PharmAlliance encourages collaboration no matter WHERE the funding comes from! See below for a list of upcoming grant opportunities. If you are interested in pursuing a grant listed below with PharmAlliance partners, please reach out to Ruth Everett to facilitate initial discussions.

UCL Members: Please contact Adam Phillips to set up your PharmAlliance.org user account.

Neuroscience

Discovery of Cell-based Chemical Probes for Novel Brain Targets

  • Deadlines: Through 16 October 2023
  • Funding: $275,000 USD over two years; no more than $200,000 in direct costs allowed in any single year
  • Funding organization: NIH
  • Purpose: Encourages research to advance the discovery of small molecule chemical probes for use in cell-based studies: 1) discovery and development of novel cell-based chemical probes for their potential use in understanding biological processes relevant to the missions of participating NIH Institutes; and 2) use of chemical probes to discover and/or validate novel biological targets that will inform studies of brain disease mechanisms. Emphasis will be placed on the research that provides new insight into important disease-related biological targets and biological processes.

    This program creates an opportunity for integrated research in biology and chemistry on structure-activity relationships of novel compounds through an iterative and parallel optimization process, to advance successful development of cell-based chemical probes. Applicants to this funding announcement should have in hand the starting compounds (“validated hits”) for chemical optimization and bioassays for testing new analog compounds. The iterative bioassay and chemical optimization cycles may encompass:
    • Cellular activity (potency in cellular assays).
    • Cellular penetration (cellular permeability measured in relevant assays: Caco-2/MDR1-MDCK/PAMPA).
    • Aqueous solubility.
    • Selectivity (assessment of on-target and off-target effects in cells).
    • Cellular target engagement (mechanism of action).

      The above-mentioned areas of investigation are representative and not meant to be all-inclusive.
  • Details
    • Project period: 2 years
    • R21 clinical trial not allowed
    • Contacts: multiple – see funding announcement

Discovery of in vivo Chemical Probes for the Nervous System

  • Deadlines: Through 5 October 2023
  • Funding: Application budgets are not limited but need to reflect the actual needs of the project
  • Funding organization: NIH
  • Purpose: Seeks applications to advance the discovery of small molecule chemical probes that would enable, by modulating the function of a novel biological target, mechanistic questions to be addressed in animal studies. NIH aims to stimulate research in 1) discovery and development of a novel in vivo chemical probes for their potential use in understanding biological processes relevant to the missions of the participating NIH Institutes, and 2) use of chemical probes to discover and/or validate novel biological targets that will inform studies of brain disease mechanisms. Emphasis will be placed on research that provides new insight into important disease-related biological targets and biological processes. For example, applications may involve emerging therapeutic targets and mechanisms for the discovery of chemical probes that may lead to further development of therapeutics or provide insight into the biology of relevant diseases.

    This program creates an opportunity for integrated research in biology and chemistry on structure-activity relationships (SAR) of novel compounds through an iterative and parallel optimization process, to advance the successful development of in vivo chemical probes. Applicants should have, in hand, the starting compounds (“validated hits”) for chemical optimization and bioassays for testing new analog compounds. The iterative bioassay and chemical optimization cycles may encompass:
    • In vitro cellular and tissue activities (potency, selectivity, specificity, etc.).
    • In vitro structural, physicochemical, and biochemical properties (solubility, stability, membrane permeability, protein binding, microsome stability, metabolite identification, CYP inhibition, etc.).
    • In vivo pharmacokinetics (PK) with absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion (ADME) and toxicity.
    • In vivo efficacy.
  • Details
    • Project period: Not to exceed 4 years
    • R01 clinical trial not allowed
    • Contact: multiple – see funding announcement