Key Dates

Related Announcements

NOT-AR-22-012 - Notice of Special Interest: Promoting Research on COVID-19 and Rheumatic, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

PA-20-185 - NIH Research Project Grant (Parent R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

PA-20-195 - NIH Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Program (Parent R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

PAR-21-055 - Mechanistic Ancillary Studies to Ongoing Clinical Projects (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

PAR-21-054 - Mechanistic Ancillary Studies to Ongoing Clinical Projects (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

PAR-21-053 - Clinical Observational (CO) Studies in Musculoskeletal, Rheumatic, and Skin Diseases (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

Issued by

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)

Purpose

The purpose of this Notice is to announce to potential applicants to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) an interest in research on the impact of COVID-19 as related to diseases and conditions within the NIAMS mission.

Background

The outbreak of COVID-19 caused by the novel SARS-CoV-2 has spread worldwide leading to large numbers of infections and deaths. A wide spectrum of clinical manifestations and outcomes, ranging from asymptomatic disease to multiorgan failure, has become a hallmark of the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients with many underlying diseases and conditions are at increased risk of acquiring and having adverse outcomes from SARS-CoV-2 infection. Furthermore, persistent symptoms (post-acute sequelae), including fatigue, muscle pain, weakness or wasting, joint pain, skin rash, arthritis, and biobehavioral changes, are being reported among COVID-19 survivors, even among individuals who initially experience a mild acute illness. As of this writing, the FDA has issued Emergency Use Authorization for two vaccines recommended to prevent COVID-19, and several other vaccines and treatments are in various stages of preclinical and clinical development. While there is no obvious indication of adverse events or impacts of the use of these vaccines in individuals with underlying rheumatic, skin, and or musculoskeletal diseases/conditions, research studies should be carried out to determine if these individuals will be affected differently by COVID-19 vaccines and treatments as compared to those without such conditions. In line with overall NIH efforts, NIAMS would like to promote basic, translational, pre-clinical and clinical observational research focused on COVID-19 infection and its intersection with rheumatic, musculoskeletal, and skin diseases and conditions.

This NOSI encourages, but is not limited to, research applications focused on:

• Susceptibility to, prevalence, risk assessment, and clinical management of COVID-19 among patients with underlying rheumatic, musculoskeletal, and/or skin diseases;

• The impacts of drugs or other targeted therapies that are used to treat diseases within the mission of NIAMS on susceptibility, severity, and management of COVID-19;

• Health disparities and social/behavioral factors that contribute to risk of infection, organ injury and adverse outcomes in COVID-19 patients with underlying rheumatic, musculoskeletal, and/or skin diseases;

• Impact of COVID-19 vaccination of patients with underlying rheumatic, musculoskeletal, and/or skin diseases;

• Characterization of long-term post-acute sequelae occurring in recovered COVID-19 patients with co-existing rheumatic, musculoskeletal, and/or skin diseases;

• Characterization of NIAMS-mission related long-term post-acute sequelae (e.g. muscle pain, joint pain, biobehavioral changes, skin rash, arthritis, etc.) occurring in recovered COVID-19 patients.

Application and Submission Information

This notice applies to due dates on or after February 5, 2021 and subsequent receipt dates through November 18, 2021.

Submit applications for this initiative using one of the following funding opportunity announcements (FOAs) or any reissues of these announcement through the expiration date of this notice.

• PA-20-185: NIH Research Project Grant (Parent R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
• PA-20-195: NIH Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Program (Parent R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
• PAR-21-055: Mechanistic Ancillary Studies to Ongoing Clinical Projects (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
• PAR-21-054: Mechanistic Ancillary Studies to Ongoing Clinical Projects (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
• PAR-21-053: Clinical Observational (CO) Studies in Musculoskeletal, Rheumatic, and Skin Diseases (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide and the funding opportunity announcement used for submission must be followed, with the following additions:

• For funding consideration, applicants must include NOT-AR-21-012 (without quotation marks) in the Agency Routing Identifier field (box 4B) of the SF424 R&R form. Applications without this information in box 4B will not be considered for this initiative.
• Investigators planning to submit an application in response to this NOSI are strongly encouraged to contact and discuss their proposed research/aims with the program contact listed on this NOSI well in advance of the grant receipt date.

Applications nonresponsive to terms of this NOSI will not be considered for the NOSI initiative.

Inquiries

Scientific/Research Contact(s)

Marie Mancini, Ph.D.
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
Telephone: 301-594-5032
Email: mancinim2@mail.nih.gov

Peer Review Contact(s)

Examine your eRA Commons account for review assignment and contact information (information appears two weeks after the submission due date).

Financial/Grants Management Contact(s)

Sahar Rais-Danai
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
Telephone: 301-594-5032
Email: raisdanais@mail.nih.gov