The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) – California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) Collaborative Research Grants scheme has been established to support Australian-based components of collaborative research grants. An NHMRC research grant of up to 3 years duration will be offered to support project work to be conducted by Partner Investigators located in Australia.
Outcomes of NHMRC – CIRM Collaborative Research Grants
In 2012, NHMRC supported CIRM’s RFA 11-02: CIRM Early Translational Awards III as follows:
|
RFA 11-02: CIRM Early Translational Awards III | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead Australian Partner Investigator | Institute | Project Title | Funding |
| Prof Claude Bernard | Monash University | Multiple Sclerosis Therapy: Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Neural Progenitor Cells | $1,744,665 |
Application Summary
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the central nervous system (CNS) that results in a progressive loss of the ability to move ones muscles properly. This is caused by damage to myelin, the outer protective and insulating layer of the nerves which stimulate muscle movement. This damage occurs when an individual’s own immune cells enter the CNS and attack the myelin. MS is a leading cause of neurological disability and current treatments use drugs that inhibit the entry to the CNS of damaging immune cells.
These therapies often have unsatisfactory outcomes, with MS continuing to progress over time, resulting in irreversible tissue damage due to permanent loss of myelin and nerve destruction. The limited ability of the body to repair damaged nerve tissue highlights the critical nature of the need for effective treatments for MS patients. The long-term goal of the research is to develop a stem cell-based therapy that will not only stop on-going destruction of myelin but also stimulate myelin production and thus repair damaged nerves.
Preliminary data from mouse models of human MS have been promising and suggest that this goal is possible. Research will focus on refining techniques for quality control and production of clinically useful cells derived from human stem cell lines that can be used in therapeutic treatments for patients with MS.
Archived Information: Program description
RFA 11-02: CIRM Early Translational Awards III (Closed 15 Dec 2011).
Details of the RFA 11-02 CIRM Early Translational III Research Awards can be found here.
Apply for funding under this program
Please note that carriage of administration and assessment responsibilities are with CIRM. Applicants seeking to apply for support from this scheme should visit the CIRM website for details on how to apply for the appropriate Request For Applications.
Australian-based Partner Investigators (API) on grants favourably peer reviewed by CIRM will be invited to apply to NHMRC for support for the Australian-based components of the research. APIs will be required to submit an application to NHMRC online via the Research Grants Management System (RGMS). The API must be Chief Investigator A on the application submitted to NHMRC under this scheme.
Applicants who are not yet registered on RGMS, should contact the Research Help Centre on help@nhmrc.gov.au for more information.
A complete application for this scheme will consist of:
a. Parts A and B of the application form;
b. The relevant information in your RGMS Profile and CV; and
c. The uploaded PDF Document containing the application submitted to CIRM.
Prior to submission, applicants must ensure they:
- read all relevant reference material; and
- contact their Administering Institution to identify any specific Institutional requirements.
Key dates
To be announced when details of the next round have been finalised.
Contact for further information
For more information please contact:
NHMRC – CIRM Collaborative Research Grants
Research Group
GPO Box 1421
CANBERRA ACT 2601
Email: help@nhmrc.gov.au