The FY21 Defense Appropriations Act provides funding to the Department of Defense Multiple Sclerosis Research Program (MSRP) to support innovative and impactful research that addresses fundamental issues and gaps in Multiple Sclerosis (MS). As directed by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, the Defense Health Agency J9, Research and Development Directorate manages 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) at the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command (USAMRDC).

The FY21 MSRP program announcements and General Application Instructions for the following award mechanisms are posted on the Grants.gov website.    

Applications submitted to the FY21 MSRP must address at least one of the Focus Areas relevant to the award mechanism as described in the table below.

https://cdmrp.army.mil/funding/msrp

Clinical Trial Award – Preproposal due June 30, 2021

Investigators at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent)

• Pre-application submission required; application submission by invitation only
• Funding Level 1: Supports small scale, early-phase, proof-of-principle clinical trials to demonstrate feasibility or inform the design of more advanced trials, or other clinical trials that are appropriate for this funding level
• Funding Level 2: Supports larger-scale clinical trials at phase 1 or 2 to determine safety or efficacy (benefit clinical or paraclinical outcomes) in relevant patient populations
• Funding must support a clinical trial and may not be used for preclinical studies
• Scientific rationale and preliminary data are required
• Must address at least one of the following Focus Areas:
  • Promoting repair, neuroprotection, and remyelination in MS

Treatment of MS symptoms

The FY21 CTA offers two funding levels:

Funding Level 1

• Maximum funding of $1,000,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs)
• Maximum period of performance is 3 years

Funding Level 2

• Maximum funding of $3,000,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs)

Maximum period of performance is 4 years

Exploration -Hypothesis Development Award – Preproposal due June 30, 2021

Established Investigators: Independent investigators at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or Established Investigators: Independent investigators at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent)

Or New Investigators:

Independent investigators no more than 5 years from the start of their faculty position (excluding time spent in residency or on family medical leave).

Must not have received more than $300,000 in total direct costs for previous or concurrent MS research as a PI of one or more non-mentored, peer-reviewed grant(s).

• Pre-application submission required; application submission by invitation only
• Supports the initial exploration of innovative, high-risk, high-gain, and potentially groundbreaking concepts in the MS research field
• Preliminary data not required
• Clinical trials not allowed
• New Investigator Option supports applicants early in their faculty appointments
• Must address at least one of the following Focus Areas:
  • Central nervous system regenerative potential in demyelinating conditions
  • Correlates of disease activity and progression in MS
  • Biology and measurement of MS symptoms
  • Factors contributing to MS etiology, prodrome, onset, and disease course

Interactions between MS and COVID-19

• Maximum funding of $150,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs)
• Maximum period of performance is 2 years

Investigator-Initiated Research Award – Preproposal due Jun 30, 2021

Independent investigators at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent)

• Pre-application submission required; application submission by invitation only
• Supports highly rigorous, high-impact research with the potential to make an important contribution to MS research and/or patient care
• Preliminary data required
• Clinical trials not allowed
• Must address at least one of the following Focus Areas:
  • Central nervous system regenerative potential in demyelinating conditions
  • Correlates of disease activity and progression in MS
  • Biology and measurement of MS symptoms
  • Factors contributing to MS etiology, prodrome, onset, and disease course

Interactions between MS and COVID-19

• Maximum funding of $600,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs)
• Maximum period of performance is 3 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 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 and other USAMRDC extramural funding opportunities can be obtained on the Grants.gov website by performing a basic search using CFDA Number 12.420. 

Submission deadlines are not available until the program announcements are released.  For email notification when program announcements are released, subscribe to program-specific news and updates under “Email Subscriptions” on the eBRAP homepage at https://eBRAP.org.  For more information about the MSRP or other CDMRP-administered programs, please visit the CDMRP website (https://cdmrp.army.mil).

Point of Contact:

CDMRP Help Desk
301-6182-5507
help@eBrap.org

The FY21 Defense Appropriations Act provides funding to the Department of Defense Multiple Sclerosis Research Program (MSRP) to support innovative and impactful research that addresses fundamental issues and gaps in Multiple Sclerosis (MS). As directed by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, the Defense Health Agency J9, Research and Development Directorate manages 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) at the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command (USAMRDC).

The FY21 MSRP program announcements and General Application Instructions for the following award mechanisms are posted on the Grants.gov website.    

Applications submitted to the FY21 MSRP must address at least one of the Focus Areas relevant to the award mechanism as described in the table below.

https://cdmrp.army.mil/funding/msrp

Early Investigator Research Award – Letter of Intent due September 7, 2021

The Principal Investigator must:

o   Possess a doctoral degree (or equivalent) from an accredited organization; and

o   Have 4 years or less of postdoctoral research experience at the time of application submission (excluding clinical residency or clinical fellowship training); and

o   Commit at least 50% of the effort toward the proposed project.

• Supports MS-focused research opportunities for individuals in the early stages of their careers
• Designated mentor who is an experienced MS researcher
• Clinical trials not allowed
• Must address at least one of the following Focus Areas:
  • Central nervous system regenerative potential in demyelinating conditions
  • Correlates of disease activity and progression in MS
  • Biology and measurement of MS symptoms
  • Factors contributing to MS etiology, prodrome, onset, and disease course

o   Interactions between MS and COVID-19

o   Only postdoctoral fellows are eligible for this award. Faculty members and all other non-postdoctoral positions are not eligible to apply.

• Maximum funding of $200,000 for direct costs (plus indirect costs)
• Maximum period of performance is 2 years

Canadian Blood Services is pleased to announce its Summer 2021 Blood Efficiency Accelerator Program competition. The objective of the Program is to improve the efficient and appropriate utilization of blood products, while maintaining the safety of the blood system. The Program will support innovative research projects that seek new knowledge or accelerate the application of existing knowledge.

For detailed information about the Blood Efficiency Accelerator Program competition, please refer to www.blood.ca. The deadline to submit completed application packages is July 15 2021.

The Endgame Leader Student Leadership Award provides a stipend for leaders who are interested in working closely and collaboratively with the OHTN to drive change, contribute to rapid learning and improvement in our sector, and build HIV innovation capacity in Ontario.

The Student Leadership Award is for excellent PhD students who are working with OHTN-funded leaders or other Ontario-based HIV investigators, and who have the potential to become HIV leaders. Their work should explore gaps in, identify barriers to, or identify facilitators of effective HIV prevention, treatment, and care in Ontario, and collaborate with a population with whom the student’s mentor also has strong ties. OHTN Student Leaders will work closely with OHTN (e.g. attend quarterly meetings, advise OHTN when needed, etc.) and be part of the collective impact groups that drive learning and improvement in our sector. They will have strategic, collaborative, and innovative programs, and develop dynamic partnerships with those affected by HIV in order to build Ontario’s capacity for HIV innovation. They will identify practical challenges in the context of each community’s circumstances and needs, and work with other stakeholders from relevant sectors (e.g. mental health, substance use and addictions, health services, etc.) to implement and scale up interventions that address these needs.

The 2021 Discovery Grant Program encompasses applications previously designated as Project Grants. The purpose of the program is to invest in the best possible projects that are i) novel or innovative research approaches, supported by sound rationale and a feasible experimental plan, but not necessarily preliminary data, ii) focused on identifying causes of, or treatments for ALS and/or related neurological diseases, including primary lateral sclerosis, progressive muscular atrophy, and ALS/FTLD (frontotemporal lobar dementia), or iii) research focused on avenues to maximize function, minimize disability and optimize quality of life through symptom management, and support to families and persons or families living with ALS. Examples include, but are not limited to, management of secretions and cramps, psychological interventions to address mental health issues, nutritional interventions, respiratory care, engineering applications to reduce physical limitations, and programs to address the needs of caregivers. The Discovery Grant Program is designed to support teams of multiple investigators and especially encourages multidisciplinary teams with individuals from outside the field who can combine their expertise in novel or innovative ways.

Universities Canada is pleased to inform you that the call for nominations for the 2021 Henry G. Friesen International Prize in Health Research has been announced. The Friesen Prize is awarded annually by Friends of CIHR to an internationally renowned health scientist for their singular contributions in research and health research policy. The deadline for nominations is June 1, 2021.

We encourage you to consider researchers at your institutions for nomination for the prize. For more information on the prize and the nomination process, visit http://www.fcihr.ca/prize/about/nomination.

 
If you are interested in being nominated for this award, please contact Dr. Batia Stolar, Associate Vice-President, Research & Graduate Studies, at avp.research@lakeheadu.ca

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 and can facilitate access to funding from other programs but are not meant to support the full costs of a research program.

Recipients of Discovery Grants are not restricted to the specific activities described in their applications and may pursue new research interests, provided they are within NSERC’s mandate and adhere to the principles and directives governing the appropriate use of funds as outlined in the Tri-agency Guide on Financial Administration. 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. 

Applicants are expected to increase the inclusion and advancement of under-represented and disadvantaged groups in the natural sciences and engineering, as one means to enhance excellence in research and training. Applicants should refer to the Discovery Grants application instructions and the Guide for applicants: Considering equity, diversity and inclusion in your application.