Group items tagged

A central goal of the BRAIN Initiative is to understand how electrical and chemical signals code information in neural circuits and give rise to sensations, thoughts, emotions and actions. While currently available technologies can provide some understanding, they may not be sufficient to accomplish this goal. For example, non-invasive technologies are low resolution and/or provide indirect measures such as blood flow, which are imprecise; invasive technologies can provide information at the level of single neurons producing the fundamental biophysical signals, but they can only be applied to tens or hundreds of neurons, out of a total number in the human brain estimated at 85 billion. Other BRAIN FOAs seek to develop novel technology (RFA-NS-17-003) or to optimize existing technology ready for in-vivo proof-of-concept testing and collection of preliminary data (RFA-NS-17-004) for recording or manipulating neural activity on a scale that is beyond what is currently possible. This FOA seeks applications for unique and innovative technologies that are in an even earlier stage of development than that sought in other FOAs, including new and untested ideas that are in the initial stages of conceptualization.

NYSCF is soliciting applications from early career investigators for Innovator awards in neuroscience. The goal of this initiative is to foster truly bold, innovative scientists with the potential to transform the field of neuroscience. Applicants are encouraged in the fundamental areas of developmental, cellular, cognitive, and translational neuroscience, broadly interpreted. Applicants need not be working in areas related to stem cells. The award provides $1.5M USD over 5 years and is open to researchers based at both national and international accredited academic and nonprofit research institutions. To be eligible, candidates must: - Have completed one or more of the following degrees: MD, PhD, DPhil - Be within 5 years of starting a faculty (professorship) or comparable position on June 1, 2018 - Have demonstrated ability to independently supervise staff and research - Have a publication record containing articles that are innovative and high impact

The purpose of the NINDS Research Program Award (RPA) is to provide longer-term support and increased flexibility to Program Directors (PDs) /Principal Investigators (PIs) whose records of research achievement demonstrate their ability to make major contributions to neuroscience. RPAs will support the overall research programs of NINDS-funded investigators for up to 8 years, at a level commensurate with a PD/PIs recent NINDS support (Part 2, Section II) This greater funding stability will provide eligible investigators at nearly all career stages increased freedom and flexibility, allowing them to be more adventurous in their research, take greater risks, embark upon research that breaks new ground, undertake research projects that require a longer timeframe, and/or extend previous discoveries in new directions. Research supported through the RPA must be within the scope of the NINDS mission (http://www.ninds.nih.gov/about_ninds/mission.htm). Research activities outside of the NINDS mission, or traditionally supported by another NIH Institute or Center will not be considered through this program.

The purpose of the NINDS Research Program Award (RPA) is to provide longer-term support and increased flexibility to Program Directors (PDs) /Principal Investigators (PIs) whose records of research achievement demonstrate their ability to make major contributions to neuroscience. RPAs will support the overall research programs of NINDS-funded investigators for up to 8 years, at a level commensurate with a PD/PI's recent NINDS support (Part 2, Section II) This greater funding stability will provide eligible investigators at nearly all career stages increased freedom and flexibility, allowing them to be more adventurous in their research, take greater risks, embark upon research that breaks new ground, undertake research projects that require a longer timeframe, and/or extend previous discoveries in new directions. Research supported through the RPA must be within the scope of the NINDS mission

The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to support high risk/high reward research on the blood/vascular component and regulation of the neurovascular-blood unit (a.k.a., Blood-Brain Barrier; BBB) in normal and pathological states to create enhanced/modified platforms that more closely model the human BBB. Research addressing vascular, hemostatic, hematopoietic, and/or immune cell interaction across the Blood-Brain Interface is of particular interest. This initiative will serve to stimulate the development of a new field of science and re-define the neurovascular unit to also include the blood/vascular component to develop the next generation of pre-clinical human cellular model systems of the human BBB to complement research currently based on animal models.

The Jointly Sponsored NIH Predoctoral Training Program in the Neurosciences (JSPTPN) is an institutional program that supports broad and fundamental research training in the neurosciences. In addition to a broad education in the neurosciences, a key component will be a curriculum that provides a strong foundation in experimental design, statistical methodology and quantitative reasoning. JSPTPN programs are intended to be 2 years in duration and students may only be appointed to this training grant during the first 2 years of their graduate research training. The primary objective is to prepare students to be outstanding scientists equipped to pursue careers in neuroscience.

Reissue of PAR-18-541. The Blueprint Neurotherapeutics Network (BPN) encourages applications from small businesses seeking support to advance their small molecule drug discovery and development projects into the clinic. Participants in the BPN are responsible for conducting all studies that involve disease- or target-specific assays, models, and other research tools and receive funding for all activities to be conducted in their own laboratories. In addition, applicants will collaborate with NIH-funded consultants and can augment their project with NIH contract research organizations (CROs) that specialize in medicinal chemistry, pharmacokinetics, toxicology, formulations development, chemical synthesis including under Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), and Phase I clinical testing. Projects can enter either at the Discovery stage, to optimize promising hit compounds through medicinal chemistry to the Development stage, to advance a single development candidate through Investigational New Drug (IND)-enabling toxicology studies and phase I clinical testing. Alternatively, projects can enter at the Development stage and progress in a shorter period to IND enabling toxicology studies and phase I clinical testing. Projects that enter at the Discovery stage and meet their milestones may continue on through Development. BPN awardee institutions retain their assignment of IP rights and gain assignment of IP rights from the BPN contractors (and thereby control the patent prosecution and licensing negotiations) for drug candidates developed in this program.

REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is a parasomnia that presents with abnormal dream mentation, abnormal behaviors, and increased electromyographic tone on polysomnography during REM sleep. Older individuals with RBD frequently develop neurodegenerative diseases, particularly α-synucleinopathies: Parkinson's disease (PD), Lewy Body Dementia (LBD), and Multi-System Atrophy (MSA). Individuals with idiopathic RBD (iRBD) develop an overt synucleinopathy at high rates: 40-50% in 5 years and 80-92% in long-term follow up. iRBD provides a unique opportunity to understand the clinical development and evolution of α-synucleinopathies, as well as a potential path for developing disease prevention therapies. While it is not possible at this time to identify whether a person will develop PD, LBD, or MSA, iRBD is a preclinical/prodromal phase of neurodegenerative, particularly α-synucleinopathy, illness. The current iRBD research community includes investigators and centers across North America and the world. There have been attempts to carry out multi-center iRBD research, but interpretation of findings has been complicated by small numbers of iRBD subjects at individual centers; differences in assessment protocols, including collection methods for cognitive and biomarker data; and variability in diagnostic procedures at different centers. This FOA seeks to develop and support a consortium of investigators who will establish a common iRBD research protocol to collect and share harmonized clinical, cognitive, and biomarker data, establishing a centralized repository of biosamples from individuals with iRBD as they progress from prodromal α-synucleinopathy to PD, LBD, or MSA.

The Office of Naval Research (ONR) is interested in receiving proposals for its Young Investigator Program (YIP). ONR's Young Investigator Program (YIP) seeks to identify and support academic scientists and engineers who are in their first or second full-time tenure-track or tenure-track-equivalent academic appointment, have begun their first appointment on or after 31 December 2012, and who show exceptional promise for doing creative research. The objectives of this program are to attract outstanding faculty members of Institutions of Higher Education (hereafter also called "universities") to the Department of the Navy's Science and Technology (S&T) research program, to support their research, and to encourage their teaching and research careers. Proposals addressing research areas (as described in the ONR Science and Technology Department section of ONR's website at www.onr.navy.mil) which are of interest to ONR program officers will be considered. Contact information for each division (a subgroup of an S&T Department) is also listed within the S&T section of the website

NIFA requests applications for the Mental Health Research Project (MHRP) for the fiscal year FY 2017 to support the Air Force Medical Operations Agency (AFMOA) MHRP in promoting the psychological health and well being for Airmen and there families through staff development, consultation, program and resource development; program evaluation, and data tracking.The primary objective for this project is to assess, develop, and evaluate programming to treat and prevent mental health problems to support the Mental Health Division of the Air Force Medical Operations Agency (AFMOA).This work also supports the mission of the DoD-USDA Partnership for Military Families Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in 2010 by NIFA and DoD senior leadership. The goal of the MOU is "…to enhance federal interagency coordination and build capacity for partnerships and collaboration among the agencies and across public and private sectors to sustain programs and services for military service members and their families."

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 FY17/18 PH/TBIRP Complex TBI Rehabilitation Research - 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.

Long-term misuse and chronic exposure to abused substances can produce widespread changes in brain structure and function. Although much progress has been made, additional research is still needed to identify the neurobiological changes that result from substance use, and how these changes contribute to substance use disorders. The overarching goals of the research areas described in this FOA are to understand the neurobiological mechanisms underlying substance use disorders, with special emphasis on identifying changes and neuroadaptations that occur during dependence, withdrawal, and relapse to chronic substance use. An understanding of the basic mechanisms underlying substance use disorders can help to identify targets for prevention and treatment interventions. Research utilizing basic, translational, or clinical approaches is appropriate.

The purpose of the BRAIN Initiative Fellows (F32) program is to enhance the research training of promising postdoctorates, early in their postdoctoral training period, who have the potential to become productive investigators in research areas that will advance the goals of the BRAIN Initiative. Applications are encouraged in any research area that is aligned with the BRAIN Initiative, including neuroethics. Applicants are expected to propose research training in an area that clearly complements their predoctoral research. Formal training in analytical tools appropriate for the proposed research is expected to be an integral component of the research training plan. In order to maximize the training potential of the F32 award, this program encourages applications from individuals who have not yet completed their terminal doctoral degree and who expect to do so within 12 months of the application due date. On the application due date, candidates may not have completed more than 12 months of postdoctoral training.

The purpose of the BRAIN Initiative Fellows (F32) program is to enhance the research training of promising postdoctorates, early in their postdoctoral training period, who have the potential to become productive investigators in research areas that will advance the goals of the BRAIN Initiative. Applications are encouraged in any research area that is aligned with the BRAIN Initiative, including neuroethics. Applicants are expected to propose research training in an area that clearly complements their predoctoral research. Formal training in analytical tools appropriate for the proposed research is expected to be an integral component of the research training plan. In order to maximize the training potential of the F32 award, this program encourages applications from individuals who have not yet completed their terminal doctoral degree and who expect to do so within 12 months of the application due date. On the application due date, candidates may not have completed more than 12 months of postdoctoral training.

This FOA solicits new theories, computational models, and statistical tools to derive understanding of brain function from complex neuroscience data. Proposed tools could include the creation of new theories, ideas, and conceptual frameworks to organize/unify data and infer general principles of brain function; new computational models to develop testable hypotheses and design/drive experiments; and new mathematical and statistical methods to support or refute a stated hypothesis about brain function, and/or assist in detecting dynamical features and patterns in complex brain data. It is expected that the tools developed under this FOA will be made widely available to the neuroscience research community for their use and modification. Investigative studies should be limited to validity testing of the tools being developed.

This FOA solicits new theories, computational models, and statistical tools to derive understanding of brain function from complex neuroscience data. Proposed tools could include the creation of new theories, ideas, and conceptual frameworks to organize/unify data and infer general principles of brain function; new computational models to develop testable hypotheses and design/drive experiments; and new mathematical and statistical methods to support or refute a stated hypothesis about brain function, and/or assist in detecting dynamical features and patterns in complex brain data. It is expected that the tools developed under this FOA will be made widely available to the neuroscience research community for their use and modification. Investigative studies should be limited to validity testing of the tools being developed.

As part of this mission, the foundation is seeking applications for scientific research projects with the potential to significantly advance the field toward an effective understanding of the mechanisms of cerebrovascular disease. TAAF grants respond to the cerebrovascular community's need for projects that highlight innovative research strategies that will support the development of novel cerebrovascular therapies, clinical management, and recovery for patients. To that end, grants of up to $25,000 will be awarded to investigators at any level of experience. However, grant recipients will be expected to present their research at the Aneurysm and AVM Foundation's annual meeting or Awareness Walk event.

Made possible through a 12-year, $50 million commitment from the Amgen Foundation, Amgen Scholars allows undergraduates from across the globe to participate in cutting-edge research opportunities at world-class institutions. 17 leading institutions across the U.S., Europe and Japan currently host the summer program. Undergraduate participants benefit from undertaking a research project under top faculty, being part of a cohort-based experience of seminars and networking events, and taking part in a symposium in their respective region (U.S., Europe or Japan) where they meet their peers, learn about biotechnology, and hear from leading scientists. -- No previous research experience is necessary and you do not need to be a biology major to apply. -- You do not need to currently attend one of the 17 host institutions to participate in the program. -- During the program, students work full-time on independent research projects under the guidance of a research scientist. -- Amgen Scholars have opportunities to conduct research, analyze data, present research results, network with other undergraduates with similar research interests, and develop working relationships with faculty mentors and other research staff. -- Financial support is a critical component of the Amgen Scholars Program. Please note that details vary by host institution. See each institution's Amgen Scholars Program website for more information.

The Endowment Fund is especially interested in how technology may be used or adapted to monitor, manipulate, analyze, or model brain function at any level, from the molecular to the entire organism. Technology may take any form, from biochemical tools to instruments to software and mathematical approaches. Because the program seeks to advance and enlarge the range of technologies available to the neurosciences, research based primarily on existing techniques will not be considered.

This FOA invites applications from multidisciplinary teams to perform secondary data analysis, using existing datasets from two or more multi-site clinical research projects, to address scientific and clinical hypotheses relevant to neurological disorders and conditions within the NINDS mission. In this phased funding mechanism, applications are required to systematically and comprehensively perform cross-project data harmonization and curation, assessed using Go/No-go data-quality metrics, prior to funding of the second phase of data analyses. Consistent with the FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable) data principles, this funding opportunity expects open-source cataloging of the processes and tools used for harmonization, curation, and analysis, as well as controlled access to the curated datasets.