IDCRC Newsletter: September 2024

IDCRC Profile: Daniel Graciaa, MD, MPH, MSc

Manual of Procedures Sections

View recently approved IDCRC Manual of Procedures (MOP) sections which describe structure, operating policies, roles, and responsibilities of entities and individuals within the unit/consortium:

• Section 12: Study Specific Pre-Implementation Activities 

Publications

NOTE: Please include the following citation in any publications resulting from direct or indirect IDCRC support: 

"Supported by the Infectious Diseases Clinical Research Consortium through the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health, under award number UM1AI148684. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health."

View recent publications below:

• Evaluating equity-promoting interventions to prevent race-based inequities in influenza outcomes
• Human Immunodeficiency Virus Vaccine: Promise and Challenges
• Near-Universal Resistance to Macrolides of Treponema pallidum in North America
• Vaccine Development

Events

IDWeek 2024 - IDCRC Presenters

IDWeek 2024 will be held in Los Angeles, CA from October 16-19, 2024. We're thrilled to share that there will be 33 presentations conducted by IDCRC members at this year's conference. Congratulations to our VTEU partners on being selected for this opportunity!

Save the Date: 2025 IDCRC Annual Meeting

Date: April 30-May 1, 2025
Location: NIAID Fishers Lane Building
5601 Fishers Lane,
Rockville, MD, 20892 

News

Igho Ofotokun, MD, MSc, honored by NFID

On September 19, the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) hosted the 2024 Awards Gala and Silent Auction where they honored public health heroes who have helped protect the lives of millions and celebrate the important work of NFID.

Among the 2024 honorees was Igho Ofotokun, MD, MSc, LG Education and Training Committee chair, who received the Maxwell Finland Award for Scientific Achievement. He was recognized for his renowned work as a clinician-scientist combating the long-term impacts of HIV and addressing systemic inequities in research.

The latest on COVID vaccines and research

Listen to a recent interview on WXXI News NPR featuring University of Rochester VTEU leaders, Angela Branche, MD, Ann Falsey, MD, and Edward Walsh, MD. They discuss updated versions of the COVID-19 vaccine that are available and answer questions such as: How effective are they? What have we learned about how and how often the virus mutates?

Website Update

IDCRC Website: NEW Research Pages

Training

Applications Due Tomorrow:
IMPAACT Network: Early Career Investigator Program

Applications are being accepted for the next IMPAACT Early Career Investigators (ECI)! Through the program, early career investigators will build research skills and support IMPAACT's goal to improve health outcomes for infants, children, adolescents, and pregnant and postpartum people who are impacted by or living with HIV, tuberculosis, and other HIV-related conditions. Please see below for key dates and visit the ECI page of the website for more information and application instructions. 

• Applications Due: October 1, 2024 
• Anticipated Award Announcement: December 2024 
• Funding Period: December 2024-November 2026 

Job Postings

 Infectious Diseases Research Job Openings

• Fred Hutch Cancer Center - Post-Doctoral Research Fellow - Epidemic Modeling  *New*
• Indiana University Indianapolis - Research Technician, Pediatrics Infectious Disease Research  *New*
• Moderna - Principal Research Associate, Immunology, Infectious Disease  *New*
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Fellowships and Training Opportunities  
• Genentech - Postdoctoral Fellow, Infectious Diseases & Host-Microbe Interactions, Tan Lab 
• The Marie Lab in the Department of Medicine at the University of Virginia - Senior Scientist, Division of Infectious Diseases   

Visit the IDSA Career Center to browse other ID/HIV Medicine job postings.

Funding Opportunities

NIH Funding Opportunities Specific to COVID-19
This page contains a listing of active and expired funding opportunities.    

NIAID New Innovators Awards (DP2 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) – Due 30 days prior (LOI); November 11, 2024; October 10, 2025  (Full application)
The NIAID New Innovator Award supports postdoctoral and other candidates in non-independent positions or newly independent Early Stage Investigators of exceptional creativity who propose novel, original and insightful research concepts with the potential to produce a major impact, test scientific paradigms, or advance key concepts on broad, important problems in biomedical research of priority to NIAID. Applications proposing unexpected convergence of disciplines, new scientific directions, or the use of novel methodologies are encouraged. Applications from individuals with diverse backgrounds and in any topic relevant to the mission of NIAID are welcome.

Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Advancing Research Needed to Develop a Universal Influenza Vaccine – Due January 8, 2025
The purpose of this Notice of Special Interest (NOSI) is to support research that contributes to the areas of interest outlined in “A Universal Influenza Vaccine: The Strategic Plan for the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.” The proposed research should have clear relevance to the research objectives defined in the strategic plan, which encompasses three major research areas:

• Improve understanding of transmission, natural history and pathogenesis of influenza virus infection
• Characterize influenza immunity and correlates of immune protection
• Support rational design of universal influenza vaccines

Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Competitive Revision Supplements to Existing T32 Programs to Include Institutional Research Training in Data Science for Infectious and Immune Mediated Diseases – Due January 8, 2025
This Notice of Special Interest (NOSI) solicits competitive revision applications from existing T32 recipients to support additional training slots within the NIAID Data Science Training Program (NDSTP) for pre-doctoral data science training. Applications must propose a data science training program that will include research and mentoring opportunities, as well as coursework for pre-doctoral biomedical trainees. Through this NOSI, applicants may increase the number of training slots beyond the T32 maximum allowed; the training slots proposed via this NOSI must support trainees pursuing a data science curriculum. It is anticipated that an application will propose 2-3 additional data science training slots and 3-4 awards are expected.

Discovery and Development of Novel Therapeutics for Select Fungal Pathogens (R21/R33 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) – Due January 29, 2025
The purpose of this notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) is to support milestone-driven, early-stage translational research focused on drug discovery and development of novel therapeutics against select fungal pathogens including: Candida species, specifically Candida auris; Aspergillus fumigatus; Coccidioides; and Mucorales. This NOFO will use a milestone-driven, biphasic award mechanism. Transition to the R33 phase will depend on the successful completion of specific milestones during the R21 phase. 

Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Halting Tuberculosis (TB) Transmission – Due March 13, 2025; 2026
The purpose of this Notice of Special Interest (NOSI) is to highlight NIAID’s interest in accepting applications that aim to understand the critical drivers of Tuberculosis (TB) transmission at the individual and population levels in high-burden settings. Applicants are encouraged to develop effective methods to measure rates of TB transmission that rely on an increased understanding of the biomedical basis of transmission and related risk factors and to develop and assess potential interventions, including low-cost and low-tech options, to prevent TB transmission.

Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Complement in Fundamental Immunology – Due January 8, 2026
The main objective of this program is to support studies that accelerate our understanding of the roles of complement components and/or receptors in the initiation, magnitude, maintenance, and quality of immune responses involved in pathogenic infections, vaccination, post-infection sequelae, autoimmunity, allergy, or transplantation. The results of such studies will inform the development of vaccines or therapeutics that target complement components. The work to be encouraged includes studies of the roles of complement components (molecules and/or receptors) during immune responses.

Global Infectious Disease Research Training Program (D43 Clinical Trial Optional) –Due August 7, 2026
This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) encourages joint applications for the Global Infectious Disease (GID) Research Training programs from low- and middle-income country (LMIC) and U.S. institutions. The application should propose a collaborative training program that will strengthen the capacity of a LMIC institution to conduct infectious disease research (not including HIV/AIDS).

Advancing Research Needed to Develop a Coccidioidomycosis (Valley fever) Vaccine –Due January 15, 2026
The purpose of this Notice of Special Interest (NOSI) is to highlight NIAID’s interest in supporting research in the areas outlined in the  NIAID Strategic Plan For Research To Develop A Valley Fever Vaccine. The proposed research should have clear relevance to the strategic priorities defined in the strategic plan, which encompasses three major research areas: 1) address gaps in Coccidioides basic research to support the development of a vaccine; 2) develop tools and resources to support vaccine development; 3) develop and advance vaccines to prevent coccidioidomycosis.

Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Using Targeted Degradation of Protein and non-Protein Targets for the Development of Novel Anti-Infectives – Due July 17, 2026
The purpose of this Notice of Special Interest (NOSI) is to invite applications for research on the use of targeted protein and nonprotein degradation (e.g., RNA) as it relates to the development of anti-infective strategies against viral, bacterial, parasitic, and fungal pathogens and/or their toxins (e.g., Lethal and Edema Toxins of Bacillus anthracis). Both novel monofunctional (e.g., Molecular Glues) and hetero-bi/tri-functional (e.g., PROTAC or PROTAC-like) strategies will be considered.

Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Research to Stimulate Development of Diagnostics, Therapeutics, and Vaccines for Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) – Due April 6, 2027
This notice of special interest (NOSI) encourages applications which are focused on development of diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines for herpes simplex virus (HSV). In September 2023, the NIH released the NIH Strategic Plan for HSV Research. The strategic plan focuses on four strategic priorities: HSV virology basic research, better HSV diagnostics, strategies to address HSV treatment and cure, and research to prevent HSV infection. This NOSI focuses on furthering the development of new products for prevention of HSV infection, as well as improving the diagnosis and treatment of patients living with herpes, addressing three of these four strategic priorities.

IDCRC Studies

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Communication Resources

Please submit IDCRC news to idcrc@emory.edu for inclusion in the monthly newsletter and IDCRC.org.