Concepts represent early planning stages for program announcements, requests for applications, or solicitations for Council’s input. If NIAID publishes an initiative from one of these concepts, we link to it below. To find NIAID initiatives, go to Explore NIH Grant Opportunities.
Note: Council approval does not guarantee that a concept will become an initiative.
Table of Contents
Fiscal Year (FY) 2028 Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (DMID) Concepts
- Centers of Excellence for Influenza Research and Response
- Influenza Data Processing Coordinating Center (IDPCC)
- Diagnostics Preclinical Services Program
- Statistical and Data Coordinating Center for Clinical Research in Infectious Diseases
Centers of Excellence for Influenza Research and Response
Broad Agency Announcement—proposed FY 2028 initiative
Contact:
Callie Prassinos
Objective: To conduct integrated basic and clinical research to advance knowledge of factors that dictate the severity and spread of influenza virus, as well as host protection across the lifespan, and inform and accelerate development of new and improved control measures.
Description: The Centers of Excellence for Influenza Research and Response (CEIRR), supported by this initiative, will complete basic research studies and participate in risk assessment and response as necessary. The foundational research question for the program is why do some influenza viruses cause severe disease and transmit widely, but others do not. To address this question, the researchers will focus on 1) what factors contribute to the dominance of circulating seasonal strains and their severity; 2) what factors impact emergence, host adaptation and spread; and 3) what factors determine susceptibility to infection and immune protection across the lifespan. This program will build upon the previous iteration of CEIRR in that human cohort studies and a focus on surveillance for influenza at the human:animal interface and in wild animal populations at high-risk for facilitating spillover to humans will remain a requirement. Contractors will be encouraged to develop studies with harmonized protocols and to leverage existing biobank data and samples. Additionally, centers will be asked to facilitate training opportunities and participate in center-wide programs for trainees. The program also includes a component for risk assessment and response in which infrastructure, such as the Risk Assessment Pipeline, will be maintained to provide capacity for critical research efforts in response to relevant public health events. Contractors will be expected to promptly redirect research efforts in accordance with requests from NIAID allowing for a network of dedicated influenza research labs to support an NIAID-directed response in the event of a public health emergency.
Influenza Data Processing Coordinating Center (IDPCC)
Request for Proposals—proposed FY 2028 initiative
Contact:
Callie Prassinos
Objective: To continue to support a robust, state-of-the-art, influenza data processing center that provides appropriate cleaning and curation for data collected and generated by the NIAID Centers of Excellence for Influenza Research and Response (separate FY 2028 initiative) and facilitates network collaboration and sample sharing by maintaining data standards and virtual sample repositories. The iDPCC will also coordinate and integrate with other NIAID Influenza data management initiatives.
Description: The iDPCC will collect and process influenza data sets generated by NIAID’s CEIRR to facilitate the management and transfer to other appropriate databases. The main objectives of the iDPCC include:
- Maintain robust cloud-based data management systems and software tools to facilitate the collection, tracking, and updating of varied influenza data sets generated and collected across the CEIRR network. The data types managed by iDPCC may include: genome sequences, immunology and serology data, animal and human surveillance data, viral isolate data, clinical and human cohort data (including relevant metadata) and network-generated reagents.
- Assist the CEIRR network to manage and process the data they generate and facilitate data transfer to the appropriate publicly accessible databases, including the NIAID-funded Bioinformatics Resources Centers, NCBI resources, or other relevant databases for wide dissemination.
- Maintain and update influenza-specific data and metadata standards for diverse data types generated by CEIRR.
- Develop and facilitate implementation of CEIRR network-wide bioinformatics activities including data analysis, uniform annotation processes, and interoperability.
- Provide training for data analysis, management, and transfer.
- Maintain CEIRR website with internal portal for data uploads and file sharing and external pages for describing CEIRR projects and accomplishments. Facilitate reagent and sample sharing and collaboration across network centers and the broader scientific community to leverage existing samples collected via human cohort studies and other longitudinal projects.
- Perform outreach and engage the influenza research community, such as by maintaining publicly accessible websites (ex: FluHub and the Clinical Specimen Biorepository) that serve as a central portal for DMID’s universal influenza resources, including cataloging and publicizing reagents and other resources (e.g., virtual human cohort sample repository) for the influenza research community.
Diagnostics Preclinical Services Program
Request for Proposals—proposed FY 2028 initiative
Contact:
Callie Prassinos
Objective: To support infectious disease diagnostic product developers with gap-filling services that will accelerate their product development programs towards FDA clearance and commercial launch, which meets part of NIAID’s public health mission to combat emerging infectious diseases through earlier diagnostic detection.
Description: This initiative will offer in-kind services to qualified diagnostic developers in any one of various stages of development (task areas) where a developer’s critical need has been identified and is a major hurdle in their progress towards clearance. The task areas within which NIAID will provide support include Task Area A, regulatory consulting; Task Area B, protein production (including enzymes, reporter proteins, and monoclonal antibodies); Task Area C, chemical synthesis (including probes, reporter molecules, large nucleic acids); Task Area D, clinical specimens and isolates; Task Area E, development, verification, and validation for immunoassays, nucleic acid amplification assays, and next-generation sequencing assays; and Task Area F, pre-GMP pilot manufacturing. This initiative may support clinical studies as part of final validation of a diagnostic product.
Statistical and Data Coordinating Center for Clinical Research in Infectious Diseases
Request for Proposals—proposed FY 2028 initiative
Contact:
Callie Prassinos
Objective: To provide comprehensive statistical, data management and analysis support activities for DMID clinical research studies and trials.
Description: This initiative will support a Statistical and Data Coordinating Center to provide comprehensive and consistent statistical and data management support for DMID clinical research studies and trials spanning a wide range of infectious diseases and candidate products, including vaccines, diagnostics, biologics, devices, and therapeutics. These services are provided at multiple sites to multiple clinical research networks. Specifically, the program will provide a comprehensive array of statistical and data management support services, including web-based data collection, management and quality control; statistical consultation, design and analysis; assistance in study materials development with related web-based reports and training; assistance with site management; electronic specimen tracking; and data reports to support safety/regulatory requirements.