BC Environmental and Occupational Health Research Network

Mapping genes to their function and their role in disease states is one of the grand challenges in modern biology. In a series of recent advances, inroads have been made in disaggregating the genetic architecture of complex diseases by using the genome wide association approach. However, risk-conferring variants detected using this approach have generally only increased disease risk by a small fraction, leaving a large proportion of the genetic and non-genetic variance unaccounted for from a Systems Biology perspective, in line with prevailing theories of the genetic architecture of complex disorders, it is likely that perturbation in other genetic and regulatory elements combined with environmental modulators will also contribute to an increase in risk for disease. This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) will support projects that expand from initial results from genomic studies to identify elements of the larger dynamic networks of molecular elements and their perturbations that will lead to a comprehensive understanding of the molecular pathophysiology of complex diseases.

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) solicits grant applications under this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) that are aimed at Phase I translation (T1) of recent advances in understanding the molecular basis of endogenous, self-sustaining daily cycles (circadian) in cellular function and gene expression to improve our understanding of heart, lung, and blood disease pathogenesis. This FOA aims to stimulate the application of recent discoveries and advances in understanding how circadian periodicity regulates the cells and metabolism of non-neural peripheral tissues to models of disease and avenues for the investigation of heart, lung, and blood disease risk, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. The scope of this FOA includes the impact of peripheral tissue circadian misalignment or disruption on metabolic, inflammatory, and thrombotic disease pathways. For the purpose of this FOA, the main thrust of research on circadian misalignment should be on elucidating molecular mediators and not potential environmental sources of exposure such as “jet lag.” Studies may also address how other genes are implicated in clock regulation.

This funding opportunity announcement (FOA), requests research grant applications that propose to 1) map traits associated with addiction by varying environmental factors at different states of development across inbred strains of mice including using, but not limited to, selective breeding strategies, recombinant inbred mice, the collaborative cross, and haplotype associative mapping with inbred strains; or 2) Identify epigenetic and genetic modifiers that under different environmental and developmental conditions produces different phenotypic outcomes in mice carrying a defined genetic variant, (e.g., knockout, CNVs). A separate paragraph in the section on Specific Requirements, Objectives, and Scope addresses the interest of NIAAA.

The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) issued by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) is to issue a Request for Applications (RFA) to investigate CNS changes that occur with chronic pain, and how these changes parallel those that occur with drug addiction. Of interest will be how chronic pain changes the CNS, how analgesics of various classes impact pain-induced CNS changes, and how analgesics in the absence of pain (some of which have abuse potential) produce CNS changes. The temporal course of these changes will also be of interest. A focus of this research will be comparing and contrasting these CNS changes in an effort to identify shared and unique mechanisms involved in pain, analgesia and drug abuse, as well as environmental and genetic factors that influence these changes.

The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) issued by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) is to issue a Request for Applications (RFA) to investigate CNS changes that occur with chronic pain and how these changes parallel those that occur with drug addiction. Of interest will be how chronic pain changes the CNS, how analgesics of various classes impact pain-induced CNS changes, and how analgesics in the absence of pain (some of which have abuse potential) produce CNS changes. The temporal course of these changes will also be of interest. A focus of this research will be comparing and contrasting these CNS changes in an effort to identify shared and unique mechanisms involved in pain, analgesia and drug abuse, as well as environmental and genetic factors that influence these changes.

Chronic pain and drug addiction are linked at every level of analysis; from the molecular to the molar levels. These associations are likely more than correlative. Chronic pain and drug addiction rely to some degree on shared neurobiological substrates and mechanisms. This helps explain why so many drugs of abuse have analgesic properties (e.g. heroin, nicotine, cannabinoids) and so many analgesics have abuse potential (e.g. opioids). However, there has not been a systematic effort to identify these mechanisms, and to elucidate how they interact. It is envisioned that a better understanding of these shared CNS mechanisms will lead to the development of improved analgesics without abuse potential, and improved treatments for addiction. The study of pain- and drug-induced brain changes can be examined at the morphological, molecular, cellular, or circuit level of analysis using appropriate state-of-the art techniques and methodologies. Also responsive to this FOA are studies of the environmental and genetic antecedents which may affect brain changes associated with chronic pain and drug abuse. Research conducted using animal models of pain and addiction or those employing human volunteers are responsive to this FOA. All responsive applications must include pain as a variable of study, and relate the CNS changes associated with pain to drug abuse/addiction.

Interactions between Physical Activity and Drug Abuse
The goal of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to stimulate investigations (using animal models or human subjects) of neurobiological and behavioral mechanisms that underlie the effects of physical activity on brain function across the lifespan as well as research designed to improve the translation of existing knowledge of the effects of exercise and physical activity into strategies for the prevention and treatment of drug abuse. The proposed line of investigation may focus on any neurobiological, behavioral or cognitive process that has been demonstrated to be affected by drugs of abuse or behaviors related to drug abuse. The research may be conducted in healthy individuals or, if scientifically appropriate, may include substance-abusing populations. All applications, however, must address how the proposed investigations are relevant to the understanding and/or treatment of substance abuse or how they may be implemented in substance abusing populations.

The objective of this FOA is to stimulate explorations of existing data to reveal new scientific insights applicable to substance abuse research. A corollary objective is to move forward the infrastructure needed to advance substance abuse research by enabling data and the computational services for analyzing and integrating that data to be discovered and used. For the purposes of this announcement, "secondary data analysis" refers to exploring existing data and knowledge sources to address new questions, apply new methodologies, or address hypotheses by querying and integrating related, but sometimes disparate data. Analyses may involve one or more data sets or knowledge sources, but must address fundamental research questions associated with substance abuse research. Primary data may be of multiple types and formats, and available through sources ranging from large databases and repositories to figures, images, legends and free text from published manuscripts. Supported efforts may include the activities necessary to accomplish analyses, such as locating, verifying and evaluating data sets and preparing them for semantic and computational interoperability.

The Fund provides financial assistance to young chemists who are showing unique achievements in basic research by facilitating their participation in international conferences or symposia.

The grant program is intended to support a broad range of research topics and areas as long as the proposed research is led by the applicant under professional research supervision. Specific objectives of the Student Research grant program are to support learning opportunities through a one-time grant for students wishing to conduct research projects related to tobacco abuse and nicotine addiction and to provide opportunities for graduate and post-doctoral students to improve skills in tobacco abuse and nicotine addiction research.

The Advanced Clinical Research Award (ACRA) is designed to provide funding to investigators who are committed to clinical cancer research, and is intended to support original research not currently funded. This research must have a patient-oriented focus, including a clinical research study and/or translational research involving human subjects. By continuing to support proven clinical researchers at a critical stage in their early career, ASCO hopes to expand the cadre of expert clinical oncology researchers who are developing promising research initiatives.

The goal of the Northern Research Fund (NRF) is to enhance research conducted by researchers using the facilities and services of the Churchill Northern Studies Centre (CNSC). This year’s NRF program will provide the cash equivalent of approximately $30,000 in funding for research in the Churchill area. The fund is available to assist researchers in meeting the financial needs of projects that will lead to increased knowledge relevant to the people living in the North, particularly in the region around Churchill.

The Canadian Space Agency has a mandate to increase knowledge of space through science. Terrestrial analogue research studies are an important element of that mandate as it applies to the exploration of other planets and the Moon. Analogue research studies help develop science questions, requirements, and expertise for future planetary exploration missions, and can be essential in developing knowledge of planetary processes from data returned by current and past missions. Canadian Space Agency (CSA), through a variety of consultations (e.g., workshops, advisory committees, discipline working groups), has confirmed that field-based analogue studies are a high priority area of research for the Canadian scientific community. Analogue activities are also of interest to several of our international Space partners. Thus, as part of its Planetary Exploration program, the Canadian Space Agency has developed the Canadian Analogue Research Network (CARN) that will enable Canadian and international scientists and engineers (including those from the Canadian Space Agency) to carry out activities at analogue sites in Canada.

The Canadian Space Agency has a mandate to increase knowledge of space through science. Terrestrial analogue research studies are an important element of that mandate as it applies to the exploration of other planets and the Moon. Analogue research studies help develop science questions, requirements, and expertise for future planetary exploration missions, and can be essential in developing knowledge of planetary processes from data returned by current and past missions. The objective of this Request for Proposals (RFP) is to provide Research Grants supporting activities at the three specific Canadian Analogue Research Network (CARN) sites: 1). Haughton-Mars Project Research Station (HMPRS), Devon Island, Nunavut; 2). McGill Arctic Research Station (MARS), Axel Heiberg Island, Nunavut; 3). Pavilion Lake Research Project (PLRP) station, British Columbia.

The mission of the Canadian Patient Safety Institute (CPSI) is to provide national leadership in building and advancing a safer Canadian health system. CPSI is pleased to announce its fourth Research Competition to continue its strategic mandate of increasing the scope and scale of research and evaluation activities in patient safety. The primary goal for the CPSI Research Competition is to develop knowledge about patient safety that can be helpful in a variety of settings and circumstances in organizations across Canada. Research funded will have patient safety as a primary focus.

CIIRDF actively assists companies from both Canada and Israel to identify appropriate candidates for partnerships. CIIRDF’s major role is that of sharing in R&D risk by investing up to CD $20,000 for feasibility studies and up to CD $800,000 for full-scale R&D projects undertaken as a joint project by Canadian and Israeli partners. The CIIRDF awards are provided on a cost-share basis for up to 50% of the project R&D costs. CIIRDF retains neither equity nor intellectual property rights as a result of its contribution. It does, however, require that the award be repaid by the project partners should the project result in commercialization and revenue generation. If the project does not lead to revenue generation, as a result of either technical or marketing failure, no repayment is required. Eligible recipients may be incorporated entities, partnerships, cooperatives, or any trustee or legal representative thereof, or groups or alliances of eligible recipients where a lead recipient has been identified. Agencies of the Crown (including Crown corporations, government institutes, government laboratories, etc.) and universities may be allowed as members of alliances, but not as lead recipients.

CIHR welcomes applications from individuals or teams working in Canada in the health field, including: health researchers; health professionals; administrators and those involved in public health or public policy. Applications will also be accepted from Canadians working abroad. This new competition will recognize Canadian health research achievements that have had a significant impact on health, health care, and health research by improving our understanding of health and human diseases, tackling health challenges, and improving our health system. CIHR has partnered with the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) to showcase significant Canadian achievements. The Top Health Research Achievements as selected by an independent review committee will be considered for publication in the CMAJ.

AACR Career Development Awards are open to junior faculty at an academic, medical, or research institution who completed postdoctoral studies or clinical fellowships no more than three years prior to the start of the grant term. The Awards provide two-year grants of $50,000 per year for direct research expenses and salary support.

Water reuse practitioners around the world need and want a set of universal standards or criteria on which they can rely when designing a water reuse facility/project. There are currently no national standards in the U.S. Individual state regulations govern the design of various reuse facilities, although not all states have adopted standards. For states with standards, they do not necessarily cover all types of reuse applications. The level of stringency of state standards varies from state to state. The goal of this project is to develop a "white paper" which would assess the rationale and alternatives for developing criteria or standards. The "white paper" is intended to explore alternatives ranging from national regulations to voluntary consensus industry standards, water reuse criteria, or guidelines.

The overall goal of this study is to more accurately characterize the value of changes in water supply reliability to residential and recreational (parks, playgrounds, and schools) users through the application of relevant economic valuation techniques, relying on advanced statistical analysis of residential stated preference data collected via state-of-the-art survey methods.