Cooperative Program for Modeling Clinical Transplantation

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) is initiating a Cooperative Program for Modeling Clinical Transplantation to advance the development of new therapeutics and improve outcomes in human solid organ transplantation. This program focuses on innovative and clinically translatable in-vitro and in-vivo systems that model local and systemic immune responses. It encourages applications involving new approach methods (NAMs) such as immune-competent microphysiological systems, organoids, ex-vivo perfused human organs, precision-cut tissue slices, and computational systems biology models. The objective is to develop models that address current challenges in clinical translation, reduce dependence on nonhuman primate models, and demonstrate clear relevance to clinical outcomes. The program places strong emphasis on data sharing to enhance reproducibility and establish standards and best practices in the field. Funding and program authority are granted under relevant sections of the Public Health Service Act and Federal Regulations. The opportunity is forecasted by NIAID, which serves under the Department of Health and Human Services and seeks to foster collaborative efforts that bridge experimental models with clinical applications in transplantation research. Contact for the program is provided by NIAID via email for interested applicants.