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The NIH Exploratory/Developmental Grant supports exploratory and developmental research projects by providing support for the early and conceptual stages of these projects. These studies may involve considerable risk but may lead to a breakthrough in a particular area, or to the development of novel techniques, agents, methodologies, models, or applications that could have a major impact on a field of biomedical, behavioral, or clinical research. The purpose of this funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is to support developmental/exploratory studies of the impact of opioids, alone or in combination with other substances of misuse, on placenta function and neurodevelopment during pregnancy and in the first year of life. Clinical Trials are not permitted for this FOA; researchers proposing Basic Experimental Studies with Humans (BESH) should consider the companion FOA, RFA-HD-23-033, HEAL Initiative: Opioid Exposure and Effects on Placenta Function, Brain Development, and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes (R21 Basic Experimental Studies with Humans Required).

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) invites grant applications to study the impact of opioids, alone or in combination with other substances of misuse, on placenta function and neurodevelopment during pregnancy and in the first year of life using experimental designs that prospectively assign human participants to conditions (i.e., experimentally manipulate independent variables) and that assess biomedical and/or behavioral outcomes in humans to understand fundamental aspects of phenomena related to opioid exposure during pregnancy. NIH considers such studies as Basic Experimental Studies with Humans (BESH), or prospective basic science studies involving human participants that meet the NIH definition of basic research and fall within the NIH definition of clinical trials (see, e.g., NOT-OD-19-024). Applications should not propose a goal of clinical outcomes or products. Applications that propose studies including model animal research or observational studies involving humans should submit under the companion FOA, RFA-HD-23-030, "Opioid Exposure and Effects on Placenta Function, Brain Development, and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes (R01 Clinical Trials Not Allowed).

The NIH Exploratory/Developmental Grant supports exploratory and developmental research projects by providing support for the early and conceptual stages of these projects. These studies may involve considerable risk but may lead to a breakthrough in a particular area, or to the development of novel techniques, agents, methodologies, models, or applications that could have a major impact on a field of biomedical, behavioral, or clinical research. This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) invites Exploratory/Developmental Grant applications to study the impact of opioids, alone or in combination with other substances of misuse, on placenta function and neurodevelopment during pregnancy and in the first year of life using experimental designs that prospectively assign human participants to conditions (i.e., experimentally manipulate independent variables) and that assess biomedical and/or behavioral outcomes in humans to understand fundamental aspects of phenomena related to opioid exposure during pregnancy. NIH considers such studies as Basic Experimental Studies with Humans (BESH), or prospective basic science studies involving human participants that meet the NIH definition of basic research and fall within the NIH definition of clinical trials (see, e.g., NOT-OD-19-024). Applications should not propose a goal of clinical outcomes or products. Applications that propose studies including model animal research or observational studies involving humans should submit under the companion FOA, RFA-HD-23-031,"Opioid Exposure and Effects on Placenta Function, Brain Development, and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes (R21 Clinical Trials Not Allowed).

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) invites applications for basic research projects on chemical warfare agents, toxic industrial chemicals, and pesticides that have primary or secondary effects on the nervous system. Chemical threats are toxic compounds that could be used in a terrorist attack or accidentally released from industrial production, storage, or shipping. Projects supported by this FOA are expected to generate data that elucidate mechanisms of toxicity of these agents, possible new manifestations of toxic exposures, and potential new targets for therapeutic development.

This initiative is designed to promote discovery of cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie brain blood vessels responses to passive anti-beta-amyloid immunotherapy that result in amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA). The goal is to establish an understanding of molecular mechanisms that can be targeted to protect the blood brain barrier (BBB), and thus the brain blood vessels, during therapeutic interventions that target beta-amyloid.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) supports the optimization of promising genome editing-based therapeutic leads for Alzheimer's Disease and Alzheimer's Disease-Related Dementias (AD/ADRD), towards IND-enabling studies. Specifically, it supports the characterization and optimization of therapeutic lead(s) that show promise as potential genome editing therapeutics, as evidenced by convincing proof-of-concept studies in appropriate models. At the end of the funding period, successful projects will have optimized a genome editing therapeutic candidate with demonstrated bioactivity, manufacturability, biodistribution, in vivo efficacy, and/or target engagement (measurement of proximal downstream effects) and optimal dosing, combined with other properties consistent with the desired clinical application. This FOA is not specific for any one or group within the AD/ADRD spectrum of disorders. Disorders, and includes genome editing therapies for: Frontotemporal dementia (FTD), Lewy body dementias (LBD) (including Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), Parkinson Disease Dementia (PDD)), Vascular contributions to Cognitive Impairment and Dementia (VCID), Alzheimers Disease (AD) and Multiples Etiology Dementias (MED).

The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to develop clinical-grade prototypes intended for use as safe, effective, and non-addictive device-based technologies and approaches to treat pain. The goal of the program is to demonstrate treatment using credible neural targets for device-based interventions and/or diagnostics for pain, building upon the latest mechanistic knowledge about the anatomy and physiology of central, spinal, and peripheral pathways involved in pain. Awarded activities will facilitate the translation of new devices up to the stage of readiness for first in human (FIH) clinical trials by overcoming key challenges identified during preliminary proof-of-concept studies. The scope of the program includes technology development and optimization, and studies to prepare for approvals for human use.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement invites applications from established investigators who strive to expand their research trajectories through the acquisition of new knowledge and skills in the areas of traumatic brain injury (TBI) as a risk factor for Alzheimer's Disease and Alzheimer's Disease Related Dementias (AD/ADRD). This funding opportunity encourages applications for short-term (2 yrs.) mentored career enhancement awards to further understand TBI as a risk factor for AD/ADRD. Two categories of candidates are targeted: (a) established TBI investigators who seek training with senior dementia researchers, and (b) established dementia researchers who seek training with senior TBI investigators.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) invites applications to participate as a Research Center as part of the Maternal Health Research Centers of Excellence initiative. The purpose of this initiative is to generate innovative approaches to address preventable maternal mortality, decrease severe maternal morbidity, and promote maternal health equity in partnership with communities that are most affected (i.e., Blacks/African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, American Indians/Alaska Natives, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders, sexual and gender minorities, socioeconomically disadvantaged populations, and underserved rural populations). This initiative will use an integrated multi-level approach encompassing social and biobehavioral research strategies to address the multiple contributing factors that lead to adverse maternal health outcomes and health disparities. Significant contributing factors include comorbid conditions (e.g., hypertension, diabetes, mental illness, and substance use disorders) and social determinants of health, which include structural racism and health care system factors. The goal of this initiative is for trans-disciplinary researchers to conduct multi-layered novel research approaches that will have the potential to drastically reduce pregnancy-related and pregnancy-associated maternal deaths and decrease severe maternal morbidity. Studies may be interventional (including effectiveness, comparative effectiveness, optimization, or dissemination and implementation studies), or observational (including health services studies, natural experiments, policy analyses) and may assess both short-term and long-term maternal health outcomes. The Research Centers will be uniquely poised to collaborate on studies and projects with other networks and initiatives such as the NICHD Neonatal Research Network and the NICHD Maternal and Pediatric Precision in Therapeutics (MPRINT) initiative.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) seeks applications for the Data Innovation and Coordinating Hub/Resource Center (hereafter referred to as the Innovation and Data Hub) for the Maternal Health Research Centers of Excellence initiative. This FOA runs in parallel with companion FOAs that seek applications for Research Centers of Excellence (RFA-HD-23-NNN) and an Implementation Science Hub/Resource Center (RFA-HD-23-NNN). It is expected that the Innovation and Data Hub will provide 1) a coordination infrastructure to foster communication and collaboration for participating Research Centers and the Implementation Science Hub under the Maternal Health Centers of Excellence initiative, 2) a centralized resource to support data collection, facilitate curation, and ensure high-quality data, and 3) provide cutting edge biomedical research informatics and data science expertise to maximize data comparability and facilitate data harmonization. The Innovation and Data Hub itself will not generate new experimental data, but rather will serve as a resource, analytical platform, and portal for available analytical and data tools.