National Institutes of Health (NIH)

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This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is a program within the NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research in conjunction with the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) and the National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders (NIDCD).

Program Objective

The purpose of the Jointly Sponsored Predoctoral Training Program in the Neurosciences (JSPTPN) program is to provide strong, broad-based neuroscience training that will  develop a cohort of well-trained   researchers at a time when the field is advancing at a rapid pace. Neuroscience research increasingly requires investigators who can cross boundaries, draw on knowledge and interdisciplinary approaches and levels of analysis, and apply this breadth of knowledge in original ways to yield new discoveries about the function of the nervous system.

Broad-based research training. The JSPTPN supports programs of broad-based education and research experience during the first two years of graduate training. As such, training programs supported by a JSPTPN training grant must have a comprehensive, two-year training plan. During this training period, students should obtain a working knowledge of the different kinds of approaches and techniques that make up the field of neuroscience. A key component of this training should be acquiring a strong foundation of experimental methodology (e.g. experimental design, quantitative data analysis and interpretation) and a robust development of professional skills (e.g. written and oral communication and data presentation).

Core Knowledge Expectations. JSPTPN Programs should define the core knowledge that each student is expected to gain. Programs must have a clear comprehensive plan that will ensure that each student will have the tools and research experience necessary for a future career as an independent investigator in areas directly related to biomedical research in neuroscience. Each program is expected to define the core knowledge and research experience expected of all trainees. However, programs may provide a specific tailored curricula based on individual trainee background and needs.

Trainees are expected to participate in a curriculum that incorporates education in multiple levels of analysis, which may include genetics, molecular, cellular, system, behavioral and/or computational approaches. Trainees should also gain an understanding of the tools, technologies, and methods used in contemporary neuroscience research. Note that not all programs will necessarily need to cover all levels of analysis and types of technologies. However, there must be enough coverage to be considered adequate for a broad understanding of neurobiological function and the current tools used for research in neuroscience. Breadth may be achieved through any combination of formal courses, laboratory rotations, workshops and other programmatic activities. Regardless of their individual curricular plans, all students are expected to gain a general understanding of the neurobiological basis underlying diseases and disorders of the nervous system. Trainees are expected to leave the JSPTPN programs with the fundamental knowledge and skills that will allow them to lead, and confidently adapt to the rapidly growing and technologically changing field of neuroscience research.

Laboratory Rotations. Programs are expected to include laboratory rotations that allow students to explore different research areas, scientific approaches, and laboratory cultures. Rotations should have specific purpose and goals and should be designed to provide trainees with a practical understanding of the tools and experimental approaches that drive the research in the rotation laboratory. Rotations should be of sufficient duration to generate a product that results from the scientific and technological knowledge gained in the rotation laboratory.

Experimental design and statistical methodology

Experimental Design. Programs are expected to provide formal instruction in the principles of rigorous experimental design to ensure that trainees understand the practices required for robust and unbiased experimental design, hypothesis testing and the application of these principles and practices to their individual research.

Statistical Methodology. Programs should equip students with a solid understanding of statistical methodology relevant to contemporary neuroscience research and provide exposure to quantitative approaches used for a variety of experimental systems. The goals of this training are to educate trainees in 1) the importance of considering statistical principles in the design of their research, 2) the need for appropriate use of statistics in analyzing data, interpreting results and forming conclusions and 3) the practical application of statistics to date in different experimental paradigms.

Ideally, trainees will begin to develop a depth and breadth of statistical understanding that will enable them to adapt and appropriately apply statistical approaches as their experimental repertoire changes. Programs must ensure that all trainees have a solid understanding of the value and proper use of statistics, including an understanding of the many types of scientific failures that can occur due to inappropriate application of statistical tests. An introductory course in statistics is not sufficient to achieve these goals.

Quantitative Literacy and the Use of Quantitative Approaches

Quantitative Literacy. JSPTPN programs are expected to provide the background necessary for the development of quantitative skills and literacy needed to conduct rigorous research. Programmatic activities should instill an appreciation of the benefits of quantitative approaches to experimentation (and the potential pitfalls associated with a lack of quantitative consideration of their scientific system). An important specific goal of these programs is to foster the incorporation of quantitative thinking into the trainees’ research experience throughout their careers. To that end, the training activities provided by the program should equip trainees with the tools and knowledge required to examine their experimental systems quantitatively.

Quantitative Tools and Approaches. Programs are expected to provide experience in the use of practical tools for quantitative exploration, interpretation, and evaluation of biological data relevant to neuroscience research. Training in quantitative tools and approaches should be integrated into the program and reinforced during the students’ graduate careers. Ideally, training will be ongoing and progressive, with proactive approaches in place to encourage the application of quantitative thinking in the trainees’ dissertation research. For example, a program may wish to cover general principles early in the training and incorporate quantitative approaches that are directly applicable to each trainee’s research topic as they advance.

Scientific rigor. Trainees should have a thorough understanding of the principles and practices of rigorous scientific research. These principles should be examined in the context of the collection, appropriate analysis and interpretation of scientific data. Programs are also encouraged to provide education in human decision-making tendencies and cognitive biases, and how they can lead to erroneous interpretation of data (c.f. Kahneman, D. 2011. Thinking, Fast and Slow. New York. Farrar, Straus and Giroux).

Professional Skills. Regardless of career choice, an individual’s impact and success in science depends heavily on the ability to clearly articulate ideas and results in a variety of settings and to a variety of audiences. Programs are expected to provide students with strong training in professional skills such as written and oral communication. Programs should also provide training in the skills necessary for grant applications, such as grant writing, understanding the grant submission and review process, as well as understanding and addressing critiques. When appropriate, programs should encourage students to apply for individual support, such as fellowships and other individual awards from federal and non-federal sources. 

Understanding Career Opportunities.  Training programs should provide trainees access to structured career development advising and learning opportunities (e.g., workshops, discussions, and exposure to invited speakers from various career paths). Through such opportunities, trainees should obtain a general working knowledge of a variety of potential career options that would allow them to use the skills learned during their training, as well as the steps required to successfully transition to the next stage of their chosen career path.

Oversight of trainee mentoring and progression. In addition to outstanding scientific training, solid mentoring and regular career guidance are critical for advancement and success of science. Consequently, graduate programs supported by the JSPTPN are expected to have a formal oversight plan to ensure that students who obtain a Ph.D. degree do so in a timely manner, and with 1) a publication record that will allow them to progress to outstanding research opportunities, 2) written and oral presentation skills that facilitate their ability to publish their results, submit competitive grant applications , speak at national meetings to present their results, and interview for future positions, 3) an understanding of the many career opportunities available to them as Ph.D. scientists and what is required for them to compete for these different career opportunities.

This wide range of skills and knowledge needed for success in a scientific endeavor cannot be gained by students entirely within the first two years of graduate school but can be achieved with ongoing training and mentoring throughout their graduate school careers. The longitudinal oversight process designed to ensure appropriate student progress is a critical aspect of the environment in which the JSPTPN operates. Although the JSPTPN is not responsible for providing guidance beyond graduate year two, a strong JSPTPN program can only exist in an environment that is dedicated to the long-term success of its students.

Enhancing workforce diversity. NIH’s ability to help ensure that the nation remains a global leader in scientific discovery and innovation is dependent upon a pool of highly talented scientists from diverse backgrounds who will help to further NIH's mission.  See, NOT-OD-20-031. The research enterprise will be strongest when it involves individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds, who may bring new and innovative perspectives to solve the mysteries of brain function, identify the mechanisms that underlie disease and disorders and develop novel approaches to clinical treatment. Within the framework of this program’s longstanding commitment to excellence, T32-funded programs play a critical role in training individuals from diverse backgrounds, including those underrepresented in biomedical sciences.  To help address all of these critical needs, JSPTPN programs are expected to recruit students from a wide variety  of backgrounds and foster their successful completion of the graduate program and transition to their next position.

Training programs are expected to implement robust plans to enhance diversity and to promote inclusive research environments (i.e. institutional and departmental environments in which trainees from all backgrounds feel represented and integrated in the community). 

Exposure to a variety of role models. To enhance diversity, it is essential that trainees have exposure and access to a variety of role models.  Programs should actively strive to recruit prospective individuals for  program leadership, participating faculty and mentors, as well as invited speakers with varying backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences.This may include women, senior faculty who have the benefit of long experience, and junior faculty who have more recent experience in transitioning from training to independent positions.

Training Program Evaluation. Is it expected that JSPTPN programs will undergo both internal, as well as external evaluation in order to promote innovation and evolution, as well as to bring attention to any deficiencies that may arise.

Expectations for Training Program Outcomes. Trainees should leave the T32 training program with the appropriate accomplishments and skills to move on to the next step of an independent research (or research related) career pathway. Outcomes expected of training programs include strong trainee publications and other accomplishments appropriate to their training.

Special Note: Consultation with the Chair of the JSPTPN steering committee prior to application preparation is encouraged (see JSPTPN homepage).

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The purpose of this NOFO is to solicit proposals from highly qualified clinical sites in the US to join the Network through an X01 Resource Access Program award. Accepted sites will be designated as a “Diagnostic Center of Excellence (DCoE)” and will be responsible for generating participant clinical, phenotypic and sequencing data to be submitted to the DMCC through a Data Use Agreement with the Center.  X01 recipients will have access to DMCC resources and infrastructure including access to high-quality phenotypic and genotypic data and collaboration with highly skilled physicians, researchers, and bioinformaticians. Using team science, DCoEs will be able to collaborate with Network members to implement strategies that will expand equity and accessto health disparity populations and increase the discovery of new disease-associated genes and genomic variants, immunologic and metabolic abnormalities, as well as environmental insults that are causative in previously undiagnosed patients. DCoEs will be invited to submit their most challenging, unsolved cases for acceptance into the Network, and partner in their evaluation with the Network’s virtual case review committee(s), which will be coordinated by the DMCC.

Successful applicants will demonstrate that they have the appropriate expertise and a track record of diagnosing rare and difficult-to-diagnose disorders, along with the infrastructure and resources needed to conduct the clinical evaluation and DNA sequencing of participants enrolled at their sites. Specifically, applicants will be expected to demonstrate the expertise, independent resources (e.g., institutional support, plans for billing insurance, obtaining support from outside partnerships, etc.), and capacity to:

• Enroll a minimum of 5 participants per year who are accepted into the Network, although some sites may have the capacity to enroll more participants. Typically, only the most difficult, unsolved cases will be accepted into the Network (e.g., those cases requiring specialized, non-routine diagnostic testing procedures or collaboration among a team of clinicians and researchers).
• Perform comprehensive clinical evaluations of undiagnosed participants enrolled at their site including medical record review, routine and specialized diagnostic testing procedures, consultations, and referral to other sites with necessary expertise if appropriate.
• Have the resources (in-house or outsourced) to perform DNA and/or RNA sequencing and re-analysis of existing genome-sequencing data.
• Capability to work with Network data stored in a cloud architecture, such as AnVIL.
• Have the genomics capability including medical genetics and associated informatics expertise needed to identify pathogenic variants from human genomics sequence data. This includes the infrastructure to return genetic results to study participants and provide post-test genetic counseling.
• Demonstrate sufficient clinical metabolomics and other omics expertise to interpret or re-interpret lab and research-grade findings.
• Have sufficient clinical staff to review medical records from applicants (so as to enroll a minimum of five cases per year into the Network) and to rigorously discuss the results to arrive at a diagnosis or to interrogate candidate genes.
• Collect and store DNA, fibroblasts from skin biopsies, and other biological specimens produced by clinical evaluations as needed for the diagnosis.
• Organize incoming records and return results to participants, family members, and referring physicians.
• Support a site coordinator or equivalent position to serve as the DCoE’s point of contact for data sharing, case coordination, collaboration, data retrieval for research projects and patient follow-up.

 The University of Arizona Cancer Center (UACC) coordinates the selection process for this limited submission opportunity. For more information, please contact: UACC-PreAward@arizona.edu 

UACC Limited Submission Information:

The University of Arizona Cancer Center (UACC) can nominate one application for the NCI Predoctoral to Postdoctoral Fellow Transition Award (F99/K00) for FY2024.

Purpose of Award:

The UACC is seeking nominations for an NCI Predoctoral to Postdoctoral Fellow Transition Award (F99/K00) which is to encourage and retain outstanding graduate students recognized by their institutions for their high potential and strong interest in pursuing careers as independent cancer researchers. The award will facilitate the transition of talented graduate students into successful cancer research postdoctoral appointments and provide opportunities for career development activities relevant to their long-term career goals of becoming independent cancer researchers.

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) does not allow applicants to propose to lead an independent clinical trial, but does allow applicants to propose research experience in a clinical trial led by a sponsor or co-sponsor.

Applicant Eligibility:

• Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s) (PD(s)/PI(s)) is invited to work with their organization to develop an application for support. Individuals from diverse backgrounds, including underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, individuals with disabilities, and women are always encouraged to apply for NIH support.
• An applicant must be a citizen or a noncitizen national of the United States, or has been lawfully admitted for permanent residence (i.e., possess a currently valid Permanent Resident Card USCIS Form I-551, or other legal verification of such status), or be a non-U.S. citizen with a valid U.S. visa. For applications submitted on behalf of non-U.S. citizens with valid U.S. visas, the visa status during each phase of the F99/K00 award must allow the PD/PI to conduct the proposed research at the applicant institution. For the F99 phase of the award, the applicant F99 institution is responsible for determining and documenting, in the nomination letter, that the applicant's visa will allow the applicant to remain in the U.S. to complete the F99 phase of the award, and that there are no known obstacles that would prevent the applicant from obtaining a visa for the K00 phase. For the K00 phase of the award, the U.S institution at which the K00 phase of the award will be conducted is responsible for determining and documenting, in the transition application, that the PD/PI’s visa will allow the PD/PI to remain in the U.S. for the duration of the K00 award. NCI may request verifying information as part of the pre-award process.
• The applicant must have a baccalaureate degree and be currently enrolled as a graduate student in the third or fourth year of a mentored PhD or equivalent research degree program (e.g., DrPH, ScD) in the biomedical, behavioral, or clinical sciences at a domestic institution. F99 eligibility is determined from the date of enrollment as a graduate student at the PhD institution and includes the time spent to earn a MS degree unless there was a major change in research area and a change in research mentor. The applicant must be at the dissertation research stage of training at the time of award, and must show evidence of high academic performance in the sciences and commitment to a career as an independent cancer research scientist.
• This program is expected to enhance the research career trajectories of cancer researchers and foster progression to research independence. K00 awardees remain eligible to apply to subsequent mentored Career Development (K) and Pathway to Independence (K99/R00) award programs.
• The F99/K00 award may not be used to support studies leading to the MD, DDS, or other clinical, health-professional degree (e.g., DC, DMD, DNP, DO, DPM, DVM, ND, OD, AuD). Students matriculated in a dual-degree program (e.g. MD/PhD, DO/PhD, DDS/PhD, or DVM/PhD) are not eligible for the F99/K00 program.

Limit: 1  // PI:  M. Romero-Ortega (Bioengineering)

One application per institution (normally identified by having a unique DUNS number or NIH IPF number) is allowed. This FOA seeks to support programs that include innovative approaches to enhance biomedical engineering (BME) designeducation to ensure a future workforce that can meet the nation’s needs in biomedical research and healthcare technologies.

Applications are encouraged from institutions that propose to establish new or to enhance existing team-based design courses orprograms in undergraduate biomedical engineering departments or other degree-granting programs with biomedical engineeringtracks/minors. This FOA targets the education of undergraduate biomedical engineering/bioengineering students in a team-basedenvironment. Health equity and universal design topics must be integrated throughout the educational activities. While current bestpractices such as multidisciplinary/interdisciplinary education, introduction to the regulatory pathway and other issues related tothe commercialization of medical devices, and clinical immersion remain encouraged components of a strong BME program, thisFOA also challenges institutions to propose other novel, innovative and/or ground-breaking activities that can form the basis of thenext generation of biomedical engineering design education.

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This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is designed to support highly integrated research teams of three to six Program Directors/Principal Investigators (PDs/PIs) to address ambitious and challenging research questions that are within the mission of NIGMS. Project goals should not be achievable with a collection of individual efforts or projects. Collaborative program teams are expected to accomplish goals that require considerable synergy and managed team interactions. Teams are encouraged to consider far-reaching objectives that will produce major advances in their fields.

This FOA is not intended for applications that are mainly focused on the creation, expansion, and/or maintenance of community resources, creation of new technologies, or infrastructure development.

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The goal of the Bridges to the Baccalaureate Research Training Program is to provide structured activities to prepare a diverse cohort of research-oriented students to transfer from associate degree-granting institutions to baccalaureate degree-granting institutions and complete a baccalaureate degree in disciplines related to the biomedical sciences. This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) provides support to eligible, domestic institutions to develop and implement effective, evidence-informed approaches to biomedical training and mentoring that will keep pace with the rapid evolution of the research enterprise. NIGMS expects that the proposed research training programs will incorporate didactic, research, mentoring, and career development elements. This program requires strong partnerships between at least two post-secondary educational institutions offering science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) degrees. At least one partner must be an institution that offers the associate degree as the highest STEM degree and the other partner(s) must offer baccalaureate degrees in biomedically relevant STEM fields. Upon completion of the Bridges to the Baccalaureate Research Training program, trainees are expected to be well positioned to pursue research-oriented biomedical higher degree programs or enter careers in the biomedical research workforce.

Training related expenses are limited to a maximum of $10,000/trainee/year. The maximum cap for the TRE portion of the proposed budget is $100,000/year. 

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UArizona may submit one proposal to this funding program. 

The purpose of this RFP is to further advance NIMHD’s mission by supporting Centers of Excellence to enhance research training and education of academic faculty (including post-doctoral fellows, junior faculty, and other early-stage investigators) in the conduct of minority health and health disparities research.
 

NIMHD focuses on the full continuum of causes of health disparities and the interventions to address these causes. Projects must include a focus on one or more of the following NIH-designated populations that experience health disparities in the United States. The Center of Excellence must include the following required components:

• Overall
• Administrative Core
• Investigator Development Core
• Community Engagement and Dissemination Core

Institutionally coordinated submission - Contact RDS to apply

R. Liang (Optical Sciences) - S10 SIG PAR-22-080

ORIP's S10 Instrumentation Grant Programs support purchases of state-of-the-art commercially available instruments to enhance research of NIH-funded investigators. Instruments that are awarded are typically too expensive to be obtained by an individual investigator with a research project grant. Every instrument awarded by an S10 grant is to be used on a shared basis, which makes the programs cost-efficient and beneficial to thousands of investigators in hundreds of institutions nationwide.

S10 awards are made to domestic public and private institutions of higher education, as well as nonprofit domestic institutions, such as hospitals, health professional schools, and research organizations. To be eligible for an S10 award, an institution must identify three or more principal investigators with active NIH research awards who demonstrate a substantial need for the requested instrument.

Awards are issued for 1 year, and matching funds are not required. However, ORIP expects institutions that compete for S10 awards to provide an appropriate level of support for the associated infrastructure, such as the space to house the instrument, technical personnel, and post-award service contracts for instrument maintenance and operation.

Types of instruments supported by S10 funding include, but are not limited to, X-ray diffraction systems, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mass spectrometers, DNA and protein sequencers, biosensors, electron and confocal microscopes, cell-analyzers, and biomedical imagers.

Active RFPs are: 

• Basic Instrumentation Grant Program (BIG) – UArizona is not eligible to apply to this funding program
• Shared Instrumentation Grant Program (SIG) – The SIG Program funds grant awards in the $50,000 to $600,000 range.
• High-End Instrumentation Grant Program (HEI) – The HEI Program funds grant awards in the $600,001 to $2,000,000 range.
   

There is no restriction on the number of applications an institution (as identified by a specific Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) can submit to the companion funding opportunities (Shared Instrumentation Grants (SIG) and/or High-End Instrumentation (HEI) Grant Programs) each year, provided the applications request different types of equipment. Concurrent BIG, SIG or HEI applications for the same instrument (or the same type of instrument with added special accessories – for example, to meet the HEI budget requirement) are not allowed unless documentation from a high-level institutional official is provided, stating that this is not an unintended duplication, but part of a campus-wide instrumentation plan. Applicants are advised to discuss with the BIG Scientific/Research Contact (Section VII) potential duplicates before submitting two applications for the same type of instrument. A single application requesting more than one type of instrument (for example, a spectrometer and a microscope) is not responsive to this FOA and will not be reviewed.

Limit: 1  // PI: M. Romero-Ortega (Biomedical Engineering)

The NIH Research Education Program (R25) supports research education activities in the mission areas of the NIH. The overarching goal of this R25 program is to support educational activities that encourage individuals from diverse backgrounds, including those from groups underrepresented in the biomedical and behavioral sciences, to pursue further studies or careers in research.

To accomplish the stated over-arching goal, this FOA will support educational activities with a primary focus on:

• Courses for Skills Development

• Research Experiences

The ESTEEMED program is designed to foster the development of undergraduate freshmen and sophomores from diverse backgrounds to pursue further studies and careers in bioengineering or STEM fields relevant to NIBIB’s scientific mission. Applications are encouraged to propose integrated educational activities that include 3 elements: a summer bridge program for incoming freshmen, and in the freshman and sophomore years, academic year activities and summer research experiences. The ESTEEMED program is intended to expose students to bioengineering research early in their college careers while also providing students didactic, mentoring and career development opportunities. This will prepare students to join, in their junior and senior years, an honors program that promotes STEM and entrance into a Ph.D. program. The ultimate goal is for the participants to pursue a doctoral degree and a subsequent research career in bioengineering or NIBIB-relevant field.

Components of Participating Organizations:
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB)
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

X. Ding (Pharmacy) - Competitive resubmission. 

UA may submit one proposal.

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) is announcing the continuation of the Superfund Hazardous Substance Research and Training Program, referred to as Superfund Research Program (SRP) Centers. SRP Center grants will support problem-based, solution-oriented research Centers that consist of multiple, integrated projects representing both the biomedical and environmental science and engineering disciplines; as well as cores tasked with administrative (which includes research translation), data management and analysis, community engagement, research experience and training coordination, and research support functions. The scope of the SRP Centers is taken directly from the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986, and includes: (1) advanced techniques for the detection, assessment, and evaluation of the effect on human health of hazardous substances; (2) methods to assess the risks to human health presented by hazardous substances; (3) methods and technologies to detect hazardous substances in the environment; and (4) basic biological, chemical, and physical methods to reduce the amount and toxicity of hazardous substances.