Concepts represent early planning stages for program announcements, requests for applications, notices of special interest, or solicitations for Council's input. If NIAID publishes an initiative from one of these concepts, we link to it below. To find initiatives, go to Opportunities & Announcements.
Note: Council approval does not guarantee that a concept will become an initiative.
Table of Contents
Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Division of Allergy, Immunology, and Transplantation (DAIT) Concepts
- Bat Immunology Network Research Projects
- Bat Immunology Network Research Resource Program
- Development of Radiation Biodosimetry Assays and Devices
- Research Initiative for Vaccine and Antibiotic Allergy
- Understanding Mechanisms and Outcomes of Trained Immunity
- Notice of Special Interest (NOSI)—Development of Organotypic Culture Models (OCM) for Transplant Immunology Research
- Notice of Special Interest (NOSI)—RNA Delivery Technologies to Allow Specific Tissue Target Homing
Bat Immunology Network Research Projects
Request for Applications—proposed FY 2025 initiative
Contact:
Kentner Singleton
kentner.singleton@nih.gov
240-669-5499
Objective: The purpose of this notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) is to support research to characterize bat immune components and understand protective innate and adaptive immune mechanisms. A companion NOFO will support the development of reagents for use by the research projects. The bat immune system appears to be uniquely adapted for control of viral infection without the manifestation of disease or pathology, though the immune mechanisms are not well understood. Understanding the mechanisms of how bats regulate their immune responses to clear infection and prevent or resolve excessive inflammation could lead to a deeper understanding of the regulatory circuitry of the human immune system, as well as the identification of targets for development of novel therapeutics for downregulating inflammation and/or treating pathogenic infections.
Description: This program will make R01 awards to support projects to characterize cellular and molecular constituents of the bat immune system and seek to understand protective innate and adaptive immune mechanisms in bats. Areas of high priority include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Characterization of the bat cellular immune components.
- Dissection of the molecules and pathways involved in the regulation of the bat innate and/or adaptive immune system.
- Mechanistic studies of bat immunity, including intrinsic immunity and regulation of inflammation.
- Studies on the quality, magnitude, and kinetics of bat immune responses during pathogenic infection and after pathogen clearance.
- Role of bat metabolism or other intrinsic factors in bat immune regulation.
- Structural studies of bat immune proteins.
A companion NOFO, released concurrently with this initiative, will support a U24 award to generate reagents/tools (e.g., cytokines, antibodies) needed to support research on the bat immune system. R01 applications may propose the development of critical reagents for the project, though those development and validation activities may be transferred to the Research Resource Program after award. R01 recipients will participate in the Bat Immunology Network, which will consist of the R01 scientific projects, the U24 Research Resource Program, and possible other participants, as determined by NIAID.
Bat Immunology Network Research Resource Program
Request for Applications—proposed FY 2025 initiative
Contact:
Kentner Singleton
kentner.singleton@nih.gov
240-669-5499
Objective: The purpose of this notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) is to support the development and validation of reagents/tools needed to support research of the bat immune system. A companion NOFO will support the research projects to characterize bat immune components and understand protective innate and adaptive immune mechanisms. The bat immune system appears to be uniquely adapted for control of viral infection without the manifestation of disease or pathology, though the immune mechanisms are not well understood. Understanding the mechanisms of how bats regulate their immune responses to clear infection and prevent or resolve excessive inflammation could lead to a deeper understanding of the regulatory circuitry of the human immune system, as well as the identification of targets for development of novel therapeutics for downregulating inflammation and/or treating pathogenic infections.
Description: This NOFO will make a U24 award to support the establishment and operation of a Bat Immunology Research Resource Program to conduct reagent/tool development and validation using appropriate systems, which includes testing against multiple bat species. Areas of high priority include, but are not limited to, the development and validation of the following:
- Soluble immune molecules (e.g., cytokines, chemokines) for use in tissue culture or in vivo animal studies.
- Antibodies or other probes/detection markers for use in cellular phenotyping, functional studies, and/or immunoassays.
A companion NOFO, released concurrently with this initiative, will support R01 awards to conduct research on the bat immune system. The U24 recipient will participate in the Bat Immunology Network, which will consist of the R01 scientific projects, the U24 Research Resource Program, and possible other participants, as determined by NIAID. While other members of the Bat Immunology Network may assist in validation efforts, reagent/tool validation will be the responsibility of the Research Resource Program. Reagents/tools developed by the U24 Research Resource Program will be provided to the research projects of the Bat Immunology Network. Reagents/tools will be made available to the broader research community through technology transfer arrangements, deposition to nonprofit repositories, and/or timely transfer to industry for commercialization.
Development of Radiation Biodosimetry Assays and Devices
Request for Applications—proposed FY 2025 initiative
Contact:
Merriline Satyamitra
merriline.satyamitra@nih.gov
240-669-5432
Objective: This initiative will enable both early and mid-stage research to accelerate the development of radiation biodosimetry assays and devices to rapidly assess radiation dose and to predict the consequences of immediate (days) and delayed (months to years) radiation effects to major organs in an individual.
Description: This initiative will support research and development of radiation biodosimetry assays and devices for acute and delayed radiation syndrome.
Research Initiative for Vaccine and Antibiotic Allergy
Request for Applications—proposed FY 2025 initiative
Contact:
Michael Minnicozzi
minnicozzim@niaid.nih.gov
240-627-3532
Objectives: Antimicrobial and vaccine allergies are an underexamined medical issue that affects many Americans and contributes to misuse of antibiotics and mistrust of vaccines. The scientific objective of this initiative is to support innovative projects to study the mechanisms and management of vaccine and antibiotic drug allergy (research on allergic responses to antiviral, antifungal, and antiparasitic drugs will also be considered). A secondary goal is to develop a cadre of dedicated researchers to pursue drug allergy and advance mechanistic research to translational goals.
Description: This funding opportunity is designed as a two-stage cooperative vehicle in which project scientists from NIAID will work with the investigative team. It will support projects that are organized into a 2-year UG3 phase followed by a 3-year UH3 phase. The UG3 phase may include pilot, observational, or hypothesis-generating high-risk projects. Projects supported by the UH3 phase are expected to be hypothesis driven, mechanistic, and extend the work initiated by the UG3 phase. Advancement from the UG3 to the UH3 phase will depend upon progress made during the UG3 portion. The initiative is designed to enhance early-stage research and early-stage researchers, but to also attract more experienced researchers to the field.
Understanding Mechanisms and Outcomes of Trained Immunity
Program Announcement with Special Receipt, Referral, and/or Review Considerations—proposed FY 2025 initiative
Contact:
Ari Joffe
ari.joffe@nih.gov
240-669-5084
Objectives: Encourages investigator-initiated R01 and R21 applications on the topic of trained immunity. Trained immunity refers to the observation that some aspects of immunologic memory, thought to be limited to the adaptive arm of the immune system, can be induced in innate immune cells to increase their host defense properties. For example, several live-attenuated vaccines, including BCG and measles vaccines, are associated with decreased morbidity and mortality in young children. BCG was also shown to protect mice with severe combined immunodeficiency against heterologous infections. Further studies have shown that trained immunity induced by BCG results in improved cytokine (tumor necrosis factor, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6) responses by monocyte, and more effective release of reactive oxygen species, antimicrobial proteases, and enhanced pathogen killing by neutrophils. The mechanisms involved in trained immunity are thought to depend on chromatin structure rearrangements leading to more effective transcription of genes important for host defense and/or rewiring of cellular metabolism in innate immune cells. The field of trained immunity has a high potential for improving our understanding of immunologic response to infection and vaccination, yet many gaps exist in the current knowledge of this topic. This solicitation aims to fill such gaps and move the field forward.
Description: This initiative will encourage R01 and R21 projects that aim to define the immunologic mechanisms responsible for trained immunity/innate immune memory. This program will also support studies to determine how pre-existing innate immune memory impacts adaptive immunity and subsequent responses to vaccines or natural infections.
Notice of Special Interest (NOSI)—Development of Organotypic Culture Models (OCM) for Transplant Immunology Research
For the published notice of special interest, check the November 9, 2023 Guide notice, Notice of Special Interest (NOSI)—Development of Organotypic Culture Models for Transplantation Immunology Research.
Notice of Special Interest (NOSI)—RNA Delivery Technologies to Allow Specific Tissue Target Homing
Notice of Special Interest—proposed FY 2025 initiative
Contact:
Michael Minnicozzi
minnicozzim@niaid.nih.gov
240-627-3532
Objectives: The purpose of this NOSI for Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants (Phase 1 and/or Phase 2) is to support the evaluation of non-viral technologies to deliver RNA-based therapeutics to disease-relevant somatic cells and tissues in vivo. The ultimate goal of this solicitation is to advance and accelerate the future clinical translation of RNA-based therapeutics using non-viral targeted delivery technologies to treat human diseases. The recent exponential growth in the field of RNA-therapeutics [e.g., small interfering RNA (siRNA), messenger RNA (mRNA), micro-RNA (miRNA)] needs to be accompanied by the development of improved delivery vehicles that ensure targeting to relevant tissues and cells in order to optimize efficacy while minimizing off-target effects of the therapeutic.
Description: This SBIR funding opportunity aims to support the development and/or preclinical studies of non-viral technologies to deliver RNA-based therapeutics into disease-relevant cells and tissues in vivo. Emphasis will be placed on delivery to organs, tissues, and cell types that are clinically relevant but for which no effective in vivo delivery technologies are currently available. As an NIAID-led trans-NIH initiative, the disease models for proof-of-concept studies to evaluate delivery technologies include infectious diseases, transplantation, immune-mediated diseases, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and genetic disorders. The NOSI is limited to non-viral delivery technologies that may include for example nano-particulate systems (e.g., lipid nanoparticles), biological membrane-bases vehicles (e.g., exosomes), macroscale hydrogels, programmable delivery systems, and physical delivery methods (e.g., electroporation or biolistic delivery).