Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research

(1) To promote extramural basic and clinical biomedical research that improves the understanding of the mechanisms underlying disease and leads to improved preventions, diagnosis, and treatment of diabetes, digestive, and kidney diseases. Programmatic areas within the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases include diabetes, digestive, endocrine, hematologic, liver, metabolic, nephrologic, nutrition, obesity, and urologic diseases. Specific programs areas of interest include the following: (a) For diabetes, endocrine, and metabolic diseases areas: Fundamental and clinical studies including the etiology, pathogenesis, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure of diabetes mellitus and its complications; Normal and abnormal function of the pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal, and other hormone secreting glands; Hormonal regulation of bone, adipose tissue, and liver; on fundamental aspects of signal transduction, including the action of hormones, coregulators, and chromatin remodeling proteins; Hormone biosynthesis, secretion, metabolism, and binding; and on hormonal regulation of gene expression and the role(s) of selective receptor modulators as partial agonists or antagonists of hormone action; and Fundamental studies relevant to metabolic disorders including membrane structure, function, and transport phenomena and enzyme biosynthesis; and basic and clinical studies on the etiology, pathogenesis, prevention, and treatment of inherited metabolic disorders (such as cystic fibrosis). (b) For digestive disease and nutrition areas: Genetics and genomics of the GI tract and its diseases; Genetics and genomics of liver/pancreas and diseases; Genetics and genomics of nutrition; genetics and genomics of obesity; Bariatric surgery; Clinical nutrition research; Clinical obesity research; Complications of chronic liver disease; Fatty liver disease; Genetic liver disease; HIV and liver; Cell injury, repair, fibrosis and inflammation in the liver; Liver cancer; Liver transplantation; Pediatric liver disease; Viral hepatitis and infectious diseases; Gastrointestinal and nutrition effects of AIDS; Gastrointestinal mucosal and immunology; Gastrointestinal motility; Basic neurogastroenterology; Gastrointestinal development; Gastrointestinal epithelial biology; Gastrointestinal inflammation; Digestive diseases epidemiology and data systems; Nutritional epidemiology and data systems; Autoimmune liver disease; Bile, Bilirubin and cholestasis; Bioengineering and biotechnology related to digestive diseases, liver, nutrition and obesity; Cell and molecular biology of the liver; Developmental biology and regeneration; Drug-induced liver disease; Gallbladder disease and biliary diseases; Exocrine pancreas biology and diseases; Gastrointestinal neuroendocrinology; Gastrointestinal transport and absorption; Nutrient metabolism; Pediatric clinical obesity; Clinical trials in digestive diseases; Liver clinical trials; Obesity prevention and treatment; and Obesity and eating disorders. (c) For kidney, urologic and hematologic diseases areas: Studies of the development, physiology, and cell biology of the kidney; Pathophysiology of the kidney; Genetics of kidney disorders; Immune mechanisms of kidney disease; Kidney disease as a complication of diabetes; Effects of drugs, nephrotoxins and environmental toxins on the kidney; Mechanisms of kidney injury repair; Improved diagnosis, prevention and treatment of chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease; Improved approaches to maintenance dialysis therapies; Basic studies of lower urinary tract cell biology, development, physiology, and pathophysiology; Clinical studies of bladder dysfunction, incontinence, pyelonephritis, interstitial cystitis, benign prostatic hyperplasia, urolithiasis, and vesicoureteral reflux; Development of novel diagnostic tools and improved therapies, including tissue engineering strategies, for urologic disorders;Research on hematopoietic cell differentiation; metabolism of iron overload and deficiency; Structure, biosynthesis and genetic regulation of hemoglobin; as well as Research on the etiology, pathogenesis, and therapeutic modalities for the anemia of inflammation and chronic diseases.
(2) To encourage basic and clinical research training and career development of scientists during the early stages of their careers. The Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) funds basic and clinical research training, support for career development, and the transition from postdoctoral biomedical research training to independent research related to diabetes, digestive, endocrine, hematologic, liver, metabolic, nephrologic, nutrition, obesity, and urologic diseases. (3) To expand and improve the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. The SBIR Program aims to increase and facilitate private sector commercialization of innovations derived from Federal research and development; to enhance small business participation in Federal research and development; and to foster and encourage participation of socially and economically disadvantaged small business concerns and women-owned small business concerns in technological innovation. (4) To utilize the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program. The STTR Program intends to stimulate and foster scientific and technological innovation through cooperative research and development carried out between small business concerns and research institutions; to foster technology transfer between small business concerns and research institutions; to increase private sector commercialization of innovations derived from Federal research and development; and to foster and encourage participation of socially and economically disadvantaged small business concerns and women-owned small business concerns in technological innovation.

Project Grants: Universities, colleges, medical, dental and nursing schools, schools of public health, laboratories, hospitals, State and local health departments, other public or private institutions, both non-profit and for-profit, and individuals who propose to establish, expand, and improve research activities in health sciences and related fields. NRSAs: Support is provided for academic and research training only, in health and health-related areas that are periodically specified by the National Institutes of Health. To be eligible, predoctoral awardees must have completed the baccalaureate degree and postdoctoral awardees must have a professional or scientific degree (M.D., Ph.D., D.D.S., D.O., D.V.M., Sc.D., D.Eng., or equivalent domestic or foreign degree). Individuals must be nominated and sponsored by a public or nonprofit private institution having staff and facilities appropriate to the proposed research training program. All awardees must be citizens or have been admitted to the United States for permanent residence. Nonprofit domestic organizations may apply for the Institutional NRSA. SBIR and STTR grants can be awarded only to domestic small businesses that meet the following criteria: 1) Is independently owned and operated, is not dominant in the field of operation in which it is proposing, has a place of business in the United States and operates primarily within the United States or makes a significant contribution to the US economy, and is organized for profit; 2) Is (a) at least 51% owned and controlled by one or more individuals who are citizens of, or permanent resident aliens in, the United States, or (b) for SBIR only, it must be a for-profit business concern that is at least 51% owned and controlled by another for-profit business concern that is at least 51% owned and controlled by one or more individuals who are citizens of, or permanent resident aliens in, the United States. 3) Has, including its affiliates, an average number of employees for the preceding 12 months not exceeding 500, and meets the other regulatory requirements found in 13 C.F.R. Part 121. Business concerns are generally considered to be affiliates of one another when either directly or indirectly, (a) one concern controls or has the power to control the other; or (b) a third-party/parties controls or has the power to control both. STTR grants which "partner" with a research institution in cooperative research and development. At least 40 percent of the project is to be performed by the small business concern and at least 30 percent by the research institution. In both Phase I and Phase II, the research must be performed in the U.S. and its possessions. To be eligible for funding, a grant application must be approved for scientific merit and program relevance by a scientific review group and a national advisory council.

Health professionals, graduate students, health professional students, scientists, and researchers, any nonprofit or for-profit organization, company, or institution engaged in biomedical research. Project Grants: Although no degree of education is either specified or required, nearly all successful applicants have doctoral degrees in one of the sciences or professions. NRSAs: Predoctoral awardees must have completed the baccalaureate degree and postdoctoral awardees must have a professional or scientific degree.

Research Grant and Training Program applications are reviewed initially for scientific merit by an appropriate review panel, composed of scientific authorities, and by the National Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Advisory Council composed of leaders in medical science, education, and public affairs. Approved applications will compete on a merit basis for available funds. The successful applicant is sent a Notice of Grant Award. All accepted SBIR/STTR applications are evaluated for scientific and technical merit by an appropriate scientific peer review panel and by a national advisory council or board. All applications receiving a priority score compete for available SBIR/STTR set-aside funds on the basis of scientific and technical merit and commercial potential of the proposed research, program relevance, and program balance among the areas of research.

Project Grants: From 6 to 9 months. National Research Service Awards: From 6 to 9 months. SBIR/STTR applications: About 7-1/2 months.