FOA Number: RFA-TW-13-001

Program:  NIH and NSF invite applications to establish International Cooperative Biodiversity Groups (ICBG) comprised of international, public-private, interdisciplinary research teams for exploration and discovery of novel compounds and extracts from nature with potential for development as therapeutic agents for multiple disease targets, while building research capacity in partnering low and middle income countries, and ensuring sustainable use of resources and equitable partnership frameworks.

This iteration of the ICBG competition emphasizes microbial and marine organisms; encourages use of molecular and genomic tools; targets such health areas as neurological disorders and stroke, pain and inflammatory processes, among others; emphasizes research and research training; and encourages the development or improvement of novel or improved methodologies for sample collection, preparation, screening, and for rapid chemical dereplication and isolation.

Applicants may propose budgets for direct costs of up to  $700,000 per year for projects periods of up to five years ($3.5M max project direct costs).

NOTE:  This is a limited submission opportunity, to which UM is allowed to submit only one application. UMMC is considered a separate institution for purposes of this program. In keeping with the UM ORSP standard procedure for handling limited submission opportunities in which multiple potential investigators have expressed interest, an internal competition will be held to choose which idea to develop for a full proposal.

Key Dates and Deadlines: 

July 26, 2013              posted date from sponsors
August 12, 2013         date of this UM/ORSP announcement
August 26, 2013         pre-proposals due to ORSP
September 14, 2013  ORSP will notify which pre-proposal was selected
October 20, 2013       letter of intent due to sponsor
November 13, 2013   all proposal documents due to ORSP
November 20, 2013   full proposal due to sponsor
July 14, 2014             earliest start date

To view the NIH solicitation for this program, see: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-TW-13-001.html

Instructions for UM Pre-Proposals

Pre-proposals should be no longer than three pages of single-spaced, 12-point font, and include the following:

Group Program Descriptive Title
UM PI’s/PD’s
Group Structure/Members: list proposed group members and their roles.
Group Program Tentative Specific Aims: list the major goals of the program

For each of between 2 and 8 possible Associate Programs:

Descriptive title of the Associate Program
Institution leading the Associate Program (and LMIC status)
Tentative Specific Aims of the Associate Program

Central Operations Core Specific Aims (key functions and goals), if applicable

It may not be practical to identify all proposed group members or specific aims by the pre-proposal due date or prior to institutional commitment to developing your proposal; in this case, simply provide the best case you can for your group/project idea, within the the space allowed, in order for UM reviewers of your pre-proposal to assess its promise vs. other pre-proposals.

To be considered, pre-proposals must be received via e-mail to vcrsp@olemiss.edu or jghale@olemiss.edu no later than noon on Friday, August 26, 2013. If you do not receive confirmation of receipt of your pre-proposal by 4PM CDT on the 26th, please ask for confirmation.