Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 11 341
Apply for PA 11 341
- The National Institutes of Health in the education health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Development of Novel and Emerging Technologies for the Accurate Detection and Diagnosis of Polymicrobial Infections in Biomedical Laboratory Animal Models (STTR R41/R42)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.351 Research Infrastructure Programs 93.389 National Center for Research Resources 93.859 Biomedical Research and Research Training.
- This funding opportunity was created on Mar 1, 2012 and posted on Sep 16, 2011.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 7, 2014. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Eligible applicants include: Small businesses.
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Opportunity Summary:
The NIH grant opportunity PA 11-341, titled "Development of Novel and Emerging Technologies for the Accurate Detection and Diagnosis of Polymicrobial Infections in Biomedical Laboratory Animal Models (STTR R41/R42)," was a discretionary grant program aimed at helping small businesses create better tools for detecting and identifying multiple infectious agents in biomedical laboratory animals. The core problem it addresses is that polymicrobial infections can threaten the health and survival of valuable animal colonies and, just as importantly, can quietly distort experimental results by introducing hidden variables. Because laboratory animals are foundational to a large share of biomedical research, the ability to rapidly confirm that animals are pathogen-free (or quickly diagnose infections when they occur) is treated as a research infrastructure need, not just a veterinary issue.
The FOA emphasized technology development that is rapid, sensitive, and accurate, with a strong preference for approaches that are also selective, automated, and practical in real-world settings. In other words, the NIH was looking for diagnostic systems that can reliably pick out specific pathogens, handle more than one organism at a time, and do so in a way that reduces hands-on labor and complexity. The announcement also highlighted cost and size considerations, signaling interest in solutions that could be deployed broadly by animal facilities and biological resource centers rather than remaining expensive, specialized, or cumbersome one-off platforms.
A key theme in the announcement is the growing importance of diagnosing polymicrobial infections, especially for biological resource centers responsible for establishing and maintaining pathogen-free animals for present and future research. These centers need dependable screening and diagnostic methods because contamination events can spread, compromise colonies, and require costly remediation. The FOA frames improved microbial detection not only as a way to protect animal health, but also as a way to improve the quality, reproducibility, and interpretability of scientific studies that depend on these animals.
The program used the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) mechanism, specifically the R41/R42 phased structure, which is designed to move innovations from early feasibility to more advanced development with a formal research partnership. Eligibility was limited to small business concerns, and the intent was to encourage industry-led innovation while leveraging collaboration with research institutions. Proposed projects could include new methods and platforms for detecting and identifying infectious agents, and it explicitly called out pathogens involved in vertical transmission, meaning diseases passed from parent organisms into embryos and larvae. That detail points to relevance for aquatic and other model systems where embryo and larval screening is central to preventing colony-wide infection.
Beyond detection platforms themselves, the FOA also encouraged development of enabling components such as specialized reagents and equipment needed to make these diagnostic methods work in practice. This could include assay chemistries, sample preparation tools, integrated workflows, or instrumentation that supports reliable, high-throughput, or automated testing. The underlying idea is that a successful solution is not just a clever assay in isolation, but a usable system that fits into routine animal facility operations and can support ongoing health monitoring and outbreak investigation.
From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity was run by the National Institutes of Health and categorized under health and education-related funding activity areas. It listed CFDA numbers 93.351 (Research Infrastructure Programs), 93.389 (National Center for Research Resources), and 93.859 (Biomedical Research and Research Training), reinforcing that the work was tied to maintaining high-quality research resources and the broader biomedical research enterprise. It did not require cost sharing or matching. The FOA was posted September 16, 2011, with an original and current closing date of September 7, 2014, and it was archived October 8, 2014. The full announcement was available through the NIH Grants Guide (link provided in the source), with contact support routed through the NIH Office of Extramural Research web help channels for access or linking issues.
In practical terms, this funding opportunity was meant to seed and accelerate small-business-driven diagnostic innovations that make it easier to detect complex, multi-organism infections in laboratory animal models quickly and accurately. The end goal was to strengthen pathogen surveillance, protect valuable animal resources, and reduce confounding infections that can undermine the validity of biomedical research outcomes.
FAQs: NIH PA 11-341 (STTR R41/R42) - Polymicrobial Infection Detection in Laboratory Animal Models
What is NIH funding opportunity PA 11-341?
PA 11-341 is an NIH discretionary grant opportunity titled "Development of Novel and Emerging Technologies for the Accurate Detection and Diagnosis of Polymicrobial Infections in Biomedical Laboratory Animal Models (STTR R41/R42)." It focused on supporting small businesses developing improved tools to detect and diagnose infections involving more than one infectious agent (polymicrobial infections) in biomedical laboratory animals.
What problem was this program trying to solve?
The program targeted polymicrobial infections because they can harm animal health and survival and can also quietly skew research results by introducing hidden variables. Since laboratory animals underpin a large portion of biomedical research, better and faster methods to confirm pathogen-free status (or to diagnose infections quickly) were treated as a research infrastructure need.
Why are polymicrobial infections especially concerning in research animal colonies?
Polymicrobial infections can be difficult to detect and interpret, may spread through colonies, and can require costly remediation. Even when animals appear healthy, undetected infections can confound experiments, affecting study quality, reproducibility, and how results are interpreted.
What types of technologies or solutions did NIH want to fund under this FOA?
The FOA emphasized technology development that is rapid, sensitive, and accurate. It also expressed a strong preference for solutions that are selective, automated, and practical for real-world use in animal facilities and biological resource centers.
What does "selective" mean in the context of this FOA?
Based on the FOA description, selectivity refers to the ability of a diagnostic system to reliably distinguish and identify specific pathogens, rather than producing broad or ambiguous signals that are hard to attribute to a particular infectious agent.
Did the FOA specifically support detection of more than one organism at a time?
Yes. A central aim was improving detection and diagnosis of polymicrobial infections, which inherently involves identifying multiple infectious agents and handling complex infection scenarios.
Was automation important for proposed projects?
Yes. The announcement emphasized interest in approaches that reduce hands-on labor and operational complexity, pointing to automation and practical workflows as key considerations.
Did NIH care about the size and cost of the resulting diagnostic platforms?
Yes. The FOA highlighted cost and size considerations and signaled interest in solutions that could be deployed broadly by animal facilities and biological resource centers, rather than remaining expensive, specialized, or cumbersome systems.
Who was eligible to apply for PA 11-341?
Eligibility was limited to small business concerns, using the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) mechanism.
What funding mechanism was used (and what are R41/R42)?
The FOA used the STTR phased structure: R41/R42. This mechanism is designed to move innovations from early feasibility work to more advanced development, and it requires a formal research partnership that supports collaboration between the small business and a research institution.
How did the FOA frame the role of biological resource centers?
The FOA highlighted the growing importance of diagnosing polymicrobial infections for biological resource centers responsible for establishing and maintaining pathogen-free animals for current and future research. Reliable screening and diagnostic methods were positioned as critical to preventing contamination events from spreading and compromising colonies.
Did the FOA mention vertical transmission?
Yes. The opportunity explicitly called out pathogens involved in vertical transmission, meaning diseases passed from parent organisms into embryos and larvae. This points to relevance for model systems where embryo and larval screening is central to preventing colony-wide infection, including aquatic and other similar systems.
Could applicants propose enabling components rather than only complete detection platforms?
Yes. Beyond detection platforms themselves, the FOA encouraged development of enabling components such as specialized reagents and equipment needed to make diagnostic methods work in practice. Examples described in the FOA include assay chemistries, sample preparation tools, integrated workflows, or instrumentation supporting reliable, high-throughput, or automated testing.
What was the overall goal of the FOA in practical terms?
The practical aim was to seed and accelerate small-business-driven diagnostic innovations that make it easier to detect complex, multi-organism infections in laboratory animal models quickly and accurately, thereby strengthening pathogen surveillance, protecting valuable animal resources, and reducing confounding infections that undermine biomedical research outcomes.
Which federal agency administered this opportunity?
The opportunity was run by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
What funding activity areas were associated with this program?
The FOA was categorized under health and education-related funding activity areas.
Which CFDA numbers were listed for this opportunity?
The FOA listed CFDA numbers 93.351 (Research Infrastructure Programs), 93.389 (National Center for Research Resources), and 93.859 (Biomedical Research and Research Training).
Did this funding opportunity require cost sharing or matching?
No. The FOA did not require cost sharing or matching.
When was the FOA posted, and when did it close?
The FOA was posted on September 16, 2011. It listed an original and current closing date of September 7, 2014.
Is this opportunity still open?
No. The FOA was archived on October 8, 2014, and the closing date listed was September 7, 2014.
Where could applicants find the full announcement?
The full announcement was available through the NIH Grants Guide (as referenced in the source information for this opportunity).
Where was support directed for access or linking issues?
Support for access or linking issues was routed through the NIH Office of Extramural Research web help channels.
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Previous opportunity: Development of novel and emerging technologies for the accurate detection and diagnosis of polymicrobial infections in biomedical laboratory animal models (SBIR R43/R44)
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