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National Institutes of Health

NIH Countermeasures Against Chemical Threats (CounterACT) Research Centers of Excellence (U54 – Clinical Trial Optional)

Summary

The NIH Countermeasures Against Chemical Threats (CounterACT) program is announcing a funding opportunity for Research Centers of Excellence. The mission of the NIH CounterACT program is to foster and support research and development of new and improved therapeutics for chemical threats. Chemical threats are toxic chemicals that could be used in a terrorist attack or accidentally released from industrial production, storage or shipping. They include traditional chemical warfare agents, toxic industrial chemicals, pharmaceutical-based agents, and pesticides.

Please see the full Founding Opportunity Announcement at https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-20-316.html .

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) encourages applications for Countermeasures Against Chemical Threats (CounterACT) Research Centers of Excellence (U54s). The mission of the NIH CounterACT program is to foster and support research and development of new and improved therapeutics for chemical threats. Chemical threats are toxic chemicals that could be used in a terrorist attack or accidentally released from industrial production, storage or shipping. They include traditional chemical warfare agents, toxic industrial chemicals, pharmaceutical-based agents, and pesticides.  The scope of the research includes target and lead candidate identification and characterization, through lead candidate optimization and demonstration of in vivo efficacy consistent with the product’s intended use in humans as a medical countermeasure. For applicants submitting U54 renewal applications, research under this FOA should culminate in an optimized lead compound ready for advanced development. The Centers will contain at least three research projects supported by an administrative core, up to three optional scientific cores, a research education core, and a pilot project program to support short-term innovative research and recruitment of new investigators into the field of medical countermeasures research. Each research project must include milestones that create discrete go or no-go decision points in a progressive translational study plan.

Key Date

  • Open Date (Earliest Submission Date)
    • August 14, 2021
  • Letter of Intent Due Date(s)
    • 30 days prior to the application due date
  • Application Due Date(s)
    • September 14, 2021, September 13, 2022, September 12, 2023.
    • All applications are due by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization. All types of non-AIDS applications allowed for this funding opportunity announcement are due on the listed date(s).
    • Applicants are encouraged to apply early to allow adequate time to make any corrections to errors found in the application during the submission process by the due date.
  • AIDS Application Due Date(s)
    • Not Applicable
  • Scientific Merit Review
    • February 2022; February 2023; February 2024
  • Advisory Council Review
    • May 2022; May 2023; May 2024
  • Earliest Start Date
    • July 2022; July 2023; July 2024

Budget

Application budgets may not exceed $1.75 million in direct costs per year.

Further Information

Website

Let the OSP Pre-Award Department help. If you are interested in responding to this solicitation, email preaward@boisestate.edu so we can start helping you right away.