This joint funding opportunity announcement between the National Institutes of Health and National Institute of General Medical Sciences solicits proposals for innovative genetic, physiological and ecological studies that reveal the basic principles and mechanisms governing host-associated microbial community structure and function. Applications can include, but are not limited to:
- Community dynamics – How communities develop population structures that resist and recover from perturbation
- Community physiology – Understanding how microorganisms contribute to, compete for or draw from the available nutrient pool, the dependence of this pool on changing micro-environments and how microorganisms cooperate to synthesize metabolites
- Community genetic interactions – Studying the dynamics and consequences of the exchange of genetic information throughout the microbial community
- Model systems – The improvement of current model systems and the development of new ones
- Development of new technologies – Creating transformative technologies that can provide new insights into the physical and functional architecture of microbial communities.
Award size will vary with the scope of the project, but budget requests may not exceed $250,000 (in direct costs) per year. The maximum award period is 5 years, though most will be for 4. Letters of intent are due December 14, 2012. For more information, see the link below:
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-GM-14-001.html