PKD-RCC

The PKD RRC seeks to fund “sprint challenge” grants to catalyze the development of innovative resources that will advance the study of PKD. Specifically, this grant will provide $63,500 total costs for one year to support the generation of a new reagent or tool that will benefit the PKD research community. Both Early-Stage Investigators and Established Investigators who are new to PKD are eligible to apply (See Eligibility Requirements below). Applicants should describe why the resource is critical for advancing our understanding of PKD and should present a clearly defined strategy for resource development over the course of 12 months. All resources will be validated in collaboration with the PKD RRC. Successful applicants will be expected to participate in the appropriate PKD RRC sub-committee meetings (see list below) where progress will be discussed. Upon validation the resource will be made available to the research community via the PKD RRC web site. We anticipate that successful projects will expedite discovery and bolster research in PKD.

“Sprint Challenge” areas of focus:

• Implementation of innovative informatics approaches for aggregating PKD “omics”data.
• The use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools applied to PKD.
• Novel approaches to generate immortalized human kidney cell lines that maintain epithelial characteristics.
• Generation of a democratizable organoid model that can be used by any researcher.
• Generation of novel in vitro PKD models for high throughput drug testing PKD.
• Generation of reporter mice to investigate relevant PKD signaling pathways.
• Generation of novel PKD mouse models to investigate renal cyst initiation.

For more information about this opportunity, please visit the PKD RCC website.

Kidney Technology Development Research Education Program (R25 - Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-DK-25-009.html
This NOFO encourages applications from institutions that propose to establish research experiences in kidney technology development. Successful programs should include a collaborative capstone research or design project(s), innovative and/or ground-breaking technology development, multidisciplinary/interdisciplinary teamwork, education in entrepreneurship, product development and navigating regulatory pathways, and clinical immersion. Applications must include plans to recruit undergraduate students as participants and to engage students from engineering and other quantitative scientific and technical backgrounds, but applicants may also propose the inclusion of medical students, graduate students and/or dual-degree students (e.g., M.D./Ph.D.; Pharm.D./Ph.D.) prior to their qualifying exams and selection of Ph.D. mentor.
Letter of Intent Due Date: May 13, 2025
Application Due Date: June 13, 2025

Supplements to Promote Diversity in Small Business Research and Development

Small businesses with active SBIR and STTR awards can request additional funds through an administrative supplement (PA-24-255) to enhance the diversity of the research and entrepreneurial workforce. This administrative supplement program is designed to provide support for research and entrepreneurial experiences for individuals from diverse backgrounds throughout the continuum from undergraduate to the faculty level. 
Interested?
Potential Candidates can be undergraduate students, baccalaureate or master’s degree holders, graduate (predoctoral) and health professional students, individuals in postdoctoral training, and investigators developing independent research careers. 
Eligible small businesses are encouraged to identify individuals who will enhance the diversity of the research and entrepreneurial workforce, including those from groups that have been shown to be underrepresented in health-related research, women, and socially or economically disadvantaged individuals.
View a list of companies (generated from NIH RePORTER) that may be eligible to participate in this program: https://seed.nih.gov/support-for-small-businesses/supplemental-funding-to-diversify-the-entrepreneurial-workforce/companies-potentially-eligible-for-diversity-supplement. Eligible small businesses must have an active SBIR or STTR award with adequate time remaining for the proposed supplement.

NIA Launches the 2025 Start-Up Challenge and Accelerator | Submissions Due Dec. 9, 2024

Do you have an innovative solution to healthy aging? The National Institute on Aging (NIA) is searching for you! The 2025 NIA Start-Up Challenge and Accelerator is now accepting submissions, offering a chance to turn your innovative vision into reality.
Here’s what you could win:

• Up to $75,000 in cash prizes
• Entrepreneurial training from industry experts
• One-on-one mentorship from experienced founders and investors
• Networking opportunities with key industry partners
• Guidance on how to submit a competitive NIH SBIR/STTR grant application