Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 15 070
Apply for PAR 15 070
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Innovation Grants to Nurture Initial Translational Efforts (IGNITE) Assay Development and Therapeutic Agent Identification and Characterization to Support Therapeutic Discovery (R21/R33)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.853 Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders.
- This funding opportunity was created on Dec 12, 2014 and posted on Dec 12, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 7, 2018. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $750,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: State governments Independent school districts County governments Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Private institutions of higher education Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Small businesses Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Special district governments Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education For profit organizations other than small businesses City or township governments.
- Other Eligible Applicants include the following Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs) 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 Non domestic (non U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) 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.
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Opportunity Summary:
The NIH funding opportunity PAR 15 070, titled "Innovation Grants to Nurture Initial Translational Efforts (IGNITE): Assay Development and Therapeutic Agent Identification and Characterization to Support Therapeutic Discovery (R21/R33)," is aimed at pushing early-stage neuroscience ideas into a more translation-ready form. The central focus is on creating and refining laboratory assays that can be used to discover and evaluate candidate therapeutics for neurological disorders. In practical terms, the FOA supports work that builds reliable in vitro (test tube or cell-based) and/or ex vivo (using tissues taken from an organism and studied outside the body) experimental systems, then uses those systems in iterative screening campaigns to find, confirm, and characterize potential therapeutic agents.
A key point of the announcement is that it is not simply basic research for knowledge generation; it is positioned as an early translational step. The goal is to mature projects to a stage where they can credibly enter more intensive, later-stage translational development programs, especially NINDS programs such as CREATE (often associated with biologics and biotechnology products) and the Blueprint Neurotherapeutics Network (BPN), which is geared toward small-molecule therapeutic development. In other words, this FOA is designed to fund the bridge work that turns a promising biological idea into a practical discovery platform and an initial set of therapeutic leads with enough supporting data to move into larger, milestone-driven translational pipelines.
The activities encouraged under this FOA include developing assays that are robust and suitable for screening, and then running repeated rounds of screening and follow-up testing to identify agents that have desirable activity in the assay. The phrase "identify and characterize" signals that applicants are expected to go beyond a one-off screen and produce evidence about the quality and behavior of the hits or leads they find. That often implies confirmatory experiments, secondary assays, early selectivity or mechanism-informed checks, and other kinds of profiling that help demonstrate that a candidate agent is real, reproducible, and relevant to the neurological disease or biological target being pursued.
The mechanism is an R21/R33 phased award, which generally reflects a progression from an initial exploratory or proof-building phase (R21) into a second phase (R33) intended to expand and solidify the effort once specific early goals are met. While the provided source text does not list detailed milestones, the overall structure signals an expectation of a logical, staged plan: first establish or optimize the assay system and feasibility of the screening approach, then move into broader iterative screening and deeper characterization work as the project demonstrates traction. The award ceiling listed is $750,000, and there is no cost sharing or matching requirement noted.
This is a discretionary grant opportunity in the health category, under CFDA 93.853 (Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders), and the sponsoring agency is the National Institutes of Health. The FOA was posted on December 12, 2014, with a closing date of January 7, 2018, and an archive date of February 7, 2018, meaning it is no longer active as a current open competition but remains an informative reference for the type of projects the program sought to support.
Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S. government entities (state, county, city/township, special districts), public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, independent school districts, public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status, for-profit organizations (including small businesses and other for-profits), and tribal governments and tribal organizations. The eligibility section also explicitly includes a wide range of institution types and communities, such as HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, AANAPISISs, tribally controlled colleges and universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian serving institutions, and faith-based or community-based organizations, among others. Notably, non-U.S. entities are eligible as well: foreign organizations and foreign institutions can apply, non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are eligible, and foreign components are allowed as defined by NIH policy. That breadth reflects the NIH approach of supporting meritorious biomedical research wherever strong teams and relevant capabilities exist, provided they meet NIH policy requirements.
Overall, this FOA can be read as an on-ramp to formal translational development programs in neurology. It supports the practical, tool-and-evidence-building work needed to move from a biological rationale to a functioning discovery engine (a validated assay or assay suite), and then to an initial set of therapeutic candidates that have been screened and characterized enough to justify entry into larger programs focused on preclinical development and, eventually, clinical translation.
FAQs: NIH PAR-15-070 IGNITE (R21/R33) - Assay Development and Therapeutic Agent Identification
What is PAR-15-070?
PAR-15-070 is an NIH Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) titled "Innovation Grants to Nurture Initial Translational Efforts (IGNITE): Assay Development and Therapeutic Agent Identification and Characterization to Support Therapeutic Discovery (R21/R33)." It supports early translational neuroscience projects focused on building assay platforms and using them to find and characterize candidate therapeutics for neurological disorders.
What is the main purpose of this funding opportunity?
The purpose is to push early-stage neuroscience ideas into a more translation-ready form by creating or refining laboratory assays and then using those assays in iterative screening and follow-up testing to identify and characterize potential therapeutic agents.
What kinds of projects does this FOA emphasize?
This FOA emphasizes projects that (1) develop robust experimental assays and (2) use those assays in repeated screening and confirmation cycles to discover, validate, and profile potential therapeutic agents relevant to neurological disorders.
Is this FOA intended for basic research?
No. The FOA is positioned as an early translational step rather than basic research done primarily for knowledge generation. The intent is to generate practical tools (assays) and evidence (screening and characterization data) that enable entry into later-stage translational development programs.
What types of assay systems are supported?
The FOA supports building reliable in vitro (test tube or cell-based) and/or ex vivo (tissues taken from an organism and studied outside the body) assay systems that can be used to discover and evaluate candidate therapeutics for neurological disorders.
What does "identify and characterize" mean in practical terms?
It signals that applicants are expected to go beyond a single, one-off screen. Projects should produce evidence about the quality and behavior of screening hits or leads, which may include confirmatory experiments, secondary assays, early selectivity or mechanism-informed checks, and other profiling to show candidates are real, reproducible, and relevant to the target biology or disease context.
What is meant by "iterative screening campaigns"?
It refers to running repeated rounds of screening and follow-up testing using the developed assay system(s), with the goal of progressively identifying, confirming, and better understanding candidate therapeutic agents.
How does this FOA fit into the larger translational pipeline at NINDS?
This FOA is described as bridge funding that can mature projects to a stage where they can credibly enter more intensive, later-stage translational development programs, particularly NINDS programs such as CREATE (often associated with biologics and biotechnology products) and the Blueprint Neurotherapeutics Network (BPN), which is geared toward small-molecule therapeutic development.
What grant mechanism is used for PAR-15-070?
The mechanism is an NIH R21/R33 phased award, which generally progresses from an initial exploratory/proof-building phase (R21) to a second phase (R33) intended to expand and solidify the effort once early goals are met.
How should applicants think about the R21/R33 phased structure?
Based on the phased design described, applicants would generally be expected to propose a logical staged plan: first establish or optimize the assay system and feasibility of the screening approach (R21), then move into broader iterative screening and deeper characterization work (R33) as the project demonstrates traction.
What is the maximum award amount listed?
The listed award ceiling is $750,000.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No cost sharing or matching requirement is noted in the provided opportunity description.
Which agency sponsors this opportunity?
The sponsoring agency is the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
What is the CFDA number and program area?
The opportunity is listed under CFDA 93.853, "Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders."
What category of grant is this?
It is described as a discretionary grant opportunity in the health category.
Is PAR-15-070 still open for applications?
No. The FOA was posted on December 12, 2014, had a closing date of January 7, 2018, and an archive date of February 7, 2018. That means it is no longer active as a current open competition, though it remains a reference for the kinds of projects the program sought to support.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S. government entities (state, county, city/township, special districts), public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, independent school districts, public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status, for-profit organizations (including small businesses and other for-profits), and tribal governments and tribal organizations.
Are specific institution types explicitly included?
Yes. The eligibility description explicitly includes a wide range of institution types and communities, such as HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, AANAPISISs, tribally controlled colleges and universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian serving institutions, and faith-based or community-based organizations, among others.
Can non-U.S. organizations apply?
Yes. Foreign organizations and foreign institutions are eligible to apply. Non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are eligible, and foreign components are allowed as defined by NIH policy.
What kinds of therapeutic agents are meant to be identified?
The FOA focuses on identifying and characterizing candidate therapeutics using developed assay systems. It is positioned as an on-ramp to programs associated with biologics/biotechnology products (CREATE) and small molecules (BPN), indicating relevance to multiple therapeutic modalities, depending on the project.
What is the practical output this FOA is trying to produce?
The practical outputs are (1) a functioning discovery platform (a validated assay or assay suite that is robust and suitable for screening) and (2) an initial set of therapeutic candidates (hits/leads) that have been screened and characterized enough to justify entry into larger, milestone-driven translational pipelines.
What disease area does this opportunity target?
It targets neurological disorders, within the broader domain of neuroscience and neurological disease research supported by NIH/NINDS programs.
What does "translation-ready" mean in the context given?
In this context, it refers to having assays and supporting screening/characterization evidence mature enough that the project can credibly move into more intensive translational development efforts (for example, later-stage programs that focus on preclinical development and eventual clinical translation).
Browse more opportunities from the same category: Health
Next opportunity: Innovation Grants to Nurture Initial Translational Efforts (IGNITE) Pharmacodynamics and In vivo Efficacy Studies for Small Molecules and Biologics/Biotechnology Products (R21/R33)
Previous opportunity: NEA Challenge America, FY2016
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| Innovation Grants to Nurture Initial Translational Efforts (IGNITE) Pharmacodynamics and In vivo Efficacy Studies for Small Molecules and Biologics/Biotechnology Products (R21/R33) Apply for PAR 15 071 Funding Number: PAR 15 071 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: $750,000 |
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| NIMH Administrative Supplement Program Providing Research Experiences for Physicians and Medical Students from Diverse Backgrounds Apply for PA 15 069 Funding Number: PA 15 069 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| FY15 FY16 Department of Defense HIV/AIDS Prevention Program Military Specific HIV/AIDS Prevention, Care, and Treatment Program for non PEPFAR (Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief Apply for DHAPP BAA 15 001 Funding Number: DHAPP BAA 15 001 Agency: Naval Supply Systems Command Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Centers for Common Disease Genomics (UM1) Apply for RFA HG 15 001 Funding Number: RFA HG 15 001 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: $40,000,000 |
| FY15 FY16 Department of Defense HIV/AIDS Prevention Program Military Specific HIV/AIDS Prevention, Care, and Treatment Program for PEPFAR (Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) Funded Countries Apply for DHAPP BAA 15 002 Funding Number: DHAPP BAA 15 002 Agency: Naval Supply Systems Command Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Centers for Mendelian Genomics (UM1) Apply for RFA HG 15 002 Funding Number: RFA HG 15 002 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: $5,000,000 |
| Strengthening Clinical and Laboratory Services at the National Referral Level to Improve HIV Prevention, Care, and Treatment in the Republic of Zambia under the Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) Apply for CDC RFA GH15 1603 Funding Number: CDC RFA GH15 1603 Agency: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Category: Health Funding Amount: $27,475,000 |
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| Support the Strengthening and Utilization of Strategic Information Activities in the Republic of South Africa under the Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) Apply for CDC RFA GH15 1576 Funding Number: CDC RFA GH15 1576 Agency: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Category: Health Funding Amount: $25,000,000 |
| Investigational New Drug (IND) enabling Development of Medications to Treat Alcohol Use Disorder and Alcohol related Disorders (UT2) Apply for PAR 15 073 Funding Number: PAR 15 073 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Investigational New Drug (IND) enabling Development of Medications to Treat Alcohol Use Disorder and Alcohol related Disorders (U44) Apply for PAR 15 074 Funding Number: PAR 15 074 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Evaluating Innovative and Promising Strategies to Prevent Suicide among Middle Aged Men Apply for RFA CE 15 004 Funding Number: RFA CE 15 004 Agency: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Category: Health Funding Amount: $330,000 |
| Establish a Vision and Eye Health Surveillance System for the Nation Apply for RFA DP 15 004 Funding Number: RFA DP 15 004 Agency: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Category: Health Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| Consortium on the Neurobiology of Adolescent Drinking in Adulthood (NADIA) Research Projects (U01) Apply for RFA AA 15 004 Funding Number: RFA AA 15 004 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
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