The U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) just announced a new funding call to conduct translational research on multipurpose prevention technologies (MPT) that could prevent sexually transmitted infections, HIV, and/or unintended pregnancy.
Areas of research eligible for consideration include:
Applications proposing early to mid-stage translational work, such as in vitro toxicity or efficacy studies, or later translational work, such as rodent or primate studies, manufacturing process development, or development and early validation of product testing assays (stability, temperature extremes, any other IND enabling study)
Applications proposing pre-clinical development of lead candidate compounds
Projects that focus on extension of product stability, in a variety of environmental conditions, as well as extension of shelf life to enable marketing to developing countries
Projects that use novel or existing technologies for development of new strategies, therapeutic products, devices or delivery systems.
Research areas that would be viewed as non-responsive (not within scope) include:
Applications proposing Phase I, II or III clinical trials or “first–in-human” studies.
Applications that do not employ strategies that further the prevention of two or more STIs, or an STI and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), or an STI and a contraceptive.
Applications that propose work on agents that are not beyond the discovery and feasibility stages for an MPT.
Applications that propose using detergents, surfactants, or other non-specific membrane-active agents that exhibit broad nonspecific killing of viruses, parasites, yeast and bacteria.
NIAID plans to fund three to five awards under this R61/R33 mechanism. Proposed budgets are limited to $300,000 in annual direct costs. The application deadline for this funding opportunity (RFA-AI-16-085) is March 15, 2017.