Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 18 546
The Blueprint Neurotherapeutics Network (BPN) funding opportunity (PAR-18-546) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) cooperative agreement designed to help neuroscience researchers push small-molecule drug projects further down the pipeline and, when appropriate, into first-in-human testing. The program targets disorders of the nervous system and is structured to bridge the common gap between academic discovery and the rigorous preclinical and early clinical work needed to start clinical development. Because it is a cooperative agreement (UG3/UH3), awardees should expect active collaboration and coordination with NIH and NIH-supported partners rather than a fully hands-off grant structure.
A central feature of BPN is the division of responsibilities between the applicant team and the program's external development resources. Investigators keep ownership of the disease-relevant scientific core of the project: they run the target- or disease-specific assays, models, and specialized research tools in their own laboratories, and the award provides funding for that work. At the same time, projects are strengthened by access to NIH-funded consultants and, critically, NIH contract research organizations (CROs). These CRO resources can cover many of the expensive, specialized, and highly regulated activities that often slow academic drug development, including medicinal chemistry support, pharmacokinetics (PK) and related ADME studies, toxicology, formulation development, chemical synthesis (including Good Manufacturing Practice, or GMP, production), and Phase I clinical testing. In practical terms, the program is set up so that a neuroscience lab does not need to independently build an industrial-scale development infrastructure to progress a credible small-molecule candidate.
The program allows entry at two different points depending on how mature the project is. Projects can enter at the Discovery stage, where the goal is to take promising hit compounds and optimize them through iterative medicinal chemistry and related testing to improve potency, selectivity, and drug-like properties. Alternatively, projects can enter at the Development stage, where a more advanced development candidate is ready to move toward Investigational New Drug (IND)-enabling work. For Development-stage projects, the emphasis is on completing the studies typically required to support an IND submission (notably formal toxicology and other regulatory-aligned packages) and potentially progressing into Phase I clinical testing. Importantly, Discovery-stage projects that successfully achieve their milestones can transition forward into the Development phase, creating a pathway from early optimization all the way to early clinical evaluation within the same program framework.
Milestones are a defining aspect of the UG3/UH3 structure. While the provided text does not list specific milestone requirements, the model implies a staged, go/no-go approach where continued support depends on meeting predefined technical and development objectives. This approach is intended to keep projects focused on producing decision-quality data and to ensure that only candidates with an acceptable balance of efficacy signals, safety margins, and developability move forward into costlier phases.
Intellectual property (IP) terms are another highlight of this opportunity and are structured to be attractive to applicants thinking about downstream translation and partnering. Awardee institutions retain their own IP rights, and they also receive assignment of IP rights generated by the BPN contractors for drug candidates developed within the program. This matters because it gives the awardee institution control over patent prosecution and licensing negotiations, which can be essential for attracting commercial partners or investors later, and helps avoid the fragmented ownership arrangements that can complicate drug development collaborations.
Eligibility is broad and includes many types of organizations that conduct biomedical research and development. Eligible applicants listed include state, county, city or township, and special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; nonprofit organizations (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3), excluding higher education institutions in those categories); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); small businesses; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; and Native American tribal governments (federally recognized) as well as Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments). The announcement also explicitly calls out additional eligible groups such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, AANAPISI institutions, Hispanic-serving institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and even non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations), signaling an intent to support a diverse set of applicants capable of contributing to neurotherapeutics development.
Administratively, the sponsoring agency is the NIH, and the opportunity falls under multiple CFDA program numbers (93.121, 93.213, 93.242, 93.273, 93.279, 93.853, 93.865, 93.866, 93.867), reflecting the cross-institute, cross-program nature of neuroscience and neurological disorder research within NIH. The original closing date in the provided record is 2020-03-03, and the posting was created on 2017-12-21. The award ceiling and expected number of awards are not specified in the source text, which suggests applicants would need to consult the full funding announcement or NIH contacts for budget limits, typical project sizes, and anticipated award counts.
Overall, BPN is best understood as a translation-focused program for small-molecule neurotherapeutics that combines investigator-driven biological validation and disease modeling with NIH-supported drug development expertise and infrastructure. It is designed to help move credible candidates from hit-to-lead optimization and candidate selection through IND-enabling studies and, when appropriate, Phase I clinical testing, while allowing awardee institutions to maintain meaningful control over resulting IP and commercialization decisions.Apply for PAR 18 546
- The National Institutes of Health in the education, health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Blueprint Neurotherapeutics Network (BPN): Small Molecule Drug Discovery and Development of Disorders of the Nervous System (UG3/UH3) - Clinical Trial Optional" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.121, 93.213, 93.242, 93.273, 93.279, 93.853, 93.865, 93.866, 93.867.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2017-12-21.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-03-03. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.
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Blueprint Neurotherapeutics Network (BPN) (PAR-18-546) - FAQs
What is the Blueprint Neurotherapeutics Network (BPN) funding opportunity?
BPN (PAR-18-546) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) cooperative agreement that supports neuroscience researchers working on small-molecule drug projects. It is designed to help projects move further down the drug development pipeline and, when appropriate, progress into first-in-human testing.
What kinds of diseases or conditions does BPN focus on?
The program targets disorders of the nervous system and is structured to support neurotherapeutics development for neurological and neuroscience-relevant indications.
What type of NIH funding mechanism is this?
This opportunity is a cooperative agreement using the UG3/UH3 structure. That means awardees should expect active collaboration and coordination with NIH and NIH-supported partners, rather than a fully hands-off grant arrangement.
How is a cooperative agreement (UG3/UH3) different from a traditional grant?
Based on the description provided, the key difference is the level of NIH involvement and coordination. In a cooperative agreement, NIH and NIH-supported partners play an active collaborative role, and the project progresses through staged milestones with a go/no-go approach for continued support.
What is the main purpose of BPN in the drug development pipeline?
BPN is meant to bridge the gap between academic discovery and the rigorous preclinical and early clinical work needed to begin clinical development. It helps move projects from early compound optimization through IND-enabling work and potentially into Phase I clinical testing.
What kinds of therapeutic modalities are supported by this program?
Based on the information provided, BPN is specifically focused on small-molecule drug projects (small-molecule neurotherapeutics).
How does BPN divide responsibilities between the applicant team and external resources?
Investigators retain responsibility for the disease-relevant scientific core of the project, including target- or disease-specific assays, models, and specialized research tools run in their own laboratories. In parallel, the program provides access to NIH-funded consultants and NIH contract research organizations (CROs) that can perform many specialized and regulated development activities.
What work is typically kept in the investigator's lab?
The investigator team typically runs the disease- or target-specific biology and research components, such as specialized assays, models, and tools that are central to demonstrating disease relevance and therapeutic rationale.
What kinds of support can NIH contract research organizations (CROs) provide through BPN?
The CRO resources described can include medicinal chemistry support; pharmacokinetics (PK) and related ADME studies; toxicology; formulation development; chemical synthesis (including Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) production); and Phase I clinical testing.
Does BPN provide medicinal chemistry support?
Yes. The program description explicitly notes medicinal chemistry support as one of the activities covered by NIH contract research organizations supporting BPN projects.
Does BPN support pharmacokinetics (PK) and ADME studies?
Yes. The description states that CRO resources can cover pharmacokinetics (PK) and related ADME studies.
Does BPN support toxicology studies?
Yes. Toxicology is specifically listed among the expensive and regulated development activities that can be covered through NIH-supported CRO resources, particularly as part of IND-enabling work.
Does the program include formulation development?
Yes. Formulation development is specifically identified as one of the development activities that can be supported via NIH CRO resources.
Does BPN support chemical synthesis and GMP manufacturing?
Yes. The opportunity description includes chemical synthesis support, including Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) production, via NIH contractors.
Can BPN support Phase I clinical testing?
Yes. The description indicates that CRO resources can include Phase I clinical testing, and that Development-stage projects may potentially progress into Phase I clinical testing when appropriate.
Do applicants need to build their own industrial-scale drug development infrastructure to use BPN?
No. A stated practical intent of the program is that a neuroscience lab does not need to independently build industrial-scale development infrastructure to advance a credible small-molecule candidate, because key specialized activities may be handled through NIH-supported consultants and CROs.
At what stage can a project enter the BPN program?
The program allows entry at two points: the Discovery stage or the Development stage, depending on how mature the small-molecule project is.
What is the Discovery stage in BPN?
Discovery-stage projects focus on taking promising hit compounds and optimizing them through iterative medicinal chemistry and related testing. The goal is to improve potency, selectivity, and drug-like properties.
What is the Development stage in BPN?
Development-stage projects are for more advanced candidates that are ready to move toward IND-enabling work. The emphasis is on completing studies typically required to support an Investigational New Drug (IND) submission, including formal toxicology and other regulatory-aligned packages, and potentially progressing into Phase I clinical testing.
Can a Discovery-stage project transition into the Development phase?
Yes. The opportunity description states that Discovery-stage projects that successfully achieve their milestones can transition forward into the Development phase, providing a pathway from early optimization through early clinical evaluation within the program framework.
How important are milestones in the UG3/UH3 structure for this program?
Milestones are described as a defining feature of the UG3/UH3 model. While specific milestone requirements are not listed in the provided text, the structure implies staged progress with a go/no-go approach, where continued support depends on meeting predefined technical and development objectives.
What does "go/no-go" mean in the context of BPN milestones?
In this context, it refers to a staged decision-making approach. Projects are expected to generate decision-quality data against predefined objectives, and progression to later (and typically more expensive) phases depends on meeting those objectives.
What types of outcomes are milestones intended to drive?
Based on the description, milestones are intended to keep projects focused on decision-quality data and help ensure that only candidates with an acceptable balance of efficacy signals, safety margins, and developability advance into costlier phases such as IND-enabling studies and Phase I testing.
Who owns the intellectual property (IP) developed through BPN?
The opportunity highlights IP terms intended to support downstream translation. Awardee institutions retain their own IP rights, and they also receive assignment of IP rights generated by the BPN contractors for drug candidates developed within the program.
Why do the BPN IP terms matter for partnering and commercialization?
Because awardee institutions receive assignment of contractor-generated IP for drug candidates developed within the program, they can maintain control over patent prosecution and licensing negotiations. The description notes that this can be important for attracting commercial partners or investors and may help avoid fragmented ownership that complicates drug development collaborations.
What types of organizations are eligible to apply?
Eligibility is described as broad. Eligible applicants include various government entities (state, county, city or township, and special district governments), independent school districts, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3), excluding higher education institutions in those nonprofit categories), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), small businesses, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, and Native American tribal governments (federally recognized) as well as Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments).
Are minority-serving institutions and other specific institution types mentioned as eligible?
Yes. The announcement explicitly calls out eligibility for Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, AANAPISI institutions, Hispanic-serving institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), as well as faith-based or community-based organizations.
Are U.S. territories or possessions included in eligibility?
Yes. U.S. territories or possessions are explicitly listed among eligible groups.
Are non-U.S. (foreign) organizations eligible to apply?
Yes. The provided information states that non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations) are included among eligible applicants.
Are federal agencies eligible to apply?
Yes. Eligible federal agencies are explicitly mentioned among additional eligible groups.
Which agency sponsors this opportunity?
The sponsoring agency is the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Which CFDA program numbers are associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is listed under multiple CFDA program numbers: 93.121, 93.213, 93.242, 93.273, 93.279, 93.853, 93.865, 93.866, and 93.867.
What do the multiple CFDA numbers suggest about the program?
Based on the description, the multiple CFDA numbers reflect the cross-institute, cross-program nature of neuroscience and neurological disorder research within NIH.
What is the original closing date listed for this opportunity?
The provided record lists an original closing date of 2020-03-03.
When was the posting created?
The posting was created on 2017-12-21.
Is the award ceiling provided in the information shown?
No. The award ceiling is not specified in the provided text.
Is the expected number of awards provided?
No. The expected number of awards is not specified in the provided text.
Where should applicants look for budget limits, typical project sizes, or anticipated award counts?
The description indicates that applicants would need to consult the full funding announcement or NIH contacts for details such as budget limits, typical project sizes, and anticipated award counts.
What is the overall value proposition of BPN for academic neuroscience drug discovery groups?
BPN combines investigator-driven biological validation and disease modeling with NIH-supported drug development expertise and infrastructure. It is designed to help move small-molecule projects from hit-to-lead optimization and candidate selection through IND-enabling studies and, when appropriate, into Phase I clinical testing, while allowing awardee institutions to maintain meaningful control over resulting IP and commercialization decisions.
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