David King - US grants

The proposed research will determine how neurological mutations can alter the morphology of individual identified neurons in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. Two classes of mutations will be investigated: (1) behavioral mutations affecting flight motor output, several of which are currently known to modify neuronal function in specific neural pathways of the thoracic ganglion; and (2) homeotic mutations of the bithorax gene complex, which are known to affect developmental regulation of segmentation in the thorax, including at least some aspects of neural organization. Identified neurons of the thoracic nervous system will be examined in the mutant flies to discover what cellular changes accompany the altered genome. The principal method for this study shall be light and electron microscopy of plastic embedded, serially sectioned specimens. This procedure is chosen to permit high resolution analysis while requiring only routine processing of the material. A detailed characterization of neurons in the thoracic nervous system of the wild-type fly shall provide the necessary background for the examination of neurological mutants. Using this approach, preliminary study of the giant fiber pathway in normal flies has already demonstrated that specific neurons and even specific synapses can be readily located and identified. Continued application of this approach has begun to yield not only further detailed description of normal neuronal anatomy but also recognition of specific mutant transformations of individual cells. The long term goal of this research is an understanding of the mechanisms by which the complex structure of the nervous system is programmed in an animal's genes and assembled through development. Such investigation into the genetic control of neuronal organization may eventually lead, through an understanding of the underlying causes, to a rational therapy for or prevention of genetic and congenital defects of the nervous system.

9322801 King This activity will partially support a summer undergraduate research group at NIST/Gaithersburg. To strengthen undergraduate AMO physics curricula, the program director will work with department chairs and directors of centers of excellence to identify two undergraduates from each institution who are prepared for, and would benefit from off-campus summer research in AMO physics. The selected 20 students will spend 12 weeks actively engaged, one-on-one with NIST staff physicists in projects combining quests for fundamental knowledge with direct applications to problems of national importance. Seeing how they can make a difference and learning about non-academic alternatives for research careers are side benefits. Student and advisor will be paired based on background and interests, to facilitate dialogue between the student, the student's physics professors and NIST advisor about the intended project - ensuring the student arrives at NIST ready to contribute, and preparing the student's professors for follow-up in the fall. The students will collectively live in a nearby furnished apartment complex and participate in the many NIST seminars and in a weekly SURFing the Physics Lab Summer Seminar Series. The students will all present their research in a seminar at NIST and be encouraged to participate in a scientific conference during the following year. Costs for this program will be shared by NIST, NSF and the participating schools. Given the significant lack of diversity in the present physics work force, this partnership will aggressively seek out competitive students from underrepresented group s and with disabilities. *** ! ! B 3 Times New Roman Symbol & Arial 1 Courier r r 0 0 r " h G ' C R:\WW20USER\ABSTRACT.DOT Denise Henry Denise Henry

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The Metro-Minnesota Community Clinical Oncology (MMCCOP) program has a long-standing history which clearly demonstrates the success of the consortium, as demonstrated by both the ongoing commitment of the original consortium members and the growth of the consortium from 1979 through 2014. The MMCCOP consortium represents an established community program base which began in 1979 through its NCI-funded Community Hospital Cancer Program (CHCP) Award. This same consortium applied for and received the initial Community Clinical Oncology Program (CCOP) grant from the NCI in 1983, and has received subsequent CCOP grants since that time. In 2010, hospital, clinics and oncologists in the MN CGOP program joined the MMCOP resulting in a metrowide community cancer research program. Currently, the MMCCOP consortium represents twenty-one hospital and clinics throughout the metropolitan and greater Minnesota area, with a common approach and established mechanisms for identifying, enrolling and following participants on NC-sponsored treatment, cancer prevention, cancer control and symptom management protocols. The health market in the MMCCCP community remains extremely competitive and is in constant change as a result of mergers and Minnesota's healthcare reform initiatives. Despite this changing environment, the MMCCOP hospitals and associated staff continue to collaborate and support the added time and expense involved in clinical research trials. Their level of support has increased during a time when many other projects within the hospitals are being reduced or eliminated. This program incorporates a substantial segment of the oncology community, and has provided a basis for communications between the practicing oncologists, their hospital administrations, and other health professionals in this consortium for the past thiry years. Combined, the consortium members see an average of over 15,000 new analytic cancer patients per year. Currently, there are 146 Investigators, representing medical, hematology, radiation and surgical oncology including thoracic surgery and gynecologic oncology. The history of MMCCOP Research Base Affiliations and proactive approach to expanding access to NCI sponsored studies supports the ability to achieve and maintain the NCI goals for this NCORP initiative. MMCCOP intends to sustain a region wide community consortium which provides the community with the most recent advances in cancer prevention, treatment, symptom management and care delivery. This will be accomplished through continued affiliations with ALL1ANCE,CTSU, ECOG-ACRIN, NRG, MD Anderson, URCC and CCCWFU, the expansion of the current MMCCOP data management and communication system to increase the number and level of participation of the investigators in accrual, program operations and research base activities, implementation of new strategies to improve access and participation of underrepresented and underserved groups, and increase the professional and lay community awareness of the benefits of cancer research and collaboration with the MMCCOP to achieve the goals of the NCORP. A new focus will be to further develop and utilize expertise and data within the consortium and community to provide data and conduct cancer care delivery research. All member institutions are members of the Institutional Review Board for the Community Oncology Programs, administered by Park Nicollet Institute, which provides an efficient and timely review of studies. Over the past 5 years an average of 250 patients and 400 patients were accrued to NCI-approved treatment studies and cancer control studies respectively. Additionally, there are 1666 participants in active follow-up or surveillanc. MMCCCOP has demonstrated the ability to enter an increasing number of patients on protocol each year and proposes to accrue a total of 260 credits to Treatment studies and 400 to Cancer Control and Cancer Care Delivery research studies in the first year of this award with the goal of increasing cancer care delivery research enrollments over the next 5 year. This is a well tuned research consortium with the ability to be fully operational on day one of the award.

Project Summary The Metro-Minnesota Community Oncology Research Consortium (MMCORC), formerly known as the Metro- Minnesota Community Clinical Oncology Program (MMCCOP), has a long history of success, as demonstrated by the ongoing commitment of is original members and the consortium's growth from 1979 to 2018. Today, MMCORC is an established community program that began through its National Cancer Institute (NCI)-funded Community Hospital Cancer Program Award. This program improved cancer care delivery in the community and was the cornerstone for the Community Clinical Oncology Program (CCOP) initiative. It received the initial NCI CCOP grant in 1983 and has been awarded subsequent CCOP grants in 3- to 5-year increments until the 5-year NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) grant in 2014. In 2010, hospitals, clinics, and oncologists in the MN Community Group Outreach Program joined MMCCOP, resulting in a metro-wide community cancer research program in Minneapolis-St. Paul. In 2014, MMCCOP received funding under the new NCORP grant program. In 2016, MMCCOP was renamed MMCORC to represent the disbanding of the NCI CCOP grant program and show the broad scope of oncology research services available to the community, consistent with a consortium model. MMCORC represents 25 hospital and clinics with a common approach and established mechanisms for identifying, enrolling, and following participants on NCI- sponsored treatment, cancer prevention and control, symptom management, and care delivery research protocols. The state health market remains extremely competitive and is constantly changing due to mergers and healthcare reform initiatives. Despite this environment, MMCORC hospitals and staff continue to collaborate and support the added time and expense of offering clinical research trials to patients in the communities we serve. The consortium incorporates a substantial segment of the oncology community and has provided a basis for communication, partnership, and collaboration among practicing oncologists, their hospital administrators, and other health professionals for 35 years. Combined, the consortium members see, on average, more than 17,170 new analytic cancer patients per year. In the consortium, 165 MD investigators represent medical oncology, hematology, and radiation and surgical oncology, including thoracic surgery, gynecologic oncology, radiology, neuro-oncology, obstetrics and gynecology, palliative care, and primary care, with 57 mid-level clinicians (nurse practitioners and physician assistants) considered associate investigators. MMCORC intends to continue to offer the community the most recent advances in cancer prevention, treatment, symptom management, and care delivery through continued affiliations with NCORP research bases such as Alliance, ECOG-ACRIN, NRG Oncology, SWOG via CTSU, URCC, and CCCWFU. By implementing proactive strategies to improve access and encourage participation from underrepresented and underserved groups, MMCORC is well positioned to achieve the goals of the NCORP set forth by the NCI.

This project addresses the grand challenge of sustainability of food systems, a complex issue that requires deep integration of scientific and engineering disciplines as well as participation by all stakeholders. This project brings together conservation biologists, ecologists, agronomists, farmers, indigenous peoples, economists, social scientists, land managers, and engineers to co-design and implement a framework for testing approaches to sustainable agricultural production. The research team will use this to study the impact in a model system, coffee production, of integrating technological innovations, such as US-built, industrial renewable-energy dryers and clean wet mills that recycle coffee pulp and reduce water pollution, with environmentally-friendly economic development where farmers are compensated for preserving forest on their lands through carbon offset credits, and community-led training and outreach and microcredit programs intended to increase both the participation of women and production. Such a system has the potential to conserve forest critical to reducing carbon emissions, support biodiversity, including migratory birds, and enhance the stability of economic and social conditions.

The goal of the project is to develop a framework for convergence research targeting the development of sustainable food systems using the tools of Socio-Ecological Systems, extended to a Multiscale Ecosystem Framework. The research team will construct a multi-scale empirical socio-ecological model of the food production system, identifying the structural elements at all relevant scales, the inter- and intra-scale interactions among those elements, and ecosystem and social services at multiple scales. This model will allow quantification of sustainability metrics under different scenarios. It will be used to identify tradeoffs, synergies and critical points among sustainability indicators and to perform scenario analyses of the impacts of critical exogeneous drivers, including market fluctuations and climate change, on the elements of the system. This project is jointly funded by the Growing Convergence Research Program and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.