OARS funding Neuroscience

This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) encourages the development and validation of: 1) animal models and human tissue ex vivo systems that recapitulate the phenotypic and physiologic characteristics of a defined neurological disorder and/or 2) clinically feasible pharmacodynamic markers for therapeutics designed to treat neurological disease. The goal of this FOA is to promote a significant improvement in the translational relevance of animal models, ex vivo systems, and pharmacodynamic markers that will be utilized to facilitate the development of neurotherapeutics. Ideally, models, model systems and pharmacodynamic markers proposed in applications for this FOA would have the potential to provide feasible and meaningful assessments of efficacy following therapeutic intervention that would be applicable in both preclinical and clinical settings. This FOA is part of a suite of Innovation Grants to Nurture Initial Translational Efforts (IGNITE) focused on enabling the exploratory and early stages of drug discovery.

Understanding the dynamic activity of neural circuits is central to the NIH BRAIN Initiative. Although invention and proof-of-concept testing of new technologies are a key component of the BRAIN Initiative, to achieve their potential these technologies must also be optimized through feedback from end-users in the context of the intended experimental use. This FOA seeks applications for the optimization of existing and emerging technologies and approaches that have potential to address major challenges associated with recording and manipulating neural activity, at or near cellular resolution, at multiple spatial and temporal scales, in any region and throughout the entire depth of the brain. This FOA is intended for the iterative refinement of emergent technologies and approaches that have already demonstrated their transformative potential through initial proof-of-concept testing, and are appropriate for accelerated development of hardware and software while scaling manufacturing techniques towards sustainable, broad dissemination and user-friendly incorporation into regular neuroscience practice. Proposed technologies should be compatible with experiments in behaving animals, and should include advancements that enable or reduce major barriers to hypothesis-driven experiments. Technologies may engage diverse types of signaling beyond neuronal electrical activity for large-scale analysis, and may utilize any modality such as optical, electrical, magnetic, acoustic or genetic recording/manipulation. Applications that seek to integrate multiple approaches are encouraged. Applications are expected to integrate appropriate domains of expertise, including where appropriate biological, chemical and physical sciences, engineering, computational modeling and statistical analysis. Also listed under R01

This NINDS K22 is specifically designed to facilitate the transition of NINDS intramural neurologist- and neurosurgeon-scientists to independent, academic faculty positions that support clinician-scientists to engage in independently funded scientific research as well as clinical activities. This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is designed specifically for applicants proposing research that does not involve leading an independent clinical trial, a clinical trial feasibility study, or an ancillary study to a clinical trial. Applicants to this FOA are permitted to propose research experience in a clinical trial led by a mentor or co-mentor. Applicants proposing a clinical trial or an ancillary study to an ongoing clinical trial as lead investigator should apply to the companion FOA (PAR-18-710).

The goal of this FOA is to define and characterize neural cell populations, neural circuits, and brain networks and regions that are vulnerable to brain aging and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Understanding mechanisms underlying selective vulnerability from cells to networks in AD is critical to fully define the disease process and to develop effective therapies.

The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative invites applications to join the CZI Neurodegeneration Challenge Network an interdisciplinary collaborative initiative to increase understanding of the fundamental biology of neurodegenerative disorders. Applications are being accepted for two funding mechanisms: Awards are worth $350K total costs per year for three years, for a total of $1.05M (including up to 15% indirect costs). The CZI Neurodegeneration Challenge Network has three goals: (1) to make fundamental advances toward understanding neurodegeneration; (2) to bring new ideas and talent to the field of neurodegeneration; and (3) to encourage a new type of interdisciplinary collaborative research involving scientists, clinicians and engineers

The goal of this FOA is to define and characterize neural cell populations, neural circuits, and brain networks and regions that are vulnerable to brain aging and Alzheimers disease (AD). Understanding mechanisms underlying selective vulnerability from cells to networks in AD is critical to fully define the disease process and to develop effective therapies.

This funding opportunity announcement(FOA) supports the development of PET radioligands that identify proteinopathies or pathological processes associated with the human biology of Alzheimer's disease related dementias (ADRDs). Activities supported under this FOA include, but are not limited to the in vitro screening of existing ligands against human ADRD brain tissue, medicinal chemistry support for improvement of ligand specificity and selectivity, initial screening of ligands in appropriated animal models, and radioligand formulation and first-in-human testing. Applications must include an administrative core, a medicinal chemistry core, a clincial core, a scientific governance structure, and a minimum of two research projects with milestone plans that address workflows for screening of existing and newly derived ligands against human ADRD tissue and appropriate animal models. Synergy must be evident among Center research projects and cores, such that successful completion of the aims could not be accomplished without the Center structure. This FOA is in response to the Alzheimer's Disease Related Dementias (ADRD) challenges outlined in the 2016 update to the National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease.

This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) supports the development of PET radioligands that identify proteinopathies or pathological processes associated with the human biology of Alzheimer's disease related dementias (ADRDs). Activities supported under this FOA include, but are not limited to the in vitro screening of existing ligands against human ADRD brain tissue, medicinal chemistry support for development of new compounds and improvement of existing ligand specificity and selectivity, initial screening of ligands in appropriate animal models, and radioligand formulation and first-in-human testing. The Center without Walls should encompass research that will move promising ligands through in vitro and in vivo optimization to first-in-human studies. Applications must include an administrative core, a medicinal chemistry core, a clinical core, a scientific governance structure, and a minimum of two research projects with milestone plans that address workflows for screening of existing and newly derived ligands against human ADRD tissue and appropriate animal models. Synergy must be evident among Center research projects and cores, such that successful completion of the aims could not be accomplished without the Center structure.

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.

The Course Hero-Woodrow Wilson Fellowship for Excellence in Teaching will support rising stars in the academy who love teaching, demonstrate excellence as educators, and are making their mark as exceptional researchers, poised to shape their fields. Designed for young scholars working towards tenure, the Course Hero-WW Fellowship is a "genius grant" that will emphasize the balance between scholarly excellence and commitment to teaching practice that draws on new approaches to pedagogy, creating a new level of engagement for students in and beyond the classroom. In short, Fellows will be emerging heroes in their fields, on a clear trajectory to become great college educators. In its inaugural year, the Course Hero-WW Fellowship will identify five outstanding junior faculty members. Fellows will receive a one-year grant of $40,000-approximately $30,000 to support the engagement of a student assistant and the balance to be used for research and travel support. Exceptional candidates teach in ways that build student confidence and mastery of a subject; encourage critical thinking; explore foundational concepts through the lens of broader themes and global events; promote the power of learning communities beyond the classroom; leverage technology to complement the classroom experience; consider and serve different learning styles; prepare students for lifelong learning; and can serve as replicable teaching models for other educators. Selection takes place in June 2018. The five Fellows will be invited to attend the Course Hero Education Summit in July 2018, where their Fellowships will be announced.

The HFSP supports novel, innovative and interdisciplinary basic research focused on the complex mechanisms of living organisms; topics range from molecular and cellular approaches to systems and cognitive neuroscience and the interactions between organisms. A clear emphasis is placed on novel collaborations that bring biologists together with scientists from fields such as physics, mathematics, chemistry, computer science and engineering to focus on problems at the frontier of the life sciences.

The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to encourage projects to generate fundamental knowledge of affective processes. Basic affective science projects should have key consequences for single (e.g., cancer screening) and multiple (e.g., adherence to oral chemotherapy regimen) event decisions and behaviors across the cancer prevention and control continuum. The FOA is expected to encourage collaboration among cancer control researchers and those from scientific disciplines not traditionally connected to cancer control applications (e.g., affective and cognitive neuroscience, decision science, consumer science) to elucidate perplexing and understudied problems in affective and decision sciences with downstream implications for cancer prevention and control.

Since 1998, ADDF has provided more than $29 million in funding for early stage clinical drug trials for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. To help propel novel drugs into the clinic, ADDF also has provided over $6.5 million in support of final preclinical studies required by regulatory agencies for the initiation of clinical research studies. The goal of the foundation's PACT program is to increase the number of innovative treatments tested in humans for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. To that end, the program will fund clinical trials through Phase 2a of novel drug candidates, including small molecules and biologics (antibodies, oligonucleotides, peptides, gene therapies, cell therapies); proof-of-concept biomarker-based trials in patients for repurposed/repositioned drugs; and regulatory studies for investigational new drug (IND)/clinical trial application preclinical packages that are required before testing novel drugs in human subjects. Proposed molecular targets will be evaluated based on the strength of available evidence linking the target to the disease and demonstrating that modulating its biological activity will improve symptoms or modify disease progression. Current target areas of interest include but are not limited to neuroprotection, inflammation, vascular function, mitochondria and metabolic function, proteostasis, ApoE, epigenetics, and synaptic activity and neurotransmitters.

The Administration on Aging will hold a competition for a new cooperative agreement to continue operation of a national information and counseling service for persons with Alzheimer’s disease, their family members and caregivers (National Alzheimer’s Call Center). The National Call Center will be available to people in 56 states and territories, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year to provide expert advice, care consultation, information and referrals at the national and local levels, regarding Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD).

DARPA seeks proposals to design, build, demonstrate, and validate a nonsurgical neural interface system to broaden the applicability of neural interfaces to the able-bodied warfighter. The final technology aims to enable neural recording and stimulation with sub-millimeter spatial resolution. See attached BAA package for full details.

This FOA provides funding to conduct pharmacodynamic, pharmacokinetic, and in vivo efficacy studies to demonstrate that proposed therapeutic agent(s) have sufficient biological activity to warrant further development to treat neurological disorders that fall under the NINDS mission. Therapeutic agents may include but are not limited to small molecules, biologics or biotechnology-derived products. This FOA is part of a suite of Innovation Grants to Nurture Initial Translational Efforts (IGNITE) to advance projects to the point where they can meet the entry criteria for the NINDS Cooperative Research to Enable and Advance Translational Enterprises for Biologics program (CREATE Bio) program for biologics, biotechnology products, Blueprint Neurotherapeutics Network for small molecules, or other translational programs.

To study in vivo synaptic structure and function in Alzheimer's and related dementia; and to advance development of methods to study synapses in animal models and humans.

The Michael J. Fox Foundation works tirelessly to accelerate promising research toward breakthroughs for Parkinson's patients. While our strong emphasis is on funding translational and clinical research, we also support high-risk/high-reward discovery work. In addition to funding, awardees benefit from working with our internal research staff and broad network of scientific and industry advisors. Targeted Funding Opportunities | Application Deadline: May 31, 2018: 1. Alpha-synuclein Biology and Therapies 2. GBA Biology and Therapies 3. Biomarkers of Protein Handling/Autophagy, Exosomes and Lipids 4. Non-Pharmacological Interventions for Gait and Balance Disturbances

The Brain Tumor Funders' Collaborative works to identify potential therapies for patients with primary human brain tumors, with the goal of increasing progression-free patient survival and improving quality of life for patients affected by a primary brain tumor. To that end, BTFC has issued a Request for Proposals for research on the role of the neuro-immune system in the origin and progression of immune responses in primary human brain tumors with the hope of developing immunotherapies for treatment of these tumors in patients. Priority will be given to studies on immune responses in primary brain tumors in pediatric and/or adult human patients. The program, which will provide grants of up to $250,000 per year over three years, will support a small number of multidisciplinary team-based projects. Teams should represent the requisite skills needed to carry out the proposed research, including clinical oncology, tumor biology, neuro-immunology, computational modelling, and data science. Other areas of immunotherapy research may also be entertained, including radiation-induced brain tumors in survivors of childhood cancers who received cranio-spinal radiation for their original cancer (leukemias or medulloblastoma).

The Brain Tumor Funders' Collaborative works to identify potential therapies for patients with primary human brain tumors, with the goal of increasing progression-free patient survival and improving quality of life for patients affected by a primary brain tumor. To that end, BTFC has issued a Request for Proposals for research on the role of the neuro-immune system in the origin and progression of immune responses in primary human brain tumors with the hope of developing immunotherapies for treatment of these tumors in patients. Priority will be given to studies on immune responses in primary brain tumors in pediatric and/or adult human patients. The program, which will provide grants of up to $250,000 per year over three years, will support a small number of multidisciplinary team-based projects. Teams should represent the requisite skills needed to carry out the proposed research, including clinical oncology, tumor biology, neuro-immunology, computational modelling, and data science. Other areas of immunotherapy research may also be entertained, including radiation-induced brain tumors in survivors of childhood cancers who received cranio-spinal radiation for their original cancer (leukemias or medulloblastoma).