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Despite clear progress made during the last 15 years on cellular transplantation for T1D, the most recent results demonstrate a long term limited viability of engrafted islets and, as a result, limited insulin independence under different novel modalities of immunosuppressive (IS) regimens tested.  In addition, even the most innovative IS regimens required for transplant survival still have significant immediate side effects and long-term safety is uncertain. These problems together with the scarcity of donor organs and the complexity of transplants mandates a renewed emphasis on the investigation of novel methods within the field of tissue engineering for the development of a bio-artificial, cell-based hormone replacement therapy that may minimize the need of IS. To support this, it is necessary to develop/optimize novel/smart/safe biomaterials, scaffolds, bio-matrices and bio-barriers that may protect grafted cells from immune rejection and simultaneously promote appropriate vascularization/innervation with an efficient exchange of nutrients to optimize cellular long-term survival and proper function.  It is also necessary to investigate methods to use different cell sources including human progenitor cells and induced pluripotent stem cells as a valid option for cell replacement therapy. 

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is dedicated to the discovery of therapeutic Biotechnology Products and Biologics (e.g., peptides, proteins, oligonucleotides, gene therapies, and cell therapies) for disorders that fall under the NINDS mission.  It supports the optimization of therapeutic lead(s) showing convincing proof-of-concept.   At the end of the funding period, projects that successfully advance through support from this program will have identified a optimized candidate, which has sufficient bioactivity, stability, manufacturability, bioavailability, in vivo efficacy and/or target engagement, and other favorable properties that are consistent with the desired clinical application, and will be ready for entry into the CREATE Bio Development track for further development to enable filing for an Investigational New Drug (IND).   

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) supports a program of longitudinal cohorts to address emerging and high priority research on HIV/AIDS in the context of injection and non-injection substance abuse.  These cohorts provide a strong resource platform for current and future collaborative efforts with other investigators to address emerging questions related to HIV pathogenesis, prevention, and treatment in the context of substance abuse, as well as to foster the creativity and efficiency of investigator-initiated research projects. The diverse research activities among these cohorts include basic immunologic, and virologic studies, as well as studies on HIV prevention and treatment, and the co-morbidities and co-infections associated with HIV and substance abuse.  NIDA has determined that a coordinating center (CC) is needed in order to take advantage of these rich sources of data and bio-specimens and optimize collaborations among both the cohort investigators and other researchers not funded under the cohort program. In addition, the CC is expected to establish a virtual repository, and facilitate the leadership of the cohorts steering committee (SC), consisting of representatives from the NIDA-funded cohorts and NIDA staff. At this time, NIDA is soliciting  cooperative agreement applications for a CC to support the collaborative efforts of the cohorts that are currently funded by NIDA.

The Common Fund Program - Accelerating Translation of Glycoscience: Integration and Accessibility - aims to develop accessible and affordable new tools and technologies for studying carbohydrates that will allow biomedical researchers to significantly advance our understanding of the roles of these complex molecules in health and disease. This program will enable investigators who might not otherwise conduct research in the glycosciences, to undertake the study of carbohydrate structure and function. In support of these aims, this FOA is intended to develop new approaches (catalytic methods, chemical/chemo-enzymatic methods, and technologies) to facilitate the rapid, robust, and affordable synthesis, and/or functionalization of bio-medically relevant glycans and glyco-conjugates representing 1) mammalian glycomes and 2) microbial glycans.

Nanomanufacturing is the production of useful nano-scale materials, structures, devices and systems in an economically viable manner. The NSF Nanomanufacturing Program supports fundamental research in novel methods and techniques for batch and continuous processes, top-down (addition/subtraction) and bottom-up (directed self-assembly) processes leading to the formation of complex heterogeneous nanosystems. The program supports basic research in nanostructure and process design principles, integration across length-scales, and system-level integration. The Program leverages advances in the understanding of nano-scale phenomena and processes (physical, chemical, electrical, thermal, mechanical and biological), nanomaterials discovery, novel nanostructure architectures, and new nanodevice and nanosystem concepts. It seeks to address quality, efficiency, scalability, reliability, safety and affordability issues that are relevant to manufacturing. To address these issues, the Program encourages research on processes and production systems based on computation, modeling and simulation, use of process metrology, sensing, monitoring, and control, and assessment of product (nanomaterial, nanostructure, nanodevice or nanosystem) quality and performance.The Program seeks to explore transformative approaches to nanomanufacturing, including but not limited to: micro-reactor and micro-fluidics enabled nanosynthesis, bio-inspired nanomanufacturing, manufacturing by nanomachines, additive nanomanufacturing, hierarchical nanostructure assembly, continuous high-rate nanofabrication such as roll-to-roll processing or massively-parallel large-area processing, and modular manufacturing platforms for nanosystems. The Program encourages the fabrication of nanomaterials by design, three-dimensional nanostructures, multi-layer nanodevices, and multi-material and multi-functional nanosystems. Also of interest is the manufacture of dynamic nanosystems such as nanomotors, nanorobots, and nanom

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) invites one application from the Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) of the current Data Coordinating Center (DCC) for The Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young (TEDDY) study, an ongoing epidemiological study. This DCC has been involved in study design and data and bio sample acquisition and management since the inception of the TEDDY Consortium.This FOA provides support for the TEDDY DCC to continue to follow TEDDY children and allows funding for collaborators to conduct studies on integration of various omics data and the measurement and analysis of viral antibodies using samples from TEDDY subjects.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) invites one application from the Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) of the current Data Coordinating Center (DCC) for The Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young (TEDDY) study, an ongoing epidemiological study. This DCC has been involved in study design and data and bio sample acquisition and management since the inception of the TEDDY Consortium. This FOA provides support for the TEDDY DCC to continue to follow TEDDY children and allows funding for collaborators to conduct studies on integration of various "omics" data and the measurement and analysis of viral antibodies using samples from TEDDY subjects.

In Uganda, key and priority populations (KP/PP) have a higher prevalence of HIV and more difficulties accessing prevention and care services. This NOFO will improve the development, implementation, and monitoring of accessible, appropriate, and targeted HIV combination prevention for KP/PP in Uganda. This NOFO will result in an increased use of these services by KP/PP, which will result in these high risk sub-populations attaining the 90-90-90 goals and achieving epidemic control by 2020. The recipient will provide technical assistance (TA) to CDC comprehensive regional implementing partners (IPs) on developing, monitoring, and evaluating new ways to provide combination prevention to KP/PP; implementing and evaluating a nationwide training on gender and sexual identity; and cascading a KP training nationwide to health workers to reduce stigma and discrimination. Strategic information (SI) activities, including improving the collection of routine surveillance data, mapping KP/PP hotspots, and evaluating interventions will support the development and implementation of accessible, appropriate, targeted combination prevention for KP/PP. The recipient will support the Ugandan Ministry of Health (MOH) to improve surveillance of HIV in KP/PP (including population size estimates and bio-behavioral studies) and develop comprehensive guidelines for service provision to KP/PP.

The Society for the History of Navy Medicine requests paper proposals on any topic related to the history of medicine in the maritime environment for its panel(s) hosted by the Naval Academy McMullen Naval History Symposium, 19 - 20 September 2019. A 250 word precis (as a Word document) and brief personal bio should be submitted to the Society Executive Director no later than 15 February 2019. Generous travel grants are available for graduate / professional students whose papers are selected for presentation.

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.

This NOFO supports implementation of programs and activities focusing on protecting and improving health globally and further implementing Global Health Security (GHS) through partnerships with health organizations. Its purpose is to advance support for multi-sectoral engagement in human and animal health at all levels in developing strong health systems and resources needed for enhanced surveillance, preparedness and readiness efforts for outbreaks, public health emergencies and health threats. The three main strategic areas are prevent avoidable epidemics, detect threats early, and respond rapidly and effectively to potential events of concern for public health and health security. CDC will leverage resources to promote national initiatives and frameworks that support International Health Regulations (IHR, 2005) core capacities: detect and reduce bio-threats, improve sharing of best practices, use relevant tools to promote health security, strengthen accountability and transparency of data sharing, and participate in regional and international health security initiatives. Outcomes include strengthening capacities to prevent, detect, and respond to potential events of concern for public health and health security and demonstrate improvement in at least 5 GHSA/IHR technical areas to a level of "Demonstrated Capacity" as measured by relevant health security assessment (i.e., World Health Organization (WHO)/IHR Monitoring and Evaluation Framework).

This initiative encourages research that targets the reduction of health disparities among children. Investing in early childhood development is essential. Specific targeted areas of research include bio-behavioral studies that incorporate multiple factors that influence child health disparities such as biological (e.g., genetics, cellular, organ systems), lifestyle factors, environmental (e.g., physical and family environments) social (e.g., peers), economic, institutional, and cultural and family influences; studies that target the specific health promotion needs of children with a known health condition and/or disability; and studies that test, evaluate, translate, and disseminate health promotion prevention and interventions conducted in traditional and non -traditional settings. Also listed under R21

The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to advance the experimental validation and functional characterization of genetic variants in coding or non-coding genomic regions that result in inborn errors of immunity/primary immunodeficiency diseases and to elucidate the molecular, cellular, and immunological mechanisms of these disorders. Understanding the genetic basis of primary immunodeficiency disorders is essential for their diagnosis, prognosis, and the development of precision therapeutics.