CAREER DEVELOPMENT AWARDS: CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT RESEARCH

Release Date:  August 5, 1999

PA NUMBER:  PA-99-133

National Institute of Mental Health
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
National Institute on Drug Abuse
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

Receipt Dates:  October 1, February 1, and June 1

PURPOSE

The five sponsoring Institutes invite applications in response to this Program
Announcement (PA) for the career development for investigators who have made a
commitment to focus their research endeavors on child abuse and neglect
through research career enhancement in order to conduct high quality, multi-
disciplinary, clinically-relevant research on basic biological, behavioral,
and social aspects of child and adolescent abuse and neglect.  While the focus
of the career development program is on child abuse and neglect in human
populations, the award may include complementary, appropriate laboratory and
animal research related to the child abuse and neglect research proposed in
the application.  This initiative will be supported through the following NIH
career award mechanisms: K01, K02, K08, K23, and K24 (see:
http://www.nih.gov/training/careerdevelopmentawards.htm).  Prospective
applicants should follow the specific provisions and guidelines outlined in
each program announcement.  It is equally important to note that each
Institute has different provisions for each of these career award mechanisms
(see MECHANISMS OF SUPPORT)

This PA is designed to encourage qualified applicants who (1) are beginning
their research careers and who have an interest in child abuse and neglect
research, or (2) are already involved in research on child and adolescent
abuse and neglect and who wish to increase the sophistication of their
research through research career development, or (3) conduct research in
related disciplines, such as adult and child psychiatry, developmental
neurology, neurobiology, developmental psychology, social work, and nursing,
and who wish to broaden their foci in order to be able to conduct research on
child abuse and neglect.  The career development objectives of the Career
Development Awards for Child Abuse and Neglect Research are to encourage
scientists to develop independent research skills and gain experience in
advanced methods and experimental approaches that will allow them to conduct
scientifically sophisticated child abuse and neglect-oriented research.  All
awards must include a substantial level of either mentoring or collaboration
with experienced child abuse and neglect researchers.  At the completion of
the award, candidates should have both the knowledge and the skills necessary
to compete for independent NIH research support for studies of child abuse and
neglect through the regular research grant mechanism (R01).

HEALTHY PEOPLE 2000

The Public Health Service 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 program announcement, Career
Development Awards for Child Abuse and Neglect Research is related to the
priority area of human resource development.  Potential candidates may obtain
a copy of "Healthy People 2000" at http://odphp.osophs.dhhs.gov/pubs/hp2000.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Eligibility requirements, length of award, and limits on salary, research
training, and research support costs for career awards are not uniform among
the sponsoring institutes and are determined independently by them. 
Therefore, prospective candidates should contact the program staff most
relevant to the applicant"s research interests to ascertain the conditions of
the award supported by each Institute.

Candidates must have a research or a health-professional doctorate or its
equivalent, and, for career awards that focus on clinical or patient-oriented
research training, a clinical doctoral degree.  The candidate must have
demonstrated the capacity or potential for highly productive research in the
period after the doctorate, commensurate with the candidate"s level of
experience.

Applications may be submitted, on behalf of candidates, by domestic, non-
Federal organizations, public or private, such as medical, dental, or nursing
schools or other institutions of higher education.  Minorities, women and
individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.  At time of award,
candidates must be citizens or non-citizen nationals of the United States, or
have been lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence
(i.e., in possession of a currently valid Alien Registration Receipt Card I-
551, or other legal verification of such status).  Non-citizen nationals are
generally persons born in outlying possessions of the United States (i.e.,
American Samoa and Swains Island).  Individuals on temporary or student visas
are not eligible.  Foreign Institutions are not eligible.

For further specifics on eligibility requirements for the various awards
contact NIH program staff listed under INQUIRIES following the text of this
announcement.

MECHANISMS OF SUPPORT

Awards in response to this PA will use NIH Career Development Award mechanisms
at two levels: mentored career development awards and mid-career development
awards.  Career award mechanisms supported under this initiative include, at
the mentored level, the K01 Mentored Research Scientist Development Award, K01
Scientist Development Award for Minority Faculty, K08 Mentored Clinical
Scientist Development Award, and the K23 Mentored Patient-Oriented Research
Career Development Award.  At the mid-career level, mechanisms supported
include the K02 Independent Scientist Award and the K24 Mid-Career
Investigator Award in Patient-Oriented Research.  Specific NIH-wide career
development program announcements may be obtained electronically through the
NIH website at http://www.nih.gov/training/careerdevelopmentawards.htm.

However, NIH institutes vary in the types of K awards that they support and
their terms and conditions.  Furthermore, some Institutes use these career
award mechanisms for different programmatic purposes.  Therefore, it is
important to contact program staff in the five sponsoring Institutes that are
listed following the text of this announcement, they should be consulted
regarding the specific requirements of their Institutes:

Applicants for NIMH career awards should consult: NIMH Extramural Career
Development Programs - http://www.nimh.nih.gov/grants/career.htm

Applicants for NINDS career awards should consult: Research Training and
Development Programs - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/funding/funding_announcements/funding_opps.htm

Applicants for NICHD career awards should consult: NICHD Training & Career
Development - http://www.nichd.nih.gov/training

Applicants for NIDA career awards should consult: Career Development Awards -
http://www.nida.nih.gov/ResFundslist.html#Career

Applicants for NIAAA career awards should consult: Career Development Program
Announcements - http://silk.nih.gov/silk/niaaa1/grants/program.htm#career

The overall goal of the sponsoring Institutes is to support at least 10
competing awards in Fiscal Year 2000 through Fiscal Year 2004.  The actual
number of awards to be made by each Institute will be dependent upon the
number and quality of applications submitted.

CAREER DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES

Background

The Scope of the Problem

There is a growing recognition that child maltreatment, including physical,
sexual, and psychological abuse and neglect, is one of the most important
public health issues affecting children.  In 1996 approximately 3,000,000
children were reported to the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System as
victims of child abuse and neglect in the United States, and 1,000,000 were
confirmed as having been abused or neglected.  Acute and life-long health care
costs for victims of child maltreatment have been estimated to be in the
billions of dollars.  Physical injuries, including inflicted injuries, are a
leading cause of morbidity and mortality in children.  Injury to the
developing central nervous system (CNS) (i.e., brain and spinal cord) is a
particularly significant cause of death and disability in children.  Inflicted
traumatic brain injury in the 0-4 year age range affects thousands of children
each year, with many suffering severe long-term disabilities.  Many additional
children who experience traumatic brain injury, remain "functional" but have
measurable cognitive deficits.  Rehabilitation, outpatient care and special
education costs for brain-injured children are estimated to cost billions per
year and continue to increase each year as a result of improved survival
rates.

Billions of dollars are also spent every year in providing services to abused
and neglected children through the protective service, judicial, child
welfare, health, and mental health and substance abuse systems.  The Adoption
and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System reports that on any given day in
the U.S., approximately 500,000 children are in foster care, primarily because
of abuse and neglect.  Approximately 2,000 children die each year as a
consequence of child abuse or neglect.

Research on Child Abuse and Neglect

Scientific research can have a significant impact towards helping ameliorate
this societal problem.  It is important to develop a scientific knowledge base
to understand child abuse and neglect and to guide and improve prevention,
intervention and service efforts.

Research has identified a number of risk factors for abuse and neglect that
vary with the type of maltreatment experienced (e.g., poverty and drug use are
strongly related to neglect, but less strongly related to physical and sexual
abuse).  Caregiver risk factors include caregiver psychopathology or
alcoholism and other substance abuse, stress, parenting knowledge, age,
education and a history of child abuse or neglect.  Socio-cultural risk
factors include poverty, unemployment, and socio-cultural attitudes and
values.  Child risk factors include prematurity, low birth weight, illness or
disabling conditions, temperament, age, and gender.  The probability of
maltreatment increases with the co-occurrence of multiple risk factors.

Research studies have also documented the short- and long-term detrimental
effects of child maltreatment in children, adolescents, and adults.  For the
victim, abuse and neglect can cause immediate physical (e.g., central nervous
system injury, fractures and severe burns) and psychological trauma (e.g.,
traumatic stress symptoms) and contribute to chronic physical, (e.g., injury,
pain, disfigurement, and disability), developmental (e.g., disturbances or
delays in social, cognitive, affective, and language development),
neurological (e.g., central nervous system damage or dysfunction), emotional
(e.g., depression, anxiety, and hostility) and behavioral problems (e.g.,
antisocial behavior, alcohol and other drug abuse, risky sexual behavior,
social withdrawal and suicide attempts).  Maltreated children and adolescents
are vulnerable to life-long disturbances in a basic sense of the self as
valued by others, a basic sense of security, and trust in human relationships. 
Moreover, abused children, even if they do not display significant problems at
the time of the abuse, remain vulnerable to problems at later developmental
periods, especially learning, social, and behavior problems in school,
aggression and sexuality in adolescence, and difficulties with parenting and
intimate relationships in adulthood.

The legacy of child maltreatment has a significant impact on child,
adolescent, and adult physical and mental health.  Child abuse can play an
etiological role in adult physical health, mental health, and substance use
disorders, can exacerbate existing vulnerabilities to such disorders, or lead
to risky or unhealthful behaviors that increase the likelihood of physical or
mental disorders.  The incidence, prevalence, and mechanisms of CNS injury and
maldevelopment due to child abuse and neglect have not been adequately
studied.  Limited research suggests a significant underestimation of the
number of children whose CNS development is adversely affected because of
abuse and neglect.

Research is also beginning to identify a number of mediating and moderating
factors that can either ameliorate or exacerbate the consequences of
maltreatment, such as characteristics of the child"s experiences (e.g.,
nature, frequency, and severity of abuse and neglect, prior history of abuse
and trauma, and placement history), the child"s resources and vulnerabilities
(e.g., temperament, intelligence, developmental stage, social competence, and
coping capacity and strategies), and social support from within or outside the
family.

Research Needs

Despite the public health significance of child maltreatment, progress has
been slow in developing a scientific understanding of the nature, precursors
and consequences of child abuse and neglect and in measuring the efficacy of
interventions to prevent child maltreatment or ameliorate its consequences. 
Research on child maltreatment is difficult to conduct due to the complexity
of the multiple types of maltreatment, the multitude of possible consequences
of maltreatment on the life course, and the wide variation in responses to and
interventions for maltreatment.  In addition there are significant ethical,
subject recruitment, and reporting difficulties.  Current research on child
maltreatment, by and large, lacks a level of sophistication necessary to
address adequately the critical scientific and clinical issues.  Sophisticated
research and evaluation methods need to be developed to assess the
consequences of child maltreatment, to test the adequacy of new intervention
approaches, and to suggest directions for improvement of their efficacy. 
There have been only a handful of longitudinal studies on course and outcome
of maltreatment in children, almost no studies involving large, representative
samples that adequately assess and analyze variations in maltreatment
experiences and characteristics of maltreated children and their families, and
almost no randomized clinical trials of conceptually well-designed and
standardized preventive or treatment interventions.

Brain injury at certain developmental stages in infancy and childhood may
result in higher mortality and more severe motor and cognitive deficits than
the same injury in adults.  The general belief that the immature brain
recovers more fully from trauma by virtue of its greater "neural plasticity"
has been challenged by more recent studies.  This differential vulnerability
of the immature brain to injury is supported by the limited animal research in
this area.  Types of injuries that are sustained at different developmental
stages in infancy and childhood when important organizational and maturational
processes are occurring are not comparable to injuries in the adult.  There
are biomechanical issues in inflicted injury, which are unique to the infant
brain and skull.  It is important to develop appropriate animal models of
abuse and neglect (reflecting neuronal and glial disruptions, brain
maturational processes, neuroendocrine and neuroimmune influences on
development) in order to characterize the degree, type, and extent of the
injury and neglect experience, or experiences when repetitive, and the long
term effects on neurodevelopment and outcome.  In addition, information is
needed to understand the role of neuroendocrine and neuroimmune factors on the
acute and long term outcomes of age-dependent CNS injury and stress.  We
currently do not have a therapeutic regimen that is successful for the
treatment of CNS injury, stress, and maldevelopment due to abuse and neglect
or the acute CNS sequelae believed to impact on long-term outcomes.

More sophisticated research studies and a more sophisticated cadre of
researchers need to be supported to ensure increased methodological and
conceptual sophistication in research on child maltreatment.  This can be
accomplished through research training of new investigators and the
encouragement of established investigators in fields with methodological or
conceptual relevance to child maltreatment to extend their studies to
maltreated populations or to team with child abuse researchers to form
multidisciplinary research teams.

RESEARCH AREAS OF INTEREST

Applications submitted in response to this Program Announcement must address
research and research training on any of the different types of child abuse
and neglect.  Examples of research areas responsive to this announcement
include, but are not limited to, the following:

Basic and applied research on the causes of, risk factors for, and mechanisms
that account for child abuse and neglect:

o  Characteristics, course and risk factors for different types of
maltreatment, factors that influence the initiation, recurrence, and cessation
of episodes of child abuse and neglect, cultural, social, or ethnic
differences in causes, patterns, and contexts of child abuse and neglect.

o  Identification of the individual, interpersonal, familial, community,
social and cultural factors that account for perpetration of different forms
of child maltreatment, especially those that are relevant to the development
of preventive interventions and methods to identify children at risk for abuse
and neglect.  Identification of groups of children/families at high risk for
different types of child maltreatment or for recidivism of maltreatment once
identified.

o  Basic animal studies of care, abuse, and neglect of offspring.  Studies of
structural and functional neuroanatomical characteristics associated with
serious or repetitive abuse of offspring.

o  Factors that account for the co-occurrence of different types of child
abuse and neglect, including environmental, social, psychological, and
biological variables.

o  The relationship between child maltreatment and other types of traumatic
and adverse events in childhood and adolescence, such as domestic violence,
community violence, chronic disease, traumatic separation and loss within the
family.

o  Studies of the effects of alcohol and other drug abuse on parenting
behaviors, monitoring of child behavior and safety, attachment, and child
abuse and neglect.

Research on the neurobiology of abuse and neglect:

o  Effects of early physical and sexual trauma and injury as well as physical
and emotional neglect on brain development and functioning.

o  The adaptation of models of adult CNS injury that can be tested for
applicability to the developing CNS.  The creation of new models which mimic
CNS injury and/or neglect to the developing brain utilizing suspected child
abuse and/or neglect-stress paradigms.

o  The identification of different types of CNS injury in children, some of
which are not currently appreciated or recognized as due to abuse conditions. 
The development of more sensitive measures of CNS injury (i.e.,
physical/psychosocial markers that may be indicative of prior CNS injury in an
at-risk child, which failed to prompt the need for acute medical attention at
the time of infliction (subtle or subacute injury) but may influence the
cognitive and behavioral outcome of the child, such as evidence of prior brain
injury in neuroimaging studies.

o  The development of novel strategies and hypotheses to enhance our
understanding of the mechanisms of pathogenesis in various inflicted
stress/trauma environments on the developing nervous system (e.g., age-related
biomechanical dynamics, age-related CNS vulnerabilities, and age-dependent CNS
reactivity (both protective and disruptive mechanisms)).

o  Strong rationales and investigations for pursuing gene regulation and
biochemical cascades both during and subsequent to various inflicted
stress/trauma environments (by exploiting growing fundamental knowledge of
developmental neurobiology, neurogenetics, and the cellular neurobiology).

o  Human and animal studies linking the effects of early stress on the
functioning and development of brain systems with vulnerability for alcohol
and substance abuse (e.g., children of alcoholics).

o  Innovative basic and applied studies to acquire fundamental knowledge for
developing therapeutic regimens, clinical protocols, and/or new methodologies
(such as identification of appropriate clinical markers by neuroimaging,
neurophysiologic, and neurochemical methods).

Developmental, physical, mental health, and substance abuse consequences and
course of outcomes of child abuse and neglect:

o  Physical injuries resulting from child abuse and neglect.

o  Impact of different types and combinations of types of abuse and neglect on
biological, psychological, and social developmental processes from infancy
through adulthood, including studies of the physical, cognitive, social, and
affective consequences of abuse and neglect.

o  Differences in impact of types of maltreatment depending on characteristics
of the child, such as age, gender, temperament, intelligence, family
relationships, or presence of disabilities.  Identification of biological,
psychological, and socio-environmental mediating and moderating factors that
affect child and adolescent responses to maltreatment.

o  Mental health problems associated with exposure to abuse and neglect, risk
factors for the severity of symptoms and disorders.

o  Alcohol and other drug use and abuse disorders associated with exposure to
abuse and neglect, risk factors for the severity of symptoms and disorders,
and co-morbidity with other physical, developmental, and mental disorders.

o  Health effects and costs of early maltreatment on children, adolescents and
adults.

Research on the relationships among substance abuse and child abuse and
neglect:

o  Epidemiologic, ethnographic and natural history studies to develop an
understanding of the etiology, course, and consequences of the link between
child abuse, neglect and drug abuse.  Studies of gender differences with
regard to type of abuse and neglect and short and long term outcomes.

o  Studies of how the personality of children in alcohol and other drug
abusing environments can be developmentally altered by neglect, abuse,
capricious parenting, lack of monitoring, and witnessing alcohol and other
drug abuse, prostitution, drug sales, violence, loss, HIV, and death.

o  Studies of how the child internalizes such experiences into a world view in
which these factors are accepted as normal and fears are transformed based on
their reality into pre-morbid neurologic responses and subsequently into
clinical conditions which are indistinguishable from constitutional and
genetic makeup.

o  Studies of how developmental neurologic responses to stress (human and
animal models) creates vulnerability to alcohol dependence and drug abuse.

o  Studies of children of alcoholics (COAs) exploring the relative
contribution of abuse and neglect to the development of risk for underage and
problem drinking, taking into consideration other risk-enhancing or risk-
reducing influences such as disrupted family functioning, exposure to marital
discord and violence, modeling of alcoholic drinking, child personality and
genetic susceptibility.

Research on intervention models to prevent child maltreatment and treat the
effects of child maltreatment:

o  Studies to establish the short- and long-term efficacy of interventions for
different types of maltreatment.  This could include early home visitation
programs, family preservation programs, parenting education programs, and
supportive counseling or trauma-focused treatment of abused or neglected
children.

o  Studies of the efficacy of interventions aimed at preventing the sequelae
of abuse and maltreatment.

o  Characteristics of abuse and neglect experiences and child and family
characteristics that identify children and families not responding well to
different types of interventions for maltreatment.

o  Pharmacologic approaches to reducing symptoms and improving functioning of
symptomatic abused and neglected children and adolescents.

o  Development and testing of interventions for families in recovery from
alcohol and drug abuse (at least one adult family member is in recovery) to
increase parents" ability to nurture and protect children and assist children
in recovering from past abuse and neglect.

o  Studies of intervention approaches for families of actively drinking
alcoholics and alcohol abusers to reduce and prevent abuse and neglect.

o  Development and testing of interventions (including screenings and brief
interventions) for adult children of alcoholics to prevent child abuse and
neglect.

Research on the effects of services administered to maltreated children and
their families by service agencies:

o  Consequences of various dispositions of child maltreatment cases (e.g.,
out-of-home placement, kinship care, return to abusive family, or crisis
management).

o  Assessment of the quality of service delivery and cost effectiveness of
interventions in standard or usual practice settings serving children who have
been abused or neglected, and development of treatment algorithms/strategies
to enhance therapeutic engagement with families and children who have been
abused or neglected and to improve clinical care.

o  Development of treatment models for combined treatments for abusive
families with substance abuse and mental health problems.

o  Financing issues relevant to delivery of services to abused and neglected
children and their families, such as effects of managed care and of cost
shifting under welfare reform on services to abused or neglected children.

Assessment and research methodology applied to abused and neglected
populations:

o  Assessment instruments to identify risk status of victims and perpetrators
of child maltreatment.

o  Assessment instruments that more accurately or reliably identify
behavioral, neurological, psychological, and psychosocial consequences of
various forms of maltreatment, especially instruments that would be useful to
assess the efficacy of preventive and treatment interventions.

o  Basic biomedical research on indicators of maltreatment, such as
biomechanics of inflicted injuries, specificity of inflicted versus accidental
injuries, characteristics, validity, and reliability of forensic medical exams
for sexual abuse.

INCLUSION OF WOMEN AND MINORITIES IN RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMAN SUBJECTS

It is the policy of the NIH that women and members of minority groups and
their subpopulations must be included in all NIH supported biomedical and
behavioral research projects involving human subjects, unless a clear and
compelling rationale and justification is provided that inclusion is
inappropriate with respect to the health of the subjects or the purpose of the
research.  This policy results from the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993
(Section 492B of Public Law 103-43).

All investigators proposing research involving human subjects should read the
"NIH Guidelines For Inclusion of Women and Minorities as Subjects in Clinical
Research," which have been published in the Federal Register of March 28, 1994
(FR 59 14508-14513) and in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, Vol. 23,
No. 11, March 18, 1994 available on the web at the following URL address:
http://www.nih.gov/grants/guide/1994/94.03.18/notice-nih-guideline008.html

INCLUSION OF CHILDREN AS PARTICIPANTS IN RESEARCH INVOLVING HUMAN SUBJECTS

It is the policy of NIH that children (i.e., individuals under the age of 21)
must be included in all human subjects research, conducted or supported by the
NIH, unless there are scientific and ethical reasons not to include them. 
This policy applies to all initial (Type 1) applications submitted for receipt
dates after October 1, 1998.

All investigators proposing research involving human subjects should read the
"NIH Policy and Guidelines on the Inclusion of Children as Participants in
Research Involving Human Subjects" that was published in the NIH Guide for
Grants and Contracts, March 6, 1998, and is available at the following URL
address: http://www.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not98-024.html

Investigators also may obtain copies of these policies from the program staff
listed under INQUIRIES.  Program staff may also provide additional relevant
information concerning the policy.

APPLICATION GUIDELINES

The prospective candidate for a Career Development Award for Child Abuse and
Neglect Research should propose a period of study and career development
consistent with her/his previous research and/or clinical experience.  For
example, a candidate with limited experience in research may find a phased
developmental program lasting for five years that includes a designated period
of didactic training together with a closely supervised research experience to
be the most efficient means of developing an independent line of child abuse
and neglect research.  A candidate with considerable previous research
experience may require a program involving collaborative research with
experienced child abuse and neglect researchers.  All programs should be
carefully tailored to meet the individual needs of the candidate and must
include appropriate training or research experience on child abuse and neglect
issues.  Consultation with NIH staff in the relevant sponsoring institutes on
the appropriate career development mechanism is strongly recommended.

Due to the complexities of child abuse and neglect research, the current state
of the field in this area, and the relatively few qualified mentors in child
abuse and neglect research and related areas, candidates may propose a study
and career development plan that allows for training, collaboration, and
extensive communication with experienced scientists who can serve as
additional mentors or collaborators.  All applications must include
documentation supportive of the availability of a substantial level of either
mentoring or collaboration with experienced child abuse and neglect
researchers.  While the focus of the development program is on child abuse and
neglect in human populations, the award may include complementary appropriate
laboratory and animal research related to the child abuse and neglect research
proposed in the application.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

The five NIH institutes participating in this PA may vary in the specific
Career Development Award mechanisms supported and the terms and conditions of
such awards, therefore, all candidates are strongly encouraged to contact the
staff person in the relevant institute listed under INQUIRIES.  Such contact
should occur early in the planning phase of application preparation.  Such
contact will help ensure that applications are responsive to the goals and
policies of the individual Institute.

Applications are to be submitted on the research grant application form PHS
398 (rev. 4/98), using the instructions in Section IV as appropriate.  The
applications will be accepted on or before October 1, February 1, and June 1
each year.  Forms are available at most institutional offices of sponsored
research and from the Division of Extramural Outreach and Information
Resources, National Institutes of Health, 6705 Rockledge Drive, MSC 7910,
Bethesda, MD 20892-7910, telephone (301) 710-0267, FAX: (301) 480-0525, Email:
GrantsInfo@nih.gov.  Forms are also available on the NIH Website at
http://www.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html

To identify the application as a response to this Program Announcement, check
"YES" on item 2a of page 1 of the application and enter "PA-99-133, CAREER
DEVELOPMENT AWARDS FOR CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT RESEARCH."

The application must address the specific requirements of the relevant Career
Award program announcement that is being applied for.  These announcements may
be obtained electronically through the NIH Extramural Career Development
Webpage: http://www.nih.gov/training/careerdevelopmentawards.htm.

Information on requirements for specific mechanisms for participating NIH
institutes should be obtained from NIH staff listed under INQUIRIES.

For amended and competing continuation applications, applicants must complete
the block in the upper right corner of the face page to indicate the previous
grant number.

Submit a signed, typewritten original of the application with five signed
photocopies, in one package to:

CENTER FOR SCIENTIFIC REVIEW
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
6701 ROCKLEDGE DRIVE, ROOM 1040 MSC 7710
BETHESDA, MD 20892-7710
BETHESDA, MD 20817-7710 (for express/courier service)

REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS

Applications will assigned on the basis of established PHS referral
guidelines.  Applications will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit
by a peer review group in accordance with the standard NIH peer review
procedures.  As part of the initial merit review, all applications will
receive a written critique and undergo a process in which only those
applications deemed to have the highest scientific merit, generally the top
half of applications under review, will be discussed, assigned a priority
score, and receive a second level review by the appropriate national advisory
council or board.

Review Criteria

The application must address the specific review criteria of the relevant
Career Award program announcement that is being applied for.  These
announcements may be obtained electronically through the NIH Extramural Career
Development Webpage: http://www.nih.gov/training/careerdevelopmentawards.htm.

AWARD CRITERIA

The Institute will notify the applicant of the Advisory Board or Council"s
action shortly after its meeting.  Funding decisions will be made based on the
recommendations of the initial review group and Advisory Council/Board, the
need for research personnel in specific program areas, and the availability of
funds.  The NIH policy on submission of revised (amended) applications limits
the number of amended applications to two.

INQUIRIES

Written, electronic mail, and telephone inquiries concerning this program
announcement are strongly encouraged, especially during the planning phase of
the application.  Below is a listing of each Institute"s program contacts.

Inquiries regarding programmatic issues may be directed to:

Malcolm Gordon, Ph.D. (mental health services and interventions)
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Research Program
National Institute of Mental Health
6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 7146, MSC 9631
Bethesda, MD  20892-9631
Telephone: (301) 443-4709
Email: mgordon@nih.gov

Cheryl A. Boyce, Ph.D. (assessment, risk factors, course, and intervention
development)
Developmental Psychopathology Research Branch
National Institute of Mental Health
6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 6200, MSC 9617
Bethesda, MD  20892-9617
Telephone: (301) 443-0848
Email: cboyce@nih.gov

Joseph S. Drage, M.D.
Training and Special Programs Officer
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
6001 Executive Boulevard, Suite 3309 MSC 9531
Bethesda, MD 20892-9531
Telephone: (301) 496-4188
Fax: (301) 402-4320
Email: jd66x@nih.gov

G. Reid Lyon, Ph.D.
Center for Research for Mothers and Children
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Building 6100, Room 4B05, MSC 7510
Bethesda, MD  20892-7510
Telephone: (301) 496-9849
Fax:  (301) 480-7773
Email: lyonr@mail.nih.gov

Coryl Jones, Ph.D.
Division of Epidemiology and Prevention Research
National Institute on Drug Abuse
6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 5169, MSC 9589
Bethesda, MD 20892-9589
Telephone: (301) 443-6637
Email: cj39g@nih.gov

Susan Martin, Ph.D.
Prevention Research Branch
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
6000 Executive Boulevard, Suite 505
Rockville, MD 20892-7003
Telephone: (301) 443-8767
Fax: (301) 443-8774
Email: smartin@willco.niaaa.nih.gov

Direct inquiries regarding fiscal matters to:

Diana Trunnell
Grants Management Branch
National Institute of Mental Health
6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 6115, MSC 9605
Bethesda, MD  20892-9605
Telephone: (301) 443-3065
Email: dt21a@nih.gov

Karen D. Shields
Grants Management Branch
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 3264, MSC 9537
Bethesda, MD  20892-9537
Telephone: (301) 496-9231
Fax: (301) 402-0219
Email: ks26n@nih.gov

Edgar D. Shawver
Grants Management Branch
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Building 6100, Room 8A01, MSC 7510
Bethesda, MD 20892-7510
Telephone: (301) 496-1303
Fax:  (301) 402-0915
Email: ds117g@nih.gov

Gary Fleming, J.D., M.A.
Grants Management Branch
National Institute on Drug Abuse
6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 3131, MSC 9541
Bethesda, MD 20892-9541
Telephone: (301) 443-6710
Email: gf6s@nih.gov

Linda Hilley
Grants Management Branch
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
6000 Executive Boulevard
Rockville, MD 20892
Telephone: (301) 443-4794
Fax: (301) 443-3891
Email: lhilley@willco.niaaa.nih.gov

AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS

This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Nos.
93.281 (NIMH), 93.853 (NINDS), 93.865 (NICHD), 93.277 (NIDA), and 93.273
(NIAAA).  Awards are made under the authority of the Public Health Service
Act, Title IV, Part A (Public Law 78-410, as amended by Public Law 99-158, 42
USC 241 and 285) and administered under PHS grants policies and Federal
Regulations 41 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.  Awards will be administered under PHS grants policy as
stated in the NIH Grants Policy Statement (October 1, 1998).

The PHS strongly encourages all grant and contract recipients to provide a
smoke-free workplace and promote the non-use of all tobacco products.  In
addition, Public Law 103-227, the Pro-Children Act of 1994, prohibits smoking
in certain facilities (or in some cases, any portion of a facility) in which
regular or routine education, library, day care, health care or early
childhood development services are provided to children.  This is consistent
with the PHS mission to protect and advance the physical and mental health of
the American people.

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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