Collaborations are an ideal way to enhance a research project by introducing new approaches and complementary expertise. To support collaborative efforts by NIGMS grantees, we’re continuing our Supplements for Collaborative Science (SCS) program with two submission deadlines in 2013: January 15 and May 15. Investigators can request supplements of up to $90,000 per year in direct costs for two collaborating labs or up to $135,000 per year for three collaborating labs. To be eligible, an NIGMS parent R01 or R37 award must be actively funded through July 31, 2014, for the January deadline and through November 30, 2014, for the May deadline. Proposals may request support to cover a period up to the end of the parent project. The proposed research must be within the original scope of the project and should propose approaches not used previously by the principal investigator. All collaborators should be able to make significant intellectual contributions, and we especially encourage proposals that involve less commonly combined areas of expertise. One new aspect of the submission process is the requirement that the collaborating investigators provide a letter of commitment and “other support” page countersigned by their institutional official. For more details, see the funding opportunity announcement. Send any additional questions to me at andersonve@nigms.nih.gov or to Sue Haynes at hayness@nigms.nih.gov. The SCS program is very competitive, so if you are interested in submitting an application, we recommend that you first discuss your potential proposal—and its new and novel aspects—with your program director.

You may be interested in this funding opportunity from an interagency initiative: NIH-NSF Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases Program: A Joint Program for Multidisciplinary Research (NOT-TW-12-022) Purpose: Support research, including field and laboratory studies and model development, focused on the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of infectious disease systems Application due date: December 05, 2012 NIGMS contact: Irene Eckstrand, 301-594-0943

You may be interested in these recent funding opportunity announcements: Dynamics of Host-Associated Microbial Communities (R01) (RFA-GM-14-001) Purpose: Promote genetic, physiological and ecological studies designed to reveal the basic principles and mechanisms that govern the symbiotic systems dynamics of host-associated microbial communities Letter of intent due date: December 14, 2012 Application due date: January 15, 2013 NIGMS contact: Shiva P. Singh, 301-594-3900 Mentored Research Scientist Development Award in Metabolomics (K01) (RFA-RM-12-025) Purpose: Pursue intensive research training in the field of metabolomics under the guidance of an experienced mentor who has an established research record in metabolomics Application due date: February 28, 2013 NIGMS contact: Richard Okita, 301-594-3827

You may be interested in these recent funding opportunity announcements: Bridges to the Doctorate Program (R25) (PAR-12-276) Purpose: Promote partnerships/consortia between colleges or universities granting a terminal master’s degree and institutions that offer the doctorate degree, with the goal of increasing the pool of master’s degree students from underrepresented backgrounds who pursue research careers in the biomedical and behavioral sciences and who are trained and available to participate in NIH-funded research Application due date: October 26, 2012 NIGMS contact: Michelle R.J. Hamlet, 301-594-3900 Bridges to the Baccalaureate Program (R25) (PAR-12-277) Purpose: Promote partnerships/consortia between community colleges or other 2-year post-secondary educational institutions granting the associate degree and colleges or universities that offer the baccalaureate degree, with the goal of increasing the pool of community college students from underrepresented backgrounds who pursue research careers in the biomedical and behavioral sciences and will be available to participate in NIH-funded research Application due date: October 26, 2012 NIGMS contact: Michelle R.J. Hamlet, 301-594-3900

The NIH Common Fund has established a new program on extracellular RNA (exRNA) communication. The program seeks to discover fundamental biological principles of the mechanisms of exRNA generation, secretion and transport; to identify and develop a catalog of exRNA found in normal human body fluids; and to investigate the potential for using exRNAs in the clinic as therapeutic molecules or as disease biomarkers. NIH recently issued the following funding opportunity announcements focused on these goals: Extracellular RNA Biogenesis, Biodistribution, Uptake, and Effector Function (U19) (RFA-RM-12-012) Purpose: Stimulate multidisciplinary research projects to determine the principles that guide the selection of regulatory RNA molecules for extracellular transport, determine the function of these exRNAs, and focus on the role of exRNA communication in human health and disease Letter of intent due date: October 12, 2012 Application due date: November 13, 2012 NIH contact: T. Kevin Howcroft, 301-496-7815 Reference Profiles of Human Extracellular RNA (U01) (RFA-RM-12-011) Purpose: Develop reference profiles for noncoding regulatory exRNAs from healthy human blood and other body fluid samples Letter of intent due date: October 12, 2012 Application due date: November 13, 2012 NIH contact: Pothur R. Srinivas, 301-402-3712 Clinical Utility of Extracellular RNA for Biomarker Development (UH2/UH3) (RFA-RM-12-013) Purpose: Identify and quantify exRNA-based biomarkers derived from human body fluids in order to diagnose and monitor disease progression and response to therapy Letter of intent due date: October 12, 2012 Application due date: November 13, 2012 NIH contact: Danilo A. Tagle, 301-594-8064 Clinical Utility of Extracellular RNA for Therapy Development (UH2/UH3) (RFA-RM-12-014) Purpose: Develop novel therapies and delivery techniques that demonstrate the potential clinical utility of exRNAs as therapeutic agents Letter of intent due date: October 12, 2012 Application due date: November 13, 2012 NIH contact: Danilo A. Tagle, 301-594-8064 Data Management and Resource Repository (DMRR) on Extracellular RNA (U54) (RFA-RM-12-010) Purpose: Integrate the efforts of all of the funded components of the Common Fund exRNA communication program and serve as a community-wide resource for exRNA standards, protocols and data Letter of intent due date: October 12, 2012 Application due date: November 13, 2012 NIH contact: John Satterlee, 301-435-1020 NIGMS’ Alexandra Ainsztein is a member of the NIH working group for this program and can answer questions about it by e-mail or phone (301-594-0828).

You may be interested in these recent funding opportunity announcements from the NIH Common Fund: 2013 NIH Director's Pioneer Award Program (DP1) (RFA-RM-12-015) Purpose: Support exceptionally creative individual scientists who propose pioneering, and possibly transforming, approaches to major challenges that have the potential for unusually high impact on a broad area of biomedical or behavioral research Application due date: October 9, 2012 NIH contact: Ravi Basavappa, 301-594-8190 2013 NIH Director's New Innovator Award Program (DP2) (RFA-RM-12-016) Purpose: Support exceptionally creative early stage investigators who propose bold and highly innovative new research approaches that have the potential for major impact on broad, important problems in biomedical and behavioral research Application due date: October 17, 2012 NIH contact: Ravi Basavappa, 301-594-8190

You may be interested in these recent funding opportunity announcements: Instrument Development for Biomedical Applications (R21) (RFA-GM-13-010) Purpose: Solicit innovative applications for the development of new or improved instrumentation for biomedical research Application due date: October 30, 2012 NIGMS contact: Fred Friedman, 301-435-0775 Institutional Research and Academic Career Development Awards (IRACDA) (K12) (PAR-12-245) Purpose: Develop a diverse group of highly trained biomedical and behavioral scientists through support of a traditional mentored postdoctoral research experience at a research-intensive institution combined with an opportunity to develop academic skills, including teaching, through workshops and mentored teaching assignments at a partner institution Application due date: September 24, 2012 NIGMS contact: Shiva Singh, 301-594-3900 Genetic and Genomic Analysis of Xenopus (R01) (PAR-12-250) Purpose: Exploit and enhance the power of Xenopus as a vertebrate model for biomedical research Letter of intent due date: 30 days before application due date Application due dates: October 1, 2012; September 30, 2013; September 30, 2014 NIGMS contact: Susan Haynes, 301-594-0943

You may be interested in these recent funding opportunity announcements: Research to Understand and Inform Interventions that Promote the Research Careers of Students in Biomedical and Behavioral Sciences (R01) (RFA-GM-13-009) Purpose: Support research to test assumptions and hypotheses on social and behavioral factors that might inform and guide potential interventions to increase student interest, motivation and preparedness for biomedical and behavioral research careers; NIGMS has a particular interest in interventions designed to increase the number of students from backgrounds underrepresented in biomedical research who enter careers in these disciplines Letter of intent due date: September 24, 2012 Application due date: October 24, 2012 NIGMS contact: Clifton Poodry, 301-594-3900 NIH Director’s Early Independence Awards (DP5) (RFA RM-12-018) Purpose: Support exceptional investigators who wish to pursue independent research directly after completion of a terminal doctoral/research degree or clinical residency, thereby forgoing the traditional postdoctoral training period Letter of intent due date: December 30, 2012 Application due date: January 30, 2013 NIH contact: Ravi Basavappa, 301-435-7204 NOTE: Institutions may submit up to two applications; the NIH Common Fund, which sponsors this program, is hosting a portal to facilitate the “matching” process between institutions and candidates

You may be interested in this funding opportunity announcement from the NIH Common Fund: NIH Director’s Transformative Research Awards (R01) (RFA-RM-12-017) Purpose: Support groundbreaking, exceptionally innovative, original and/or unconventional research with the potential for major impact in a broad area of biomedical or behavioral science Letter of intent due date: August 21, 2012 Application due date: September 21, 2012 NIH contact: Ravi Basavappa, 301-435-7204

You may be interested in the following funding opportunity announcements: NIH Support for Conferences and Scientific Meetings (Parent R13/U13) (PAR-12-212) Purpose: Support high-quality conferences that are relevant to the public health and scientific mission of the participating NIH institutes and centers, including NIGMS Application due dates: Standard dates apply NIGMS contact: Ann Hagan, 301-594-3910 Notice of Intent to Participate in the Joint DMS/NIGMS Initiative to Support Research at the Interface of the Biological and Mathematical Sciences (NOT-GM-12-111) Purpose: Support research in mathematics and statistics related to mathematical biology research Application due date: September 17, 2012 NIGMS contacts: Paul Brazhnik, 301-451-6446 Janna Wehrle, 301-594-0828 Amy Swain, 301-451-6446