Deadline: 17-Sep-22
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is soliciting applications for pilot projects to elucidate a role for understudied proteins associated with rare diseases.
The goal of this specific solicitation is to provide a needed opportunity for the collection of preliminary data around the role of understudied proteins associated with rare diseases. This FOA will provide funding to support research that will characterize new targets for treatment of human disease among the understudied proteins of the Druggable Proteome. These projects should be carried out in a short period of time with limited resources as defined by the funding mechanism.
Types of Projects
This FOA accepts different types of projects with the intent of generating preliminary and/or validation data including, but not limited to, the following:
- Isolation and purification of understudied proteins and initial in vitro characterization;
- Characterization of cell- and tissue-specific protein expression, localization, and function of understudied protein(s) in native environments;
- Verification or placement of understudied protein(s) in signaling cascades, including upstream signals and downstream activities;
- Pre-clinical animal studies of understudied proteins that help to illuminate the role of an understudied protein in the context of human disease;
- Use of novel tools to validate preliminary disease or physiological associations with understudied proteins in animal models, biomimetic systems, or ex vivo human samples;
- Development of accessory reagents (e.g., antibodies, peptide fragments, labeled versions of the protein, etc.) for use in downstream studies to generate preliminary data;
- Assay development, optimization, and validation with the intent of using these assays for further study of selected understudied protein(s);
- Use of data mining and experimental validation to analyze public data resources to identify and study protein-protein interaction networks or generate hypotheses about the function of understudied protein(s);
- Studies to identify endogenous ligands for understudied proteins that could lead to study of preliminary structure-activity-relationships (SAR));
- Structure determination or preparation of understudied proteins for structure determination and characterization by x-ray crystallography, cryo-electron microscopy, or similar approaches.
Funding Information
- Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards: The NIH intends to commit approximately $1,500,000 in FY23, contingent upon receiving scientifically meritorious applications. 8-10 awards are anticipated from this solicitation. Future year amounts will depend on annual appropriations.
- Award Budget: Application budgets are limited to $100,000 in direct costs (excluding subcontract F&A) for one year and need to reflect the actual needs of the proposed project.
- Award Project Period: The maximum project period for an application submitted under this FOA is 1 year.
Eligibility Criteria
- Higher Education Institutions
- Public/State Controlled Institutions of Higher Education
- Private Institutions of Higher Education
- The following types of Higher Education Institutions are always encouraged to apply for NIH support as Public or Private Institutions of Higher Education:
- Hispanic-serving Institutions
- Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
- Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs)
- Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions
- Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs)
- Nonprofits Other Than Institutions of Higher Education
- Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education)
- Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education)
- For-Profit Organizations
- Small Businesses
- For-Profit Organizations (Other than Small Businesses)
- Local Governments
- State Governments
- County Governments
- City or Township Governments
- Special District Governments
- Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Federally Recognized)
- Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized)
- Federal Government
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- Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government
- U.S. Territory or Possession
- Other
- Independent School Districts
- Public Housing Authorities/Indian Housing Authorities
- Native American Tribal Organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
- Faith-based or Community-based Organizations
- Regional Organizations
- Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government, including the NIH Intramural Research Program
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=341543