NIAID is issuing this Notice of Special Interest (NOSI) to highlight very specific and limited needs for Competitive Revision applications to active NIAID grants in order to further build the infrastructure that NIAID needs to support the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) research response. This NOSI replaces NOT-AI-20-034 which was rescinded with this issuance of this Notice.
Background
Coronaviruses are a diverse family of viruses that cause a range of disease in humans and animals. There are currently no approved coronavirus vaccines or therapeutics. In January 2020, a novel coronavirus was identified as the causative agent of a now global pandemic of multi-system illness. Current information regarding confirmed cases is changing daily and can be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/index.html) and through other sources. To date, NIAID has launched a wide variety of activities to accelerate efforts to address the challenge of SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 by developing vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics; many of these activities are described on the NIAID website.
Research Objectives
NIAID is allowing the submission of applications for Competitive Revisions to active grants to increase and enhance select research efforts to facilitate the Federal SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 research response. Areas of interest are limited to:
- Support to BSL3 facilities actively engaged in the SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 research response, e.g., equipment sharing arrangements. Applications proposing new construction, alterations and renovations for planned and active BSL3 facilities are not responsive to this NOSI;
- Generation of critical reagents to support the SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 research response;
- Expansion of relevant data systems to expeditiously share SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 research resources with the broad research community; and
- Expansion of clinical trial infrastructure, or site preparation, for urgent SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 clinical trial activities. Applications proposing clinical trials are not responsive to this NOSI.
Investigators interested in responding to this NOSI are strongly encouraged to contact the program officers listed below to discuss the proposed project in the context of the parent award and the limited and specific NIAID needs identified above.