A suite of early-stage therapy development funding programs called Innovation Grants to Nurture Initial Translational Efforts (IGNITE) is meant to serve as a feeder program to later-stage therapy development programs such as the Blueprint Neurotherapeutics Network for Small Molecules (BPN) and the Blueprint Neurotherapeutics Network for Biologics (BPN-Biologics).
IGNITE program applications will be reviewed within the NINDS Scientific Review Branch and not at the Center for Scientific Review (CSR).
Upcoming receipt dates for IGNITE Funding Opportunities are October 20, 2023 and February 20, 2024.
Application Support Library-IGNITE Example: Milestones
Comparison of IGNITE Programs
Use this chart to help you decide which program better suits your needs.
| Grant Program | Entry Criteria | End Goal |
|---|---|---|
|
PAR-21-124: Assay Development and Neurotherapeutic Agent Identification (R61/R33 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) |
Novelty Strong biological rationale and premise Relevance for therapy development Available test agent(s) or library |
Testing funnel to triage candidates, a battery of assays and starting agents that are suitable for BPN and BPN-Biologics |
|
PAR-21-123: Development and Validation of Model Systems to Facilitate Neurotherapeutic Discovery (R61/R33 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) |
Translational rationale for the proposed model system or ex vivo system and evidence of value for future drug discovery/development |
Translationally relevant animal models, ex vivo systems, testing paradigms, and endpoints |
|
PAR-21-122: Neurotherapeutic Agent Characterization and In vivo Efficacy Studies (R61/R33 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) |
Novelty- significant improvement over existing therapies Biological Rationale Relevance for therapy development |
Well-characterized early-stage agents that are suitable for BPN and BPN-Biologics |
Common to all three funding opportunities:
Timeline: 3 years total for both the R61 and R33 phases, with no more than 2 years in either phase.
Budget: Total direct costs may not exceed $750,000 for the entire 3-year project period, with no more than $499,000 in direct costs in any single year.
Resources and Tools
Contacts
Rebecca Roof, PhD | Program Director
rebecca.roof@nih.gov
Shardell Spriggs, PhD | Program Director
Shardell.spriggs@nih.gov
Christopher Conrad, PhD | Program Manager
christopher.conrad2@nih.gov
Shruthi Thomas | Health Program Specialist
shruthi.thomas@nih.gov
Ashley Givens | Operations Coordinator
ashley.givens2@nih.gov
Funding Opportunities
IGNITE Notices and Other Funding Announcements
Early-Stage Therapy Development for ADRD
Development and Validation of Animal Models for ADRD
News & Events
OPEN Stage: IGNITE Program Funding Opportunity Webinar and Q&A - Register Now!
August 31, 2023
NINDS AD/ADRD Programs Overview and Current Funding Opportunities that Focus on Drug Development Webinar | View slides(pdf, 2319 KB)
September 14, 2022
OPEN Stage: IGNITE Program Funding Opportunity Webinar and Q&A
April 27, 2022
NINDS Innovation Grants to Nurture Initial Translational Efforts (IGNITE) Program at NIH: Q&A Webinar
April 13, 2021
Assay Guidance Workshop for High-Throughput Screening and Lead Discovery
November 18 - 19, 2020
IGNITE Webinar Slides(pdf, 460 KB)
December 2018
Related Topics
IGNITE Definitions for Key Terms
Current IGNITE Funded Projects
List of all current (active) IGNITE supported projects available in the NIH RePORTER database, with associated publications.