RFA Announcement – International Cooperative Biodiversity Groups (ICBG)

RFA Announcement – International Cooperative Biodiversity Groups

Dear Colleague:

The Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Science Foundation (NSF) have requested that ASM bring to the attention of interested members the following RFA:

Limited Competition: International Cooperative Biodiversity Groups (U19)

Application Due Date(s): November 20, 2013, by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization.

URL:  http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-TW-13-001.html

Synopsis: The National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation invite applications for the establishment or continuation of “International Cooperative Biodiversity Groups” (ICBG).  The program is built on the observation that natural products derived from organisms in nature remain the most productive source of new therapeutics, yet the biodiversity on which discovery of these drugs depends is rapidly disappearing around the world.  Consequently, the ICBG program supports international, public-private, interdisciplinary research teams in the exploration and discovery of novel compounds and extracts with potential for development as therapeutic agents for multiple disease targets, at the same time as it builds research capacity in partnering countries to support sustainable exploration and use of biodiversity and the knowledge to conserve it.  These goals are advanced through fair and equitable partnership frameworks among research organizations in the U.S. and in low and middle income countries (LMICs).

This competition of the International Cooperative Biodiversity Groups (ICBG) program continues several new emphases that began with the previous FOA, RFA-TW-08-010, including an emphasis on microbial and marine organisms, greater involvement of funded consortia with government contract resources, and greater use of molecular and genomic tools. This FOA also introduces some new features, including some new target health areas (neurological disorders and stroke, pain and inflammatory processes, and others, see Interests of NIH institutes and Centers, below) and an emphasis on supporting the scientific basis for integrated conservation and development efforts through research and research training rather than through direct implementation activities.

Award Information:

Funds Available and Anticipated Number of Awards: Issuing agencies and partner components intend to commit an estimated total of $3.3 mil for Fiscal Year 2014, corresponding to an estimate of 3-4 awards. The number of awards is contingent upon NIH appropriations and funds availability as well as the submission of a sufficient number of meritorious applications. Future year amounts will depend on annual appropriations.

Award Budget  

An applicant may request a budget for direct costs up to $700,000 per year.

Award Project Period   

An applicant may request a project period of up to five years.

Sincerely,

Ronald M. Atlas, Ph.D.

Chair, Public and Scientific Affairs Board