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The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to establish a joint initiative between the National Eye Institute (NEI) and the Vision Research Program (Vision Research Program) of the Department of Defense (DOD). Through this FOA, the NEI will support meritorious VRP proposals that were unable to be funded by the DOD.

The National Eye Institute (NEI), part of the National Institutes of Health, is seeking ideas for how to develop advances in vitro 3-D human retina organoid models. The goal of the challenge is to turn innovative ideas into concrete concepts for the development of a 3-D system that models the cellular organization and function of the human retina.

The purpose of this FOA is to stimulate development of translation-enabling models for evaluating survival and integration of regenerated photoreceptors (PRCs) and retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) in model systems that are closer to human visual anatomy, function and/or disease than current models. The development of these models, tools, devices, novel therapies and/or other resources is expected to provide a resource to vision researchers developing cell-replacement therapies for visual system diseases and disorders. This FOA seeks to develop models that emulate critical aspects of a human blinding disease that might be amenable to regenerative therapy. The model system might involve specific defects generated by transgenic gene insertion and/or deletion, gene editing, chemical/physical means, and/or other approaches to emulate characteristics of human disease or create defects amenable to cell-replacement therapy. Model systems using non-human primates or other cone-dominant species that are more representative of the anatomy and physiology of the human retina are highly encouraged. Other biological models are acceptable provided they meet the overall objectives of the FOA.

The Ohio Affiliate of  Prevent Blindness is accepting applications for its 2018 Young Investigator Student Fellowship Awards for Female Scholars in Vision Research. The Fellowship Program is designed to provide support for outstanding female scientists committed to pursuing biomedical, behavioral or clinical research careers relevant to the mission of Prevent Blindness - to prevent blindness and preserve sight.  Grants will be awarded for the summer 2018 session.  Awards will range from $3000-$5000 depending upon the availability of funds. The deadline for receipt of applications is Feb. 15, 2018. Applicants must be post-baccalaureate students enrolled in a master's or doctorate program during the summer of 2018, female, citizens or permanent residents of the United States, and conducting their research with a recognized academic institution in the State of Ohio. Applications from diverse fields in the health sciences including, but not limited to ophthalmology, optometry, nursing, genetics, public health, nutrition, gerontology, and bioengineering, are appropriate to the goals of this fellowship award. The Ohio Affiliate of Prevent Blindness encourages fellowship applications which investigate public health issues related to the burden of eye-related health and safety topics.

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-16-006) or to optimize existing technology ready for in-vivo proof-of-concept testing and collection of preliminary data (RFA-NS-16-007) 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.

To that end, the foundation is inviting applications for two Genentech Age-Related Macular Degeneration Research Fellowships. A grant of $40,000 will be awarded to a researcher conducting basic research on AMD, while a second grant of $40,000 will be awarded to a researcher for translational AMD research focused on therapeutics.

Through its Shaffer Grants program, the foundation will award one-year, $50,000 grants in support of innovative clinical, epidemiological, and laboratory research projects. Grant awards do not support equipment purchases exceeding $12,000, salaries for principal investigators and co-investigators, projects with overt commercial applications, lab supplies, or indirect costs.

To advance this mission, the society will award grants of up to $30,000 in support of clinically relevant research on macular or retinal vascular diseases. Priority is given to pilot projects with the potential to obtain additional external funding and to projects coordinating the work of the society's general membership. Projects that facilitate collaboration among society members to study a particular disease are encouraged as well.

The BrightFocus Foundation provides research funds for U.S. and international researchers pursuing high-risk studies that illuminate areas for which there currently is little understanding, helping to bring to light crucial knowledge about Alzheimer's disease, glaucoma, and macular degeneration. The organization's mission is to save mind and sight by funding innovative research worldwide and by promoting better health through education. To that end, the foundation is accepting applications for its Alzheimer's Disease Research and National Glaucoma Research programs. 1) Alzheimer's Disease Research: Grants of up to $300,000 over three years will be awarded to researchers for innovative investigator-initiated research projects. The program is designed to give scientists the opportunity to develop the preliminary data necessary to be considered competitive for larger government or corporate types of sponsorship. Applications must be received no later than October 18, 2017. 2) National Glaucoma Program: Grants of up to $150,000 over two years will be awarded to researchers for innovative investigator-initiated glaucoma-related research projects. The program is designed to give scientists the opportunity to develop the preliminary data necessary to be considered competitive for larger government or corporate types of sponsorship. Typically these awards are made to junior investigators, or to more established investigators who are proposing particularly innovative research.

To advance this mission, the foundation will award grants of up to $5,000 in support of research on the elimination of ocular diseases causing vision loss and suffering in animals. Grant funds can support research supplies, materials, limited equipment, publication, and salaries for technical support personnel. Grants may not support the salary of the resident, salary of the faculty mentor, tuition, major equipment, or institutional indirect costs.

The purpose of the Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) program is to stimulate research in educational institutions that provide baccalaureate or advanced degrees for a significant number of the Nation's research scientists, but that have not been major recipients of NIH support. AREA grants create opportunities for scientists and institutions otherwise unlikely to participate extensively in NIH research programs to contribute to the Nation's biomedical and behavioral research effort. AREA grants are intended to support small-scale research projects proposed by faculty members of eligible, domestic institutions, to expose undergraduate and/or graduate students to meritorious research projects, and to strengthen the research environment of the applicant institution.   

The Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative is aimed at revolutionizing our understanding of the human brain. By accelerating the development and application of innovative technologies, researchers will be able to produce a new dynamic picture of the brain that, for the first time, will show how individual cells and complex neural circuits interact in both time and space. It is expected that the application of these new tools and technologies will ultimately lead to new ways to treat and prevent brain disorders.

VISION RESEARCH SCIENTIFIC FORUM FEATURING RECIPIENTS OF THE 2019 PREVENT BLINDNESS YOUNG INVESTIGATOR STUDENT FELLOWSHIP AWARDS FOR FEMALE SCHOLARS IN VISION RESEARCH: - Naseem Amirmokhtari - Northeast Ohio Medical University - Gabrielle Frame - Northeast Ohio Medical University - Phuong Thai Lam - Miami University Keynote Speaker: Fatoumata Yanoga, MD, The Ohio State University, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

The Prevent Blindness Ohio Young Investigator Student Fellowship Awards for Female Scholars in Vision Research provides training support for future generations of outstanding female scientists committed to pursuing biomedical, behavioral or clinical research careers relevant to the mission of Prevent Blindness Ohio - to prevent blindness and preserve sight.  The fellowship awards provide partial support to younger investigators, promoting the development of scientific skills that will lead to more substantial funding from other sources.