DHHS/NIH: Understanding the Early Development of the Immune System

Deadline: 5 December 2019

The U.S Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH) is seeking applications for its program entitled “Understanding the Early Development of the Immune System” to support studies on the very early development of the immune system and the humoral and cellular communication that exists between the mother and fetus that may shape or impact immune system development and maturation.

This Opportunity encourages research on the immune system of the mother/placenta in infection/health and its impact on the development of the fetal immune system, including its function during gestation and beyond. To interrogate this in utero communication system, it will be necessary to utilize new techniques that can measure low cell numbers with accuracy and use systems that can easily model the human system. Systems that look at the fetal-maternal interactions as well as maternal fetal interactions are encouraged.

Areas of interest

Studies that explore the first maternal/fetal communications during gestation and the impact on the developing fetal immune system;
Studies that explore whether maternal factors can alter or modulate signaling in the very early immune system, including inflammatory signals;
Research to explore the elements, including cytokines, cells, virus, prion, and exosomes, that may deliver immune modulating signals involved in prenatal/ maternal communications;
Studies focused on cellular, and molecular maternal/fetal trafficking during very early immune system development in infection and health;
Research on the timing, development and maturation of immune system cells and cytokines, in infectious disease;
Studies of fetal innate and cellular component development and susceptibility to maternal/placental infection;
Studies to examine the maternal seeding and evolution of the fetal microbiome in infection/health and the impact on the developing brain;
Studies to explore maternal influences including medication use on in-utero microbiome colonization of the fetus on the downstream development of immune tolerance or hypersensitivity;
Studies of the maternal and infant in utero immune response to select immunogens and infectious agents;
Studies to test whether a subset of fetal immune cells or components can be activated to respond to select immunogens for vaccine development.

Funding Information

Application budgets are limited to $300,000 direct costs but need to reflect the actual needs of the proposed project.

Eligibility Criteria

City or township governments
Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
State governments
Small businesses
Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
County governments
Private institutions of higher education
For profit organizations other than small businesses
Special district governments
Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities
Others (see text field entitled “Additional Information on Eligibility” for clarification)
Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
Independent school districts
Public and State controlled institutions of higher education