From Research at med.fsu.edu Tue Mar 5 11:07:42 2019 From: Research at med.fsu.edu (Med Research) Date: Tue, 5 Mar 2019 16:07:42 +0000 Subject: Weekly Funding Opportunities In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <4E92D6BA965E1245AF1DA8E95D855F2429E5FF21@FSUCOM128.med.ad.fsu.edu> ORWH FY19 Administrative Supplement (Admin Supp Clinical Trial Optional): Research on the Health of Women of Understudied, Underrepresented and Underreported (U3) Populations The Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH) announces the availability of administrative supplements to support interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research focused on the effect of sex/gender influences at the intersection of several social determinants, including but not limited to: race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, education, health literacy and other social determinants in human health and illness. This research includes preclinical, clinical, behavioral and translational studies with the specific purpose to provide Administrative Supplements to active NIH parent grants for one year to address health disparities among women of populations in the US who are understudied, underrepresented and underreported in biomedical research. The proposed research must address an area specified within Goal 1 and 2 of the new Trans-NIH Strategic Plan for Women's Health Research "Advancing Science for the Health of Women." These goals focus on advancing rigorous research that is relevant to the health of women (Goal 1) and developing methods and leveraging data sources to consider sex and gender influences that enhance research for the health of women (Goal 2). Projects must include a focus on one or more NIH-designated health disparities populations, which include Blacks/African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, American Indians/Alaska Natives, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders, socioeconomically disadvantaged populations, underserved rural populations, and sexual and gender minorities (SGM). Combinations of one or more populations is also encouraged, e.g. socioeconomically disadvantaged sexual and gender minorities. Due April 8, 2019. Med-RA deadline to receive draft documents: March 25. Pilot Services Research Grants Not Involving Clinical Trials (R34 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) The purpose of this funding announcement is to encourage pilot research that is not an immediate precursor to testing a service intervention but is consistent with NIMH priorities for services research. While NIMH now requires use of an experimental therapeutics model for all intervention studies, there is recognition that some mission-relevant areas of services research do not involve clinical trials. These areas include: 1) studies to identify mutable factors that impact access, continuity, utilization, quality, value, outcomes, including disparities in outcomes, or scalability of mental health services, which may serve as targets in future intervention development 2) development and testing of new research tools, measures, or methods 3) testing the feasibility of integrating existing data sets to understand factors affecting access, quality or outcomes of care 4) pilot work on the learning mental health care system model as a means to enable practical studies of the value and effectiveness of services and treatments Due March 28, 2019. Med-RA deadline to receive draft documents: March 14. Clinical and Biological Measures of TBI-related dementia including Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) This FOA invites investigation of biological and clinical measures of TBI-related progressive neurodegeneration and neurocognitive decline associated with increased risk for dementia and /or traumatic encephalopathy syndrome (TES) (clinicopathologic diagnostic counterpart to the neuropathological diagnosis of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE)). Investigations should be based on existing, well-characterized populations of patients with a history of TBI that are enriched for increased risk of cognitive impairment or dementia and can continue to be followed longitudinally; additional subjects may be recruited as appropriate. The overall goal is to advance knowledge of the underlying pathophysiology and clinical characterization of the chronic effects of TBI that distinguish static-chronic TBI cognitive impairment from those that lead to progressive neurodegeneration associated with TES and dementia. A critical feature of this FOA includes the broad sharing of clinical, neuroimaging, physiological, and biospecimen data to further advance research in this area Due April 15, 2019. Med-RA deadline to receive draft documents: April 1. Florida Blue Foundation: Innovation in Health Care System The Florida Blue Foundation's Innovation in the Health Care System focus area aims to connect affordable, non-traditional health services to underserved, underinsured and low-income populations throughout Florida. The 2019 funding priority for Innovation in the Health Care System is: to support and/or solve health care delivery systems for the underserved, underinsured and low-income populations; in particular seniors aging in place*. The projects proposed should be designed to increase access and enhance delivery of health care through non-traditional, health services that will improve the overall health of underserved, underinsured and low-income populations; in particular seniors aging in place, which is defined as the ability to live in one's own home and community safely while receiving services in their home or at a close-by, accessible community health facility. The Florida Blue Foundation has approximately $3.5 million for the funding of this program. The Foundation will fund three-year and four-year grants. The average amount per year is from $80,000 up to $100,000 per year. Priority will be given to applicants that include collaborations and partnerships with other similar organizations in Florida. Due April 24, 2019. Med-RA deadline to receive draft documents: April 10. Florida Blue Foundation: Quality of Patient Care The intent of the Quality of Patient Care grant program is to support healthcare education programs and professional development opportunities designed to improve the safety of patient care. The 2019 funding priorities for the Quality of Patient Care grant program: * Health professional programs with a focus on addressing workforce shortages in nursing * Professional development for caregivers who support an aging population that are underserved, underinsured, and/or low-income The Florida Blue Foundation has approximately $1.5 million for the funding of this program. The Foundation will fund three-year grants only. The average funding per year is $80,000 - $100,000. Priority will be given to applicants that include collaborations and partnerships with other similar nonprofit organizations in Florida. Due April 30, 2019. Med-RA deadline to receive draft documents: April 16. Tell Every Amazing Lady About Ovarian Cancer Louisa M. McGregor Ovarian Cancer Foundation (T.E.A.L.): Medical Research Program T.E.A.L. works to drive medical research, provide survivor support, and promote public awareness and education of the signs, symptoms, and risk factors of ovarian cancer. To that end, the foundation is accepting applications for its 2019 Medical Research Program. Through the program, grants of up to $40,000 will be awarded to investigators working to advance research on ovarian cancer. To be eligible, applicants must be affiliated with a nonprofit institution in the United States. Eligible costs include travel, supplies, and the purchase or renting of equipment. Salary and indirect costs are not eligible. Due May 31, 2019. Med-RA deadline to receive draft documents: May 16. High impact, Interdisciplinary Science in NIDDK Research Areas (RC2 Clinical Trial Optional) The purpose of the High Impact, Interdisciplinary Science grants program is to support high impact ideas that may lay the foundation for new fields of investigation within the mission of NIDDK. The interdisciplinary approach encouraged by this FOA is envisioned to generate a research resource and/or foster discovery-based or hypothesis-generating science that can have a significant impact on the broader scientific community. This FOA seeks novel approaches in areas that address specific knowledge gaps, scientific opportunities, new technologies, data generation, or research methods that will advance the area in significant ways designed to accelerate scientific progress in the understanding, treatment, and prevention of diseases within the mission of NIDDK. Due May 30, 2019; October 31, 2019; June 2, 2020; November 3, 2020; June 1, 2021; and November 2, 2021. Med-RA deadline to receive draft documents for May submission: May 15. Innovative Mental Health Services Research Not Involving Clinical Trials (R01) The purpose of this funding announcement is to encourage innovative research that will inform and support the delivery of high-quality, continuously improving mental health services to benefit the greatest number of individuals with, or at risk for developing, a mental illness. This announcement invites applications for non-clinical trial R01-level projects that address NIMH strategic priorities for mental health services research (see https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.nimh.nih.gov_about_strategic-2Dplanning-2Dreports_strategic-2Dresearch-2Dpriorities_srp-2Dobjective-2D4_index.shtml&d=DwIFAg&c=HPMtquzZjKY31rtkyGRFnQ&r=EXkFPz4CfHp2YvDR6s1e2OHGNt7ixTIGEDylKw2SIo1FQ8O9soOgOzmn5ZTHU62o&m=ofRmrsx-ValQpohJSWKPV4EYwcImj-kt0gudeqvLA9k&s=ru9l1dkAdJEQv4aDbcFGNaBiw6AbVMNxEsiglGmk-C4&e=). Proposed research should seek to: 1) Identify mutable factors that impact access, continuity, utilization, quality, value, and outcomes, including disparities in outcomes, or scalability of mental health services in the United States, which may serve as targets in future service delivery intervention development; 2) Develop and test new research tools, technologies, measures, or methods and statistical approaches to study these issues; 3) Integrate and analyze large data sets to understand factors affecting mental health services outcomes using sophisticated computational and predictive analytic approaches; 4) Wherever possible, leverage existing infrastructure and partnerships to accomplish these goals. Standard dates apply. Expires September 8, 2020. Med-RA deadline to receive draft documents for new June 5 R01 submission: May 21. Microbial-based Cancer Therapy -Bugs as Drugs (R21 / R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) R21 R01 The overall purpose of these funding opportunity announcements (FOAs) is to stimulate the development of novel microbial-based cancer therapies, especially for conditions where conventional cancer therapies are inadequate, such as poorly vascularized, hypoxic, solid tumors, dormant or slowly dividing cells resistant to current interventions, and brain tumors. Utilizing bacteria, archaebacteria, bacteriophages and other non-virus microorganisms, this initiative will support research projects designed to study the underlying mechanisms of the complex interactions between microorganisms, tumor, and immune system. These FOAs also aim to support research into the use of microorganisms as delivery vehicles for cancer treatment and to complement or synergize with current therapies. These FOAs will accept basic mechanistic and preclinical studies in cell culture and animal models in accordance with the state of the science. Applicants applying to these FOAs are encouraged to address both the microbial and the tumor aspects of microbial-based cancer therapy. Standard dates apply. Expires May 8, 2022. Med-RA deadline to receive draft documents for new June 5 R01 submission: May 21. Med-RA deadline to receive draft documents for new July 16 R21 submission: July 1. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From Research at med.fsu.edu Mon Mar 11 09:20:55 2019 From: Research at med.fsu.edu (Med Research) Date: Mon, 11 Mar 2019 13:20:55 +0000 Subject: Grant Writing Workshop at Florida State University In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <60E19361B71BE04F835C1FB3C18361BE0190425C98@FSUCOM128.med.ad.fsu.edu> Professional Grant Development Workshop Master the techniques of writing superior winning proposals April 16-17, 2019 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. To be held at Florida State University Tallahassee, FL Sponsored by the Grant Training Center This intensive two-day grant proposal workshop is geared towards those who wish to strengthen their grant writing skills, as well as beginners who wish to acquire and master the techniques of preparing and writing winning proposals to various funding agencies. The focus will be on how to effectively write proposals in times of keen competition and limited resources. Participants will learn how to: 1. Navigate the world of grant procurement 2. Research and identify potential funding sources 3. Address the guidelines of federal and foundation applications 4. Find foundation and corporate giving for the state of Florida 5. Understand the new federal guidelines for writing winning grants 6. Know the review process and how to address key points for reviewers 7. Write winning grants that stand out against scores of competing submissions 8. Develop focused and realistic budgets 9. Demonstrate the merits, excellence and innovation of your proposal 10. Package professional grant submissions Our ultimate goal is for you to walk away with a product specific to your interests, which includes the grant design, abstract and budget. Register Questions? Call us at (866) 704-7268 Workshop Fee: $595.00 (includes a comprehensive directory, electronic workbook, certificate of completion, and continental breakfast) Rebate of $45.00 per person is given for two or more registrants from the same organization. *Space is limited, and since this class fills up quickly, it is on a first-come, first-serve basis.* Can't make it? Join us March 19, 2019 for an Online Version of This Workshop Florida State University is neither endorsing nor sponsoring the activities conducted by the Grant Training Center. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From Research at med.fsu.edu Tue Mar 12 10:09:04 2019 From: Research at med.fsu.edu (Med Research) Date: Tue, 12 Mar 2019 14:09:04 +0000 Subject: Weekly Funding Opportunities Message-ID: <60E19361B71BE04F835C1FB3C18361BE0190425F86@FSUCOM128.med.ad.fsu.edu> 2019 Atlanta Research Data Center Project Proposal Grant ARDC will fund project development grant proposals of up to $15,000 that will lead to research inside the Atlanta Federal Statistical Research Data Center. The ARDC houses demographic, economic, and health microdata (on individuals and firms) collected by the Federal government. Examples of the data available can be found here: https://www.census.gov/about/adrm/fsrdc/federal_partners.html Due April 5, 2019. Med-RA deadline to receive draft documents: March 22. Next Generation Multipurpose Prevention Technologies (NGM) (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) The objective of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to support the development of new and innovative on-demand, event -driven and long-acting systemic and non-systemic multipurpose prevention technologies (MPT). It supports development of MPTs that prevent HIV infection and pregnancy (hormonal and non-hormonal methods); sexually transmitted infections (STI) and pregnancy, and (HIV/STI) and non-HIV STI MPTs in cis and trans males and females of all ages. Applications for MPT development may involve pharmacokinetic (PK), pharmacodynamic (PD), safety and, drug-drug interactions (DDI) studies using drug development and formulation science supported by animal model testing. Also supported are biobehavioral and behavioral/social studies to identify MPT user-desired rheological and biophysical factors (look, feel, effectiveness, safety and duration of action) and other behavioral/social factors that could promote increased MPT adoption and use. Due May 6, 2019; May 6, 2020; and May 6, 2021. Deadline for Med-RA to receive draft documents: April 18. Functional Target Validation for Alzheimer's Disease-Related Dementias (ADRDs) (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) This FOA invites applications that propose the comprehensive functional validation of newly identified therapeutic target candidates for Alzheimer's Disease-Related Dementias (ADRD). This FOA seeks to promote critical target validation approaches to help de-risk subsequent translational research and accelerate the advancement of novel therapies for ADRD. Target(s) or molecular pathway(s) to be considered for validation must have been already identified using tissue expression or genetic data generated in human samples. In its initial phase, this FOA provides support for up to two years (UG3 stage) for the development of customized technologies, models, and protocols to modulate the expression or activity of target candidate(s) in cells and/or tissues and monitor their functional biological consequences in in vitro or in vivo disease models. Upon demonstration of technical feasibilities, a second phase (UH3 stage) will carefully and reproducibly measure and cross-validate the impact of the target modulation in different modalities across collaborating laboratories using the NIH rigor and reproducibility guidelines. Applicants responding to this FOA must address objectives for both the UG3 and UH3 phases and are expected to have a substantial collaborative effort between independent laboratories. This FOA is not specific for any one or group within the ADRD spectrum of disorders. Disorders covered in these applications are frontotemporal degeneration (FTD), Lewy body dementias (LBD; including dementia with Lewy bodies [DLB]), Parkinson disease dementia (PDD), vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID), and mixed dementias including the associated diagnostic challenges of multiple etiology dementias (MED). Due May 6, 2019. Deadline for Med-RA to receive draft documents: April 18. Decision Making and Human Behavior: Russell Sage Foundation Special Initiative The Russell Sage Foundation's (RSF) special initiative on Decision Making and Human Behavior in Context will support innovative research on decision making across the social sciences that examines causes, consequences, processes, or context from a behavioral or alternative perspective. We seek to support a wide range of research on decision-making in context by scholars in psychology, political science, sociology, and other social science fields who are pursuing questions consistent with the aims of the Foundation. This initiative will support research proposals from multiple methodological perspectives that will further our understanding of decision making processes and human behavior in the contexts of work, race, ethnicity, immigration, and social inequality, broadly conceived, in the U.S. Priority will be given to research related to our core programs and other special initiatives. Limited consideration will be given to projects that test well-established behavioral effects without examining the overarching context or the underlying mechanisms. Research in this area is expanding rapidly. RSF is open to a range of questions consistent with its mission, and has a particular interest in the following research areas: Biases and Misperceptions: An important contribution of behavioral science has been to uncover the role that biases play in decision making and behavior across multiple contexts. RSF is interested in studies examining implicit and explicit biases in employment, criminal, judicial, political, educational, and other important settings. To what extent and how do conscious and unconscious biases and misperceptions affect decisions and behaviors? What are the consequences of these actions? Motivations and Incentives: Individuals respond to incentives, and to a broad array of social, political, psychological, and cultural motivations. RSF is interested in supporting research on motivated decision making and behavior that has consequences for social, economic and political inequalities. To what extent and how do motivations (e.g., sense of belonging, group identity, self-improvement, etc.) affect behavior and decisions related to wellbeing, mobility, or political participation? What role can collective deliberation play? What kinds of motivations are subject to change or interventions? Habits and Behavior Change: A great deal of human behavior is not openly motivated, in the sense that it is habitual, intuitive, taken-for-granted, or otherwise not reflective. This kind of behavior can be a challenge for those seeking changes related to social, economic and political inequalities. How are socio-economically consequential habits formed and changed? To what extent does group membership affect the process? What are the limits of nudges and similar interventions that seek to modify the choice architecture involved in important decisions? Affect and Emotions: Emotions shape people?s decision making and behavior, both consciously and subconsciously. The role of affect or emotions can be especially important to understand among powerful decision-makers. What role do emotions play in social, economic, political and legal decisions and behaviors? To what extent are the consequences for human welfare and related policies beneficial or detrimental? To what extent and how can detrimental effects be countered? Networks and Contexts: Many decisions are made not in isolation, but with the help of social networks, whose members may be turned to for information, advice, support, or other needs. Networks also influence the way many such decisions are made and have been shown to be important in the context of the job search, college enrollment, voting, other topics relevant to mobility, poverty, and inequality. To what extent and how do contexts and networks?their structure and composition?affect decisions and behavior? To what extent and how do neighborhoods, organizations, and other contexts in which people form and maintain networks shape these processes? Letter of inquiry due May 23, 2019 and August 19, 2019. Deadline for Med-RA to receive draft documents for May deadline: May 9. Alcohol and Other Substance Use Research Education Programs for Health Professionals (R25 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) The NIH Research Education Program (R25) supports research educational activities that complement other formal training programs in the mission areas of the NIH Institutes and Centers. 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 Outreach. This is a broad category of activities that emphasizes the dissemination of biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research findings from research on alcohol and other substance use to health professionals engaged in direct patient care and clinical service delivery. Specifically, this FOA will support projects designed to engage practicing health care professionals in education about current and emerging knowledge derived from scientific research on the neurobiology, epidemiology, prevention, and/or treatment of alcohol and other substance use disorders and related health conditions. Outreach activities should include strategies appropriate for engaging practicing health professionals in meaningful, actionable education about the current research on addictive disorders and state-of-the-art methods for detection, prevention, and treatment. For the purpose of this FOA, ?health care professional? is broadly defined to include a variety of licensed/credentialed health care providers, therapists, and allied professionals who provide direct patient care in general or specialty practice settings. Examples include but are not limited to physicians and nurses in primary care, general medical settings, emergency departments and trauma centers; medical staff in hepatology practices; nurses, social workers, and therapists in public health clinics, schools, child welfare, and criminal justice settings; pharmacists; medical staff in infectious disease clinics; and health professionals in other settings in which patients with alcohol or other substance use issues are likely to seek and receive services (including services unrelated to substance use). This FOA focuses on health care professionals who have completed their formal education ? i.e., the outreach activities should be designed to reach beyond medical school and other traditional (pre-certification) classroom training into clinics and other settings where health professionals routinely encounter patients who could benefit from alcohol and other substance use screening and intervention. Such activities could include the development of short courses or computer-based educational tools, but should also consider other innovative strategies to educate practicing health professionals about current and emerging research findings, screening tools, preventive and treatment interventions, and best practices for population care management. Standard dates apply. Expires September 8, 2020. Deadline for Med-RA to receive draft documents for May 25, 2019 deadline: May 13. Next Generation Networks for Neuroscience Understanding how behavior emerges from the dynamic patterns of electrical and chemical activity of brain circuits is universally recognized as one of the great, unsolved mysteries of science. Advances in recent decades have elucidated how individual elements of the nervous system and brain relate to specific behaviors and cognitive processes. However, there remains much to discover to attain a comprehensive understanding of how the healthy brain functions, specifically, the general principles underlying how cognition and behavior relate to the brain?s structural organization and dynamic activities, how the brain interacts with its environment, and how brains maintain their functionality over time. Achieving an understanding of brain structure and function that spans levels of organization, spatial and temporal scales, and the diversity of species requires an international, transdisciplinary collaborative effort to not only integrate discipline-specific ideas and approaches but also extend them to stimulate new discoveries, and innovative concepts, theories, and methodologies. The objective of this phase of the NeuroNex Program is the establishment of distributed, international research networks that build on existing global investments in neurotechnologies to address overarching questions in neuroscience. The creation of such global research networks of excellence will foster international cooperation by seeding close interactions between a wide array of organizations across the world, as well as creating links and articulating alliances between multiple recently launched international brain projects. The potential transformative advances in neuroscience stemming from this activity will have profound scientific and societal impacts. The goal of this solicitation is to support collaborative networks (approximately 15 to 20 investigators in each network) comprised of international teams of disciplinarily diverse experimentalists, theorists, and research resource (including technology and cyberinfrastructure) developers working on a common foundational question in neuroscience. It is anticipated that these international networks will enable experimentation, analysis, and discovery in neuroscience at scales much larger than currently possible. This interdisciplinary, international program is one element of NSF?s broader effort directed at Understanding the Brain, a multi-year activity that includes NSF?s participation in the Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative (https://www.nsf.gov/brain/) and the phased approach to develop a research infrastructure for neuroscience as outlined in the Dear Colleague Letter NSF 16-047. The need for a program that helps neuroscientists collect, standardize, manage, and analyze the large amounts of data that result from research attempting to understand how the brain functions has been recognized by stakeholders in the scientific community and by the U.S. Congress in the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act (AICA) of 2017. The NSF and international partner agencies envision a connected portfolio of transformative, integrative projects that leverage existing global investments in neurotechnologies and create synergistic links across domestic and international investigators and communities, yielding novel ways of tackling the challenges of understanding the brain in action and in context. Preliminary proposals due June 14, 2019. Deadline for Med-RA to receive draft documents: May 31. Geroscience Approaches to Alzheimer?s Disease (R21 / R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) R21 R01 These Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) invite applications proposing research on the specific role of aging biology in the development, etiology, and treatment of Alzheimer?s disease. Aging is by far the main risk factor for most chronic diseases, a fact recognized by the field of geroscience. Recent advances in the fields of basic aging biology and geroscience now allow researchers to address mechanistically the role of aging in Alzheimer?s disease. Applications that make use of geroscience principles and test the role of different hallmarks of aging biology are specifically appropriate, while those focused solely on aging biology, or solely on Alzheimer?s disease will be deemed nonresponsive to these FOAs. Due July 2, 2019. Deadline for Med-RA to receive draft documents: June 18. To search for additional funding opportunities, please visit CoM?s unofficial funding opportunities blog. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From Research at med.fsu.edu Fri Mar 29 08:52:27 2019 From: Research at med.fsu.edu (Med Research) Date: Fri, 29 Mar 2019 12:52:27 +0000 Subject: Weekly Funding Opportunities Message-ID: <60E19361B71BE04F835C1FB3C18361BE01904334B3@FSUCOM128.med.ad.fsu.edu> MacArthur Foundation: 100&Change Some problems cannot be solved by grants of the size that foundations typically provide. By funding at a level far above what is typical in philanthropy, we can address problems and support solutions that are radically different in scale, scope, and complexity. $100 million is a large enough sum to focus on a serious problem and its solution in a meaningful and lasting way. We hope that 100&Change can inspire a conversation about solutions and about how we can solve some of our most significant problems. We recognize that we do not know it all and designed 100&Change to be agnostic with respect to field or problem area. We seek proposals that articulate both a problem and its solution. Competitive proposals will address a significant problem and provide a solution that is impactful, evidence-based, feasible, and durable. Proposals due in August 2019. Michael J. Fox Foundation: Therapeutic Pipeline Program The Therapeutic Pipeline Program at the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research is focused on advancing the development of Parkinson's disease therapies and interventions along the pre-clinical and clinical path (i.e., both drug and non-pharmacological therapeutics, including gene therapy, biological, surgical and non-invasive approaches). To that end, MJFF is inviting proposals for research with the potential for fundamentally altering disease course and/or significantly improving treatment of symptoms above and beyond current standards of care. The program is open to industry and academic investigators proposing novel approaches or repositioning approved or clinically safe therapies from non-PD indications in three areas: * Applied Technologies as Treatments for Parkinson's -- The use of innovative technologies (e.g., assistive devices, wearable technologies) is an emerging and rapidly developing area offering new treatment opportunities for those with PD. Proposals should focus on testing the efficacy of novel devices and technologies designed to address critical, poorly managed symptoms of Parkinson's disease. The foundation is particularly interested in: proof-of-concept efficacy and/or feasibility studies from prototype or available devices and technologies; and analysis of existing clinical data sets from studies of applied technologies for evidence of clinical impact in people with PD. * Disease-Modifying Strategies -- The goal of the proposed research should be to protect or restore degenerating and/or dysfunctional neurons affected in PD. Proposals may target any of the following (though investigators are not restricted to this list): alpha-synuclein; GBA; inflammation; LRRK2; mitochondrial function; protein folding. * Symptomatic Strategies -- The goal of the proposed research should be to significantly improve treatment of symptoms above and beyond current standards of care. Proposals may aim to achieve any of the following: alleviate motor symptoms of PD; alleviate non-motor symptoms of PD; and/or reduce complications and side effects of current PD treatments. All proposals must have a well-defined plan for moving toward clinical utility for Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. The foundation anticipates awarding one- to two-year grants of up to $500,000 for pre-clinical or applied technology programs, and one- to two-year grants of up to $2 million for clinical programs. Pre-proposals due April 19, 2019. Med-RA deadline to receive draft documents: April 5. Pfizer Competitive Grant Program for Transthyretin Amyloidosis (ATTR) including cardiomyopathy, peripheral neuropathy, and mixed phenotypes The purpose of this competition is to improve the care of patients with ATTR by improving our understanding of disease epidemiology, pathophysiology, early diagnosis, prognosis, and emerging treatment paradigms. Individual projects requesting up to $75,000 will be considered. Pfizer anticipates awarding up to four grants. Due May 3, 2019. Med-RA deadline to receive draft documents: April 19. Florida Blue Foundation: Consumer Health The intent of the Consumer Health Focus Area is to award grants to nonprofit organizations that can provide resources, information and programs designed to make it easier for underserved, underinsured or low-income individuals in Florida to find current and reliable health care services to manage their own health and well-being. The 2019 Funding Priorities are: Funding Priority #1: Mental Health: Preventive and education programs designed to assist underserved, underinsured or low-income individuals in Florida to improve their mental health. Funding Area #2: Health Literacy: Programs designed to assist underserved, underinsured or low-income individuals in Florida acquire the skills and capabilities needed to understand basic health information and the impact their choices have on their own health. Applications can be submitted for one or both of the Funding Priorities. Organizations applying for both must complete a separate application for each Funding Area. * The Florida Blue Foundation has approximately $3.5 million for the funding of this program. * The Foundation will fund three-year and four-year grants. The average amount per grant is from $80,000 - $100,000 per year. * Priority will be given to applicants that include collaborations and partnerships with other organizations in Florida. Due May 20, 2019. Med-RA deadline to receive draft documents: May 6. Caplan Foundation for Early Childhood Grants The Caplan Foundation for Early Childhood supports innovative projects and programs with the potential to significantly enhance the development, health, safety, education, and/or quality of life of children from infancy through five years of age. To that end, the foundation provides funding in the areas of early childhood welfare, early childhood education and play, and parenting education. 1) Early Childhood Welfare: Children can only reach their full potential when all aspects of their development - intellectual, emotional and physical - are supported. Providing a safe and nurturing environment for infants and preschoolers is essential, as is imparting to them the skills of living in a culturally diverse world. To that end, the foundation supports programs that research best child-rearing practices and identify models that can provide creative, caring environments in which all can children thrive. 2) Early Childhood Education and Play: Research shows that children need to be stimulated as well as nurtured early in life if they are to succeed in school, work, and life. That preparation relates to every aspect of a child's development, and everywhere a child learns - at home, in childcare settings and in preschool. The foundation seeks to improve the quality of both early childhood teaching and learning through the development of innovative curricula and research based pedagogical standards, as well as the design of imaginative play materials and learning environments. 3) Parenting Education: To help parents create nurturing environments for their children, the foundation supports programs that teach parents about developmental psychology, cultural child-rearing differences, pedagogy, issues of health, prenatal care, and diet, as well programs that provide both cognitive and emotional support to parents. Letter of intent due May 31, 2019. Med-RA deadline to receive draft documents: May 17. Overview The Vilcek Foundation will award three prizes of $50,000 each (unrestricted) to young (age 38 and under) foreign-born biomedical scientists who demonstrate outstanding early achievement. Eligible work may be in basic, applied, and/or translational biomedical science. Due June 10, 2019. Med-RA deadline to receive draft documents: May 28. Novel Assays to Address Translational Gaps in Treatment Development (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Optional) The overall goal of this initiative is to identify neurophysiological measures as potential assays for treatment development research. The funding opportunity announcement (FOA) will support efforts to optimize and evaluate measures of neurophysiological processes that are disrupted within or across mental disorders in both healthy humans and in another species relevant to the therapeutic development pipeline. The initiative will support initial proof of concept studies aimed at identifying measures for potential development as preclinical assays for evaluating potential new drug and device therapies and their targets. Data will also reveal assay measures where the performance between preclinical animal species and humans is dissimilar, thus establishing a firm basis for limiting speculative extrapolations of preclinical animal findings to humans. The ultimate practical goal of this FOA is to improve the efficiency of the therapeutic development process by identifying coherence of measures and inconsistencies between the preclinical screening pipeline and clinical evaluation of new treatment candidates and thereby hasten the development of more effective treatments for mental disorders. The objectives of the FOA will be accomplished by supporting partnerships among basic and translational neuroscientists who are committed to advancing the discovery of in vivo physiological measures as tools for target validation and therapeutic development. Groups will be tasked with developing and optimizing in vivo assays of brain processes in both animals and in healthy humans. Groups will evaluate assay performance across both species in response to specific chemical, physiological, or behavioral manipulations. In this way, projects will reveal the potential of specific assays to translate from animals to humans, suggesting assays for further development as tools in the treatment development pipeline. Due June 20, 2019; October 18, 2019; February 20, 2020; June 19, 2020; October 20, 2020; February 19, 2021; June 21, 2021; October 20, 2021; and February 21, 2022. Med-RA deadline to receive draft documents for June deadline: June 6. Behavioral & Integrative Treatment Development Program (R34 / R01 Clinical Trial Optional) R34 R01 The purpose of these funding opportunity announcements is to encourage behavioral intervention development research. Specifically, test efficacy, conduct clinical trials, examine mechanisms of behavior change, determine dose-response, treatment optimization, and/or ascertain best sequencing of behavioral, combined, sequential, or integrated behavioral and pharmacological treatments. Research of interest includes but is not limited to Stage II and Stage III efficacy research, including: (1) drug abuse treatment interventions, including interventions for patients with comorbidities; (2) drug abuse treatment and adherence interventions; (3) drug abuse treatment and adherence interventions that utilize technologies to boost effects and increase implementability and sustainability; (4) interventions to prevent the acquisition or transmission of HIV infection among individuals in drug abuse treatment; (5) interventions to promote adherence to drug abuse treatment, HIV and addiction medications; and (6) interventions to treat substance misuse and chronic pain. Due July 23, 2019; March 23, 2020; July 23, 2020; March 23, 2021; July 23, 2021; and March 23, 2022. Med-RA deadline to receive draft documents for July deadline: July 9. To search for additional funding opportunities, please visit CoM's unofficial funding opportunities blog. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: