Funding News - Translational Research: Exploratory/Developmental Projects Sought

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) encourages grant applications for exploratory or developmental translational research projects that focus on neurological disorders.*

Translational research is the process of applying ideas, insights, and discoveries generated through basic scientific inquiry to the treatment or prevention of human disease. Remarkable insights have been made recently in the molecular, genetic, and cellular bases of neurological disease. In many cases, developmental work must be completed before the basic research results can be translated into effective therapies. A key requirement for successful therapeutic development is the characterization of new assays, models, tools, and technologies that provide for reliable discovery and testing of therapeutic approaches. The purpose of this announcement is to encourage projects that provide tools and resources for therapy development.

Examples of potential research topics of interest include: identification of targets for therapeutic intervention; development of assays that permit the preliminary screening of candidate therapeutics; development of animal models that permit further evaluation of candidate therapeutics and/or toxicology studies; development of tools and technologies that can be directly used for therapy development; and preliminary identification of candidate therapeutics that can be evaluated through further preclinical testing.

For more information, potential applicants should contact Dr. Thomas Miller, Program Director, Technology Development Cluster, NINDS, Neuroscience Center, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 2139, Bethesda, MD 20892; telephone: 301-496-1779; fax: 301-402-1501; e-mail: 208y@nih.gov.

*For a more detailed description of this program announcement, please visit the NIH web site at: http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-02-138.html.