April 19, 2023
- April 11, 2023 - Catalytic Tool and Technology Development in Kidney, Urologic, and Hematologic Diseases (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed). See NOFO PAR-23-119.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) is issuing this Notice of Special Interest (NOSI) to announce the opportunity for investigators to apply for funding for developing novel tools and technologies that enable new lines of scientific inquiry and/or treatment, prevention, or diagnosis of Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD).
Background
Despite advances in the understanding of the genetics of PKD, effective treatments are still lacking. Many aspects of PKD pathophysiology are poorly understood and their relationship to disease progression remains unclear. Since new discoveries are frequently catalyzed by technological innovations, developing novel tools or technologies to study PKD is essential to closing knowledge gaps and improving outcomes for people with PKD.
Research Objectives
Applications submitted to this NOSI are expected to be highly innovative and may involve considerable technical and scientific risk that should be balanced by the potential high impact on human-health and PKD research (i.e., high-risk, high-reward).
Applications of these tools and technologies are expected to lead to scientific breakthroughs and/or significant advances in understanding of the pathophysiology of PKD, new treatments, or preventive strategies.
The projects supported by this NOSI could involve proof-of-concept studies, prototyping, beta-testing, or optimization and standardization of technical specifications for subsequent deployment of the tool or technology in laboratory or clinical settings. Example areas for tool and technology development include, but are not limited to:
- Innovative imaging (e.g. intravital, multiplexed, radiological etc.) techniques or novel imaging probes which would allow studies of functional renal tissue or cystic changes in PKD.
- New tools to deliver cutting-edge gene editing tools to specific cell types within the kidney to accelerate basic discovery and to advance clinical practice through the development of novel therapies for PKD.
- Assays for development and validation of biomarkers for PKD.
- Tools or models to support identification and translation of drug targets, including, but not limited to relevant organoid, cell, tissue, or animal models.
- Novel tools or sensors for deep phenotyping to enhance clinical studies and clinical trials of treatments for PKD.
- Novel technologies for highly-multiplexed interrogation of human PKD tissue with cellular resolution (e.g., epigenomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, metabolomic assays).
- Cutting-edge bioinformatic or machine learning tools for analysis of complex or dynamic data, to draw novel inferences, identify new therapeutic targets, or enable clinical decision support.
This NOSI is not intended to support the application of tools or technologies that have already been deployed in PKD research or projects that include incremental advances. However, projects from outside research fields proposing to modify or adapt their existing tools and technologies to PKD research are permitted. Extensive preliminary data demonstrating feasibility and utility in PKD is an indication that the project is beyond the scope of this NOSI.
Applicants should describe how their novel tool or technology will broadly enable and advance PKD research beyond the specific focus of the applicant's research interests.
Applications to this NOSI should include projects distinct from those that can be supported through the traditional R01 grant mechanism. For example, long-term projects, or projects designed to increase knowledge in a well-established area, are not appropriate for this NOSI.
Studies involving human subjects or tissues are encouraged.
Awardees will present their work at the annual meeting of the PKD Research Resource Consortium (PKD RRC) and will be strongly encouraged to participate in the working groups and meetings of the PKD RRC.
Prior to publication, but upon validation, awardees will be expected to share their Tools and Technologies with the greater research community through the PKD RRC.
Application and Submission Information
This notice applies to due dates on or after May 16, 2023 and subsequent receipt dates through November 17, 2023.
Applications for this initiative must be submitted using the following notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) or any reissues of this announcement through the expiration date of this notice:
- PAR-23-119 Catalytic Tool and Technology Development in Kidney, Urologic, and Hematologic Diseases (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide and the notice of funding opportunity used for submission must be followed, with the following additions:
- For funding consideration, applicants must include “NOT-DK-23-013” (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.
Applications nonresponsive to terms of this NOSI will not be considered for the NOSI initiative.
Please direct all inquiries to the contacts in Section VII of the listed notice of funding opportunity with the following additions/substitutions:
Scientific/Research Contact(s)
Christine Maric-Bilkan, Ph.D.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
Telephone: 301-435-0486
Email: christine.maric-bilkan@nih.gov
Susan Mendley, M.D.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
Telephone: 301-827-1861
Email: susan.mendley@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)
Tommy Gunter
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
Telephone: 301-451-3447
Email: Tommy.Gunter@nih.gov
and Human Services (HHS)
