• Economic analysis
• Detection and surveillance
• Prevention and control of disease

The FY16 Defense Appropriations Act provides $12 million (M) to the Department of Defense (DoD) Lung Cancer Research Program (LCRP) to support innovative, high-impact lung cancer research.  As directed by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, the Defense Health Agency, Research, Development, and Acquisition Directorate manages the Defense Health Program Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation appropriation.  The managing agent for the anticipated Program Announcements/Funding Opportunities is the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP).

FY16 LCRP Program Announcements and General Application Instructions for the following award mechanism is posted on the Grants.gov website. 

Areas of Emphasis:  The FY16 LCRP encourages research projects that specifically address the critical needs of the lung cancer community in the following Areas of Emphasis:

•       Identify or develop noninvasive or minimally invasive tools to improve the detection of the initial stages of lung cancer.

•       Identify, develop, and/or build upon already existing tools for screening or early detection of lung cancer.  Screening may include, but is not limited to, imaging modalities, biomarkers, genetics/genomics/proteomics/metabolomics/transcriptomics, and assessment of risk factors.

•               Understand the molecular mechanisms of initiation and progression to clinically significant lung cancer.

•               Identify innovative strategies for prevention and treatment of early and/or localized lung cancer.

•       Understand predictive and prognostic markers to identify responders and nonresponders.

•       Understand susceptibility or resistance to treatment.

•       Understand contributors to lung cancer development other than tobacco.

Military Relevance:  The FY16 LCRP strongly encourages research projects that are relevant to the health care needs of military Service members, Veterans, and their families.  Investigators are encouraged to consider the following characteristics as examples of how a project may demonstrate military relevance:

•       Use of military or Veteran populations or data in the proposed research.

•       Collaboration with DoD or Department of Veterans Affairs investigators.

•       Involvement of military consultants (Army, Air Force) or specialty leaders (Navy, Marine Corps) to the Surgeons General in a relevant specialty area.

•       Description of how the knowledge, information, products, or technologies gained from the proposed research could be implemented in a dual-use capacity to address a military need that also benefits the civilian population.

•       Explanation of how the project addresses an aspect of lung cancer that has direct relevance to military Service members, Veterans, or other military health system beneficiaries, including environmental exposures other than tobacco.

http://cdmrp.army.mil/funding/lcrp.shtml

Concept Award

Investigators at all academic levels

Supports highly innovative, untested, potentially groundbreaking concepts in lung cancer

Emphasis on innovation

Clinical trials not allowed

Preliminary data discouraged

Military relevance strongly encouraged

Maximum funding of $100,000 in direct costs (plus indirect costs)

Period of performance should not exceed 1 year

A pre-application is required and must be submitted through the electronic Biomedical Research Application Portal (eBRAP) at https://eBRAP.org prior to the pre-application deadline.  All applications must conform to the final Program Announcements and General Application Instructions that will be available for electronic downloading from the Grants.gov website.  The application package containing the required forms for each award mechanism will also be found on Grants.gov.  A listing of all CDMRP funding opportunities can be obtained on the Grants.gov website by performing a basic search using CFDA Number 12.420.  

Applications must be submitted through the federal government’s single-entry portal, Grants.gov.    For email notification when Program Announcements are released, go to the CDMRP website (http://cdmrp.army.mil) and select Subscribe to Funding Opportunities & Program Communications.  For more information about the LCRP or other CDMRP-administered programs, please visit the CDMRP website (http://cdmrp.army.mil).

Point of Contact:

CDMRP Help Desk
301-682-5507
help@eBrap.org

The Fiscal Year 2016 (FY16) Defense Appropriations Act provides $3.2 million (M) to the Department of Defense Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Research Program (DMDRP) to support innovative, high-impact Duchenne muscular dystrophy research.  As directed by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, the Defense Health Agency, Research, Development, and Acquisition (DHA RDA) Directorate manages and executes the Defense Health Program (DHP) Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E) appropriation.  The managing agent for the anticipated Program Announcements/Funding Opportunities is the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP).

FY16 DMDRP Program Announcements and General Application Instructions for the following award mechanisms are posted on the Grants.gov website.

FY16 DMDRP Focus Areas

The DMDRP FY16 Focus Areas are as follows:

All applications for the FY16 DMDRP funding opportunities must address at least one of the following focus areas:

• Cardiac studies including identifying mechanisms of pathology and therapeutic interventions
• Clinical studies and novel interventions that could improve clinical care and quality of life, in areas such as:

o    Comorbidities

o    Endocrinology

o    Orthopedics

o    Gastrointestinal issues

o    Psychosocial issues

o    Cognitive function

o    Respiratory issues (including sleep-focused studies)

• Assessment of clinical trial tools and outcome measures, such as:

• Discovery and qualification of pharmacodynamic, prognostic, and predictive biomarkers.
• Evaluating surrogate markers
• Evaluating potential composite scores for outcomes assessment
• Patient-centered outcomes, e.g., quality of life, activities of daily living

• Extension or expansion of existing preclinical translational data in support of a specific therapeutic development path (including independent replication and comparative studies)

http://cdmrp.army.mil/funding/dmdrp.shtml

Investigator-Initiated Research Award- Preproposal due 7/19

       Principal Investigator:  Must be an independent investigator at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent).

Optional Nested Resident or Medical Student Trainee: Resident trainee must be enrolled in an accredited residency program.  Medical student trainee must be enrolled in a nationally accredited (or equivalent) medical school.  Trainees must be able to devote a minimum of 40% level of effort.

Supports translational research that will have an impact on improving the function, quality of life, and/or extending the lifespan for all individuals with Duchenne.

Clinical trials are allowed.

Preliminary data required.

Maximum funding of $600,000 in direct costs (plus indirect costs).

Period of performance should not exceed 3 years.

Nested traineeship: Additional maximum of $50,000 for residents or $30,000 for medical students in direct costs (plus indirect costs) over a one-year period of performance.

Career Development Award – Preproposal due 7/19

Principal Investigator: PIs must be research (PhD)- or physician (MD)-scientists at an early stage of their independent research careers within 5 years after completion of his/her terminal degree (excluding time spent in residency or on family medical leave), and exhibit a strong desire to pursue a career in Duchenne research. 

Mentor: The mentor must hold a position at or above the level of an Associate Professor (or equivalent).

Supports early-career investigators to conduct impactful research under the mentorship of an experienced muscular dystrophy researcher.

Clinical trials are not allowed.

Preliminary data required.

Maximum funding of $275,000 in direct costs (plus indirect costs).

Period of performance should not exceed 2 years.

A pre-application is required and must be submitted through the electronic Biomedical Research Application Portal (eBRAP) at https://eBRAP.org prior to the pre-application deadline.  All applications must conform to the final Program Announcements and General Application Instructions that are available for electronic downloading from the Grants.gov website.  The application package containing the required forms for each award mechanism will also be found on Grants.gov.  A listing of all CDMRP funding opportunities can be obtained on the Grants.gov website by performing a basic search using CFDA Number 12.420.

Applications must be submitted through the federal government’s single-entry portal, Grants.gov. For email notification when Program Announcements are released, go to the CDMRP website (http://cdmrp.army.mil) and select Subscribe to Funding Opportunities & Program Communications.  For more information about the DMDRP or other CDMRP-administered programs, please visit the CDMRP website (http://cdmrp.army.mil).

Point of Contact:

CDMRP Help Desk
301-682-5507
help@eBRap.org

The Discovery Grants Program supports ongoing programs of research (with long-term goals) rather than a single short-term project or collection of projects. These grants recognize the creativity and innovation that are at the heart of all research advances. Discovery Grants are considered ‘grants in aid’ of research as they provide long term operating funds to support the costs of a research program. As a grant in aid of research, Discovery Grants are not meant to support the full costs of a research program and they can facilitate access to funding from other programs. NSERC recognizes that, while being of a grant in aid nature, Discovery Grants must be sufficient to support a program of quality research that can have a meaningful impact on the field of study.

Recipients of Discovery Grants are not restricted to the specific activities described in their applications, but may pursue new research interests, provided they are within NSERC’s mandate. This provides researchers with the flexibility to pursue promising research avenues as they emerge and the opportunity to address higher-risk (higher reward) topics. Researchers can use their grants to participate in collaborative efforts. 

The Canada-Latin America and Caribbean Zika Virus Research Program is expected to:

• Contribute to the global response to the Zika virus outbreak;
• Provide and share evidence that will support decision-making and a basis for evidence-informed recommendations for national and international organizations;
• Strengthen scientific research capacities of Canadian researchers and Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) based researchers in Zika virus research;
• Establish collaborative teams between Canadian and LAC teams to share new knowledge relevant to the Zika virus on equal terms; and
• Increase networking and collaboration between Canadian researchers and LAC research teams and other research teams supported by other members of GloPID-R.

Applications are expected to develop collaborative informal or formal linkages with research teams supported by other relevant initiatives on the Zika virus, either already existing or under development at national, regional, and international level, including other initiatives from members of GloPID-R, in order to maximise synergy and complementarity and avoid duplication of the research efforts. Specific propositions on how this can be achieved should be included in the proposal.

CIHR and IDRC will provide funding for one application determined to be relevant in each of the three research areas below:

1. Pathogenesis
   Understanding the biological mechanisms of the Zika infection that lead to the severe reported complications, including but not limited to microcephaly and Guillain-Barré Syndrome, and better define the full spectrum of defects caused by congenital Zika virus infection.

1. Diagnostics
   The development of improved Zika diagnosis and differential diagnosis assays, including testing and implementation, as necessary. This includes but is not limited to nucleic acid-based and serological assays, characterization of reagents for assay development and validation.

1. Vector Studies
1. the ecological transmission dynamics of Zika virus that may include some of the following dimensions: vector species identification, vector competence and vector capacity of local mosquito populations; infectivity of asymptomatic infected humans; assessment of Zika virus transmission/spread/persistence risk based on mathematical modelling and spatial analysis; or
2. the assessment of systematic and integrated vector control approach involving communities complemented with the evaluation of new technologies. Valid scientific studies should be carried out at an appropriate scale and include sustainability, feasibility, cost-effectiveness and community acceptability dimensions.

The research must be conducted either exclusively in Latin America and the Caribbean or in Canada and Latin America and the Caribbean.

The discovery of antibiotics constitutes one of the most crucial advances in the history of medicine. Their use has revolutionised the way we fight bacterial infections and significantly reduced associated morbidity and mortality. Nevertheless, the development of antibiotic resistance has thrown doubt on existing drugs’ effectiveness and could lead to therapeutic deadlocks, rendering treatment of some serious infections impossible. The fight against resistance has become a Canadian, European, and international public health challenge.

The emergence and selection of antibacterial resistant pathogenic agents are complex phenomena and involve different environmental compartments, as well as a variety of human and animal activities and practices. Responding effectively to these phenomena demands a coordinated and collective response both geographically and in terms of engaging sectors, actors, and disciplines. Concerted actions are needed in fields such as, but not limited to, politics, medicine, industry, environment, veterinary, and agricultural science, and education.

JPIAMR was established in 2012 to coordinate research efforts at the international level. The initiative aims to maximise the impact of funds allocated and reduce the duplication of research. Maximising research efforts and exchanging information and best practice are crucial to tackle this problem. At the moment:

• Few new drugs are being developed
• There is excessive use of antibiotics
• Resistance continues to spread
• Funding and research efforts are dispersed

All this leads to a global societal problem, which will spiral out of control without action. Hence, political and societal awareness on the threat of AMR is crucial to stimulate the implementation of measures to fight the misuse of antibiotics and to stimulate innovation. Knowledge transfer and intensive collaborations between scientists and policy makers is important for the successful adaptation of measures that positively impact on AMR, have social support and are cost effective.

JPIAMR aims to align resources by creating a collaborative platform, maximising existing, and future efforts to combat AMR. In that sense, a Strategic Research Agenda was published end of 2013 to provide a framework of opportunities for countries involved in the JPIAMR and those who are willing to participate in joint actions.

The intent of the call is to assemble motivated groups of leading experts and establish transnational working groups in order to enhance resource alignment and maximize existing and future efforts to combat AMR. The call will push forward the conceptualisation of ideas in order to provide white papers, prospective views, guidelines and/or best practice/ roadmap/systematic reviews and frameworks of value to the wider research community.

Based on the priority topics identified in the JPIAMR Strategic Research Agenda, applicants are invited to tackle one or more of the suggested focal areas. Working Groups should be built with an emphasis on what is needed at a National and International level to address AMR.

1. Guidelines on use (Human & Veterinary) - Affordable stewardship
2. Surveillance in primary care
3. New anti-infective/ New adjuvant therapies / Alternative approaches
4. Evaluation of risk for generation of resistance in human setting
5. Rapid diagnostic tests
6. Role of environmental factors
7. Infrastructures/Biobanks available relevant to infection and AMR

For more information, please consult the Joint Programming Initiative on Antimicrobial Resistance website.

The specific objective of this funding opportunity is to support comparative policy analysis and/or policy implications of system-scalable innovations to examine what and how policies across various provincial/territorial jurisdictions yield similar or different health outcomes. Findings are expected to guide evidence-informed policy decision-making and to inform future cross-jurisdictional research.

Relevant Research Areas

Priorities have been determined in consultation with the PIHCI member networks and partners. A high-level summary of priorities is found below. Full descriptions of all relevant research areas can be found in a separate document that has been shared with the member networks. Applicants must demonstrate how the proposed policy analysis project responds to one or more of the following priorities. They must also specify at what policy level (e.g., provincial/territorial, regional, institutional, etc.) the project is focused in relation to one more of the following priorities. Research priorities are applicable to all stages of the life course, unless otherwise specified.

Comparative policy analysis:

• Outcome/value-based funding models that incentivize integration across the continuum of care
• Policies that support integrated service delivery models.
• Policies that support healthy aging and the needs of older adults through primary and integrated models of care
• Policies that support patients to maintain their own health.

Comparative evaluation of scalable health system innovations and their policy impact:

• Innovative health promotion/disease prevention delivery models to reduce future needs for complex care
• Innovative integrated service delivery models that meet the needs of individuals with complex needs
• Innovative models of care that support healthy aging

The aim of this funding opportunity is to build capacity among Indigenous and non-Indigenous scholars or students in the area of dementia research.

In addition, one of the following objectives must be addressed:

• Advance the understanding of the incidence and prevalence of dementia in First Nations, Inuit and Métis populations in Canada in order to better target supports for communities facing the challenges of dementia; and/or
• Develop culturally safe and appropriate diagnostic tools and an understanding of how individuals, families and communities affected by dementia access services; and/or
• Develop culturally safe and appropriate care models for urban and/or rural Indigenous peoples in Canada that utilize a community-based participatory approach.

The Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) is a large, national, long-term study/platform that will follow approximately 50,000 men and women between the ages of 45 and 85 at study inclusion for at least 20 years. The CLSA collects information on the changing biological, medical, psychological, social, lifestyle and economic aspects of people’s lives. These factors can be studied in order to understand how, individually and in combination, they have an impact in both maintaining health and in the development of disease and disability as people age. The ultimate aim of the CLSA is to find ways to improve the health of Canadians by better understanding the aging process and the factors that shape the way we age.

The CLSA has now completed the first wave of data collection with the participation of over 50,000 Canadians, and the alpha-numeric data are now ready and available for use by all researchers from different disciplines.

This funding opportunity is to provide funding to support research in any area related to health using the available alpha numeric CLSA data. Linkages between CLSA and other data from any other data sets (e.g. environmental data) are accepted. We also encourage the use of CLSA data to answer a population health intervention question and/or incorporate health equity analyses into research projects. In addition, this funding opportunity aims to support research incorporating sex- and gender-based analysis (SGBA).

Applications to the Fiscal Year 2016 (FY16) Neurofibromatosis Research Program (NFRP) are being solicited by the U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA). The managing agent for this Program Announcement/Funding Opportunity is the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP). The NFRP was initiated in 1996 to provide support for research of exceptional scientific merit that promotes the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of neurofibromatosis (NF) including NF type 1 (NF1) and type 2 (NF2) and schwannomatosis. Appropriations for the NFRP from FY96 through FY15 totaled $287.85 million (M). The FY16 appropriation is $15.0M.

FY16 NFRP Vision: The vision of the FY16 NFRP is to decrease the clinical impact of neurofibromatosis. To this end, the NFRP seeks to support innovative, high-impact research that will foster new directions for and address neglected issues in NF research; sponsor multidisciplinary and multi-institutional collaborations that will bring new perspectives to the field; promote translational and clinical studies to move promising ideas from bench to bedside; and develop a balanced portfolio of meritorious research related to all aspects of NF1, NF2, and schwannomatosis.

FY16 NFRP Program Announcements and General Application Instructions for the following award mechanisms are posted on the Grants.gov website. 

http://cdmrp.army.mil/funding/nfrp.shtml

Clinical Consortium Award

The Operations Center PI must be an independent investigator at or above the level of Associate Professor (or equivalent) with experience in developing and running large scale initiatives such as clinical trials or consortia.

·        Support consortium that will conceive, design, develop, and conduct collaborative Phase I, and II clinical evaluations of promising therapeutic agents for the management or treatment of NF1, NF2, and schwannomatosis.

·        Open to any group of institutions with a demonstrated history of collaborative NF research

All applications must include letters of intent for conducting a minimum of four clinical trials including at least one NF1- and one NF2-focused study; two studies must be initiated within the first year of the award.

·        The maximum period of performance is 4 years.

·        The maximum allowable funding for the entire period of performance is $9,000,000 in total costs.

·        Indirect costs may be proposed in accordance with your institution’s negotiated rate agreement.

Note that only $5M total funding (direct and indirect costs) allocated for this award will be from the FY16 NFRP budget; the balance is contingent upon receipt of sufficient congressional appropriations to the NFRP in FY17 and FY18

Clinical Trial Award

Must be at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent).

·        Supports research with the potential to have a major impact on the treatment or management of NF.

·        Funds Phase 0, I, or II clinical trials relevant to NF and/or schwannomatosis.  Combinations of phases are permitted.

Must support a clinical trial and may not be used for preclinical research studies.

·        The maximum period of performance is 4 years.

·        The maximum allowable funding for the entire period of performance is $900,000 in direct costs.

Indirect costs may be proposed in accordance with the institution’s negotiated rate agreement.

Exploration – Hypothesis Development Award

Investigators at all academic levels (or equivalent)

·       Supports the initial exploration of innovative, high-risk, high-gain concepts and potentially groundbreaking concepts in NF research.

·       Preliminary and/or published data encouraged but not required.

·       Projects involving human subjects or human anatomical substances must be exempt under 32 CFR 219.101(b) or eligible for expedited review under 32 CFR 219.110 or 21 CFR 56.110.

Clinical trials not allowed.

·        The maximum period of performance is 2 years.

·        The maximum allowable funding for the entire period of performance is $100,000 in direct costs.

Indirect costs may be proposed in accordance with the institution’s negotiated rate agreement.    

Investigator-Initiated Research Award

Principal Investigator (PI):  Must be at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent).

Optional Qualified Collaborator:  Must be at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent) and must plan to contribute at least a 10% level of effort for each budget period for the entirety of the award.

·       Supports highly rigorous, high impact research with the potential to make an important contribution to NF research and/or patient care.

·       Preliminary and/or published data required.

·       Optional Qualified Collaborator:  Applications that include a Qualified Collaborator who meets criteria identified in the Program Announcement/
Funding Opportunity may apply for a higher level of funding.

Clinical trials not allowed.

·       The maximum period of performance is 3 years.

·       The maximum allowable funding for the entire period of performance is $525,000 in direct costs ($575,000 in direct costs if requesting an Optional Qualified Collaborator).

Indirect costs may be proposed in accordance with the institution’s negotiated rate agreement.

New Investigator Award

Must be either an independent investigator at or below the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent) or an established independent investigator in an area other than NF at or above the level of Assistant Professor seeking to transition into a career in NF research.

To be eligible, applicants may not have received more than $300,000 in direct costs for NF research as a PIof one or more Federally funded, non-mentored peer reviewed grants.

PI must demonstrate a commitment of at least 10% effort toward the proposed NF research project.

·       Supports the continued development of promising independent investigators and/or the transition of established investigators from other research fields into a career in NF research.

·       Prior experience in NF research is not required.

• Preliminary and/or published data relevant to NF and the proposed research project is required.

Clinical trials not allowed.

·       The maximum period of performance is 3 years.

·       The maximum allowable funding for the entire period of performance is $450,000 in direct costs.

Indirect costs may be proposed in accordance with the institution’s negotiated rate agreement.

A pre-application is required and must be submitted through the electronic Biomedical Research Application Portal (eBRAP) at https://eBRAP.org prior to the pre-application deadline.  All applications must conform to the final Program Announcements and General Application Instructions available for electronic downloading from the Grants.gov website.  The application package containing the required forms for each award mechanism will also be found on Grants.gov.  A listing of all CDMRP funding opportunities can be obtained on the Grants.gov website by performing a basic search using CFDA Number 12.420. 

Applications must be submitted through the federal government’s single-entry portal, Grants.gov.  For email notification when Program Announcements are released go to the CDMRP website (http://cdmrp.army.mil) and select Subscribe to Funding Opportunities & Program Communications.  For more information about the NFRP or other CDMRP-administered programs, please visit the CDMRP website (http://cdmrp.army.mil).

Point of Contact:

CDMRP Help Desk
301-682-5507
help@eBrap.org