NINDS Neuroscience Funding Announcements

Optimization of Small Molecule Probes for the Nervous System

Funding Contact(s): Rebecca  Farkas, Ph.D.
Funding Categories: Small Business, Translational Research

Brief Description:
This FOA issued by participating institutes of the National Institutes of Health, encourages research grant applications from institutions/ organizations that propose to develop new small molecule probes for investigating biological function in the nervous system via the application of advanced medicinal chemistry and the biological testing of compounds. Eligible investigators will have identified probe candidates via screening of small molecule collections, using in vitro assays of biological activity developed to interrogate these collections, and be able to show that the structural features of these small molecules are related to their biological activity. Proposals should nominate small molecule probe candidates from distinct structural series for the further, iterative design and testing of analogues in structure-activity relationship studies, using in vitro assays of biological function adapted to the medium throughput screening requirements of this work. These studies should have the goal of developing a small molecule probe possessing the attributes (eg: affinity, selectivity, activity) required for its use in future pharmacological studies proposed by the investigator. Applicants are strongly encouraged to utilize publicly available cheminformatic capabilities for the acquisition of compounds, and semi-custom synthesis of analogues.

Grant Mechanism: R21
NIH Guide: PAR-09-251
Release Date: 2009-08-13
Expiration Date: 2012-09-08