Notice Number: NOT-AI-05-013

Key Dates
Release Date: December 7, 2004

Research aimed at developing tools to control epidemic influenza and the increasing threat of pandemic influenza is one of NIAID's highest priorities. Influenza is both a major public health threat and a NIAID Biodefense Category C priority pathogen (http://www2.niaid.nih.gov/Biodefense/bandc_priority.htm). NIAID is issuing this notice to the NIH Guide to highlight its interest in receiving grant applications focused on influenza research. Areas of high priority include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Development of improved drugs against influenza, including structure/function studies of influenza virus proteins with the goal of identifying new therapeutic targets;
• The development of novel influenza vaccines and vaccination strategies. Novel approaches might include developing and evaluating new vaccine formulations, adjuvants, immune response stimulators, protective T-cell and antibody epitopes, new routes of delivery, common epitope vaccines and alternatives to egg based vaccine production technologies;
• The development of sensitive, specific, and rapid diagnostic tests for influenza;
• Evaluation of the immune response to infection and vaccination;
• Determination of the molecular basis of virulence in humans and animals;
• Evaluation of the molecular and/or environmental factors that influence the transmission of influenza viruses, including drug-resistant strains;
• Studies on the evolution and emergence of influenza viruses including the identification of factors that affect influenza host-range and virulence;
• Virologic and serologic surveillance studies of the distribution of influenza viruses with pandemic potential in human and animal populations.

Applications on influenza may be submitted under any of the following appropriate NIAID programs that are currently available.

Biodefense and Emerging Infections Disease Research Opportunities (PA-04-119)
Cooperative Research Partnerships for Biodefense (AI-05-019)
Biodefense SBIR Program (PAS-02-149)
SBIR Advanced Technology NIAID (SBIR-AT-NIAID) (PA-04-127)
NIH Small Research Grant Program (R03) (PA-03-108)
Assays for Influenza Therapeutics: Project BioShield (NOT-AI-05-045)

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NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices

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