NEWS

Dr. Lindsey Criswell Named as New NIAMS Director

Lindsey A. Criswell, M.D., M.P.H., D.Sc., has been named director of the NIAMS. Dr. Criswell is currently vice chancellor of research at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). She is a professor of rheumatology and a professor of orofacial sciences at UCSF. She expects to join the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in early 2021, as the third director in the history of the NIAMS.

Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 Funding Plan

The NIAMS is operating under the FY 2020 Further Consolidated Appropriations Act. The interim funding plan for research and training grants represents the most current information as of August 4, 2020.

COVID-19 Updates

COVID-19 is an emerging, rapidly evolving situation. Get the latest public health information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the latest research information from the NIH. Additional resources include:

• Letter From the Director: Coping With the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Update on COVID-19 Funding
• COVID-19: Information for NIH Applicants and Recipients of NIH Funding From the NIH Office of Extramural Research
• A Multi-Front Effort To Combat Coronavirus From the "I Am Intramural Blog"
• NIH-Wide Strategic Plan for COVID-19 Research

.

NIH-Funded Study To Recruit Thousands of Participants To Reveal Exercise Impact at the Molecular Level

In the largest exercise research program of its kind, researchers in the Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity Consortium (MoTrPAC) are poised to collect and turn data from nearly 2,600 volunteers into comprehensive maps of the molecular changes in the body due to exercise with support from the NIAMS and other NIH Institutes and Centers. See if there’s a MoTrPAC clinical site near you.

Fewer Hip Fractures May Be Associated With Reductions in Smoking, Heavy Drinking

Scientists led by Timothy Bhattacharyya, M.D., head of Orthopaedics Research in the NIAMS Intramural Program, analyzed data from the Framingham Heart Study and found an association between lowered rates of hip fractures and decreases in smoking and heavy drinking. These results indicate that modifiable lifestyle factors, along with treatments, may be beneficial to bone health.

NIH Study Shows Genomic Variation Causing Common Autoinflammatory Disease May Increase Resilience to Bubonic Plague

Scientists at the NIH’s National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) performed genetic analysis on a large cohort of Turkish people with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) and on genomes from 352 ancient archaeological samples. They discovered specific FMF-associated genomic variants that may provide increased resistance to bubonic plague infection. The NIAMS, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the Center for Research on Genomics and Global Health also supported this study.

What Goosebumps Are For

Researchers, supported in part by the NIAMS, discovered that the feeling of goosebumps may be the result of muscle and nerve cells responding to cold and triggering new hair growth through stem cell activation.

Relieving Rosacea: Treating Face Redness

When redness on the face lasts for a long time, it could be a skin condition called rosacea (pronounced ro-ZAY-shah). Rosacea often starts as redness or flushing on the cheeks, nose, chin and forehead. Find out more about causes, symptoms, treatment, research and tips for living with rosacea.

What the Science Says: Arthritis and Complementary Health Approaches

From the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), learn what the science says about complementary health approaches to osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Funding Opportunities

NIH Loan Repayment Programs Accepting Applications September 1 to November 20

The NIH Loan Repayment Programs (LRPs) are a set of programs established by Congress and designed to recruit and retain highly qualified health professionals into biomedical or biobehavioral research careers. Extramural LRP applications are accepted annually from September 1 through November 20. All LRP applications must be submitted electronically using the NIH LRP website.

• Extramural Clinical Research Loan Repayment Program for Individuals From Disadvantaged Backgrounds (LRP-IDB)
  (NOT-OD-20-134)
• Extramural Loan Repayment Program for Contraception and Infertility Research (LRP-CIR)
  (NOT-OD-20-135)
• Extramural Loan Repayment Program for Pediatric Research (LRP-PR)
  (NOT-OD-20-136)
• Extramural Loan Repayment Program for Health Disparities Research (LRP-HDR)
  (NOT-OD-20-137)
• Extramural Loan Repayment Program for Clinical Researchers (LRP-CR)
  (NOT-OD-20-133)

.

Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx) Funding Opportunity Announcements

The NIH’s RADx is an initiative that aims to speed development, delivery and use of COVID-19 testing technologies. The NIH has issued four new Funding Opportunity Announcements for the RADx Underserved Populations program, seeking research applications specifically for expanding access to and acceptance of testing in underserved and/or vulnerable populations that have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. Some applications are due on September 9, 2020, depending on the announcement.

NIAMS Encourages Applications for the Regenerative Medicine Innovation Project (RMIP) Investigator-Initiated Clinical Trials (UG3/UH3 – Clinical Trial Required)

The NIAMS is a participating Institute in the NIH Request for Applications (RFA-HL-21-003) for highly meritorious clinical trial applications proposing to explore and enable the development of safe and effective regenerative medicine interventions using adult stem cells. The deadline for applications is October 2, 2020.

NIAMS Encourages Applications for the NIAMS Resource-based Centers Program (P30) for Research Areas Within its Mission in Rheumatic Research

The NIAMS has issued a Request for Applications (RFA-AR-21-002) for P30 Centers for critical research infrastructure, shared facilities, services and/or resources to groups of investigators conducting research on rheumatic diseases. The broad overall goal is to accelerate, enrich and enhance the effectiveness of ongoing basic, translational and clinical research and to promote new research on rheumatic diseases within the NIAMS mission. The deadline for applications is October 6, 2020.

Stay Updated About Funding Announcements

If you would like information about funding opportunities, please view the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, the primary source for information about NIH funding opportunities. You can also request a weekly Table of Contents from the NIH Guide. In addition, the NIAMS website provides comprehensive information on NIAMS-related grants and processes.

RESOURCE

Spotlight on Scientific Imagery: Live Pompe Muscle Fiber

This image shows a live Pompe disease muscle fiber expressing transgene GFP-LC3 transfected with human TFEB gene GFP-LC3 (green), LAMP1 (red). Pompe disease is a rare genetic disorder that results in profound muscle weakness. The disease is caused by mutations in the gene that instructs the body to make an enzyme called acid alpha-glucosidase (GAA).
 
Photo credit: NIAMS Intramural Research Program

EVENTS

September NIAMS Advisory Council Meeting (Virtual Meeting)

The next NIAMS Advisory Council Meeting will be held virtually on September 1, 2020. This meeting will only be available for viewing via the NIH videocasting service. See the meeting agenda.

NIH Science Lectures and Events Available via Internet

Inclusion Across the Lifespan-II (IAL-II)
September 2, 2020
Registration is required for virtual attendance.
 
NIH HEAL Myofascial Pain Workshop
September 16-17, 2020
Videocast only. Agenda available.
 
Anita B. Roberts Lecture Series, “Distinguished Women Scientists” at NIH
November 3, 2020, 12:30 p.m. Eastern Time
This lecture will feature Dr. Julie Segre, NHGRI, NIH.
Videocast only.


For additional online science seminars and events hosted by the NIH, view the NIH calendar, which notes videocast events with a video icon .