IMPLEMENTING THE CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE IN AUTISM RESEARCH PROGRAM Release Date: May 9, 2001 NOTICE: NOT-OD-01-039 National Institutes of Health Based on the requirements of P.L. 106-310, The Children"s Health Act of 2000, Title I - Autism, notification is hereby given that the Director, NIH, encourages the submission of applications for the Centers of Excellence in Autism Research program, under the provisions of amendments to Sec. 409C(b), as follows: (1) IN GENERAL. The Director [of NIH] shall under subsection (a)(1) make awards of grants and contracts to public or nonprofit private entities to pay all or part of the cost of planning, establishing, improving, and providing basic operating support for centers of excellence regarding research on autism. (2) RESEARCH. Each center under paragraph (1) shall conduct basic and clinical research into autism. Such research should include investigations into the cause, diagnosis, early detection, prevention, control, and treatment of autism. The centers, as a group, shall conduct research including the fields of developmental neurobiology, genetics, and psychopharmacology. (3) SERVICES FOR PATIENTS. (A) IN GENERAL. A center under paragraph (1) may expend amounts provided under such paragraph to carry out a program to make individuals aware of opportunities to participate as subjects in research conducted by the centers. (B) REFERRALS AND COSTS. A program under subparagraph (A) may, in accordance with such criteria as the Director may establish, provide to the subjects described in such subparagraph, referrals for health and other services, and such patient care costs as are required for research. (C) AVAILABILITY AND ACCESS. The extent to which a center can demonstrate availability and access to clinical services shall be considered by the Director in decisions about awarding grants to applicants which meet the scientific criteria for funding under this section. (4) COORDINATION OF CENTERS, REPORTS. The Director shall, as appropriate, provide for the coordination of information among centers under paragraph (1) and ensure regular communication between such centers, and may require the periodic preparation of reports on the activities of the centers and the submission of the reports to the Director. (5) ORGANIZATION OF CENTERS. Each center under paragraph (1) shall use the facilities of a single institution, or be formed from a consortium of cooperating institutions, meeting such requirements as may be prescribed by the Director. (6) NUMBER OF CENTERS, DURATION OF SUPPORT. (A) IN GENERAL. The Director shall provide for the establishment of not less than 5 centers under paragraph (1). (B) DURATION. Support for a center established under paragraph (1) may be provided under this section for a period of not to exceed 5 years. Such period may be extended for 1 or more additional periods not exceeding 5 years if the operations of such center have been reviewed by an appropriate technical and scientific peer review group established by the Director and if such group has recommended to the Director that such period should be extended. FUNDS AVAILABLE It is expected that awarding of meritorious center grant applications will begin in FY2002. A total of $12 million is being allocated for these awards. RELATED OPPORTUNITIES As a first step in implementing the Centers of Excellence in Autism Research program, NIH recently issued RFA-MH-01-013, DEVELOPMENTAL GRANTS FOR AUTISM CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MH-01-013.html). That RFA is designed to provide developmental grants to teams of investigators to enhance their ability to compete for comprehensive center support under the Centers of Excellence in Autism Research Program described in the Children’s Health Act of 2000. The deadline for developmental grant applications submitted in response to RFA-MH-01-013 is July 12, 2001. Successful applications for developmental grants under the RFA will be funded for one year, with the earliest anticipated award date being September 30, 2001. This Notice is to announce that NIH will release an RFA in mid-June 2001 that will formally solicit proposals for Comprehensive Centers of Excellence in Autism Research, with a deadline for applications of December 1, 2001. It is anticipated that funding of successful Center grant applications will take place by June 2002. Investigators who believe that they have sufficient expertise and resources to coordinate and implement a Center program now should contact the individual listed in INQUIRES below. It should be noted that applicants may apply either for developmental support under RFA-MH-01-013 by the July 12, 2001 deadline, or for comprehensive center support by December 1, 200l, but they may not compete for both awards. It is anticipated that a second Comprehensive Centers of Excellence solicitation will be announced in early 2002. Applicants who submit a comprehensive center application by the December 1, 2001 deadline and are not successful may submit a revised application in response to the planned 2002 solicitation, along with those investigators who received developmental grants and new teams that might wish to apply. INQUIRIES For additional information regarding this Notice contact: Steve Foote, Ph.D. Division of Neuroscience and Basic Behavioral Science National Institute of Mental Health Neuroscience Center, Room 7204, MSC-9645 6001 Executive Boulevard Bethesda MD 20892-9645 Telephone: (301) 443-3563 Fax: (301) 443-1731 Email: sfoote@mail.nih.gov

Weekly TOC for this Announcement
NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices


NIH Office of Extramural Research Logo
   Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) - Home Page Department of Health
and Human Services (HHS) 		  USA.gov - Government Made Easy
NIH... Turning Discovery Into Health®


Note: For help accessing PDF, RTF, MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Audio or Video files, see Help Downloading Files.