Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research

The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) mission is to support research into the causes, treatment, and prevention of arthritis and musculoskeletal and skin diseases; training of basic and clinical scientists to carry out this research; and dissemination of information on research progress in these diseases. The Extramural Program promotes and supports basic, translational, and clinical studies of Systemic Rheumatic and Autoimmune Diseases, Skin Biology and Diseases, Bone Biology and Diseases, Muscle Biology and Diseases, and Joint Biology and Diseases and Orthopaedics. NIAMS Systemic Rheumatic and Autoimmune Diseases programs address basic, translational, and clinical research, including clinical trials and observational and mechanistic studies, focused on immune-mediated arthritis and autoimmune-related acute and chronic disorders in adults and children. NIAMS Skin Biology and Diseases programs support basic, translational, and clinical research in skin, including both common and rare skin diseases. These programs include investigations of the basic molecular, cellular, and developmental biology of skin, as well as studies of skin as an immune, sensory, endocrine, and metabolic organ. NIAMS Bone Biology and Diseases programs support research on the control of bone formation, resorption, and mineralization as well as the effects of signaling molecules on bone cells. They support clinical studies of interventions to prevent fractures associated with osteoporosis and research into less common bone diseases. NIAMS Muscle Biology and Diseases programs encourage research on muscle developmental biology, growth, maintenance, and hypertrophy; physiology of contraction; structural biology of the contractile apparatus; disease mechanisms; biomarkers and outcome measures; and development and clinical testing of therapies for conditions including the muscular dystrophies. NIAMS Joint Biology, Diseases, and Orthopaedics programs support a broad spectrum of research centered on the interplay among the body’s muscles, bones, and connective tissues. They encourage tissue engineering and regenerative medicine research, molecular biology, imaging, and clinical research, and the treatment and prevention of orthopaedic conditions. NIAMS participates in the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. The SBIR program is intended to increase private sector commercialization of innovations derived from Federal research and development; to increase small business participation in Federal research and development; and to foster and encourage participation of socially and economically disadvantaged small business concerns and women-owned small business concerns in technological innovation. The STTR program is intended to stimulate and foster scientific and technological innovation through cooperative research and development carried out between small business concerns and research institutions; to foster technology transfer between small business concerns and research institutions; to increase private sector commercialization of innovations derived from Federal research and development; and to foster and encourage participation of socially and economically disadvantaged small business concerns and women-owned small business concerns in technological innovation.

Research Grants: Individuals and public and private institutions, both nonprofit and for-profit, who propose to establish, expand, and improve research activities in health sciences and related fields. National Research Service Awards: Individuals must be nominated and sponsored by a public or private, for-profit or nonprofit institution having staff and facilities appropriate to the proposed research training program. All awardees must be citizens or have been admitted to the United States for permanent residence. To be eligible, predoctoral awardees must have completed the baccalaureate degree and postdoctoral awardees must have a professional or scientific degree (M.D., Ph.D., D.D.S., D.O., D.V.M., Sc.D., D. Eng., or equivalent domestic or foreign degree). Nonprofit domestic organizations may apply for the Institutional National Research Service grant. Small Business Innovation Research grants can be awarded only to domestic small businesses (entities that are independently owned and operated for profit, are not dominant in the field in which research is proposed, and have no more than 500 employees). Primary employment (more than one-half time) of the principal investigator must be with the small business at the time of award and during the conduct of the proposed project. In both Phase I and Phase II, the research must be performed in the U.S. or its possessions. To be eligible for funding, a grant application must be approved for scientific merit and program relevance by a scientific review group and a national advisory council. STTR grants can be awarded only to domestic small business concerns (entities that are independently owned and operated for profit, are not dominant in the field in which research is proposed and have no more than 500 employees) which partner with a research institution in cooperative research and development. At least 40 percent of the project is to be performed by the small business concern and at least 30 percent by the research institution. In both Phase I and Phase II, the research must be performed in the U.S. and its possessions. To be eligible for funding, a grant application must be approved for scientific merit and program relevance by a scientific review group and a national advisory council.

Research Grants: Although no degree of education is either specified or required, nearly all successful applicants have doctoral degrees in one of the sciences or professions. National Research Service Awards: Predoctoral awardees must have completed the baccalaureate degree and postdoctoral awardees must have a professional or scientific degree.

Research grants: Applications must be prepared electronically through grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov) using the SF 424 (Research and Research-Related) or, for multi-project applications, submitted using ASSIST. FAQs to guide applicants can be found at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/electronicreceipt/faq_full.htm . Individual funding opportunity announcements will indicate the appropriate application options available. A listing of NIAMS and other funding opportunities can be found through the NIAMS web site (http://www.niams.nih.gov/Funding/Funding_Opportunities/filter.asp), through the Grants.gov web site (http://www.grants.gov/), or on the NIH Guide to Grants and Contracts (http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/guide/index.html). Electronic applications are submitted through the Grants.gov website or ASSIST as directed in the Funding Opportunity Announcement. For assistance contact GrantsInfo, Telephone: (301) 435-0714, Email: GrantsInfo@nih.gov.

SBIR and STTR Grant Solicitations and SBIR Contract Solicitation may be obtained electronically through the NIH's "Small Business Research Funding Opportunities" web page at http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/sbir.htm . A limited number of hard copies of these publications are produced. Subject to availability, they may be obtained by contacting the NIH support services contractor: Telephone: (301) 206-9385; Fax: (301) 206-9722; E-mail: a2y@cu.nih.gov. The Solicitations include submission procedures, review considerations, and grant application or contract proposal forms. SBIR and STTR grant applications should be submitted to the Center for Scientific Review, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 1040 - MSC 7710, Bethesda, MD 20892-7710. Application forms for SBIR and STTR grants may be obtained through the SBIR/STTR funding announcements posted on the Grants.gov sites and the NIH Guide to Grants and Contracts (see URLs listed above). All SBIR and STTR applications must be submitted electronically. Electronic applications are submitted through the Grants.gov website. The SBIR/STTR programs are subject to the provisions of 45 CFR, Part 75.

Awards made under this program are subject to 2 CFR 200, as implemented by 45 CFR 75 “Public Welfare, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles and Audit Requirements for HHS Awards”. The policies and procedures generally applicable to NIH grants are set forth in the NIH Grants Policy Statement (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/nihgps/index.htm).

Following review by the appropriate study section and council, the successful applicant is notified by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases through a Notice of Grant Award. All accepted SBIR/STTR applications are evaluated for scientific and technical merit by an appropriate scientific peer review panel and by a national advisory council or board. All applications receiving a priority score compete for available SBIR/STTR set-aside funds on the basis of scientific and technical merit and commercial potential of the proposed research, program relevance, and program balance among the areas of research.

Research grants: From 6 to 9 months. National Research Service Awards: From 6 to 9 months. SBIR/STTR applications: About 7 to 12 months.