Reminder: Local funding opportunities for biodefense and emerging infectious disease research

The Pacific Northwest Regional Center of Excellence (PNWRCE) is a three-year-old consortium of institutions in the Pacific Northwest created to advance research on NIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Category A, B, and C Priority Pathogens and emerging infectious diseases, like cytomegalovirus, anthrax, smallpox, dengue virus, and many more. PNWRCE currently seeks applications for two types of awards:

• Career Development Awards – Provides $100,000 per year for two or  three years to support junior faculty fellows for research training on priority pathogens. To be eligible, investigators must have a PhD, DVM, or MD degree at the time of initiating the award and must hold a position as a junior faculty member at an institution within DHHS Region X. Applicants need not have worked previously with Group I, II or II pathogen ns, and need not work solely in the area of microbial pathogens. Researchers in other disciplines of relevance to microbial pathogenesis, including but not limited to bioinformatics, proteomics, pharmaceutical chemistry, veterinary medicine, and bio-engineering, are encouraged to apply. All applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents, as per NIH guidelines.
• Development Research Projects (Pilot Projects) – Provides $125,000 total for one or two years to support innovative, cutting edge research projects that yield discoveries with high potential to translate into the development of new vaccines, therapeutics or diagnostics to combat NIAID Group II, II or III biodefense-related emergency, or re-emerging pathogens. This opportunity is open to full-time faculty at academic institution or equivalently ranked investigators from private or government research institutes or industries within the DHHS Region X. Investigators outside of the Pacific Northwest Region X are eligible to apply as collaborators or co-investigators. Applications are particularly encouraged from new investigators looking to obtain independent funding and established investigators looking to move into biodefense/EID research. Established biodefense/emerging infectious disease (EID) investigators looking to move into new areas in the field are also encouraged. All applicants must be US citizens or Permanent Residents, as per NIH guidelines.

Priority for both types of awards will be given to projects that fit within the two main PNWRCE themes:

1. The identification of age-related defects in the immune system to facilitate the development of vaccines and supplemental therapies, and
2. The use of systems biology and systems genetics approaches to define pathogen-host interactions and mechanisms of innate and adaptive immunity.

For both opportunities, a letter of intent is due October 4, 2010, and the full application is due November 1. The earliest anticipated start date is March 1, 2011. View the full announcement for more information.

See the rest of this week’s Funding Alerts.