You may be interested in these recent funding opportunity announcements (FOAs): Renewal of Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) (P20) (PAR-13-243) Purpose: Establish a thematic, multidisciplinary center and enhance the ability of investigators to compete independently for NIH or other external peer-reviewed support Application due dates: September 25, 2013; September 25, 2014; September 25, 2015 NIGMS contact: Yanping Liu, 301-451-4217 Limited Competition: Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) Phase III -- Transitional Centers (P30) (PAR-13-238) Purpose: Strengthen phase I COBRE centers through improvements in research infrastructure as well as the development and support of investigators Application due date: August 2, 2013 NIGMS contact: J. Rafael Gorospe, 301-435-0832 Native American Research Centers for Health (NARCH) (S06) (PAR-13-239) Purpose: Conduct research and research training to meet the needs of American Indian/Alaska Native communities Letter of intent due date: July 6, 2013 Application due date: August 6, 2013 NIGMS contact: Sheila A. Caldwell, 301-594-3900 Reissue PHS 2013-02 Omnibus Solicitation of the NIH, CDC, FDA and ACF for Small Business Innovation Research Grant Applications (Parent SBIR [R43/R44]) (PA-13-234) Purpose: Research and develop innovative technologies with commercial applications* Application due date: Standard dates apply NIGMS contact: Scott Somers, 301-594-3827 Reissue PHS 2013-02 Omnibus Solicitation of the NIH for Small Business Technology Transfer Grant Applications (Parent STTR [R41/R42]) (PA-13-235) Purpose: Research and develop innovative technologies with commercial applications* Application due date: Standard dates apply NIGMS contact: Scott Somers, 301-594-3827 *There are important changes in the reissued SBIR/STTR FOAs, including: 1) Majority venture-capital owned companies are now eligible to apply for the NIH SBIR program; 2) All small business concerns must now register with the SBA Company Registry; and 3) NIGMS will not accept applications to the new SBIR/STTR FOAs that exceed the hard cap ($225,000 total cost for Phase I applications and $1,500,000 for Phase II applications). For more information, see the NIH SBIR/STTR Web site.

You may be interested in these recent funding opportunity announcements: Improvement of Animal Models and Development of Technologies for Stem Cell-Based Regenerative Medicine (SBIR)(R43/R44) (PA-13-223) Purpose: Develop or improve animal models and/or technologies for obtaining, characterizing and testing animal and human stem cells and their derivatives for regenerative medicine Application due date: Standard dates apply NIGMS contact: Stefan Maas, 301-594-0943 Improvement of Animal Models and Development of Technologies for Stem Cell-Based Regenerative Medicine (STTR)(R41/R42) (PA-13-224) Purpose: Develop or improve animal models and/or technologies for obtaining, characterizing and testing animal and human stem cells and their derivatives  for  regenerative medicine Application due date: Standard dates apply NIGMS contact: Stefan Maas, 301-594-0943 Short Courses on Innovative Methodologies in the Behavioral and Social Sciences (R25) (RFA-OD-13-009) Purpose: Develop, implement, evaluate and disseminate short courses in innovative methods for behavioral and social sciences research Letter of intent due date: June 3, 2013 Application due date: July 3, 2013 NIGMS contact: Stephen Marcus, 301-451-6446

You may be interested in these recent funding opportunity announcements: MARC Undergraduate Student Training in Academic Research (U-STAR) National Research Service Award (NRSA) Institutional Research Training Grant (T34) (PAR-13-205) Purpose: Increase the number of well-prepared underrepresented (UR) students who, within 3 years of graduation, matriculate into competitive/research active Ph.D. or combined M.D.-Ph.D. programs in the biomedical and behavioral sciences, go on to research careers and participate in NIH-funded research Application due dates: June 24, 2013; June 24, 2014; June 24, 2015 NIGMS contact: Shawn Gaillard, 301-594-3900 Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement (RISE) (R25) (PAR-13-196) Purpose: Develop new or expand existing effective institutional developmental programs designed to academically and scientifically prepare underrepresented students for Ph.D. degrees in the biomedical and behavioral sciences Application due date: June 20, 2013 NIGMS contact: Robin S. Broughton, 301-594-3900 Reminder: The application due date for Supplements for Collaborative Science is May 15. For details, see this related Feedback Loop post.

The NIGMS Models of Infectious Disease Agent Study (MIDAS) is a collaborative network of about 100 scientists who use computational, statistical and mathematical models to understand infectious disease dynamics. As we mark the program’s 10th anniversary, we invite you to join us for a symposium titled “Modeling for Science and Policy” on September 23 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. EDT at the Lipsett Auditorium on the NIH campus. You can also watch the symposium remotely (live or later) via the NIH Videocast Web site. The program will feature short talks by MIDAS researchers on modeling for scientific understanding, for health policy decision making and for preparedness planning. We’ll post more details about the symposium when they’re available. We also welcome scientists to apply for grants to become part of the network. We just released funding opportunity announcements for MIDAS centers of excellence (U54), an information technology resource (U24) and research projects (U01). Since its inception, MIDAS has pioneered the use of computational and mathematical models to prepare for, detect and respond to infectious disease threats. In addition to doing basic quantitative and computational biology, MIDAS works closely with local, state and federal public health agencies to facilitate the use of modeling in decision making. Here are just a few examples of MIDAS activities:

• Working with the Institute of Medicine and the National Association of County and City Health Officers, MIDAS held a workshop at the 2013 Public Health Preparedness Summit to demonstrate how modeling can be used by local public health officials to inform policy decisions.

• The University of Pittsburgh center has developed a software program called FRED that uses high-performance computing to create virtual outbreaks and deliver the results to a smartphone. The approach could enable public health officials to employ modeling tools even when they aren’t at their computers.

• The Harvard School of Public Health center is developing models for the emergence of drug resistance in influenza, tuberculosis and other diseases to study the implications for clinical decision making.

• The University of Chicago project uses large-scale computational modeling to explore the dynamics of MRSA among incarcerated and other communities on the south side of Chicago.

• The University of Washington project has examined the impact of vaccine policies and usage on halting the spread of cholera in Haiti.

• The Virginia Bioinformatics Institute project is developing a computer activity to teach high school students how epidemiologists study outbreaks and use mathematics and computation to help make public health decisions about vaccine distribution and school closures, for example.

• The MIDAS information technology resource has developed detailed virtual human populations for many countries, including the United States, Mexico, Thailand, China and Argentina. These populations allow investigators to simulate social networks, transmission dynamics and the impact of behavior and policies on disease spread.

The network’s models, software and other resources, including information about historical epidemics, are available through the MIDAS portal. If you’re interested in modeling and/or infectious diseases, I invite you to explore this site, and I welcome your questions. CORRECTION: The symposium will take place in the Lister Hill Center Auditorium on the NIH campus.

NIH has released two funding opportunity announcements to help restore facilities and/or research programs that were significantly disrupted by Hurricane Sandy last fall: RFA-OD-13-199: Administrative supplements to awards that were active at the time of the storm RFA-OD-13-005: Grants to new and early stage investigators whose pilot research and data were destroyed or damaged as a result of the storm Eligibility is restricted to FEMA-declared major disaster states, and funds are limited to those made available by the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013. As discussed in a blog post from NIH’s Sally Rockey, NIH anticipates announcing additional opportunities and resources related to the Hurricane Sandy recovery effort.

You may be interested in this recent funding opportunity announcement from the NIH Common Fund that NIGMS will administer: Undiagnosed Diseases Gene Function Research (R21) (RFA-RM-13-003) Purpose: Investigate the underlying genetics, biochemistry and/or pathophysiology of newly diagnosed diseases in association with the respective gene variant(s) identified through the NIH Undiagnosed Diseases Network Letter of intent due date: May 14, 2013 Application due date: June 14, 2013 NIGMS contact: Donna Krasnewich, 301-594-0943

You may be interested in these recent funding opportunity announcements: Limited Competition: Revision Applications for Basic Social and Behavioral Research on the Social, Cultural, Biological, and Psychological Mechanisms of Stigma (R01) (RFA-MD-13-005) Purpose: Revise applications to incorporate basic research on behavioral and social mechanisms underlying stigma into active R01 research projects Letter of intent due date: July 2, 2013 Application due date: August 2, 2013 NIH contacts: Jennifer Alvidrez, NIMHD, 301-594-9567 Rebecca Ferrer, NCI, 301-594-0437 Enid Light, NIMH, 301-443-3599 Kathleen Michels, FIC, 301-435-6031 Development of Highly Innovative Tools and Technology for Analysis of Single Cells (SBIR) (R43/R44) (PA-13-140) Purpose: Develop next-generation tools that distinguish heterogeneous states among cells and have commercial potential Application due date: Standard dates apply NIGMS contact: Stefan Maas, 301-594-0943

Last September, I described a concept clearance for an initiative to develop new approaches in natural products discovery that had just been approved by the NIGMS Advisory Council. The resulting request for applications on Genomes to Natural Products (U01) has now been published in the NIH Guide.

NIGMS, along with the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), will support multidisciplinary research to develop high-throughput, broadly applicable approaches to natural products discovery that integrate genomics, synthetic biology and bioinformatics. We anticipate that up to four awards will be made through the cooperative agreement mechanism, totaling up to $9 million in Fiscal Year 2014. For NCCAM-specific interest areas and application requirements, see NOT-AT-13-005.

Applications are due by July 17. Potential applicants are invited to participate in an optional online Q&A session on April 19 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. EDT. Access this event at https://webmeeting.nih.gov/rfa-gnpn/ and sign in as a “guest” to be able to submit questions.

Letters of intent are not needed, but depending on which funding component’s areas of interest are more relevant to the proposal, I strongly recommend that potential applicants e-mail me or my counterpart at NCCAM, Craig Hopp to discuss submission plans.

You may be interested in these recent funding opportunity announcements:

These two announcements are based on a broader initiative for research on macromolecular interactions in cells in vivo. The initiative also includes an additional funding opportunity, Revisions for Macromolecular Interactions in Cells (R01).

• Collaborations for Macromolecular Interactions in Cells (R01)
  (RFA-GM-14-004)

Purpose: Establish interdisciplinary collaborative projects to advance studies of macromolecular interactions and their relationship to function in cells, tissues and organisms

• Research Networks for Macromolecular Interactions in Cells (U54)
  (RFA-GM-14-005)

Purpose: Establish interdisciplinary collaborative research networks to advance studies of macromolecular interactions and their relationship to function in cells, tissues and organisms

Letter of intent due date: April 30, 2013
Application due date: May 30, 2013
NIGMS contacts:
Alexandra Ainsztein, 301-594-0828
Daniel Janes, 301-594-0943
Vernon Anderson, 301-594-3827
Paul Brazhnik, 301-451-6446

Bioengineering Research Grants (BRG) (R01)
(PAR-13-137)

Purpose: Develop an innovative technology, model, technique, design or method that infuses principles and concepts from the quantitative sciences to increase our understanding of and solve problems in biological, clinical or translational science
Application due date: Standard dates apply
NIGMS contact: Pamela Marino, 301-594-3827

In addition, several new NIH Common Fund funding opportunities related to workforce development and diversity are listed at http://commonfund.nih.gov

You may be interested in these recent funding opportunity announcements: Mechanisms, Models, Measurement, and Management in Pain Research (R01) (PA-13-118) Purpose: Conduct basic, clinical and translational studies on pain related to the missions of the participating NIH institutes and center Application due dates: Standard dates apply NIGMS contact: Alison Cole, 301-594-3827 Improvement of Animal Models for Stem Cell-Based Regenerative Medicine (R01) (PAR-13-114) Purpose: Propose research aimed at characterizing animal stem cells as well as improving and/or creating animal models for human disease conditions (see announcement for information on NIGMS-specific interests) Application due dates: Standard dates apply NIGMS contact: Susan Haynes, 301-594-0943