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Grants of up to $200,000 for up to three years will be awarded to support research in the life sciences that breaks new conceptual or theoretical ground and relates closely to experiment by introducing new and experimentally testable concepts or by developing models that can explain data and motivate new classes of experiments. Priority will be given to projects that involve both new theoretical approaches and a direct interaction with biological experiment. A broad range of research areas will be considered, ranging from cellular-level issues of organization, regulation, signaling, and dynamics through morphogenesis to the properties of organisms and ecology, as well as neuroscience and evolution.

The US National Science Foundation (NSF) and the US-Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Research Cooperation. The MOU provides an overarching framework to encourage collaboration between US and Israeli research communities and sets out the principles by which jointly supported activities might be developed. The MOU provides for an international collaboration arrangement whereby US researchers may receive funding from the NSF and Israeli researchers may receive funding from the BSF. The Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences (MCB) the Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO) of the National Science Foundation and the US-Israel Binational Science Foundation are pleased to announce a US-Israel collaborative research opportunity. The goal is to help reduce some of the current barriers to working internationally. NSF/BIO/MCB and BSF will address these issues by allowing US and Israeli researchers to submit a single collaborative proposal that will undergo a single review process.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) solicits grant applications proposing research projects on the advanced development of emerging molecular and cellular analysis technologies and technical/analytical validation in an appropriate cancer-relevant biological system. An emerging technology is defined as one that has passed the pilot developmental stage and shows promise, but has not yet been significantly evaluated within the context of its intended use. If successful, these technologies would accelerate research in cancer biology, cancer treatment and diagnosis, early detection and screening, cancer control and epidemiology, and/or cancer health disparities. This FOA solicits projects where proof-of-principle of the proposed technology or methodology has been established and supportive preliminary data are available. Projects proposed to this FOA should reflect the potential to produce a molecular analysis technology with a major impact in a broad area of cancer-relevant research. Projects proposing to use established technologies where the novelty resides in the biological or clinical question being pursued are not appropriate for this solicitation and will not be reviewed.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) encourages exploratory/developmental grant (R21) applications from institutions and organizations that propose to study the effects and functional consequences of cannabis and cannabinoid exposures on the developing brain, from pre-, peri-, post-natal development through young adulthood in animal models and humans. Topics of interest pertaining to this PA include, but are not limited to: molecular and cellular mechanisms of cannabis/cannabinoid effects on the developing brain; long term functional consequences of cannabis/cannabinoid exposure on learning and memory, cognitive and emotional development.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) encourages Small Research Grant (R03) applications from institutions and organizations that propose to study the effects and functional consequences of cannabis and cannabinoid exposures on the developing brain, from pre-, peri-, post-natal development through young adulthood in animal models and humans. Topics of interest pertaining to this PA include, but are not limited to: molecular and cellular mechanisms of cannabis/cannabinoid effects on the developing brain; long term functional consequences of cannabis/cannabinoid exposure on learning and memory, cognitive and emotional development.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) encourages exploratory/developmental grant (R21) applications from institutions and organizations that propose to study the effects and functional consequences of cannabis and cannabinoid exposures on the developing brain, from pre-, peri-, post-natal development through young adulthood in animal models and humans. Topics of interest pertaining to this PA include, but are not limited to: molecular and cellular mechanisms of cannabis/cannabinoid effects on the developing brain; long term functional consequences of cannabis/cannabinoid exposure on learning and memory, cognitive and emotional development.

The goal of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to support novel basic and translational research projects that focus on the biology of residual oral reservoirs for HIV and opportunistic oral pathogens.  These studies will advance our understanding of the immunologic, pathogenic, molecular and cellular mechanisms important for eliminating latently persistent, reactivation competent HIV and other opportunistic pathogens from residual oral reservoirs.  Specifically, this FOA encourages studies on: 1) purging and abolishing these pathogens after using Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy (HAART) to induce cytopathic killing and immunoclearance; or 2) developing alternative strategies that directly eliminate latently infected cells in which HAART resistant HIV and opportunistic pathogens persist in oral reservoirs.

The goal of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to support novel basic and translational research projects that focus on the biology of residual oral reservoirs for HIV and opportunistic oral pathogens.These studies will advance our understanding of the immunologic, pathogenic, molecular and cellular mechanisms important for eliminating latently persistent, reactivation competent HIV and other opportunistic pathogens from residual oral reservoirs.Specifically, this FOA encourages studies on: 1) purging and abolishing these pathogens after using Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy (HAART) to induce cytopathic killing and immunoclearance; or 2) developing alternative strategies that directly eliminate latently infected cells in which HAART resistant HIV and opportunistic pathogens persist in oral reservoirs.

The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to encourage research aimed at elucidating the pathophysiology of eosinophil-associated disorders and clarifying the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the role of eosinophil leukocytes in these conditions.

Stem cell technology holds the promise of providing a nearly limitless source of safe, immune-matched cells for clinical use. One of the first areas where this promise can be realized is through cell products that lack a nucleus and thus face fewer regulatory hurdles, such as red blood cells and platelets. Considerable progress has been made but scientific questions remain and improved tools to enhance the production are required if translation to clinical use is to be achieved. To this end, this FOA will support research addressing remaining scientific questions to enable and accelerate the use of stem cell-derived blood products as therapeutics. While production of sufficient numbers of cells such as platelets and red cells has been demonstrated using cellular engineering methods, basic research questions related to cell differentiation and maturation remain, which if elucidated, may allow for the development of new ways to efficiently produce clinically-useful stem cell-derived platelets or red blood cells. In addition to this FOA, two companion FOAs (RFA-HL-15-029 and RFA-HL-15-030) will support small business research to develop improved techniques and tools to enhance the production of clinically-relevant, functional stem cell-derived red blood cells or platelets in a more efficient and cost-effective manner.

The Biotechnology, Biochemical, and Biomass Engineering (BBBE) program supports fundamental engineering research that advances the understanding of cellular and biomolecular processes (in vivo, in vitro, and/or ex vivo) and eventually leads to the development of enabling technology and/or applications in support of the biopharmaceutical, biotechnology, and bioenergy industries, or with applications in health or the environment.  Quantitative assessments of bioprocesses are considered vital to successful research projects in the BBBE program.  Fundamental to many research projects in this area is the understanding of how biomolecules and cells interact in their environment, and how those molecular level interactions lead to changes in structure, function, phenotype, and/or behavior.  The program encourages proposals that address emerging research areas and technologies that effectively integrate knowledge and practices from different disciplines, and effectively incorporate ongoing research into educational activities. Research projects of particular interest in BBBE include, but are not limited to: Metabolic engineering and synthetic biology Quantitative systems biotechnology Tissue engineering and stem cell culture technologies Protein engineering/protein design Development of novel "omics" tools for biotechnology applications

The purpose of this Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative is to encourage applications that will develop and validate novel tools to facilitate the detailed analysis of complex circuits and provide insights into cellular interactions that underlie brain function. The new tools and technologies should inform and/or exploit cell-type and/or circuit-level specificity. 

This FOA seeks applications for proof-of-concept testing and development of new technologies and novel approaches for large-scale recording and manipulation of neural activity to enable transformative understanding of dynamic signaling in the nervous system.  In particular, we seek exceptionally creative approaches to address major challenges associated with recording and manipulating neural activity, at or near cellular resolution, at multiple spatial and/or temporal scales, in any region and throughout the entire depth of the brain. 

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) encourages investigator-initiated applications that propose hypothesis-driven research using erythroid cells.  The aim of this program is to support research efforts towards a complete description of the molecular and cellular components of erythropoiesis and how these components function to achieve normal erythropoiesis.  Components include genes that are expressed (transcriptome) in erythroid cells, either during development or during differentiation, chemical changes to DNA and histone proteins (epigenome) and the proteins (proteome) that are translated in erythroid cells, including post-translational modifications or subcellular localizations that are unique to erythroid cells. 

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) invites research applications that will further our understanding of the cellular and subcellular basis of noise-induced cochlear synaptopathy. Such studies will increase our basic understanding of noise-induced cochlear synaptopathy as well as inform potential therapies.

The Autism Science Foundation is inviting applications for its Pre- and Postdoctoral Training Awards and Medical School Gap Year Research Training Awards from graduate students, medical students, and postdoctoral fellows interested in pursuing careers in basic and clinical research relevant to autism spectrum disorders. The proposed training must be scientifically linked to autism and may be broadened to include training in a closely related area of scientific research, including but not limited to human behavior across the lifespan (language, learning, behavior, communication, social function, motor skills and planning, epilepsy, sleep, repetitive disorders); neurobiology (anatomy, development, neuroimaging); pharmacology; neuropathology; genetics; epigenetics; genomics; epigenomics; immunology; molecular and cellular mechanisms; studies employing model organisms and systems; and studies of treatment and service delivery.

HIV-associated neurological disorders (HAND) persist in up to 50% of HIV-patients even when HIV replication is suppressed by combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), which transformed HIV/AIDS from a fatal illness into a chronically managed long-term condition. HIV does not infect neurons, but infects microglia and macrophages in the brain, causing HAND associated neuropathology. HAND epitomizes a series of disorders include Asymptomatic Neurocognitive Impairment (ANI), Mild Neurocognitive Disorder (MND), and HIV-Associated Dementia (HAD). These neurocognitive deficits interfere with psychomotor speed and coordination, diminishing memory and executive functions, and reduce quality of life in long-standing aviremic HIV-positive patients. These clinical challenges mandate research for a better understanding of HIV neuropathology; however, currently there are no effective approaches for HIV-infected live human brain studies or realistic HIV-infected animal models for HIV neuropathology. Proposed projects MUST include the following components. Applications which lack these three components will be considered non-responsive to the FOA and will not be reviewed. The major thrust of the project MUST involve exploitation of induced microglia and cerebral organoids generated from patient derived iPSC lines to better understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms of HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorder (HAND). At least one aim or sub-aim MUST also involve either 1. opioid, cannabinoid, methamphetamine, nicotinic, dopaminergic, or other signaling pathways relevant to addictive substance use, or 2. exposure to addictive substances, or 3. analysis of samples from patients that have used addictive substances or have SUDs.

The purpose of this Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative is to encourage applications that will develop and validate novel tools to facilitate the detailed analysis and manipulation of complex circuits and provide insights into cellular interactions that underlie brain function. Critical advances in the treatment of brain disorders in human populations are hindered by our lack of ability to monitor and manipulate circuitry in safe, minimally-invasive ways. Clinical intervention with novel cell and circuit specific tools will require extensive focused research designed to remove barriers to delivery of gene therapies. In addition to identification and removal of barriers, the need to specifically target dysfunctional circuitry poses additional challenges. Neuroscience has experienced an impressive influx of exciting new research tools in the past decade, especially since the launch of the BRAIN Initiative.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is associated with the Beau Biden Cancer MoonshotSM Initiative that is intended to accelerate cancer research. The purpose of this FOA is to establish centers of collaborating investigators with the goal of identifying and advancing research opportunities for translating immunotherapy concepts for children and adolescents with cancer toward clinical applications. Specifically, this FOA targets the following area designated as a scientific priority by the Blue Ribbon Panel (BRP): Recommendation (B) that calls for the establishment of a pediatric immunotherapy translational science network. The network was envisioned by the BRP as focusing on identifying new targets for immunotherapies, developing new pediatric immunotherapy treatment approaches (e.g., cancer vaccines, cellular therapy, combinations of immunotherapy agents, and others), and defining the biological mechanisms by which pediatric tumors evade the immune system. The Pediatric Immunotherapy Discovery and Development Network (PI-DDN) Centers will address and implement these BRP recommendations.  

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is associated with the Beau Biden Cancer MoonshotSM Initiative that is intended to accelerate cancer research. The overall goal of this FOA and the companion FOA, RFA-CA-19-012, is to establish a network of collaborating investigators to identify and advance research opportunities for translating immunotherapy concepts for children and adolescents with cancer toward clinical applications. Specifically, this FOA targets the following area designated as a scientific priority by the Blue Ribbon Panel (BRP): Recommendation (B) that calls for the establishment of a pediatric immunotherapy translation science network. The network was envisioned by the BRP as focusing on identifying new targets for immunotherapies, developing new pediatric immunotherapy treatment approaches (e.g., cancer vaccines, cellular therapy, combinations of immunotherapy agents, and others), and defining the biological mechanisms by which pediatric tumors evade the immune system.