Subject: NIH Guide 071390 RFA CA-90-17
From: Dot Baker <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 12 Jul 90 09:05 EST

Hello Paul,
Here is the second part of the NIH Guide with
RFA CA-90-17.  Please post to the listserver
as:  RFA CA-90-17.071390.
Thanks, Liz Pauk for Dottie Baker
 ---------------------------- Text of forwarded message -----------------------
REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS (RFA) FOR SMALL (R03) RESEARCH
GRANTS
     
RFA NUMBER:  CA-90-17
     
DCBDC Small Research Grants on the Molecular and
Cellular Biology of Metastatic Tumor Cells
     
P.T. 34; K.W. 1002004, 1002008, 0715035
     
National Cancer Institute
     
Letter of Intent Receipt Date:  September 10, 1990
Application Receipt Date:  October 10, 1990
     
I.  INTRODUCTION
     
The Cancer Biology Branch of the Division of Cancer Biology,
Diagnosis and Centers (DCBDC) at the National Cancer
Institute (NCI) invites applications for grants to study the
molecular and cellular biology of metastatic tumor cells.
This special initiative is designed to promote collaborations
and facilitate scientific interchange between investigators,
one with experience in the biology of metastasis and the
other in a more basic scientific discipline such as molecular
or cellular biology or biochemistry.  Prospective principal
investigators are encouraged to identify a research
collaborator in order to prepare and submit a small grant
application.
     
The Small Research Grants program provides limited funds
(maximum of $40,000 per year) for short-term (up to 2 years)
research projects.  They are non-renewable.  Small grants
provide an opportunity for initiating studies which may be
preliminary in nature.  Research investigators in relevant
fields are invited to apply for these grants in order to
develop preliminary data that could form the basis of future
R01 or R29 applications.
     
The present RFA announcement is for a single solicitation
with a specified deadline (October 10, 1990) for receipt of
applications.  There will be up to ten awards if meritorious
applications and funds are available.
     
II.  BACKGROUND INFORMATION
     
The Tumor Biology Program supports a broad spectrum of basic
biological research that explores how the cancer cell is
different from a normal healthy cell and why it is driven to
ever greater degrees of malignancy.  Cancer cell invasion and
metastasis represents a major focus of the Tumor Biology
Program.  Metastasis requires that cells escape from the
primary tumor, invade the structural matrix and enter into
the vascular system, avoid host defense mechanisms and then
adhere to, invade and colonize some other anatomical site.
Advancement of our understanding of the metastatic phenotype
is limited by the state of science at any given moment, the
basic biochemical, cellular and molecular biological
techniques being applied, and the size of the research
community engaged in this enterprise.
     
Significant advances have been made in recent years in a wide
range of basic science disciplines, and our understanding of
the nature of issues such as the extracellular matrix,
proteases, adhesion receptors, chemotactic and growth
factors, homing and other membrane receptors, signal
transduction mechanisms, gene regulation and expression,
suppressor genes and oncogenes.  Given the programmatic
emphasis on advancing our understanding of metastasis, NCI
has determined that there is a need to facilitate the
communication between these allied areas of basic research
and the community investigating metastasis biology, to
provide an opportunity for technical and intellectual
interchange, and to increase the size of the community
conducting research on metastasis.
     
III.  RESEARCH GOALS AND SCOPE
     
The goal of this initiative is to provide funds for
preliminary research projects that will form the basis of
future R29 and R01 applications to investigate metastasis.
The intent is to (1) foster collaborative research between
investigators with basic molecular and cellular biological
and biochemical research experience and those with
experience in metastasis research, and (2) increase the
number of laboratories and investigators addressing issues of
metastasis.
     
The scope of the research may encompass any aspect of
molecular and cellular biology and biochemistry as they apply
to metastasis biology.  Applications should be for
preliminary data gathering or pilot feasibility studies, and
should be founded on the combined research experience of the
principal investigator and his/her collaborator.  The
application should specifically address how the application
meets the intent of the initiative, e.g., the development of
a new collaboration between an investigator with basic
molecular and cellular biological and biochemical research
experience and one with experience in metastasis research.
Furthermore, the research collaborator should address how the
proposed research will relate to and integrate with other
ongoing research in his/her laboratory.  Either the principal
investigator or the research collaborator must have
demonstrated experience in metastasis research.  However, the
initiative is not intended for support of applicant
investigators who have such experience and propose
collaborating with laboratories that are also engaged in
metastasis research in any significant manner.  The research
collaborator may collaborate with more than one principal
investigator.
     
The principal investigator must be accountable to the
recipient organization officials for the proper conduct of
the project.  The research collaborator must be named and
time and effort listed on the budget page.  The recipient
organization is legally responsible and accountable to PHS
for performance and financial aspects of the grant-supported
activity.
     
Just as the initiative is intended to foster a research
collaboration, the application itself should clearly be the
product of in-depth discussions and input from both the
research collaborator and the principal investigator.
     
IV.  MECHANISM OF SUPPORT
     
Support of this program will be through the National
Institutes of Health (NIH) grant-in-aid.  Applicants will be
responsible for the planning, direction, and execution of the
proposed project.  Except as otherwise stated in this Request
for Applications (RFA), awards will be administered under PHS
policy as stated in the Public Health Service Grants Policy
statement, DHHS Publication No. (OASH) 82-50,000, revised
January 1, 1987.
     
This RFA is a one-time solicitation.  Applications received
after the deadline for the receipt date will be returned.
Grants made under this mechanism are non-renewable.
     
Approximately $600,000 in total costs per year for two years
will be committed to specifically fund applications
submitted in response to this RFA.  It is anticipated that 10
awards will be made.  The total direct costs per year must
not exceed $40,000.  This funding level is dependent on the
receipt of a sufficient number of applications of high
scientific merit.  The total project period for applications
submitted in response to the present RFA should be for at
least one (1) year and may not exceed two (2) years.  The
earliest feasible start date for the initial award will be
March 1, 1991.  However, the award date may be delayed to as
late as August 1, 1991.  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.
     
V.  ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
     
Non-profit and for-profit organizations and institutions,
governments and their agencies are eligible to apply.
Foreign institutions are also eligible.
     
The research collaborator must have an active peer-reviewed
grant at the time of submission and award.
     
Investigators eligible to apply must have received the Ph.D.,
M.D., D.V.M., or equivalent degree at the time of award and
be interested in conducting exploratory studies in the
molecular and cellular biology of metastasis.  This includes
established investigators, new investigators and postdoctoral
students.  In order to increase the number of laboratories
and investigators with the potential for a long-term
commitment to metastasis research, preference in funding will
be given to those investigators that are early in their
research careers.
     
VI.  REVIEW PROCEDURES AND CRITERIA
     
A.   REVIEW PROCEDURE
     
Upon receipt, applications will be reviewed by the Division
of Research Grants (DRG) for completeness.  Incomplete
applications will be returned to the applicant without
further consideration.  Applications will be evaluated by
NCI Program Staff to determine whether they are responsive
to the program requirements and criteria stated in this RFA.
Applications judged non-responsive will be returned to the
applicant.  Questions concerning the responsiveness of
proposed research to the RFA should be directed to the
program staff named below.
     
In cases where the number of applications is large compared
to the number of awards to be made, the NIH will conduct a
preliminary scientific peer review to eliminate those which
are clearly not competitive.  The NIH will administratively
withdraw from competition those applications judged to be
non-competitive and notify the applicant and institutional
business official.
     
Those applications judged to be both competitive and
responsive will be further evaluated, using the review
criteria stated below, for scientific and technical merit by
an appropriate peer review group convened by the Division of
Extramural Activities, NCI.  The second level of review by
NCI Program Staff considers the application in light of the
special needs of the Institute and the priorities of the
National Cancer Program.
     
B.   REVIEW CRITERIA
     
The factors considered in evaluating the scientific merit of
each response to this RFA will be:
     
1.  The extent to which the proposed research develops
collaborations that address the purpose of the initiative.
     
2.  How the proposed research relates to and integrates with
other ongoing research in the research collaborator's
laboratory.
     
3.  Originality of the research from a scientific and
technical viewpoint, and potential for contribution to the
field of metastasis research.
     
4.  Feasibility of research and adequacy of study design.
     
5.  Experience, training, time commitment, and research
competence of the investigators involved.
     
6.  Adequacy of available facilities.
     
7.  Provision for the adequate protection of human subjects
and the humane treatment of animals.
     
The review group will critically examine the submitted budget
and will recommend an appropriate budget for each approved
application.
     
Letters of reference, although not required, are particularly
valuable where the research investigator's originality and
potential are not reflected in his/her research experience.
     
VII.  METHOD OF APPLYING
     
The PHS 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;
from the Office of Grant Inquiries, Division of Research
Grants, National Institutes of Health, Room 449, Westwood
Building, 5333 Westbard Avenue, Bethesda, MD  20892; or from
the NCI Program Director named below.
     
The RFA label contained in the 10/88 revision of Application
Form 398 must be affixed to the bottom of the face page.
Failure to use this label could result in delayed processing
of the application such that it may not reach the review
committee in time for review.  In addition, the RFA number
and title (to the extent that space permits) should be typed
on line 2 of the application face page.
     
Submit a signed, typewritten original of the application,
including the Checklist, and four (4) signed, exact
photocopies, in one package to the Division of Research
Grants at the address below.  The photocopies must be clear
and single sided.  If appendix material is submitted, four
collated sets must be included with the application package.
     
Division of Research Grants
National Institutes of Health
Westwood Building, Room 240
     5333 Westbard Avenue
Bethesda, MD  20892**
     
At the time of submission, two (2) additional copies of the
application should also be sent to:
     
Referral Officer
Division of Extramural Activities
National Cancer Institute
Westwood Building, Room 838
5333 Westbard Avenue
Bethesda, MD  20892
     
If the applicant has an approved assurance covering the
research (multiple project assurance for human subjects/
full assurance of compliance for animal subjects), the
applicant should provide with the application, certification
of institutional review board (IRB) approval if humans are
involved and verification of the institutional animal care
and use committee (IACUC) approval if animals are involved.
These reviews and approvals should occur PRIOR TO SUBMISSION
OF the applications for award and the certifications and
verifications should be SUBMITTED WITH the applications.
Failure to provide required certifications and verifications
within applications could result in deferral or rejection.
If animals or humans will be subjects of the research at
PERFORMANCE SITES OTHER THAN THE APPLICANT ORGANIZATION, the
applicants must identify, within the application, the
assurance status of each participant.  Failure to provide
this information within applications could result in deferral
or rejection.
     
Applications must be received by October 10, 1990.
The DRG will
not accept any application in response to this announcement
that is essentially the same as one currently being considered by any
other NIH awarding unit.
     
VIII.  Letter of Intent
     
Prospective applicants are asked to submit by September 10,
1990, a letter of intent that includes a descriptive title of
the proposed research, the name and address of the principal
investigator, the names of other key personnel, the
participating institution, and the number and title of the
RFA in response to which the application is being submitted.
     
Although a letter of intent is not required, is not binding,
and does not enter into the review of subsequent
applications, the information which it contains is extremely
helpful in planning for the review of applications.  It
allows NCI staff to estimate the potential review workload
and to avoid possible conflict of interest in the review.
     
The Letter of Intent should be sent to:
     
Dr. Michael R. Martin
Program Director for Basic Cancer Biology
National Cancer Institute
Executive Plaza South, Room 630
6120 Executive Blvd.
Rockville, MD  20892
Telephone: (301) 496-7028
Fax: (310) 496-8656
     
IX.  INQUIRIES
     
Written or telephone inquiries concerning the objectives and
scope of this RFA or inquiries about whether or not specific
proposed research would be responsive are encouraged and
should be directed to Dr. Michael R. Martin at the above
address.  The Program Director welcomes the opportunity to
clarify any issues or questions from potential applicants.
     
This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance No.13.396, Cancer Biology.  Awards are 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 grant 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.