Research and Research Infrastructure "Grand Opportunities" Grants

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Grand Opportunities "GO" Grants (RFA-OD-09-004)

The NIH has received new funds for Fiscal Years 2009 and 2010 as part of the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act), Pub L. No. 111-5. This NIH Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), Research and Research Infrastructure "Grand Opportunities ("GO" grants program) is one of a number of NIH initiatives related to the Recovery Act listed at http://grants.nih.gov/recovery/.

The purpose of the "GO" grant program is to support high impact ideas that lend themselves to short-term, non-renewable funding and may lay the foundation for new fields of investigation. Applicants may propose to address a specific research question or to create a unique infrastructure/resource designed to accelerate scientific progress in the future. All "GO" grant applications must be relevant to the mission of NINDS and propose innovative, large-scale projects with the potential to lead to breakthroughs in research. Applications that propose new collaborations and involve multi- or interdisciplinary research teams will be particularly emphasized when making funding decisions. All projects are expected to benefit from significant 2-year funds without the expectation of continued NINDS funding beyond two years. The initiative is designed to provide investigators and institutions with the opportunity to engage in new avenues of research with a high likelihood of significant impact on growth and investment in biomedical or behavioral research, public health and health care delivery.

This program is a trans-NIH effort. For those projects that span the missions of NIH institutes, centers, and offices, support may come from Recovery Act funds allocated to the Common Fund. For projects in comparative effectiveness research (CER), support may come from the Recovery Act funds specifically designated for CER.

Important Considerations for NINDS Applicants:

• In anticipation of a large response to the "GO" grant solicitation, each potential applicant to NINDS is strongly urged to submit a letter of intent. This will help NINDS staff advise applicants as to whether their ideas are aligned with NINDS priorities. The letter of intent should be sent to the specific contact person identified in the NINDS website for the "GO" grants program.
• Due to the 2 year funding period, NINDS does not encourage the submission of large-scale clinical trials or other studies that inherently require longer periods of funding.
• Applicants submitting "GO" grant applications for the creation of large-scale resources or infrastructure, must include a plan for maintenance of these resources beyond the 2 year award period. Priority will be given to projects that have a high probability of subsequent funding by NIH or other funding sources.

Receipt Dates:

The receipt date for letters of intent is April 27, 2009.

The application due date is May 27, 2009.

Inquiries:

For general information on NINDS implementation of NIH Grand Opportunities Grants, contact:
Emmeline Edwards, Ph.D.
Deputy Director for Extramural Research
National Institute of neurological Disorders and Stroke
National Institutes of Health
301-496-9248
edwardse@ninds.nih.gov

For Financial or Grants Management questions, contact:
Tijuana Decoster, MPA
Chief Grants Management Officer
National Institute of neurological Disorders and Stroke
National Institutes of Health
301-496-9231
decostert@mail.nih.gov

Please note that guidance on "GO" grants using ARRA funds continues to evolve. NINDS strongly encourages those developing an application to check this site frequently for any updates.