ODS Requests Grant Applications for Research Centers

Meeting Minutes from Applicant Information Meeting held January 28, 2000

REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS
Centers for Dietary Supplements Research: Botanicals
(RFA OD-00-004)

In fiscal year 1999, Congress appropriated funds for the ODS to "develop a botanical research center initiative with major research institutions across the nation". Two grant awards were made in 1999, establishing the first NIH-funded Dietary Supplement Research Centers. In fiscal year 2000, Congress allocated funds to expand the number of Centers to be supported and "encouraged such centers to include collaboration between agricultural research institutions and biomedical research institutions".

The Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) and several NIH Institutes and Centers invite grant proposals to establish Specialized Research Centers to investigate the biological effects of botanicals including, but not limited to, botanicals available as dietary supplements. The creation of such Centers is needed to advance the quality and quantity of scientific information on botanicals and to promote further research in this area.

The major goal of this Request For Applications (RFA) is to foster interdisciplinary research in order to promote the scientific study of botanicals, particularly those available as dietary supplements. Further, this RFA is intended to explore more fully the potential role of botanical dietary supplements as a significant part of the efforts of the United States to improve health care.

Applications in response to this RFA are encouraged to propose research projects ranging from basic research to those involving clinical applications. It is anticipated that a fully integrated Center eventually will have the capacity to: 1) identify, characterize and authenticate botanicals; 2) assess the bioavailability and bioactivity of botanical ingredients; 3) identify active constituents in botanicals and explore their mechanism(s) of action; 4) conduct both pre-clinical and clinical evaluations of botanicals; and 5) serve as a primary information resource for the public.

The full text of the RFA can be found in the NIH Guide.

Mechanism of Support: Specialized Center Grant (P50)
Funds Available: $1,500,000 total costs are available in the first year of a 3-5 year program.
Application Receipt Date: April 25, 2000
Anticipated Award Date: September 29, 2000