Update: The following update relating to this announcement has been issued:
- February 28, 2011 - See Notice NOT-AI-11-037 The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) is issuing this addendum to this Notice, highlighting a significant change in scope for the planned Non-HIV/AIDS Infectious Diseases Leadership Group.
Release Date: February 8, 2011
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
This Notice is intended to: 1) notify interested parties of an upcoming Town Hall meeting to discuss the planned NIAID Leadership Group for a Clinical Research Network on Infectious Diseases other than HIV, and 2) solicit input from the infectious diseases research community on the high-priority clinical research that should be the focus of this new network.
Background
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) plans to issue a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) to invite applications from scientific investigators interested in establishing a leadership group to plan and conduct clinical research on infectious diseases other than HIV in clinical trial units/sites affiliated with the NIAID Clinical Trials Network and in cooperation with NIAID’s Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (DMID). The establishment of this new program, the NIAID Leadership Group for a Clinical Research Network on Infectious Diseases other than HIV, was first announced at the October 26, 2010 NIAID Town Hall Meeting on NIAID s HIV/AIDS Clinical Trials Networks (see: http://www.niaid.nih.gov/news/townhall/Pages/restructuringNIAIDCTN.aspx ). This effort presents NIAID with an opportunity to expand clinical research on infectious diseases other than HIV using a multi-site clinical trials infrastructure not previously available to non-AIDS investigators. The leadership group for the clinical research network will include research leadership and core operational activities, network laboratories, and statistical and data management. Clinical trial units/sites will be the subject of a subsequent funding opportunity announcement.
Town Hall Meeting
NIAID is planning to hold a public information session (Town Hall meeting) at which NIAID leadership will describe current NIAID clinical research efforts and respond to questions concerning the NIAID Leadership Group for a Clinical Research Network on Infectious Diseases other than HIV. The meeting will be held on March 7, 2011 at the Bethesda Marriott in Bethesda, MD. If you are interested in attending, please register at the following link: http://www.blsmeetings.net/TownHallNIAID .
Request for Information (RFI): Identifying a High Priority Clinical Research Agenda
NIAID is soliciting input from the infectious diseases research community to help identify potential high priority research areas to be addressed by the NIAID Leadership Group for a Clinical Research Network on Infectious Diseases other than HIV. This feedback will help inform the scope of infectious diseases other than HIV that will be addressed by the new clinical research network. In an effort to ensure that this network complements ongoing clinical research activities, it should address high priority research areas that are opportunities not presently addressed by NIAID’s infectious diseases clinical research portfolio and that would be accelerated by a multi-site clinical trials network. Currently, NIAID supports a wide variety of infectious diseases clinical research activities in areas other than HIV. These activities are described on the NIAID website at the following link: http://www.niaid.nih.gov/about/organization/dmid/clinical/; a more detailed listing is available by request from DMID (send request to: NIAIDClinicalRFI@niaid.nih.gov ).
NIAID welcomes the submission of written input from members of the research community regarding potential areas of scientific focus for the new NIAID Leadership Group for a Clinical Research Network on Infectious Diseases other than HIV. Written responses may be submitted electronically to NIAIDClinicalRFI@niaid.nih.gov, and should specify:
- high-priority research areas (e.g., pathogen, disease, syndrome) and rationale for their high priority
- examples of potential studies and intended populations within the research areas proposed.
Please mark responses with the above RFI identifier (NOT-AI-11-029) noted in the subject line.
Responses will be accepted through April 4, 2011. Please limit each response to two pages.
NIAID will present a report of the input received to the NIAID Advisory Council for their consideration and advice.
This RFI is for planning purposes only and should not be construed as a solicitation for applications or as an obligation on the part of the Government to provide support for any identified opportunities. Please note that the Government will not pay for response preparation or the use of any information contained therein. Responses to this RFI are voluntary and may be anonymous. Acknowledgement of receipt of responses will not be made. No basis for claims against the NIAID shall arise as a result of a response to this request for information or the NIAID’s use of such information as either part of our evaluation process or in developing specifications for any subsequent announcement. The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information in any resultant solicitation(s). As previously indicated, the NIAID may use the information gathered to develop grant, contract, or other funding initiatives. Any proprietary information should be so marked.
Inquiries regarding this Notice may be directed to NIAIDClinicalRFI@niaid.nih.gov.
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