2004 News Flashes and Bulletins

News Flash, December 22, 2004
Seasons Greetings, Staffing Update

Season's Greetings!

On behalf of the Epidemiology and Genetics Research Program, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, we wish you a happy and healthy holiday season, and a peaceful and fruitful 2005.

EGRP Staff Photo

I want to inform you of two personnel changes:

Dr. Sandra Melnick, who has been the Chief of our Analytic Epidemiology Research Branch (AERB), will be moving to the NIH Center for Scientific Review in January. We will miss her intellect, warmth, caring, and support, and wish her great success.

Dr. Mukesh Verma, a Program Director within AERB and a leader in the field of epigenetics, has agreed to be the Acting Branch Chief. I appreciate his willingness to take on this additional task.

We will provide more information after the New Year. In the meantime, feel free to email me with any questions or concerns.

Thanks,
Edward Trapido, Sc.D.
Associate Director, Epidemiology and Genetics Research Program

News Flash, December 17, 2004

This News Flash is to let you know about:

New NCI Publication: Nation's Investment in Cancer Research - FY 2006
Additions to Web Site For First NCI Epidemiology Leadership Conference
Research Findings by EGRP-Funded Investigators Highlighted
NIH Establishes Web Site for New Investigators
Call for Abstracts for Conference on Critical Issues in eHealth Research

Cover for The Nation's Investment in Cancer Research

News Flash, December 7, 2004

IMPORTANT! Beginning With May 2005 Round of Grant Applications, Summary Statements by E-Mail Only

Dear Principal Investigator:

This communication is to alert you that beginning with the round of grant applications to be reviewed in May 2005, the Epidemiology and Genetics Research Program (EGRP) will send Summary Statements by E-mail only.

Grants administration activities at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are becoming increasingly automated. In earlier communications from EGRP and our Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences (DCCPS), you read about the new administrative structure responsible for all extramural-related support staff functions within the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Please be assured, however, that your Program Director remains the same.

You also may be familiar with NIH's Electronic Administration (eRA) Commons, which is a Web interface where grantees can conduct their extramural research administration business electronically. We encourage you and your organization to register and take advantage of the convenience of The Commons through which you can submit grant applications and associated materials, post Progress Reports, and review the status of your grant applications. The Commons Web site is located at https://commons.era.nih.gov/commons. Contact your institution to determine if it is already registered (or view listing at http://era.nih.gov/commons/index.cfm) and to obtain information needed to register yourself.

In this time of administrative change in the federal government, we welcome your patience, support, and feedback. We are continually looking for new ways to communicate with you and will do our best to be responsive to any issues you have regarding your grants.

Please do not hesitate to contact your EGRP Program Director or my office with any questions or comments, and access our Web site for the latest information about our Program at http://epi.grants.cancer.gov.

Sincerely,
Edward Trapido, Sc.D.
Associate Director, Epidemiology and Genetics Research Program

News Flash, November 23, 2004

Loan Repayment Program for Health Disparities Research: Deadline Dec. 15, 2004

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NCMHD) announce the 2005 Loan Repayment Program for Health Disparities Research (HDR-LRP). It provides for the repayment of educational loan debt of up to $35,000 annually for qualified health professionals conducting minority health or other health disparities research for domestic non-profit or government entities. In addition, payments equal to 39 percent of the loan repayments are issued to the Internal Revenue Service on behalf of the program participants to offset Federal tax liabilities incurred as a result of participating in the program. The Program may also provide reimbursement for state and local tax liabilities.

Through a Notice in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, NIH and NCMHD invite qualified health professionals who contractually agree to engage in minority health or other health disparities research for at least two years, and who agree to engage in this area of research for at least 50 percent of their time, i.e., not less than 20 hours per week, to apply for participation in the Loan Repayment Program for Health Disparities Research.

Applications must be submitted via the NIH Loan Repayment web site .

For questions on the HDR-LRP program, see the LRP Web site (above), send an e-mail to lrp@nih.gov, call the LRP helpline at (866) 849-4047, or contact the NCMHD Loan Repayment Coordinator, Kenya McRae, at (301) 402-1366 or via email: mcraek@ncmhd.nih.gov.

Read the complete Notice in the NIH Guide, NOT-MD-05-002.

News Flash, October 15, 2004

Session on Innovative Exposure Analyses Research for Cancer Epidemiology at ISEA Annual Conference, Oct. 19

The Epidemiology and Genetics Research Program (EGRP) is sponsoring a meeting of investigators who are conducting innovative exposure analyses research for cancer epidemiology at the annual conference of the International Society of Exposure Analysis (ISEA) from 1:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, October 19, Adam's Mark Hotel, Philadelphia, Pa.

The meeting is open to all conference participants and is coordinated by Kumiko (Kumi) Iwamoto, M.D., Dr.P.H., Program Director with EGRP's Analytic Epidemiology Research Branch (AERB).

The presentations will be primarily by investigators of studies funded through EGRP and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). The investigators and titles of their talks are:

Quantifying the Impact of Diet on Carcinogen Exposure
James Felton, Ph.D., Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Exposure to Beef Growth Promoter in Breast Cancer
Young Lin, D.V.M., Ph.D., Ohio State University

Carcinogen Metabolism Enzyme Expression of Buccal Cells
Simon Spivack, M.D., New York State Department of Health

Retrospective Assessment of Mixed Chemical Exposures
Gurumurthy Ramachandran, Ph.D., University of Minnesota

Validation of PAH Biomarkers for Quantifying Cancer Risk
Jim Zhang, Ph.D., University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey

Validation of Biomarkers in Humans Exposed to PAHs
Qingshan Qu, M.D., New York University School of Medicine

Passive PAH and Micro-Camera Personal Monitoring System
Tina Fan, Ph.D., University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey

Biomarkers of Carcinogen Exposure and Oxidative Injury
Jee Young Kim, Sc.D., Environmental Protection Agency

Use of Water Quality Surveillance Data in Epidemiologic Studies
Susan Nielsen, Ph.C., M.S., Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

Validation of Fumonisin and Microcystin Biomarkers
Jia-Sheng Wang, M.D., Ph.D., Texas Tech University System

Solid-Matrix Luminescence of PAH-DNA Adducts
Robert Hurtubise, Ph.D., University of Wyoming

Technology for DNA Damage Analyses and Biomarkers
X. Chris Le, Ph.D., University of Alberta

Validation of Indirect Pesticide Exposure Estimates
Timothy Wilcosky, Ph.D., Research Triangle Institute

LC-MS/MS Methods for Analysis of Hemoglobin Adducts
Timothy Fennell, Ph.D., Research Triangle Institute

Monitoring Gene Induction by Outdoor PM2.5 with Microarrays
Rey de Castro, Sc.D., Johns Hopkins University

News Flash, September 28, 2004

This News Flash is to update and review Program Announcements (PA) and Requests for Applications (RFA) sponsored by the Epidemiology and Genetics Research Program (EGRP) and other components of the Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences (DCCPS).

Last week, EGRP sponsored a workshop with grantees to identify barriers and gaps in cancer epidemiology related to tobacco, diet, and genes, and ways to facilitate research in these areas. We look forward to reporting to you on the workshop and about other EGRP activities soon.

Research on Malignancies in AIDS and Acquired Immune Suppression (R21, R01)
Studies of Energy Balance and Cancer in Humans (R01, R21, competitive supplements to existing NCI-funded grants)
Exfoliated Cells, Bioactive Food Components, and Cancer (R01, R21, R03)
Occupational Health and Safety Research (R01)
Cohort Studies in Cancer Epidemiology (R01)
Small Grants Program for Cancer Epidemiology (R03)
Small Business Grants

Other Funding Opportunities Through the Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences (DCCPS)

Obesity and the Built Environment (R01, R21)
Transdisciplinary Research on Energetics and Cancer (TREC) Centers
(U54) Coordinating Center (U01)
Improving Diet and Physical Activity Assessment (R01, R21)
Testing Tobacco Products Promoted To Reduce Harm (R01, R21)

News Flash, July 15, 2004

EGRP Cosponsors PA on Studies of Energy Balance and Cancer in Humans

The Epidemiology and Genetics Research Program (EGRP) is cosponsoring a new Program Announcement (PA) on Studies of Energy Balance and Cancer in Humans. The PA invites investigator-initiated research applications to define factors affecting energy balance and mechanisms influencing cancer risk, prognosis, and quality of life. These studies may range from new analyses of existing datasets to additional collection of data and biological specimens in ongoing investigations.

To be eligible for this PA, an applicant must have previously collected measures from human subjects on two or more of the following exposures: diet, physical activity, body composition, and/or related biomarkers (such as blood, urine, exfoliated cells, and/or tissue samples). The knowledge gained is anticipated to provide additional information to better understand the relationships among energy balance, cancer risk, and prognosis. Competitive supplements to existing NCI-funded grants as well as new R01s and R21s are invited.

Scientific questions relevant to EGRP about the PA may be directed to Virginia (Ginny) Hartmuller, Ph.D., R.D., Program Director, Analytic Epidemiology Research Branch (AERB); E-mail: hartmulv@mail.nih.gov.

NIH Guide, PA-04-124

The PA complements a Request for Applications (RFA) for Transdisciplinary Research on Energetics and Cancer (TREC) Centers, which also is newly released. The RFA is sponsored by our Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences' Health Promotions Research Branch.

NIH Guide, RFA-CA-05-010

News Flash, July 8, 2004

RFP Issued for Informatics Support Center for Cancer Family Registries

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Informatics Support Center for the Breast and Colon Cancer Family Registries (CFRs). The Breast and Colon Cancer CFRs are research resources supported by the Clinical and Genetic Epidemiology Research Branch (CGERB), Epidemiology and Genetics Research Program (EGRP), Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences (DCCPS).

The deadline for receipt of proposals is 2 p.m. EDT August 12, 2004.

RFP No. N02-PC-45022-46

For further information, contact Schuyler T. Eldridge, Contracting Officer, Research Contracts Branch, National Cancer Institute; e-mail: se29f@nih.gov; telephone: 301-435-3794 (collect calls not accepted).

News Flash, July 2, 2004

This News Flash from the Epidemiology and Genetics Research Program (EGRP) updates you with information about:

New EGRP Staff Appointments
Program Director Assignment Changes
New PA Cosponsored on Exfoliated Cells, Bioactive Food Components, and Cancer
Direct Cost Limits Change for Certain Applications
NIH Establishes High Priority, Short-Term Project Award
Latest Annual Report on Cancer Statistics Released
Booklet for the Public on Cancer and the Environment

News Flash, May 14, 2004

This News Flash from the Epidemiology and Genetics Research Program (EGRP) provides information about:

Job Opportunities with EGRP
Direct Cost Limitations Changed for Certain Solicited Applications
Frequently Asked Questions Posted for RFA on Pharmacogenetics Research Network and Knowledge Base
New Funding Opportunities Elsewhere in Our Division
- PA on Testing Tobacco Products Promoted to Reduce Harm
- Administrative Supplements for Disseminating Evidence-based Intervention Research Products
New Funding Opportunity Elsewhere at NCI
- RFA for Community Networks to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities
Small Business Programs Conference at NIH on June 23-24
Highlights of Research by EGRP Grantees
Steps Taken to Protect the EGRP ListServ From Being Spoofed
Subscribe to Receive EGRP Bulletins and News Flashes

News Flash, March 5, 2004

RFA on Pharmacogenetics Research Network and Knowledge Base

This Request for Applications (RFA) invites applications for an open recompetition of the Pharmacogenetics Research Network and Knowledge Base (U01). This is a network of multidisciplinary, collaborative groups of investigators that contribute their data to the publicly available knowledge base PharmGKB , which is an open research tool accessible to all scientists.

The research groups in the network have interests across a range of biological processes: drug metabolism, small molecule transport, target receptors, and biological pathways involved in the drug treatment of cardiovascular diseases, asthma, cancer, and depression. Other areas are welcome consistent with the interests of the funding institutes. The groups are collecting comprehensive, integrative information about specific proteins and gene families important to the field of pharmacogenetics.

Letters of intent are due July 19, and applications are due August 19, 2004.

The RFA is cosponsored by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), NCI, and several other NIH Institutes.

We’re an NCI cosponsor as well as the Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis.

Inquiries related to epidemiology and genetic epidemiology may be directed to J. Fernando Arena, M.D., Ph.D., Clinical and Genetic Epidemiology Research Branch (CGERB), EGRP, E-mail: arenaj@mail.nih.gov.

NIH Guide, RFA-GM-04-002

News Flash, February 2, 2004

Guidance on Weather-related Delays in Grant Application Submissions

Below from the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts
Release Date: January 27, 2004
Notice: NOT-OD-04-020

Winter storms sometimes lead to closures of institutions. The NIH realizes that this may cause problems for investigators who are submitting grant applications. If grant applications must be submitted late due to weather-related problems, those applications should be sent as soon as possible and should be accompanied by a cover letter noting the reasons for the delay. It is not necessary to get permission in advance for weather-related delays in grant application submission; please do not call the Division of Receipt and Referral to request such permission. It is expected that the delay will generally not exceed the time period that an institution is closed.

It should be noted that unsolicited applications are considered to be on time if they are mailed on or before the published receipt date and a proof of mailing can be provided. Unsolicited applications for the February 1, 2004 receipt date will be considered to be on time if they are mailed on Monday, February 2, 2004. Applications in response to an RFA or PA/PAR with a special receipt date must be received by the specified receipt date in order to be considered on time.

News Flash, January 28, 2004

NCI Pilots Weekly Newsletter, Plans and Priorities for FY 2005 Published

NCI Cancer Bulletin

This month, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) began piloting a weekly newsletter about Institute programs and initiatives. Access the NCI Cancer Bulletin and subscribe at http://cancer.gov/ncicancerbulletin.

Read about NCI's budget outlook for 2004 and NCI Director Andrew von Eschenbach's article on the goal to eliminate death and suffering due to cancer (January 6 issue); energy balance - the complex interaction of diet, physical activity, and genetics in cancer control and prevention (January 20 issue); and more.

Regular features include:

Funding Opportunities - the latest grant and contracts announcements from NCI
Cancer Research Highlights - new and noteworthy findings from the nation's leading researchers
NCI Director's Update - a view of the ongoing work of NCI
NCI Notes - brief details of awards, personnel activities, and other announcements from NCI
Featured Meetings - selected meetings and presentations of interest to the cancer community
Legislative Update - a look at upcoming legislation that impacts and shapes cancer research priorities and programs
"A Conversation with...." - interviews with important people in cancer research (beginning January 27).

Plans and Priorities

NCI's Plan and Budget Proposal for Fiscal Year 2005: The Nation's Investment In Cancer Research is available on-line and in print. Access the document or order a print copy. The bulk print supply just arrived at our warehouse.

Of particular interest to cancer epidemiologists may be the sections on genes and the environment (pp. 10-15), tobacco and tobacco-related cancers (pp. 38-44), energy balance (pp. 45-50), and reducing cancer-related health disparities (pp. 58-63).