Notice Number: NOT-HD-17-024

Key Dates
Release Date: November13, 2017

Estimated Publication Date of Announcement: January 2018
First Estimated Application Due Date: June 2018
Earliest Estimated Award Date: April 2019
Earliest Estimated Start Date: April 2019

Issued by
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

Purpose

The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development intends to re-issue a Funding Opportunity Announcement to solicit applications for the re-competition of the National Centers for Translational Research in Reproduction and Infertility (NCTRI). This re-competition will differ from prior competitions in two significant ways.

1. The Gynecologic Health and Disease (GHD) Branch will join the Fertility and Infertility (FI) Branch in reissue of this request for applications (RFA). In addition to causing infertility, benign gynecologic conditions are associated with other substantial morbidity including abnormal menstrual bleeding, dysmenorrhea, and pelvic pain. For the purposes of this RFA, GHD-responsive applications will be limited to those with a focus on either uterine leiomyomas (fibroids), endometriosis, or adenomyosis. Funds will be available for funding of up to one meritorious application in these disorders. The program identified as the gynecologic center supported by the GHD Branch will not relate to a condition’s impact on infertility in order to be distinguished from other NCTRI centers.

2. As in the most recent re-competition (RFA-HD-18-008), applications that address the epigenetic bases of reproductive health and disease will be strongly encouraged. This emphasis will apply to both the fertility/infertility and the gynecologic applications. Applications that are appropriate to the scientific mission areas of the Fertility and Infertility Branch or the specific gynecologic disorders listed above will be accepted; however, meritorious applications focused on epigenetics will receive priority in making funding decisions.

This Notice is being provided to allow potential applicants sufficient time to develop meaningful collaborations and appropriate projects.

The FOA is expected to be published in January 2018 with an expected application due date in June 2018.

This FOA will utilize the P50 activity code.

Research Initiative Details

The NCTRI program is a research-based translational centers program designed to promote multidisciplinary interactions between basic and clinical scientists so that breakthroughs in our fundamental understanding of key reproductive processes are translated into clinical practice, and that questions arising in the clinic may be expeditiously addressed in the laboratory. The ultimate goal is to improve human reproductive health through accelerated bidirectional transfer of knowledge between the laboratory and clinic with the centers forming a national network.

One of the projects in a center must be entirely or predominantly clinical; all basic science components must link with the clinical components. Consistent with the NIH definition, clinical research must be conducted with human subjects (or on material of human origin such as tissues and specimens) for which an investigator directly interacts with human subjects. Programs must propose support for at least three research subprojects and an administrative core, as well as an annual commitment of funds for pilot/collaborative projects. Applications must also propose an outreach/education core in order to increase awareness and convey the importance and implications of their research activities to the general public.

APPLICATIONS ARE NOT BEING SOLICITED AT THIS TIME.

Inquiries

Please direct all general inquiries or inquiries related to fertility/infertility to:

Stuart B. Moss, PhD
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
Telephone: 301-435-6979
Email: mosstua@mail.nih.gov

Please direct all inquiries related to gynecology to:

Lisa Halvorson, MD
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
Telephone: 301-480-1646
Email: lisa.halvorson@nih.gov