Grants for Small businesses - Federal

This funding opportunity is designed to support public-private partnerships that leverage artificial intelligence to improve the resilience and competitiveness of U.S. manufacturing through innovative research and workforce development.

This funding opportunity supports multidisciplinary research teams in the U.S. working on complex biomedical questions, with a focus on advancing foundational biological processes and addressing critical health issues.

The SCIRP CTRA is intended to support high-impact and/or new/emerging clinical research that may not be ready for a larger-scale clinical trial and for which feasibility/pilot/optimization studies are necessary. Projects should demonstrate potential to impact the standard of care, both immediate and long term, or contribute to evidence-based guidelines for the evaluation and care of military Service Members, Veterans, and other individuals living with SCI. The U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA) is soliciting applications to the fiscal year 2024 (FY24) Spinal Cord Injury Research Program (SCIRP) using delegated authority provided by United States Code, Title 10, Section 4001 (10 USC 4001). The Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) at the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command (USAMRDC) is the program management agent for this funding opportunity. Congress initiated the SCIRP in 2009 to provide support for traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI)-related research of exceptional scientific merit that has the potential to make a significant impact on improving the health and well-being of military Service Members, Veterans, and other individuals living with SCI. Appropriations for the SCIRP from FY09 through FY23 totaled $437.85 million (M). The FY24 Defense Appropriations Act provides $40M to the SCIRP through the appropriation for peer-reviewed spinal cord research. The vision of the SCIRP is to advance the treatment and management of SCI and ameliorate its consequences. The FY24 SCIRP challenges the scientific community to design research that will advance the development or translation of health care solutions for people living with SCI. Innovative research that fosters new directions or addresses neglected issues in the field of traumatic SCI is also supported, although studies focused exclusively on target identification are discouraged. The SCIRP encourages impactful research across the continuum of care from time of injury and across the life span that is well reasoned and scientifically supported. Applications from investigators within the military services and applications involving multidisciplinary collaborations among academia, industry, the military services, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and other federal government agencies are highly encouraged. These relationships can leverage knowledge, infrastructure, and access to unique clinical populations that the collaborators bring to the research effort, ultimately advancing research that is of significance to Service Members, Veterans, their Families and/or care partners.

This grant provides funding for technology demonstrations of non-lithium long-duration energy storage solutions, targeting state energy offices, Indian Tribes, educational institutions, electric utilities, and private energy storage companies to advance these technologies towards commercial viability.

This funding opportunity supports innovative interventions to improve the health and quality of life for people living with HIV, particularly those from racial and ethnic minority populations and low-income backgrounds, by addressing related health issues and promoting successful aging.

This grant provides funding to U.S. small businesses for research and development projects that aim to advance health-related technologies and facilitate their commercialization.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to small businesses with active Phase I SBIR or STTR grants from NIH or CDC, helping them accelerate the commercialization of biomedical and public health innovations through training and market research.

The "Privacy-Preserving Data Sharing in Practice" grant aims to fund research and development projects that create practical, scalable technologies for sharing data in a way that preserves privacy, with a focus on advancing privacy-enhancing technologies for artificial intelligence, developing tools and testbeds for safe data sharing, and promoting the usability and inclusiveness of these solutions.

The Academy of Kidney Cancer Investigators (AKCI) is a unique, interactive virtual academy that provides, intensive mentoring, national networking, and a peer group for scientist and clinician junior faculty. The KCRP created the Academy of Kidney Cancer Investigators in FY19 to align with several program priorities, which include to build research capacity in kidney cancer; increase collaborations to advance kidney cancer research, and support innovative research conducted by the next generation of kidney cancer scientists and clinicians. The overarching goal of the AKCI is to increase research capacity in kidney cancer through the development of successful, highly productive kidney cancer researchers in a collaborative research and training environment. The AKCI is a virtual career development and research training platform that currently consists of 11 Early-Career Scholars (ECS)/Designated Mentor pairs from different institutions, and one Academy Director. It is expected that six Early-Career Scholars will graduate by the fall of 2025 and four FY23 AKCI Early-Career Scholars/Designated Mentor awards will be made by September 2024. In addition, Academy graduates will continue to participate in the annual Academy meetings. Information about the Academy is available on the KCRP webpage and in the Kidney Cancer Program Booklet at https://cdmrp.health.mil/kcrp. The AKCI leadership team will identify opportunities for engagement with KCRP AKCI Scholars-Designated Mentors and KCRP FY25 (and subsequent year awardees) Postdoctoral and Clinical Fellowship Awardees. The Academy Director and Deputy Director catalyze the growth and professional development of the Early-Career Scholars in collaboration with their Designated Mentors, assess the progress of the ECSs, and facilitate communication and collaboration among all of the Academy members. The AKCI leadership team will also identify and offer opportunities for engagement (e.g., invitations to seminar series and in-person meetings) with FY24 Postdoctoral and Clinical Fellowship Awardees with FY24 KCRP AKCI-ECS-Designated Mentors (and subsequent year awardees). This FY24 funding opportunity is soliciting applications for an Academy Director (Principal Investigator [PI]) and Deputy Director (Partnering PI) to lead the AKCI. The newly selected FY24 Academy Director and Deputy Director will initiate their responsibilities no later than October 2025. The Academy Director and Deputy Director (hereafter referred to as Academy Leadership) must be established kidney cancer researchers and can be at different institutions. The Academy Leadership must demonstrate a strong record of mentoring and training early career investigators, a commitment to leadership, the ability to articulate methods toward research collaborations, and the ability to objectively assess the progress of all Scholars with their Designated Mentors in the AKCI. Other objectives will include execution of research that will engage AKCI FY24 Scholars (including subsequent-year Scholars), develop tools for Scholars to enable success, and provide opportunities to broaden their knowledge in kidney and renal pelvis cancers. The leadership team will identify and offer occasion(s) for the AKCI to network with KCRP FY24 Postdoctoral and Clinical Fellowship Awardees (and subsequent year awardees). Designated Mentors on FY24 KCRP AKCI Early-Career Scholar Award applications and Designated Mentors on open FY19 through FY23 KCRP AKCI Early-Career Scholar Awards (with the exception of those graduating in 2024) are not eligible to apply for this award. Note: An invited oral presentation is a requirement for application review of the KCRP AKCI LA, as described in Section II.D.2.b.iv, Additional Application Components. Responsibilities of the Academy Leadership include, but are not limited to: Act as a resource for all Scholars and Designated Mentors in the Academy over the Scholars 4-year period of performance. Facilitate communication and collaboration among all Scholars and Designated Mentors (including periodic interactive communication among all Academy members). Develop assessment criteria to evaluate the research progress made by all Scholars, as well as their career progression and sustainment as independent investigators in kidney cancer research. Conduct collaborative kidney cancer pilot project(s) that include Academy Scholars. These pilot projects should have the potential to improve collaboration within the Academy, as well as impact kidney cancer research and/or kidney cancer patients/survivors. o Examples of pilot research projects may include but are not limited to (a) funding an extended statistical or bioinformatics analysis with AKCI Scholars, (b) performing a large-scale meta-analysis of human or animal datasets with AKCI scholars, (c) provide access to critical biorepositories or animal models to expand AKCI investigator analyses or increase study rigor. Provide constructive critiques with the goal of advancing the research and professional careers of the Scholars and strengthening the mentorship of the Designated Mentors. Provide avenues to increase the promotion of the Academy and visibility of Scholars within kidney cancer research and advocacy communities (e.g., peer review, conferences, editorial boards). Support the professional development, to include laboratory management skills, of the Scholars into leading researchers through invited presentations by experts outside of the AKCI LA. Plan and host an annual 1-day workshop and, biennially, a multi-day workshop for all Scholars/Designated Mentor pairs as well as Academy graduates to present their research, share knowledge, and develop collaborative efforts within the AKCI. Scholars will be responsible for their own travel costs to in-person Academy meetings. Include KCRP FY24 Postdoctoral and Clinical Fellowship Awardees in at least one meeting of the FY24 AKCI. These investigators will be responsible for their own travel costs, funds for which are included in their research awards. Establish a panel of patient advocates and Veteran(s) (i.e., the Patient Advocacy Panel) to inform the AKCI on the needs of the patient community. Establish the Designated Mentor Panel to facilitate collaborations among the AKCI participants including the Scholars, Academy Director/Deputy Director, and the Designated Mentors. The Academy of Kidney Cancer Investigators Leadership Award is structured to support two PIs. The Academy Director will be identified as the Initiating PI and will be responsible for the majority of the administrative tasks associated with application submission. The Deputy Director will be identified as the Partnering PI. The collaboration between the Academy Director and the Deputy Director should be supported by complementary expertise and experience. Initiating and Partnering PIs each have different submission requirements, as described in Section II.D.2, Content and Form of the Application Submission; however, both PIs should contribute significantly to the development of the proposed research project. The application should clearly demonstrate that both PIs have equal levels of input on the proposed Academy Leadership and clearly define the components to be addressed by each to support the success of the Scholars. While it is up to the Academy Director and the Deputy Director to define their roles, both Academy Leaders should have interactions with each Scholar-Designated Mentor pair, (and the Scholars Designated Mentors); acting as administrative support does not fulfill the intent of the Director and Deputy Director. If recommended for funding, each PI will be named on separate awards to the recipient organization(s). Each award will be subject to separate reporting, regulatory, and administrative requirements. For individual submission requirements for the Initiating and Partnering PI(s), refer to Section II.D.2, Content and Form of the Application Submission. Organizational-Level Emphasis: The following areas of emphasis are broadly applicable to many CDMRP programs, not just the KCRP. Investigators are encouraged to consider addressing these areas in their applications if doing so is appropriate for their line of research, addresses the FY24 KCRP strategic priorities and/focus areas described in Section II.A.1 and Section II.A.2. Nuclear Medicine: 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. Womens Health: 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 womens health. Metastatic Cancer Task Force: 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 KCRP priorities. Rigorous Study Design: 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. Military Service Involvement: Applications from investigators within the military services and applications involving multidisciplinary collaborations among academia, industry, the military services, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and other federal government agencies are highly encouraged. These relationships can leverage knowledge, infrastructure, and access to unique clinical populations that the collaborators bring to the research effort, ultimately advancing research that is of significance to Service Members, Veterans, and/or their Families. If the proposed research relies on access to unique resources or databases, the application must describe the access at the time of submission and include a plan for maintaining access as needed throughout the proposed research. Clinical trials are not allowed under this funding opportunity. A clinical trial is defined in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 45, Part 46.102 (45 CFR 46.102) as a research study in which one or more human subjects are prospectively assigned to one or more interventions (which may include a placebo or another control) to evaluate the effects of the interventions on biomedical or behavioral health-related outcomes. Studies that do not seek to measure safety, effectiveness, and/or efficacy outcome(s) of an intervention are not considered clinical trials. For the purposes of this funding opportunity, research that meets the definition of a clinical trial is distinct from clinical research. Clinical research encompasses research with human data, human specimens, and/or interaction with human subjects. Clinical research is observational in nature and includes: (1) Research conducted with human subjects and/or material of human origin such as data, specimens, and cognitive phenomena for which an investigator (or co-investigator) does not seek to assess the safety, effectiveness, and/or efficacy outcomes of an intervention. Research meeting this definition may include but is not limited to: (a) mechanisms of human disease, (b) diagnostic or detection studies (e.g., biomarker or imaging), (c) health disparity studies, and (d) development of new technologies. (2) Epidemiologic and behavioral studies that do not seek to assess the safety, effectiveness, and/or efficacy outcomes of an intervention. (3) Outcomes research and health services research that do not fit under the definition of clinical trial. Excluded from the definition of clinical research are in vitro studies that utilize human data or specimens that cannot be linked to a living individual and meet the requirements for exemption under 46.104(d)(4) of the Common Rule. The funding instrument for awards made under the program announcement will be cooperative agreements (31 USC 6305). Substantial CDMRP programmatic involvement with recipients is anticipated during the performance of award activities. Substantial involvement means that, after award, CDMRP staff will assist, guide, coordinate, or participate in project activities including but not limited to: Participating in the Steering Committee that oversees study conduct. Make recommendations for continued funding based on (a) overall study progress, including sufficient patient and/or data accrual; (b) cooperation in carrying out the research (e.g., attendance at Steering Committee meetings, implementation of group decisions, compliance with the terms of award and reporting requirements); and/or (c) maintenance of a high quality of research. The anticipated combined direct costs budgeted for the entire period of performance for a FY24 KCRP AKCI LA should not exceed $1,500,000. Refer to Section II.D.5, Funding Restrictions, for detailed funding information. Awards supported with FY24 funds will be made no later than September 30, 2025. The CDMRP expects to allot approximately $2.4M to fund approximately one KCRP Academy of Kidney Cancer Investigator Leadership Award application (consisting of an Initiating PI application and a Partnering PI application). Funding of applications received is contingent upon the availability of federal funds for this program, the number of applications received, the quality and merit of the applications as evaluated by peer and programmatic review, and the requirements of the government. Funds to be obligated on any award resulting from this funding opportunity will be available for use for a limited time period based on the fiscal year of the funds. It is anticipated that awards made from this FY24 funding opportunity will be funded with FY24 and FY26 funds, which will expire for use on September 30, 2030, and September 30, 2032, respectively.

To establish a Data Center to coordinate and analyze single cell and other molecular data sets generated by Single Cell Opioid Responses in the Context of HIV (SCORCH) and other NIDA-funded HIV and substance use disorder projects and to make the data findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR) to enable secondary analyses by the scientific community. This is a non-competitive funding opportunity intended to fund a single award. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is announcing its intent to issue a single source cooperative agreement award to the University of Maryland Baltimore to 1. Coordinate all the data generated by the SCORCH consortium, 2. Analyze all the data generated by the SCORCH consortium, 3. Perform necessary SCORCH program scientific outreach activities, and 4. Support SCORCH consortium communication. The current SCORCH Data Center is integrated with the rest of the SCORCH consortium and is familiar with the current data, metadata, and data quality metric standards and data pipelines. They were involved in establishing these standards and have been/are working closely with key personnel on SCORCH data generation projects to ensure data and associated metadata are deposited. Continued support of the University of Maryland Baltimore SCORCH Data Center to complete the SCORCH Program activities will enable seamless SCORCH data coordination and archiving, will prevent disruption in data analysis, and will allow continued support of the currently existing SCORCH website which is the scientific face of the SCORCH program. Background Single Nucleus Assays: Molecular analysis of brain tissue typically relies on ensemble averaging of heterogenous mixtures of cell types within a specific brain region. However, technological advances enable molecular characterization of large numbers of individual cells. Single cell approaches can uncover effects on rarer cell types and have the potential to reveal cellular differences resulting from specific niche environments or transitory cellular states. Some single cell technologies in use include single cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq), single nucleus RNA-sequencing (snRNA-seq), single nucleus assay for transposase-accessible chromatin-sequencing (snATAC-seq), single cell Hi-C, and spatial genomics approaches such as multiplexed fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Individual researchers as well as large project teams including the Human Cell Atlas, Common Fund Human BioMolecular Atlas Program (HuBMAP), and NIH BRAIN Initiative Cell Atlas Network (BICAN) are exploiting these technologies to understand the diversity of cell types within the human body as well as their functions in human health and disease. Addictive Substances. Chronic exposure to addictive substances can lead to long term changes in brain function and to substance use disorders (SUDs). Many known brain regions are involved in addictive processes including the prefrontal cortex, nucleus accumbens, ventral tegmental area, striatum, insula, amygdala, and hippocampus. Despite great advances in our understanding of molecular pathways and circuits involved in SUDs, there remains limited knowledge concerning 1. The specific types, numbers, and gene expression profiles of cells within these brain regions and 2. How exposures to addictive substances influence the states and functions of these cells. HIV/ART. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has, in large part, transformed the HIV epidemic into a chronic manageable disease in the United States. However, people living with HIV remain at higher risk for impaired cognitive functions (e.g. HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorder [HAND]). Use of addictive substances by HIV-infected individuals has the potential to further alter immune function and/or exacerbate HIV-related CNS impairment. However, little is known about 1. The effects of persistent HIV infection or HIV treatment regimens on gene expression in specific CNS cell types in key brain regions, or 2. How chronic addictive substance use might modify these effects. SCORCH. The Single Cell Opioid Responses in the Context of HIV (SCORCH) consortium was formed to begin to address scientific questions about addiction and HIV/ART questions at the single cell level. Fifteen funded SCORCH data generation projects (NIDA SCORCH Program) have been generating brain snRNA-seq or snATAC-seq data. Four brain types are being assayed by all groups: control, drug-exposed/SUD, HIV+, and HIV+drug exposed/SUD. Emphasis is on individuals with chronic exposure to opioids, cocaine, methamphetamine, or cannabinoids. Four groups are generating data from non-human primate brain, four from rodent brain, and nine from human post-mortem brain with some data from human organoids as well. The SCORCH data coordination, analysis, and scientific outreach center was established to standardize and share the single cell molecular HIV/SUD data generated by this program by ensuring that the data is FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable). Harmonized molecular and single cell HIV/SUD data sets will enable data mining by the scientific community to uncover new HIV and/or SUD mechanisms and to identify candidate pathways for therapeutic intervention. The SCORCH Data Center will also enable future mining of these data sets as improved data science and information technology approaches are developed, maximizing NIDA ’s original investment in the data generating activities. Scope. The proposed project should be framed to answer one or more vexing questions about persistent HIV infection in the brain. In addition, the major thrust of the proposed project MUST: Propose to coordinate and analyze single cell and other molecular data sets generated by SCORCH and other NIDA-funded HIV and substance use disorder projects. Propose to make this data findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR) to enable secondary analyses by the scientific community. Applicants are encouraged to contact NIDA program staff to answer any questions. Key activities of the SCORCH Data Center will be to: Work with SCORCH consortium members to ensure that all data and metadata have standardized formats and associated quality metrics and have been processed through standardized pipelines. Associate new SCORCH data with clinical metadata from the appropriate brain banks or tissue sources. Work closely with the SCORCH consortium PD(s)/PI(s) to analyze the data generated, to develop analysis strategies to integrate the datasets in synergistic ways with other relevant datasets, and to share useful information and insights about these data with the broader biomedical research community. It is anticipated that the SCORCH Data Center will lead an integrative analysis of all the SCORCH single cell data in a capstone publication. Develop strategies to enable and improve coordination, analysis, and sharing of spatial genomics and related data types. Develop strategies to enable and improve coordination, analysis, and sharing of data types from spatially and/or functionally resolved cellular assemblies relevant to HIV or addiction. Examples include but are not limited to anatomical structures, functional networks and ensembles characterized under PAR-20-241/ RFA-DA-22-011/ RFA-DA-23-035 “Large Scale Integrated Mapping and Molecular Profiling of Cell Ensembles and/or Cell-Types Mediating Opioid Action in the Rodent Brain” and RFA-DA-23-036 “Investigating the Effects of Addictive Substances on Brain Developmental Trajectories Using Innovative Scalable Methods for Quantification of Cell Identity, Lineage and Connectivity.” Archive raw and processed datasets generated by the SCORCH consortium in appropriate NIH-supported archives. Maintain, and improve a website to serve as a community-wide nexus for SCORCH protocols, assay and data standards, raw and processed data, data pipelines, and other resources generated by the consortium. Facilitate SCORCH data use by the scientific community for data mining to identify candidates for SUD and/or HIV therapeutic targets or to investigate SUD or HIV mechanisms. Provide user-friendly access to consortium data and by identifying or generating robust tools to enable both naive and experienced investigators to query, integrate, analyze, and model the data. Develop workshops and implement a community outreach strategy to inform the research community of the accomplishments of the SCORCH program and disseminate information about the community resources and data generated by the program. Coordinate SCORCH consortium activities by organizing steering committee meetings, workgroup meetings, external program consultant logistics, and other awardee meetings as needed. Plan for Enhancing Diverse Perspectives : This NOFO requires a Plan for Enhancing Diverse Perspectives (PEDP) as described in NOT-MH-21-310, submitted as Other Project Information as an attachment (see Section IV). Applicants are strongly encouraged to read the NOFO instructions carefully and view the available PEDP guidance material. The PEDP will be assessed as part of the scientific and technical peer review evaluation, as well as considered among programmatic matters with respect to funding decisions.

This funding opportunity provides financial support for researchers and institutions to discover and develop new treatments for serious fungal infections that are difficult to treat due to resistance and safety issues.

This grant provides funding to U.S. nurse researchers and institutions to develop resources and support innovative studies focused on preventing firearm injuries, particularly among marginalized populations.

The TMD Collaborative for Improving Patient-Centered Translational Research (TMD IMPACT) grant aims to establish a national research collaborative to advance the understanding, diagnosis, treatment, and care of Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD) through interdisciplinary research and community engagement.

This funding opportunity supports multidisciplinary research and community projects aimed at reducing health disparities related to environmental factors among disadvantaged populations in the U.S.

The Program supports research on the sources, sinks, transport, and transformation of gases and aerosols in the atmosphere through models, observations, and experiments, including homogeneous and heterogeneous chemical reactions, emissions, deposition, atmospheric oxidation and photochemistry, aqueous-phase chemistry and aerosol processes; the formation of new particles and secondary organic aerosols, the modeling of atmospheric chemical processes, the study of chemical mechanisms in the atmosphere, optical properties of gases and aerosols, and improved methods for measuring the concentrations of trace species and their fluxes into and out of the atmosphere.The Program encourages principal investigators from a wide variety of institutions and backgrounds to submit proposals.

The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL) announces an open competition for organizations interested in submitting applications in response to to strengthen civil society resilience in Kyrgyz Republic. The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL) announces an open competition for organizations interested in submitting applications in response to the following solicitation.  DRL anticipates funding one proposal from this solicitation, pending availability of funding.      The Kyrgyz Republic has long had a reputation of having the most vibrant, active civil society and independent media in Central Asia.  In recent years however, concerning trends have put that reputation at risk.  Harassment of activists, independent media and CSOs has intensified, with peaceful rallies limited to specific places, with authorities extending restrictions every few months.       Kyrgyz CSOs now face systematic attacks including arbitrary criminal and administrative prosecutions, deportations, and anonymous offline and online threats. They routinely endure unannounced tax inspections and smear campaigns on social media. Additionally, draft anti-democratic legislation currently for consideration in the Kyrgyz parliament threatens to seriously undermine freedom of association and further restrict CSO operating space.     In this challenging environment, DRL aims to maintain civil space and build civil society resiliency. This project’s primary objective is ensuring Kyrgyz CSOs have the tools, training, resources, and support to remain safely and effectively engaged in their work amid increasing repressions.       Elements of useful programming could include digital and physical security trainings, financial audits, flexible small-grants, legal support, advocacy strategy development, cyber bullying response tactics, or building solidarity networks domestically and internationally. The focus should be holistic, addressing security, legal, financial, operational, and psychosocial needs given the multilayered pressures civil society faces.    Program outcomes could include one or more of the following but are not limited to:    Civil society and community actors operate and coordinate safely to navigate the new/emerging legal operating environment in Kyrgyz Republic.     Kyrgyz civil society organizations have the tools, resources, and support to safely and more effectively remain engaged in their work amid increasing restrictions and repressions that challenge the civic space.  Kyrgyz civil society engages in advocacy on human rights issues.  All programs should aim to have impact that leads to reforms and have the potential for sustainability beyond DRL resources.  DRL’s preference is to avoid duplicating past efforts by supporting new and creative approaches.  This does not exclude from consideration projects that improve upon or expand existing successful projects in a new and complementary way.  DRL is committed to advancing equity and support for underserved and underrepresented communities. In accordance with the Executive Order on Advancing Racial Equity and Underserved Communities, programs should implement strategies for integration and inclusion of individuals/organizations/beneficiaries that can bring perspectives based on their religion, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, sex characteristics, national origin, age, genetic information, marital status, parental status, pregnancy, political affiliation, or veteran’s status.  Programs should be demand-driven and locally led to the extent possible.  DRL requires all programs to be non-discriminatory and expects implementers to include strategies for nondiscrimination of individuals/organizations/beneficiaries based on race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sex characteristics, sexual orientation, pregnancy, national origin, disability, age, genetic information, marital status, parental status, political affiliation, or veteran’s status.  Competitive proposals may also include a summary budget and budget narrative for 12 additional months following the proposed period of performance, indicated above. This information should indicate what objective(s) and/or activities could be accomplished with additional time and/or funds beyond the proposed period of performance. Where appropriate, competitive proposals may include: Opportunities for beneficiaries to apply their new knowledge and skills in practical efforts; Solicitation of feedback and suggestions from beneficiaries when developing activities in order to strengthen the sustainability of programs and participant ownership of project outcomes; Input from participants on sustainability plans and systematic review of the plans throughout the life of the project, with adjustments made as necessary; Joint identification and definition of key concepts with relevant stakeholders and stakeholder input into project activities; Systematic follow-up with beneficiaries at specific intervals after the completion of activities to track how beneficiaries are retaining new knowledge as well as applying their new skills. Activities that are not typically allowed include, but are not limited to: The provision of humanitarian assistance; English language instruction; Development of high-tech computer or communications software and/or hardware; Purely academic exchanges or fellowships; External exchanges or fellowships lasting longer than six months; Off-shore activities that are not clearly linked to in-country initiatives and impact or are not necessary per security concerns; Theoretical explorations of human rights or democracy issues, including projects aimed primarily at research and evaluation that do not incorporate training or capacity-building for local civil society; Micro-loans or similar small business development initiatives; Initiatives directed towards a diaspora community rather than current residents of targeted countries.

This funding opportunity supports innovative research on rare cancers, providing up to $490,000 for early-stage projects that aim to improve diagnosis, understanding, and treatment, particularly benefiting military service members, veterans, and the general public.

This funding opportunity supports research projects that aim to improve eye health and reduce vision disparities in underserved communities through community engagement and multi-level interventions addressing social determinants of health.

This funding opportunity supports researchers and organizations developing innovative technologies to improve the quality and handling of cancer-related biospecimens, ultimately enhancing cancer research and addressing health disparities.

Notice of Funding Opportunity SummaryThe Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), an agency under the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is announcing potential availability of cooperative agreements for the purpose of leveraging NRCS resources to assist with conducting important coastal restoration throughout Massachusetts. NRCS recognizes the importance of shellfish, salt marsh, and eelgrass restoration and the beneficial outcomes it can have on the environment and climate change. Restoration of rare and declining communities, including coastal habitats has been an underutilized practice in Massachusetts. This agreement will be used to encourage the restoration of coastal habitats through the use of this NRCS practice by conducting outreach, providing training, identifying and completing projects, and monitoring of outcomes.NRCS-Massachusetts is making a funding opportunity available for applicants to submit proposals with an award ceiling of $600,000 and a minimum project award of $300,000. NRCS will be awarding a cooperative agreement for up to a five-year period. If, in coordination with NRCS, additional resources are needed at a rate that exceeds this schedule, NRCS may add funds to this agreement to support continued partnership over the performance period.The primary goal is to expand coastal restoration to NRCS customers throughout eastern Massachusetts. The project list ranges in size from less than an acre private or leased property to several hundred-acre private properties. Applicants will identify the average number of projects they could complete with a minimum of five being acceptable for this agreement. NRCS will work with the selected applicant to make the choice of priority restoration sites each year of the agreement based on interest and need. Applicants will be required to hold 1-2 restoration trainings per year for NRCS staff and partners to expand their knowledge on the subject. Applicants should provide a list of training ideas to NRCS for the length of the agreement. Applicants will be awarded based on the specified scoring criteria in Section E of this announcement. Eligible applicants are identified in Section C of this announcement. Applicants should be familiar with all applicable state, federal, local laws, policies, and regulations that apply to coastal restoration in the locales of Massachusetts.For new users of Grants.gov, see Section D. of the full Notice of Funding Opportunity for information about steps required before submitting an application via Grants.gov.Key DatesApplicants must submit their applications via Grants.gov by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on June 29, 2024. For technical issues with Grants.gov, contact Grants.gov Applicant Support at 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov. Awarding agency staff cannot support applicants regarding Grants.gov accounts.For inquiries specific to the content of the NFO requirements, contact the federal awarding agency contact (section G of this NFO). Please limit questions to those regarding specific information contained in this NFO (such as dates, page numbers, clarification of discrepancies, etc.). Questions related to eligibility, or the merits of a specific proposal will not be addressed.The agency anticipates making selections by June 30, 2024, and expects to execute awards by August 15, 2024. These dates are estimates and are subject to change.