Grants for Small businesses - Federal

This funding opportunity provides up to $1 million to a wide range of organizations to develop a centralized resource for exploring and analyzing single-cell genomics data from the human brain, enhancing research on brain health and disease.

This funding opportunity supports researchers with a strong background in promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in biomedical fields, enabling them to conduct scientific research while advancing DEIA initiatives within the academic and scientific communities.

The FY24 RCRP RCDA supports the development of clinical or preclinical data sets and research resources that advance the field of rare cancers research and ultimately improve outcomes for individuals with rare cancers. Major gaps in patient care of rare cancers include lack of communication and dissemination strategies for rare cancers research and clinical findings within communities; lack of therapeutics and mechanistic studies to inform treatment development; lack of research and clinical resources, including patient tissues, cell, and tumor models; and lack of infrastructure for sharing data and other resources.The intent of this funding opportunity is to develop research platforms that can share resources and knowledge pertaining to available preclinical or clinical research models, molecular pathways, and therapeutic approaches to facilitate collaboration and information sharing among stakeholders such as researchers, patients, caregivers, clinicians, and other members of the rare cancers community.Clinical or preclinical datasets should strive to integrate or develop the following research resources. This list is not all-inclusive: Building and sharing rare tumor biospecimen repository with clinical annotation Databases/banks for centralizing and sharing data for patient registries that can be accessed globally Centralizing and sharing research models and molecular data related to genomics/ transcriptomics/immune profiling/proteomics/metabolomics/methylomics/bioinformatics Generating a data/reagent/model exchange program where researchers can list resources that they are willing to share and are tagged with indications that may be relevant Platform to enable or leverage longitudinal studies of disease natural history and treatment response Development of novel methods and systems for collection, sharing, and analysis of data or biospecimensApplicants should include a well-formulated project design based on a strong scientific rationale and clearly articulate how the proposed resource platform or community development addresses an unmet need in rare cancers research. Applicants should explain the advantage of their approach to developing resources or community versus standard methodologies, techniques, or scopes. A clear plan for collaboration and data sharing needs to be demonstrated. It is critical to demonstrate how the outcome of the proposed project can benefit type(s) or sub-type(s) of rare cancers. It is encouraged for the research platform/resource to have an effect on multiple types or sub-types of rare cancers.Key Elements of the Resource and Community Development Award are as follows: Impact: Outcomes of the RCDA must have potential for major impact on an unmet need in rare cancers research. A resource, as developed in the proposed research, should aim forDOD FY24 Rare Cancers Resource and Community Development Award 5long-term anticipated advantages toward greatly improving outcomes for people with rare cancers. Patient Advocate Partnership: Applications to the RCDA funding opportunity are required to include patient advocates who are involved with patient advocacy organization(s). The research team must include at least two rare cancers patient advocates who will be early and integral partners throughout the planning and implementation of the research project. Patient advocates should be involved in the development of the research question, project design, oversight, and evaluation, as well as other significant aspects of the proposed project. Interactions with other team members should be well integrated and ongoing, and not limited to attending seminars and semi-annual meetings. The patient advocates must be individuals who have been directly impacted by a rare cancer either by being diagnosed themselves or as a caretaker/family member of a patient, and they should be active in a cancer advocacy organization or within a support group focused on their rare cancer. Their role should be focused on providing objective input on the research and its potential impact for individuals with or at risk for a rare cancer. The patient advocates should have a high level of understanding of current rare cancers research. Preliminary Data: Due to the developmental nature of this award, preliminary data are not required but may be included, if available, to address the feasibility of the resource to be developed. Whether or not preliminary data are included, applications must apply solid scientific rationale and logical reasoning based on existing knowledge to the development of the proposed product. Clinical Research: Research involving human subject use is permitted under this mechanism but is restricted to studies without clinical trials. Clinical trials will not be supported. Applications focused on clinical research should demonstrate how the study will leverage clinical information to address knowledge gaps in the development of platforms that can be utilized for sharing data and tissue, the development of clinical annotation datasets, process development, and/or infrastructure development. Applied Research: Preclinical studies utilizing or creating animal models to further research into rare cancers may be supported by this funding opportunity. The RCDA is intended to support projects that will have the potential to move beyond the realm of basic research, with results that may impact clinical research or patient outcomes. Community Building: A plan describing how the rare cancers stakeholder community will be built/enhanced and the communitys involvement with developing the resource platform is required. It is also important to justify how the community is essential for the development and sustainment of the resource platform. Dissemination: A Dissemination Plan is required. The plan should describe the means by which the fully developed resource platform will be made easily available to the scientific and/or clinical community. Dissemination of resource platform will play a major role by not only educating the rare cancer community about the recent progress, but also help to develop an informational network.DOD FY24 Rare Cancers Resource and Community Development Award 6 Sustainment: A plan that outlines the sustainability of the resource in the future is required. The plan should detail the types of rare cancers that are less studied in the collaborations and the resources to be gathered, annotated, and sustained. Additional expansion and feasibility plans should be included. It is important to demonstrate how the outcomes of the current award will be continued and eventually will help the rare care cancer community, beyond the award period.A congressionally mandated Metastatic Cancer Task Force was formed with the purpose of identifying ways to help accelerate clinical and translational research aimed at extending the lives of advanced state and recurrent patients. As a member of the Metastatic Cancer Task Force, CDMRP encourages applicants to review the recommendations (https://health.mil/Reference-Center/Congressional-Testimonies/2018/05/03/Metastatic-Cancer-Research) and submit research ideas to address these recommendations provided they are within the limitations of this funding opportunity and fit within the FY24 RCRP priorities.Collaborations between researchers at military or Veteran institutions and non-military institutions are strongly encouraged. These relationships can leverage knowledge, infrastructure, and access to unique clinical populations that the partners bring to the research effort, ultimately advancing cancer research that is of significance to the Warfighter, military Families, and the American public.Innovative research involving nuclear medicine and related techniques to support early diagnosis, more effective treatment, and improved health outcomes of active-duty Service Members and their Families is encouraged. Such research could improve diagnostic and targeted treatment capabilities through noninvasive techniques and may drive the development of precision imaging and advanced targeted therapies.CDMRP encourages research on health areas and conditions that affect women uniquely, disproportionately, or differently from men, including studies analyzing sex as a biological variable. Such research should relate anticipated project findings to improvements in womens health outcomes and/or advancing knowledge for women's health.All projects should adhere to a core set of standards for rigorous study design and reporting to maximize the reproducibility and translational potential of clinical and preclinical research. The standards are described in SC Landis et al., 2012, A call for transparent reporting to optimize the predictive value of preclinical research, Nature 490:187-191 (https://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v490/n7419/full/nature11556.html). While these standards are written for preclinical studies, the basic principles of randomization, blinding, sample-size estimation, and data handling derive from well-established best practices in clinical studies.

This funding opportunity provides financial support for innovative companies developing new solar technologies to boost domestic manufacturing and reduce reliance on imports, with a focus on enhancing energy security and promoting economic growth.

This funding opportunity supports research projects aimed at reducing disparities in maternal health outcomes among vulnerable populations in the U.S. by investigating healthcare system and clinician factors.

This funding opportunity supports U.S.-based researchers and institutions in various physics subfields to conduct innovative experimental and theoretical projects that advance scientific knowledge and promote workforce diversity.

The "DoD Multiple Sclerosis, Exploration - Hypothesis Development Award" is a grant that supports the exploration of innovative, high-risk concepts in MS research, with the aim of laying the groundwork for future scientific investigation, and it particularly encourages applications from new investigators in the early stages of their careers.

The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development intends to publish a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to invite applications to establish integrated and collaborative Stillbirth Research Centers, as part of a new Stillbirth Research Consortium. The Centers will support cutting-edge basic, translational, clinical, and/or data sciences research and generate knowledge to fuel advancement of stillbirth-relevant research in the United States, with a particular emphasis on approaches that utilize an equity lens to identify ways to decrease the incidence of stillbirth in vulnerable populations. A Data Coordinating Center (described in the companion announcement NOT-HD-24-010) will support the work of the research projects funded under the Stillbirth Research Consortium. This Notice is being provided to allow potential applicants additional time to develop meaningful collaborations, interdisciplinary teams, and responsive applications. International collaboration is encouraged and allowable. The NOFO is expected to be published in Summer 2024 with an expected application due date in Winter 2024. This NOFO will utilize the UG1 activity code. Details of the planned NOFO are provided below.

This funding opportunity supports U.S.-based organizations in exploring groundbreaking aerospace concepts that could transform NASA's missions or create new ones through innovative technological advancements.

The U.S. Embassy Djibouti is pleased to announce that funding is available for reforestation efforts in Djibouti City. This notice of funding opportunity outlines the procedures for submitting requests for funding. Please carefully follow all instructions below. Purpose of the Grant: U.S. Embassy Djibouti invites proposals from local organizations to combat climate change and urban heat in Djibouti City through reforestation and sustainable landscaping. Djibouti is one of the hottest countries on the planet and increasingly vulnerable to climate change. Djibouti has suffered from chronic drought, which has worsened over the years due to climate change. Average annual temperatures oscillate between 23C and 40C but can easily reach 50C during the months of June, July, and August. Djibouti is a highly urbanized country with more than 70 percent of the population living in the capital city, Djibouti City. In the capital, the level of sunshine and temperatures remain well above the national average. The effects of climate change coupled with rapid urbanization have contributed to the destruction of vegetation cover in Djibouti City. Reforestation has been proven to reduce the mean temperature in cities by 0.4C. Climate change, rapid urbanization, deforestation, and aging and inadequate drainage infrastructure has increased the risk of severe flooding when it does rain. The variability and intensity of rainfall, combined with urbanization, increase the risk of flooding. In April 2024, severe flooding from a few hours of rain trapped communities and destroyed roads and bridges in the city. The Mayor of Djibouti has set a Green City vision. Part of this effort is to increase reforestation, climate smart practices, and reduce urban heat. This project will support sustainable reforestation efforts in Djibouti City. Priority Program Areas: Funding will support proposals that directly respond to extreme heat and climate response efforts in Djibouti City. As the effects of climate change push rural communities to the city, the city needs to adapt and mitigate the effects of extreme heat. This project will advance broader climate change mitigation efforts being led by the Government of Djibouti. The projects key objectives are to: 1. Provide training on sustainable landscaping and tree placement to mitigate urban flooding and extreme heat. 2. Increase reforestation in Djibouti City.

This grant provides funding for U.S.-based researchers to explore innovative tissue engineering and mechanobiology solutions using the unique microgravity environment of the International Space Station, with the goal of improving health outcomes on Earth.

This grant provides funding for researchers to develop and advance treatments for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, benefiting patients of all ages, including military personnel and their families.

The FY24 ARP Discovery Award supports innovative, non-incremental, high-risk/potentially high-reward research that will provide new insights, paradigms, technologies, or applications in autism research. Studies supported by this award are expected to lay the groundwork for future avenues of scientific investigation regarding an important question for autism research and/or the ASD community. The proposed research project should include a well-formulated, testable hypothesis based on a sound scientific rationale and logical reasoning. Preliminary data are not required but is allowed. The outcome of research supported by this award should be the generation of robust preliminary data that can be used as a foundation for future research projects and applications for funding.The FY24 ARP Discovery Award seeks applications from all areas of research that will help fulfill the programs vision to improve the lives of individuals with ASD now and in their future, as well its mission is to promote innovative research that advances the understanding of ASD and leads to improved outcomes.

To obtain a copy of the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) please go to the ARPA-E website at https://arpa-e-foa.energy.gov. To apply to this FOA, Applicants must register with and submit application materials through ARPA-E eXCHANGE (https://arpa-e-foa.energy.gov/Registration.aspx). For detailed guidance on using ARPA-E eXCHANGE, please refer to the ARPA-E eXCHANGE User Guide (https://arpa-e-foa.energy.gov/Manuals.aspx). ARPA-E will not review or consider concept papers submitted through other means. For problems with ARPA-E eXCHANGE, email [email protected] (with FOA name and number in the subject line). Questions about this FOA? Check the Frequently Asked Questions available at http://arpa-e.energy.gov/faq. For questions that have not already been answered, email [email protected]. Agency Overview: The Advanced Research Projects Agency Energy (ARPA-E), an organization within the Department of Energy (DOE), is chartered by Congress in the America COMPETES Act of 2007 (P.L. 110-69), as amended by the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-358), as further amended by the Energy Act of 2020 (P.L. 116-260): (A) to enhance the economic and energy security of the United States through the development of energy technologies that (i) reduce imports of energy from foreign sources; (ii) reduce energy-related emissions, including greenhouse gases; (iii) improve the energy efficiency of all economic sectors; (iv) provide transformative solutions to improve the management, clean-up, and disposal of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel; and (v) improve the resilience, reliability, and security of infrastructure to produce, deliver, and store energy; and (B) to ensure that the United States maintains a technological lead in developing and deploying advanced energy technologies. ARPA-E issues this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) under its authorizing statute codified at 42 U.S.C. 16538. The FOA and any cooperative agreements or grants made under this FOA are subject to 2 C.F.R. Part 200 as supplemented by 2 C.F.R. Part 910. ARPA-E funds research on, and the development of, transformative science and technology solutions to address the energy and environmental missions of the Department. The agency focuses on technologies that can be meaningfully advanced with a modest investment over a defined period of time in order to catalyze the translation from scientific discovery to early-stage technology. For the latest news and information about ARPA-E, its programs and the research projects currently supported, see: http://arpa-e.energy.gov/. ARPA-E funds transformational research. Existing energy technologies generally progress on established learning curves where refinements to a technology and the economies of scale that accrue as manufacturing and distribution develop drive improvements to the cost/performance metric in a gradual fashion. This continual improvement of a technology is important to its increased commercial deployment and is appropriately the focus of the private sector or the applied technology offices within DOE. In contrast, ARPA-E supports transformative research that has the potential to create fundamentally new learning curves. ARPA-E technology projects typically start with cost/performance estimates well above the level of an incumbent technology. Given the high risk inherent in these projects, many will fail to progress, but some may succeed in generating a new learning curve with a projected cost/performance metric that is significantly better than that of the incumbent technology. ARPA-E funds technology with the potential to be disruptive in the marketplace. The mere creation of a new learning curve does not ensure market penetration. Rather, the ultimate value of a technology is determined by the marketplace, and impactful technologies ultimately become disruptive that is, they are widely adopted and displace existing technologies from the marketplace or create entirely new markets. ARPA-E understands that definitive proof of market disruption takes time, particularly for energy technologies. Therefore, ARPA-E funds the development of technologies that, if technically successful, have clear disruptive potential, e.g., by demonstrating capability for manufacturing at competitive cost and deployment at scale. ARPA-E funds applied research and development. The Office of Management and Budget defines applied research as an original investigation undertaken in order to acquire new knowledgedirected primarily towards a specific practical aim or objective and defines experimental development as creative and systematic work, drawing on knowledge gained from research and practical experience, which is directed at producing new products or processes or improving existing products or processes. Applicants interested in receiving financial assistance for basic research (defined by the Office of Management and Budget as experimental or theoretical work undertaken primarily to acquire new knowledge of the underlying foundations of phenomena and observable facts)1 should contact the DOEs Office of Science (http://science.energy.gov/). Office of Science national scientific user facilities (http://science.energy.gov/user-facilities/) are open to all researchers, including ARPA-E Applicants and awardees. These facilities provide advanced tools of modern science including accelerators, colliders, supercomputers, light sources and neutron sources, as well as facilities for studying the nanoworld, the environment, and the atmosphere. Projects focused on early-stage R for the improvement of technology along defined roadmaps may be more appropriate for support through the DOE applied energy offices including: the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (http://www.eere.energy.gov/), the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (https://www.energy.gov/fecm/office-fossil-energy-and-carbon-management), the Office of Nuclear Energy (http://www.energy.gov/ne/office-nuclear-energy), and the Office of Electricity (https://www.energy.gov/oe/office-electricity). Program Overview: The Nuclear Energy Waste Transmutation Optimized Now (NEWTON) program will support the research and development of technologies that enable the transmutation of used nuclear fuel (UNF) to alleviate the impact of storage in permanent disposal facilities. This program seeks to fund the development of novel technologies that increase the overall capacity factor, power output, and efficiency of particle generation systems (including but not limited to proton, neutron, and/or photon), by reducing beam trip magnitude and duration (referred to as loss of beam). Additional technologies will focus on increasing the throughput of transmutation by developing target materials that maximize transmutation rates and are easily processible to remove the transmuted material. The United States does not currently have an active facility for the permanent disposal of used nuclear fuel derived from the civilian nuclear sector. Used nuclear fuel comprises several classes of isotopes that could be processed in different ways due to their economic value. Firstly, uranium (U), which comprises greater than 95% of the mass of UNF, can be reprocessed and converted back into fuel for light-water reactors through the addition of small amounts of uranium-235 (U-235). Secondly, plutonium (Pu) and minor actinides (MAs), such as neptunium (Np), americium (Am), and curium (Cm), which together comprise roughly 1.5% of UNF by mass, are produced from nuclear fission. Many of these isotopes are fissionable and could be incorporated into fuels designed for advanced reactor concepts. Intermediate-lived fission products (ILFPs) including strontium-90 (Sr-90) and caesium-137 (Cs-137) have relatively short half-lives of roughly 30 years and have applications in radioisotope thermoelectric generators for space applications. However, ILFPs are largely destined for permanent disposal in a deep geological repository. The major long-lived fission products (LLFPs) have half-lives exceeding 200,000 years and have few commercial applications. LLFPS include selenium-79 (Se-79),technetium-99 (Tc-99), tin-126 (Sn-126), iodine-129 (I-129), and caesium-135 (Cs-135). The last class of isotopes are the stable isotopes produced from nuclear fission and resulting decay. These isotopes could be extracted from UNF, but no commercial processing of these have been undertaken. A deep geological disposal facility for the disposition of UNF in the U.S. has been estimated to cost $96.18 billion over the 150-year lifetime, after which the facility would cease to accept new waste. This facility would be able to store 70,000 metric tons (MT) of unprocessed UNF, which is insufficient for the existing volume of civilian waste. Densification of the waste can be accomplished through removal of the plutonium, minor actinides, and ILFP components of the UNF. Removal of 99.9% of these components would allow a densification factor of 225, based on current disposal requirements, thus allowing a single repository to store upwards of approximately 16 million MT of UNF. The LLFPs are responsible for many of the engineered barriers that are required to be built in the repository due to their long half-lives and environmental mobility. Removal of these LLFPs could decrease the capital expenditure of a permanent geological repository while also improving safety. To view the FOA in its entirety, please visit https://arpa-e-foa.energy.gov.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to community coalitions focused on preventing and reducing youth substance use, helping them implement effective strategies and strengthen local partnerships.

This grant provides funding to small businesses in the U.S. to develop innovative technologies that address critical national needs, particularly in health and technology, while promoting collaboration with research institutions.

This grant provides funding to local organizations in Eswatini to improve and integrate HIV and TB prevention and treatment services, enhancing the capacity of health institutions and ensuring community involvement in the process.

The "Critical Facility Energy Resilience (CiFER)" grant aims to fund the development and commercial deployment of innovative energy storage technologies, specifically at sites with identified resiliency needs, to enhance their progress towards commercialization.

This funding opportunity supports institutions in creating collaborative training networks for early-career researchers focused on advancing studies in kidney, urologic, and hematologic diseases.

This grant provides funding and technical support to innovators and organizations developing sustainable solutions for reusing and repurposing end-of-life products, promoting a circular economy and reducing waste.