Alternatives to Limited Competition: High Impact Specialized Innovation Programs in Clinical and Translational Science (RC2 Clinical Trials Optional)

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism solicits applications for an R01 Clinical Trial Required mechanism focusing on alcohol treatment and recovery research. This NOFO will focus broadly on topics relevant for treatment of and recovery from alcohol use disorder (AUD), including: medications development, precision medicine, behavioral therapies and mechanisms of behavioral change (MOBC), recovery, translational research, and innovative methods and technologies for AUD treatment and recovery.

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism solicits applications for an R01 Clinical Trial Optional mechanism focusing on alcohol health services. This NOFO will broadly focus on closing the treatment gap for individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD); within this focus, there are five major areas of emphasis: (1) increasing access to treatment for AUD, (2) making treatment for AUD more appealing, (3) examining cost structures and insurance systems, (4) conducting studies on dissemination and implementation of existing evidence-based approaches to treating AUD, and (5) reducing health disparities as a means of addressing the treatment gap in AUD for health disparity populations.

This funding opportunity aims to support the development of in vivo high-resolution structural and functional imaging technologies for the living human inner ear. Proposed projects should focus on improving the resolution of current imaging techniques or developing new imaging techniques that can visualize inner ear structures in vivo with significantly greater detail and accuracy than currently possible. Both structural and functional aspects, including visualizing dynamic elements are important to development of new and improved techniques. Projects may also focus on developing new imaging probes or contrast agents that can enhance visualization of the inner ear structures. Ultimately, research supported in response to this RFA is to encourage technologies that allow, for example, structures such as hair cells, otoliths, membranes, ions, and vasculature to be viewed in detail in awake patients in a clinical setting using non-invasive techniques. To achieve this goal, a multi-disciplinary team approach that takes advantage of the expertise of each team member is highly encouraged. Studies in humans and intermediate studies in animals, but not non-mammalian species, may be proposed to develop or advance the needed technology. Any intermediate studies must articulate a clear path of the proposed methodology to application in awake humans or define the limitations and the usefulness in anesthetized humans.

This funding opportunity aims to support high risk clinical trials for the development of in vivo high-resolution structural and functional imaging technologies for the living human inner ear. Proposed projects should focus on improving the resolution of current imaging techniques or developing new imaging techniques that can visualize inner ear structures in vivo with significantly greater detail and accuracy than currently possible. Structural and functional aspects, including visualizing dynamic elements, are important to developing new and improved techniques. Projects may also focus on developing new imaging probes or contrast agents that can enhance visualization of the inner ear structures. Research supported in response to this RFA is expected to significantly advance the ability to visualize auditory and vestibular components, such as hair cells, otoliths, membranes, ions, and vasculature, in detail in awake patients in a clinical setting using non-invasive techniques. To achieve this goal, a multidisciplinary team approach that takes advantage of the expertise of each team member is highly encouraged. Studies in humans must be proposed to develop,advance, or test the needed technology. Any intermediate studies must articulate a clear path of the proposed methodology to application in awake humans or define the limitations and the usefulness in anesthetized humans.

The NIH Research Education Program (R25) supports research education activities in the mission areas of the NIH. The overarching goal of this NIDCD R25 program is to support educational activities that help recruit individuals with specific specialty or disciplinary backgrounds to research careers in biomedical, behavioral and clinical sciences.

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) invites eligible academic or research institutions to apply for funding support to purchase latest scientific equipment that will enhance and modernize research-supporting operations of existing shared biomedical research facilities. Targeted are laboratory research core facilities, animal research facilities, and other similar shared-use research spaces. The goal of this NOFO is to strengthen research-auxiliary activities of biomedical research facilities and to enhance the efficiency of their operations. The NOFO does not support the purchase of scientific research instruments or their components, nor components of building-level infrastructure equipment that indirectly support research activities.

NIGMS will support innovative educational activities designed to equip participants with technical, operational, or professional skills required for careers in the biomedical research workforce. Activities must be open to the broader biomedical research community and may focus on participants at one or more career stages from undergraduates to professionals (for example faculty, staff scientists). Funded programs will have a robust program leadership structure, participant recruitment plan, and evaluation and dissemination plans.

This announcement 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 NOFO 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 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) encourages applications for investigator-initiated, early phase, clinical trials of natural products (i.e., botanicals, probiotics, and products marketed as dietary supplements), which have a strong scientific premise to justify further clinical testing. For this NOFO, natural products include promising nutritional regimens that standardize the amount of a specific naturally occurring nutritional compound (e.g., omega-3 fatty acids, anthocyanidins, or polyphenols) and have compelling preliminary evidence. Under this NOFO, trials must be designed so that results, whether positive or negative, will provide information of high scientific utility and will support decisions about further development or testing of the natural product. This NOFO will provide up to three years (R61 phase) of support for milestone-driven testing of pharmacokinetics, bioavailability, and assessment of the natural products effect (i.e., measure of mechanism of action) when used by humans on a specified target measure. If milestones in the R61 phase are achieved, up to 3 years of additional support (R33 phase) may be awarded to replicate the impact of the natural product on target engagement(s) when used by humans and assess whether there is an association between the degree of the impact on the target engagement and clinical outcomes in a participant population. Applications are encouraged to design R33 studies to determine how to optimize the impact of the natural product on the target engagement by optimizing the delivery of the natural product through examination of different doses or formulations. In addition, applications can be designed to combine the natural product with another treatment approach that is known to impact the same target engagement measure; or study the impact of the natural product in a population that is more responsive,

This notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) invites applications for investigator-initiated clinical trials of complementary and integrative health approaches with physical and/or psychological therapeutic inputs (often called mind and body interventions) in NCCIH-designated areas of high research priority. Applications submitted under this NOFO are expected to propose a multisite feasibility clinical trial that will provide new information that is scientifically necessary for the planning and conduct of a subsequent clinical efficacy or effectiveness study, pragmatic trial, or dissemination and implementation trial within NCCIHs mission. NCCIH expects that applications to this NOFO will describe the planned future clinical trial and in so doing demonstrate that the proposed (R01) research is scientifically necessary to design or plan the subsequent fully powered, full-scale clinical trial. Under this R01, the data collected should be used to fill gaps in scientific knowledge, including, but not limited to the following: assessing whether the intervention can be delivered with fidelity across sites; demonstrating feasibility of recruitment, accrual, and randomization of participants across sites; demonstrating participant adherence to the intervention, as well as retention of participants throughout the study across sites; refining and assessing the feasibility of protocolized multimodal interventions, and/or demonstrating feasibility of data collection across sites in preparation for a future fully powered, multisite efficacy or effectiveness trial. The need for multisite feasibility trials is expected to be justified by sufficient preliminary data from previous single site feasibility or acceptability trial(s) or the published literature. The data collected should be used to fill gaps in scientific knowledge and be necessary to develop a competitive fully powered multisite clinical trial that has the potential to make a significant impact on public health.

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) aims to support new biomedical, behavioral, and social science investigators who are in the early stages of establishing independent careers in tobacco regulatory research. The R03 grant mechanism supports different types of projects, including pilot and feasibility studies, secondary analysis of existing data, small, self-contained research projects, development of research methodology, and development of new research technology. Applicants are encouraged to conduct projects that ultimately have the potential to inform regulations on tobacco product manufacturing, distribution, and marketing. Research projects must address one or more High-Priority Research Topic(s) related to the regulatory authority of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) as mandated by the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (FSPTCA), Public Law 111-31. The awards under this NOFO will be administered by NIH using funds made available through FDA CTP and the FSPTCA. Research results from this NOFO are expected to generate findings and data directly relevant to informing the FDA's regulation of the manufacture, distribution, and marketing of tobacco products to protect public health.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), invites grant applications for Education and Research Centers (ERCs) that are focused on occupational safety and health training. NIOSH is mandated to provide an adequate supply of qualified personnel to carry out the purposes of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, and the ERCs are one of the primary means for meeting this mandate. ERCs are academic institutions that provide high-quality interdisciplinary graduate and post-graduate training, research training, continuing education, and outreach in the core occupational safety and health disciplines of industrial hygiene, occupational health nursing, occupational medicine, and occupational safety, as well as allied disciplines. Research and research training are integral components of ERCs, with ERC faculty and NIOSH trainees conducting research on issues related to the NIOSH National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) and emerging issues to advance the field of occupational safety and health. NIOSH ERCs have regional presence to further diversify the occupational safety and health profession through their core values, mission statements, and outputs. ERCs serve as resources for our nation's workforce through continuing education, outreach and strong collaboration with professional associations, worker advocacy groups, businesses, industries, and public health agencies. ERCs work with other institutions and organizations, including Minority Serving Institutions and other NIOSH supported training programs to have a positive impact on worker health, safety, and well-being.