Fellowships Grants and Awards

Abstract

Dissertation Research Grants for Underrepresented Minorities in the Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications (ELSI) of Genetics Research This PA is meant to stimulate and encourage underrepresented minority doctoral candidates from a variety of academic disciplines and programs to conduct research related to the ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) of genetics, genomics, and gene-environment interaction research. It is hoped that this program will facilitate the entry of promising new minority investigators into the field of ELSI research. The usual mechanisms used for the support of doctoral dissertation research have not attracted significant numbers of underrepresented minority students to the field of ELSI research. The intent of these dissertation research grants is to attract larger numbers of underrepresented minority students as ELSI investigators and to assist in providing a positive and constructive research experience that will stimulate them to pursue research careers in this field. Applications may be made for support of research in any area relevant to the ethical, legal, or social implications of genetic and genomic research. Proposed projects can range from large clinical studies of the impact of genetic information and technologies in health care settings to smaller analytical studies of how this information affects individuals or how communities view themselves or are viewed by others. General areas of programmatic interest are set out on the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) Division of Extramural Research Web site at http://www.nhgri.nih.gov:80/ About_NHGRI/Der/Elsi/. The following five specific research goals have been developed for the NHGRI ELSI program through the year 2003 (a list of examples of research questions associated with each of these goals is available online at http://www.nhgri.nih. gov:80/98plan/elsi/): 1) examine the issues surrounding the completion of the human DNA sequence and the study of human genetic variation; 2) examine issues raised by the integration of genetic technologies and information into health care and public health activities; 3) examine issues raised by the integration of knowledge about genomics and gene-environment interactions into nonclinical settings; 4) explore ways in which new genetic knowledge may interact with a variety of philosophical, theological, and ethical perspectives; and 5) explore how the social environment, including socioeconomic factors, age, gender, and concepts of race and ethnicity, influences the use, understanding, and interpretation of genetic information, the utilization of genetic services, and the development of policy. Each of the sponsoring institutes has a particular interest in ELSI research relevant to its own mission. The NIEHS is particularly interested in understanding the impact of environmental exposures on human health and disease. The NIEHS expanded its research program on genetic susceptibility to environmentally associated diseases through the Environmental Genome Project. Understanding ...