Year: 2013

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Remembering Longtime MARC Branch Chief Adolphus “Tol” Toliver

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Adolphus Toliver, Ph.D.We were very sad to learn of the death of Adolphus Toliver, Ph.D., on March 26. Dr. Toliver–or Tol, as he preferred to be called–was a staunch supporter of diversity. His vision and dedication to increasing the participation of underrepresented minority students in biomedical research resulted in the development and improvement of many NIH programs.

Tol joined NIH in 1975 as the executive secretary of the biochemistry study section in the former Division of Research Grants (now the Center for Scientific Review). He was instrumental in assessing the emerging areas of biochemistry and molecular biology, which resulted in the creation of two new study sections, and increasing the participation of women and underrepresented minorities in his study section. Tol also advised innumerable young biochemists who became successful grant writers and prominent researchers.

In 1994, Tol joined NIGMS as chief of the Minority Access to Research Careers (MARC) Branch. In this position, he found his true calling, because he was a great and natural mentor and was able to continue to touch the lives and careers of many, especially those participating in the MARC program.

Tol’s contributions as an exec sec and as MARC Branch chief will have a lasting impact on science and the scientific community on many levels. However, he will probably be best remembered as the “father” of the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS)  Link to external web site. Now in its 13th year, ABRCMS has grown to a 4-day event that was attended last year by more than 3,300 student and other participants from across the nation.

Many of you have written to express your thoughts on what Dr. Toliver’s guidance and teachings meant personally and professionally, and I encourage you to share them here as well. I think Dr. Peter Lipke from Brooklyn College summed up how many of us feel when he stated that “in Dr. Toliver we have lost a true champion in all the senses of the word.”

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Funding Opportunities for Scientists Affected by Hurricane Sandy

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NIH has released two funding opportunity announcements to help restore facilities and/or research programs that were significantly disrupted by Hurricane Sandy last fall:

RFA-OD-13-199: Administrative supplements to awards that were active at the time of the storm

RFA-OD-13-005: Grants to new and early stage investigators whose pilot research and data were destroyed or damaged as a result of the storm

Eligibility is restricted to FEMA-declared major disaster states, and funds are limited to those made available by the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013. As discussed in a blog post from NIH’s Sally Rockey, NIH anticipates announcing additional opportunities and resources related to the Hurricane Sandy recovery effort.

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Wanted: Program Director for Cellular Decision Processes Grants

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We’re looking for a program director (also known as a “health scientist administrator/program officer”) to manage research grants and other types of awards focused on cellular decision processes, e.g., growth initiation, proliferation, cell senescence, terminal differentiation, sporulation and chemotaxis regulation. The position is in the Developmental and Cellular Processes Branch of our Division of Genetics and Developmental Biology.

Candidates should have expertise in the use of state-of-the-art molecular genetics and/or genomics-based approaches to elucidate mechanistic aspects of cell growth and differentiation, signaling pathway dynamics or related areas. Familiarity with NIH extramural funding as an applicant, reviewer or NIH scientific administrator is a plus, and outstanding communications skills are essential.

The vacancy announcement closes on April 30. Please see the NIH HSA Web site for position requirements and application procedures. The Applying for Scientific Administration Jobs at NIGMS blog post offers additional background and tips.

Not looking for a position right now? Please help us out by forwarding this information to others who might be interested in this opportunity.

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Undiagnosed Diseases Gene Function Research

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You may be interested in this recent funding opportunity announcement from the NIH Common Fund that NIGMS will administer:

Undiagnosed Diseases Gene Function Research (R21)
(RFA-RM-13-003)

Purpose: Investigate the underlying genetics, biochemistry and/or pathophysiology of newly diagnosed diseases in association with the respective gene variant(s) identified through the NIH Undiagnosed Diseases Network
Letter of intent due date: May 14, 2013
Application due date: June 14, 2013
NIGMS contact: Donna Krasnewich, 301-594-0943

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Applying for Scientific Administration Jobs at NIGMS

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If you’re interested in becoming a health scientist administrator or program director at NIGMS or another part of NIH, here is information from NIH’s Office of Human Resources (OHR) to help you navigate the job application process and prepare a strong application package.

NIGMS and other NIH components post every job opening on www.USAJOBS.gov, the official Office of Personnel Management (OPM) job site that services all federal agencies. These job postings are referred to as “vacancy announcements.” If you’re not relying on sources such as NIGMS’ Feedback Loop to alert you to specific job openings, we at NIH OHR encourage you to use the USAJOBS search engine to target positions of interest.

When utilizing USAJOBS, an important item to be aware of is the vacancy announcement’s closing date. Many NIH announcements are advertised on USAJOBS for 5 business days. This is in response to the President’s Executive Order mandating hiring reform measures to streamline and accelerate government hiring processes. In some cases, original closing dates may be extended, but applications cannot be accepted once the closing date has passed.

We recommend that you keep your USAJOBS account—including your profile and supporting documentation—current so that you can quickly respond to new vacancy announcements. USAJOBS also allows you to store cover letters, certifications and unofficial transcripts in a “saved documents” section.

Applications received through USAJOBS are initially reviewed by an OHR human resource specialist who identifies highly qualified applicants and refers these applicants’ resumes and documentation to the selecting official. Because of the highly rigorous qualification process mandated by OPM, it is critical that your resume accurately describes your major activities, responsibilities and scope; a curriculum vitae with job titles and dates is not enough information for qualification purposes. For more information, please see these tips for developing effective federal resumes.

You can find more suggestions, tutorials and FAQs at the USAJOBS Resource Center. You also can follow us at these sites:
Jobs at NIH Twitter icon Facebook icon LinkedIn icon

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Jon R. Lorsch Named NIGMS Director

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Photo of Jon R. Lorsch, Ph.D. Credit: Mike Ciesielski.
                                   Credit: Mike Ciesielski

I am delighted to tell you that NIH Director Francis Collins today announced his selection of Jon R. Lorsch as the new director of NIGMS. Dr. Lorsch expects to begin his appointment here in the summer of 2013.

Dr. Lorsch comes to NIH from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where he is a professor in the Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry. He earned a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Harvard University with Jack Szostak and was a postdoctoral fellow in biochemistry at Stanford University with Daniel Herschlag. His research, which NIGMS has funded since 2000, focuses on translation initiation in eukaryotes. During his tenure at Hopkins, Dr. Lorsch was also involved in graduate and medical education, including curriculum reform, mentoring and spearheading new biomedical education initiatives.

In meeting with Dr. Lorsch, I have been most impressed by his understanding of NIH and the issues that are central to the NIGMS mission of supporting basic research, research training and workforce diversity. He brings a passion for science, a commitment to education and demonstrated leadership. We very much look forward to welcoming and working with him.

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Funding Opportunities: Basic Behavioral and Social Sciences Opportunity Network, Highly Innovative Tools and Technology for Analysis of Single Cells

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You may be interested in these recent funding opportunity announcements:

Limited Competition: Revision Applications for Basic Social and Behavioral Research on the Social, Cultural, Biological, and Psychological Mechanisms of Stigma (R01)
(RFA-MD-13-005)

Purpose: Revise applications to incorporate basic research on behavioral and social mechanisms underlying stigma into active R01 research projects
Letter of intent due date: July 2, 2013
Application due date: August 2, 2013
NIH contacts:
Jennifer Alvidrez, NIMHD, 301-594-9567
Rebecca Ferrer, NCI, 301-594-0437
Enid Light, NIMH, 301-443-3599
Kathleen Michels, FIC, 301-435-6031

Development of Highly Innovative Tools and Technology for Analysis of Single Cells (SBIR) (R43/R44)
(PA-13-140)

Purpose: Develop next-generation tools that distinguish heterogeneous states among cells and have commercial potential
Application due date: Standard dates apply
NIGMS contact: Stefan Maas, 301-594-0943

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Provide Input on Challenges and Opportunities in Pharmacogenomics

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We are seeking input from the scientific community on challenges, opportunities and gaps in pharmacogenomics. Please help us shape future programs in pharmacogenomics by responding to the recently published request for information (RFI). The RFI asks for your input on several topics, such as:

  • Critical technological advances that can be applied to pharmacogenomics problems;
  • Specific tools, resources, methods and approaches needed to enhance our molecular, genetic and biological mechanistic understanding;
  • Ways to advance clinical implementation for improving health care outcomes, including safety, effectiveness, time and costs;
  • Synergies that might come from a research network;
  • Types of scientific endeavors that would best be funded by R01 grants in the field; and
  • Additional interfaces and interactions that should be developed by NIH with other funders or organizations.

Please take the time to comment on any or all of the above topics between now and the May 17 deadline. You may respond as individuals or groups. Working together, we can help advance this research area of great scientific interest and immediate health relevance.

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Genomes to Natural Products RFA

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Last September, I described a concept clearance for an initiative to develop new approaches in natural products discovery that had just been approved by the NIGMS Advisory Council. The resulting request for applications on Genomes to Natural Products (U01) has now been published in the NIH Guide.

NIGMS, along with the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), will support multidisciplinary research to develop high-throughput, broadly applicable approaches to natural products discovery that integrate genomics, synthetic biology and bioinformatics. We anticipate that up to four awards will be made through the cooperative agreement mechanism, totaling up to $9 million in Fiscal Year 2014. For NCCAM-specific interest areas and application requirements, see NOT-AT-13-005.

Applications are due by July 17. Potential applicants are invited to participate in an optional online Q&A session on April 19 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. EDT. Access this event at https://webmeeting.nih.gov/rfa-gnpn/ and sign in as a “guest” to be able to submit questions.

Letters of intent are not needed, but depending on which funding component’s areas of interest are more relevant to the proposal, I strongly recommend that potential applicants e-mail me or my counterpart at NCCAM, Craig Hopp to discuss submission plans.

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Macromolecular Interactions in Cells, Bioengineering Research Funding Opportunities

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You may be interested in these recent funding opportunity announcements:

These two announcements are based on a broader initiative for research on macromolecular interactions in cells in vivo. The initiative also includes an additional funding opportunity, Revisions for Macromolecular Interactions in Cells (R01).

  • Collaborations for Macromolecular Interactions in Cells (R01)
    (RFA-GM-14-004)

Purpose: Establish interdisciplinary collaborative projects to advance studies of macromolecular interactions and their relationship to function in cells, tissues and organisms

  • Research Networks for Macromolecular Interactions in Cells (U54)
    (RFA-GM-14-005)

Purpose: Establish interdisciplinary collaborative research networks to advance studies of macromolecular interactions and their relationship to function in cells, tissues and organisms

Letter of intent due date: April 30, 2013
Application due date: May 30, 2013
NIGMS contacts:
Alexandra Ainsztein, 301-594-0828
Daniel Janes, 301-594-0943
Vernon Anderson, 301-594-3827
Paul Brazhnik, 301-451-6446

Bioengineering Research Grants (BRG) (R01)
(PAR-13-137)

Purpose: Develop an innovative technology, model, technique, design or method that infuses principles and concepts from the quantitative sciences to increase our understanding of and solve problems in biological, clinical or translational science
Application due date: Standard dates apply
NIGMS contact: Pamela Marino, 301-594-3827

In addition, several new NIH Common Fund funding opportunities related to workforce development and diversity are listed at http://commonfund.nih.gov