by Louis V. DePaolo, Ph.D.
Chief, Reproductive Science Branch

Additional Increase to NIH for FY 2007
The President recently signed the Joint Funding Resolution Bill which adds an additional $620 million to the Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 NIH budget appropriations. As a result, the NICHD will fund more grants in FY 2007, with a particular emphasis placed on funding new investigators. 

New SCCPIR Centers to be Funded April 1st
Congratulations go out to the institutions set to receive funds to support a Specialized Cooperative Centers Program in Reproduction and Infertility Research (SCCPIR). The institutions and principal investigators are (* denotes renewal center): 

• University of North Carolina (Frank French)*
• University of Illinois at Chicago (Asgerally Fazleabas)*
• University of California, San Francisco (Linda Giudice)
• Yale University (Hugh Taylor)
• Johns Hopkins University (Barry Zirkin)

New Funding Opportunity for Fragile X and Ovarian Function
The RSB recently issued a Funding Opportunity Announcement in the form of a Program Announcement (PA) [not to be confused with a Request for Applications (RFA) which has set-aside funds]. This PA seeks applications that propose basic, clinical or translational research on the effects of the Fragile X pre-mutation on ovarian function, with a focus on premature ovarian failure or early menopause, in women and/or animal models. There are
separate PAs for the R01 mechanism (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-07-219.html) and the R03 mechanism (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-07-220.html). Remember, applications in response to these PAs are to be submitted electronically!