The purpose of this funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is to invite applications for research projects to test promising cerebrovascular interventions in the NINDS Stroke Preclinical Assessment Network (SPAN). SPAN will facilitate the testing of up to 8 promising cerebroprotective drugs or interventions to be given prior to or at the time of reperfusion in experimental models of ischemic stroke (e.g., transient middle cerebral artery occlusion, tMCAo). The PIs of the awarded interventions will become part of the network and will collaborate with the SPAN Coordinating Center (RFA-NS-22-004), testing laboratories (RFA-NS-22-003), and other intervention contributors (RFA-NS-22-066, RFA-NS-22-067) to facilitate the parallel testing of multiple cerebroprotective interventions in experimental models of ischemic stroke. Applicants must propose a research project involving a promising cerebroprotective intervention, supported by rigorous and extensive preliminary data, to be tested in SPAN. If successful, this network will accelerate the identification of the most promising cerebroprotective therapies for future pivotal clinical trials and span the gap between small businesses, preclinical testing laboratories, and a pipeline to clinical testing, in a cost-and time-effective fashion.
This FOA only solicits applications for research projects to test interventions using the SPAN infrastructure. Separate FOAs are issued to solicit applications for cerebroprotective intervention research projects from small businesses (RFA-NS-22-067), to become a testing laboratory (RFA-NS-22-003), and for the Coordinating Center (RFA-NS-22-004).
Deadlines:
Letter of Intent Due Date(s): 30 days prior to application due date.
Application Due Date: July 28, 2022
RFA-NS-22-066 Expiration Date July 29, 2022
It is preferable that only 1 PD/PI be identified on each intervention research project application.
Although multiple applications from a single PI/institution will be allowed for the SPAN intervention and/or testing laboratory U01 FOAs, in order to avoid a conflict of interest, the same PI being awarded a SPAN intervention U01 or SPAN CC U24 cannot be awarded a testing laboratory U01.
Similarly, although multiple applications from different PIs at a single institution will be allowed for the SPAN intervention and/or testing laboratory U01 FOAs, if an intervention is awarded to the same institution awarded as a site, a conflict management plan will need to be in place .
Application budgets are limited to $225,000 in direct costs per year for 3 years. Recipients are expected to subcontract ~50% of the budget to the Coordinating Center, as needed, to contribute to testing costs.
