Epidemiology and Genetics Research Program Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences May 14, 2004 EGRP NEWS FLASH From the Office of Edward Trapido, Sc.D., Associate Director Epidemiology and Genetics Research Program Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences National Cancer Institute This News Flash from the Epidemiology and Genetics Research Program (EGRP) provides information about: Job Opportunities with EGRP Direct Cost Limitations Changed for Certain Solicited Applications Frequently Asked Questions Posted for RFA on Pharmacogenetics Research Network and Knowledge Base New Funding Opportunities Elsewhere in Our Division PA on Testing Tobacco Products Promoted to Reduce Harm Administrative Supplements for Disseminating Evidence-based Intervention Research Products New Funding Opportunities Elsewhere at NCI RFA for Community Networks to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities Small Business Programs Conference at NIH on June 23-24 Highlights of Research by EGRP Grantees Steps Taken to Protect EGRP ListServ From Being Spoofed Subscribe to Receive EGRP Bulletins and News Flashes [to top of page] Job Opportunities with EGRP EGRP has three job opportunities available for Cancer Research Training Award (CRTA) fellows. The positions are to work on EGRP's: Knowledge Transfer Team Long Island Geographic Information System (LI GIS) Breast and Colon Cancer Family Registries (CFRs) The candidates must meet basic qualifications for a CRTA appointment: a.) be a U.S. citizen or resident alien; b) be at least 16 years of age; c) provide copy of university transcript, or documentation of enrollment in a doctoral program, or documentation of less than 5 years but no more than 8 years postdoctoral or medical training (specifics vary with position; see EGRP's Web site); and d) provide 1-page statement of interest and experience. The salary range depends on the CRTA category and years of experience. The fellows will work in EGRP's offices in Rockville, Md., which is a suburb of Washington, D.C. Please refer to EGRP's Web site to read the complete advertisements and learn where to send letters of interest, CVs, and names and contact information for references. [to top of page] Direct Cost Limitations Changed for Certain Solicited Applications NIH has revised its policy on direct cost limitations on solicited applications. Applications in response to Program Announcements (PAs) and Requests for Applications (RFAs) that include a limitation on direct costs are to exclude from that limit the facilities and administrative (F&A) costs requested by consortium participants. The F&A costs requested by the consortium will be reflected in the PHS 398 application according to current instructions, and F&A costs awarded under these programs will continue to be awarded under the current practice. However, these consortium F&A costs will not be counted as a direct cost when determining if an applicant is in compliance with a direct cost limitation on a solicited application. This change applies to applications submitted on or after April 30. Direct questions to the Grants Management Specialist listed in the RFA/PA or to the Division of Grants Policy: (301) 435-0949. This revision does not change the NIH policy on acceptance of applications requesting direct costs of $500,000 or more for any one year. NIH requires grant applicants with a requested budget over $500,000 direct costs in any year to contact the appropriate program staff before submitting applications to the NIH Center for Scientific Review (CSR) for peer review. The NIH Guide Notice stipulates that if the requested dollar amount is more than $1.5 million in direct costs in any year, approval must be sought 6 weeks prior to submitting the grant to CSR. However, approval for NCI epidemiology applications must be sought at least 8 weeks prior to submission to CSR to complete the necessary internal processing by the deadline. CSR no longer accepts amended budgets for submissions over $500,000. Read more about the policy change in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, NOT-OD-04-040. [to top of page] FAQs Posted for RFA on Pharmacogenetics Research Network and Knowledge Base The Frequently Asked Questions about the Request for Applications (RFA) for open recompetition of the Pharmacogenetics Research Network and Knowledge Base (U01) are now posted on the Web. Investigators who are not current members of the Network are strongly encouraged to respond. EGRP, which is a cosponsor of the RFA, is particularly interested in epidemiologic research of drug responses and effects relevant to cancer in understudied populations of diverse racial and ethnic origin. NCI is a cosponsor through EGRP and the Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program (CTEP), Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis (DCTD). The Pharmacogenetics Research Network consists of multidisciplinary, collaborative groups of investigators that contribute their data to the publicly available knowledge base PharmGKB, which is an open research tool accessible to all scientists. The research groups in the network have interests across a range of biological processes: drug metabolism, small molecule transport, target receptors, and biological pathways involved in the drug treatment of cardiovascular diseases, asthma, cancer, and depression. Other areas are welcome consistent with the interests of the funding Institutes. The groups are collecting comprehensive, integrated information about specific proteins and gene families important to the field of pharmacogenetics. Letters of intent are due July 19, and applications are due August 19, 2004. Inquiries related to molecular and genetic epidemiology may be directed to EGRP's J. Fernando Arena, M.D., Ph.D., Clinical and Genetic Epidemiology Research Branch (CGERB), e-mail: arenaj@mail.nih.gov; or Kumiko (Kumi) Iwamoto, M.D., Dr.P.H., Analytic Epidemiology Research Branch (AERB), e-mail: iwamotok@mail.nih.gov. The RFA's lead sponsor is the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS). General inquiries about the RFA or the Network may be directed to Rochelle Long, Ph.D.; tel. (listed incorrectly in the RFA): (301) 594-1826; e-mail: longr@nigms.nih.gov. Other participating NIH Institutes are the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), National Library of Medicine (NLM), and the Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH). Read more about the RFA in the NIH Guide, RFA-GM-04-002. [to top of page] Funding Opportunities Elsewhere in Our Division PA on Testing Tobacco Products Promoted to Reduce Harm A new Program Announcement (PA) has been issued to stimulate multidisciplinary research on potential reduced-exposure tobacco products, both smoked and smokeless, through the interplay of basic, biological, and behavioral research, surveillance, and epidemiology (R01 and R21). The tobacco industry is currently promoting some new products with claims that they are less harmful or less addictive because these products purportedly deliver lower amounts of toxic, carcinogenic, and/or addictive agents to the user compared with conventional products. However, to date, the scientific evidence is insufficient to evaluate whether these new products actually reduce the users' exposure or risk for tobacco-related diseases. The key research question of this PA is "Do potential reduced-exposure tobacco products provide a truly, less-harmful alternative to conventional tobacco products, both on the individual and population level?" The PA's objective is to stimulate multidisciplinary research on the chemical composition, behavior of use, exposure to toxic agents, addictive properties, differential toxicity, and individual and public health impact of potential reduced-exposure tobacco products. Direct questions about scientific/research issues for cancer-related research to Mirjana V. Djordjevic, Ph.D., DCCPS's Tobacco Control Research Branch, Behavioral Research Program; tel: (301) 496-8584; e-mail: djordjev@mail.nih.gov. The PA is cosponsored with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), where the contact on scientific/research issues is Allison L. Chausmer, Ph.D., tel.: (301) 402-5088; e-mail: achausme@nida.nih.gov. Read more about the PA in the NIH Guide, PA-04-103. [to top of page] Administrative Supplements for Disseminating Evidence-based Intervention Research Products Applications are invited for administrative supplements for NCI-funded cancer control intervention research R01, P01, P50, U01, and U19 grants. Applicants may apply for a supplement to a related R01, P01, P50, U01, or U19 intervention research award, as long as the following conditions are met: The focus of the awarded grant is similar to the focus of the intervention dissemination supplement that is being proposed. There are no funds in the related award related to the proposed dissemination effort. There must be an active parent grant during the entire funding period of this supplement. The Principal Investigator for the supplement must be the Principal Investigator of the parent grant. These supplements are to provide 1-year funding to cancer control investigators whose intervention efficacy data have been analyzed and who are conducting peer-reviewed research (with an active NCI grant award) related to the intervention program proposed for dissemination. Intervention research across the cancer control continuum that may be eligible for these supplements, includes: tobacco use prevention and cessation; promotion of appropriate changes in diet and physical activity; reduction of sun exposure and ultraviolet radiation exposure; facilitation of informed decisions about genetic testing for cancer susceptibility; enhancement of screening for breast, cervix and colorectal cancers; quality of care; and improvements in coping skills and quality-of-life for cancer survivors and their families. The deadline for applications is June 30, 2004. Direct inquiries concerning the programmatic and review matters to Jon F. Kerner, Ph.D., DCCPS Deputy Director for Research Dissemination and Diffusion; tel.: (301) 594-7294; e-mail: jon.kerner@nih.gov. View detailed instructions for applying for this supplement and a Question and Answer series. See also the NIH Guide, NOT-CA-04-011. [to top of page] Funding Opportunities Elsewhere at NCI RFA for Community Networks to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities NCI's Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities invites applications for cooperative agreements (U01) for Community Networks to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities through Education, Research, and Training (Community Networks Program - CNP). The CNP's purpose is to reduce cancer health disparities by conducting community-based participatory education, training, and research among racial/ethnic minorities (e.g., African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, Pacific Islanders, and Native Americans/Alaska Natives) and underserved populations (e.g., Appalachian, rural, low socioeconomic status, and other underserved populations). The overall goals of this program are to significantly improve access to and utilization of beneficial cancer interventions in communities with cancer health disparities, thereby reducing these disparities. Letters of intent are due June 14, and applications are due July 13, 2004. (The RFA is a reissue of RFA-CA-99-003.) Direct questions about scientific/research issues to Kenneth Chu, Ph.D., Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities, tel.: (301) 496-8589; e-mail: kc10d@nih.gov. Read more about the RFA in the NIH Guide, RFA-CA-05-012. [to top of page] Small Business Programs Conference at NIH on June 23-24 On June 23-24, NIH will host its annual conference focusing on funding opportunities available through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs for small businesses that have innovative biomedical or behavioral research ideas with commercial potential. The conference is to benefit those who are relatively new to the Programs, as well as those who are more experienced. The conference will be held at the Natcher Conference Center, NIH Campus, Bethesda, Md. Registration is free but mandatory, and space fills quickly. Read more about the conference and register online. In the SBIR Program, funding is usually provided for up to 6 months and $100,000 total cost for Phase I feasibility studies, and for up to 2 years and $750,000 for Phase II projects. The STTR Program requires close collaboration between the small business and a partnered research institution. The small business is to conduct at least 40% of the research project, and the single, partner institution conducts at least 30% of the work. Funding is usually provided for up to 1 year and $100,000 total cost for Phase I feasibility studies, and for up to 2 years and $750,000 for Phase II projects. Learn about research topics of special interest to EGRP on its SBIR/STTR Programs Web page. [to top of page] Highlights of Research by EGRP Grantees We now have a section on our Web site with highlights of research conducted and published by grantees supported through EGRP. Our investigators are very productive, and we can't begin to do justice to all the research. We welcome your suggestions on additions. Contact Linda Anderson, EGRP Communications Director; e-mail: andersoL2@mail.nih.gov. [to top of page] Steps Taken to Protect EGRP ListServ From Being Spoofed Recently a hacker gained access to EGRP's ListServ e-mail address, "Friends-of-NCI-EGRP-L," to send an attachment that may have contained a virus. In computer lingo, it's called "spoofing." There was no message in the body of the e-mail, only the attachment. Some of our readers let us know that their computer security systems deleted the attachment or flagged it as suspicious. A few people opened the attachment but did not encountering problems, which may be because the NIH computer security experts have in place systems to try and strip viruses that may be attached to outgoing messages. We've now set up an extra level of protection with the help of the NIH ListServ staff. After we send an e-mail message to the ListServ for distribution, a message will be returned asking us to confirm that the communication is truly from us before it will be sent. In addition, if we have any attachments to share with you, we will post them on our Web site and let you access them from there. [to top of page] Subscribe to Receive EGRP Bulletins and News Flashes You are welcome to tell others about EGRP's ListServ through which we send occasional Bulletins and News Flashes about funding opportunities, resources, and activities of potential interest to researchers and administrators working in cancer epidemiology. To subscribe, contact Linda Anderson; e-mail: andersoL2@mail.nih.gov.