Grants

18,014 grants found

24 grants worth up to $14.4M match your search

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Individualized Decision-Making For GLP-1RA Therapy and Improving Obesity Care Using Real World Data

NIDDK - National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

PROJECT ABSTRACT Obesity affects more than 40% of U.S. adults (more than 100 million) and contributes to substantial morbidity, mortality, and over $170 billion in annual healthcare expenditures. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) offer a transformative opportunity to improve obesity-related outcomes, including significant weight loss, cardiovascular risk reduction, and emerging effects on metabolic comorbidities. However, real-world responses to GLP-1RAs vary widely. Many patients experience suboptimal weight loss and adverse effects. Current prescribing relies on body mass index (BMI) thresholds, failing to account for individual heterogeneity driven by biological, genetic, behavioral, social, and environmental factors yet to be uncovered. This contributes to trial-and-error prescribing, avoidable harm, inappropriate resource allocation, and unnecessary spending. This K23 proposes to develop and validate clinically actionable tools to individualize GLP-1RA prescribing and improve obesity care delivery. In Aim 1, machine learning will be applied to electronic health record (EHR) data (N=25,212) to develop and validate predictive models that estimate the likelihood of (1) achieving 12-month weight loss and (2) experiencing treatment-related adverse events, categorized as intolerances (e.g., nausea, constipation) or complications (e.g., gallbladder disease). In Aim 2, the expected value of individualized care (EVIC) framework will be used with a validated microsimulation model to quantify the clinical and economic value of individualized GLP-1RA prescribing versus a treat-all approach. In Aim 3, a conversation aid will be designed to communicate individualized risks and benefits, followed by usability testing to optimize its effectiveness. The overarching goal is to build tools that support scalable, individualized obesity treatment strategies grounded in real-world evidence. The candidate will receive mentored training in (1) predictive analytics and machine learning, (2) economic evaluation using the EVIC framework, and (3) user-centered design and usability testing. Completion of this training will position the candidate to lead an independent research program focused on the implementation and evaluation of cost-effective, individualized obesity care.

Up to $173K

2031-03-31

health research

Free to search & build · $99 one-time to unlock the application pack · No subscription

Indo-U.S. Vaccine Action Program (VAP) Small Research Grant Program (R03)

open

National Institutes of Health

-Purpose. Scientific cooperation between India and the U.S. has taken place under a variety of bilateral umbrella agreements, including the Indo-U.S. Science and Technology (S and T) Sub-Commission, the Gandhi-Reagan S and T Initiative, the U.S.-India Fund, and the current S and T Cooperation Agreement. Building upon these agreements and initiatives, representatives of the United States and the Government of India signed a Memorandum of Understanding on July, 9 1987 implementing the Indo-U.S. Vaccine Action Program (VAP) in order to expand collaborative vaccine research. The goal of the VAP is to support collaborative vaccine-related research projects that ultimately reduce the burden of infectious diseases of importance in India, the U.S., the South Asian region and globally. -Mechanism of Support. This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) solicits Small Research Grant (R03) applications, which will provide U.S. dollar support of vaccine-related research in India and the United States and augment current VAP activities. Investigators from U.S. and Indian institutions are eligible to apply. -Applications are solicited from organizations/institutions that propose to conduct vaccine-related research through well-established collaborations with Indian investigators on the following: dengue, influenza (including avian influenza), HIV/AIDS, and tuberculosis.

rolling

Healthhealthcare

Free to search & build · $99 one-time to unlock the application pack · No subscription

Indoor and Outdoor Exposure to LA Urban Wildfire Smoke – A Nature Experiment between the Palisades and Eaton Fires

open

NIEHS - National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

ABSTRACT The Los Angeles urban wildfires (LA Fires), which began on January 7, 2025, have become one of the most destructive disasters in U.S. history. Although officially contained by February 7, 2025, emerging evidence sug- gests that exposure risks persist long after active burning due to post-fire degassing and cleanup activities. LA Fires released a complex mix of volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds (VOCs and SVOCs) from burned structures, vehicles, and household products. These emissions can last weeks to months, as damaged materials release pollutants back into the air. Cleanup activities, including debris removal and demolition, may further re- suspend contaminated dust and release VOCs, prolonging exposure risks for returning residents. However, post- fire indoor air quality remains an understudied yet critical issue in wildfire research. Since January 8, 2025, our team has monitored indoor and outdoor air quality in 25 households near both fires. We found outdoor concen- trations of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes (BTEX), and toxic heavy metals were over 100 times higher during active burning. In the post-fire phase, indoor BTEX levels in burn zone homes exceeded outdoor concen- trations, even in the absence of indoor activities, suggesting prolonged off-gassing from building materials. Ad- ditionally, real-time monitoring detected persistently elevated ultrafine and sub-micron particles in the burn zones weeks after the fires were contained. These findings underscore the urgent need to characterize post-fire expo- sure pathways, particularly in indoor environments where people spend most of their time.To address these critical gaps, we propose two aims. Aim 1: Assess indoor and outdoor exposure to fine and ultrafine particles and VOCs post-fire. We will expand sampling to 50 homes (25 per fire) and monitor air quality over one year or until cleanup is complete. Homes will include affluent, predominantly White communities (Palisades) and pre- dominantly Black communities (Altadena). We hypothesize that indoor VOC levels will remain elevated due to prolonged off-gassing, while fine and ultrafine particles will persist outdoors due to dust resuspension and sec- ondary aerosol formation. Aim 2: Evaluate how building characteristics and mitigation measures influence indoor air quality. We hypothesize that older, leakier homes will experience greater infiltration of outdoor fire smoke, leading to higher post-fire indoor VOC levels. We further hypothesize that wealthier residents in the Palisades will implement more effective mitigation measures (e.g., HVAC upgrades, air purifiers) compared to residents in Altadena, leading to lower indoor exposures. With over 16,000 structures destroyed, the LA Fires released highly toxic pollutants, posing persistent exposure risks to affected communities. This study will provide time-sensitive data to guide returning residents, inform evidence-based policies, and improve indoor air quality recommenda- tions for filtration and ventilation. Findings will also lay the groundwork for future research on the long-term health impacts of toxic urban wildfire smoke, a growing concern as wildfires increasingly threaten densely populated areas.

Up to $354K

2028-04-02

health research

Free to search & build · $99 one-time to unlock the application pack · No subscription

Inducible Hepatic-Associated Lymphoid Tissue (iHALT): generating and maintaining long-lived plasma cells

open

NIAID - National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

It has long been evasive why strictly hepatotropic viruses, such as hepatitis C virus (HCV), have been associated with the generation of delayed antibody responses that are of relatively poor quality to other, more systemic infections. Studies to date investigating antiviral adaptive immune priming within the liver have been hindered by lack of a natural, biologically relevant small animal model of viral infection exclusively restricted to hepatocytes. In this proposal, we will accordingly use the HGV-related rodent hepacivirus (RHV) recently discovered by our team, which possesses several similarities to its genetic relative, including strict liver tropism, conserved replication dependence on miR-122 interaction with the viral 5' UTR, identical genomic organizational structure and polyprotein cleavage pattern, and the propensity to cause chronic infection with fibrosis and hepatocellular carcinoma tumorigenesis. Our preliminary identification of robust antibody-secreting cell (ASC) responses, both total lgG and those targeting the envelope glycoprotein E2, almost exclusively arising within the liver during both human HCV and murine RHV infection, served as the rational impetus for further investigation of how, when, and where such responses are generated. The secondary lymphoid organ (SLO) dormancy accompanying such strong ASC responses within the liver alongside their durable maintenance therein by putative cognate anchoring pairs, many of which are also critical for tethering of long-lived plasma cells (LLPCs) to stromal niches in bone marrow, collectively suggest that the liver may serve as a site conducive to both the local generation and perpetual maintenance thereafter of LLPCs during strictly hepatotropic viral infection. As our recently published findings demonstrate that viral-specific lgG is critical for viral resolution, the development of chronic infection and HCC tumors in its absence suggests that generation of plausibly locally generated humoral responses within the liver at sites of virus-induced tertiary lymphoid structures, hereafter denoted as inducible Hepatic-Associated Lymphoid Tissue (iHALT), likely serve an important functional role. The survival of LLPCs residing in the liver 1.5 years post-clearance in these mice represents a unique scenario in which the liver may also provide a suitable niche for these cells, contrary to the canonical paradigm in which the bone marrow or select SLO circumstances are exclusively capable of fostering such an environment. We propose to mechanistically determine the signaling prerequisites responsible for driving this local, successful antiviral antibody response within the liver (Aim 1) as well as the cues instructing putatively locally derived progenies to be retained directly adjacent to their generative origins (Aim 2). Understanding these processes would significantly enhance our understanding of the relationship between hepatotropic viruses capable of suppressing SLOs in a state of functional dormancy with humoral responses plausibly being housed ectopically at extra lymphoid sites. Further, these studies would likely yield important insights capable of influencing the current paradigm of durable antibody responses in antigen free settings, specifically exploring a potentially novel niche site conducive to LLPC survival within the liver.

Up to $923K

2031-01-31

health research

Free to search & build · $99 one-time to unlock the application pack · No subscription

Inducing Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies to Protect Against HIV

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NIAID - National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

AI97990A1 “Inducing Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies to Protect Against HIV” ABSTRACT Current HIV-1 vaccine strategies seek to engage naïve precursors of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs), such as the CD4-binding site (CD4bs) targeted ‘VRC01 class’ unmutated common ancestor (UCA), then drive its aKinity maturation toward breadth. In early studies, VRC01 UCAs did not bind to native HIV envelope glycoprotein (Env) trimers. However, a number of soluble Envs, including eOD-GT8, 426c gp120 core and BG505 SOSIP GT1.1 trimers were developed to successfully prime VRC01 class UCAs. These priming immunogens were engineered for increased sensitivity to VRC01-class UCAs. Changes include deletions of the N-linked potential glycosylation sites at Env position 276 (N276) and in the V5 loop, changes in loop D (Env positions 275-283), and/or other engineered changes to improve sensitivity. Boosting immunogens must be native or near native to be able to mature activated VRC01 class UCAs to become bNAbs. To date, no boosting immunogen has been able to successfully mature precursor ‘VRC01 class’ Abs toward bNAb status. Current boosting immunogens appear to lack the stringency needed to mature VRC01 activated UCAs fully accommodate the N276 glycan in functional Env trimers. A second limitation of current ‘VRC01 class’ bNAb lineage development strategies is that ‘oK-target’ epitopes on HIV-1 Env immunogens may dampen responses to desired sites. To address these challenges, we engineered native gp120/gp41 Env trimers to engage bNAb UCA B cells to induce the VRC01 lineage, thus increasing the possibility of maturing the UCAs to bNAb status with our cocktail of native trimer boosting immunogens. We will test our immunogens in appropriate animal models via delivery by nucleic acid in an authentic context to trigger and boost VRC01 UCAs to overcome the N276 glycan. Our Speciﬁc Aims are: 1. To express pure or nearly pure native membrane trimers that engage the VRC01 UCA. 2. To use native trimers to induce broad and potent bNAbs in VRC01 knock-in mice. 3. To deﬁne the maturation pathway of bNAbs elicited by native trimers in rhesus NHPs. We hypothesize that pure or nearly pure native trimer immunogens will provide the requisite stringency to stimulate VRC01 UCAs and guide them to become bNAbs. Our overall goal is to design and test a ‘native trimer’ prime-boost series to induce VRC01 class bNAbs. Our scientiﬁc premise is that native trimers, as the exclusive targets of NAbs provide an ideal format to induce NAbs.

Up to $809K

2027-05-31

health research

Free to search & build · $99 one-time to unlock the application pack · No subscription

Inducing variable breathing ratios during walking to improve exercise capacity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

open

NIH

The long-term goal of our research is to improve pulmonary rehabilitation outcomes for Veterans with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) using novel exercise regimes. The primary objective of this project is to determine the effect of a pulmonary rehabilitation program that utilizes inclined versus standard exercise for patients with COPD. COPD is a significant health challenge, especially for Veterans who have a higher prevalence of COPD compared to the general U.S. population. Our preliminary data indicate that COPD patients exhibit an abnormal coupling pattern between walking and breathing, which limits exercise capacity. Increasing walking speed leads to higher respiratory rates, dynamic hyperinflation, and dyspnea, thereby limiting exercise duration and intensity. The project's primary goal is to evaluate the impact of a pulmonary rehabilitation program that uses inclined walking to promote variable coupling between breathing and walking for individuals with COPD. This project will examine the impact of a 12-week (3 times per week) pulmonary rehabilitation program on walking and respiratory outcomes in Veteran COPD patients. The study will compare the effects of two exercise components: walking at an increased speed versus walking on an incline. Moderate to severe COPD patients from the Omaha VAMC will participate in the program, with 28 subjects undergoing inclined rehab and 28 receiving standard rehab. The study will address three specific aims: 1. Investigate the impact of inclined versus standard training on respiratory rate, dyspnea, and hyperinflation. 2. Determine the effect of inclined versus standard training on the coupling between walking and breathing, total walking time, and metabolic equivalence of task. 3. Assess the effect of inclined versus standard training on health status and quality of life. Participants will undergo two 6-minute overground walking tests before and after the intervention period, while walking distance, dynamic hyperinflation, respiratory rate, oxygen uptake, dyspnea, and the variability of breathing/walking coupling ratios will be measured during each session of the training program. The data collected will inform future studies aimed at developing more effective rehabilitation programs, ultimately reducing the impact of COPD on the Veteran population.

2029-12-31

health research

Free to search & build · $99 one-time to unlock the application pack · No subscription

Induction and Direction of Angiogenesis for Bladder Wall Regeneration and Replacement

open

NIDDK - National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Project Summary/Abstract For patients with neuropathic bladder from spina bifida or spinal cord injury, the current surgery of using intestine for bladder augmentation causes high morbidity, as well as short- and long-term complications. A recent clinical trial using bioengineered bladder wall showed the feasibility and relative safety of bioengineering bladder wall but failed due to dehiscence and graft contraction from ischemia. While these grafts were engineered from synthetic matrices and autologous urothelium and muscle, they had no blood vessels. Angiogenesis from the patient’s bladder is not fast enough to prevent large graft necrosis since early imbibition and perfusion are limited to the outer perimeter of the graft. As shown in murine and porcine models, bladder vessels will connect (inosculate) with graft vessels within a few days after transplantation to the bladder and facilitate blood flow to the entire graft. Thus, engineering vessels in a large animal bladder graft and evaluating these grafts are the next and final steps before development of grafts for clinical testing. To vascularize matrix grafts, others are trying to “endothelize” grafts by soaking them with stem cells and growth factors in vitro, which creates capillary-like structures rather than organized vessels with lumens. This proposal employs a different strategy where grafts are cellularized and vascularized in vivo on the rectus muscle bed. This ensures optimum graft maturity and a healthy and functional vasculature prior to bladder transplantation. The current proposal is to build upon successes in the rodent and porcine models to design and test endothelial cell ligands to enhance endothelial adhesion and angiogenesis (Aim 1), to evaluate a novel strategy to create long, coronally-directed vessels in large grafts (Aim 2) and to then transplant these matured grafts to the bladder after partial cystectomy in pigs (Aim 3). Grafts will be analyzed grossly to determine size and histologically to determine vessel density, length, perfusion, endothelial/vascular maturity, and epithelial and stromal differentiation. Graft vessel function will be analyzed via perfusion of dyes into the blood stream. Graft function will be assessed by urodynamics to measure bladder capacity and compliance, and by standard biomechanical testing for material and viscoelastic properties. The long-term, translationally directed goals for this project are to produce and evaluate a vascularized graft in a large animal model and to develop vascularized grafts for patients with spinal anomalies or injury. Since bioengineering human bladder wall has proven feasible but not safe or efficacious due to insufficient blood supply, this project has the potential to make bioengineered bladder a realistic treatment option. The directed vascularization technologies developed in this project could be used to improve engineering of other organ tissue.

Up to $804K

2030-03-31

health research

Free to search & build · $99 one-time to unlock the application pack · No subscription

Induction and Maintenance on Buprenorphine in Opioid Use Disorder: Investigation of a peripheral nerve block for autonomic dysfunction

open

NIDA - National Institute on Drug Abuse

Project Summary: The opioid epidemic continues to evolve, with high-potency synthetic opioids (HPSO), such as fentanyl, driving recent increases in the US overdose death rate. The aim of this study is to test the impact of blocking the sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG) as an adjunctive treatment to buprenorphine maintenance. The SPG is a large autonomic ganglion that can be blocked with a local anesthetic using minimal equipment. SPG blocks have been used clinically for decades to treat refractory migraine and cluster headache. This study proposes to enroll 40 individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) who test positive for HPSO use. All participants will receive standard treatment with transmucosal buprenorphine and will be randomized to an active versus sham SPG block. The first SPG block will be delivered just prior to induction onto buprenorphine. After that, the SPG block will be performed weekly over the course of this 8-week study. The primary outcome measures will be weekly opioid withdrawal symptoms as measured by the clinical opiate withdrawal scale and treatment acceptability as measured by adherence to the weekly SPG procedure. The primary purpose of this proposed R21 is to estimate the 95% confidence interval for the treatment effect size between active and sham SPG block, for purpose of planning future studies, which will be done using confidence interval methodology. The resulting 95% confidence interval provides considerably more information than testing a specific null hypothesis: it gives us a range of plausible effect sizes which can be used to estimate potential effect sizes in larger clinical trials.

Up to $450K

2028-04-30

health research

Free to search & build · $99 one-time to unlock the application pack · No subscription

Induction of strong and durable cellular and humoral immunity against HIV using DNA-LNPs

open

NIAID - National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

The overall goal of this proposal is to develop a vaccination strategy that induces strong and durable humoral and cellular immunity against HIV, providing long-term protection even with low neutralizing antibody (Ab) responses using DNA-LNP technology. Developing an effective HIV-1 vaccine has been an elusive goal for over four decades. An ideal HIV vaccine should generate a potent and broadly cross-reactive neutralizing antibody response (bnAb) that remains at high titers for many years. Native-like trimeric HIV envelope (Env) gp140 immunogens, such as SOSIP, NFL, and UFO, have significantly advanced the field by eliciting autologous nAbs; however, they do not induce an antibody response with neutralization breadth. We and others have shown that a serum neutralization titer of around 300 or higher is necessary for nearly complete protection in non-human primates (NHPs). These findings underscore the importance of developing vaccination methods that maintain persistent nAb levels at or above this threshold. Besides nAbs, CD8 T cells—especially tissue-resident memory T cells—are crucial for protection against HIV. Our recent studies indicate that adding a T cell-inducing vaccine to an nAb-inducing vaccine can significantly lower the neutralization titer threshold needed for long-term protection against intravaginal SHIV challenges, bringing it below detectable levels. Therefore, we hypothesize that vaccine approaches that induce strong, lasting CD8 T cell responses, along with neutralizing antibodies, will improve protection against HIV—even when serum neutralizing antibody levels are low. In ongoing studies, we compared the immunogenicity of mRNA-LNPs with DNA-LNPs expressing SIV Gag in rhesus macaques (RMs). We observed that DNA-LNPs elicit 25-fold higher levels of Gag-specific CD8 T cell responses compared to mRNA-LNPs. Moreover, the CD8 T cells induced by the DNA-LNP vaccine were durable, showing only about 2- fold contraction over four months post-boost. The DNA-LNP vaccines also produced strong Gag-specific antibody responses that showed minimal contraction over several months. Notably, this high level of immunogenicity was achieved with just 100 μg of DNA in RMs—significantly less than the 3 mg of naked DNA typically used in NHPs and humans. These data demonstrate that DNA-LNP vaccines induce potent and lasting CD8 T cell and antibody responses, supporting further testing of the immunogenicity and efficacy of this approach in providing durable protection against HIV in NHPs. This proposal has two specific aims. Aim 1 will assess the immunogenicity and durability of DNA-LNP vaccines and optimize envelope immunogens. We will compare three DNA-LNP vaccines and select one based on immunogenicity and durability of humoral and cellular immunity. Aim 2 will determine the efficacy of the optimized DNA-LNP vaccine for protection against intravaginal tier 2 SHIV challenges. By the end of these studies, we aim to develop a novel HIV vaccination strategy that elicits durable cellular and humoral immunity, providing long-term protection.

Up to $910K

2031-04-30

health research

Free to search & build · $99 one-time to unlock the application pack · No subscription

Industrial Readiness for Affordable Ka-band User Terminals

open

European Commission - PPPA2027

Industrial Readiness for Affordable Ka-band User Terminals. Call: Innovative User Terminals for European Secure Satellite Communication Service. Programme: PPPA2027. Open call from the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

$50K

2026-08-26

technology

Free to search & build · $99 one-time to unlock the application pack · No subscription

Industry-University Cooperative Research Centers Program

open

U.S. National Science Foundation

The Industry-University Cooperative Research Centers (IUCRC) program develops long-term partnerships among industry, academe, and government. The Centers are catalyzed by an investment from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and are primarily supported by industry Center members, with NSF taking a supporting role in the development and evolution of the Center. Each Center is established to conduct research that is of interest to both the industry members and the Center faculty. An IUCRC contributes to the nation's research infrastructure base and enhances the intellectual capacity of the engineering and science workforce through the integration of research and education. As appropriate, an IUCRC uses international collaborations to advance these goals within the global context.

$15K – $200K

rolling

sciencetechnology

Free to search & build · $99 one-time to unlock the application pack · No subscription

Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers Program

open

U.S. National Science Foundation

The Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers (I/UCRC) program develops long-term partnerships among industry, academe, and government. The centers are catalyzed by a small investment from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and are primarily supported by industry center members, with NSF taking a supporting role in the development and evolution of the center. Each center is established to conduct research that is of interest to both the industry members and the center faculty. An I/UCRC contributes to the Nation's research infrastructure base and enhances the intellectual capacity of the engineering and science workforce through the integration of research and education. As appropriate, an I/UCRC uses international collaborations to advance these goals within the global context.

$10K – $200K

rolling

sciencetechnology

Free to search & build · $99 one-time to unlock the application pack · No subscription

Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health

open

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Adminis

The purpose of the Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health program is to develop or enhance evidence-based programs that promote social-emotional development and address mental health needs among infants and young children.

Up to $500K

2026-07-16

Healthhealthcare

Free to search & build · $99 one-time to unlock the application pack · No subscription

Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health

open

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Adminis

Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health

2026-07-16

Healthmental health

Free to search & build · $99 one-time to unlock the application pack · No subscription

Infants use cross-situational statistics to learn action verbs in daily contexts

open

NICHD - Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

PROJECT SUMMARY Research on early language acquisition has long focused on how infants learn nouns, but far less is known about how they acquire verbs, which are critical for structuring sentences and conveying relational meaning. Verbs present unique learning challenges because actions are transient, context-dependent, and highly variable across instances. To successfully acquire verbs, infants must resolve two computational problems: 1) word-referent ambiguity—determining which action a verb refers to; and 2) word-meaning ambiguity — inferring the meaning of a verb and generalizing its meaning across different objects and motion variations. Despite these challenges, verbs—particularly action verbs with concrete meanings—are a significant part of early vocabulary. The overarching objective of the present study is to understand how infants learn verbs from everyday contexts with noisy, natural input. The proposed research tests the hypothesis that infants resolve word-referent and word-meaning ambiguity by tracking statistical regularities across verb instances. The project takes a three-pronged approach—naturalistic, experimental, and computational—to determine how the structure of real-world input, and infants’ attentional and cognitive abilities, support verb learning. Aim 1 is to quantify the input statistics that can be used to resolve word- referent ambiguity in one everyday activity – meal preparation. I will analyze how often verbs in parent speech are aligned with their manual actions, and more critically, I will use head-mounted eye tracking to measure whether infants attend to the relevant referent when hearing an action verb. Aim 2 is to test infants’ ability to extract verb meaning via cross-situational learning. I will design and conduct a cross-situational learning experiment by systematically manipulating the co-occurrence statistics of manual actions and target objects across several experimental conditions. Aim 3 is to use computational models to test verb-learning mechanisms. The models will help to determine whether statistical input alone is sufficient for verb learning or whether additional cognitive mechanisms, such as attentional biases, are required. By comparing model performance to infant learning, we will identify which aspects of the learning environment best support generalization. Uncovering the mechanisms that support early verb learning will bridge the gap between controlled experimental findings and real-world language acquisition. By identifying how infants track statistical regularities to resolve word-referent and word-meaning ambiguity, this work will advance theories of word learning and contribute to a broader understanding of how children extract meaning from complex natural input. The findings will also have implications for parenting and behavioral interventions aimed at supporting language development in children at risk for language delays, such as those with developmental disorders.

Up to $76K

2028-11-30

health research

Free to search & build · $99 one-time to unlock the application pack · No subscription

Infection driven inflammation as a novel driver of neurodegeneration in mitochondrial disease

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NINDS - National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

Project Summary Primary mitochondrial diseases (PMDs) are the most common inborn errors of metabolism, affecting ~1 in 5,000 births with devastating neurologic manifestations. A hallmark clinical feature of PMD is infection-triggered permanent neurologic deterioration, where intercurrent infections precipitate acute worsening of neurologic function without return to baseline after infection resolution. This distinctive pattern provides a compelling model to investigate fundamental mechanisms underlying post-infectious neurologic sequelae applicable to other infection-associated chronic neurologic illnesses and post-viral fatigue syndromes. Emerging preclinical and patient data support a central role for the immune system in the progression of PMD. Based on these emerging data, we propose that infections causally accelerate neurodegeneration in PMD through immune cell intrinsic mitochondrial dysfunction that results in dysfunctional immunity, and that different genetic causes of PMD lead to distinct patterns of immune alterations that actively contribute to the severity and phenotype of post-infectious neurologic deterioration. We aim to define the spectrum of immune dysfunction across diverse genetic forms of human PMD through comprehensive immunophenotyping and functional assessment using single-cell RNA sequencing and cytokine profiling of patient peripheral blood mononuclear cells at baseline and post-stimulation. Further, moving beyond correlation, we will determine if mitochondrial dysfunction in immune cells causally accelerates neurodegeneration using the NDUFS4 knockout mouse model of PMD. Specifically by investigating whether influenza infection drives neurologic decline and leveraging genetic restoration of mitochondrial function specifically in immune cells to establish causality. This work will integrate translational pipelines including single- cell sequencing with novel animal models to causally define the mechanisms linking mitochondrial dysfunction, immune dysregulation, and post-infectious neurologic deterioration. Importantly, This research directly addresses NINDS priorities by investigating mechanisms of mitochondrial dysfunction contributing to nervous system dysfunction in infection-associated chronic illnesses, providing insights into shared pathways across multiple post-infectious neurologic conditions and identifying potential therapeutic targets for these disorders.

Up to $214K

2028-04-30

health research

Free to search & build · $99 one-time to unlock the application pack · No subscription

Infection-induced cell cycle diversion promotes macrophage inflammatory biogenesis

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NIAID - National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Infection-induced cell cycle diversion promotes macrophage inflammatory biogenesis Project Summary Infection of macrophages by bacterial pathogens triggers a profound structural and biochemical remodeling process that drives the inflammatory response. A productive macrophage inflammatory response is characterized by altered mitochondrial metabolism and increased cytokine secretion, yet the mechanisms that reshape cellular infrastructure to support these key functions are not well understood. Studies from our laboratory and others clearly demonstrate that mitochondrial morphology, metabolism and signaling are central to host defense and inflammation. Our preliminary data show that macrophage infection by the bacterial pathogen methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) stimulates mitochondrial biogenesis, without concomitant DNA synthesis or cell division. Using a chemogenomics approach to probe the connections between mitochondrial form and function, we find that inhibition of specific cell cycle regulators in infected macrophages prevents organelle biogenesis and limits production of inflammatory cytokines, despite the lack of cell division. Indeed, MRSA induction of mitochondrial biogenesis in primary or immortalized macrophages appears comparable to compounds that induce mitotic blockade. Notably, infection-induced mitochondrial biogenesis appears to be refractory to perturbation of canonical regulators of biogenesis such as PGC-1α. Together, these observations lead to our central hypothesis that macrophage sensing of bacterial infection initiates a specialized inflammatory biogenesis program by stimulating entry of macrophages into G1 for organelle expansion, while blocking commitment to S phase to prevent DNA synthesis during this period of acute oxidative stress. We reason that organelle expansion supports acute metabolic remodeling and cytokine secretion, and blocking S phase entry prevents partitioning of newly expanded cellular infrastructure and protects genome fidelity by limiting synthesis during the oxidative stress associated with robust host defense. We will test this hypothesis by (1) identifying the critical regulatory steps that distinguish the canonical cell cycle from inflammatory biogenesis, and (2) defining how inflammatory mitochondrial biogenesis differs from the canonical biogenesis program to enable host defense and inflammation. These studies will yield mechanistic insight into the blueprint for macrophage innate immune defense and elucidate therapeutic opportunities to modulate inflammation and infection.

Up to $187K

2028-01-31

health research

Free to search & build · $99 one-time to unlock the application pack · No subscription

Infectious Diseases Clinical Trials Network (IDCTN)

upcoming

National Institutes of Health

Infectious Diseases Clinical Trials Network (IDCTN)

Rolling

general

Free to search & build · $99 one-time to unlock the application pack · No subscription

Inferring Binary Feature Profiles Underlying Patient Health, with Applications to Sepsis

open

NIGMS - National Institute of General Medical Sciences

Project Summary/Abstract Sepsis is an often life-threatening medical condition in which the body has a dysregulated response to in- fection. A number of studies have attempted to identify sepsis subtypes based on patient similarities across demographic, clinical, and biological/immunological data, with the hope of identifying subtypes responsive to personalized treatments. Although clustering is a promising approach, its significant limitations are not always well recognized. These include a lack of robustness to small differences in datasets and a lack of reproducibility across different study types and populations. This project develops new statistical methods designed to help clinicians in the search for subtypes of disease, while taking advantage of heterogeneous data both within and across different studies. With improved statistical tools, medical researchers will have a better chance of iden- tifying meaningful subtypes that can be further interrogated in the search for improved treatments that lead to better survival. Specifically, our project aims to (1) develop, validate, and apply Bayesian multiview pyramids as an alternative to standard clustering techniques; (2) develop, validate, and apply Bayesian multistudy pyramids to maximize reproducibility across different studies and populations; and (3) develop, validate, and apply robust frameworks for assessing how disease subtypes evolve dynamically over time. We will study properties of these new approaches both from a theoretical perspective and via extensive simulation studies with comparisons to other leading approaches, and we will use these approaches to explore sepsis subtyping in a number of im- portant sepsis cohorts. While the disease under study in this application is sepsis, the methods will be broadly applicable to other diseases and syndromes for which clustering could be used to facilitate endotype discovery.

Up to $446K

2030-03-31

health research

Free to search & build · $99 one-time to unlock the application pack · No subscription

Infertility Training Center

open

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health

The Infertility Training Center will provide training and technical assistance to Title X grantees to help them: to (1) educate on the root causes of infertility and the broad range of holistic infertility treatments and referrals available to patients both within and outside Title X-funded clinics; (2) promote access to robust body literacy education and fertility awareness-based methods to address root causes of infertility, such as reproductive health conditions, such as endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome, and thyroid conditions, well before patients may be aware that they are experience challenges with fertility; (3) expand and enhance root cause infertility testing, treatments, and referrals available within Title X-funded clinics to enable patients to receive as many personalized and comprehensive infertility services needed as possible within the Title X-funded clinic for fertility restoration; (4) enhance referrals between Title X-funded clinics and root cause infertility specialists, including fertility awareness-based method trained professionals and minimally invasive surgeons, to ensure patient-centered care.

Up to $4M

2026-07-13

Health

Free to search & build · $99 one-time to unlock the application pack · No subscription

Infertility Training Center

upcoming

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health

Infertility Training Center

Rolling

general

Free to search & build · $99 one-time to unlock the application pack · No subscription

Infertility Training Center

open

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health

Up to $4M

2026-07-13

Healthhealthcare

Free to search & build · $99 one-time to unlock the application pack · No subscription

Infertility Training Center

open

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health

Infertility Training Center

2026-07-13

general

Free to search & build · $99 one-time to unlock the application pack · No subscription

Inflammation and reward-related neural circuitry dysfunction: Testing an integrative model of suicidal ideation in adolescents

open

NIMH - National Institute of Mental Health

Suicide is the leading cause of non-accidental death in adolescents in the US, and rates of suicide continue to rise in adolescent populations. Yet, the biological mechanisms leading to adolescent suicide that could inform effective preventive treatments for suicide remain unclear. To understand adolescent suicide, scientists often study suicidal ideation (SI), given that SI is strongly associated with suicidal behavior (SB) and is methodologically more feasible to study in adolescents. This K23 proposal will test a novel and integrative neurobiological model in adolescents with the hypothesis that circulating and stimulated peripheral inflammatory markers (PIMs; e.g. IL-6, TNFα, CRP) contribute to dysfunction in reward-related corticostriatal (CS) circuitry, and that this dysfunction in CS circuitry (and related behavioral correlates) contributes to adolescent SI. Prior research has linked PIM activation to SI/SB, but the biological mechanisms by which PIMs might contribute to SI remain unclear. Existing literature suggests that PIMs might affect CS functional connectivity, and that dysfunction in CS functional connectivity predicts SI and SB, though this integrative model has not been previously tested. Based on conceptual models and early clinical studies, one specific feature of reward processing - effort expenditure for reward (i.e., the amount of effort an individual is willing to expend for a reward) - may specifically be linked to SI/SB. In addition, the described integrative model is particularly relevant in adolescents, who are at a vulnerable developmental epoch for both reward circuitry and immune system maturation. This K23 will test the proposed model in 90 adolescents with unipolar depressive disorders, enriched with adolescents with a history of SI or SB. Adolescents will be followed over four timepoints over twelve months, with measurements of PIMs, CS functional connectivity during a reward task, and SI. This proposal will address key gaps in the field of adolescent suicide research, including understanding (1) the association between PIMs and CS connectivity in predicting future SI, (2) the relationships between PIMs and CS circuitry, and (3) the role of CS circuitry in explaining relationships between PIMs and SI. Understanding these gaps in the literature could elucidate clinically meaningful mechanisms of adolescent suicide, identify biobehavioral markers that could predict future SI, and potentially guide future interventions for adolescent SI/SB. The candidate will receive advanced training from an expert mentorship team, including knowledgeable co-mentors (Drs. Price, Brent, Forbes, and Marsland) and consultants (Drs. Brundin, Treadway, Thoma, and Wallace). The research environment at the University of Pittsburgh provides excellent resources. Consistent with the candidate’s career goals of better understanding biobehavioral mechanisms involved in adolescent suicidality, research findings from this K23 would inform future R01 proposals that could examine mechanisms by which PIMs contribute to SB in large samples, and aid development of interventions targeting PIMs or CS circuitry to reduce SI/SB.

Up to $189K

2031-02-28

health research

Free to search & build · $99 one-time to unlock the application pack · No subscription