Part 1. Overview Information

Key Dates

All applications are due by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization. 

Applicants are encouraged to apply early to allow adequate time to make any corrections to errors found in the application during the submission process by the due date.

It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the Research (R) Instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide , except where instructed to do otherwise (in this NOFO or in a Notice from NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts).

Conformance to all requirements (both in the Application Guide and the NOFO) is required and strictly enforced. Applicants must read and follow all application instructions in the Application Guide as well as any program-specific instructions noted in Section IV. When the program-specific instructions deviate from those in the Application Guide, follow the program-specific instructions.

Applications that do not comply with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.

IMPORTANT: Per NOT-OD-24-086 updated application forms (FORMS-I) will be used for this opportunity. The updated forms are not yet available and will be posted 30 calendar days or more prior to the first application due date. Once posted, you will be able to access the forms using one of the following submission options:

1. NIH ASSIST
2. An institutional system-to-system (S2S) solution
3. Grants.gov Workspace

Part 2. Full Text of Announcement

Section I. Notice of Funding Opportunity Description

A. Overview

Recent advances in neuroscience offer unprecedented opportunities to discover new treatments for nervous system disorders. However, before a new chemical entity can be tested in a clinical setting, it must undergo a process of chemical optimization to improve potency, selectivity, and drug-like properties, followed by pre-clinical safety testing to meet the standards set by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for clinical testing. All of the necessary expertise and resources are not commonly available to academic labs and many small companies as these activities are largely the domain of large pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and contract research organizations (CROs).

To facilitate drug discovery and development by the neuroscience community, the NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research (https://neuroscienceblueprint.nih.gov/) established the Blueprint Neurotherapeutics Network (BPN), which offers neuroscience researchers funding for drug discovery and development activities that can be conducted in their own laboratories. Researchers have the opportunity to collaborate with NIH-funded consultants and CROs that specialize in medicinal chemistry, pharmacokinetics, toxicology, formulations development, chemical synthesis under Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), and Phase I clinical testing. A current list of BPN contractors and consultants is available at https://neuroscienceblueprint.nih.gov/bpdrugs/bpn_resources.htm. This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) invites applications for new BPN projects. 

The Principal Investigator (PI) will be responsible for conducting all studies that involve disease- or target-specific assays, models, and other research tools. A PI with, for example, medicinal chemistry expertise and resources, may additionally request funding to conduct structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies in their own lab but collaborate with BPN contractors on in vitro ADMET, in vivo PK, drug manufacturing and IND-enabling toxicology studies. By contrast, a PI with limited experience in drug discovery and development may opt to collaborate with all available BPN contractors. Applicants may propose to conduct all drug discovery and development activities themselves or collaborate with BPN contractors on activities of their choice.

For each project funded under this NOFO, the NIH will assemble a customized Lead Development Team (LDT). The LDT will be co-chaired by the PI and a BPN consultant and will include members of the PI's team, additional BPN consultants, and NIH staff. The LDT will establish an overall strategy for the project, including milestones proposals, outline studies to be conducted by BPN contractors, and coordinate activities across different research sites.

Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to read the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on the BPN website (http://neuroscienceblueprint.nih.gov/bpdrugs/faqs.htm) and contact NIH Scientific/Research staff and participating NIH Institutes/Centers (IC) prior to preparing an application to discuss how they may best utilize BPN resources and whether their application fits the mission of a particular NIH IC.

B. Scope

The BPN is dedicated to the discovery and development of small molecule compounds, of a size and structure that can be readily synthesized and chemically modified (if optimization is required). This program is not designed to support development of biologics or biotechnology products, including oligonucleotides and proteins, or devices - see BPN-Biologics NOFO PAR-21-163 (https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-21-163.html) and Blueprint MedTech NOFO PAR-21-315 (https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-21-315.html). Applicants should contact NIH Scientific/Research staff regarding small peptides (typically less than 6 amino acids) and other complex chemical structures, as well as combination therapies, to determine suitability for optimization and development within the BPN.

To be supported by this NOFO, a project must focus on a nervous system condition that falls within the mission of one of the participating Institutes or Centers. Please see Section C below for more information on the interests of the participating Institutes and Centers and alternative programs to consider.

Projects can enter either at the Discovery (Exploratory, Hit to Lead or Lead Optimization Stage (BPN milestone orientation)) or the Development stage (preclinical candidate chosen no medicinal chemistry optimization required, or the IND enabling Stage).  In the Discovery phase the goal is to characterize and optimize promising hit compounds using medicinal chemistry to establish structure activity relationships (SAR) and structure property relationships (SPR) including in vitro and in vivo properties such as metabolism, selectivity, toxicity, etc. As projects enter or advance to the Development stage the goal is to advance a single development candidate through Investigational New Drug (IND)-enabling toxicology studies and phase I clinical testing. Projects can enter the program at the Development stage and progress in a shorter period to IND enabling toxicology studies and phase I clinical testing.

Typical Project Research Objectives by Stage (see also the BPN milestone orientation that shows typical project structure and resources available through BPN contractors to supplement your resources):

Exploratory Stage Goals:

• Demonstrating primary and counterscreen assays are robust, reproducible and can support proposed SAR studies
• Screening funnel is finalized with plans for all in vitro and in vivo assays in place for timely execution to move project to the clinical phase within the grant period
• Target Product Profile refined and approved
• Identification of at least one chemical series for future optimization where preliminary SAR and SPR is generated and demonstrates sufficient results to formulate a data driven strategy for multi-parameter optimization, improving physicochemical and ADMET properties in addition to potency

Hit to Lead Stage Goals:

• SAR should meet perspective criteria for advancement with sufficient results; data should be compelling to formulate data-driven strategy to combine compound attributes into a single stereo- and enantiomerically-pure compound meeting clinical candidate selection in the Lead Optimization stage
• Pharmacokinetics (PK) should support proposed pharmacodynamic (PD) studies achieving reasonable exposures and duration to achieve efficacy at a dose supportive of advancement to Lead Optimization stage

Lead Optimization Stage Goals:

• Identify a preclinical candidate to advance to the development phase of the program that demonstrates a reasonable therapeutic index (comparing dose range finding data to PK/PD experiments)
• Complete dose range finding study
• Patent position established
• Production of lead compound in sufficient quantity to enable large animal dose range studies

Predevelopment Stage Goals:

• Complete Candidate characterization including dose range finding (DRF) toxicology studies not yet completed in prior stage (large animal DRF typically), compound characterization salt screen/polymorph, tractable and economical synthesis to enable Phase I, in vitro ADMET characterization to support IND (for example FDA's Guidance “In Vitro Drug Interaction Studies — Cytochrome P450 Enzyme- and Transporter-Mediated Drug Interactions”)
• Complete any efficacy studies under rigorous requirements to support clinical dose selections
• Engage clinician support for TPP and clinical plans

IND Enabling Stage Goals:

• Hold any pre-IND meetings as required
• Produce materials to enable GLP toxicology studies
• Complete all required studies for IND and produce reports suitable for IND filings. This includes GLP repeat dose toxicology studies in two species, safety pharmacology, genotoxicity evaluation, hERG as well as other studies that may be required for a particular target or route of administration
• Manufacture GMP drug and demonstrate suitable drug product formulation for use in Phase I trial

Experience with BPN suggests that many otherwise excellent awarded projects often require additional data or the generation of tools in the first year in order to meet the program's requirements for initiating medicinal chemistry or IND-enabling studies. For this reason, all BPN projects begin with a preparatory phase of up to a year, funded by the UG3 award mechanism, to allow projects to complete any work needed before launching full scale medicinal chemistry (if entering at the Discovery stage) or IND-enabling studies (if entering at the Development stage). During this preparatory period, the NIH will form the LDT, which will identify and oversee the studies necessary to meet the BPN requirements for initiating medicinal chemistry or IND-enabling studies. The LDT will also design plans and go/no-go milestones for all subsequent Discovery and/or Development work, which will be funded by the UH3 award. Progression from the UG3 award to the UH3 award will be based on administrative review (see Section D., Milestones). After successful completion of the UG3 phase, a project may proceed either to the UH3 phase in either hit-to-lead/lead optimization SAR (the discovery stage) or to IND-enabling studies (the development stage). A schematic of this project structure is available on the BPN website at https://neuroscienceblueprint.nih.gov/bpdrugs/bpn_resources.htm.

The following sections describe the Discovery and Development stages in more detail, including the program entry criteria, the program requirements for initiating medicinal chemistry and IND-enabling studies, and examples of activities that can be conducted during the UG3 preparatory phase.

Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to contact NIH Scientific/Research staff prior to preparing an application to clarify which entry stage is most appropriate for their project and what to include in their plans for the UG3 preparatory phase. 

Discovery

Projects that require medicinal chemistry to improve the potency and/or drug-like properties of promising bioactive compounds will enter the BPN at the Discovery stage. The process of understanding the structure-activity relationship (SAR) for desired drug properties typically requires dozens of rounds of compound synthesis and testing. Initially, medicinal chemistry will focus heavily on optimizing activity and potency of compounds in primary and secondary in vitro assays. Therefore, it is required to demonstrate robust SAR driving assays and tractable synthetic routes during the UG3 phase including blinded test-retest reliability and sufficient throughput with the primary and secondary screening assays (other standard reliability metrics are listed in the first year BPN milestones). Subsequently, SAR will increase emphasis on ADMET (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, toxicity) properties of the compounds, with continued monitoring and optimization of bioactivity. The ultimate goal of the SAR effort is the selection of a single development candidate with sufficient bioactivity, therapeutic index, and drug-like properties to proceed to IND-directed pre-clinical safety assessment with reasonable projected human doses.

Entry Criteria for Discovery Stage

Projects must meet the following requirements prior to entering at the Discovery stage:

• Rigorous data supporting the hypothesis that modulating the putative drug target/affected pathway will produce a desirable outcome for the intended disease indication (it is not necessary to know the precise drug target or mechanism of action).  These data may be supporting literature; evidence of the translational relevance from human studies is also encouraged. It is not required, nor it is expected that a project entering at the exploratory stage of discovery (BPN milestones) will have in vivo data with the proposed hit compounds. The preparatory phase (UG3) should be used to characterize the hits in order to develop appropriate tool compounds for in vivo testing in the Hit to Lead stage where in vivo efficacy may be a milestone if in vivo testing is proposed. 
• A bioactive compound, in hand, that will serve as a starting point for optimization with:
  • Proof of identity and purity (typically >95%, as determined by, e.g., NMR, melting point, or LC/MS, with no single impurity > 0.5%)
  • in vitro biological activity (typically < 1µM in biochemical assays and <10µM in cell-based assays relevant to the drug target), confirmed by repeat dose-response testing, with more than one batch of compound
  • Information on selectivity for the intended target over closely related targets, if desired (and when the target is known)
• Primary and secondary in vitro bioactivity assays that can be used for driving SAR studies (may require further optimization for throughput during Preparatory stage)
• Selectivity and counter-screening assays to address potential activity at related targets and other undesirable activities or artifacts (may require further optimization for throughput during Preparatory stage)
• In vivo efficacy is not required at the entry to Exploratory discovery stage.  Availability of preclinical animal model(s) that can be used to assess in vivo efficacy and/or target engagement (measurement of target binding or proximal downstream effects) in the hit to lead or lead optimization stages should be available for the Hit to Lead stage where in vivo efficacy testing is included as a required milestone if animal model testing is proposed. 
• No obvious legal (e.g., intellectual property) constraints to pursuing the proposed chemical scaffold(s) and using the proposed assays and models for research purposes and/or commercial development

Preparatory Activities for Discovery Stage Projects

All Discovery projects will begin with a UG3 preparatory phase of up to one year to prepare for SAR studies, which will be supported during the UH3 phase. The PI will be responsible for conducting all studies that involve disease- or target-specific assays, models, and other research tools. The following are general expectations for a BPN project to initiate SAR studies:

• Completion of an in vitro ADME and physicochemical profile for the starting compound that includes measures of aqueous solubility, microsome stability, CYP inhibition, and permeability (e.g., MDCK or Caco-2)
• Demonstration that the primary assay meets the following validation criteria to reliably rank compounds with similar activities:
  • A statistical demonstration of reliability, e.g., a Z-factor (Z') ?0.5 and a coefficient of variation (CV) ?20%
  • Concentration response testing over at least 10 concentrations generates reproducible EC₅₀ values within a 3-fold range for at least 4 compounds
  • Blinded test-retest reliability with R² of at least 0.75 on at least 8 compounds exhibiting EC₅₀ values across a 100-fold range of potency
  • Throughput of at least 10 compounds per week, run with sufficient replicates to produce robust and reproducible 10-point dose-response curves
• Demonstration that the proposed secondary bioactivity assays and counter-screening and selectivity assays have sufficient reliability and throughput for their proposed use in the project
• Demonstration of a clear correlation between activity in the primary assay and activity in confirmatory assays and models, sufficient to justify advancement criteria in a testing funnel

Examples of activities that can be supported during the Discovery (UG3) preparatory phase include:

• Establishment of a project milestone plan, including milestones that must be met to initiate SAR studies and desired compound profiles (including prospective criteria) at completion of lead optimization
• Refinement of a compound testing funnel, including studies to correlate activity across different bioactivity assays to justify advancement criteria
• In vivo pharmacology and if applicable studies using established biomarkers to demonstrate target engagement
• Studies to develop or validate target engagement markers that will be used in critical-path experiments
• Optimization and validation of bioactivity, selectivity, and counter-screening assays
• Critical-path pharmacology studies to clarify the compound mechanism of action (e.g., agonist vs. positive allosteric modulator)
• ADMET profiling of starting compound(s) to identify liabilities to address through medicinal chemistry
• Limited exploratory medicinal chemistry (approximately 1-2 chemists for 8-10 months) to enable demonstration/confirmation of synthetic route, establishment of initial structure property relationships (SPR) for metabolism, selectivity and toxicity and bioactivity of proposed hit compounds
• Procurement of commercially available analogs ("SAR by catalog")

The PI(s) will be responsible for conducting all studies that involve disease- or target-specific assays, models, and other research tools. Applicants may propose to use BPN contractors for chemical synthesis and ADMET profiling or request funds to conduct this work themselves.

UH3 Phase Activities for Discovery Phase Projects

The BPN typically supports up to an additional two years of medicinal chemistry in the UG3 phase if project entered the UG3 phase at the exploratory stage.  By the end of the first year of the UH3 phase, the PI is expected to demonstrate in vivo activity for a representative compound from the lead series, delivered by any route of administration if in vivo testing is proposed. By the end of the second year of full scale chemistry (lead optimization stage), the PI should identify a development candidate that meets the entry criteria for Development (below).

The Discovery UH3 phase typically includes the following activities:

• Design and synthesis of analogs for SAR studies
• Compound scale up for in vivo testing, dose ranging finding toxicity (DRF) evaluation
• Testing of analogs in bioactivity assays and animal models
• Testing of analogs in selectivity and counter-screening assays
• Testing of analogs in ADMET assays (e.g., microsome stability, CYP induction and inhibition, solubility, permeability in MDCK or Caco-2 cells, plasma protein binding, brain/plasma ratio, pharmacokinetics [PK] in multiple species)

The PI will be responsible for conducting primary in vitro biological assessment of compounds on a one- to two-week schedule to inform the design of subsequent iterations of compound synthesis. In addition to a regular testing schedule in the primary assay, the PI will provide confirmation of the activity of select compounds in secondary and counter-screening assays and animal models relevant to the drug target and therapeutic indication.

BPN contractors can produce compound analogs for SAR testing, scale up compounds as needed for in vivo testing, and provide standard screening services to assess in vitro and in vivo ADMET characteristics of the compounds. Typically, in the UH3 phase the BPN contractors will assign approximately 4 medicinal chemist FTEs to a project, generating approximately 4-8 compounds per week, plus additional staff to support computational chemistry modeling and in vitro ADMET studies as appropriate.

Compounds that meet the BPN's criteria for a development candidate can continue seamlessly on into Development stage activities in the UH3 phase (see below).

Development

The Development stage includes IND-directed preclinical safety studies, GMP synthesis of clinical trial material, formulation development, and phase I clinical testing. Projects that have completed medicinal chemistry optimization and identified a development candidate may initiate Development activities within BPN. The BPN does not support SAR studies during Development.

Entry Criteria for Development Stage

Applications for entry into the Development stage must have identified the candidate compound and cannot request additional medicinal chemistry resources. It may be acceptable to have 2 candidates that will be narrowed to a single candidate as part of the UG3 phase activities (time and budget permitting).

Applications must meet the following requirements prior to entering the Development Stage:

• A strong package of data linking the putative drug target/affected pathway to the proposed disease indication and supporting the hypothesis that altering the target activity as proposed will produce desirable outcomes for the disease.
• Proposed compound must have in vitro and in vivo biological activity and ADMET properties appropriate for the intended clinical use (i.e., the disease indication, patient population, delivery mode, treatment duration, and treatment regimen) and outcomes.
• Applicants should show that their proposed compounds are efficacious when delivered by the clinically intended route of administration, at exposure levels that can likely be achieved clinically with the proposed human dosing regimen.
• Proposed compounds should give defensible results in tests for Ames mutagenicity, hERG activity, microsome stability, CYP inhibition, plasma protein binding, and aqueous solubility.
• In cases where the molecular target of compound action is known, the applicant should demonstrate the degree of selectivity for the intended target over closely related targets.
• Counter-screening to determine selectivity across a broad panel of unrelated pharmacological targets (e.g., G protein-coupled receptors, kinases, etc.) is also required.
• Demonstration that the ability of the PI's institution to develop and commercialize the proposed compound(s) is unlikely to be blocked or impeded by legal (e.g., intellectual property) constraints and that there is support from the institution to file and maintain the patents estate and necessary regulatory documents along with associated cost (see Other Attachments below).

Preparatory Activities for Development Stage Projects

All applications proposing to enter at the Development stage will begin with a UG3-funded preparatory phase of up to one year, to prepare for IND-enabling studies, which will be supported during the UH3 phase. Projects that entered at the Discovery stage will conduct this preparatory work during their UH3 phase. The following are general expectations for a project to initiate IND-enabling studies within BPN:

• Dose-range finding (DRF) toxicology studies (rodent and non-rodent) show an acceptable safety margin (e.g., 5x if toxicity can be monitored, reversible, and has premonitory signs; 10x if toxicity is more severe but controllable/reversible; 30x if toxicity is unlikely to be easily monitored, controllable, reversible, or have premonitory signs). Formulation to enable exposure margins suitable for these toxicology studies may need to be explored.
• Viable synthetic route for manufacturing (acceptable cost, number of steps and purification techniques needed) to enable GLP toxicology and Phase I testing
• Viable API (active pharmaceutical ingredient; salt and polymorph selection complete, acceptable stability to support initial clinical trial)

Examples of activities that can be supported during the Development preparatory phase include:

• Establishment of a preclinical development plan, including milestones for advancement into IND-enabling studies and the desired profile for a development candidate
• Design and planning for the Phase I clinical trials (if applicable)
• Validation of ADMET data
• Replication/confirmation of key in vivo pharmacology data
• Scale-up synthesis for toxicology studies and formulation (including required material amounts for DRF studies if not available at time of award)
• Salt and polymorph screening
• Compound stability studies
• Pre-formulation/formulation work to enable toxicology studies
• Multiple-dose rodent PK testing, with pharmacodynamic (PD) correlations if applicable
• Dose-range finding toxicology studies
• Metabolite identification

The PI is responsible for conducting all studies that involve disease- or target-specific assays, models, and other research tools. BPN contractors can perform all other work.

UH3 Phase Activities for Development Stage Projects

The Development UH3 phase may include the following:

• Manufacturing of material for toxicology studies (DRF & GLP) and/or GMP manufacturing of material for phase I clinical testing
• IND-enabling toxicology studies
• IND document preparation
• Phase I clinical trial (a single and/or multiple ascending dose study to characterize safety, PK, and PD)

The PI's Institution will be responsible for assembly and submission of the IND application and scheduling meetings with the FDA and therefore should include support for this activity in their plan. NIH staff and consultants on the LDT must be included in all meetings with the FDA.

The development of the protocol and management of the phase I trial will be performed by a Clinical Development Team (CDT), which will evolve from the LDT and include the PI, clinical consultants identified by the PI and NIH, and NIH staff. The protocol, selected supporting trial documents, and regulatory documents will be submitted to NIH for administrative review (including internal and external experts) prior to commencement of the clinical trial (defined as signing of first informed consent).

BPN contractors can conduct the preclinical safety studies, GMP synthesis, formulation and other activities required to prepare for human testing. BPN contractors will provide data and reports in a format suitable for inclusion in an IND application and will assist in the development of the application. The phase I clinical trial can also be conducted through BPN contractors.

Applications Not Responsive to this NOFO:

Nonresponsive applications will not be reviewed.

The following activities are considered non-responsive to this NOFO:

• Screening to identify hit compounds
• Basic research and studies of disease mechanism
• Animal model development
• Development of risk, detection, diagnostic, prognostic, predictive, and prevention biomarkers as well as PET ligands
• Development of diagnostics and diagnostic devices
• Development of biologics and biotechnology products
• Studies directed beyond Phase I clinical testing

C. NIH Institute and Center Interests and Guidance

National Institute on Aging (NIA)

NIA is interested in studies that will provide drug development expertise and infrastructure support to researchers interested in developing novel small molecules aimed at modifying the behavioral symptoms in Alzheimer's disease (AD), delaying the onset or slowing the progression of AD, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), other dementias of aging and age-related cognitive decline. Ideally, this initiative is aimed at researchers who have promising small molecule compounds but lack the necessary outside expertise and infrastructure to advance these compounds to the clinic.

Researchers who may have the necessary drug development expertise and access to infrastructure to advance small molecules to the clinic should consider submitting an application to the Alzheimer's Drug Development Program (PAR 22-047) or its reissue. This program is also available to researchers who are interested in the preclinical development of small molecules and biologics.

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

Alcohol interacts directly and indirectly with a wide spectrum of molecular targets in the brain, and alcohol-seeking behaviors and alcohol use disorders (AUD) involve multiple neurotransmitter systems, neuromodulators, hormones, signal transduction pathways, etc. These include signaling systems and signal transduction pathways of opioids, serotonin, dopamine, glutamate, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), endocannabinoids, neuropeptides (e.g. corticotropin releasing factor (CRF), neuropeptide Y, substance P), and protein kinases A and C. Numerous therapeutic agents targeting these and other molecular systems have been studied preclinically and in clinical trials. NIAAA is interested in research aimed to develop new pharmaceuticals to provide effective therapy for AUD. Studies involving novel targets previously un-recognized or understudied for the treatment of AUD are particularly encouraged. Specific genetic variants that may contribute to the risk for alcoholism and/or render alcohol dependent individuals responsive to specific therapeutic agent have been discovered. NIAAA is interested in supporting research to develop pharmaceuticals targeting individuals with identified genotypic and phenotypic characteristics to improve efficacy and safety.

National Eye Institute (NEI)

The National Eye Institute (NEI) interest in BP neuro-therapeutics is to develop novel therapies to treat diseases and disorders of the visual system, especially blinding eye diseases such as cataracts, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa, ocular pain and other conditions. The NEI is also interested in other visual system disorders such as strabismus and amblyopia that could be treated with pharmacological interventions. Each project should have a well-defined endpoint, achievable within a five-year time frame, for developing a treatment for a specific disease or disorder of the visual system. The steps towards this goal should be clearly delineated in a series of milestones that support the development of a novel therapeutic that can then be tested in a clinical trial. If successful, a project funded under this program may lead to filing an IND-directed pharmacological and toxicological study, and Phase I clinical testing. Investigators are encouraged to contact NEI program staff to discuss potential research projects prior to application submission to determine alignment of the planned studies with priorities of the Institute.

National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)

NIDCR is interested in neurotherapeutics development for painful disorders of the orofacial region including but not limited to temporomandibular joint disorder, trigeminal neuropathies, burning mouth syndrome, oral cancer pain and other conditions. Recent advances in genomics and phenotyping of subjects with orofacial pain conditions have expanded the scope of potential targets to treat these conditions. Receptor systems, ion channels, and pro- and anti-inflammatory molecules have been implicated in chronic pain. NIDCR is interested in supporting research that will lead to highly efficacious and specific pharmacological treatments for individuals with orofacial pain disorders.

Investigators are encouraged to contact NIDCR program staff to discuss potential research projects prior to application submission to determine alignment of the planned studies with priorities of the Institute mission and strategic plan.

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

NIMH supports neuroscience research to discover the causes of mental illness and to develop more effective and safer treatments. The NIMH is interested in applications proposing development of therapies aimed at novel molecular and clinical targets for the treatment of mental disorders, especially treatment-resistant depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD, and autism spectrum disorder. Studies aimed at the development of new ligands for targets where a probe or therapeutic already exists are generally of lower priority.

NIMH will only support projects entering the BPN at the Discovery (optimization of validated small molecule hits and promising lead compounds through medicinal chemistry) stage. NIMH will not support projects entering the BPN at the Development (IND enabling/GMP synthesis or Phase I trials) stage. Projects at the Development stage should consider applying to the NIMH SBIR/STTR Programs. Projects at the early clinical trials phase should consider the NIMH SBIR/STTR Programs, or look at the NIMH Support for Clinical Trials web page. Investigators are strongly encouraged to discuss their research plans with NIMH Scientific/Research contact prior to submission to determine alignment of the planned studies with NIMH priorities and to assess whether this or other NIMH funding opportunities are most appropriate. Investigators are also encouraged to review the following NIMH drug discovery NOFOs: Drug Discovery for Nervous System Disorders PAR-22-031 (R01) and PAR-22-032 (R21), Assay Development and Screening for Discovery of Validated Chemical Hits for Brain Disorders PAR-23-168 (R01), Discovery of in vivo Chemical Probes for Novel Brain Targets PAR-21-029 (R01), Discovery of Cell-based Chemical Probes for Novel Brain Targets PAR-21-028 (R21), National Cooperative Drug Discovery/Development Groups (NCDDG) for the Treatment of Mental Disorders or Alcohol Addiction (U01) PAR-22-143 and PAR-22-144 (U19).

Consistent with NIMH’s Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) initiative, research projects directed towards ameliorating pathophysiology that is potentially more proximal to specific functional deficits (domains) than DSM diagnostic entities are encouraged. Additional information about the RDoC approach can be found at the RDoC website. The testing of functional domains not included specifically in RDoC may also be considered, if well justified. In vivo preclinical screening assays in animals should be carefully selected based on proposed brain targets and mechanisms of therapeutic action (see NOT-MH-19-053).

High-quality and reproducible studies that are reported to the scientific community in a transparent manner are an essential cornerstone of the research enterprise. Attention to principles of study design and transparency are essential to enable reviewers, the scientific community, and NIH to assess the quality of scientific findings. In support of this important goal, investigators must follow instructions to address Rigor and Reproducibility (http://grants.nih.gov/reproducibility/index.htm).

Further information on NIMH research priorities can be found in the NIMH Strategic Plan and NIMH National Advisory Mental Health Council (NAMHC) web page.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to discuss applications with NIMH staff listed in Section VII - Agency Contact(s) Scientific/Research Contacts.

National Institute of Neurological Disorder sand Stroke (NINDS)

A list of diseases that is relevant to the research mission of the NINDS can be found at https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/All-Disorders; applicants are encouraged to contact the NINDS to discuss disease areas of interest.

This NOFO serves as the primary support mechanism at NINDS for the discovery and development of small molecule drugs. This includes all medicinal chemistry optimization efforts requiring analog synthesis. Researchers focused on the development of biologics and biotechnology products should consider the BPN-Bio program (https://neuroscienceblueprint.nih.gov/neurotherapeutics/bpn-biologics). Applicants seeking support only to conduct early stage clinical trials should consider applying for an NINDS Exploratory Clinical Trials R01, through PAR-21-236, which provides additional flexibility in budget and time, as well as the option of including a phase II trial.

There is growing recognition that the quality and reproducibility of both preclinical and clinical research depend on the rigor with which researchers conduct studies, control for potential bias, and report essential methodological details. Examples of critical elements of a well-designed study are summarized on the NINDS website https://www.ninds.nih.gov/funding/preparing-your-application/preparing-research-plan/rigorous-study-design-and-transparent-reporting. NINDS urges applicants to this program to consider these elements when describing supporting data and proposed studies.

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)

NCCIH supports neurotherapeutic research to discover and develop small molecules that fall within the definition of a secondary metabolite (i.e., natural products) inclusive of the array of chemical space derived from botanicals, microorganisms (e.g., commensal microbes), marine invertebrates, and venomous species. The NCCIH is interested in applications proposing development of interventions to modulate CNS-based symptoms with priority given to myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), pain and pain related symptoms including sleep, stress, and mood disorders. Investigators are strongly encouraged to discuss their research plans with the NCCIH Scientific/Research contact prior to submitting their applications.

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

Through participating in this NOFO, NIDA aims to provide drug development expertise and access to resources to support the drug addiction researchers interested in developing new molecular entities for the treatment of substance use disorders (SUD).

NIDA will only support the projects entering the BPN at the Discovery stage. Specifically, NIDA is interested in using the BPN mechanism to support projects in the "hit to lead optimization" stages with a well-justified proposal for the development stage as well.

NIDA applicants are strongly encouraged to take full advantage of the opportunities the BPN affords, including collaboration with BPN consultants and NIH-supported contract research organizations (CROs) that specialize in medicinal chemistry, pharmacokinetics, toxicology, formulations development, chemical synthesis under Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). Researchers, who already possess the drug development expertise and access to the necessary R&D infrastructure in their home institutions, should consider submitting their applications to the specialized NIDA programs administered by the NIDA Division of Therapeutics and Medical Consequences (DTMC).

Investigators are strongly encouraged to discuss their research plans with NIDA program staff prior to submission to determine alignment of the planned studies with NIDA's interest and priorities. NIDA staff will also provide help in assessing whether this or other NIDA funding opportunities would be the most appropriate.

D. Milestones

Because drug discovery and development are inherently high risk, it is expected that there will be significant attrition as projects progress. Go/No-Go milestones (typically every six months but at least annually) will be established by the LDT at the start of each project and updated as needed.

An administrative review will be conducted by NIH program staff, with technical input from an External Oversight Committee (composed of senior non-federal scientists who are not directly involved in BPN projects), to decide which projects will advance from the UG3 phase to the UH3 phase and progress after each subsequent milestone based on:

• Successful achievement of milestones
• The overall feasibility of project advancement, considering data that may not have been captured in milestones
• Competitive landscape for the disease indication and drug target
• Program priorities
• Availability of funds

Approval for commencement of a clinical trial (defined as signing of informed consent by first prospective subject) will include the following:

• Successful achievement of the defined preclinical development milestones;
• Submission of an IND with documentation for one of the following: 1) acceptance of clinical protocol by FDA; 2) elapse of the 30-day post filing waiting period without comment from the FDA; 3) completion of protocol changes or amendments requested by FDA.
• Submission of the clinical protocol and supporting documents to NIH for administrative review and notification of NIH approval;
• Agreement on updated timeline and milestones for the clinical trial.

PLEASE NOTE: If a funded project does not make sufficient progress toward the agreed upon milestones at any stage, funding for the project and access to BPN contract resources may be discontinued (see section VI.2.).

E. Quality and Compliance Requirements

Since the goal of this program is to generate therapeutics which will be eligible for FDA approval, adherence to compliance and quality criteria is required.

• It is expected that all IND enabling nonclinical studies will be performed in a manner consistent with Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) and current FDA guidance.

All clinical trials must be performed following Good Clinical Practices (GCP) and in accord with NIH Policy for Data and Safety Monitoring (https://grants.nih.gov/policy/humansubjects/policies-and-regulations/data-safety.htm) .

Investigational products for use in clinical trials must be produced under current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) practices.

F. Intellectual Property (IP)

Since the ultimate goal of this program is to bring new drugs to the market, the creation and protection of intellectual property (IP) that will make drug candidates attractive to potential licensing and commercialization partners are a significant consideration in designing research strategies and prioritizing projects for funding. This program is structured so that the recipient  institution retains their assignment of IP rights and gains assignment of IP rights from the BPN contractors (and thereby control the patent prosecution and licensing negotiations) for drug candidates developed in this program. It is expected that the recipient  institution will take responsibility for patent filings, maintenance and licensing efforts toward eventual commercialization. The PI is expected to work closely with technology transfer/business development officials at their institution to ensure that royalty agreements, patent filings, and all other necessary IP arrangements are completed in a timely manner and that commercialization plans are developed and updated over the course of the project. Award recipients will be encouraged to identify and foster relationships with potential licensing and commercialization partners early in the drug development process, consistent with the goals of the BPN.

G. Diversity

In addition to scientific diversity, applicants should strive to incorporate diversity in their team development plan. Research shows that diverse teams working together and capitalizing on innovative ideas and distinct perspectives outperform homogenous teams. Scientists and trainees from diverse backgrounds and life experiences bring different perspectives, creativity, and individual enterprise to address complex scientific problems. There are many benefits that flow from a diverse NIH-supported scientific workforce, including: fostering scientific innovation, enhancing global competitiveness, contributing to robust learning environments, improving the quality of the research, advancing the likelihood that underserved or health disparity populations participate in, and benefit from health research, and enhancing public trust. In spite of tremendous advancements in scientific research, information, educational and research opportunities are not equally available to all. NIH encourages institutions to diversify their student and faculty populations to enhance the participation of individuals from groups that are underrepresented in the biomedical, clinical, behavioral, and social sciences. Please refer to Notice of NIH's Interest in Diversity NOT-OD-20-031 for more details.

See Section VIII. Other Information for award authorities and regulations.

Investigators proposing NIH-defined clinical trials may refer to the Research Methods Resources website for information about developing statistical methods and study designs.

Section II. Award Information

NIH grants policies as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement will apply to the applications submitted and awards made from this NOFO.

Section III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

Higher Education Institutions

• Public/State Controlled Institutions of Higher Education
• Private Institutions of Higher Education

The following types of Higher Education Institutions are always encouraged to apply for NIH support as Public or Private Institutions of Higher Education:

• Hispanic-serving Institutions
• Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
• Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs)
• Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions
• Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs)

Nonprofits Other Than Institutions of Higher Education

• Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education)
• Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institutions of Higher Education)

For-Profit Organizations

• Small Businesses
• For-Profit Organizations (Other than Small Businesses)

Local Governments

• State Governments
• County Governments
• City or Township Governments
• Special District Governments
• Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Federally Recognized)
• Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized).

Federal Government

• Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government
• U.S. Territory or Possession

Other

• Independent School Districts
• Public Housing Authorities/Indian Housing Authorities
• Native American Tribal Organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
• Faith-based or Community-based Organizations
• Regional Organizations
• Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations).

Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) are eligible to apply.

Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are eligible to apply.

Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed. 

Applicant Organizations

Applicant organizations must complete and maintain the following registrations as described in the How to Apply-Application Guide to be eligible to apply for or receive an award. All registrations must be completed prior to the application being submitted. Registration can take 6 weeks or more, so applicants should begin the registration process as soon as possible. Failure to complete registrations in advance of  a due date is not a valid reason for a late submission, please reference the NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 2.3.9.2 Electronically Submitted Applications.

• System for Award Management (SAM) – Applicants must complete and maintain an active registration, which requires renewal at least annually. The renewal process may require as much time as the initial registration. SAM registration includes the assignment of a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code for domestic organizations which have not already been assigned a CAGE Code.
  • NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) Code – Foreign organizations must obtain an NCAGE code (in lieu of a CAGE code) in order to register in SAM.
  • Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) - A UEI is issued as part of the SAM.gov registration process. The same UEI must be used for all registrations, as well as on the grant application.
• eRA Commons - Once the unique organization identifier is established, organizations can register with eRA Commons in tandem with completing their Grants.gov registration; all registrations must be in place by time of submission. eRA Commons requires organizations to identify at least one Signing Official (SO) and at least one Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) account in order to submit an application.
• Grants.gov – Applicants must have an active SAM registration in order to complete the Grants.gov registration.

Program Directors/Principal Investigators (PD(s)/PI(s))

All PD(s)/PI(s) must have an eRA Commons account.  PD(s)/PI(s) should work with their organizational officials to either create a new account or to affiliate their existing account with the applicant organization in eRA Commons. If the PD/PI is also the organizational Signing Official, they must have two distinct eRA Commons accounts, one for each role. Obtaining an eRA Commons account can take up to 2 weeks.

Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s) (PD(s)/PI(s)) is invited to work with their organization to develop an application for support. Individuals from diverse backgrounds, including underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, individuals with disabilities, and women are always encouraged to apply for NIH support. See, Reminder: Notice of NIH's Encouragement of Applications Supporting Individuals from Underrepresented Ethnic and Racial Groups as well as Individuals with Disabilities, NOT-OD-22-019 and Notice of NIH's Interest in Diversity, NOT-OD-20-031.

For institutions/organizations proposing multiple PDs/PIs, visit the Multiple Program Director/Principal Investigator Policy and submission details in the Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) Component of the How to Apply- Application Guide.

2. Cost Sharing

This NOFO does not require cost sharing as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 1.2 Definition of Terms.

3. Additional Information on Eligibility

Number of Applications

Applicant organizations may submit more than one application, provided that each application is scientifically distinct.

The NIH will not accept duplicate or highly overlapping applications under review at the same time, per NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 2.3.7.4 Submission of Resubmission Application. This means that the NIH will not accept:

• A new (A0) application that is submitted before issuance of the summary statement from the review of an overlapping new (A0) or resubmission (A1) application.
• A resubmission (A1) application that is submitted before issuance of the summary statement from the review of the previous new (A0) application.
• An application that has substantial overlap with another application pending appeal of initial peer review (see NIH Grants Policy Statement 2.3.9.4 Similar, Essentially Identical, or Identical Applications).

Section IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Requesting an Application Package

The application forms package specific to this opportunity must be accessed through ASSIST, Grants.gov Workspace or an institutional system-to-system solution. Links to apply using ASSIST or Grants.gov Workspace are available in Part 1 of this NOFO. See your administrative office for instructions if you plan to use an institutional system-to-system solution.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

It is critical that applicants follow the instructions in the Research (R) Instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide except where instructed in this notice of funding opportunity to do otherwise. Conformance to the requirements in the Application Guide is required and strictly enforced. Applications that are out of compliance with these instructions may be delayed or not accepted for review.

Letter of Intent

Although a letter of intent is not required, is not binding, and does not enter into the review of a subsequent application, the information that it contains allows IC staff to estimate the potential review workload and plan the review.

By the date listed in Part 1. Overview Information, prospective applicants are asked to submit a letter of intent that includes the following information:

• Descriptive title of proposed activity
• Name(s), address(es), and telephone number(s) of the PI(s)
• Names of other key personnel
• Participating institution(s)
• Number and title of this funding opportunity

The letter of intent should be sent to:

Charles Cywin, Ph.D.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Telephone: 301-496-1779
Fax: 301-402-1501
Email: charles.cywin@nih.gov 

Page Limitations

All page limitations described in the How to Apply- Application Guide and the Table of Page Limits must be followed.

The following section supplements the instructions found in the How to Apply- Application Guide and should be used for preparing an application to this NOFO.

SF424(R&R) Cover

All instructions in the How to Apply- Application Guide must be followed.

SF424(R&R) Project/Performance Site Locations

All instructions in the How to Apply-Application Guide must be followed.

SF424(R&R) Other Project Information

All instructions in the How to Apply-Application Guide must be followed.

Note that applications in which all human subject work is proposed to be conducted by BPN CROs (i.e. not part of the grant budget) should not indicate that their applications involve human subjects. 

Facilities & Other Resources:

All applicants should describe their institutions' existing or planned infrastructure for bringing the compounds to practical application (e.g., licensing for further drug development, managing IP, commercializing discoveries) consistent with achieving the program goals. For a multiple-PI, multiple-institution application, applicants should describe the infrastructure of each institution for bringing the technologies to practical application and for coordinating these efforts (e.g., licensing, managing intellectual property) among the institutions consistent with achieving the goals of the program. Applicants should clarify how IP will be shared or otherwise managed if there are multiple PIs and institutions involved in the UG3/UH3-supported work, to ensure that IP remains unencumbered.

Other Attachments: Applications must include an Intellectual property (IP) strategy.

Applicants are encouraged to prepare this section in consultation with their institutions' technology transfer officials.

For Discovery stage projects, applicants should describe any constraints of which they are aware that could impede their use of compounds, assays, or models for research purposes and/or commercial development (e.g., certain restrictions under transfer or sharing agreements, applicants' previous or present intellectual property filings and publications, compounds with similar structures that are under patent and/or on the market, etc.) and how these issues would be addressed. If the applicant's institution has filed pertinent patents, the applicant should indicate filing dates, the type of patent, and application status.

For Development stage projects, applicants should describe their efforts to confirm that there are unlikely to be IP or other legal constraints that could block or impede development or commercialization of the proposed compounds. If the applicant's institution has filed pertinent patents, the applicant should indicate filing dates, the type of patent, and application status.

Other Attachments:

SF424(R&R) Senior/Key Person Profile

All instructions in the How to Apply- Application Guide must be followed.

R&R Budget

All instructions in the How to Apply- Application Guide must be followed.

The UG3/UH3 award is intended to support studies to be conducted by the PIs and associated personnel. The UG3/UH3 budget may not support drug development activities that the applicant proposes to conduct through BPN contracts. Equipment requests are allowed but not encouraged. Equipment requests should be considered only if the equipment is absolutely necessary to the success of the project and cannot be supported by any other means. This is likely to be a subject of negotiation before an award is made. Some budget requests may be made for the PI's Institution to assemble and file the IND.

The UG3/UH3 budget may include travel costs for one or two trips per year to attend meetings of the BPN External Oversight Committee or hold face-to-face meetings of the LDT.

It is expected that the contact (lead) PI will dedicate at least 20% level of effort (2.4 person months (for MPI other PI's effort should be appropriate for their proposed contributions)) to managing a BPN project. It is strongly recommended that potential applicants consult NIH staff about their anticipated budget in the early stages of preparing an application.

R&R Subaward Budget

All instructions in the How to Apply-Application Guide must be followed.

PHS 398 Cover Page Supplement

All instructions in the How to Apply- Application Guide must be followed.

PHS 398 Research Plan

All instructions in the How to Apply- Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions:

Specific Aims:The Specific Aims section should include Aims delineated for the UG3 (preparatory) and UH3 phases. If a clinical study is proposed, define the aims of the clinical study.

Research Strategy:The Research Strategy section should include the entire project scope including plans for both the UG3 and UH3 phases and should include the following subsections:

• Clearly indicate within a table what stage the project is entering (e.g. Exploratory, Hit to Lead, Lead Optimization, etc.) and which activities will be conducted by PI/co-investigators and associated personnel (i.e., funded by the UG3/UH3 award) and which activities will be conducted by NIH contract research organizations and/or consultants. The table should provide the following information: Activity (medicinal chemistry, assays, PK, etc.), throughput (e.g. samples per month), source (PI lab, sub recipient , BPN Contractor), and advancement criteria. 
• Include experimental designs and justification for all studies that will be conducted by the  PI/co-investigators and associated personnel. Activities that will be conducted by NIH contractors need not be described in detail in the application since these will be planned after the award by the lead development team (LDT), but the overall goal of the activities should be provided. 
• Clinical Significance
• Biological Rationale and Compound Profile (Significance)
• Testing strategy (Approach)
• Innovation

Clinical Significance: Each application generally should focus on only one primary disorder or disease, even if the compound proposed for the project shows activity in models for more than one disorder. This is because the target patient population and intended use guide the design of the drug and of the preclinical studies, such as toxicology and formulation.

• Briefly describe the current state of knowledge of the etiology, clinical characteristics, and current and projected prevalence of the proposed disease indication.
• Briefly discuss available treatments, including all treatment modalities, and their limitations.
• Discuss how the proposed project relates to therapeutics development efforts underway in academia and industry.
• Provide a Target Product Profile (TPP), a table based on an FDA template that summarizes the minimal/ideal profile of the final marketed product and shows the ultimate goals of the proposed drug development effort, such as disease indication, patient population, delivery mode, treatment duration, treatment regimen, and standards for clinical efficacy (see guidance and example of suggested format at http://neuroscienceblueprint.nih.gov/resources/target-product-profile.htm). Explain why the minimally acceptable and ideal parameters offer advantages over currently available treatments and how they relate to other therapeutics under development.
• Briefly comment on the contribution of conducting clinical trials toward the goals in the TPP (e.g., availability of patients for clinical trials).
• Describe the group clinical expertise used to determine the goals of the drug development program and the clinical trial.

Biological Rationale and Compound Profile (Significance): Justify the choice of drug target/pathway and proposed strategy to alter the target/pathway activity.

• Describe the intended biological target/pathway when known or phenotype when target/pathway is unknown.
• Provide the evidence that links this target  or phenotype, when target/pathway is unknown, to the proposed disease indication.
• Provide the evidence that altering target activity or phenotype as proposed will give desirable outcomes for the proposed disease indication.
• Present the chemical structure of the compound(s) proposed for optimization or as the development candidate.
• Describe how the compound(s) were identified. For Discovery projects, present structure-activity relationship (SAR) data, if available.
• Provide a Compound Profile Table (see guidance and example of suggested format at http://neuroscienceblueprint.nih.gov/resources/example_compound_profile_table.htm) that summarizes the pharmacological and ADMET activities of the compound(s) proposed for optimization or as the development candidate. Note any potential liabilities.
• For Discovery projects, show that the compound proposed as the starting point for optimization alters the activity of the putative target as intended and/or produces desired outcomes in disease models, with sufficient detail to allow reviewers to evaluate the rigor of the experimental design. Explain the choice of models, assays, and endpoints for these studies.
• For Development projects, show that the proposed development candidate has clinically relevant in vivo activity, when delivered by the clinically intended route of administration, at exposure levels that can likely be achieved clinically with the proposed human dosing regimen.
• Describe the supporting in vivo biology study design in detail, including the power analysis and associated assumptions for the determination of sample size, statistical handling of the data (such as criteria for data inclusion or exclusion), procedures used for blinding and randomization, and whether studies were replicated.
• Discuss the clinical relevance of the preclinical outcome measures and observed effect size.
• Show the data that demonstrate the relationship between compound exposure and activity and explain how these data support the clinical dosing regimen proposed in the TPP.

Testing Strategy (Approach):Specify whether the project is proposed for entry at the Discovery or Development stage. Clearly indicate within a table which activities will be conducted by the PI and associated personnel (i.e., funded by the UG3/UH3 award) and which activities will be conducted by BPN contractors.Include experimental designs and justification for all studies that will be conducted by the PI and associated personnel. Activities that will be conducted by BPN contractors need not be described in detail in the application, since these will be planned after award by the LDT.

For Discovery-stage projects:

• Present a table that lists all the in vitro and in vivo assays that will be run by the PI/co-investigators and associated personnel. The table should include descriptive names of the assays, the assay throughput, and the proposed advancement criteria for each assay.
• Explain the rationale for the choice of assays, assay design, and advancement criteria, and clarify how these relate to the desired drug properties presented in the Target Product Profile.
• Show assay validation data or present plans to optimize and validate assays.
• If requesting funding to conduct all the assays for SAR studies, including ADMET, provide a testing funnel that shows how these assays will be ordered and grouped into testing tiers.
• If requesting funding for medicinal chemistry within the PI's/co-investigators laboratory, describe the SAR strategy that will be used.
• For the in vivo bioactivity study required to declare a development candidate, provide details on the study design, including power analysis and associated assumptions for sample size estimation, the process for blinding and randomization, and data handling rules, such as criteria for inclusion and exclusion of data. Describe plans for data analysis and interpretation, including what effect size would be considered minimally acceptable and clinically relevant (i.e., what constitutes a go/no-go decision for advancement into Development).
• Indicate how target engagement and/or pharmacodynamic markers will be used to detect activity at the putative target in preclinical models and in patients, if available or proposed for development. 

For the Development-stage of projects:

• If requesting funding to conduct preclinical Development activities, include a Gantt chart that lays out each step (e.g., GMP synthesis, formulations development, and IND-enabling studies).
• For projects entering at the Development phase, present a synthetic scheme and experimental details (yields, conditions, reagents) for the development candidate. If requesting funding for process development, describe the strategy for adapting the synthesis for scale up to levels sufficient to run a Phase I trial.
• Provide a brief description of the clinical trial strategy. We anticipate that details of the trial are likely to change during therapeutic development. As appropriate, applicants are encouraged to make use of NIH resources for clinical research (https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Current-Research/Research-Funded-NINDS/Clinical-Research).

Innovation: Explain how the project offers a novel approach to treating the proposed disease indication.

• If therapeutics that target the same molecule, pathway, or cellular process have been tested in clinical trials for the proposed disease indication, explain why the proposed approach would be expected to provide a benefit over those therapeutics.
• If drugs with similar structures have been tested in clinical trials for the proposed disease indication, explain why the proposed drug would be expected to give significantly better clinical outcomes.
• Comment on the novelty of proposed approach, target, pathway, assays or models.

Letters of Support: If applying from an academic institution, include a letter of support from the technology transfer official who will be managing intellectual property and licensing associated with this project and agreement to share confidentially with NIH details of any licensing agreements related to the proposed program relevant to determining feasibility of commercialization for the proposed disease area.

If research will be performed at more than one institution, include a letter of support from each institution clarifying how intellectual property (IP) will be shared or otherwise managed across the institutions, to ensure that the IP remains unencumbered, consistent with achieving the goals of the program.

Resource Sharing Plan: Individuals are required to comply with the instructions for the Resource Sharing Plans as provided in the How to Apply- Application Guide. 

Other Plan(s): 

All instructions in the How to Apply-Application Guide must be followed, with the following additional instructions:

• All applicants planning research (funded or conducted in whole or in part by NIH) that results in the generation of scientific data are required to comply with the instructions for the Data Management and Sharing Plan. All applications, regardless of the amount of direct costs requested for any one year, must address a Data Management and Sharing Plan.
• If patent protection is being sought, investigators should explain how data will be shared after filing for patent protection to allow for both further research and the development of commercial products to advance forward, consistent with achieving the goals of the program

Appendix:Only limited Appendix materials are allowed. Follow all instructions for the Appendix as described in the How to Apply- Application Guide.

• No publications or other material, with the exception of blank questionnaires or blank surveys, may be included in the Appendix.

PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information

When involving human subjects research, clinical research, and/or NIH-definedclinical trials (and when applicable, clinical trials research experience) follow all instructions for the PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form in the How to Apply- Application Guide, with the following additional instructions:

If you answered “Yes” to the question “Are Human Subjects Involved?” on the R&R Other Project Information form, you must include at least one human subjects study record using the Study Record: PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form or Delayed Onset Study record.

Study Record: PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information

All instructions in the How to Apply- Application Guide must be followed.

Section 4 - Protocol Synopsis

4.1. Study Design

4.1.a. Detailed Description 

Include determination of dose levels.

4.1.c. Interventions 

For "Intervention Description", include route of administration.

4.2. Outcome Measures 

At least one outcome measure should include PK assessments, with attention to demonstration of CNS penetration (if appropriate) and target engagement or modulation (if possible).

Delayed Onset Study

Note: Delayed onset does NOT apply to a study that can be described but will not start immediately (i.e., delayed start).All instructions in the How to Apply-Application Guide must be followed.

PHS Assignment Request Form

All instructions in the How to Apply-Application Guide must be followed.

Foreign Organizations

Foreign (non-U.S.) institutions must follow policies described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, and procedures for foreign institutions described throughout the How to Apply-Application Guide.

3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)

See Part 2. Section III.1 for information regarding the requirement for obtaining a unique entity identifier and for completing and maintaining active registrations in System for Award Management (SAM), NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) Code (if applicable), eRA Commons, and Grants.gov.

4. Submission Dates and Times

Part I. Overview Information contains information about Key Dates and times. Applicants are encouraged to submit applications before the due date to ensure they have time to make any application corrections that might be necessary for successful submission. When a submission date falls on a weekend or Federal holiday, the application deadline is automatically extended to the next business day.

Organizations must submit applications to Grants.gov (the online portal to find and apply for grants across all Federal agencies). Applicants must then complete the submission process by tracking the status of the application in the eRA Commons, NIH’s electronic system for grants administration. NIH and Grants.gov systems check the application against many of the application instructions upon submission. Errors must be corrected and a changed/corrected application must be submitted to Grants.gov on or before the application due date and time.  If a Changed/Corrected application is submitted after the deadline, the application will be considered late. Applications that miss the due date and time are subjected to the NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 2.3.9.2 Electronically Submitted Applications.

Applicants are responsible for viewing their application before the due date in the eRA Commons to ensure accurate and successful submission.

Information on the submission process and a definition of on-time submission are provided in the How to Apply- Application Guide.

5. Intergovernmental Review (E.O. 12372)

This initiative is not subject to intergovernmental review.

6. Funding Restrictions

All NIH awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

Pre-award costs are allowable only as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 7.9.1 Selected Items of Cost.

Applications must be submitted electronically following the instructions described in the How to Apply-Application Guide.  Paper applications will not be accepted.

Applicants must complete all required registrations before the application due date. Section III Eligibility Information contains information about registration.

For assistance with your electronic application or for more information on the electronic submission process, visit How to Apply – Application Guide. If you encounter a system issue beyond your control that threatens your ability to complete the submission process on-time, you must follow the Dealing with System Issues guidance. For assistance with application submission, contact the Application Submission Contacts in Section VII.

Important reminders:

All PD(s)/PI(s) must include their eRA Commons ID in the Credential field of the Senior/Key Person Profile form. Failure to register in the Commons and to include a valid PD/PI Commons ID in the credential field will prevent the successful submission of an electronic application to NIH. See Section III of this NOFO for information on registration requirements.

The applicant organization must ensure that the unique entity identifier provided on the application is the same identifier used in the organization’s profile in the eRA Commons and for the System for Award Management. Additional information may be found in the How to Apply-Application Guide.

See more tips for avoiding common errors.

Upon receipt, applications will be evaluated for completeness and compliance with application instructions by the Center for Scientific Review and responsiveness by components of participating organizations, NIH. Applications that are incomplete, non-compliant and/or nonresponsive will not be reviewed.

Requests of $500,000 or more for direct costs in any year

Applicants requesting $500,000 or more in direct costs in any year (excluding consortium F&A) must contact a Scientific/ Research Contact at least 6 weeks before submitting the application and follow the Policy on the Acceptance for Review of Unsolicited Applications that Request $500,000 or More in Direct Costs as described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.

Recipients or subrecipients must submit any information related to violations of federal criminal law involving fraud, bribery, or gratuity violations potentially affecting the federal award. See Mandatory Disclosures, 2 CFR 200.113  and NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 4.1.35.

Send written disclosures to the NIH Chief Grants Management Officer listed on the Notice of Award for the IC that funded the award and to the HHS Office of Inspector Grant Self Disclosure Program at grantdisclosures@oig.hhs.gov.

Post Submission Materials

Applicants are required to follow the instructions for post-submission materials, as described in the policy

Section V. Application Review Information

1. Criteria

Only the review criteria described below will be considered in the review process. Applications submitted to the NIH in support of the NIH mission are evaluated for scientific and technical merit through the NIH peer review system.

For this particular announcement, note the following:

• Higher risks are inherent to earlier stage projects, which have less data and more unknowns.  Those additional risks while expected are managed by close interactions with NIH staff and the Lead Discovery Teams (LDTs) under this cooperative agreement mechanism. Therefore, risks should be evaluated in a stage appropriate fashion with the understanding that the BPN will establish milestones pre- and post-award to mitigate risks. Projects should be evaluated relative to expectations for their proposed entry stage with higher levels of risk being more acceptable for early versus late-stage projects and recognizing costs increase substantially in the development phase. Continuation of funding is dependent on progress against these milestones and are evaluated every year of the grant. 
• The market size for the proposed drug should not be considered in assessing the significance of a project.
• Projects should not be penalized if the mechanism of action of the compound is unknown. Phenotypic projects are acceptable provided throughput of assays are sufficient for the optimization of the chemical starting point. While this may add to the risk, the increased risk may be counterbalanced by increased novelty.
• Evaluation of the approach should focus on the biological rationale, the potential for identifying a compound with drug-like properties, potential patient benefit, competitive landscape (novelty), and strengths/weaknesses of studies to be conducted by the PI. Work to be conducted by BPN contractors (which may include medicinal chemistry, pharmacokinetics, toxicology, formulations development, chemical synthesis under Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), and Phase I clinical testing) will be designed by NIH-provided consultants and contractors after award. Note: PIs asking for BPN medicinal chemistry support are not expected to have full SAR plans as that will be the responsibility of the NIH consultant assigned and the NIH-CRO.  In all cases, NIH consultants are assigned to help the team refine and improve their plans according to industry standard expectations.
• Applications that propose entry at the Development stage, but that reviewers consider better suited for the Discovery stage or vice versa, should nevertheless be evaluated and scored based on the entry criteria and expectations for the proposed entry stage.

In addition, for applications involving clinical trials:

The BPN supports up to Phase I trials (primarily focused on human PK and tolerability). It is not expected the applicants will provide Phase II study designs in this application.  

Reviewers will provide an overall impact score to reflect their assessment of the likelihood for the project to exert a sustained, powerful influence on the research field(s) involved, in consideration of the following review criteria and additional review criteria (as applicable for the project proposed). An application does not need to be strong in all categories to be judged likely to have a major scientific impact.

Review Criteria

Reviewers will consider Factors 1, 2 and 3 in the determination of scientific merit, and in providing an overall impact score. In addition, Factors 1 and 2 will each receive a separate factor score. 

Factor 1: Importance of the Research

Significance

• Evaluate the importance of the proposed research in the context of current scientific challenges and opportunities, either for advancing knowledge within the field, or more broadly. Assess whether the application addresses an important gap in knowledge in the field, would solve a critical problem, or create a valuable conceptual or technical advance.
• Evaluate the rationale for undertaking the study, the rigor of the scientific background for the work (e.g. prior literature and/or preliminary data) and whether the scientific background justifies the proposed study.

Innovation

• Evaluate the extent to which innovation influences the importance of undertaking the proposed research. Note that while technical or conceptual innovation can influence the importance of the proposed research, a project that is not applying novel concepts or approaches may be of critical importance for the field.
• Evaluate whether the proposed work applies novel concepts, methods or technologies, or uses existing concepts, methods, technologies in novel ways, to enhance the overall impact of the project.

Specific to this NOFO:

• Evaluate what advantages the proposed new drug offers over the standard of care or other treatments under development (in any therapeutic class).
• Evaluate whether the applicants Target Product Profile (TPP) align with clinical practice and the expected goals of the BPN drug development effort for the intended disease indication.
• Evaluate the likelihood that completion of the research objectives will lead to a therapy for the intended disease and a clear path into the clinic.

Factor 2. Rigor and Feasibility

Approach

• Evaluate the scientific quality of the proposed work. Evaluate the likelihood that compelling, reproducible findings will result (rigor) and assess whether the proposed studies can be done well and within the timeframes proposed (feasibility).

Rigor:

• Evaluate the potential to produce unbiased, reproducible, robust data.
• Evaluate the rigor of experimental design and whether appropriate controls are in place.
• Evaluate whether the sample size is sufficient and well-justified.
• Assess the quality of the plans for analysis, interpretation, and reporting of results.
• Evaluate whether the investigators presented adequate plans to address relevant biological variables, such as sex or age, in the design, analysis, and reporting.
• For applications involving human subjects or vertebrate animals, also evaluate:
  • the rigor of the intervention or study manipulation (if applicable to the study design).
  • whether outcome variables are justified.
  • whether the results will be generalizable or, in the case of a rare disease/special group, relevant to the particular subgroup.
  • whether the sample is appropriate and sufficiently diverse to address the proposed question(s).
• For applications involving human subjects, including clinical trials, assess the adequacy of inclusion plans as appropriate for the scientific goals of the research. Considerations of appropriateness may include disease/condition/behavior incidence, prevalence, or population burden, population representation, and/or current state of the science.

Feasibility:

• Evaluate whether the proposed approach is sound and achievable, including plans to address problems or new challenges that emerge in the work. For proposed studies in which feasibility may be less certain, evaluate whether the uncertainty is balanced by the potential for major advances.
• For applications involving human subjects, including clinical trials, evaluate the adequacy and feasibility of the plan to recruit and retain an appropriately diverse population of participants. Additionally, evaluate the likelihood of successfully achieving the proposed enrollment based on age, racial, ethnic, and sex/gender categories.
• For clinical trial applications, evaluate whether the study timeline and milestones are feasible.

Specific to this NOFO:

• Evaluate the strength of the data supporting the choice of drug target and compound for the proposed disease indication.
• For projects entering at the Discovery stage, evaluate whether the proposed hit compounds activity in assays that are relevant to the proposed disease indication.
• For projects entering at the Development stage, evaluate if the applicant has a well profiled and fully optimized compound with in vitro and in vivo biological activity, as well as, ADMET properties appropriate for the intended clinical use. Evaluate whether there is convincing data that the compound is efficacious when delivered by the intended route of administration, at exposure levels that can likely be achieved clinically with the proposed human dosing regimen.

Factor 3. Expertise and Resources

Investigator(s)

Evaluate whether the investigator(s) have demonstrated background, training, and expertise, as appropriate for their career stage, to conduct the proposed work. For Multiple Principal Investigator (MPI) applications, assess the quality of the leadership plan to facilitate coordination and collaboration.

Environment

Evaluate whether the institutional resources are appropriate to ensure the successful execution of the proposed work.

Specific to this NOFO:

• Evaluate whether the PI's are proposing to perform work that could be performed by the BPN Contract Support Network and then whether the expertise of the PI(s), collaborators, and other proposed researchers appropriate for the work they propose to conduct themselves, including chemistry and clinical trials.  Note the work performed by the BPN contractors is assumed to be industry standard and not subject to review. It is appropriate to suggest BPN contractors/consultants be considered if expertise is needed.
• Evaluate whether the PI(s) have sufficient leadership experience to manage the aspects of the project funded through the grant budget in collaboration with the NIH considering the NIH provided BPN Lead Development Team's consultants.

As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will evaluate the following additional items while determining scientific and technical merit, and in providing an overall impact score, but will not give separate scores for these items.

Specific to this NOFO:

• Intellectual Property
  • Evaluate whether there are any obvious legal (e.g.,intellectual property), prior art or constraints to pursuing the proposed chemical scaffold(s) and using the proposed assays and models for research purposes and/or commercial development
  • For Discovery stage projects, evaluate whether there are any constraints of which that could impede their use of compounds, assays, or models for research purposes and/or commercial development (e.g., certain restrictions under transfer or sharing agreements, applicants' previous or present intellectual property filings and publications, compounds with similar structures that are under patent and/or on the market, etc.). Evaluate whether the proposed efforts will alleviate these constraints if successful.
  • For Development-stage projects, evaluate whether the applicant demonstrated that the ability of their institution to develop and commercialize the proposed development candidate and if it is unlikely to be blocked or impeded by intellectual property constraints.
  • If multiple institutions are proposed, evaluate whether it is clear how intellectual property will be shared or otherwise managed to avoid encumbering the IP, consistent with achieving the goals of the program. Evaluate whether these plans acceptable.

Protections for Human Subjects

For research that involves human subjects but does not involve one of the categories of research that are exempt under 45 CFR Part 46, evaluate the justification for involvement of human subjects and the proposed protections from research risk relating to their participation according to the following five review criteria: 1) risk to subjects, 2) adequacy of protection against risks, 3) potential benefits to the subjects and others, 4) importance of the knowledge to be gained, and 5) data and safety monitoring for clinical trials.

For research that involves human subjects and meets the criteria for one or more of the categories of research that are exempt under 45 CFR Part 46, evaluate: 1) the justification for the exemption, 2) human subjects involvement and characteristics, and 3) sources of materials. For additional information on review of the Human Subjects section, please refer to the Guidelines for the Review of Human Subjects.

Vertebrate Animals

When the proposed research includes Vertebrate Animals, evaluate the involvement of live vertebrate animals according to the following criteria: (1) description of proposed procedures involving animals, including species, strains, ages, sex, and total number to be used; (2) justifications for the use of animals versus alternative models and for the appropriateness of the species proposed; (3) interventions to minimize discomfort, distress, pain and injury; and (4) justification for euthanasia method if NOT consistent with the AVMA Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals. For additional information on review of the Vertebrate Animals section, please refer to the Worksheet for Review of the Vertebrate Animals Section.

Biohazards

When the proposed research includes Biohazards, evaluate whether specific materials or procedures that will be used are significantly hazardous to research personnel and/or the environment, and whether adequate protection is proposed.

Resubmissions

For Resubmissions, the committee will evaluate the application as now presented, taking into consideration the responses to comments from the previous scientific review group and changes made to the project.

Renewals

Not Applicable

Revisions

For Revisions, the committee will consider the appropriateness of the proposed expansion of the scope of the project. If the Revision application relates to a specific line of investigation presented in the original application that was not recommended for approval by the committee, then the committee will consider whether the responses to comments from the previous scientific review group are adequate and whether substantial changes are clearly evident.

As applicable for the project proposed, reviewers will consider each of the following items, but will not give scores for these items, and should not consider them in providing an overall impact score.

Authentication of Key Biological and/or Chemical Resources:

For projects involving key biological and/or chemical resources, evaluate the brief plans proposed for identifying and ensuring the validity of those resources.

Budget and Period of Support

Evaluate whether the budget and the requested period of support are fully justified and reasonable in relation to the proposed research.

2. Review and Selection Process

Applications will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit by (an) appropriate Scientific Review Group(s) convened by the NINDS, in accordance with NIH peer review policy and procedures, using the stated review criteria. Assignment to a Scientific Review Group will be shown in the eRA Commons.

As part of the scientific peer review, all applications will receive a written critique.

Applications may undergo a selection process in which only those applications deemed to have the highest scientific and technical merit (generally the top half of applications under review) will be discussed and assigned an overall impact score.

Applications will be assigned on the basis of established PHS referral guidelines to the appropriate NIH Institute or Center. Applications will compete for available funds with all other recommended applications . Following initial peer review, recommended applications will receive a second level of review by the appropriate national Advisory Council or Board. The following will be considered in making funding decisions:

• Scientific and technical merit of the proposed project as determined by scientific peer review.
• Availability of funds.
• Relevance of the proposed project to program priorities.
• Feasibility of developing a strong intellectual property position for the project, consistent with achieving the goals of the program. The NIH will work with applicants to determine if intellectual property concerns raised by reviewers or by NIH staff can be addressed prior to program entry or within the program.
• Feasibility of conducting the work proposed within the BPN structure

If the application is under consideration for funding, NIH will request "just-in-time" information from the applicant as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 2.5.1. Just-in-Time Procedures. This request is not a Notice of Award nor should it be construed to be an indicator of possible funding.

Prior to making an award, NIH reviews an applicant’s federal award history in SAM.gov to ensure sound business practices. An applicant can review and comment on any information in the Responsibility/Qualification records available in SAM.gov.  NIH will consider any comments by the applicant in the Responsibility/Qualification records in SAM.gov to ascertain the applicant’s integrity, business ethics, and performance record of managing Federal awards per 2 CFR Part 200.206 “Federal awarding agency review of risk posed by applicants.”  This provision will apply to all NIH grants and cooperative agreements except fellowships.

3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates

After the peer review of the application is completed, the PD/PI will be able to access his or her Summary Statement (written critique) via the eRA Commons. Refer to Part 1 for dates for peer review, advisory council review, and earliest start date.

Information regarding the disposition of applications is available in the NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 2.4.4 Disposition of Applications.

Section VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices

A Notice of Award (NoA) is the official authorizing document notifying the applicant that an award has been made and that funds may be requested from the designated HHS payment system or office. The NoA is signed by the Grants Management Officer and emailed to the recipient’s business official.

In accepting the award, the recipient agrees that any activities under the award are subject to all provisions currently in effect or implemented during the period of the award, other Department regulations and policies in effect at the time of the award, and applicable statutory provisions.

Recipients must comply with any funding restrictions described in Section IV.6. Funding Restrictions. Any pre-award costs incurred before receipt of the NoA are at the applicant's own risk. For more information on the Notice of Award, please refer to the NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 5. The Notice of Award and NIH Grants & Funding website, see Award Process.

Individual awards are based on the application submitted to, and as approved by, the NIH and are subject to the IC-specific terms and conditions identified in the NoA.

ClinicalTrials.gov: If an award provides for one or more clinical trials. By law (Title VIII, Section 801 of Public Law 110-85), the "responsible party" must register and submit results information for certain “applicable clinical trials” on the ClinicalTrials.gov Protocol Registration and Results System Information Website (https://register.clinicaltrials.gov). NIH expects registration and results reporting of all trials whether required under the law or not. For more information, see https://grants.nih.gov/policy/clinical-trials/reporting/index.htm

Institutional Review Board or Independent Ethics Committee Approval: Recipient institutions must ensure that all protocols are reviewed by their IRB or IEC. To help ensure the safety of participants enrolled in NIH-funded studies, the recipient must provide NIH copies of documents related to all major changes in the status of ongoing protocols.

Data and Safety Monitoring Requirements: The NIH policy for data and safety monitoring requires oversight and monitoring of all NIH-conducted or -supported human biomedical and behavioral intervention studies (clinical trials) to ensure the safety of participants and the validity and integrity of the data. Further information concerning these requirements is found at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/hs/data_safety.htm and in the application instructions (SF424 (R&R) and PHS 398).

Investigational New Drug or Investigational Device Exemption Requirements: Consistent with federal regulations, clinical research projects involving the use of investigational therapeutics, vaccines, or other medical interventions (including licensed products and devices for a purpose other than that for which they were licensed) in humans under a research protocol must be performed under a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigational new drug (IND) or investigational device exemption (IDE).

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

The following Federal wide and HHS-specific policy requirements apply to awards funded through NIH:

• The rules listed at 2 CFR Part 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards.
• All NIH grant and cooperative agreement awards include the NIH Grants Policy Statement as part of the terms and conditions in the Notice of Award (NoA). The NoA includes the requirements of this NOFO. For these terms of award, see the NIH Grants Policy Statement Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart A: General and Part II: Terms and Conditions of NIH Grant Awards, Subpart B: Terms and Conditions for Specific Types of Grants, Recipients, and Activities.
• If a recipient receives an award, the recipient must follow all applicable nondiscrimination laws. The recipient agrees to this when registering in SAM.gov. The recipient must also submit an Assurance of Compliance (HHS-690). To learn more, see the Laws and Regulations Enforced by the HHS Office for Civil Rights website.
  • HHS recognizes that NIH research projects are often limited in scope for many reasons that are nondiscriminatory, such as the principal investigator’s scientific interest, funding limitations, recruitment requirements, and other considerations. Thus, criteria in research protocols that target or exclude certain populations are warranted where nondiscriminatory justifications establish that such criteria are appropriate with respect to the health or safety of the subjects, the scientific study design, or the purpose of the research. For additional guidance regarding how the provisions apply to NIH grant programs, please contact the Scientific/Research Contact that is identified in Section VII under Agency Contacts of this NOFO.

All federal statutes and regulations relevant to federal financial assistance, including those highlighted in NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 4 Public Policy Requirements, Objectives and Other Appropriation Mandates.

Recipients are responsible for ensuring that their activities comply with all applicable federal regulations.  NIH may terminate awards under certain circumstances.  See 2 CFR Part 200.340 Termination and NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 8.5.2 Remedies for Noncompliance or Enforcement Actions: Suspension, Termination, and Withholding of Support. 

The following special terms of award are in addition to, and not in lieu of, otherwise applicable U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) administrative guidelines, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) grant administration regulations at 2 CFR Part 200, and other HHS, PHS, and NIH grant administration policies.

The administrative and funding instrument used for this program will be the cooperative agreement, an "assistance" mechanism (rather than an "acquisition" mechanism), in which substantial NIH programmatic involvement with the recipients is anticipated during the performance of the activities. Under the cooperative agreement, the NIH purpose is to support and stimulate the recipients' activities by involvement in and otherwise working jointly with the recipients in a partnership role; it is not to assume direction, prime responsibility, or a dominant role in the activities. Consistent with this concept, the dominant role and prime responsibility resides with the recipients for the project as a whole, although specific tasks and activities may be shared among the recipients and NIH as defined below.

The PD(s)/PI(s) will have the primary responsibility for:

• Recipients will retain custody of and have primary rights to the data and software developed under these awards, subject to Government rights of access consistent with current HHS, PHS, and NIH policies.
• Determining experimental approaches, designing protocols, conducting experiments, and analyzing and interpreting research data for studies funded through this UG3/UH3.
• Serving as co-chair of the project Lead/Clinical Development Team (LDT/CDT),
• Presenting project updates (including raw data, when requested) in conference calls and annual face-to-face meetings of the BPN External Oversight Committee in the Washington, DC area.
• With the LDT/CDT, assisting in the development of a project milestone plan at the outset of the project.
• Coordinating and participating with NIH staff and NIH-contracted consultants in all aspects of scientific and technical management of the project.
• Collaborating and communicating effectively with NIH service contractors to achieve project goals.
• Providing goals and strategies for assay validation, screening throughput, and quality control, to NIH Program staff as requested.
• Ensuring that primary and secondary screening data and assay protocols developed as a part of this project are deposited in a centralized BPN database according to the timeline agreed upon by the LDT/CDT and the NIH Program Official and according to BPN policies.
• Adhering to BPN policies, including those regarding data release,intellectual property, and publications.
• Implementing all scientific and policy decisions approved by the LDT/CDT and the BPN program.
• Submitting periodic milestone progress reports in a standard format, as agreed upon by the LDT/CDT and BPN program.
• Preparing for annual administrative site visits by NIH Program staff and consultants.
• Working closely with their institution's technology transfer officials to ensure that royalty agreements, patent filings, and all other necessary intellectual property arrangements are completed in a timely manner
• Submission of the IND application and scheduling meetings with the FDA.
• Ensuring NIH staff and consultants on the LDT are included in all meetings with the FDA.
• Providing protocol, supporting clinical documents and regulatory documents required for administrative review prior to clinical trial
• Production of publication for clinical trial

All data or materials generated under this UG3/UH3 award and through collaborations of the PI with other components of the Blueprint Neurotherapeutics Network will be owned by the respective recipient  and the data will be considered to be confidential and business privileged information of the recipient , which nevertheless does not affect its obligations to share or deliver the material or data with the government as set forth elsewhere in the grant agreement or regulations.

NIH staff have substantial programmatic involvement that is above and beyond the normal stewardship role in awards, as described below:

An NIH Project Collaborator will be assigned to the project, with substantial scientific and programmatic involvement that is above and beyond the normal stewardship role in awards:Providing the LDT/CDT with BPN consultants who can provide strategic and technical guidance.

In addition, a program official(s)  or IC program director will be responsible for the normal scientific and programmatic stewardship of the award and will be named in the award notice.

Leadership of the Institute/Center funding the project will make decisions on project continuation with input from NIH staff and the External Oversight Committee, based on:

• Successful achievement of milestones
• The overall feasibility of project advancement, considering data that may not have been captured in milestones
• Based on emerging and published literature on competition for the disease indication and drug target
• Program priorities
• Availability of funds

Areas of Joint Responsibility include:

Project Lead Development Team (LDT): The LDT typically will be co-chaired by the PI and an NIH-contracted drug development consultant and will include additional members from the PI's group, consultants and NIH staff. This team will collaboratively set strategic direction and guide the workflow for the project on an ongoing basis. The LDT will meet approximately every two weeks via teleconference to analyze and interpret data from the PI and contracted laboratories and to formulate the subsequent experimental plan. The LDT will propose milestones and produce progress reports for evaluation by the External Oversight Committee and program staff as needed.

If a clinical trial is performed, the LDT will be replaced by a Clinical Development Team (CDT), which will include the PI, clinical consultants and NIH staff. The role and activities of the CDT during clinical development will be comparable to that of the LDT in earlier stages of the project.

The members of this collaborative effort are all made aware of the requirement for confidentiality due to the intent of the recipient  to pursue commercialization of any qualified outcomes. Contractors and consultants of NIH will be made aware of the confidential nature of work done under this collaborative effort. The handling and disposition of this confidential data and business privileged information may be covered by the Trade Secrets Act, 18 U.S.C. Section 1905.

Dispute Resolution:

Any disagreements that may arise in scientific or programmatic matters (within the scope of the award) between recipients and NIH may be brought to Dispute Resolution. A Dispute Resolution Panel composed of three members will be convened: a designee of the Steering Committee chosen without NIH staff voting, one NIH designee, and a third designee with expertise in the relevant area who is chosen by the other two; in the case of individual disagreement, the first member may be chosen by the individual recipient. This special dispute resolution procedure does not alter the recipient's right to appeal an adverse action that is otherwise appealable in accordance with PHS regulation 42 CFR Part 50, Subpart D and HHS regulation 45 CFR Part 16.

Consistent with the 2023 NIH Policy for Data Management and Sharing, when data management and sharing is applicable to the award, recipients will be required to adhere to the Data Management and Sharing requirements as outlined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement. Upon the approval of a Data Management and Sharing Plan, it is required for recipients to implement the plan as described.

4. Reporting

When multiple years are involved, recipients will be required to submit the Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR) annually and financial statements as required in the NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 8.4.1 Reporting. To learn more about post-award monitoring and reporting, see the NIH Grants & Funding website, see Post-Award Monitoring and Reporting.

A final RPPR, invention statement, and the expenditure data portion of the Federal Financial Report are required for closeout of an award, as described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement Section 8.6 Closeout. NIH NOFOs outline intended research goals and objectives. Post award, NIH will review and measure performance based on the details and outcomes that are shared within the RPPR, as described at 2 CFR Part 200.301.

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Section VII. Agency Contacts

We encourage inquiries concerning this funding opportunity and welcome the opportunity to answer questions from potential applicants.

eRA Service Desk (Questions regarding ASSIST, eRA Commons, application errors and warnings, documenting system problems that threaten submission by the due date, and post-submission issues)

Finding Help Online: https://www.era.nih.gov/need-help (preferred method of contact)
Telephone: 301-402-7469 or 866-504-9552 (Toll Free)

General Grants Information (Questions regarding application instructions, application processes, and NIH grant resources)
Email: GrantsInfo@nih.gov (preferred method of contact)
Telephone: 301-480-7075

Grants.gov Customer Support (Questions regarding Grants.gov registration and Workspace)
Contact Center Telephone: 800-518-4726
Email: support@grants.gov

Charles Cywin, PhD
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Telephone: 301-496-1779
Email: charles.cywin@nih.gov

Enrique Michelotti, Ph.D.
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Telephone: 301-443-5415
Email: michelottiel@mail.nih.gov

Lorenzo M. Refolo, PhD
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Telephone: (301) 594-7576
Email: refolol@mail.nih.gov

Patrick C. Still, Ph.D.
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)
Phone: 301-682-1895
Email: patrick.still@nih.gov  

Tony Douglas Gover
NEI - NATIONAL EYE INSTITUTE
Phone: 301-529-7370
E-mail: tony.gover@nih.gov

Qi-Ying Liu, M.D.
National Institute On Alcohol Abuse And Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Phone: 301-443-2678
E-mail: liuqiy@mail.nih.gov

Elena Koustova, PhD, MBA
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Telephone: 301-496-8768
Email: koustovae@mail.nih.gov

Melissa Ghim, PhD
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)
Telephone: 301-529-6570
Email: melissa.ghim@nih.gov

Eric Tucker
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Telephone: 301-496-9223
Email:eric.tucker@nih.gov

Shellie Wilburn, M.B.A.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Telephone: 301-496-1974
Email: shellie.wilburn@nih.gov 

Section VIII. Other Information

Recently issued trans-NIH policy notices may affect your application submission. A full list of policy notices published by NIH is provided in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts. All awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the NIH Grants Policy Statement.

Awards are made under the authorization of Sections 301 and 405 of the Public Health Service Act as amended (42 USC 241 and 284) and under Federal Regulations 42 CFR Part 52 and 2 CFR Part 200.