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It is generally agreed that the presence of HIV within the central nervous system (CNS) contributes to the development of neurobehavioral impairments and neurologic syndromes that occur in a subset of HIV-infected individuals. However, a direct link between the presence of virus and HIV-induced motor/cognitive impairments has yet to be elucidated. This program announcement solicits research applications to (1) identify effective ways to quantitate viral load within the CNS during life, (2) correlate the quantity of virus within the CNS to the onset and course of neurobehavioral and neurological changes, (3) identify specific biochemical or neurochemical alterations in neuronal function as a consequence of the presence of virus either directly or indirectly, and (4) identify and test drugs that prevent or reverse the neuronal dysfunction. Collaborations between neuroscientists and immunologists/virologists are encouraged but not required. Fellowships are also solicited through this program announcement to encourage a broader range of scientists to conduct research in this field.

The principal objective of this Program Announcement (PA) is to stimulate research on the basic mechanisms of neuronal cell death and injury as they relate to neurodegenerative disorders. The results of these investigations are expected to help in elucidating the pathogenesis of these diseases.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) invite applications for basic and preclinical studies to increase knowledge of the role of microbes in the development and regulation of chronic pathologic immune responses, including autoimmune diseases, and to identify the genetic factors that increase or decrease the susceptibility to pathogen-induced immune disease. Exploitation of animal models of microbe-induced autoimmune disease to molecularly dissect the etiology and pathogenesis of autoimmune disease would be relevant. The knowledge developed through research into the mechanisms by which microbes break tolerance to self antigens should provide information about the underlying basis of autoimmunity.

In response to new basic and clinical developments in Parkinson"s disease research and the interest of related voluntary organizations, the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Health in 1995 asked the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) to organize a conference to assess the progress made in Parkinson"s disease research, to identify new opportunities and goals, and to plan a research agenda to coordinate and strengthen the cooperative activities of the several NIH institutes supporting research relevant to this disorder. This meeting was held in August 1995 and, with NINDS, was jointly sponsored by the National Institute on Aging, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, and the National Institute of Mental Health. For fiscal year 1996 the Senate Appropriations Committee urged the NINDS to expand its initiatives in areas of promise identified at the August Parkinson"s research conference. This Program Announcement (PA) is one of several responses to Congressional interest in this subject.

This Program Announcement (PA) replaces PA-93-068. The purpose of this initiative is to encourage and support investigator-initiated, neuroinformatics research that will lead to new digital tools for all domains of brain and behavioral research. The advanced information technologies resulting from this research are expected to be put to wide use by the brain and behavioral science community. Therefore, the approaches and technologies studied under the Human Brain Project will be generalizable, scalable, and extensible, and will use sophisticated, powerful computational resources.

The Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (MRSDA) is for research scientists who need an additional period of sponsored research experience as a way to gain expertise in a research area new to the candidate or in an area that would demonstrably enhance the candidate's scientific career. It is expected that following this experience, the candidate will be able to pursue an independent and productive research career.

The purpose of the Mentored Clinical Scientist Development Award MCSDA is to support the development of outstanding clinician research scientists. This mechanism provides specialized study for clinically trained professionals who are committed to a career in research and have the potential to develop into independent investigators. The award supports a three, four, or five year period of supervised research experience that may integrate didactic studies with laboratory or clinically-based research. The proposed research should have both intrinsic research importance and be a suitable vehicle for learning the methodology, theories, and conceptualizations necessary for a well trained independent researcher.

The purpose of this biobehavioral pain research program announcement is to inform the scientific community of the interests of the various institutes at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and to stimulate and foster a wide range of basic and clinical studies on pain as they relate to the missions of these Institutes. Applications are encouraged to study individual differences in pain responses which may be due to factors such as genetic differences, endocrine activity, neural activity, immune function, psychological state, disability state, age, gender, and cultural background. Research is also needed in areas such as understanding the neuroanatomical pathways and the neurophysiological mechanisms in pain. The pain experience needs to be examined at all levels of research including the gene, molecule, cell, organ, and individual with the goal of developing biobehavioral interventions to manage or prevent pain.

The Office on AIDS, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), supports investigations directed at developing effective strategies to prevent or reduce behaviors that place individuals at risk for HIV infection and fosters research to enhance the understanding of the profound impact of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection on the central nervous system (CNS). In addition, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) supports research on neurological aspects of HIV infection (neuro-AIDS) in adults and children.

The Division of AIDS (DAIDS), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), solicits applications on the discovery, preclinical efficacy evaluation, and development of novel agents and strategies that suppress HIV replication, interfere with disease progression, and ameliorate the consequences of infection. Responsive applications will involve creative and original research that emphasizes under- exploited facets of HIV infection. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) solicits grant applications directed toward identifying the mechanisms underlying the cognitive and behavioral changes associated with HIV infection. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) solicits grant applications directed toward studies on the neurological complications of HIV infection. Both institutes seek grant applications investigating potential CNS-targeted drug therapies that prevent or alleviate CNS dysfunction. Under this PA, applications in the following areas are not being solicited: (1) anti-viral agents and therapeutic strategies currently under intense investigation, (2) clinical studies, (3) studies of AIDS- related malignancies, and (4) studies of AIDS-associated opportunistic pathogens. Support under this PA will be provided to inter-related research consortia that include the private sector as one of its Group components. Applications funded in response to this PA will become part of the NCDDG-HIV.