NIAID Partnerships with Product Development Public Private Partnerships (R01) | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is this funding opportunity?

This opportunity is the NIAID Partnerships with Product Development Public Private Partnerships (R01) funding opportunity (RFA-AI-09-034). It is an NIH research grant program intended to speed up preclinical development of new health tools for neglected infectious diseases.

Which NIH institute is sponsoring this program?

The sponsoring agency is the National Institutes of Health (NIH) through the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).

What is the main goal of the FOA?

The core aim is to help established, not-for-profit product development public-private partnerships (PD PPPs) move promising ideas closer to real-world products by supporting practical preclinical research steps that come before human trials.

What stage of research is this FOA meant to support?

The FOA is focused on product-oriented research and development that is beyond basic discovery but not yet in clinical trials. It emphasizes preclinical development and IND-enabling activities (or comparable regulatory-enabling work) that can move an intervention toward eventual human testing.

What kinds of products or tools does NIAID want to advance through this program?

NIAID is looking for efforts that can advance preventive measures (such as vaccines), therapeutics (such as drugs), diagnostics (such as tests), and, when relevant, strategies to manage disease-carrying vectors (for example mosquitoes or other organisms involved in transmission).

Which diseases are within scope?

The FOA targets neglected infectious diseases with major global health impact and limited commercial incentives. The announcement highlights malaria and tuberculosis and also targets Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), referencing NIAID's list of NTD examples.

Is vector-related research allowed?

Yes. Vector-related work is included when it is directly tied to the transmission and control of the targeted diseases (for example, vector management strategies relevant to malaria or other NTDs where transmission control is part of the intervention pathway).

What is meant by “limited commercial incentives” in this context?

The FOA is aimed at diseases that have high global burden but relatively weak traditional market incentives for private-sector development, especially because the greatest burdens are in low-income countries.

Does the FOA support basic or exploratory research?

The FOA is not described as supporting open-ended or purely exploratory science. Projects are expected to be development-focused and structured around a plan to produce a plausible, deployable intervention.

What project structure does NIAID expect from applicants?

Projects must be structured around clear milestones and timelines, along with a product development plan showing how the work will progress toward a usable tool.

What are examples of activities that may be supported?

Examples specifically called out include preclinical development and IND-enabling activities such as validating targets for intervention, process development (including manufacturing or scale-up related work), formulation development, and toxicology, along with other preparatory studies needed to support an eventual Investigational New Drug (IND) application or a comparable regulatory pathway.

What is the funding mechanism?

The funding mechanism is an NIH R01 research project grant. Awards support defined projects proposed by the applicant organization.

How much funding is expected under this announcement?

NIAID projected a total of about $3.7 million in total costs to be awarded in FY 2010 under this announcement.

How many awards does NIAID anticipate making?

The FOA anticipated approximately 5 to 8 awards.

Is cost sharing or matching required?

No cost sharing or matching requirement is listed. That generally means applicants are not required to contribute non-federal funds as a condition of receiving an award.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is broad by institution type, including private and public institutions of higher education and nonprofit organizations (including those with and without 501(c)(3) status, other than institutions of higher education), as well as other categories named in the FOA such as HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, tribally controlled colleges and universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian serving institutions, faith-based or community-based organizations, and foreign (non-U.S.) organizations.

Is this opportunity intended for any particular type of organization?

While eligibility includes many organization types, the FOA is clearly oriented toward established, not-for-profit product development public-private partnerships (PD PPPs) with a demonstrated track record in developing interventions for neglected infectious diseases.

Are non-U.S. (foreign) organizations eligible?

Yes. The eligibility list includes non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations).

What category does this opportunity fall under?

The activity falls under the Health category.

What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The FOA is associated with CFDA number 93.856, titled Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Research.

When was this opportunity posted?

The opportunity was posted on July 15, 2009.

What was the application closing date?

The original and current closing date listed is October 30, 2009.

When was the opportunity archived?

The archive date is November 30, 2009.

Where was the full announcement made available?

The full announcement was made available through the NIH grants website.

Who should be contacted for technical issues accessing the posting?

NIH Office of Extramural Research contact information was provided primarily for technical issues related to accessing the posting.