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The NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research is a collaborative framework through which 14 NIH Institutes, Centers and Offices jointly support neuroscience-related research, with the aim of accelerating discoveries and reducing the burden of nervous system disorders. This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) will solicit research projects focused on the development of new technology and tools, or novel mechanistic studies, or a combination of mechanistic and technology development studies specific to central nervous system (CNS, which includes retina) small blood and lymphatic vessels in health and disease, across the life span. The program aims at facilitating the development of tools and technology to image, profile and map CNS small blood and lymphatic vessels. Additional goals are to elucidate the mechanisms underlying CNS small blood and lymphatic vessels structural and functional heterogeneity, differential susceptibility to injury, role in disease and repair processes, and their responses to therapies. Preclinical studies using in vitro and/or animal models specific to CNS small blood and lymphatic vessels alone or in combination with pilot human studies are appropriate for this FOA.

The NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research is a collaborative framework through which 14 NIH Institutes, Centers and Offices jointly support neuroscience-related research, with the aim of accelerating discoveries and reducing the burden of nervous system disorders. This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) will solicit research projects to facilitate the development and translation of tools and technology for non-invasive imaging and profiling of human central nervous system (CNS, including retina) small blood and lymphatic vessels; to investigate their role in CNS physiology, disease, repair processes, and responses to therapy using novel approaches. Applications can be focused on the development of new technology and tools, novel target or biomarker identification and validation studies, or a combination of mechanistic and technology development studies specific to human CNS small blood and lymphatic vessels in health and disease, across the life span.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) encourages Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) applications from small business concerns (SBCs) that seek additional funding to support clinical trials for projects that were previously funded by NIH SBIR and STTR Phase II awards. The projects must focus on products related to the mission and goals of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and may evaluate drugs, biologics, devices, or diagnostics, as well as surgical, behavioral or rehabilitation therapies. Since conducting the clinical trials needed for commercialization may be capital-intensive, the FOA aims to facilitate the transition of SBIR Phase II projects to the commercialization stage by promoting partnerships between NIHs SBIR/STTR awardees and third-party investors and/or strategic partners. Consistent with the goals of this funding initiative and as required by the SF424 instructions for all SBIR Phase II applications, applicants must submit a Commercialization Plan, which should include details on any independent third-party investor funding that has already been secured or is anticipated during the project period. It is expected that the level of this independent third-party funding will equal or exceed the NINDS funds being requested throughout the SBIR Phase IIB project period.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) encourages Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) applications from small business concerns (SBCs) that seek additional funding to support the next stage of development for projects requiring approval from a Federal regulatory agency or for those projects developing complex research tools. The FOA aims to facilitate the transition of previously funded SBIR and STTR Phase II projects to the commercialization stage by promoting partnerships between NIHs SBIR/STTR awardees and third-party investors and/or strategic partners. Consistent with the goals of this funding initiative and as required by the SF424 instructions for all SBIR Phase II applications, applicants must submit a Commercialization Plan, which should include details on any independent third-party investor funding that has already been secured or is anticipated during the project period. It is expected that the level of this independent third-party funding will equal or exceed the NINDS funds being requested throughout the SBIR Phase IIB project period.

The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to encourage cooperative agreement (U54) applications from multidisciplinary groups of investigators to accelerate the rate of progress in determining the functional, pharmacological, neuronal network and whole animal consequences of genetic variants discovered in patients with various types of epilepsy and to develop strategies for establishing diagnostic criteria and identifying potential targets for intervention.

The purpose of this Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative is to encourage applications that will develop and validate tools and resources to facilitate the detailed analysis of brain microconnectivity. Novel and augmented techniques are sought that will ultimately be broadly accessible to the neuroscience community for the interrogation of microconnectivity in healthy and diseased brains of model organisms and humans. Development of technologies that will significantly drive down the cost of connectomics would enable routine mapping of the microconnectivity on the same individuals that have been analyzed physiologically, or to compare normal and pathological tissues in substantial numbers of multiple individuals to assess variability. Advancements in both electron microscopy (EM) and super resolution light microscopic approaches are sought. Applications that propose to develop approaches that break through existing technical barriers to substantially improve current capabilities are highly encouraged. Proof-of-principle demonstrations and/or reference datasets enabling future development are welcome, as are improved approaches for automated segmentation and analysis strategies of neuronal structures in EM images.

This funding opportunity announcement (FOA), in support of the NIH Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative, is one of several FOAs aimed at supporting transformative discoveries that will lead to breakthroughs in understanding human brain function. Guided by the long-term scientific plan, BRAIN 2025: A Scientific Vision, this FOA specifically seeks to support efforts addressing core ethical issues associated with research focused on the human brain and resulting from emerging technologies and advancements supported by the BRAIN Initiative. The hope is that efforts supported under this FOA might be both complementary and integrative with the transformative, breakthrough neuroscience discoveries supported through the BRAIN Initiative.

December 7, 2017, by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization. All types of non-AIDS applications allowed for this funding opportunity announcement are due on December 7, 2017 No late applications will be accepted for this Funding Opportunity Announcement. Applicants are encouraged to apply early to allow adequate time to make any corrections to errors found in the application during the submission process by the due date.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) supports the optimization of potential therapeutic Biotechnology Products and Biologics (e.g., peptides, proteins, oligonucleotides, gene and cell therapies) for disorders identified under the NINDS mission. This track supports the further characterization and optimization of therapeutic lead(s) that showed promise as a potential therapeutic agent as evidenced by convincing animal proof-of-concept studies. Therefore, at the end of this funding period, successful projects will have delivered and optimized therapeutic candidate with demonstrated bioactivity, stability, manufacturability, bioavailability, in vivo efficacy and should be eligible for entry into the CREATE Bio Development track. The CREATE Bio Development track is a later stage program focused on the development of optimized therapeutic candidates through Investigational New Drug (IND)-enabling studies and submission of an IND package to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) supports SBIRs in the optimization of potential therapeutic Biotechnology Products and Biologics (e.g., peptides, proteins, oligonucleotides, gene therapies, cell therapies, and novel emerging modalities) for disorders identified under the NINDS mission. This track supports the further characterization and optimization of therapeutic agent(s) that showed promise as evidenced by relevant, rigorous, convincing in vivo studies. Therefore, at the end of this funding period, successful projects will have delivered an optimized therapeutic candidate with demonstrated bioactivity, stability, manufacturability, bioavailability, in vivo efficacy and should be eligible for entry into the CREATE Bio Development track.