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The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) is interested in promoting collaborations among junior investigators (Postdoctoral Fellows through Assistant Professors, or equivalent) to stimulate translational research in the field of epilepsy. This exploratory grants program is being issued in conjunction with the White House-initiated, NIH-sponsored conference, "Curing Epilepsy: Focus on the Future." To this end the NINDS invites exploratory/developmental research grant applications (R21) in patient- oriented research, developmental neurobiology, genetics, advanced technology, imaging, pharmacotherapeutics, or other research areas, which are likely to lead to the cure of epilepsy (defined as "the prevention of epilepsy before it occurs in people at risk, and the cessation of seizures without therapy-associated side effects in those who develop the disease"). Emphasis will be placed on cross- disciplinary collaborations, novel hypotheses, and unique approaches in applying fundamental neurobiological concepts to epilepsy research. Special consideration will be given to proposals that enhance the application of scientific knowledge to the understanding and treatment of the disorder. This initiative requires collaborations of two or more junior investigators at different institutions, or in different laboratories within the same institution. Investigators already working together at the same department are not eligible.

Motor vehicular accidents, sports accidents, and assaults result in about 10,000 new cases of spinal cord injury (SCI) every year in the United States. Damaged nerve fibers within the cord cease to relay signals between the brain and the rest of the body, depending on the site of damage along the spinal cord, these injuries can interfere with breathing, bowel and bladder function, and result in paraplegia or quadriplegia. New findings on the molecular regulation of axonal pathfinding and synapse formation during development suggest that similar mechanisms could lead to more robust and directed nerve regrowth in adulthood, and the restoration of connections within the damaged spinal cord. However, more information is needed on the expression of such signals in the normal and injured adult spinal cord. In order to stimulate research in this area, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) invites applications for support of pilot studies that extend the new discoveries in developmental neurobiology to stimulate axonal regeneration, guidance, and synaptogenesis within the injured spinal cord. Researchers with expertise in development and other disciplines are encouraged to initiate exploratory studies leading to a better understanding of the basic mechanisms that contribute to repair and plasticity after spinal cord injury.

In response to new research interest in the role of the synapse in the mechanisms of neurodegeneration, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) invites qualified investigators to submit grant applications for focused studies of the synaptic function of hallmark proteins of neurodegenerative diseases to elucidate potential common mechanisms relevant to synapse loss and neurodegeneration. Although not formally participating in this request for applications, the National Institute on Aging is interested in research on the function of synaptic proteins in synapse loss and neurodegeneration in the aging nervous system.

To stimulate increased research interest in the role of mitochondria in the mechanisms of neurodegeneration, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) invite qualified investigators to submit grant applications for focused studies of mitochondria-mediated effects on the function of living neurons that may be important in the development of disease.

The purpose of this RFA is to solicit research on the etiology and treatment of spinal muscular atrophy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and other motor neuron diseases. Considerable progress has been made in recent years toward understanding the biological bases of these diseases. In particular, important steps have been taken in identifying the genetic defects underlying certain motor neuron diseases, and in the development of animal models for these diseases. However, much remains to be learned about the mechanisms through which genetic mutations and other biological insults lead to pathology, and how these mechanisms may be manipulated therapeutically. This RFA will solicit novel approaches to understanding and treating motor neuron diseases, with emphasis on cellular, molecular, and high throughput approaches.

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), and the National Institute on Aging (NIA) invite investigator- initiated research grant proposals to study potential common immunological and inflammatory mechanisms involved in the etiology of HIV-1 associated dementia (HAD) and neurodegenerative and/or autoimmune diseases of the nervous system such as Alzheimer"s, Parkinson"s disease and multiple sclerosis. One intent of this PA is to encourage basic and clinical scientists who have been working in the previously disparate areas of infectious, autoimmune and neurodegenerative disease to develop multidisciplinary collaborations to search for common factors in the causation of these and other related diseases.

The purpose of this Request for Applications (RFA) is to encourage research designed to exploit the power of mutagenesis screening in zebrafish in order to detect and characterize genes, pathways, and phenotypes of interest in development, behavior, organ formation, disease processes. Applications that propose to advance the technologies associated with such phenotyping also are welcome.

HIV-1 infection of central nervous system (CNS) tissues results in neurological and neuropsychiatric abnormalities in a significant number of patients. HIV-1 localization in CNS parenchyma and CSF has been well documented. Advances in highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) have resulted in significant reductions in viral load in peripheral as well as CNS tissues in many patients. However, the presence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) precludes efficient drug penetration into the CNS compartment and thus current therapies may not eradicate latent viral reservoirs in the brain. Therefore, the CNS may serve as an important viral reservoir for re-infection of peripheral tissues subsequent to viral clearing in response to effective treatment. The BBB serves as a critical gatekeeper for regulating HIV-1 transit into and out of the CNS. It is therefore imperative to understand the mechanisms of viral passage through the blood-brain barrier in order to develop strategies for blocking early infection of this compartment as well as subsequent reinfection of peripheral tissues.

The NIH Office of Research on Women"s Health (ORWH) invites applications for the Transitional Career Development Award in Women"s Health Research. This award is designed to support career development experiences leading to independence for clinical investigators interested in patient-oriented or population-based research related to women"s health. The career development program will provide an opportunity for investigators to develop solid clinical research skills during two years of study and research within the environment of the NIH Intramural Research Programs (IRP). The award will also include a follow-on two-year period of salary and research support at an academic institution of the candidate"s choice. This period of extramural support will facilitate the transition to independence as a clinical researcher specializing in research issues related to women"s health.

The National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke (NINDS), the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), and the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation International (JDF) invite investigator-initiated research grant applications to study the neurobiology of diabetic complications. Research should be aimed at understanding the mechanisms by which diabetes results in painful, disabling peripheral neuropathy, autonomic neuropathy, impaired counterregulation and hypoglycemia unawareness, and other neurological complications. The intent of this RFA is to attract basic neuroscientists to the study of diabetic neuropathy and neurobiology relevant to diabetes, and enhance interdisciplinary approaches to research in this area.