The National Eye Institute wishes to alert the vision research
community that it is participating in an NIH-wide, $2.5 million
initiative to solicit exploratory research grant (R21) applications for
up to three years funding to carry out pilot or feasibility studies to
determine the role of environmental and infectious agents in the
initiation and/or exacerbation of autoimmune diseases.
"Environment/Infection/Gene Interactions in Autoimmune Disease"
is a Request for Applications (RFA) to capitalize on recent
discoveries of autoimmune reactions and newly developed
therapeutic approaches to suppress autoimmune responses.
Areas of NEI interest include, but are not limited to: dry eye and
Sjögren's Syndrome; uveitis; Graves' Disease and thyroid-
associated ophthalmopathy; immunosuppression, tolerance, and
Anterior Chamber-Associated Immune Deviation; optic neuritis; and
the immunopathology of ocular infections. Further information is
available on the NEI web page (http://www.nei/nih.gov). Potential
applicants are strongly encouraged to contact NEI program director
Dr. Ellen S. Liberman (301-496-0484, ellenliberman@nei.nih.gov) to
discuss their application. The full text of the RFA, which requires a
letter of intent by March 12, 1999, and has a single receipt date of
May 7, 1999, is available on the website
http://www.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-ES-99.003.html
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2) NEW BRAIN ATLAS INITIATIVE
The National Eye Institute wishes to alert the vision research
community that it is participating in an NIH-wide, $2 million
initiative to solicit research project grant (R01) applications for up to
five years funding to develop a mouse brain atlas that can serve as
a platform to organize and integrate genomic data.
"Mouse Brain Atlas for Functional Genomics" is a Program
Announcement (PA) to develop a digital, multidimensional atlas to
organize and integrate the gene discovery and gene expression
analysis data funded by the NIH Brain Molecular Anatomy Project.
These grants should propose studies to develop a set of
informatics tools to support a wide range of uses of the atlas to
facilitate the integration of anatomic and genomic data. Further
information is available on the NEI web page
(http://www.nei/nih.gov). Potential applicants are strongly
encouraged to contact NEI program directors Dr. Maria Y. Giovanni
(301-496-0484, giovanni@nei.nih.gov) or Dr. Michael D. Oberdorfer
(301-496-5301, oberdorfer@nei.nih.gov) to discuss their application.
The full text of the PA, which requires a letter of intent by April 19,
1999, for a receipt date of May 19, 1999, is available on the
website http://www.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAS-99-060.html
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3) NEW INITIATIVE ON IMAGING TECHNOLOGIES FOR
AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES
The National Eye Institute wishes to alert the vision research
community that it is participating in an NIH-wide, $3.5 million
initiative to solicit research project grant (R01) applications for up to
five years' funding to develop new methods for in vivo imaging of the
immune system in small animal models of human autoimmune
diseases.
"New Imaging Technologies for Autoimmune Diseases" is a
Request for Applications (RFA) to expand our knowledge of the
behavior and function of immune cells in vivo. Considerable
progress has been achieved in the identification of immune cells,
factors involved in immune responses, and mechanisms of immune
cell function. But the kinetics of immune effector function and the
influence of the three-dimensional environment of the immune
system on immune cell function are not well understood. Recent
advances in the design and synthesis of contrast agents, as well
as in vivo imaging technology advances, have the potential to
provide powerful, non-invasive means of visualizing ongoing normal
and deleterious immune responses by following the specific cells
involved. Areas of NEI interest include, but are not limited to: dry
eye and Sjögren's Syndrome; uveitis; Graves' Disease and thyroid-
associated ophthalmopathy; immunosuppression, tolerance, and
Anterior Chamber-Associated Immune Deviation; optic neuritis; and
the immunopathology of ocular infections. Further information is
available on the NEI web page (http://www.nei/nih.gov). Potential
applicants are strongly encouraged to contact NEI program director
Dr. Ellen S. Liberman (301-496-0484, ellenliberman@nei.nih.gov) to
discuss their application. The full text of the RFA, which requires a
letter of intent by March 15, 1999, and has a single receipt date of
May 6, 1999, is available on the website
http://www.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-AI-99-004.html
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4) NEW IMMUNOLOGICAL PHENOTYPING INITIATIVE
The National Eye Institute wishes to alert the vision research
community that it is participating in an NIH-wide, $2 million
initiative to solicit exploratory research grant (R21) applications for
up to two years and $150,000 direct costs per year funding to carry
out preliminary studies to develop new technologies to rapidly
screen normal and mutagenized mice in order to detect and
characterize abnormal immune responses, with an emphasis on
immune dysfunction associated with autoimmune disease.
"Immunological Phenotyping of Mouse Mutants" is a Request for
Applications (RFA) to address several recommendations of the NIH
Committee on "Priority Setting for Mouse Genomics and Genetics
Resources". Additional information regarding the trans-NIH mouse
initiative is available on the web site
http://www.nih.gov/science/mouse
Specific areas of NEI interest in autoimmune diseases include, but
are not limited to: dry eye and Sjögren's Syndrome; uveitis;
Graves' Disease and thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy;
immunosuppression, tolerance, and Anterior Chamber-Associated
Immune Deviation; optic neuritis; and the immunopathology of
ocular infections. Further information is available on the NEI web
page (http://www.nei/nih.gov). Potential applicants are strongly
encouraged to contact NEI program director Dr. Ellen S. Liberman
(301-496-0484, ellenliberman@nei.nih.gov) to discuss their
application. The full text of the RFA, which requires a letter of
intent by March 15, 1999, and has a single receipt date of May 6,
1999, is available on the website
http://www.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-AI-99-005.html