NINR is pleased to share that NIH has published two Research Opportunity Announcements as part of its new Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection (PASC) initiative. NIH is soliciting proposals for research that will improve understanding of and contribute to strategies to prevent and treat individuals who have been sickened by COVID-19 and suffer from post-acute manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 infection, often referred to as “Long COVID.”
This initiative aims to answer key research questions needed to advance our understanding of Long COVID and discover effective therapeutics to address it. Some fundamental scientific questions this new initiative strives to answer include:
- What are the clinical spectrum of and biology underlying recovery from acute SARS-CoV-2 infection over time?
- For those patients who do not fully recover, what is the incidence/prevalence, natural history, clinical spectrum, and underlying biology of this condition? Are there distinct phenotypes of patients who have prolonged symptoms or other sequelae?
- Does SARS-CoV-2 infection initiate or promote the pathogenesis of conditions or findings that evolve over time to cause organ dysfunction or increase the risk of developing other disorders?
Projects will be funded utilizing NIH’s Other Transaction Authority (OTA), which offers flexibility and the ability to engage partners in collaborative innovation and problem solving.
There are two ROAs, which are briefly described and accessible below:
- A COVID19 Recovery Cohort ROA soliciting proposals for studies involving (a) clinical recovery cohorts, (b) EHR and other real-world data, and (c) autopsy cohorts; proposals must be received by 5:00 p.m., March 23, 2021.
- A Clinical Science Core ROA soliciting proposals for (a) a Data Resource Core, (b) a Clinical Studies Core, and (c) a Biospecimen Core; proposals must be received by 5:00 p.m., March 16, 2021.
Applicants may apply to perform one, two, or all three elements of each ROA.
To learn more about these ROAs, please click on the links above. In addition, you may reference Frequently Asked Questions specific to this opportunity.
Potential applicants are also encouraged to register for and attend a Technical Assistance Workshop on March 1 at 5:00 p.m. (ET) to learn more. If after reviewing these materials you have additional questions, you may direct them to NHLBI_OTA@mail.nih.gov