Find Funding Opportunities

Companion to R01 (RFA-MH-21-225). The shock and kill strategy is one of the commonly used approaches for targeting latent reservoirs in hopes to cure HIV-1. It is based on the concept of purposely inducing reactivation of latent reservoirs in ART (antiretroviral therapy)-treated individuals by using stimulatory agents. However, it has become increasingly evident that attempts at elimination of HIV-1 reservoirs through latency reactivating agents (LRA) -mediated reactivation alone may not be sufficient. Novel strategies such as immunotherapy and gene excision therapies to optimize the recognition and elimination of reservoir cells such are being conceptualized and researched. Immunotherapy strategies like therapeutic vaccines to enhance HIV-1-specific CTL (cytotoxic T-cell) response, Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cells (CAR-T cells) therapies, broadly neutralizing antibodies, dual-affinity retargeting antibodies that not only bind to HIV-1 viral envelope antigen but also activate the CTL response, and immune modulators, such as anti-PD1 (programmed cell death protein-1) or anti-CTL4 antibodies, to correct the immune exhaustion noticed in ART-treated individuals are being developed. In addition to immunotherapy strategies, Recombinant TALEN or CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing molecules delivered to latently infected cells designed to induce cleavage at highly conserved regions of the integrated HIV provirus genome are being researched. However, majority of immunotherapy-based and gene editing based HIV eradication strategies are focused on the periphery. The brain presents a unique challenge where access is difficult and innovative strategies are needed to overcome the blood brain barrier. It is also important to understand the potential CNS toxicity of immunotherapy-based and gene-editing based approaches currently being tested in clinical trials.

This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) encourages applications for the Chronic, Non-Communicable Diseases and Disorders Across the Lifespan: Fogarty International Research Training Award (NCD-LIFESPAN) D43 program for institutional research training programs in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs, as defined by the World Bank classification system). Applications may be for collaborations between institutions in the U.S and an eligible LMIC or may involve just LMIC institutions if there is a previous track record of externally funded research and/or research training programs by the lead LMIC institution. The proposed institutional research training program is expected to sustainably strengthen the NCD research capacity of the LMIC institutions, and to train in-country experts to develop and conduct research on NCDs across the lifespan, with the long-range goal of developing and implementing evidence-based interventions relevant to their countries. The main focus of research training covered in the application must be relevant to the interests of at least one of the participating NIH ICs as stated by each in this FOA. Other NCD topics may be included as secondary and complementary focus areas. This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) allows support of trainees as the lead investigator of an independent clinical trial; or a separate ancillary study to an existing trial; or to gain research experience in a clinical trial led by another investigator, as part of their research and career development.

The purpose of this program is to provide opportunities for up to six consortia to develop and support global health research training programs that meet the following objectives: (1) provide mentored research training for pre-doctoral and pre-professional degree students and post-doctoral and recent post-professional degree students (trainees) from the U.S. and low- and middle- income countries (LMICs) in global health research at established biomedical and health research institutions and project sites in LMICs, particularly those supported by the NIH; (2) provide training opportunities within broad areas of research relevant to the health priorities of collaborating LMICs and aligned with the scientific priorities across the NIH Institutes and Centers; (3) provide a solid scientific research foundation needed for trainees to rigorously develop and conduct research and effectively communicate research findings with increasing independence, with the goal of enhancing the global health research career potential of the trainees; (4) enhance the participation of individuals from nationally underrepresented backgrounds in biomedical research; and (5) strengthen global health programs at U.S. academic institutions, including minority-serving institutions (MSIs), and help to sustain health research at institutions in LMICs.

The purpose of this Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) for Undergraduate-Focused Institutions is to support small scale research grants at institutions that do not receive substantial funding from the NIH, with an emphasis on providing biomedical research experiences primarily for undergraduate students, and enhancing the research environment at these applicant institutions. Eligible institutions must award baccalaureate science degrees, and have received less than 6 million dollars per year of NIH support (total costs) in 4 of the last 7 fiscal years.

The purpose of this Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) for Undergraduate-Focused Institutions is to support small scale research grants at institutions that do not receive substantial funding from the NIH, with an emphasis on providing biomedical research experiences primarily for undergraduate students, and enhancing the research environment at these applicant institutions. Eligible institutions must award baccalaureate science degrees, and have received less than 6 million dollars per year of NIH support (total costs) in 4 of the last 7 fiscal years.

The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to encourage grant applications for investigator-initiated efficacy clinical trials to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). The trials must address questions within the mission and research interests of the NINDS and may evaluate drugs, biologics, and devices, as well as surgical, behavioral and rehabilitation therapies. Information about the mission and research interests of the NINDS can be found at the NINDS website (http://www.ninds.nih.gov/)

The Joint NINDS/NIMH Exploratory Neuroscience Research Grant program supports exploratory and innovative research projects, which fall within the missions of the NINDS and NIMH. Awards will provide support for the early and conceptual stages of projects. These studies often assess the feasibility of a novel avenue of investigation and involve considerable risk, but have the potential to bring about breakthroughs in the understanding of important areas of neuroscience, or to the development of novel techniques, agents, methodologies, or models, of high value to the neuroscience community. While this funding opportunity also accepts clinical trials, only applications proposing mechanistic clinical trials or studies or basic experimental studies with humans (BESH) will be considered for funding. For information on the types of clinical trial that are within scope of this funding opportunity announcement, refer to Funding Opportunity Description, below.

The NIH Research Education Program (R25) supports research education activities in the mission areas of the NIH. The over-arching goal of this R25 program is to support educational activities that foster a better understanding of biomedical, behavioral and clinical research and its implications. To accomplish the stated over-arching goal, this FOA will support creative educational activities with a primary focus on research experiences for high school or undergraduate students or science teachers during the summer academic break. The proposed program needs to fit within the mission of the participating IC that the application is being submitted to and should not have a general STEM focus (see below and Table of IC-Specific Information and Points of Contact).

The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to encourage investigators to pursue translational activities and small clinical studies to advance the development of therapeutic, and diagnostic devices for disorders that affect the nervous or neuromuscular systems. Activities supported in this program include implementation of clinical prototype devices, non-clinical safety and efficacy testing, design verification and validation activities, obtaining an Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) for a Significant Risk (SR) study, as well as a subsequent small clinical study. The clinical study is expected to provide information about the device function or final design that cannot be practically obtained through additional non-clinical assessments (e.g., bench top or animal studies) due to the novelty of the device or its intended use. This FOA is a milestone-driven cooperative agreement program and will involve participation of NIH program staff in negotiating the final project plan before award and monitoring of research progress.

The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to encourage investigators to pursue a small clinical trial to obtain critical information necessary to advance recording and/or stimulating devices to treat central nervous system disorders and better understand the human brain (e.g., Early Feasibility Study). Clinical studies supported may consist of acute or short-term procedures that are deemed Non-Significant Risk (NSR) by an Institutional Review Board (IRB), or Significant Risk (SR) studies that require an Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) from the FDA, such as chronic implants. The clinical trial should provide data to answer key questions about the function or final design of a device. This final device design may require most, if not all, of the non-clinical testing on the path to more advanced clinical trials and market approval. The clinical trial is expected to provide information that cannot be practically obtained through additional non-clinical assessments (e.g., bench top or animal studies) due to the novelty of the device or its intended use. Activities supported by this Funding Opportunity include a small clinical trial to answer key questions about the function or final design of a device. As part of the BRAIN Initiative, NIH has initiated a Public-Private Partnership Program (BRAIN PPP) that includes agreements (Memoranda of Understanding, MOU) with a number of device manufacturers willing to make such devices available, including devices and capabilities not yet market approved but appropriate for clinical research. In general it is expected that the devices' existing safety and utility data will be sufficient to enable new IRB NSR or FDA IDE approval without need for significant additional non-clinical data. For more information on the BRAIN PPP, see http://braininitiative.nih.gov/BRAIN_PPP/index.htm