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The Michael J. Fox Foundation will award one-year to 18-month grants for studies that explore the role of astrocytes in Parkinson's disease (PD) pathology and the potential for astrocyte-focused therapeutics. The goals of this funding program are to further understanding of astrocyte biology in Parkinson's and to rationalize the pursuit of astrocyte-specific targets and/or pathways for the treatment of the disease. Preference will be given to applications that focus on or include the following: Role of astrocytes in initiating and/or propagating Parkinson's disease pathology, including alpha-synuclein spread, dopaminergic neuron death, inflammation and senescence Consequences of dysfunction and/or mutations of common PD targets, including alpha-synuclein, LRRK2, GBA, PRKN and PINK1 Manipulation of astrocyte activity and/or astrocyte-specific pathways to assess the potential of targeted astrocyte therapies on disease biology and/or symptoms Parkinson's disease models with high construct validity to human PD, including patient-derived material (such as iPSCs or cerebral organoids) and/or well characterized animal models and primary cells; Examination of human brain samples to answer specific hypotheses is also acceptable Targets, pathways and mechanisms proposed for investigation should have reasonable links to PD.

In recent years, somatic cells as therapeutic agents have provided new treatment approaches for a number of pathological conditions that were deemed untreatable, or difficult to treat. Several successful cell therapies using T cells have been demonstrated for cancer and autoimmune diseases, while stem cell therapies have given relief for heart disease and stroke. Hundreds of clinical trials are ongoing to examine efficacy of cell therapies for a variety of other diseases including diabetes, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Crohn's disease. Production of therapeutic cells is currently expensive and, therefore, cost prohibitive for the large number of people who might benefit from these treatments. The overarching goal of this Advanced Biomanufacturing of Therapeutic Cells (ABTC) solicitation is to catalyze well-integrated interdisciplinary research to understand, design, and control cell manufacturing systems and processes that will enable reproducible, cost-effective, and high-quality production of cells with predictable performance for the identified therapeutic function.

In recent years, somatic cells as therapeutic agents have provided new treatment approaches for a number of pathological conditions that were deemed untreatable, or difficult to treat. Several successful cell therapies using T cells have been demonstrated for cancer and autoimmune diseases, while stem cell therapies have given relief for heart disease and stroke. Hundreds of clinical trials are ongoing to examine efficacy of cell therapies for a variety of other diseases including diabetes, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Crohn's disease. Production of therapeutic cells is currently expensive and, therefore, cost prohibitive for the large number of people who might benefit from these treatments. The overarching goal of this Advanced Biomanufacturing of Therapeutic Cells (ABTC) solicitation is to catalyze well-integrated interdisciplinary research to understand, design, and control cell manufacturing systems and processes that will enable reproducible, cost-effective, and high-quality production of cells with predictable performance for the identified therapeutic function.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), encompassing Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, is characterized by chronic inflammation of gastrointestinal tract. In 2015, approximately three million US adults reported having a diagnosis of IBD and the estimated number has increased greatly from 1.8 million since 1999. While the exact cause is unknown, the severity and progression of the disease largely impacts the patients’ quality of life and imposes huge financial burden to the US healthcare system. The purpose of this announcement is to 1) establish a new IBD registry to estimate incidence of IBD in the adult and pediatric populations and extrapolate to the US population; 2) describe the natural history and outcomes of IBD; 3) determine racial/ethnic variation in the detection and management of IBD; and 4) identify evidence-based strategies to improve disease outcomes. The results are anticipated to enhance understanding of the impact of IBD on the overall health of affected persons and the impact of various clinical practices and healthcare delivery approaches on the disease outcomes.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) encourages applications for the Global Infectious Disease (GID) Research Training Program from U.S. and low- and middle-income country (LMIC) institutions. The application should propose a collaborative training program that will strengthen the capacity of an LMIC institution to conduct infectious disease research. FIC will support research-training programs that focus on major endemic or life-threatening emerging infectious diseases, neglected tropical diseases, infections that frequently occur as co-infections in HIV infected individuals or infections associated with non-communicable disease conditions of public health importance in LMICs

The ever-changing patterns of globally mobile populations and the incidence and prevalence of disease in these populations are important factors in monitoring, preventing, and controlling disease importation and/or spread in U.S. populations. A better understanding of the scope and control of communicable and non-communicable diseases in globally mobile populations is needed in order to improve public health practices and interventions aimed at preventing illness in refugees, immigrants, travelers and domestic populations. The purpose of this NOFO is to conduct public health research on endemic, neglected, emerging or re-emerging infectious diseases, and other conditions of public health importance, in U.S. bound refugees and other globally mobile populations, in order to promote health and prevent disease in domestic and international populations.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) encourages applications for a planning grant from institutions in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to 1.) Design a Global Infectious Disease (GID) Research Training Program in collaboration with U.S. collaborators and 2.) Strengthen LMIC faculty and prepare advanced courses and training resources for the program envisioned at the LMIC institution. The application should propose a collaborative process to create a new training program that will strengthen the capacity of the LMIC institution to conduct infectious disease research. Applications should include activities to strengthen LMIC faculty leadership and skills as well as prepare advanced scientific didactic and methodology courses and research training resources development relevant to the program to be planned. A detailed vision for a research training program that focuses on a major endemic or life-threatening emerging infectious disease, neglected tropical disease, infections that frequently occur as a co-infection in HIV infected individuals or infections associated with non-communicable disease conditions of public health importance in LMICs should be proposed.

The multi-agency Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases program supports research on the ecological, evolutionary, and social drivers that influence the transmission dynamics of infectious Diseases. The central theme of submitted projects must be the quantitative or computational understanding of pathogen transmission dynamics. The intent is discovery of principles of infectious disease transmission and testing mathematical or computational models that elucidate infectious disease systems. Projects should be broad, interdisciplinary efforts that go beyond the scope of typical studies. They should focus on the determinants and interactions of transmission among humans, non-human animals, and/or plants. This includes, for example, the spread of pathogens; the influence of environmental factors such as climate; the population dynamics and genetics of reservoir species or hosts; the feedback between ecological transmission and evolutionary dynamics; and the cultural, social, behavioral, and economic dimensions of pathogen transmission. Research may be on zoonotic, environmentally-borne, vector-borne, or enteric pathogens of either terrestrial or aquatic systems and organisms, including Diseases of animals and plants, at any scale from specific pathogens to inclusive environmental systems.

To date, the pursuit of disease-modifying therapy development for Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been primarily informed by the study of diseased individuals, often by comparing genomic and other molecular, cellular and physiologic features in AD cases and controls. This has proven extremely challenging given the disease's heterogeneity and its multifactorial etiology. There is a growing appreciation that the development of effective treatment and prevention for complex diseases such as AD can benefit from gaining a much deeper understanding of what it means to be well and which genomic, epigenomic, environmental, social, and behavioral factors promote wellness and protection against disease.

The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to support basic and clinical mechanistic research on Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) susceptibility, routes of infection, course of disease, morbidity and mortality in people with pre-existing diseases, or adverse acute or chronic outcomes in organs, tissues, and biological systems of specific interest to NIDDK. These include diabetes and other metabolic diseases, obesity, and endocrine, digestive, liver, pancreas, kidney, urological, and hematologic tissues and diseases.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) issued by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) invites submission of investigator-initiated program project applications. The proposed programs should address scientific areas relevant to the NIDDK mission including diabetes, endocrine and metabolic Diseases, digestive Diseases and nutrition, and kidney, urologic and hematologic Diseases, as well as new approaches to prevent, treat and cure these Diseases, including clinical research. A description of NIDDK scientific program areas can be found at http://www2.niddk.nih.gov/Funding/default.htm.

The purpose of this funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is to support innovative research that will develop and apply computational tools and methods for modeling interactions between infectious agents and their hosts, disease spread, prediction systems and response strategies. The models should be useful to researchers, policymakers, or public health workers who want to better understand and respond to infectious diseases. This research opportunity encourages applications from institutions/organizations that propose to provide the scientific and public health communities better resources, knowledge, and tools to improve their ability to prepare for, identify, detect, control, and prevent the spread of infectious diseases caused by naturally occurring or intentionally released pathogens, including those relevant to biodefense.

The purpose of this funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is to support innovative research that will develop and apply computational tools and methods for modeling interactions between infectious agents and their hosts, disease spread, prediction systems and response strategies. The models should be useful to researchers, policymakers, or public health workers who want to better understand and respond to infectious diseases. This research opportunity encourages applications from institutions/organizations that propose to provide the scientific and public health communities better resources, knowledge, and tools to improve their ability to prepare for, identify, detect, control, and prevent the spread of infectious diseases caused by naturally occurring or intentionally released pathogens, including those relevant to biodefense.

Clinical trials for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias have been hindered, in part, by the limited number of biomarkers available to (1) accurately diagnose these diseases; (2) enrich and stratify patient cohorts; (3) demonstrate target engagement for novel therapeutics; and (4) reliably monitor disease progression and response to treatment. While currently available biomarkers have helped to accelerate clinical trials, most are either expensive, invasive, or both, and only provide information on a small number of disease targets. Therefore, additional biomarkers are needed to provide a more complete picture of the disease.

Genome-wide association studies have found many variants associated with disease risk, disease protection, or other traits. However, these studies generally identify many variants that are statistically associated with the trait, but do not show which variants in genomic elements cause these effects, or how they result in differences in function. Similarly, clinical genomic sequencing studies have identified many variants in healthy and diseased individuals, but the pathogenicity of such variants is usually unknown, leading to their classification as variants of uncertain significance (VUSs), which makes clinical implementation difficult. This program aims to support the development of generalizable approaches to study how genetic variants lead to differences in function, how such functional differences lead to disease processes, and how this knowledge can be used clinically.

The PRP EIRA supports Parkinson's disease-focused research opportunities for individuals in the early stages of their careers, under the guidance of a designated Mentor. The Early Investigator is considered the Principal Investigator (PI) of the application and must exhibit strong potential for, and commitment to, pursuing a career as an investigator at the forefront of Parkinson's disease research; however, the PI is not required to have previous Parkinson's disease research experience. Applications must include at least one Mentor, appropriate to the proposed research project, who has experience in Parkinson's disease research and mentoring as demonstrated by a record of active funding, recent publications, and successful mentorship. The selected Mentor(s) should also demonstrate a clear commitment to the development of the PI toward independence as a Parkinson's disease researcher.

The multi-agency Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases program supports research on the ecological, evolutionary, and social principles and processes that influence the transmission dynamics of infectious Diseases. The central theme of submitted projects must be quantitative or computational understanding of pathogen transmission dynamics. The intent is discovery of principles of infectious disease transmission and testing mathematical or computational models that elucidate infectious disease systems. Projects should be broad, interdisciplinary efforts that go beyond the scope of typical studies. They should focus on the determinants and interactions of transmission among humans, non-human animals, and/or plants

The PRP EIRA supports Parkinson's disease-focused research opportunities for individuals in the early stages of their careers, under the guidance of a designated Mentor. The Early Investigator is considered the Principal Investigator (PI) of the application and must exhibit strong potential for, and commitment to, pursuing a career as an investigator at the forefront of Parkinson's disease research; however, the PI is not required to have previous Parkinson's disease research experience. Applications must include at least one Mentor, appropriate to the proposed research project, who has experience in Parkinson's disease research and mentoring as demonstrated by a record of active funding, recent publications, and successful mentorship. The selected Mentor(s) should also demonstrate a clear commitment to the development of the PI toward independence as a Parkinson's disease researchers

Clinical trials for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias have been hindered, in part, by the limited number of biomarkers available to (1) accurately diagnose these diseases, (2) enrich and stratify patient cohorts, (3) demonstrate target engagement for novel therapeutics, and (4) reliably monitor disease progression and response to treatment. While currently available biomarkers have helped to accelerate clinical trials, most are either expensive, invasive, or both, and provide information on a small number of disease targets. Thus, additional biomarkers are needed to provide a more complete picture of the disease.

To that end, the foundation will award grants of up to $50,000 for studies into the causes, mechanisms, and improved means of treatment for histiocytic disorders.  While all areas of research relevant to the histiocytoses will be considered, priority will be given to studies related to mechanisms of disease pathogenesis; biology (maturation, migration, and immune function) of dendritic cells, macrophages, and/or lymphocytes in disease pathogenesis; derangements of cytokine production or function; CNS pathology; neuropsychiatric consequences; studies of rare forms (juvenile xanthogranuloma, Erdheim-Chester disease, Rosai-Dorfman disease); studies of histiocytic disorders in adults; and discovery of new disease markers.

The program is designed to support basic and clinical research in the field of liver disease. We strongly encourage proposals in clinical research. Areas of research may include, but are not limited to: Chronic viral hepatitis End-stage liver disease and its complications Non-viral chronic liver diseases Basic, clinical, and translational research related to liver disease Health economics outcomes research relating to liver disease

This FOA will provide support for assays (and associated data analysis) of repository-held samples for studies focused on an NIDDK relevant disease.  The review of applications to this FOA will consider both access to repository-held samples and funding for assays using the samples.  These studies are expected to generate scientific discoveries on disease mechanisms, disease pathogenic processes, disease progression, or clinical responses.  Projects that make good use of the associated data from the clinical trials and studies, the original intent of the clinical study and/or trial are highly encouraged.  Exploratory studies and discovery research are encouraged especially when samples are not severely limited, the work is justified, and the goal is consistent with the original intent of the clinical research.