NIH EXPECTING GRANT APPLICATIONS IN JULY

July 23rd is the deadline for application to become one of just three NIH-funded Fragile X Research Centers in the United States. The entire fragile x community eagerly awaits these awards and the establishment of the new centers. The NIH structured this Request for Applications (RFA), issued January 3, 2002, so that it would elicit highly creative responses, including lots of collaboration among labs, pooling of resources, and a Òcenter without wallsÓ approach to the science. So that most of the limited funding can be spent on staff and materials, applicants will likely depend heavily on cost-effective approaches such as virtual meetings among collaborators and web-based data collection, sharing and analysis. With a limited number of awards available, we expect a mix of basic science and clinical research activity among the successful proposals. The NIH staff will have a very difficult job selecting from among what will surely be a very well qualified array of responses. Whatever the outcome, many people are working very hard on the applications and we appreciate their dedication and experience. The selection process is lengthy and the successful applicants will be announced sometime in February, 2003. Work should begin at the new centers in the spring of 2003. We will follow the award process with great interest and again congratulate and thank all the applicants.

THE NATIONAL FRAGILE X FOUNDATION SPONSORS THE 8TH INTERNATIONAL FRAGILE X CONFERENCE

The 8th International Fragile X Conference will be held in Chicago on July 17-21, 2002. The National Fragile X Foundation sponsors this conference every other year, to bring together the worldwide fragile X community of families and professionals. The Conference features presentations by many of the worldÕs leading experts on fragile X including researchers, clinicians, educators, psychologists and parents. This year, Conquer Fragile X Foundation will sponsor the presentations of two of its grantees, Dr. Michael Fry of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology and Dr. Giovanni Neri of the University Cattolica in Rome, Italy.

Fragile X parents and families are an integral part of the success of this conference. The sharing and interaction are immensely helpful and comforting to families. Randy Green, CFXF Parent Group Coordinator tells us, ÒThe similarities in our children are unbelievable. It helps us to know that others face some of the same issues that we have, and discussing coping strategies is extremely helpful for the present and for the future.Ó CFXF parent group members Jonathan and Kathleen Doring will be speaking at the conference on the subject of Frax-e and on the role athletics can play in the life of an affected youth.

The conference is structured and designed to provide plenty of opportunity for questions and answers by parents, interaction among researchers and clinicians, and a Fragile X education for everyone. This year, special activities will include a reception, luncheon, banquet with a silent and live auction. On July 20, CFXF will host a luncheon for our parents, families, Scientific Advisors, researchers and supporters that will attend the conference. If you plan to be at the conference, please let us know so we can include you in our luncheon plans. If you will not be there, our next newsletter will feature a report on what we expect will be a fabulous meeting. Look up the conference on the web at www.FragileX.org, and click on the conference icon.