PREVENTION OF ONSET, PROGRESSION, AND DISABILITY OF OSTEOARTHRITIS

Release Date:  December 8, 2000

RFA:  AR-00-006

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
National Institute of Nursing Research

Letter of Intent Receipt Date:  June 1, 2001
Application Receipt Date:       August 21, 2001

THIS RFA USES THE "MODULAR GRANT" AND "JUST-IN-TIME" CONCEPTS.  IT INCLUDES
DETAILED MODIFICATIONS TO STANDARD APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS THAT MUST BE USED
WHEN PREPARING APPLICATIONS IN RESPONSE TO THIS RFA/PA.

PURPOSE

The goal of this Request for Applications (RFA) is to promote the design,
development and pilot testing of hypothesis-driven innovative approaches to
the prevention of osteoarthritis onset, progression and disability. 
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a complex disease whose etiology bridges genetics,
biomechanics and biochemistry. Understanding the relationships between
modifying systemic risk factors such as dietary intake, estrogen use and bone
density, local biomechanical factors such as muscle weakness, obesity and
joint laxity and disease pathogenesis may lead to the identification of new
approaches to the prevention of OA related pain and disability.   This RFA is
based on the many scientific opportunities identified in the conference
"Stepping Away from OA: Prevention of Onset, Progression and Disability."  A
summary of the conference and research questions raised can be found at:
http://www.nih.gov/niams/reports/oa/oareport.htm


HEALTHY PEOPLE 2010

The Public Health Service (PHS) is committed to achieving the health promotion
and disease prevention objectives of Healthy People 2010, a PHS-led national
activity for setting priority areas.  This RFA is related to several
objectives, particularly those listed in the chapter Arthritis, Osteoporosis,
and Chronic Back Conditions.  Potential applicants may obtain Healthy People
2010 at http://www.health.gov/healthypeople.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Applications may be submitted by domestic for-profit and non-profit
organizations, public or private, such as universities, colleges, hospitals,
laboratories, units of State and local governments, and eligible agencies of
the Federal government.  Foreign institutions are  eligible to apply for these
grants; in addition, applicants may collaborate, through consultation or
contractual agreements, with investigators at foreign institutions. 
Racial/ethnic minority individuals, women, and persons with disabilities are
encouraged to apply as Principal Investigators.  

MECHANISM OF SUPPORT

The mechanisms of support will include the investigator-initiated research
project grant (R01) and the exploratory/developmental research grant (R21).   

The exploratory/developmental research grant (R21) encourages the development
of new research activities.  In this solicitation the R21 is intended for use
by  1) investigators experienced in osteoarthritis research  who wish to adapt
methods or techniques in pathogenesis, epidemiology, or clinical research
established in other fields to osteoarthritis prevention, 2) established
investigators with demonstrated expertise in fields other than osteoarthritis
who wish to establish new research programs on osteoarthritis prevention; and,
3) investigators proposing  high risk-high yield research projects. R21
applications are expected to include very limited or no preliminary data. The
R21 mechanism is not appropriate for large-scale undertakings.  This mechanism
is also not appropriate for support or supplementation of ongoing research. 
Instead, investigators using this mechanism are encouraged to submit
applications that explore the feasibility of an innovative research question
or approach, which may not be ready to compete for funding as a standard
research project grant (e.g., R01). Further, the R21 mechanism may also be
used to develop a research basis for a subsequent R01 or P01 application.   If
desired, the specific aims of the R21 project may be incorporated into a
research project grant application (R01) submitted prior to the termination of
the R21 award. New investigators interested in developing small grants in the
area of OA prevention are encouraged to apply under the NIAMS Small Grant
Program for New Investigators (PAR-99-099,
http://www.nih.gov/niams/grants/pa/par99-099.html). NINR does not routinely
support R21s. 

Exploratory/developmental (R21) grants, may not exceed $75,000 per year in
direct costs, including Facilities and Administrative costs for collaborating
institutions, if any.  The total project period for an R21 application
submitted in response to this RFA may not exceed three years.  These grants
are non-renewable and continuation of projects developed under the R21 program
will be through the traditional unsolicited (R01 or P01) grant programs.

Because the nature and scope of the research proposed in response to this RFA
may vary, it is anticipated that the size of an award will vary also.  
Modular budgeting procedures apply for R21 and for R01 grants up to $250
thousand.  Specific R01 application instructions have been modified to reflect
"Modular grant" and "Just-in-time" streamlining efforts.  Complete
instructions and information on Modular Grants can be found at
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/modular/modular.htm.  

R01 applications are limited to no more than $500,000 per year in direct
costs, although exceptions may be permitted under certain circumstances.  An
applicant planning to submit a R01 application requesting $500,000 or more in
direct costs for any year is advised that he or she must contact IC program
staff, listed under INQUIRIES, before submitting the application, i.e., as
plans for the study are developed.  Furthermore, the applicant must obtain
agreement from IC staff that the IC will accept the application for
consideration for award.  

FUNDS AVAILABLE

It is anticipated that for FY 2002, approximately $4.1 million total costs
will be available for the first year of support for this initiative.  Award of
grants is contingent upon the receipt of such funds for this purpose.  The
specific number to be funded will depend on the merit and scope of the
applications received and on the availability of funds.  Applicants may
request up to five years of support for the R01 and up to three years for the
R21.  Direct costs will be awarded in modules of $25,000 less any overlap or
other necessary administrative adjustments.  Facilities and Administrative
costs will be awarded based on the negotiated rates.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

Background

OA is a significant public health challenge.  Approximately 9 percent of the
U.S. population aged 30 and older have clinical OA of the hip or knee. OA is a
disease that is most commonly found in the hands, feet, knees, and hips.
Prevalence increases with age.  In general, after age 50, OA is more common in
women than in men.  OA accounts for most hip and knee replacements.  The
disease is difficult to characterize because X rays sometimes show evidence of
OA when the patient has no symptoms. The converse is also true, with pain
occurring when no radiographic signs exist. The biochemistry, pathology,
biomechanics, genetics, clinical aspects, and psycho-social issues make OA
difficult to label and understand. Research on the use of traditional and
complementary and alternative medicine approaches for the prevention of OA
onset, progression and disability is ongoing.  Among the complementary
medicine approaches,  acupuncture for joint pain, nutritional products such as
green tea, dietary supplements such as glucosamine and chondroitin are
currently being tested for the treatment of established OA.  Other widely used
but understudied treatments for OA include the dietary supplement,  magnet
therapy, and various types of manual therapies (e.g., manipulation and
massage).  However, the underlying biological mechanisms for these
interventions remain unexplained, as do their usefulness for OA prevention

The goal of this solicitation is to promote hypothesis-driven research
projects that 1) expand the repertoire of potential prevention strategies, 2)
assess the role of and interactions among OA risk factors, 3) design and test
new prevention strategies based on current knowledge, and 4) develop new
approaches for deployment of existing prevention modalities in order to
improve their impact.  Translational and clinical research projects are
encouraged, but such applications should clearly state how the research
findings could or will be used to develop a prevention strategy.   NINR is
particularly interested in R01 applications on nursing prevention strategies
or interventions that are consistent with the NINR mission. Potential
applicants should contact the NINR program officer with any questions
regarding the appropriateness of their topic.
Large, observational and intervention studies are not within the scope of this
RFA. 

Specific areas of interest include but are not limited to the following: 

Development of disease prevention strategies based on the molecular and cellular 
processes involved in pathogenesis.  

Approaches to improve understanding of the relation between race and ethnicity 
on disease onset and progression that may provide the rationale for targeted 
prevention strategies.

Hypothesis-driven research on the effects of estrogen on bone, muscle, soft 
tissue, and joint degradation versus its effects on joint symptoms that may 
provide a rationale for intervention or improve understanding of risk factors.

Focused studies on the contribution of genetic factors to disease 
onset and progression, and their interaction with environmental factors leading 
to the development of prevention strategies.
     
Studies to identify metabolic factors that explain some of the associations 
between weight and hand, knee, and hip OA.  Investigators are encouraged to seek 
out opportunities to join the obesity research community in accessing available 
patient populations. A current opportunity may exist to link up with the Study 
of Health Outcomes of Weight-Loss (SHOW)  clinical trial. Description of this 
and other cohorts that may be available for ancillary or mechanistic studies may
be found at http://www.nih.gov/niams/news/oisg/oaepip.htm and 
http://www.niddk.nih.gov/fund/divisions/DDN/DDNintro.htm
     
Small, pilot prevention projects based on modification of mechanical factors 
known to affect OA onset and progression.
     
Preliminary studies on high risk populations for the evaluation of new 
prevention strategies.
     
Mechanistic studies to explain the effects of exercise in the prevention
of disability and to develop strategies aimed at the expansion of this approach 
to prevention programs at the population level.
     
Studies to establish whether symptomatic treatments have the potential of 
delaying or halting disease progression and disability.
     
Studies to determine the benefits of specific vitamin supplementation and its 
potential role in treatment and prevention, and projects aimed at establishing 
the underlying mechanisms of beneficial effects.
     
Test interventions that improve quality of life, self-management, activities of 
daily living, and that relieve depression or other detrimental aspects 
of osteoarthritis.

Research on the use of complementary and alternative medicine approaches for the 
prevention of OA onset, progression and disability.
     
Design, development and preliminary testing of cost-effective socio-behavioral 
interventions that include selection of target populations that might benefit 
from the interventions.

Studies that model incorporating interventions into mainstream clinical practice 
or health care delivery in a cost effective way are needed.
     
Prevention strategies aimed at high risk or disproportionally affected patient
populations are strongly encouraged.  Community-based outreach and
demonstration projects aimed at development, testing and application of a)
newly designed prevention programs or  b) new strategies for deployment of
existing programs of recognized efficacy are also within the scope of this
RFA.  Investigators interested in applying for outreach and demonstrations
projects are encouraged to contact the CDC Chronic Disease Prevention Office
Web Site: http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/arthritis.htm. In November 1998, the
first comprehensive public health approach to reducing the burden of arthritis
in the United States was released by the Arthritis Foundation, the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Association of State and
Territorial Health Officials. The National Arthritis Action Plan: A Public
Health Strategy proposes strategies in three major areas: 1) surveillance,
epidemiology, and prevention research; 2) communication and education; and 3)
programs, policies, and systems. The CDC is currently funding several State
Public Health Office Programs to conduct arthritis prevention and surveillance
projects.
 
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 are 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
UPDATED "NIH Guidelines for Inclusion of Women and Minorities as Subjects in
Clinical Research," published in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts on
August 2, 2000
(https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-00-048.html); a
complete copy of the updated Guidelines are available at
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/women_min/guidelines_update.htm: The
revisions relate to NIH defined Phase III clinical trials and require: a) all
applications or proposals and/or protocols to provide a description of plans
to conduct analyses, as appropriate, to address differences by sex/gender
and/or racial/ethnic groups, including subgroups if applicable; and b) all
investigators to report accrual, and to conduct and report analyses, as
appropriate, by sex/gender and/or racial/ethnic group differences.

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

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: https://grants.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. 

LETTER OF INTENT

Prospective applicants are asked to submit, by March 12, a letter of intent
that includes a descriptive title of the proposed research; the name, address,
and telephone number of the Principal Investigator; the identities of other
key personnel and participating institutions; 
and the number and title of this RFA. Although a letter of intent is not
required, is not binding, does not commit the sender to submit an application,
and does not enter into the review of a subsequent application, the
information that it contains allows IC staff to estimate the potential review
workload and avoid conflict of interest in the review. The letter of intent is
to be sent (e-mail, fax or post) to Dr. Tommy Broadwater at the address listed
under INQUIRIES.

URLS IN NIH GRANT APPLICATIONS OR APPENDICES

All applications and proposals for NIH funding must be self-contained within
specified page limitations. Unless otherwise specified in an NIH solicitation,
internet addresses (URLs) should not be used to provide information necessary
to the review because reviewers are under no obligation to view the Internet
sites. Reviewers are cautioned that their anonymity may be compromised when
they directly access an Internet site.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

The modular grant concept establishes specific modules in which direct costs
may be requested as well as a maximum level for requested budgets. Only
limited budgetary information is required under this approach.  The
just-in-time concept allows applicants to submit certain information only when
there is a possibility for an award. It is anticipated that these changes will
reduce the administrative burden for the applicants, reviewers and Institute
staff.  The research grant application form PHS 398 (rev. 4/98) is to be used
in applying for these grants, with the modifications noted below.

BUDGET INSTRUCTIONS

Modular Grant applications (R01 and R21) will request direct costs in $25,000
modules, up to a total direct cost request of $250,000 per year. (Applications
that request more than $250,000 direct costs in any year must follow the
traditional PHS398 application instructions.) In addition, applications with
direct costs in excess of $500,000/direct costs per year should obtain prior
approval from the NIAMS, NCCAM, NCNR  or NICHD before the applications are
submitted.  Direct costs will be awarded in modules of $25,000 less any
overlap or other necessary administrative adjustments.  Facilities and
Administrative costs will be awarded based on the negotiated rates. 

Exploratory/developmental (R21) grants may not exceed $75,000 per year in
direct costs, including Facilities and Administrative costs for collaborating
institutions, if any.  The total project period for an R21 application
submitted in response to this RFA may not exceed three years. The total direct
costs must be requested in accordance with the program guidelines and the
modifications made to the standard PHS 398 application instructions described
below:

PHS 398

o FACE PAGE: Items 7a and 7b should be completed, indicating Direct Costs (in
$25,000 increments up to a maximum of $250,000) and Total Costs [Modular Total
Direct plus Facilities and Administrative  (F&A) costs] for the initial budget
period Items 8a and 8b should be completed indicating the Direct and Total
Costs for the entire proposed period of support.

o DETAILED BUDGET FOR THE INITIAL BUDGET PERIOD - Do not complete Form Page 4
of the PHS 398. It is not required and will not be accepted with the
application.

o BUDGET FOR THE ENTIRE PROPOSED PERIOD OF SUPPORT - Do not complete the
categorical budget table on Form Page 5 of the PHS 398. It is not required and
will not be accepted with the application.

o NARRATIVE BUDGET JUSTIFICATION - Prepare a Modular Grant Budget Narrative
page. (See https://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/modular/modular.htm for sample
pages.) At the top of the page, enter the total direct costs requested for
each year.  This is not a Form page.

o Under Personnel, List all project personnel, including their names, percent
of effort, and roles on the project. No individual salary information should
be provided. However, the applicant should use the NIH appropriation language
salary cap and the NIH policy for graduate student compensation in developing
the budget request.

For Consortium/Contractual costs, provide an estimate of total costs (direct
plus facilities and administrative) for each year, each rounded to the nearest
$1,000. List the individuals/organizations with whom consortium or contractual
arrangements have been made, the percent effort of all personnel, and the role
on the project. Indicate whether the collaborating institution is foreign or
domestic. The total cost for a consortium/contractual arrangement is included
in the overall requested modular direct cost amount.  Include the Letter of
Intent to establish a consortium.

Provide an additional narrative budget justification for any variation in the
number of modules requested.

The applicant should provide the name and phone number of the individual to
contact concerning fiscal and administrative issues if additional information
is necessary following the initial review.
 
o BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH - The Biographical Sketch provides information used by 
reviewers in the assessment of each individual's qualifications for a specific
role in the proposed project, as well as to evaluate the overall
qualifications of the research team. A biographical sketch is required for all
key personnel, following the instructions below. No more than three pages may
be used for each person. A sample biographical sketch may be viewed at: 
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/modular/modular.htm

Complete the educational block at the top of the form page;
- List position(s) and any honors;
- Provide information, including overall goals and responsibilities, on
research projects ongoing or completed during the last three years;
- List selected peer-reviewed publications, with full citations.

RESEARCH PLAN - The research plan (a-d) is limited to 25 pages for R01s and 10
pages for R21 applications. The Background and Significance Section of R01 and
R21 applications should specifically state the relevance of the proposed
research for OA prevention. The Preliminary Data section in R21 applications
must not exceed 1 page. Applications that exceed the page limit will be
returned without review. An appendix may be included in the application;
however, the appendix is not to be used to circumvent the page limit of the
research plan. 

o CHECKLIST - This page should be completed and submitted with the
application. If the F&A rate agreement has been established, indicate the type
of agreement and the date. All appropriate exclusions must be applied in the
calculation of the F&A costs for the initial budget period and all future
budget years.

Applications are to be submitted on the grant application form PHS 398 (rev.
4/98). These forms are available at most institutional offices of sponsored
research; from the Division of Extramural Outreach and Information Resources,
National Institutes of Health, 6701 Rockledge Drive, MSC 7910, Bethesda, MD
20892-7910, telephone 301/710-0267, email: grantsinfo@nih.gov; and on the
internet at https://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html.

For purposes of identification and processing, item 2a on the face page of the
application must be marked "YES" and the RFA number "AR-00-006" and the words
"PREVENTION OF ONSET, PROGRESSION, AND DISABILITY OF OSTEOARTHRITIS" must be
entered on the face page.

The RFA label and line 2 of the application should both indicate the RFA
number.  The RFA label must be affixed to the bottom of the face page. 
Failure to use this label could result in delayed processing of the
application such that it may not reach the review committee in time 
for review.

The sample RFA label available at:
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/label-bk.pdf has been modified to
allow for this change.  Please note that this is in pdf format. 

Applications must be received by August 21, 2001. Applications not received as
a single package on the receipt date or not conforming to the instructions
contained in PHS 398 (rev. 4/98) Application Kit (as modified in, and
superseded by, the special instructions below, for the 
purposes of this RFA), will be judged non-responsive and will be returned to
the applicant. 

If the application submitted in response to this RFA is substantially similar
to a grant application already submitted to the NIH for review, but that has
not yet been reviewed, the applicant will be asked to withdraw either the
pending application or the new one.  Simultaneous submission of identical
applications will not be allowed, nor will essentially identical applications
be reviewed by different review committees.  Therefore, an application that is
essentially identical to one that has already been reviewed cannot be
submitted in response to this RFA.  This does not preclude the submission of
substantial revisions of applications already reviewed, but such applications
must include an introduction addressing the previous critique.

Submit a signed, typewritten original of the application, including the
checklist, and three signed, exact, single-sided 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 (for express mail or courier service)

At the time of submission, two additional exact copies of the grant
application and all five sets of any appendix material must be sent to Dr.
Tommy Broadwater at the address listed under INQUIRIES.

Applicants from institutions that have a General Clinical Research Center
(GCRC) funded by the NIH National Center for Research Resources may wish to
identify the GCRC as a resource for conducting the proposed research.  If so,
a letter of agreement from either the GCRC Program 
Director or Principal Investigator should be included with the application.

REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS  

Upon receipt, applications will be reviewed for completeness by the NIH Center
for Scientific Review and for responsiveness by staff of the participating
Institutes; those judged to be incomplete or not in the format specified in
this RFA will be returned to the applicant without review. Those considered to
be non-responsive will be returned without review.

Applications that are complete and responsive to the RFA will be evaluated for
scientific and technical merit by an appropriate peer review group convened by
NIAMS in accordance with the review criteria stated below.  As part of the
initial merit review, a process will be used by the initial review group in
which all applications will receive a written critique but only those
applications deemed to have the highest scientific merit will be discussed,
assigned a priority score, and receive a second level review by the NIAMS,
NCHD, NCCAM, and NCNR National Advisory Councils.  
 
Review Criteria

The five criteria to be used in the evaluation of grant applications are
listed below.  To put those criteria in context, the following information is
contained in instructions to the peer reviewers.

The goals of NIH-supported research are to advance our understanding of
biological systems, improve the control of disease, and enhance health.  The
reviewers will comment on the following aspects of the application in their
written critiques in order to judge the likelihood that the proposed research
will have a substantial impact on the pursuit of these goals.  Each of these
criteria will be addressed and considered by the reviewers in assigning the
overall score weighting them as appropriate for each application.  Note that
the application does not need to be strong in all categories to be judged
likely to have a major scientific impact and thus deserve a high priority
score.  For example, an investigator may propose to carry out important work
that by its nature is not innovative but is essential to move a field forward.

1.  Significance.  Does this study address an important problem relevant to OA
prevention? If the aims of the application are achieved, how will scientific
knowledge and prevention strategies for OA be advanced?  What will be the
effect of these studies on the concepts or methods that drive this field?

2.  Approach.  Are the conceptual framework, design, methods, and analyses
adequately developed, well integrated, and appropriate to the aims of the
project?  Does the applicant acknowledge potential problem areas and consider
alternative tactics? If a prevention approach is being tested, is it likely to
have immediate broad applicability? If not, does the application adequately
address how this could be achieved at a later time? 

3.  Innovation.  Does the project employ novel concepts, approaches or method? 
Are the aims original and innovative? Does the project challenge existing
paradigms or develop new methodologies or technologies?  

4.  Investigator.  Is the investigator appropriately trained and well suited
to carry out this work?  Is the work proposed appropriate to the experience
level of the principal investigator and other researchers (if any)?

5.  Environment.  Does the scientific environment in which the work will be
done contribute to the probability of success?  Do the proposed experiments
take advantage of unique features of the scientific environment or employ
useful collaborative arrangements?  Is there evidence of institutional
support?

In addition to the above criteria, in accordance with NIH policy, all
applications will also be reviewed with respect to the following:

o  The adequacy of plans to include both genders, minorities and their
subgroups, and children as appropriate for the scientific goals of the
research.  Plans for the recruitment and retention of subjects will also be
evaluated.

o  The reasonableness of the proposed budget and duration in relation to the
proposed research

o  The adequacy of the proposed protection for humans, animals or the
environment, to the extent they may be adversely affected by the project 
proposed in the application

The personnel category will be reviewed for appropriate staffing based on the
requested percent effort. The direct costs budget request will be reviewed for
consistency with the proposed methods and specific aims. For modular grant
applications, any budgetary adjustments recommended by the reviewers will be
in $25,000 modules. The duration of support will be reviewed to determine if
it is appropriate to ensure successful completion of the requested scope of
the project.

AWARD CRITERIA
Award criteria that will be used to make award decisions include:
o scientific merit (as determined by peer review)
o availability of funds
o programmatic priorities

INQUIRIES

Inquiries concerning this RFA are encouraged. The opportunity to clarify any
issues or questions from potential applicants is welcome. Direct inquiries
regarding programmatic issues to:

Dr. Susana A. Serrate-Sztein
Rheumatic Diseases Branch
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
45 Center Drive, Room 5AS-37G
Bethesda, MD  20892-6500
Telephone:  (301) 594-5032
FAX:  (301) 480-4543
Email: szteins@mail.nih.gov
     
Dr. Bernadette Tyree
Cartilage and Connective Tisssue Program
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
45 Center Drive, Room 5AS-37J
Bethesda, MD  20892-6500
Telephone: (301) 594-5032
FAX:  (301) 594-4543
Email:  bt16w@nih.gov
     
Dr. James S. Panagis
Orthopedics Program
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
45 Center Drive, Room 5AS-37K
Bethesda, MD  20892-6500
Telephone:  (301) 594-5055
FAX:  (301) 594-4543
Email:  jp149d@nih.gov
      
Dr. Christine G. Goertz
National Center for Complentary and Alternative Medicine
6707 Democracy Blvd. St. 106
Bethesda  MD 20892
Telephone: (301) 402-1032
FAX: (301) 480-3621
Email: goertzc@mail.nih.gov
     
Dr. Ralph M.. Nitkin
National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
6100 Executive Blvd, Room 2A03, MSC 7510
Bethesda, MD 20892-7510
Telephone : (301) 402-2242
FAX : (301) 402-0832
Email rn21e@nih.gov
     
Nell Armstrong, PhD, RN
Program Director
National Institute of Nursing Research
Building 45, Room 3AN12
Bethesda MD 20892-6300
Phone: 301-594-5973
Fax:    301-480-8260
email:  nell_armstrong@nih.gov
     
Direct review inquiries to:
     
Tommy Broadwater,  Ph.D.
Scientific Review Branch, 
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
45 Center Drive, Natcher Bldg. Rm. 5A25U
Bethesda Md 20892-6500
Telephone: (3101) 594-4953
FAX (301) 480-4543 
Email: broadwatert@mail.nih.gov
     
Direct inquiries regarding fiscal matters to:
     
Ms. Melinda Nelson
Grants Management Officer
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
45 Center Drive, Natcher Bldg. Rm. 5A49F
Bethesda, MD 20892-6500
Telephone: (3101) 594-3505
FAX (301) 480-4543
Email: nelsonm@mail.nih.gov
     
Ms. Mary Ellen Colvin
Grants Management Branch
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Building 61E, Room 8A17G, MSC 7510
6100 Executive Boulevard
Bethesda, MD 20892-7510
Telephone: 301-496-1304
Email: mc113b@nih.gov
     
Robert L. Tarwater
Grants Management Specialist
Office of Grants and Contracts Management
Division of Extramural Activities
National Institute of Nursing Research
Building 45, Room 3An.12
Bethesda, Maryland  20892-6300
Telephone:  (301) 594-2807
FAX:   (301) 480-8260
Email:tarwater@nih.gov

Schedule:
Letter of Intent Receipt Date:    June 1, 2001
Application Receipt Date:         August 21,  2001
Peer Review Date:                 November, 2001
Council Review:                   January/February, 2002
Earliest Anticipated Start Date:  March 1, 2001

AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS

This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance No.
93.846, Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research and No. 93,929
Child Health and Human Development Research.  Awards are made under
authorization of Sections 301 and 405 of the Public Health Service Act as
amended (42 USC 241, 284 and 285) and administered under NIH grants policies
and Federal Regulations 42 CFR 52 and 45 CFR Parts 74 and 92.  This program is
not subject to the intergovernmental review requirements of Executive Order
12372 or Health Systems Agency review.

The Public Health Service 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.

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	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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