NIAID will support administrative supplement awards to promote the development of pediatric chemical research models and medical countermeasures (MCM) discovery under the Chemical Countermeasures Research Program (CCRP). There is currently an unmet need in understanding the natural history, pathophysiology, and treatment of critical illness in infants, children, adolescents, and young adults after exposure to highly toxic, Department of Homeland Security-designated chemicals of concern (CoCs).  

The administrative supplements will fund pilot preclinical projects by CCRP-supported researchers that focus on 1) basic research to elucidate mechanistic differences in susceptibility to CoCs between pediatric and adult populations or 2) applied research towards the discovery and early development of pediatric-safe MCMs. 

Research Objectives 

Through Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Chemical Countermeasures Research Program (CCRP) Administrative Supplements to Promote the Development of Pediatric Research Models of Chemical Injury and Medical Countermeasures Discovery, current CCRP award recipients are eligible to receive supplemental funds to incorporate pediatric relevant chemical MCM research efforts, within the scope of the approved award, that were unforeseen when the new or renewal application or grant progress report for noncompeting continuation support was submitted. 

Examples of relevant research areas include developing new pediatric research models and MCM efficacy studies. Applicants must propose research that, if successful, would contribute to a greater understanding of the health, well-being, or medical treatment of the pediatric population during and after a public health emergency involving CoCs. 

CCRP will prioritize recipients with research project grants (e.g., R01, R21, R34) over those working under cooperative agreements (e.g., U01, UG3/UH3, U54, U2C).  

Application and Submission Information 

Submit an application for this initiative using the following notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) or its subsequent reissued equivalent. 

• Administrative Supplements to Existing NIH Grants and Cooperative Agreements (Parent Admin Supp, Clinical Trial Optional) 

Follow all instructions in the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide and the parent administrative supplements NOFO, with the following additions: 

• Budgets are limited to lesser of the amount of the current award or $99,999 in direct costs, and must be spent within the currently approved project period. 
• Applications are due on May 6, 2024; March 17, 2025; or March 16, 2026, by 5:00 p.m. local time of the applicant organization. 
• You must include “NOT-AI-24-022” in the Agency Routing Identifier field (box 4B) of the SF 424 R&R form. Applications without this information in box 4B will not be considered for this initiative. 

We encourage you to notify the program official listed on your Notice of Award that you are submitting a request in response to this NOSI to facilitate efficient processing of your request. 

Refer to the NOSI, linked above, for additional application instructions.

NIAID’s Radiation and Nuclear Countermeasures Program (RNCP) will support collaborative research to advance safe and effective medical countermeasures (MCMs) and biodosimetry approaches through the Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Administrative Supplement for Collaborative Projects Supported by the NIAID/RNCP. The NOSI’s overarching goal is to develop MCMs and biodosimetry tools for civilians to be used post-exposure in a radiological or nuclear public health emergency.

Only current awardees of the RNCP (with a few exceptions noted in the NOSI) are eligible to apply, and investigators must propose studies that involve a collaboration with researchers at another institution in the RNCP-funded grants portfolio.

Research Objectives

RNCP is specifically looking for research that would enhance the understanding of radiation-induced pathways for injury, advance biomarkers that reflect radiation-induced damage, or accelerate the development of MCMs along the product development pathway; all to contribute to the health and well-being of civilian populations following radiation incidents.

For example, NIAID is interested in research studies to:

• Establish efficacy, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, safety, mechanism of action, or other developmental studies of a radiation MCM under investigation in one laboratory in an animal model that was developed at another institution (e.g., mixed gamma/neutron field, LINAC, x-ray; gamma-ray source).
• Test MCMs in an irradiator available to researchers in one laboratory but not another (e.g., mixed gamma/neutron field, LINAC, X-ray; gamma-ray source).
• Conduct studies in which two MCMs under development in different laboratories are tested in combination in the same animal model (polypharmacy approach).
• Identify different biomarkers (e.g., cytogenetic, genomic, proteomic, metabolomic, microRNA) in similar samples obtained by different institutions, across a range of radiation exposure levels, or detection devices.
• Searches for similar biomarkers of radiation injury across a variety of animal models or types of radiation exposures available at different institutions.

Through this NOSI, you would receive funds to establish formal partnerships with other research groups to achieve outcomes that would likely be impossible without the expertise, models, and facilities available at partnering institutions.

For Your Consideration

We strongly encourage you to discuss your proposed supplement project with the NIAID/RNCP program official of the approved parent award before applying to ensure that the proposed activity is within the scientific priorities and the scope of the existing award. Collaborations are permitted within established NIAID/RNCP-funded consortia, as well as across the RNCP portfolio (i.e., with awardees in other consortia or parts of the program).

You can use administrative supplements to meet additional costs associated with increased animal and personnel needs. All science proposed must be within the scientific scope of the parent award.

Application and Submission Information

Apply to this initiative by using the following opportunity or its subsequent reissued equivalent.

• PA-20-272, Administrative Supplements to Existing NIH Grants and Cooperative Agreements (Parent Admin Supp, Clinical Trial Optional)

Follow all instructions in the SF 424 (R&R) Application Guide and PA-20-272, including the following additions:

• One annual application due date for the next 3 years – October 2, 2023; October 2, 2024; and October 2, 2025, by 5 p.m. local time of applicant organization.
• Include “NOT-AI-23-044” (without quotation marks) in the Agency Routing Identifier field box (box 4B) of the SF-424 R&R form. Applications without this information in box 4B will not be considered.
• The budget request cannot exceed $100,000 in annual total costs for each collaborator.
• NIAID/RNCP will award requests 1 year at a time, depending on scientific merit and availability of funding. The budget period of the request must coincide with the budget period of the parent award. Applicants must have at least 1 year of funding remaining on their parent award’s project period at the time of supplement award.

Contact Information

Direct all inquiries to NIAID’s scientific/research contact, Dr. Andrea L. DiCarlo-Cohen, at cohena@niaid.nih.gov or 240-627-3492.

Have you observed radiation-associated sex differences in your early-stage research to advance animal models, medical countermeasure (MCM) development, safety, or biomarker science? Consider applying to the new NIAID notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) Sex Differences in Radiation Research: Models, Underlying Pathways, Biomarkers of Injury, and Medical Countermeasure Responses (U01, Clinical Trial Not Allowed).

The NOFO was informed by both a request for information and an inter-agency meeting, “Sex Differences in Radiation Research Workshop,” that explored the following topics:

• Sex Differences and Model Considerations
• Radiation Research for MCMs—Influence of Sex on Efficacy
• Sex Differences in Biomarker and Biodosimetry Development
• Etiology of Sex Differences in Radiation Research Outcomes
• Real-life Impacts of Sex Differences

You can help elucidate sex difference trends by proposing research studies on topics like:

• Mechanistic pathways leading to biological differences between females and males in radiation studies
• Sex differences in acute and delayed effects of radiation exposures
• The influence of sex on severity of radiation injury, management, and outcomes
  • Sex-related effects of MCM efficacy when administered at least 24 hours post-irradiation
  • Sex-related differences in biodosimetry/biomarkers of radiation injury
• The impact of reproductive status, reproductive maturity, pheromones, and hormones on radiation injury

The NOFO itself provides longer descriptions and further examples of relevant research topics.

Keep in mind, if you include the following areas of study, we will consider your application nonresponsive and not review it:  

• MCMs administered prophylactically (pre-irradiation) or less than 24 hours after exposure 
• Proposed research in radiation dose ranges or exposure parameters that are not relevant to a radiation accident or attacks
• Role of sex-related influence on carcinogenesis
• Studies focused on HIV/AIDS-related research
• Clinical trials (all phases)

Additionally, your application must include preliminary data and milestones. In particular, we expect the research plan to list detailed, explicit, and quantitative annual milestones. NIAID program staff will use them to assess annual progress and support funding decisions.

Award Information

Application budgets are not expected to exceed $350,000 in annual direct costs and should reflect the actual needs of the proposed project.

The scope of the proposed project should determine the project period. The maximum project period is 3 years.

NIAID intends to fund six to eight awards. NIH’s Office of Research on Women’s Health is also supporting the NOFO.

This NOFO has a single receipt date; applications are due on September 6, 2023.

Have Questions?

Direct inquiries to Dr. Lanyn Taliaferro, NIAID’s scientific/research contact, at lanyn.taliaferro@nih.gov or 240-669-5479. Send questions about peer review to Dr. Maryam Rohani at maryam.rohani@nih.gov or 301-761-6656.