NIH-NCRR Shared Instrumentation Grant

RESPONSE NEEDED BY FEBRUARY 3, 2003

The announcement and guidelines for the FY 2004 NIH National Center for Research Resources Shared Instrumentation Grant Program are available at the following link: http://grants2.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-RR-03-002.html. Please note that the application deadline is Friday, March 21, 2003. Applications are limited to instruments that cost at least $100,000 per instrument or integrated instrument system. The maximum award under the program is now $500,000.

The School of Medicine is eligible to submit more than one application provided that each is for a different type of equipment (NMR, EM, mass spectrometers, protein sequencer/amino acid analyzers, cell sorters, etc.).

Please advise Stewart Craig ( spcraig@jhmi.edu ) in our office of your interest in applying for this program and the type of equipment no later than Monday, February 3, 2003, so that we can determine if more than one group wants to apply for the same type of equipment. Installation, alterations, renovations, and operating costs must be supported by departmental funds existing at the time of proposal. If more than one division of the University wishes to apply for the same kind of instrumentation, a letter from the Vice Provost for Research will be drafted by the applicant PI to document lack of overlap/duplication.

Large-scale sharing of needed instruments by sizable groups of PHS peer-review funded researchers is important for the application to succeed. Duplication of instruments previously awarded under this program will weaken the review score unless a current unmet need is well documented.

Thank you for considering this important grant program.

New Deadline for Fund for Medical Discovery -— January 15, 2003

The Johns Hopkins Fund for Medical Discovery (FMD) was established to provide modest support for proposals typically not funded by extramural agencies or other funding programs of the School of Medicine. The primary goal of the FMD is to enhance interdisciplinary and interdepartmental research at Johns Hopkins. The highest priority will be given to proposals that clearly will lead to new extramural grant applications for core resources, shared instrumentation, program-projects, research centers, etc.

Applications must fall within the scope of the FMD as indicated at: www.hopkinsmedicine.org/research/fmd.html or applications will not be officially reviewed.

Please see the website above for specific application instructions. Note that the deadlines have changed. The new deadlines are: January 15, May 15, and September 15. For the next cycle, please email the entire application to Lisa Sparks (lsparks@jhmi.edu) by January 15, 2003. One hard copy original of the application should also be sent to FMD Committee c/o Lisa Sparks, SOM 124.

Kirsch Investigator Award Program

The Kirsch Foundation has invited us to nominate up to two candidates for their Kirsch Investigator Award. The purpose of this research program is to provide substantial financial support for established medical researchers at the level of associate professor. Scientists must be focused on an area of fundamental basic medical science that has potential for significant breakthroughs. Researchers may be developing an area of interest distinct from their previous research activities or continuing a promising avenue of research.

Candidates must be at the associate professor level, and must have an established track record of scientific accomplishment. The program is specifically targeted to support the individual rather than a particular project. There will be no requirement to adhere to the specific project(s) described in our applicants' proposals. The Foundation may give preference to nominees whose research addresses one of the following areas: aging (fundamental and applied aspects), diabetes (type 1), gene therapy, genetic basis of cognition, irritable bowel syndrome, malignant disease prevention and treatment, neurological studies on the basis of intelligence and cognitive function, neuroscience (basic aspects of disorders such as stroke, MS, spinal cord injury, Parkinson's disease, ALS, Alzheimer's, and muscular dystrophy), osteoarthritis, pathogenesis of eye diseases (such as cataract, glaucoma, macular degeneration, and presbyopia), psoriasis, stem cell research.

The Kirsch Foundation anticipates making three awards, each of which will provide a total of $240,000 over two years. Investigators will receive $100,000 per year for two years, and the institution will receive $20,000 per year for two years for indirect costs. The complete brochure with more detailed information is available on the Foundation's website, www.kirschfoundation.org.

The Foundation's mission is to invest in causes where high-impact, leverageable activities can result in a safer and healthier world. The Foundation is committed to an extensive array of issues, ranging from curing cancer and other major diseases, to cleaning up the air, to supporting its local community (Silicon Valley, CA). The Foundation's focus is on finding causes and/or cures, not treating symptoms.

Applications are due at the Kirsch Foundation by March 10, 2003 (for electronic portion of submission; paper application must be submitted by March 14, 2003). Therefore, nominations of competitive candidates must be received by January 27, 2003 so that internal selection can be completed by mid-February. Nominations should include a brief letter from the applicant’s department director, a copy of the nominee's CV (in biosketch format), a one-page abstract of the nominee's research program, and copies of 2-3 relevant recent publications. Please send the nomination material c/o Lisa Sparks, SOM 124. It is also requisite that you also send an electronic version of the application to Ms. Sparks via email (lsparks@jhmi.edu) by January 27, 2003.

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