The Blueprint Neurotherapeutics Network (BPN) invites applications from neuroscience investigators seeking support to advance their small molecule drug discovery and development projects into the clinic. Participants in the BPN are responsible for conducting all studies that involve disease- or target-specific assays, models, and other research tools and receive funding for all activities to be conducted in their own laboratories. In addition, applicants will collaborate with NIH-funded consultants and can augment their project with NIH contract research organizations (CROs) that specialize in medicinal chemistry, pharmacokinetics, toxicology, formulations development, chemical synthesis including under Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), and Phase I clinical testing. Projects can enter either at the Discovery or the Development stage. In the Discovery phase the goal is to characterize and optimize promising hit compounds using medicinal chemistry to establish structure activity relationships (SAR) and structure property relationships (SPR) including in vitro and in vivo properties such as metabolism, selectivity, toxicity, etc. As projects enter or advance to the Development stage the goal is to advance a single development candidate through Investigational New Drug (IND)-enabling toxicology studies and phase I clinical testing. Projects can enter the program at the Development stage and progress in a shorter period to IND enabling toxicology studies and phase I clinical testing. BPN recipient Institutions retain their assignment of intellectual property (IP) rights and gain assignment of IP rights from the BPN contractors and consultants (and thereby control the patent prosecution and licensing negotiations) for drug candidates developed in this program.
Companion FOA: PAR-24-043 , UG3/ UH3 Phase 1 Exploratory/Developmental Cooperative Agreement/Exploratory/Developmental Cooperative Agreement Phase II
Deadlines:
- Letter of Intent Due Date(s): 30 days prior to the application due date
- Application Due Date(s): Feb. 9, 2024; July 15, 2024; Jan. 15, 2025; July 15, 2025; Jan 15, 2026; July 15, 2026
- AIDS Application Due Date(s): April 18, 2024; Aug 18, 2024; April 18, 2025; Aug 18, 2025; April 17, 2026; Aug 18, 2026
PAR-24-063 Expiration Date August 19, 2026
Only United States small business concerns (SBCs) are eligible to submit applications for this opportunity.
Application budgets are not limited but must reflect the actual needs of the proposed project.
Applications should rarely exceed up to $500,000 total cost per year for Phase I and up to $1,500,000 total cost per year for the Phase II. In all cases, applicants should propose a budget that is reasonable and appropriate for completion of the research project. Application budgets should only cover the work that will be performed by the PI and their staff. The NIH will pay BPN contractors and consultants directly for their work; therefore, these expenses should not be included in the budget for this application.