INSTITUTIONAL TRAINING APPLICATIONS FOR NATIONAL
RESEARCH SERVICE AWARDS:  APPLICATION RECEIPT DATES
 
P.T. 44; K.W. 0720005, 0404003, 0414000, 0404009
 
Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration
 
The Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration
announces that beginning October 1, 1991,
National Research Service Awards for Institutional
Training applications (T32) will have only one receipt
date, May 10.  The applications will receive an October
peer review by the appropriate Initial Review Group and
be reviewed by the appropriate Advisory Council in
early February.  Funding decisions will be made in late
February.  The earlier notification of funding
decisions will enable the timely recruitment of
trainees.  Requests for start dates as early as March 1
will be accepted, but the start date for most training
programs will continue to be July 1.  This notice
applies to all T32 applications submitted to the
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism,
the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and the National
Institute of Mental Health.  Training applications
received after May 10 will be returned to the training
director without review.  The receipt and review of
short-term training grants (T35s) will not change.
 
$$N1 END ***************************************************************
 
$$N2 BEGIN *************************************************************
 
ANIMAL WELFARE EDUCATION PROGRAM
 
P.T. 34; K.W. 0502000, 0201011
 
National Institutes of Health
 
The National Institutes of Health (NIH), Office for
Protection from Research Risks (OPRR), Division of Animal
Welfare, is cosponsoring with the Washington University
School of Medicine and the St. Louis University Medical Center
an animal welfare education program entitled, "Recurrent
Controversies in Protocol Review."  The workshop will be
held on May 2-3, 1991, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel at St.
Louis Union Station, St. Louis, MO.
 
The meeting is open to institutional administrators,
Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) members,
laboratory animal veterinarians, scientific investigators,
and other institutional staff who have responsibility for
high-quality management of institutional animal care and use
programs.  The workshop will focus on the many controversial
issues in protocol review and the responsibility of the
IACUC in the resolution of protocol issues that fall into
the gray area of professional judgment and discretion.
 
For further information, contact:
 
Office of Continuing Medical Education
Washington University School of Medicine
Telephone:  (800) 325-9862 Interstate
            (314) 362-6893 in Missouri
 
$$N2 END ***************************************************************
 
$$N3 BEGIN *************************************************************
 
CONFERENCE:  FOSTERING SCIENTIFIC INTEGRITY IN BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH
 
P.T. 42; K.W. 1014004, 1014006
 
National Institutes of Health
 
The National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Association of American
Medical Colleges, and Washington University School of Medicine are
co-sponsoring an interactive conference for biomedical investigators,
research administrators, and university attorneys with an interest in
fostering the integrity of scientists.  The goals of the workshop are to
discuss the scope of the problem of scientific misconduct; to identify
perceived or real factors contributing to misconduct; to discuss the
roles of Congress, NIH, and institutions in managing allegations of
scientific misconduct; to examine how well specific institutions have
dealt with allegations of fraud, plagiarism or other unacceptable
scientific practices; to discuss any special ethical considerations
associated with Industry/University ties; and to discuss the
responsibilities of authors and collaborators in maintaining scientific
integrity in research.  Several break-out sessions will address focussed
topics of particular concern.
 
This conference is approved for credit in AMA Category 1.
 
DATES:  April 25-26, 1990
 
SITE:  The Adams Mark Hotel, St. Louis, MO
 
PROGRAM AND REGISTRATION INFORMATION:
Telephone:  (800) 325-9862, interstate
            (314) 362-6893, in Missouri
 
$$N3 END ***************************************************************
 
                   NOTICES OF AVAILABILITY (RFPs AND RFAs)
 
$$R1 BEGIN MH-91-10 FULL-TEXT ******************************************
 
INSTITUTIONAL CLINICAL TRAINING GRANTS:  PROFESSIONAL
TRAINING ADDRESSING SEVERE MENTAL DISORDERS
 
RFA AVAILABLE:  MH-91-10
 
P.T. 44; K.W. 0720005, 0715129, 0730050
 
National Institute of Mental Health
 
Application Receipt Date:  June 12, 1991
 
PURPOSE
 
The purpose of the National Institute of Mental Health
(NIMH) clinical training program is to enhance the
quality and effectiveness of services to persons with
major mental disorders.  Insufficient numbers of well-
trained mental health professionals are available to
serve (1) severely and persistently mentally ill
adults, e.g., adults with schizophrenic disorders or
mood disorders, including homeless persons with these
disorders; (2) seriously emotionally disturbed
children and adolescents; (3) elderly persons with
mental disorders; (4) individuals with mental
disorders in rural areas; (5) racial/ethnic minorities
with mental disorders.
 
This program is designed to recruit and prepare mental
health professionals in the core mental health
disciplines of social work, psychiatric nursing,
psychology, psychiatry, and marriage and family therapy
who are well trained and experienced in modern mental
health diagnostic, treatment, and rehabilitation
techniques, research methodologies and findings, and
the delivery of care within community-based systems.
 
TRAINING ISSUES
 
Applicants under this Request for Applications (RFA) must focus in depth
on one or more of the priority populations described below.  Programs
must demonstrate that they incorporate the latest diagnostic and
treatment procedures, as well as the latest relevant research findings.
The priority service populations for this RFA are:
 
o Severely and persistently mentally ill adults
 
o Children and adolescents with mental disorders
 
o Elderly with mental disorders
 
o Mentally ill in rural areas
 
o Racial/ethnic minorities with mental disorders
 
Additional cross-cutting priorities are linkages
between academic programs and State/community service
systems, i.e., public-academic linkages and
linkages with clinical researchers and research
trainers.  All programs must also show evidence that
curriculum content and clinical field experiences
address ethnic and cultural issues.
 
ELIGIBILITY
 
Accredited and/or approved departments/divisions in the
mental health disciplines of psychiatric nursing,
psychiatry, psychology, social work, and marriage and
family therapy in colleges or universities of the
United States, including territories and possessions,
are eligible to apply.  Multidisciplinary applications
are encouraged.  One clinical training grant may be
applied for in each of the core disciplines under this
RFA.
 
APPLICATION CHARACTERISTICS
 
Applications must include a brief description of the
applicant educational institution and, if
appropriate, associated service and clinical research
settings, including background, history, programmatic
focus, organization, resources, personnel, and record
of educational/service/research linkage achievements.
 
TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SUPPORT
 
In fiscal year 1991, approximately $1.2 million will be available to
fund approximately 15 to 20 3-year awards under this RFA.  The mechanism
of support will be the graduate training programs (TO1).  Awards will be
limited to a maximum of $80,000 (total costs) per year, with the
exception of multidisciplinary awards that may be funded up to $120,000
(total costs) per year.
 
Payback Provisions
 
Any trainee who receives a clinical traineeship in
psychology, psychiatry, psychiatric nursing, social
work, or marriage and family therapy, in an established
training program, designed to be for a period of 180
days or more under an NIMH clinical training grant,
must pay back a period of obligated service equal to
the length of the traineeship.
 
APPLICATION PROCEDURES
 
Applications kits (PHS 398, rev. 10/88) containing the
necessary forms and Special Instructions must be
obtained by contacting the Education and Training
Branch staff.  Applicants must use the Special
Instructions included in the application kit,
specifically designed for this NIMH Institutional
Clinical Training Grant program.
 
REVIEW OF APPLICATIONS
 
A dual review system is used to ensure expert,
objective review of the quality of applications.  The
first step, peer review for educational and technical
merit, is by primarily non-Federal experts comprising
Initial Review Groups.  Notification of the review
recommendations will be sent to the applicant after the
initial review.  The final review is by the National
Advisory Mental Health Council.  Only applications
recommended for approval by the Council may be
considered for funding.
 
RECEIPT AND REVIEW SCHEDULE
 
                         National Advisory
Receipt of     Initial   Mental Health       Earliest
Application    Review    Council Review     Award Date
 
June 12, 1991   July       September       September 1991
 
STAFF CONSULTATION
 
Staff consultation on clinical training grants is
available from:
 
Lemuel B. Clark, M.D., Chief
Education and Training Branch
Division of Clinical Research
National Institute of Mental Health
5600 Fishers Lane, Room 7C02
Rockville, MD  20857
Telephone:  (301) 443-5850
 
Additional information on payback requirements and fiscal and
administrative issues is available from:
 
Mr. Stephen Hudak
Chief, Grants Management Section
Grants Management Branch
National Institute of Mental Health
5600 Fishers Lane, Room 7C-26
Rockville, MD  20857
Telephone:  (301) 443-4456
 
$$R1 END ***************************************************************
 
$$R2 BEGIN MH-91-14 FULL-TEXT ******************************************
 
MENTAL HEALTH CLINICAL TRAINING GRANTS:  INDIVIDUAL
FACULTY SCHOLAR AWARDS
 
RFA AVAILABLE:  MH-91-14
 
P.T. 44; K.W. 0720005, 0715129, 0785185, 0414000, 0417000
 
National Institute of Mental Health
 
Application Receipt Date:  June 12, 1991
 
PURPOSE
 
There is a marked disparity between the need for
treatment of persons with major mental disorders and
the availability of appropriately trained mental health
professionals to assess, provide, and supervise the
treatment.  For this reason, the National Institute of
Mental Health (NIMH) supports the Individual Faculty
Scholar Awards program to develop a cadre of
academically based faculty scholars who will guide the
training of professionals in the core mental health
disciplines (psychiatry, social work, psychology,
psychiatric nursing, and marriage and family therapy)
and who will play major leadership roles in the
continued development of their professions.
 
PRIORITIES
 
Schizophrenic Disorders
 
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has designated
schizophrenia as one of its
foremost research priorities.  In so doing, NIMH
recognized the enormous public health challenge posed
by schizophrenia, acknowledged the immense and chronic
burden borne by people with this disorder and by their
families, and made a commitment to rapidly advance our
state of knowledge and clinical training relative to
this major mental illness.  Faculty who are expert
clinicians and researchers are needed to train
additional mental health professionals to provide
services for those affected by this illness.
 
Mood, Anxiety, and Personality Disorders
 
Mood, anxiety, and personality disorders rank among the
most serious and pervasive public health problems in
the United States.  Depressive disorders affect one in
twenty American adults in any one-month period, and the
figures for anxiety are even higher.  Most persons with
depression also have an anxiety disorder.  Although
effective psychotherapeutic and pharmacological
treatments exist, research shows that most depressed
and anxious persons are undiagnosed, often untreated,
and frequently treated inappropriately.  Improved
service provider training is needed and possible.
Faculty with clinical and research expertise in these
disorders are needed to train service providers and
researchers.
 
Severe Mental Disorders of Children and Adolescents
 
Major efforts are needed to increase understanding of
the causes and determinants of child and adolescent
psychopathology, determine the effectiveness of
biologic, psychotherapeutic, and social treatments,
develop more effective service delivery systems, and
enlarge the cadre of qualified, committed researchers
and clinicians.  The critical shortage of mental health
professionals trained to diagnose, treat, and
rehabilitate children and adolescents with severe
mental disorders requires focused clinical and research
training programs.
 
Mental Disorders of the Aging
 
Risk factors for mental disorders multiply through old
age along such dimensions as physical limitation,
social disruption, and psychological loss.  Many surveys
have shown increases in the prevalence of symptoms of
depression in Alzheimer's disease and other dementing
disorders and in behavioral problems such as
sleeplessness, agitation, and confusion that are
disruptive to established patterns of family and
community life.  Faculty leadership to establish
research and training programs in geriatric mental
health is extremely limited; growth in this area
represents a significant priority in NIMH.
 
In addition to these four priority areas, scholars are
encouraged to focus on specific subgroups that continue
to be underserved.  The problem of co-morbidity (i.e.,
the mentally disordered who are also substance abusers)
is recognized as a challenge since 32 percent of persons with
mood disorders and 47 percent of persons with schizophrenia
also have an addictive disorder.   Other subgroups
include minority and rural populations.
 
Another area of interest is the development of strong
ties between academic mental health training
institutions and public mental health facilities.
These systems offer a rich opportunity for enhanced
services in the public sector.  Thus, NIMH strongly
encourages faculty scholar proposals that demonstrate
collaborative linkages between academic centers and
those public mental health service settings where the
seriously mentally ill receive treatment.
 
ELIGIBILITY
 
On behalf of a qualified nominee, applications may be
submitted by an academic department or professional
school in a U.S. college, university, or nonprofit
mental health training institution.
 
Nominees must be U.S. citizens or have been lawfully
admitted to the United States for permanent residence.
Nominees must have a full-time academic appointment or
be assured of such an appointment upon completion of
this award.  Women and minority candidates are
particularly encouraged to apply.
 
Payback
 
Any graduate or postgraduate trainee, including a
faculty scholar awardee, in psychology, psychiatry,
nursing, social work, or marriage and family therapy
who receives support in an established training program
designed to be for a period of 180 days or more under
an NIMH clinical training grant must pay back through a
period of obligated service equal to the length of
support.  The period of support need not be continuous.
Any support received for any period of time under
previous NIMH clinical training grants, if the stipend
was awarded on or after September 1, 1981, will count
toward this total.  The conditions of the obligated
service requirement are set forth in the 42 Code of
Federal Regulations Part 64a.
 
APPLICATION PROCEDURES
 
Application kits (PHS 398, rev. 10/88) are available
from the Education and Training Branch, Division of
Clinical Research, NIMH (see the final section of this
announcement).  Applications to be considered for
fiscal year 1991 funding, with an expected start date
of September 1991, must be received (not post-
marked) by June 12, 1991.
 
REVIEW OF APPLICATIONS
 
A dual review system is used to ensure expert,
objective review of the quality of applications.
Initial peer review for educational and technical merit
is by Initial Review Groups (IRGs) comprised of non-
Federal mental health authorities.  Final review is by
the National Advisory Mental Health Council whose
review may be based on policy as well as educational
and technical merit.
 
AWARD CRITERIA
 
It is anticipated that in fiscal year 1991 up to six
new Individual Faculty Scholar Awards (TO1) will be made.
The maximum total cost per award is estimated to be
$117,000 per year.  A disciplinary school or department
in a single institution may submit multiple faculty
scholar applications as long as each focuses on a
different priority area.  In considering multiple
requests, however, applicants should be aware that
NIMH funding decisions are based, at
least in part, on disciplinary and geographic
distribution considerations.  Awards will be limited to
one per professional school or academic department for
each priority area.
 
The responsibility for award decisions on applications
recommended for approval by the National Advisory
Mental Health Council lies solely with authorized NIMH
program staff.  The following basic criteria will be
used in making award decisions:
 
o    quality of the overall application as determined
during the review process
 
o    quality of public-academic linkages provision
 
o    where appropriate, balance among disciplines,
geographic locations, and priority areas
 
o    availability of funds
 
STAFF CONSULTATION
 
Application kits and staff consultation on all aspects
of clinical training in the core mental health
disciplines in relation to schizophrenic disorders,
mood disorders, and severe mental disorders of children
and adolescents, with the exception of specific
research issues bearing upon these populations, are
available from:
 
Lemuel B. Clark, M.D., Chief
Education and Training Branch
Division of Clinical Research
National Institute of Mental Health
5600 Fishers Lane, Room 7C02
Rockville, MD  20857
Telephone:  (301) 443-5850
 
Additional information on payback requirements and fiscal and
administrative issues is available from:
 
Mr. Stephen Hudak
Chief, Grants Management Section
Grants Management Branch
National Institute of Mental Health
5600 Fishers Lane, Room 7C-26
Rockville, MD  20857
Telephone:  (301) 443-4456
 
$$R2 END ***************************************************************
 
$$R3 BEGIN CA-91-14 FULL-TEXT ******************************************
 
PUBLIC HEALTH APPROACHES TO BREAST AND CERVIX SCREENING
 
RFA AVAILABLE:  CA-91-14
 
P.T. 34; K.W. 0715035, 0745020, 0745027, 0745035
 
National Cancer Institute
 
Letter of Intent Receipt Date:  June 7, 1991
Application Receipt Date:  August 2, 1991
 
The Division of Cancer Prevention and Control (DCPC) of the
National Cancer Institute (NCI) invites grant applications from a
consortium of public health agencies or institutions to develop,
implement, and evaluate programs designed to increase breast and
cervical cancer screening of older, low income, low education,
and minority women.  Priority will be given to applications
specifically designed to include evaluation of breast and
cervical screening utilization of women over the age of 65 and
those targeting populations residing in rural areas.  Among
Hispanic women, priority will be given to applications targeting
Puerto Rican and Cuban populations to provide more comprehensive
information on Hispanic populations.  The NCI currently funds
projects targeting Hispanic women of Mexican descent.
 
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) is related to the priority area of cancer.  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, D.C. 20402-9325 (telephone
202-783-3238).
 
RESEARCH GOALS AND SCOPE
 
The goal of this project is to develop, implement, and evaluate
programs designed to increase breast and cervical cancer
screening of older, low income, low education, and minority
women.
 
The primary objectives of this research are to demonstrate how a
consortium of community agencies can:
 
1) Characterize utilization patterns for breast and cervical
screening in the target population through baseline surveys.
These data will establish frequency of screening, as well as
assess barriers to utilization.
 
2) Design and pilot test interventions to recruit women in need
of breast and cervical cancer screening regimens that can
 
o  be integrated with other health services used by these women
 
o  affect the behavior of non-health agency clients.
 
3) Evaluate the effectiveness of specific interventions to reach
the target population for breast and cervical cancer screening.
 
4) Ensure compliance with follow-up recommendations for women
with anything but completely normal mammograms (i.e.,
indeterminate or suspicious findings) and smears (i.e., further
action recommended).
 
5) Establish a mechanism to describe prospectively the screening
behavior of the targeted women in view of current NCI
recommendations, i.e., establish whether or not women are coming back at
recommended intervals for screening.
 
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR INCLUSION OF WOMEN AND MINORITIES IN
CLINICAL RESEARCH STUDIES
 
The following is the NIH and ADAMHA policy regarding the
inclusion of women and minorities in study populations.
Applications that are responsive to this RFA will, by definition,
meet the requirement for inclusion of women.  The inclusion of
minorities must be addressed in application submitted responding
to this announcement.
 
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.
 
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
 
Grants-in-aid may be awarded to profit and nonprofit
organizations and institutions, and governments and their
agencies within the United States.  However, it should be noted
that this RFA is primarily targeted at demonstrating a consortium
approach, involving public agencies or institutions, such as
health departments, community and migrant health centers, or
public hospitals with established linkages to the target
population (e.g., the health department or community health
center may have experience with providing or contracting for the
health services, a regional agency on aging may have established
networks with elderly women, and a voluntary organization may
have experience with providing public education campaigns).  This
approach seeks to address the problem in a coordinated fashion
while taking advantage of the public agency's role as
noncompetitive collaborator, stimulator, convenor, and
facilitator of existing resources to increase mammography and Pap
smear utilization in women least likely to be screened.  The lead
agency must demonstrate experience with disease control but does
not necessarily need to be the direct provider of the screening
services.  In many communities, the lead agency is likely to be a
health department, however, other public agencies could fill this
role.  Among the team of applicants or consortium, one
institution must be proposed as the lead institution to serve as
the applicant and assume responsibility for the conduct of the
award.
 
MECHANISM OF SUPPORT
 
Support of this program will be through a National Institutes of
Health (NIH) grant-in-aid (RO1).  Applicants will be responsible for
the planning, direction, and execution of the proposed project.
Allowable direct costs for the intervention will not include
funds to pay for mammograms and Pap smears.  However, expenses
incurred in developing and promoting the utilization of these
services, such as baseline and follow-up surveys, design of
materials, and public and professional education are considered
allowable costs.  Except as otherwise 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, 1990.
 
This RFA is a one-time solicitation.  Future
unsolicited competing renewal applications will compete with all
investigator-initiated applications and be reviewed by the
Division of Research Grants (DRG).  However, if the NCI
determines that there is a sufficient continuing program need, a
request for renewal applications will be announced.  Only
recipients of awards under this RFA will be eligible to apply.
 
Approximately $5,400,000 in total costs for four years
($1,200,000 for year one and for year four, $1,500,000 for years
two and three) will be committed to fund
applications submitted in response to this RFA.  It is
anticipated that three to four awards will be made, depending on
the receipt of a sufficient number of applications of high
scientific merit.  The total project period for applications
submitted in response to this RFA must not exceed four
years.  The earliest feasible start date for the initial awards
will be April 1992.  Although this program is provided for in the
financial plans of the NCI, the award
of grants pursuant to this RFA is also contingent upon the
availability of funds for this purpose.
 
INQUIRIES
 
Copies of the complete RFA and additional information concerning
the objectives and scope of this research may be obtained from:
 
Helen I. Meissner, Sc.M., C.H.E.S.
Program Director
Public Health Applications Research Branch
National Cancer Institute
EPN, Room 239G
9000 Rockville Pike
Bethesda, MD  20892
Telephone:  (301) 496-0273
 
Grants management inquiries should be directed to:
 
Marian F. Focke
Grants Management Specialist
Grants Administration Branch
EPS, Room 242
Grants Administration Branch
National Cancer Institute
9000 Rockville Pike
Bethesda, MD  20892
Telephone:  (301) 496-7800, ext. 46
 
$$R3 END ***************************************************************
 
$$R4 BEGIN AR-91-04 FULL-TEXT ******************************************
 
DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF LYME DISEASE
 
RFA AVAILABLE:  AR-91-04
 
P.T. 34; K.W. 0715125, 1002032, 0745020, 0745070
 
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
 
Letter of Intent Receipt Date:  May 1, 1991
Application Receipt Date:   June 17, 1991
 
I.   PURPOSE
 
The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and
Skin Diseases (NIAMS) invites applications for grants to
conduct research on the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme
disease.
 
II.  BACKGROUND
 
Lyme disease is a spirochetal disease, usually transmitted
by the bite of a tick, most often by a nymphal Ixodes
dammini, when they are prevalent in the Spring.  It has
become the most common tick-borne illness in the United
States, with approximately 8,800 new cases reported in 1990.
 
Lyme disease remains difficult to diagnose, in part because
the causative agent, Borrelia burgdorferi, is usually not
easily cultured or directly observable from patients'
specimens.  Currently available standard laboratory tests
are not fully satisfactory in that they lack sensitivity and
specificity and are not well standardized.
 
Underdiagnosis has proven to be a problem in parts of the
country where it is not endemic or is relatively uncommon.
Lyme disease can present with a wide variety of signs and
symptoms, making it difficult for physicians with little or
no experience with it to make a correct diagnosis.  On the
other hand, in parts of the country where Lyme disease is
well established and where there has been extensive
publicity, patients with signs and symptoms suggestive of
Lyme disease may be diagnosed inappropriately as having the
disease when in fact they have some other disease resembling
it.
 
Both aspects of this problem could be addressed by more
sensitive, accurate, and inexpensive diagnostic tests.  In
general, serologic tests currently available do not detect
some cases of early Lyme disease; conversely, in the later
stages of the disease, tests are often too sensitive and
less specific.
 
Once diagnosed, the manifestations of Lyme disease appear to
be potentially treatable with a variety of antibiotics.  The
optimal regimen, including choice of drug, dose, route of
administration, and length of therapy, has yet to be
determined.  Further clarification is also needed to
determine the best method of treating disease sequelae at
both early and late stages of Lyme disease.
 
RESEARCH GOALS AND SCOPE
 
The goal of this Request for Applications (RFA) is to stimulate research
to effect better diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease.  Applications
submitted in response to this RFA are expected:  to concentrate upon
developing and testing methods of diagnosis that are more reliable,
accurate, and sensitive than current techniques to detect Lyme disease
in patients; and/or to develop and test improved ways to treat all
aspects (arthritic, cardiac, neurologic, and so forth) and stages of the
disease.
 
Specific issues that may be addressed include, but are not
limited to:
 
Diagnosis:
 
o  Classification and validation of clinical criteria;
 
o  Proper identification of erythema migrans (in contrast to
non-tick insect bites);
 
o  Whether diagnostic criteria differ in children and
adults;
 
o  Optimal methods for serodiagnosis;
 
o  The effect of therapy on serodiagnosis;
 
o  The utility of various biological fluids and tissue for
diagnosis;
 
o  The best and most sensitive methods to detect spirochetal
antigens;
 
o  Differential diagnosis strategies.
 
Treatment:
 
o  Drugs to be used in treating erythema migrans;
 
o  Optimal treatments for arthritis, neurologic, cardiac, and
other later manifestations of Lyme disease;
 
o  Appropriate treatment of Lyme disease in children;
 
o  Appropriate treatment of Lyme disease in pregnant women;
 
o  Utility of prophylactic antibiotics in exposed
individuals from endemic areas;
 
o  Appropriate treatment of congenital Lyme disease.
 
MECHANISM OF SUPPORT
 
Applications considered appropriate responses to this RFA
are the traditional research project grant (R01).
Approximately $1,500,000 in total costs per year for three
to five years will be committed by the
NIAMS
specifically to fund applications submitted in
response to this RFA.
Approximately seven awards are expected to be made for this RFA.
 
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 and
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.
 
REVIEW PROCEDURES AND CRITERIA
 
Applications will be reviewed initially by the Division of
Research grants for completeness and will be assigned to a
special NIAMS review group.  Evaluation for responsiveness
to the RFA is an NIAMS program staff function.  Applications
that are judged non-responsive will be returned to the
applicant but may be submitted as investigator-initiated
applications at the next receipt date.  Those applications
judged to be both responsive and competitive will be
evaluated for scientific/technical merit by an appropriate
initial review group convened by the NIAMS Review Branch.
The second level of review will be conducted by the National
Advisory Council of the NIAMS.
 
APPLICATION PROCEDURES
 
The research grant application form PHS 398 (revised 10/88)
must be used in applying for these grants.  These forms are
available at most institutional business offices and from
the Office of Grants Inquiries, Division of Research Grants,
National Institutes of Health, Room 449, Westwood Building,
5333 Westbard Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20892.
 
Applications must be received by June 17, 1991.  If an
application is received after that date it will be returned
to the applicant.
If the application submitted in response to this RFA is
substantially similar to a research grant application already
submitted to the NIH for review, but has not yet been reviewed,
the applicant will be asked to withdraw either the pending
application or the new one.  Simultaneous submission of identical
applications will not be allowed, nor will essentially identical
applications be reviewed by different review committees.
Therefore, an application cannot be submitted in response to this
RFA that is essentially identical to one that has already been
reviewed.  This does not preclude the submission of substantial
revisions of applications already reviewed, but such applications
must include an introduction addressing the previous critique.
 
Letter of intent:  Prospective applicants are asked to
submit a letter of intent by May 1, 1991.
This letter should include the name of the institution
any other participating institutions, the
Principal Investigator and other key investigators, and
a descriptive title.  Such a letter of intent is not
binding and will not enter into the review of any
application subsequently submitted, nor is it a necessary
requirement for application.  Letters of intent are
requested solely for review planning purposes.  NIAMS staff
will not provide responses to such letters.  Letters of
intent are to be sent to:
 
Dr. Tommy L. Broadwater
Chief, Grants Review Branch
Extramural Program
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Westwood Building, Room 5A05A
Bethesda, MD  20892
Telephone:  (301) 496-0754
 
The full RFA may be obtained from:
 
Dr. Lawrence Petrucelli
Arthritis Program Director
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
5333 Westbard Avenue
Westwood Building, Room 405
Bethesda, MD  20892
Telephone:  (301) 496-7326
 
For fiscal and administrative matters, contact:
 
Diane M. Watson
Grans Management Officer
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Westwood Building, Room 407-A
Bethesda, MD  20892
Telephone:  (301) 496-7495
 
$$R4 END ***************************************************************
 
                        ONGOING PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENTS
 
$$P1 BEGIN *************************************************************
 
CHILD AND ADOLESCENT MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE SYSTEM
RESEARCH DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS
 
PA:  PA-91-40
 
P.T. 34, AA; K.W. 0715095, 0715129, 0403004
 
National Institute of Mental Health
 
PURPOSE
 
This announcement, based on recommendations in the
"National Plan for Research on Child and Adolescent
Mental Disorders" and on part of the National Institute
of Mental Health (NIMH) Public-Academic Liaison (PAL)
initiative, is intended to stimulate investigator-
initiated research demonstration projects (R18s) of
State and local-level service systems for children and
adolescents with, or at risk for, serious emotional or
mental disorders.  The purpose of this announcement is
to advance the development of research that will
contribute to the establishment and maintenance of
effective mental health service delivery systems for
children and adolescents with, or at risk for, serious
emotional or mental disorders, especially those systems
that include community-based services and interagency
coordination.
 
A number of factors have converged to create a need for
a research demonstration program that can enhance
service systems developed previously under the Child
and Adolescent Service System Program (CASSP).  First,
States and communities have moved toward the creation
of balanced systems of care that encompass a full range
of community-based service options for children and
adolescents with severe emotional disturbance and their
families.  This has created new challenges in
understanding how to develop effective service delivery
systems to meet the needs of this population.  Second,
to meet the requirements of P.L. 99-660, States are
increasingly interested in improving their systems of
care for children and adolescents.  And third, there is
an increasing interest in the development of
interventions to improve outcomes in high-risk children
and adolescents (as reflected in P.L. 99-457).
 
Areas that particularly need to be studied include
innovative service system models that follow the CASSP
principles of multi-agency, community-based, child and
family-centered care.  Such models are being developed
by State and private service system demonstration
efforts (e.g., the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Child
Mental Health Initiative).  Also, little is known about
youth at risk for severe emotional disturbance.
Appropriate, accessible, and comprehensive services for
these troubled youth are uncommon, and little
systematic research has been conducted to determine the
characteristics of this population and the most
efficacious way of organizing and providing a system of
care for them.  Even those service models that
successfully manage and coordinate care for this
population have not been rigorously studied.  The
research demonstration mechanism will provide a
rigorous approach to study the effectiveness of
innovative models of providing, organizing, and/or
financing services for children and adolescents with, or
at risk for, serious emotional and mental disorders by
studying service interventions applied in actual
service settings.
 
Applications for research demonstration projects must be
designed to address specific questions and produce data
that show the effectiveness of different approaches to
service system development.  Investigators are
especially encouraged to assess the system from the
perspective of individual children and families and to
include clinical outcome measures as well as assess the
broader impact of these new systems on both child and
family functioning and quality of life.
 
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR INCLUSION OF WOMEN AND
MINORITIES IN CLINICAL RESEARCH STUDIES
 
For projects involving clinical research, ADAMHA requires
applicants to give special attention to the inclusion of
women and minorities in study populations.  If women and
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.
 
ELIGIBILITY
 
Only State mental health authorities, other State
agencies in which the State-wide responsibility for
child mental health resides, or other State child
services coordinating organizations as designated by
the Governor,
are eligible to apply for these grants in coordination
with local service agencies, universities, and research
organizations.  Applications from the latter
organizations must be accompanied by a letter from the
Governor making such a designation.  Entities that have
been so designated from a prior CASSP grant need not
submit an additional letter of designation.  Women and
minority investigators are especially encouraged to be
included in the application.
 
Since these grants are for service system development
for children and adolescents with, or at risk for,
serious emotional or mental disorders at the State and then
the community level, it is imperative that the proper
State mental health financing and planning authority be
the entity from which the grant activities are
performed.  The degree of coordination across State
agencies required to develop the type of systems needed
by the target population can best happen at the State
level.
 
APPLICATION PROCEDURES
 
Applicants must use the current version of form PHS
398 (revised 10/88).  PHS 398 application
kits are available from most universities and are also
available from:
 
Child and Family Support Branch
Division of Applied and Services Research
National Institute of Mental Health
5600 Fishers Lane, Room 11C-05
Rockville, MD  20857
Telephone:  (301) 443-1333
 
Type the number of this Program Announcement PA-91-40
and the title "Child and Adolescent Mental Health
Services Research Demonstration Project" in item 2 of
the face page of the application.
 
The original and six (6) copies of the application must
be received (not postmarked) by the close of business
on receipt date at the latest; applications received
after receipt date will be held for review during the
next cycle.
 
Applications must be sent to:
 
Division of Research Grants
National Institutes of Health
Westwood Building, Room 240
Bethesda, MD  20892**
 
PERIOD OF SUPPORT AND AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS
 
Applications assigned to NIMH will be considered for a maximum of
three years of support
to cover both direct and indirect costs.  It is
recognized that applicants may want to extend the
period of support to continue a longitudinal study of
subjects.  When such a design is anticipated,
applicants should outline the full scope of the project
and propose to reapply during the third year for
competitive continuation funding.  In FY l990,
approximately $1.5 million was available to support four
projects.
 
RECIPT AND REVIEW SCHEDULE
 
To be considered for FY 1991 funding,
applications must be submitted by June 1, 1991.
 
Applications that are received after the June 1, 1991,
receipt date will be reviewed in accordance with the
regular review schedule:
 
Receipt Dates   Initial    Advisory Council  Earliest
New/Renewal     Review     Review            Start Date
 
June 1/July 1*  Oct./Nov.    Jan./Feb.       Apr. 1
Oct. 1/Nov. 1*  Feb./Mar.    May/June        July 1
Feb. 1/Mar. 1*  May/June     Sept./Oct.      Dec. 1
 
*Amended applications (new or renewal) are to be
submitted on the latter dates.
 
Applicants are encouraged to contact Institute staff
before applying for an award:
 
Ira S. Lourie, M.D.
Chief, Child and Family Support Branch
or Diane L. Sondheimer
Chief, Research Demonstration Program, CFSB
Division of Applied and Services Research
National Institute of Mental Health
Parklawn Building, Room 11C-05
5600 Fishers Lane
Rockville, MD  20857
Telephone:  (301) 443-1333
 
For fiscal and administrative matters, contact:
 
Stephen Hudak
Chief, Grants Management Section
National Institute of Mental Health
Parklawn Building, Room 7C23
5600 Fishers Lane
Rockville, MD  20857
Telephone:  (301) 443-4456
 
$$P1 END ***************************************************************
 
$$P2 BEGIN *************************************************************
 
ECONOMICS OF AGING, HEALTH, AND RETIREMENT
 
PA:  PA-91-41
 
P.T. 34, CC; K.W. 0710010, 0715000, 0408006, 0413001, 0417000
 
National Institute on Aging
 
I. BACKGROUND AND GOALS
 
The National Institute on Aging (NIA) invites qualified researchers to
submit applications on the Economics of Aging, Health, and Retirement.
 
Research in economic and health issues relevant to the older population
will be particularly important given continued increases in life
expectancy.  With these additional years of old age, new patterns of
labor force participation and retirement have emerged.  For example, in
the U.S. older workers, particularly men, are living longer yet retiring
earlier.  Work behaviors are directly related to the economic status of
the elderly population.  Many of the oldest elderly women, especially
those who are widowed and who did not participate continually in the
labor force, have an especially high rate of poverty.  As the size of
this fast growing subgroup of the older population increases, shifts in
the financial well-being of the older population can be expected.  In
the future, many older persons may have inadequate financial resources
to support themselves during lengthy periods of chronic illness or
disability.  Research that focuses on the current profile of labor force
participation and health is needed to identify emerging patterns and
trends among the elderly.
 
Given the impending changes in the size, composition, and
characteristics of the elderly population, research on life course
transitions of the elderly is necessary to ensure the provision of
health and retirement services for tomorrow's elderly.  Over the life
course, people face a number of economic constraints within which they
have to make a series of decisions, for example, how much to save for
retirement, when to retire, what types of life, health, and long-term
care insurance to carry, how to consume savings, when to sell a house,
with whom to live.  Functional limitations also play a role in economic
decision making of the elderly.  For example, an older disabled person
may choose to live with a child rather than use community care services.
These financial decisions eventually affect the well-being of the older
person.  Thus, transitions in work, economic well-being, health, and
interdependency are all interwoven, and research on life course
transitions is needed to better understand such complex relationships.
 
This announcement reflects the broad responsibilities of the NIA that
was established by law in 1974 for the "conduct and support of
biomedical, social, and behavioral research and training related to the
aging process and the diseases and other special problems and needs of
the aged."  This announcement is coordinated with, but does not replace,
other relevant announcements from the Behavioral and Social Research
Program, such as Behavioral and Social Research on Aging, the Oldest
Old, and Formal Health Care.  While this announcement is focused
primarily on economic analysis, several of these research issues include
demographic, sociological, and psychological approaches, as in these
other announcements.
 
II.  SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES
 
A wide range of studies related to health and retirement economics of
the elderly are solicited, including studies of A) the dynamics of life
course transitions, B) cross-sectional and trend analyses, and C)
methodological analyses.
 
Longitudinal studies of transitions over the life course, including
cross-cultural comparisons, are of particular interest.  Cross-sectional
studies are also of interest; in some cases cross-sectional studies may
be the most appropriate, and in other cases longitudinal data may be
unavailable.  Appropriate methodological studies are welcome.  In
addition, applicants may propose experiments and innovations that will
lead to the enhanced well-being of older people.
 
The following is a nonexhaustive listing of major topics of concern;
projects that focus on under-researched topics are particularly
encouraged.
 
A. Studies of Life Course Transitions
 
Aging can be considered a movement through a series of life events.  A
dynamic approach to the study of life course events recognizes that
transitions are not only dependent on factors present at the time of
transition, but are also related to previous transitions.  Major life
course transitions relate to work and retirement decisions, wealth
accumulation and decumulation, health status changes, long-term care,
and housing and living arrangements.
 
1. Labor force participation and retirement
 
Most analyses of labor force participation and retirement have been
static; the few dynamic models have oversimplified the complex processes
in work transitions and labor market exits.  Behavioral models are
needed to explain research questions such as:
 
  o  What are the economic antecedents and consequences of retirement?
     What are the relative magnitudes of pension and health (or other
     social) effects on retirement?  How do economy-wide, firm-specific,
     and occupation-specific (e.g., health and scientific personnel,
     academics, agricultural workers) factors influence full-time to
     part-time employment transitions?  What are the economic,
     organizational, and perceptual factors related to early retirement
     plans?
 
  o  How does disease progression interact with the work environment of
     older workers?
 
  o  What are the economic implications of programs designed to
     encourage older persons to remain in or re-enter the labor force?
     How will the American's with Disadvantages Act impact on disabled
     older workers?  What factors encourage employees to retain older
     disabled workers?
 
2. Economic well-being
 
Although the financial status of the older population has improved on
average, significant subgroups of this population experience
considerable economic hardship and poverty.  Little is known about the
dynamics of entry into poverty in old age.  Our knowledge of the changes
over time in consumption of goods and services by the elderly is also
limited.  Studies should focus on both the causes and effects of changes
in economic well-being of older persons, and may include topics such as:
 
  o  What are the effects on income and wealth of events such as
     widowhood, divorce, remarriage, illness, retirement, and migration?
     What factors erode or enhance economic well-being of older people
     and how can these be incorporated in public policy?  What are the
     special factors affecting minority elderly, women or men, living
     alone, and the oldest old?
 
  o  What are the implications of current and projected patterns of
     bequests and inheritances?
 
  o  How does financial status affect transitions in the health and
     well-being of older people?
 
  o  What are the economic aspects of inter-generational exchanges, such
     as the provision of care in the home by friends and relatives?
 
3.  Health and functioning
 
Since there have been virtually no data sources that include adequate
longitudinal information on health and economic status combined, little
is known about the economic causes and consequences of illness and
disability.  Questions of interest include:
 
  o  How do disease progression and changes in functional status
     interact with health-care expenses, wealth, and economic well-being
     of older persons and their spouses and children?  How is economic
     status correlated with health and functional status (including
     duration of disabling episodes) over the life cycle, and what are
     the implications of these correlates?
 
  o  What are the costs of chronic diseases of old age such as
     Alzheimer's, arthritis, heart disease, diabetes, general frailty,
     and the economic benefits of interventions such as prevention,
     geriatric assessment, and case management?  How should such
     calculations treat issues such as co-morbidities, competing causes
     of death, and the direct (monetary) and indirect (e.g.,
     opportunity) costs of caretaking?
 
  o  What is the impact of cognitive impairment on financial well-being
     and economic decision making?
 
4. Long-term care
 
The recent dramatic increases in the costs of care in nursing homes and
at home have lent themselves to even more dramatic projections of future
costs of long-term care.  Research is needed to improve these forecasts
and projections, for they serve as the actuarial bases for private and
public long-term care insurance plans.  Specific research topics
include:
 
  o  What is the capacity of individuals to pay for the care that may be
     needed?
 
  o  How do economic variables affect the demand and use of
     institutional and paid community care and what role do economic
     factors play in choosing between various types of care services
     over the life course?
 
  o  How do patterns of financing affect the mix of impairments within
     institutions?  How does the availability of Medicaid affect
     decisions to institutionalize older people?
 
5.  Housing and living arrangements
 
Research on the living arrangements of the elderly has for the most part
been confined to cross-sectional analyses and many cross-sectional
economic analyses of newly emerging forms of housing and living
arrangements remain to be done.  A life-course approach to housing and
living arrangements might examine the causes of changes in living
arrangements or in-home ownership status.  Relevant questions include:
 
  o  How do transitions in health status, family composition, and the
     ability to pay for medical care relate to changes in living
     arrangements of older persons?
 
  o  How are housing decisions incorporated into the financial planning
     of older people?  What are the implications of projected changes in
     the value of housing?
 
6.  Comparative analyses
 
Cross-national and cross-State data are useful in assessing the role of
policies and institutions over time on the health and economic
well-being of older populations.  Questions of interest include:
 
  o  How does the income mix of the elderly vary across countries?  How
     do the various income and retirement policies affect the age and
     process of retirement?  How does the return-to-work phenomena vary
     across industrialized countries?  Who are the poor elderly in other
     nations?  What have been the effects of social experiments such as
     reverse annuity mortgages in other countries?  Are the causes and
     consequences of retirement similar across industrialized countries?
 
  o  How do different State-level long-term care policies, such as
     Medicaid and certificate-of-need laws, affect the health and
     economic well-being of older people?
 
  o  Are health systems of other industrialized nations more cost
     effective in increasing the life and especially active life
     expectancy of older people?  What is the effect of population aging
     on the health sector expenditures in developing nations?
 
This program announcement is oriented towards the industrialized
countries; however, NIA is collaborating with the Agency for
International Development and the World Health Organization to encourage
increased research in less developed countries, including collaborative
research projects between U.S. institutions and researchers in other
countries.  Investigators interested in such studies should contact the
Behavioral and Social Research (BSR) Program officer listed below.
 
B.  Cross-sectional and Trend Analyses
 
While the dynamic life course methodological approach is useful in a
variety of research areas, cross-sectional and trend analyses are also
important in many under-researched areas.  Examples of issues of
interest include:
 
  o  How do economic conditions of older people vary across minority
     groups and how have they changed over time?
 
  o  How do resources versus needs vary by age within the elderly
     population?
 
  o  What is the extent and mix of private health insurance coverage in
     the older population, and what are the costs to employers of
     retiree health benefits?
 
  o  How important are extended kin to household economic well-being,
     and what are the patterns of resource sharing within families and
     across households?
 
  o  What are the consumption patterns of older people?
 
C.  Methodological Studies
 
Appropriate methodological studies are welcome.  Improved methods for
measuring the costs of illness and disability among older people are
needed.  Descriptive studies may also be needed, for example, that
sharpen and improve the definitions and measurements of initial and
subsequent states used in dynamic models.  Studies that calibrate and
improve various measurements, e.g., equivalence scales, for example of
poverty, economic well-being, and health status, are needed, along with
new survey instruments that collect valid retrospective data on lifetime
financial and labor force history.  Econometric innovations that
contribute to the analysis in social and biomedical sciences of the
complex multivariate dynamic life-course processes are also welcome.
 
III.  CONCEPTUALIZATION AND METHODOLOGY
 
A wide variety of studies are encouraged including studies that involve
primary data collection and studies that analyze and model archived
data.  Cross-sectional, synthetic cohort, panel, and dynamic analyses of
true longitudinal data are all encouraged; the development of models,
including micro-simulation models, is welcome; the appropriate
methodology should be selected in view of the particular research
question.  Macro-level analyses where the major focus is on the
implications of population aging may be appropriate.  International,
State-regional perspectives and cross-national studies can often provide
powerful insights into circumstances of older people in this nation, and
comparative studies are encouraged where relevant.  Some problems will
require collaboration with scientists from several disciplines; such
studies are also encouraged.
 
IV.  DATA RESOURCES
 
Following the Report of the Ad Hoc Advisory Panel on Extramural Program
Priorities for Data Collection in Health and Retirement Economics
(copies of which may be obtained from the BSR Program contact listed
below), many of the national survey data bases (such as the Health and
Retirement Survey, the Consumer Finance Survey, the Survey on Income and
Program Participation, the Longitudinal Study on Aging, the National
Longitudinal Surveys of Labor Market Experience, the National Long Term
Care Survey, the National Nursing Home Followup Survey, and the Panel
Study on Income Dynamics) are in the field or are undergoing major
enhancements (e.g., new supplements and reinterview waves; linkages to
administrative data such as the National Death Index or Medicare Files)
that will increase their value for research on aging.  Applicants may
obtain information from staff or the University of Michigan National
Computerized Archive on Data on Aging for these and other databases.
Applicants proposing major data collection efforts or enhancements must
address in their application the sharing and archiving all such newly
created data resources.  Where data confidentiality issues present
barriers to archiving, as in the case of firm-level proprietary data, or