NIH Host-Targeted Interventions as Therapeutics for Infectious Diseases (R21/R33)

Applications focused on discovery and development of a therapeutic that targets a host-encoded function required for infection by one or more NIAID Category A, B, or C priority pathogens are invited.  Eligible pathogens include dengue, Brucella melitensis, Rickettsia spp., Japanese encephalitis, Giardia lamblia, Toxoplasma gondii, Chikungunya virus, and others  (For a complete list of Category A, B, & C pathogens, see http://pathema.jcvi.org/pathema/AbcGenomes.shtml)


Activities may include, but are not limited to:

• Identification and validation of new host targets for drug discovery;
• Development of new and improved target identification technologies;
• Screening for candidate therapeutics;
• Molecular modeling, library screening, and medicinal chemistry/structural activity analysis to optimize candidate compounds for preclinical studies;
• Preclinical characterization of candidate therapeutics, including toxicity and efficacy in in vitro or in vivo models;
• Performing reiterative design, chemical synthesis and in vitro analysis to develop a "mature" lead compound; and
• Synthesis of sufficient quantities of a lead compound(s) for preclinical characterization.

This grant is worth a total of $1,175,000 over 5 years.  The deadline to submit a Letter of Intent is 31 October 2011.  The application deadline is 30 November 2011.

For more information, see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-AI-11-032.html

NIH Exploratory Developmental Research Grant Program (Parent R21)

The R21 mechanism is intended to encourage new exploratory and developmental research projects. 


For example, such projects could assess the feasibility of a novel area of investigation or a new experimental system that has the potential to enhance health-related research.  Another example could include the unique and innovative use of an existing methodology to explore a new scientific area. These studies may involve considerable risk but may lead to a breakthrough in a particular area, or to the development of novel techniques, agents, methodologies, models, or applications that could have a major impact on a field of biomedical, behavioral, or clinical research.


This grant is worth $275,000 over 2 years.  The nearest deadline is 14 October.


For more information, see: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-10-069.html

NIH Biomarkers of Infection-Associated Cancers (Exploratory R21)

This grant seeks applications that propose to identify biomarkers for cancers where the cause of the disease is attributed to infectious agents.


Specifically projects that look at either:
1.) Molecular profiles of normal, precancerous, and cancerous lesions following infection and of body fluids from infected individuals.
-or-
2) Evaluating these molecular profiles for use in gaining a better understanding of the role of infectious agents in cancer development and use in early detection, risk assessment, and prevention of cancer


For more information, see: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-11-159.html


This grant opportunity has regular submission deadlines every October, February, and May.  The grant is worth $275,000 over two years.

International Society for Infectious Disease Small Grants

The Small Grants Program is designed to fund pilot research projects by young investigators in developing countries. The goal is to support and foster the professional development of young individuals (less than 40 years of age) in the field of infectious diseases research by helping them to acquire additional skills and data to apply for other grants. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to investigations of the epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis or treatment of infectious diseases, the epidemiology and control of hospital-acquired infections, and modeling of cost effective interventions.
Up to five grants of up to US $6,000 each will be awarded annually.  The nearest deadline is October 1


Click here for more information: http://www.isid.org/grants/grants_small.shtml

NSF/NIH Ecology of Infectious Diseases Initiative (EID)

This joint program between the NIH and NSF supports the development of predictive models and the discovery of principles governing the transmission dynamics of infectious disease agents. 


To that end, research proposals should focus on: 
-understanding the ecological, evolutionary and socio-ecological determinants of transmission by vectors or abiotic agents; 
-the population dynamics and genetics of reservoir species; 
-the transmission to humans, other non-human animals or plants; 
-or the cultural, social, behavioral, and economic dimensions of disease communication. 


Research may be on zoonotic, vector-borne or enteric diseases of either terrestrial, freshwater, or marine systems and organisms, including diseases of non-human animals and plants, at any scale from specific pathogens to inclusive environmental systems. 


Diseases affecting humans must have an environmental transmission component; research on solely human-to-human transmitted disease systems are not eligible for EID support. 


Proposals for research on disease systems of public health concern to developing countries are strongly encouraged, as are disease systems of agricultural concern. Investigators are encouraged to include links to the public health research community, including for example, participation of epidemiologists, physicians, veterinarians, social scientists, medical entomologists, pathologists, virologists, or parasitologists.


For more information, see the link:
http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2010/nsf10616/nsf10616.htm


The award amount is for $2.5 million over 5 years.  The deadline is 14 December 2012.