NIAID is establishing a Bat Immunology Network to better understand the mechanisms by which bats regulate immune responses to clear infection and prevent or resolve excessive inflammation. Such knowledge could provide insights into the regulatory circuitry of the human immune system, as well as help identify targets for development of novel therapeutics for downregulating inflammation or treating pathogenic infections.

To that end, we invite research project grant (R01) applications to characterize cellular and molecular constituents of the bat immune system and study protective innate and adaptive immune mechanisms in bats. 

We also seek resource-related research project (U24) applications proposing to develop and validate reagents and tools to support research to characterize cellular and molecular constituents of the bat immune system and aid the study of protective innate and adaptive immune mechanisms in bats.

Consider the following notices of funding opportunities (NOFOs), respectively, if you wish to join the Network: 

• Bat Immunology Network Research Projects (R01, Clinical Trial Not Allowed) 
• Bat Immunology Network Research Resource Program (U24, Clinical Trial Not Allowed) 

The Network will consist of research projects supported by the R01 NOFO, a resource program supported by the U24 NOFO, and possible other participants to be determined by NIAID in the future.

R01 Research Project Objectives

This NOFO will support research projects to characterize the bat immune system, including defining protective innate or adaptive immune molecules and mechanisms. As little is known about the bat immune system, projects may be descriptive in nature or may be supported by limited preliminary data. 

Your application should emphasize the strength of the conceptual framework and the potential of your project to advance understanding of the bat immune system. You may propose the development of critical reagents for the project, though those development and validation activities may be transferred to the Network’s Research Resource Program after award.

High-priority research activities include the following examples:

• Characterizing the cellular constituents of the bat immune system.
• Dissecting the molecules and pathways involved in the regulation of the bat innate or adaptive immune system.
• Mechanistic studies of bat immunity, including intrinsic immunity and regulation of inflammation.
• Studying the quality, magnitude, and kinetics of bat immune responses during pathogenic infection and after pathogen clearance.
• Researching the role of metabolism or other intrinsic factors in bat immune regulation.
• Structural studies of bat immune proteins.

Recipients funded through this NOFO will share bat immunological data publicly through ImmPort, or other public portals approved by NIAID.

Awarded principal investigators (PIs) will also attend a kickoff meeting and annual meetings of the Bat Immunology Network, as organized by NIAID.

If you plan to apply, be sure to review a set of nonresponsive criteria listed in the NOFO. Should you include any of those research areas, e.g., projects that use bat species that are considered threatened or endangered, we will consider your application nonresponsive and not review it.

U24 Resource Program Objectives

The Research Resource Program will conduct reagent and tool development and validation, which includes testing against multiple bat species. While other members of the Bat Immunology Network may assist in validation efforts, reagent and tool validation will be the responsibility of the U24 recipient. 

Once developed, the reagents and tools will be provided to the Network’s research projects. They will also be made available to the broader research community through technology transfer arrangements, deposition to nonprofit repositories, or timely transfer to industry for commercialization.

High-priority topics include 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 and detection markers for use in cellular phenotyping, functional studies, or immunoassays.

Be sure to include a list of reagents and tools to be developed in year one, but know that list may be revised after award in consultation with NIAID staff and PIs participating in the Network.

You should also propose milestones in your application, which may be negotiated at the time of award. NIAID may reduce the amount of award for a project that does not achieve negotiated milestones in future years.

The U24 NOFO also provides a list of nonresponsive criteria. Do not propose those research areas, or we will consider your application nonresponsive and not review it.

Budget and Project Information 

NIAID aims to fund four or five R01 awards in fiscal year 2025. Your R01 application’s budget should not exceed $300,000 in annual direct costs. The scope of your proposed project should determine the project period, which cannot exceed 5 years.   

NIAID will fund one U24 award. Your application budget should not exceed $350,000 in annual direct costs. You must propose a 5-year project period, and the scope of your proposed project should be appropriate for that duration of time. 

Deadline

Applications for both NOFOs are due by May 25, 2024, at 5 p.m. local time of applicant organization.

Direct inquiries to Dr. Kentner Singleton, NIAID’s scientific/research contact for the initiative, at singeltonkl@niaid.nih.gov or 240-669-5499. For matters related to peer review, contact Dr. Sandip Bhattacharyya at sandip.bhattacharyya@nih.gov or 240-278-7833.

NIAID issued Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Development of Organotypic Culture Models for Transplantation Immunology Research to invite applications to develop and validate tissue-, stem-, or progenitor-cell-derived “3D” organotypic culture models (OCM) for transplantation immunology research.

There are several advantages of OCM compared to traditional 2D cell cultures, including improved modeling of tissue architecture, cell-cell interactions, and other microenvironmental aspects of tissues and organ systems. Recent developments in OCM have extended the potential use of these models to investigate complex immunological systems in vitro. 

Research Objectives

This NOSI aims to leverage recent OCM advances to further develop these tools for transplantation immunology research. Additionally, this NOSI will support applications that focus on development of allogenic or xenogenic OCM to study immunologic features of transplant-related diseases or conditions, including:

• Cellular rejection, antibody-mediated rejection, or mixed cellular and antibody-mediated rejection.
• Sensitization, i.e., immunogenicity of pre-existing allo-reactive or xeno-reactive antibodies.
• Tolerance or accommodation, i.e., resistance of an organ to immune-mediated damage.
• Zoonotic infection in the context of immunosuppression and exposure to a xenograft.
• Graft-versus-host disease.
• Transplant related ischemia reperfusion injury.

This initiative will support validation studies that compare data obtained from the OCM to clinical or experimental in vivo data (new or preexisting) and establish analogous OCM endpoints (i.e., for graft injury, dysfunction, rejection, tolerance). We encourage you to use cutting-edge technologies and interdisciplinary collaborations that apply progress made in other fields to OCM. Applications in transplantation immunology are encouraged.

Applications proposing any of the following research will not be supported under this NOSI:

• 2D in vitro culture systems.
• Transplant organoids in vivo as a replacement or regenerative therapy. 

Application and Submission Information

This notice applies to due dates on or after February 5, 2024, and subsequent receipt dates through November 16, 2026. 

Submit applications for this initiative using one of the following notices of funding opportunity (NOFOs) or any subsequent reissues. Note that budget and project period requirements will vary depending on the NOFO that you choose. 

• NIH Research Project Grant (Parent R01, Clinical Trial Not Allowed) 
• NIH Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Program (Parent R21, Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

Follow all instructions in the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide and the NOFO through which you apply. Remember, you must include “NOT-AI-23-064” in the Agency Routing Identifier field (box 4B) of the SF 424 R&R form to be considered for funding under this initiative. 

Contact Information

Direct any inquiries to Dr. Shilpa Kulkarni, NIAID’s scientific/research contact at shilpa.kulkarni@nih.gov or 240-747-7365.