Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. (Fellowships, Grants, & Awards).

An individual may not have more than one individual NRSA fellowship or comparable application pending review or award at the NIH or other Department of Health and Human Services agencies at the same time. The CSR will not accept any application in response to this PA that is essentially the same as one currently pending initial review unless the applicant withdraws the pending application. The CSR will not accept any application that is essentially the same as one already reviewed. This does not preclude the submission of a substantial revision of an application already reviewed, but such application must include an introduction addressing the previous critique.

Fellowship applications undergo a review process that takes between 5 and 8 months. The receipt dates and the three annual review cycles are as follows: application receipt dates--5 April, 5 August, 5 December; initial review dates--June/July, October/November, February/March; secondary review dates--August/September, December/January, April/May; range of likely start dates--1 September-1 December, 1 January-1 March, 1 May-1 July.

From time to time, the NLM may change some elements of this announcement. Please consider the version on the NLM website at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/ to view the most recent revision.

Contact: Carol A. Bean, Extramural Programs, NLM, Rockledge 1, Suite 301, 6705 Rockledge Dr., Bethesda, MD 20892-9525 USA, 301-594-4882, fax: [phone]; Merlyn M. Rodrigues, Extramural Programs, NLM, Rockledge 1, Suite 301, 6705 Rockledge Dr., Bethesda, MD 20892-9525 USA, 301-594-4253, fax: [phone]. Reference: PA No. PAR-03-070

Advances in Polycystic Kidney Disease 

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDKD) through its Division of Kidney, Urologic and Hematologic Diseases (DKUHD) invites experienced and new investigators to submit research grant applications to pursue basic and applied investigations in order to better understand the etiology and pathogenesis of polycystic kidney disease (PKD), in both its autosomal dominant and autosomal recessive forms. Such applications may examine the genetic determinants, and cellular and molecular mechanisms, which disrupt normal kidney function; mechanisms of cyst formation and growth; development of experimental model systems; development of markers of disease progression; and the identification of innovative therapeutic interventions and gene targeted strategies to prevent progressive renal insufficiency due to this disorder. The intent of this PA is to intensify investigator-initiated research, to attract new investigators to the field, and to increase interdisciplinary research. The ultimate aim is to facilitate PKD-related research studies, which will provide the basis for new therapeutic approaches.

This PA will use the NIH R01 and R21 award mechanism(s). Applications must be prepared using the PHS 398 research grant application instructions and forms (rev. 5/2001). The PHS 398 is available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/ phs398.html in an interactive format. For further assistance contact Grants Info, 301-435-0714, e-mail: [e-mail].

Applications submitted in response to this PA will be accepted at the standard application deadlines, which are available at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/dates.htm. Application deadlines are also indicated in the PHS 398 application kit.

Applications must be mailed on or before the receipt dates described at http://grants, nih.gov/grants/funding/ submissionschedule.htm. The CSR will not accept any application in response to this PA that is essentially the same as one currently pending initial review unless the applicant withdraws the pending application. The CSR will not accept any application that is essentially the same as one already reviewed. This does not preclude the submission of a substantial revision of an application already reviewed, but such application must include an Introduction addressing the previous critique.

Contact: Catherine M. Meyers, Program Director of Inflammatory Kidney Diseases, Division of Kidney, Urologic and Hematologic Diseases, NIDDKD, 6707 Democracy Blvd., Room 641, Bethesda, MD 20892-5458 USA, 301-594-7717, fax: [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Reference: PA No. 03-073

Technology Development for Biomedical Applications

This PA replaces PAR-02-091.

The purpose of this PA is to invite innovative applications for 1) the development of new and improved instruments or devices, 2) the development of new methodologies using existing instruments, or 3) the development of software related to instrumentation. Any of these projects should propose tools, methodologies, or software that can be used by a wide range of biomedical or clinical researchers; projects that focus on specific organs or diseases are not responsive to this announcement. Awards made for applications received in response to this announcement will employ the R21 and the R21/R33 mechanisms that are designed to support high-risk applications for which few if any preliminary findings are available. Investigators with substantial preliminary data should seek an R01 grant by submitting an unsolicited application at the standard receipt date or by responding to a particular PA.

Questions about the suitability of proposals should be addressed to program staff listed in the "Where to Send Inquiries" section well before submission. Proposals that are focused on a specific organ or disease will be returned without review; however, proposals may use a specific organ or disease as a model system. Investigators may also want to look at the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (http://www.nibibl.nih. gov/research/investigators.htm) and BECON (http://www.becon.nih.gov/ becon_funding.htm) web pages for funding opportunities in bioengineering research or biomedical imaging research.

This PA is similar in spirit to the Instrument Development for Biological Research program in the Directorate for Biological Sciences at the National Science Foundation (NSF) (http://www.nsf.gov/cgibin/getpub?nsf98119). The major difference between the two programs is that instrumentation for the conduct of disease-oriented research is specifically excluded from the NSF program, although some instrument development proposals could be considered either under this PA or by NSF. Applicants are encouraged to contact program staff at either NSF or NIH to discuss which program is more appropriate.

This PA will use the NIH R21 and R21/R33 award mechanism(s). As an applicant, you will be solely responsible for planning, directing, and executing the proposed project.

Specific features of this mechanism include: 1) single submission and evaluation of both a feasibility/pilot phase (R21) and an expanded development phase (R33) as one application, 2) expedited transition of the R21 feasibility phase to a R33 development phase for combined applications, 3) flexible budgets, and 4) flexible staging of feasibility and development phases.

Applications under this PA will use either the combined R21/R33 mechanism or the R21 mechanism alone. Applications using just the R33 mechanism will not be considered. An application using the R21 mechanism alone is appropriate when the possible outcomes of the proposed research are unclear; under these conditions, it would not be possible to propose quantitative milestones or describe the R33 phase of the research. Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact program staff with any questions about the appropriate mechanism. Refer to the "Where to Send Inquiries" section of this PA for program staff contacts.

Applications must be prepared using the PHS 398 research grant application instructions and forms (rev. 5/2001). The PHS 398 is available at http://grants.nih.gov/ grants/funding/phs398/phs39.html in an interactive format. For further assistance contact Grants Info, 301-435-0714, e-mail: [e-mail].

Applications submitted in response to this PA will be accepted on 1 June and 1 October annually. Both new applications and revisions to previously reviewed applications are due on the same date.

The CSR will not accept any application in response to this PA that is essentially the same as one currently pending initial review unless the applicant withdraws the pending application. The CSR will not accept any application that is essentially the same as one already reviewed. This does not preclude the submission of a substantial revision of an application already reviewed, but such application must include an Introduction addressing the previous critique. Instructions for preparing a revised application can be found at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/ funding/phs398/section_1.html#8_research.

Contact: Gregory K. Farber, Division of Biomedical Technology, National Center for Research Resources, 6701 Democracy Blvd., MSC 4874, Bethesda, MD 20892-4874 USA, 301-435-0755, fax: [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]; Bo Hong, Office of Review, NCRR, 6701 Democracy Blvd., MSC 4874, Bethesda, MD 20892-4874 USA, 301-435-0813, fax: [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Reference: PA No. PAR-03-075