The goal of this initiative is to improve upon and strengthen technologies and methods used in natural products research.  The CANPIT is expected to overcome existing research limitations by developing and/or adapting cutting edge, innovative approaches and technologies that will have significant impact on the chemical and biological investigation of natural products. This FOA shares many features with, and is modeled in part on, the Biotechnology Resource Center Programs at NIGMS and NIBIB.  Investigators are encouraged to use these Programs as resources in preparing their CANPIT application. [1],[2]

So that we can ensure UM submits scientifically distinct applications, those planning to submit a proposal should send an e-mail to Jason Hale (jghale@olemiss.edu) by April 30 with a one paragraph description of your proposed project, and CC your appropriate Chair, Dean, or Director.

Cost Sharing: Not required

Full RFA: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-AT-14-006.html

Key Dates

• April 30, 2014                      On paragraph proposal description due to ORSP
• May 27, 2014                       Optional Letter of Intent Due
• June 7, 2014                        Early draft of full narrative due to ORSP for enhanced review
• June 20, 2014                      Mature draft of all proposal documents to ORSP
• June 27, 2014                      Full Proposal(s) Due to NIH[3] 5 pm local time
• March 2015                          Earliest project start date

Research Objectives

•  Energize the research community to overcome methodological and technological obstacles facing natural products research.
• Take a leadership role in natural products research through consolidation, development, dissemination of technologies, methodologies and approaches as well as synergistic interactions between natural products researchers and experts in relevant technologies.
• Coordination of workshops, think tanks, and working groups is also expected.
• Specific Areas of Research Interest (some examples):
  • Innovative approaches for better characterization of network level pharmacological interactions between complex mixtures and complex biological systems
  • Novel chemoinformatic technology for fingerprinting of complex mixtures
  • Methodologies which can identify active components with reduced reliance on bioactivity guided fractionation
  • Tools to quickly identify biological targets for natural products
  • Novel approaches for rapid dereplication of active components in complex mixtures
  • Innovative methodologies to detect contaminants or adulterants in complex mixtures  
  • High content phenotypic assays capable of capturing multiple action mechanisms
  • Tools which can qualitatively and/or quantitatively establish presence of multiple active constituents (i.e. synergism) in a complex mixture