Notice of Intent to Publish a Funding Opportunity Announcement for Countermeasures Against Chemical Threats (CounterACT) Cooperative Research Projects (U01)

Notice Number: NOT-NS-13-004

Key Dates
Release Date: December 20, 2012
Estimated Publication Date of Announcement: May 1, 2013
First Estimated Application Due Date: September 16, 2013
Earliest Estimated Award Date: July 1, 2014
Earliest Estimated Start Date: July 1, 2014

Issued by
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)

Purpose

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), intends to re-issue a Program Announcement with Special Review Considerations (PAR) to solicit applications for “Countermeasures Against Chemical Threats (CounterACT) Cooperative Research Projects (U01)”. The goal of this initiative is to provide support for translational research to develop therapeutics for reducing mortality and morbidity caused by acute exposures to chemical threat agents. Chemical threats are toxic chemicals that could be used in a terrorist attack or accidentally released from industrial production, storage or shipping. The scope of the research supported within this milestone-driven translational program includes target and candidate identification and characterization, through candidate optimization and demonstration of in vivo efficacy, through Investigational New Drug (IND) submission. See www.ninds.nih.gov/counteract for a description of the CounterACT program.

This Notice is being provided to allow potential applicants sufficient time to develop meaningful collaborations and competitive research programs. 

The FOA is expected to be published in Spring 2013 with an expected application due date in September 2013.

This FOA will utilize the U01 activity code. Details of the planned FOA are provided below.

Research Initiative Details

This Notice encourages collaborative multidisciplinary investigations, combining expertise in toxicology and drug discovery and development, to discover and develop new or improved therapeutics for treating victims of chemical exposures.

The CounterACT research program will utilize Research Project - Cooperative Agreements (U01) to support Research Projects for up to 5 years of translational research. Each research project must establish milestones that include discrete and quantitative goals that create go or no-go decision points in the project. Chemical threats to be covered include chemical warfare agents (e.g. sarin, VX), Toxic Industrial Chemicals (e.g. phosgene, sulfur dioxide) and others. Please contact the NIH Program Director below to discuss chemical threats to be covered. The NIH intends to commit approximately $2-3 million per year in Fiscal Years 2014, 2015, and 2016 to fund new and/or competing renewal U01 awards. Since the nature and scope of the proposed research will vary from application to application, it is anticipated that the size and duration of each award will also vary. The total amount awarded and the number of awards will depend on the number, quality, duration, and costs of the applications received. It is anticipated that several other NIH Institutes, including the National Eye Institute (NEI), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), and the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), may also participate in this funding opportunity announcement.

APPLICATIONS ARE NOT BEING SOLICITED AT THIS TIME.

Inquiries

Please direct all inquiries to:

David A. Jett, Ph.D.
Program Director, NIH CounterACT Research
National Institutes of Health, NINDS
6001 Executive Blvd.
NSC, Room 2177, MSC 9527
Bethesda, MD 20892-9527
Telephone: 301-496-6035
Fax: 301-402-1501
Email: jettd@ninds.nih.gov