Diabetes, Digestive, Kidney Extramural Research – Research Centers

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.

Eligible Organizations: 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. Eligible Individuals (Program Director/Principal Investigator): Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s) (PD(s)/PI(s)) is invited to work with his/her organization to develop an application for support.

Health professionals, graduate students, health professional students, scientists, and researchers, any nonprofit or for-profit organization, company, or institution engaged in biomedical research. Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s): Although no degree of education is either specified or required, nearly all successful applicants have doctoral degrees in one of the sciences or professions.

Grant applications are reviewed initially for scientific merit by an appropriate peer review panel 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. Successful applicants are sent a Notice of Grant Award.

Project Grants: From 6 to 9 months.