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USAID/KEA anticipates awarding a five-year cooperative agreement (CA) whose purpose is to sustainably reduce hunger, malnutrition and poverty in Kenya by focusing on (i) inclusive and sustainable agriculture-led growth; (ii) strengthened resilience among people and systems and (iii) a well-nourished population. USAID/KEA's programmatic priorities for achieving this purpose include: Priority area 1: Competitive, inclusive, and sustainable agricultural market systems Priority area 2: Diverse agricultural production and improved productivity Priority area 3: Policy environment for agricultural market systems development Priority area 4: Integration of youth and women into agriculture market systems Priority area 5: Collaborative Action and Learning for Market Systems Change

 The purpose of this funding opportunity is to support the research and development necessary to advance non-invasive (e.g., quantitative tomography-based) technologies, including the development of apparatus, methods, study designs, and methods of data analysis, to characterize and compare the rate and extent to which a topically applied drug becomes available at or near a site of action within the skin. The expectation is that the funded work will produce an accurate, sensitive and reproducible approach that rapidly measures the (relative) amount of drug present in the skin at a series of depths below the skin surface, which can be utilized to monitor the cutaneous pharmacokinetics (PK) of the drug at selected depths (e.g., in the epidermis and dermis) by repeated, serial measurements over time. The intent is to support the eventual development of an alternative, scientifically valid, cutaneous PK-based approach that can be used to efficiently demonstrate the bioequivalence (BE) of topical products. 

The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to support a national network of research centers for development of effective and comprehensive medical countermeasures applicable to all subsets of the civilian population in the event of radiological or nuclear emergencies. Applications are sought that propose multidisciplinary basic and translational research to support the development of new medical products that will assess, diagnose, mitigate and/or treat the short-, delayed- and long-term consequences of radiation exposure during and following a radiation public health emergency (e.g. a radiological/nuclear terrorist incident or accident). The goals of this FOA are to: 1) develop new techniques and devices to measure radiation exposure in the human body; 2) follow biomarkers of tissue damage and recovery; and 3) further develop existing (e.g. products in clinical use) as well as novel therapies to minimize tissue damage, hasten tissue recovery, restore normal physiological function, and improve survival.

The goal of this program is to support the advancement of regulatory science to facilitate the implementation and the assessment of continuous manufacturing and similar innovative monitoring and control techniques in the pharmaceutical sector. This will be accomplished by making awards to institutions of higher education and nonprofit organizations for the purpose of studying and recommending improvements to the process of continuous manufacturing of drugs and biological products (e.g., monoclonal antibodies and therapeutic enzymes). Examples of activities could include the development or modification of a novel manufacturing process (e.g., design, scale-up, and/or commercial scale), control method, and/or testing technology. Awards made under this FOA may be funded in part by appropriations received under the 21st Century Cures Act, section 3016.

NIH announces the launch of the 2018-2019 Niche Assessment Program available to HHS (NIH, CDC, FDA) SBIR and STTR Phase I awardees and Phase I Fast-Track awardees (by grant or contract). The Niche Assessment program provides a third party, unbiased assessment of appropriate market niches for products/services that are being developed by HHS SBIR/STTR Phase I awardees and is carried out by Foresight Science & Technology on behalf of NIH. Using its Technology Niche Analysis® (TNA®), Foresight will perform the due diligence on markets appropriate for each SBIR technology and develop an in-depth report for each SBIR/STTR awardee that addresses: --needs and concerns of end-users --competing technologies and competing products --competitive advantage of the SBIR/STTR-developed technology --market size and potential market share (may include national and/or global markets) --barriers to market entry (may include, but is not limited to pricing, competition, government regulations, manufacturing challenges, capital requirements, etc.) --market drivers --status of market and industry trends --potential customers, licensees, investors, or other commercialization partners --price customers are likely to pay

The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to accelerate development of safe and effective long-acting drug delivery systems (LA-DDS) for improved, simplified treatment of HIV-1 in children. This FOA invites applicants engaged in the development of existing LA-DDS platforms at early product development stages to perform specific preclinical activities that enable product optimization and accelerated translation to HIV-1 infected children. Collaborative research partnerships with industry are required.

The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to accelerate development of safe and effective long-acting drug delivery systems (LA-DDS) for improved, simplified treatment of HIV-1 in children. This FOA invites applicants engaged in the development of existing LA-DDS platforms at early product development stages to perform specific preclinical activities that enable product optimization and accelerated translation to HIV-1 infected children. Collaborative research partnerships with industry are required.

The Therapeutic Development Award supports research ranging from validation of therapeutic leads through U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Investigational New Drug (IND)- enabling studies. The proposed studies are expected to be empirical in nature and product- driven. Applicants with limited ALS experience are strongly encouraged to collaborate with those having substantial expertise in ALS research and/or ALS model systems. Examples of activities that will be supported by this award include: Confirmation of candidate therapeutics obtained from screening or by other means, including optimization of potency and pharmacological properties and testing of derivatives and sister compounds Validation of early pilot studies, including the use of multiple ALS model systems and/or replicating preliminary data with more time points or additional doses Studies on formulation and stability leading to Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) production methods IND-enabling studies, to include compound characterization, absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) studies, and dose/response and toxicology studies in relevant model system

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) encourages Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant applications from small business concerns (SBCs) that propose to further the development of Advanced Technology Training (ATT) products for: the health and safety training of hazardous materials (HAZMAT) workers; waste treatment personnel; skilled support personnel associated with an emergency/disaster; emergency responders in biosafety response, infectious disease training and cleanup; emergency responders in disasters and resiliency training; and for ATT tools to assist in research into the acute and long-term health effects of environmental disasters. ATT as defined by the Worker Training Program (WTP) includes, but is not limited to, online training, virtual reality, and serious gaming, which complement all aspects of training from development to evaluation including advanced technologies that enhance, supplement, improve, and provide health and safety training for hazardous materials workers. These products must complement the goals and objectives of the WTP http://www.niehs.nih.gov/careers/hazmat/about_wetp/.The major objective of the NIEHS WTP is to prevent work related harm by assisting in the training of workers in how best to protect themselves and their communities from exposure to hazardous materials.The financial support for this initiative comes directly from NIEHS Worker Education and Training Branch SBIR funds.

The Therapeutic Development Award supports research ranging from validation of therapeutic leads to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Investigational New Drug (IND)-enabling studies. The proposed studies are expected to be empirical in nature and product-driven. Applicants with limited ALS experience are strongly encouraged to collaborate with those having substantial expertise in ALS research and/or ALS model systems. Examples of activities that will be supported by this award include: * Confirmation of candidate therapeutics obtained from screening or by other means, including optimization of potency and pharmacological properties and testing of derivatives and sister compounds * Validation of early pilot studies, including the use of multiple ALS model systems and/or replicating preliminary data with more time points or additional doses * Studies on formulation and stability leading to Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) production methods * IND-enabling studies, to include compound characterization, absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) studies, and dose/response and toxicology studies in relevant model systems Validation of treatment approaches in appropriately powered and controlled studies using biological correlates of disease activity and progression in pre-existing, de-identified human specimens from well-characterized patient cohorts is encouraged. Examples of acceptable cohorts for study include controlled clinical trials, observational studies, and registries (e.g., Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National ALS Registry and/or Biorepository; https://wwwn.cdc.gov/als/).

This funding opportunity is for competitive grants to be awarded under the OAA Title IV authority to increase the evidenced based knowledge base of nutrition providers, drive improved health outcomes for program recipients by promoting higher service quality, and increase program efficiency through innovative nutrition service delivery models. Funding will support innovative and promising practices that move the aging network towards evidenced based practices that enhance the quality, effectiveness of nutrition services programs or outcomes within the aging services network. Innovation can include service products that appeal to caregivers (such as web-based ordering systems and carryout food products), increased involvement of volunteers (such as retired chefs), consideration of eating habits and choice (such as variable meal times, salad bars, or more fresh fruits and vegetables), new service models (testing variations and hybrid strategies) and other innovations to better serve a generation of consumers whose needs and preferences are different. Innovative and promising practices may include the testing and publishing of positive outcomes in which nutrition programs provide a meaningful role in support of the health and long-term care of older individuals. Outcomes should focus on methods to improve collaboration with local health care entities, decrease health care costs for a specific population or decrease the incidence of the need for institutionalization among older adults. Through this program, funds may be used to help develop and test additional models or to replicate models that have already been tested in other community-based settings.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) encourages Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant applications from small business concerns (SBCs) that propose to further the development of Advanced Technology Training (ATT) products for: the health and safety training of hazardous materials (HAZMAT) workers; waste treatment personnel; skilled support personnel associated with an emergency/disaster; emergency responders in biosafety response, infectious disease training and cleanup; emergency responders in disasters and resiliency training; and for ATT tools to assist in research into the acute and long-term health effects of environmental disasters. ATT as defined by the Worker Training Program (WTP) includes, but is not limited to, online training, virtual reality, and serious gaming, which complement all aspects of training from development to evaluation including advanced technologies that enhance, supplement, improve, and provide health and safety training for hazardous materials workers. These products must complement the goals and objectives of the WTP http://www.niehs.nih.gov/careers/hazmat/about_wetp/. The major objective of the NIEHS WTP is to prevent work related harm by assisting in the training of workers in how best to protect themselves and their communities from exposure to hazardous materials. The financial support for this initiative comes directly from NIEHS Worker Education and Training Branch SBIR funds.

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.

The Blooming Prairie Foundation is dedicated to promoting innovative ideas and practices in the area of organic and natural foods in order to further the health of the people, the health of the environment, and cooperative ideals. The Foundation provides grants to nonprofit organizations that conduct any of the following activities: developmental, research, and educational efforts in the organic industry and the cooperative community; the development of organic and natural products; and cooperative development in the natural products industry. The application deadline is March 1, 2018. Visit the Foundation's website to review the grant guidelines.

The FY18 TBDRP Career Development Award (CDA) supports independent, early-career investigators to conduct impactful research with the mentorship of an experienced tick-borne diseases researcher (i.e., the Mentor) as an opportunity to obtain the funding, guidance, and experience necessary for productive, independent careers at the forefront of tick-borne diseases research. This award supports impactful research projects with an emphasis on discovery. Under this award mechanism, the early-career investigator is considered the Principal Investigator (PI), and the application should focus on the PI's research and career development. It should be clear that the proposed research is intellectually designed by the PI and not a product of the Mentor. Preliminary data are not required. However, logical reasoning and a sound scientific rationale for the proposed research must be demonstrated.

The purpose of the Mentored Research Scientist Career Development Award in Tobacco Regulatory Research (K01) is to provide support and protected time (three, four, or five years) for an intensive, supervised career development experience in biomedical, behavioral, and social science research that will inform the development and evaluation of regulations on tobacco product manufacturing, distribution, and marketing and that will lead to research independence. Research projects must address the research priorities related to the regulatory authority of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) as mandated by the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (FSPTCA), Public Law 111-31. The awards under this FOA will be administered by NIH using funds made available through the CTP and the FSPTCA (P.L. 111-31).

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) solicits grant applications to further develop enabling technologies and transformative platforms to catalyze next-generation predictive, diagnostic and therapeutic products to address heart, lung, blood, and sleep (HLBS)-related disorders and diseases. This FOA solicits R33 applications where major feasibility gaps for the enabling technology or transformative platform have already been overcome, as demonstrated with supportive preliminary data, but still requires further development and rigorous validation to encourage downstream demonstration, utilization and adoption. Well-suited applications must offer the potential to accelerate and/or transform the areas of early detection and screening, model development, clinical diagnosis, treatment, control, prevention or epidemiology, while addressing issues associated with HLBS-related diseases and disorders. Projects proposing application of existing technologies where the novelty resides in the biological or clinical target/question being pursued are not appropriate for this solicitation and will not be reviewed. This FOA is part of a suite of NHLBI Catalyze program to advance projects to the point where they can meet the entry criteria for the NHLBI Catalyze Product Definition or Preclinical FOAs.

This Catalyze Product Definition Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) will provide the early stage translational support needed to identify and characterize potential therapeutic candidates to treat heart, lung, blood, and sleep diseases and disorders. This FOA is part of a suite of Catalyze innovation grants to advance projects to the point where they can meet the entry criteria for the NHLBI Catalyze Preclinical program or attract independent development support from other federal or private partners for preclinical optimization and development of therapeutic agents.

The primary purpose of this funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is to support and facilitate multidisciplinary approaches towards the development of new and/or improved contraceptive methods for both men and women through the formation of a Contraceptive Research Development Center. This FOA also allows the inclusion of translational studies to facilitate the pre-clinical to clinical transition and increase the likelihood of clinical success. Additionally, it allows for behavioral and social science research projects to study contraceptive use and non-use of marketed products or products in clinical development. The Center will serve as a national resource for development of early stage investigators electing to pursue careers in contraceptive research.

The Ohio Opioid Abuse, Prevention and Treatment Technology Initiative is to accelerate the development and commercialization of promising new products (or adaptations or modifications) in the categories of medical devices, diagnostics, pharmaceuticals, and health technology.  They should meaningfully address one or more issues associated with the drug crisis driven by use, misuse, abuse and the addictive potential of opioids. Specifically, projects must contribute to near term tangible solutions associated with addiction prevention, treatment and overdose intervention. Technology and products that enable safe and effective treatment of acute and chronic pain without the use of opioids are encouraged.