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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC) is soliciting investigator-initiated research that conducts rigorous evaluation research to assess the effectiveness of Return to School programs after traumatic brain injury of all severities (e.g., mild, moderate and severe) in children. These programs have been developed to provide teachers, medical staff and parents with guidance on how best to return a child to school after a traumatic brain injury. Priority is placed on evaluation of Return to School programs that have been subjected to a structured evaluability assessment process and identified as ready for evaluation by CDC. Funds are available to conduct such studies to help expand and advance our understanding about what works to prevent and control unintentional traumatic brain injury.

The Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation has issued a Request for Proposals for its Preclinical Drug Discovery program. Through the program, grants of up to $600,000 over two years will be awarded to promising preclinical drug discovery programs relevant to Alzheimer's disease, related dementias, and cognitive aging. Preclinical research funding priorities include high throughput screening, medicinal chemistry hit-to-lead development and optimization, in vitro and in vivo efficacy studies, ADME, toxicology, pharma-cokinetics and pharma-co-dynamics, and in vivo proof-of-concept with lead compounds and biologics. Program areas of particular interest include new chemical compounds for Alzheimer's disease, preclinical proof-of-concept, and re-purposing. With regards to potential drug targets, ADDF is interested in novel targets that include but are not limited to neuro-inflammation, protein degradation/autophagy, growth factor signaling, synaptic function/morphology, calcium regulation, energy utilization/mitochondria function, insulin sensitivity, epigenetics, ApoE function and cholesterol metabolism, vascular injury and the blood-brain barrier interface, cognitive enhancers, myelin changes, ischemia and oxidative stress, and tau-related toxicities. To be eligible, applicants must be academic investigators seeking to create and support innovative translational programs in academic medical centers and universities; biotechnology companies with programs dedicated to Alzheimer's disease translational development; and new biotechnology company spinouts or existing biotechnology companies that demonstrate a clear need for nonprofit funding. Funding is provided through program-related investments (PRIs) that require a return on investment based on scientific and/or business milestones.

The SBIR program, as established by law, is intended to meet the following goals: stimulate technological innovation in the private sector; strengthen the role of small business in meeting Federal research or research and development (R/R&D) needs; increase the commercial application of Federally-supported research results; foster and encourage participation by socially and economically disadvantaged small business concerns and women-owned business concerns in the SBIR program; and improve the return on investment from Federally-funded research for economic and social benefits to the Nation.

Grants of up to $150,000 will be awarded for research on the pathologic mechanisms underlying FTD. Priority will be given to projects related to the development and testing of novel high-throughput screening assays; identification and in vitro testing of potentially disease modifying compounds or biologics, including medicinal chemistry refinement, ADME, toxicology, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics studies; testing of novel lead compounds, biologics, or repurposed drug candidates in a relevant animal model for preclinical proof of concept; and/or development and/or characterization of new model organisms or cellular models in support of drug-discovery efforts. Funding is provided through mission-related investments that require return on investment based on scientific and/or business milestones.

Announcement supports applied and translational research to advance the development of knowledge and materiel products for rehabilitation and restoration of function following TBI. PIs should explain how their work will inform the development, refinement, and/or revision of existing standards of care, clinical recommendations, or guidelines. TBI is defined as being caused by (1) a direct blow or impact to the head, (2) a penetrating head injury, or (3) an exposure to external forces such as blast waves that disrupt the function of the brain. Not all blows to the head or exposure to external forces result in a TBI. The severity of TBI may range from "mild," a brief change in mental status or consciousness, to "severe," an extended period of unconsciousness or confusion after the injury. Definitions of TBI severity can be found in Table 1 of the VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Concussion-Mild Traumatic Brain Injury. The FY17/18 PH/TBIRP CTRR-CRA supports clinical research but not clinical trials. Supported research can include observational research studies. The Clinical Research Award (CTRR-CRA) is intended to support clinical research focused on understanding the clinical sequelae and mechanisms of recovery associated with TBI and TBI rehabilitation interventions. The overarching goals of this award are to address TBI-related impairments and deficits including sensory, sensorimotor, and cognitive dysfunction to (1) develop and validate rehabilitation outcome measures; (2) define and evaluate mechanisms of injury progression or recovery associated with rehabilitation interventions; and (3) improve clinician-driven assessment strategies to guide return-to-duty decision making.