Recovery Act Limited Competition for NIH Grants: Research and Research Infrastructure “Grand Opportunities” (RC2) (RFA-OD-09-004)

Overall, the NICHD may devote up to $5 million to support a limited number of grants under the GO Program. Because of the size of the GO grants, the Institute expects to fund very few applications.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is among the initiatives being offered by the NIH and by individual Institutes, including the NICHD, and Centers to help fulfill the goals of the ARRA by stimulating the economy through support of biomedical research.

The purpose of the Research and Research Infrastructure GO Program (hereafter, the GO Program) is to support high-impact ideas that lend themselves to short-term, non-renewable funding, and that may lay the foundation for new fields of investigation. The GO Program will support large-scale research projects to accelerate critical breakthroughs, early and applied research on cutting-edge technologies, and new approaches to improve the synergy and interactions among multi- and interdisciplinary research teams.

Additional information about the Recovery Act FOAs and related NIH opportunities is available through the Office of Extramural Research at http://grants.nih.gov/recovery.

Areas of Scientific Priority for NICHD

The NICHD places priority on using Recovery Act funds for GO Program projects in the following scientific areas:

• Developmental Biology and Perinatal Medicine
  Complex biological processes, which determine health and well-being, begin even before conception, and fetal and early childhood development set the stage for physical, cognitive, and behavioral outcomes throughout life. A major NICHD priority is to advance fundamental and clinical knowledge about maternal health and problems of child development. This research includes (but is not limited to):
• • Basic research on the biochemical, molecular biology, genetic, and cellular mechanisms of early development; contact: Tyl Hewitt, Ph.D., Chief, Developmental Biology, Genetics, and Teratology (DBGT) Branch, (301) 496-5543, hewittt@mail.nih.gov;
  • Biomedical, biobehavioral, clinical, and translational research to prevent or ameliorate intellectual and developmental disabilities, including (but not limited to) such conditions as intellectual disability, Fragile X, autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), and Down syndrome; contact: Melissa Parisi, M.D., Chief, Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities (IDD) Branch, (301) 435-6880, parisima@mail.nih.gov; and
  • Basic, clinical, and translational research on maternal health, pregnancy, fetal well-being, labor and delivery, newborn screening, and the developing child; contact: Catherine Spong, M.D., Chief, Pregnancy and Perinatology (PP) Branch, (301) 435-6894, spongc@mail.nih.gov. 
• Maternal and Child Health
  To improve maternal and child health in the United States and worldwide, a major priority of the NICHD is to conduct research to address major areas. This research includes (but is not limited to): 
  • Basic, translational, and clinical research on serious threats to health and quality-of-life, including gestational diabetes, obesity and overweight, mechanisms of cognition and learning, growth retardation, HIV/AIDS, and other congenital infections and diseases; contact: Gilman Grave, M.D., Chief, Endocrinology, Nutrition, and Growth (ENG) Branch, (301) 496-5578, graveg@mail.nih.gov; contact: Lynne Mofenson, M.D., Chief, Pediatric, Adolescent, and Maternal AIDS (PAMA) Branch, (301) 435-6870, mofensol@mail.nih.gov; 
  • Applied research on the psychological, psychobiological, language, behavioral, and educational development of children; contact: Peggy McCardle, Ph.D. M.P.H., Chief, Child Development and Behavior (CDB) Branch, (301) 435-6863, mccardlp@mail.nih.gov; and
  • Advanced clinical research to understand the effects and effectiveness of pharmaceuticals on maternal and child health; contact: Anne Zajicek, M.D., Pharm. M.D., Acting Chief, Obstetric and Pediatric Pharmacology (OPP) Branch, (301) 435-6865, zajiceka@mail.nih. 
• Contraception, Reproduction, and Population Research
  Understanding reproductive health and biology for both men and women is crucial to improving health and quality-of-life around the world. Improved knowledge about human population dynamics is also essential to successful and sustainable communities. This research includes (but is not limited to): 
  • Basic and clinical research in reproductive health to ultimately improve diagnosis and treatment of reproductive health conditions, such as uterine fibroids, endometriosis, infertility, and pelvic floor and pain disorders, among others; contact: Louis DePaolo, Ph.D., Chief, Reproductive Sciences (RS) Branch, (301) 435-6970, ld38p@nih.gov;
  • Efforts to develop safe, effective, inexpensive, reversible, and acceptable contraceptive methods; contact: Trent Mackay, M.D., M.P.H, Chief, Contraception and Reproductive Health (CRH) Branch, (301) 435-6988, mackayt@mail.nih.gov; and
  • Studies to improve understanding of the causes and consequences of population size and distribution changes, including fertility, migration and immigration, population diversity, and family functioning contact: Rebecca Clark, Ph.D., Acting Chief, Demographic and Behavioral Sciences (DBS) Branch, (301) 496-1175, rclark@mail.nih.gov. 
• Medical Rehabilitation Research
  Medical rehabilitation research is essential to developing scientific and technical knowledge needed to enhance health, productivity, independence, and quality-of-life for people with disabilities. This research includes (but is not limited to):
  • Studies to elucidate the scientific underpinnings of clinical rehabilitation and to understand the mechanisms of recovery and adaptation; contact: Ralph Nitkin, Ph.D., Chief, Biological Sciences and Career Development (BSCD) Program, (301) 402-4206, nitkinr@mail.nih.gov;
  • Applying technological advances in engineering and bioengineering to improve the human-environment interface and to restore or enhance an individual’s functional capabilities through assistive technologies, such as prosthetics, wheelchairs, and biomechanical devices; contact: Louis Quatrano, Ph.D., Chief, Behavioral Sciences and Rehabilitation Technologies (BSRT) Program, (301) 402-4221, quatranol@mail.nih.gov; contact: Nancy Shinowara, Ph.D., Chief, Spinal Cord and Musculoskeletal Disorders and Assistive Devices (SMAD) Program, (301) 435-6838, shinowan@mail.nih.gov;
  • Basic and clinical research to understand the underlying mechanisms of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and stroke, and to assess medical rehabilitation therapies and interventions for people with these conditions; contact: Beth Ansel, Ph.D., Chief, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Stroke Rehabilitation (TSR) Program, (301) 402-2242, anselb@mail.nih.gov; and
  • Research on pediatric critical care and rehabilitation to ultimately improve outcomes for children who are survivors of trauma, congenital anomalies, neonatal asphyxia, infections, septic shock, and other less common, but still devastating childhood injuries and illnesses; contact: Carol Nicholson, M.D., Chief, Pediatric Critical Care and Rehabilitation (PCCR) Program, (301) 435-6843, nicholca@mail.nih.gov. 

Funding Priorities for NICHD

Overall, the NICHD may devote up to $5 million to support a limited number of grants under the GO Program. Because of the size of the GO grants, the Institute expects to fund very few applications. Please keep in mind that:

• Contact your program official before proceeding with an application for the GO Program.
• The total cost amount for individual awards for the GO Program will vary and should be commensurate with the scope and complexity of the project and the number of participating institutions.
• The duration of the awards issued under this FOA will be limited to two years.
• Because the purpose of the Recovery Act—the source of funds for the GO Program—is to stimulate the American economy, the NICHD does not plan to make awards to projects that include foreign components.

Key Dates

• Letters of Intent Due Date: April 27, 2009
• Application Due Date: May 27, 2009
• Earliest Anticipated Start Date: September 30, 2009
• For additional dates and deadlines, please see the RFA.

Contacts
If you are interested in applying for a GO Grant in a particular scientific area, please contact the Program Official listed for that subject in the Areas of Scientific Priority for the NICHD section above.

For information about scientific review, contact:

For Financial or Grants Management questions, contact:

Bryan S. Clark, M.B.A.
Chief Grants Management Officer
Grants Management Branch, Office of the Director, NICHD
National Institutes of Health
Phone: (301) 435-6975
E-mail: clarkb1@mail.nih.gov