The Department of Health and Human Services, specifically the National Institutes of Health, is seeking proposals for the topic of "Harnessing Artificial Intelligence and Polypharmacology to Discover Pharmacotherapeutics for Substance Use Disorders (R41/R42 Clinical Trials Not Allowed)".
This solicitation aims to leverage AI/ML tools to identify pharmacotherapeutic development candidates with lower toxicity and higher efficacy to prevent or treat substance use disorders (SUDs). The goal is to streamline and enhance decision-making in drug discovery efforts for SUDs using AI/ML technologies.
The research objectives include identifying and validating disease targets, screening potential compounds, developing assays to test candidate compounds, synthesizing novel compounds, and conducting in vitro and in vivo studies to assess efficacy and toxicity.
This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program is a phased program, with Phase I focused on establishing technical merit and feasibility, and Phase II aimed at advancing the technology towards commercialization. Successful projects are expected to attract strategic partners or investors for ultimate commercialization.
Phase I and Fast Track applications are accepted, with Fast Track allowing Phase I and Phase II applications to be submitted and reviewed together for expedited award decisions. Milestones and deliverables must be clearly defined for Fast Track applications.
The solicitation is currently open, with a release date of January 29, 2024, an open date of June 25, 2024, and a close date of July 26, 2024. More information can be found on the grants.gov website.