Notice Number: NOT-MH-12-010

Key Dates
Release Date: December 7, 2011

Issued by
National Institute of Mental Health,(NIMH)
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)

Purpose

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) intend to issue a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) to support applications for the National NeuroAIDS Tissue Consortium (NNTC) (U01). The NNTC currently consists of four clinical sites, the California NeuroAIDS Tissue Network (CNTN), the Manhattan HIV Brain Bank (MHBB), the National Neurological AIDS Bank (NNAB), and the Texas NeuroAIDS Research Center (TNRC), and a Statistics and Data Coordinating Center housed at Indiana University.  The goals of the planned FOA are to continue having the NNTC serve as a resource of clinical specimens and datasets for NeuroAIDS investigators.  Applicants are encouraged to recruit end-stage HIV-infected subjects based on current scientific priorities within the NeuroAIDS field.

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

The FOA, which will use the NIH Cooperative Agreement (U01) award mechanism, is expected to be published in Spring 2012 with an expected receipt date in Fall 2012.  Details of the planned FOA are provided below. 

Research Initiative Details

This planned FOA is intended to encourage applications to design a scientific agenda for the NNTC to ensure subject recruitment and acquisition of specimen and database resources which are relevant to NeuroAIDS investigators.  A scientific agenda that is focused on end-stage HIV-associated central and peripheral nervous system diseases is encouraged and may include, yet is not limited to, the following topics:  (a) define the pathogenic mechanisms involved in HIV Associated Neurocognitive Disorders (HAND) in the setting of long-term Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy (HAART); (b) study the interactions of chronic HIV-1 infection, living with HAART long term, aging associated neurodegenerative processes, and the impact of cardiovascular disease on HAND; and (c) discovery research to identify parameters that contribute to HAND in end-stage, chronic HIV-1 infection.

APPLICATIONS ARE NOT BEING SOLICITED AT THIS TIME.

Inquiries

Interested parties may contact:

Dianne Rausch, Ph.D.
Acting Director, Division of AIDS Research
National Institute of Mental Health
6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 6218, MSC 9616
Rockville, MD 20852-9616
Telephone:  (301) 443-7281
Email: [email protected]