Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA DA 11 007
Apply for RFA DA 11 007
- The National Institutes of Health in the education health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Assay Development for High Throughput Screening for Nicotinic Receptor Subunits (R21)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.279 Drug Abuse and Addiction Research Programs.
- This funding opportunity was created on Sep 16, 2010 and posted on Sep 16, 2010.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 18, 2011. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $1,500,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $150,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Independent school districts Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) County governments Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities City or township governments Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education State governments Special district governments Private institutions of higher education Small businesses Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Public and State controlled institutions of higher education For profit organizations other than small businesses.
- Other Eligible Applicants include the following Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government Faith based or Community based Organizations Hispanic serving Institutions Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized) Non domestic (non U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) Regional Organizations Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) U.S. Territory or Possession.
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Opportunity Summary:
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), offered this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) to support early stage, exploratory research aimed at creating new biological assays for neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). These receptors are ion channels assembled from membrane spanning alpha and beta subunits that form five-subunit (pentameric) complexes, and different subunit combinations produce receptors with distinct biological properties. The core scientific motivation behind the FOA is that human genetic studies have linked specific nicotinic receptor subunits to nicotine addiction risk and smoking-related disease. In particular, variants in the CHRNA5-CHRNA3-CHRNB4 gene cluster on chromosome 15q24-25.1 have been associated with nicotine dependence, tobacco use behaviors, and lung cancer risk, and other work has implicated the alpha6 subunit in addiction-related mechanisms. Because these receptors are strongly implicated in nicotine reinforcement and dependence, better tools are needed to probe their function and to identify chemicals that can selectively modulate specific receptor subtypes.
The practical goal of the grant is assay development: applicants were asked to design and validate biological assays that can measure the activity of nAChR subtypes that include the alpha3, alpha5, alpha6, and/or beta4 subunits, especially constitutive receptor combinations involving those subunits. Importantly, the assays were expected to be suitable for eventual conversion into high throughput screening (HTS) formats, meaning they should be robust, scalable, and compatible with screening large chemical libraries. The reason for this HTS emphasis is that, once an assay is optimized and shown to work reliably, it can be submitted to the NIH Molecular Libraries Production Centers Network (MLPCN) for screening against a large and diverse set of small molecules. That screening effort is intended to uncover biologically active compounds (molecular probes) that can help researchers dissect receptor biology and, longer term, provide starting points for selective ligand development and drug discovery. The broader translational aim is to accelerate the identification of lead compounds that could guide the development of improved tobacco smoking cessation medications by targeting specific nicotinic receptor subtypes involved in addiction.
This opportunity used the NIH Exploratory/Developmental Grant mechanism (R21), with modifications noted in the announcement. R21 awards are generally designed to support high risk, high reward, early stage projects that focus on feasibility and proof of concept rather than fully mature programs. In this case, the emphasis is on demonstrating that a proposed assay can reliably report on the function of the targeted receptor subtype(s) and can be engineered into an HTS-ready workflow suitable for large scale screening efforts.
Funding for the FOA was projected at approximately USD 1.5 million total for fiscal year 2011, with NIDA anticipating about 5 to 7 awards. The agency noted that award size and project duration could vary depending on the scientific scope, technical approach, and budget needs of individual applications. The listing included an award ceiling of USD 150,000 (as provided in the source data), and it also stressed that the final number of awards and total dollars committed would depend on application quality, proposed timelines, and costs.
The opportunity was identified as RFA-DA-11-007 under CFDA 93.279 (Drug Abuse and Addiction Research Programs). It was posted on September 16, 2010, with an original and current closing date of January 18, 2011, and it was archived on February 18, 2011. There was no cost sharing or matching requirement.
Eligibility was broad and included many types of organizations: public and private institutions of higher education (including state controlled institutions), nonprofit organizations (including those with and without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (including small businesses), and multiple levels of government (state, county, city/township, special district). The FOA also explicitly included a range of mission- or population-focused entities and institutions such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic Serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and tribal governments and tribal organizations. Faith-based and community-based organizations were listed as eligible, as were U.S. territories or possessions, federal agencies, and even non-U.S. (foreign) entities and regional organizations, reflecting NIH’s common practice of allowing a wide applicant pool when the scientific need is strong and specialized expertise may be distributed globally.
In short, this grant opportunity was designed to build the technical foundation for discovering new, selective small-molecule modulators of specific nicotinic receptor subunit combinations linked to nicotine dependence. Rather than funding late-stage drug development directly, it focused on creating the assay tools that make systematic compound discovery possible, with a clear pipeline to MLPCN screening and downstream probe and lead identification relevant to smoking cessation therapeutics.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is this funding opportunity about?
This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), supports early-stage, exploratory research to create and validate new biological assays for neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). The emphasis is on assay development that can reliably measure the activity of specific nAChR subtypes and be suitable for eventual use in high throughput screening (HTS).
Which NIH institute is offering this FOA?
The FOA is offered by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), within the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
What is the FOA number and CFDA program?
The opportunity is identified as RFA-DA-11-007 under CFDA 93.279 (Drug Abuse and Addiction Research Programs).
What is the scientific motivation for focusing on nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs)?
Human genetic studies have linked specific nicotinic receptor subunits to nicotine addiction risk and smoking-related disease. Variants in the CHRNA5-CHRNA3-CHRNB4 gene cluster on chromosome 15q24-25.1 have been associated with nicotine dependence, tobacco use behaviors, and lung cancer risk. Other work has also implicated the alpha6 subunit in addiction-related mechanisms. Because these receptors are strongly implicated in nicotine reinforcement and dependence, improved assay tools are needed to probe receptor function and to identify chemicals that can selectively modulate particular receptor subtypes.
What types of receptors and subunits are involved?
The targeted receptors are neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), which are ion channels assembled from membrane-spanning alpha and beta subunits. These subunits form five-subunit (pentameric) receptor complexes, and different subunit combinations produce receptors with distinct biological properties.
What is the main goal of the project work funded by this FOA?
The practical goal is assay development. Applicants were asked to design and validate biological assays that can measure the activity of nAChR subtypes that include the alpha3, alpha5, alpha6, and/or beta4 subunits, with an emphasis on constitutive receptor combinations involving those subunits.
Which receptor subunits are specifically emphasized for assay targeting?
The FOA emphasizes assays for nAChR subtypes that include alpha3, alpha5, alpha6, and/or beta4 subunits, particularly constitutive receptor combinations involving these subunits.
What does "constitutive receptor combinations" mean in the context of this FOA?
Based on the FOA description, it refers to receptor subtype combinations involving the specified subunits (alpha3, alpha5, alpha6, and/or beta4) that are expected to be reliably assembled and functionally measurable in an assay context, enabling consistent readouts suitable for screening-oriented workflows.
What does it mean that the assays should be suitable for high throughput screening (HTS)?
It means the assays should be designed with robustness and scalability in mind so they can be adapted to screen large chemical libraries. The FOA highlights the expectation that assays be compatible with eventual conversion into HTS formats, implying reliable performance and suitability for large-scale, screening-oriented execution.
Why is there an emphasis on high throughput screening (HTS) readiness?
Once an assay is optimized and shown to work reliably, it can be submitted to the NIH Molecular Libraries Production Centers Network (MLPCN) for screening against a large and diverse set of small molecules. This screening is intended to uncover biologically active compounds (molecular probes) that help researchers study receptor biology and provide starting points for selective ligand development and drug discovery.
What is the NIH Molecular Libraries Production Centers Network (MLPCN) role in this pipeline?
The FOA describes MLPCN as a potential downstream screening resource. After an assay is optimized and validated, it can be submitted to MLPCN for large-scale screening against diverse small-molecule libraries to identify active compounds (molecular probes).
What are "molecular probes" in the context of this opportunity?
In this FOA, molecular probes are biologically active small molecules discovered through screening that can be used as research tools to dissect nicotinic receptor biology. They may also serve as starting points for selective ligand development and drug discovery.
Is this FOA funding late-stage drug development?
No. The FOA is focused on building assay tools that enable systematic compound discovery. The broader translational aim is to accelerate the identification of lead compounds relevant to improved smoking cessation medications, but the funded work itself centers on assay development and validation rather than late-stage drug development.
How does this FOA relate to smoking cessation medication development?
The FOA’s translational intent is to accelerate discovery of selective small-molecule modulators of specific nicotinic receptor subtypes implicated in addiction. Those modulators could ultimately inform the development of improved tobacco smoking cessation medications by targeting receptor subtypes involved in nicotine dependence.
What grant mechanism is used for this opportunity?
This opportunity uses the NIH Exploratory/Developmental Grant mechanism (R21), with modifications noted in the announcement.
What is the purpose of an NIH R21 award in general?
R21 awards are generally designed to support high-risk, high-reward, early-stage projects that focus on feasibility and proof of concept rather than fully mature, long-term research programs.
What is the emphasis for R21 projects under this specific FOA?
The emphasis is on demonstrating that a proposed assay can reliably report on the function of the targeted receptor subtype(s) and can be engineered into an HTS-ready workflow appropriate for large-scale screening.
How much funding was projected for this FOA?
The FOA projected approximately USD 1.5 million total for fiscal year 2011.
How many awards did NIDA anticipate making?
NIDA anticipated making about 5 to 7 awards.
Is there an award ceiling listed for this opportunity?
Yes. The listing included an award ceiling of USD 150,000 (as provided in the source data).
Will all awards be the same size and duration?
No. The FOA noted that award size and project duration could vary depending on the scientific scope, technical approach, and budget needs of individual applications.
Could the final number of awards or total dollars change?
Yes. The FOA stated that the final number of awards and total dollars committed would depend on application quality, proposed timelines, and costs.
When was the FOA posted, and what were the closing dates?
The FOA was posted on September 16, 2010. The original and current closing date was January 18, 2011.
Is this FOA still active?
No. The FOA was archived on February 18, 2011.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The opportunity stated there was no cost sharing or matching requirement.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes public and private institutions of higher education (including state-controlled institutions), nonprofit organizations (with or without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (including small businesses), and multiple levels of government (state, county, city/township, and special district).
Are minority-serving institutions included in eligibility?
Yes. The FOA explicitly included Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic Serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), and Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions.
Are tribal governments and tribal organizations eligible?
Yes. Tribal governments and tribal organizations were listed as eligible.
Are faith-based or community-based organizations eligible?
Yes. Faith-based and community-based organizations were listed as eligible.
Are U.S. territories or possessions eligible?
Yes. U.S. territories or possessions were included among eligible entities.
Are federal agencies eligible to apply?
Yes. Federal agencies were listed as eligible applicants.
Can non-U.S. (foreign) organizations apply?
Yes. The FOA included non-U.S. (foreign) entities and regional organizations as eligible, reflecting NIH’s practice of allowing a wide applicant pool when specialized expertise may be distributed globally.
What is the core research deliverable expected from applicants?
Based on the FOA summary, the key deliverable is a designed and validated biological assay (or assays) that can measure activity of specified nAChR subtypes and is suitable for eventual conversion into a robust, scalable HTS workflow.
What is the long-term impact NIDA is aiming for with this FOA?
The FOA is designed to create the technical foundation for discovering new, selective small-molecule modulators of nicotinic receptor subunit combinations linked to nicotine dependence. By enabling MLPCN screening and discovery of molecular probes and leads, the work is intended to support longer-term progress toward improved tobacco smoking cessation therapeutics.
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