Notice Number: NOT-NS-09-014

Key Dates
Release Date:  June 11, 2009   
Receipt Date:  July 17, 2009
Earliest Anticipated Start Date: September 1, 2009

Issued by
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) (http://www.ninds.nih.gov/)
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) (http://www.nimh.nih.gov)
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) (http://www.nidcd.nih.gov)
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) (http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/)
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) (http://www.nida.nih.gov)
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) (http://www.nichd.nih.gov)

Purpose

NINDS, NIMH, NIDCD, NIAAA, NIDA and NICHD announce an administrative supplement program of $400,000 in Fiscal Year 2009 to provide funds to NINDS, NIMH, NIDCD, NIAAA, NIDA and NICHD-funded research projects to provide resources for the generation and use of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) useful to the neurodevelopment community. 

The purpose of this program is to facilitate production of new monoclonal antibodies (NeuroMabs) to targets with high relevance to studies of the developing nervous systems of animal models. 

Background

The NeuroMab Facility was established to provide inexpensive, carefully verified monoclonal antibodies to proteins of the mammalian nervous system.  For investigator-initiated antibody requests, the facility enters into a collaborative partnership in which the requesting investigator can provide expertise and reagents necessary for the project.  For a current list of neurodevelopmental protein targets, click here.  Investigators can suggest their own protein targets provided that suitable monoclonal antibodies to these targets do not exist.  One of the criteria for consideration of antibody requests is the ability of the collaborating investigator to provide reagents for the project, including immunogens (purified protein or immunogenic peptides), tagged cDNA expression constructs for screening and specificity testing of monoclonal antibodies, positive control polyclonal antibodies (if available), and knockout mouse tissue (if available).  Investigators are encouraged to participate in screening the resulting monoclonal antibodies to facilitate selection of the best clone(s).  The resulting NeuroMabs will be made available at low cost to the neuroscience research community by the NeuroMab Facility (www.neuromab.org).

Eligibility

The current announcement is for administrative supplements to participating IC-funded projects ($10K-$50K total costs, per project) for design and generation of reagents for antibody production and validation, such as immunogens (e.g., fusion protein cDNA constructs and purified fusion proteins), and/or tagged cDNA expression vectors for antibody screening.  A request may include providing reagents for multiple targets and can include personnel costs.  No requests for equipment will be considered.  Investigators with Mentored Career Development (K01, K08, K23, K25 or K99/R00), Research Scientist (K02 or K24), Research Project (R01 or U01), Academic Research Enhancement (R15), Exploratory/ Developmental (R21), Phase II SBIR (R44 or U44), Program Project (P01), Developing Center (P20), Research Resource (U24), or Specialized Center (P50 or U54) grants are eligible to apply.  To be eligible, projects must be actively funded throughout fiscal year 2009.  Review criteria are provided below. 

To be eligible, the parent grant must be active, and the research proposed in the supplement must be accomplished within the competitive segment. The proposed supplement MUST be within the general scope of the peer-reviewed activities and aims approved within the parent grant.

IMPORTANT:  The research proposed by the NIH grantee in the supplement application must be within the original scope of the NIH-supported grant project.  The funding mechanism being used to support this program, administrative supplements, can be used to cover cost increases that are associated with achieving certain new research objectives as long as they are within the original scope of the project.  Any cost increases need to result from making modifications to the project in order to take advantage of opportunities that would increase the value of the project consistent with its originally approved objectives and purposes.

Investigators are strongly encouraged to contact the NeuroMab Facility (neuromab@ucdavis.edu) in advance of submitting a supplement request for preliminary discussions on immunogens and other reagents needed for screening and specificity testing.

Submitting an Application

Applications for an administrative supplement under this program should use the PHS 398 form (rev. 11/2007; available at https://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html), and must include the following:

1) A cover letter citing this Notice and including the PI name, grant number and title, amount of the requested supplement, the name and title of the institutional official, and the phone, email, and address information for both the PI and institutional official. 

For P01s, P20s, P50s, U24s and U54s, the PI must submit a request for a supplement to one or more subprojects. 

The cover letter must be signed by the PI and the institutional official.

2) Face page
The title of the project (Box 1) should be the title of the parent award.
This Notice (number and title) should be cited in Box 2, and the “yes” box should be checked.
Subproject PIs on P01, P20, P50 and U54 awards are eligible to apply for these supplements.
The remaining items on the face page should be filled out according to the PHS 398 application instructions.

3) Form page 2 (Project Summary, Relevance, Performance Sites, Scientific/Key Personnel, Other Significant Contributors, and Human Embryonic Stem Cells) from PHS 398. The project description is that of the administrative supplement, not the parent grant.

4) Proposed budget for the supplement with a budget justification that details the items requested.  Supplements should range from $10,000 to $50,000.  All awards are TOTAL COSTS.  Any Facilities & Administrative Costs (indirect costs) should be included in the modular request, and cannot be requested in addition to the modular amounts.  For all grant mechanisms the maximum supplement is $50,000.

5) A Biographical Sketch of the PI.

6) Research Plan for the supplement, items 2-5 not to exceed five pages.  Applicants should include a justification for each nervous system target, the relationship of each target to the original project Specific Aims, and a discussion of the significance of having these newly made monoclonal antibodies available.  The research design section should include plans for each target to provide expertise, immunogens (purified protein or suggested peptide sequences), tagged cDNA expression constructs for screening and specificity testing of hybridomas, positive control polyclonal antibodies (if available) and knockout mouse tissue (if available).  Font size restrictions apply as designated within the PHS398 (rev. 11/2007) instructions.

Review Criteria

Applications will be reviewed administratively.  Review criteria include 1) the completeness of the reagent package(s) to be provided, 2) the expertise of the investigators and their ability to produce or obtain the proposed reagents, and 3) the importance of the proposed antibodies for the goals of the funded project and for other areas of developmental neuroscience, particularly those with high relevance to program priorities of the Blueprint ICs.  It is anticipated that supplements will be awarded before the end of the fiscal year.   

Budget Information

Supplements will be made in amounts of $10,000 up to $50,000 total costs.  For all grant mechanisms the maximum supplement is $50,000 total costs. Requests may include providing reagents for multiple targets and can include personnel costs.  No requests for equipment will be considered.  

How to Apply

This is a one-time announcement.  Applications must be received on or before the receipt date indicated (see Key Dates).  Do not send applications to the Center for Scientific Review. 

Applicants should submit one electronic copy of the application as an e-mail attachment in PDF format to NINDSNeuroDevMabsupplements@ninds.nih.gov, and one hard copy (with original signatures of the PI and institutional official) to:

Randall R. Stewart, Ph.D.
NOT-NS-09-014
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
National Institutes of Health
Neuroscience Center, Room 2136
6001 Executive Blvd.
Bethesda, MD 20892-9523
(For courier delivery:  Rockville, MD 20852).

Inquiries

Inquiries should be directed to:

Randall R. Stewart, Ph.D.
Program Director for Channels, Synapses and Circuits
SBIR/STTR Program Coordinator
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
National Institutes of Health
Neuroscience Center, Room 2135
6001 Executive Blvd.
Bethesda, MD 20892-9523
(For courier delivery:  Rockville, MD 20852)
Phone:  301-496-1917
Fax:  301-402-1501
E-mail:  stewartr@ninds.nih.gov

Laurie S. Nadler, Ph.D.
Chief, Neuropharmacology Program
Division of Neuroscience and Basic Behavioral Science
National Institute of Mental Health, NIH
6001 Executive Blvd., Rm. 7184, MSC 9641
Bethesda, MD 20892-9641
[Rockville, MD 20852 for express or courier service]
Phone:  301-443-5288
Fax:  301-451-5615
E-mail:  lnadler@mail.nih.gov

Barry Davis, Ph.D.
Director, Taste and Smell Program
National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
6120 Executive Blvd, Suite 400
Bethesda MD 20892-7180
Phone:  301-402-3464
Fax:  301-402-6251
Email:  Davisb1@nidcd.nih.gov

Matthew Reilly, Ph.D.
Program Director, Genetics & Proteomics
Division of Neuroscience & Behavior, NIAAA
5635 Fishers Lane
Room 2065, MSC 9304
Bethesda, MD 20892-9304
Phone: 301-594-6228    
Fax: 301-443-1650
E-mail:  reillymt@mail.nih.gov

 Nancy S. Pilotte, Ph.D., Chief
Functional Neuroscience Research Branch
Division of Basic Neuroscience and Behavioral Research
National Institute on Drug Abuse
6001 Executive Boulevard
Room 4282, MSC 9555
Bethesda, MD 20892-9555
For courier delivery:
Rockville, MD  20852
Phone:  301-435-1317
Fax:  301-594-6043
E-mail:  npilotte@nih.gov

James N. Coulombe, Ph.D.
Health Scientist Administrator
Developmental Biology, Genetics and Teratology
Center for Developmental Biology and Pediatric Medicine
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
RM 4B01, MSC 7510
6100 Executive Blvd
Bethesda, MD 20892-7510
Phone: 301-451-1390
Fax: 301-480-0303
E-mail:  CoulombeJ@mail.nih.gov

Weekly TOC for this Announcement
NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices

	Office of Extramural Research (OER)			National Institutes of Health (NIH) 9000 Rockville Pike Bethesda, Maryland 20892			Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
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